Page 183 of Where Darkness Bloomed
A hush fell over the chamber, thick as Troy’s ash.
“And what of their faith in us?” Zeus’s voice was quieter now, more dangerous. “Can any of you restore that?”
None answered.
Then—the soft creak of metal.
All eyes turned as Hephaestus rose from his seat. His dark gaze steadily swept the dais, then settled on Zeus.
“Father,” he said. “I have no answer for their faith. But Aglaia may offer one with the birth of our child.”
A murmur rippled across the chamber. It broke the silence like dawn’s first light after a long, merciless night.
Zeus’s gaze flicked to Demeter in silent question.
Demeter’s lips curved into a knowing smile. “A girl,” she murmured. “A new goddess.”
Hephaestus’s head bowed, a hand touching his heart in solemn pride.
The air turned heavy with divine will as Zeus straightened. When he spoke, his voice resounded across Olympus: “She will be called Euthenia, goddess of prosperity. A gift of goodwill to mortals from Olympus.”
It was a decree. A destiny. A spark of renewal.
“She will stand as a beacon of new beginnings,” Zeus continued, “after the long ruin of war.”
Around the chamber, goblets shimmered into existence, brimming with golden nectar. They were raised in unison, voices rising in a swell that carried beyond Olympus’s halls, across the mountaintop, vibrant with hope.
“To Euthenia.”
The name rose in a divine vow, carried on the winds to the heavens beyond.
“Euthenia!”
Chapter 68
The cypress grove was quiet as Hades walked behind Persephone, her fingers interlaced with his. In the distance, Alastor stamped a hoof, his black eyes watchful.
Six months stretched before them like an abyss, a chasm without her.
Hades glanced down. Tension threaded through Persephone, worry flickering in her eyes.
At the heart of the grove, the pool came into view. Hades slowed to a stop and gently tugged her hand, drawing her into his arms. Her cheek pressed to his chest, and Hades closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the feel of her.
Then he leaned down and whispered, “I saw you there for the first time.”
Persephone lifted her head, puzzled. “Where?”
“By the pool.” He nodded to the water’s edge. “You had been swimming. Erato came to fetch you.”
Recognition sparked in her eyes. “I remember.” Then her brow furrowed. “Where were you?”
He tilted his chin toward the trees at the clearing’s edge.
When her mouth fell open, his laughter echoed through the grove.
“You werethere?” she asked. “So close?”
He smiled. “I thought you saw me. But you gazed straight past me.”
