Page 24 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Jillian pursed her pouty lips together and wiggled them back and forth on her face. “I do, but I don’t have any coins,” she sighed. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out two coins after I willed them to be there.

“Here, take these and make some wishes.” Jillian smiled up at me and took them quickly and muttered a quick, ‘thank you.” She closed her eyes and threw both coins in the water. Jumping up and down and grabbing my hand again, which I fucking loved, I asked her, “What did you wish for?”

Gasping, she shook her head. “No, I can’t tell you! It won’t come true.” Her emerald eyes looked up at me and squinted, accusing me of breaking the wishing fountain tradition.

“Fine, fine.” I faked hurt, putting my hand to my chest. “How can I make them come true if you don’t tell me?”

“You don’t make them come true, the fate of the fountain does!” she explained. “Now show me more!” she begged and pulled me away.

Little does she know I could touch her forehead with my thumb and see what she has seen, I could feel her feelings and her sins but of course she would have no sins. I can even hear the two wishes she thought in her head, but to claim those from her would be wrong. I’ll have to keep guessing and maybe, one day she would tell me what her heart really wishes for.

The thought briefly crossed my mind to try and dive into her mind, to see her past and see through her eyes what parents she had, but if she can’t remember it herself, her mind wouldn’t have the memory either.

I took her through the rest of the garden that had various statues of the gods. It intrigued her more as she asked about each one and their powers. Her smile would brighten when she heard stories she had never heard of before from her textbooks she was sometimes given. Such as how Aphrodite may be the goddess of love but has a secret love of miniature animals such as goats and ponies. Jillian’s eyes would squint to check for the slightest hint of a joke but gave a soft smile when she figured out she wasn’t being tricked.

The end of the garden of statues were coming and I knew this statue would hurt the worst. It was of Selene, one of the new gods from the past 3,000 years. Looking on her face, even in stone made my stomach churned in painful ways.

“She’s so beautiful. Who is she?” The statue had her in a simple garb that covered her breasts and wrapped behind her back and holding onto her hips tightly covering parts of her she would never want to be seen. Her hair was let loose and went to her waist, unlike most of the other goddesses who had their hair up. The necklace she wore was a crescent of the moon that was a broken sapphire to make it stand out amongst the granite. Looking down, she is petting a large wolf at her side and smiling widely. Her first species she granted to have mates.

Jillian walked up to the wolf and put her hand on it, staring at the wolf first that was staring adoringly at Selene. “This wolf is huge,” she whispered as she looked up. From the looks of the scene before me it looked like Selene was looking at her. Jillian’s innocent eyes traced Selene’s soft features

“Who is she, Hades?” She snapped me out of my stupor as I watched her. I felt the fire rise within me; this was my fault. I could have stopped all of this and protected her. Selene gave me a choice and I slapped her in the face.

“Let’s leave this story for another day,” I huffed while I shoved my hands in my pockets. Turning around I heard the small padding of her bare feet trying to keep up with my long strides. I needed to leave. I couldn’t let her see me angry. We had come so far.

Mind-linking Cerberus, I told him to keep her outside so I could blow off some steam.

“Jillian, I must make a phone call. Cerberus will keep you company.” I left without telling her goodbye or telling her when I would come back. Kronos, I didn’t know when I would be able to come back, if at all today. Glancing back, I saw a worried Jillian with both hands clasped together and a disturbed look on her face.

We’ve both got some internal battles to go through for this to work but right now I needed to torture something, kill, spill blood to make this rage in me die right now.

Bursting in the doors I see an anxious Hermes writing at his own private desk in the main entrance of the hallway. He throws his pen down and stands up to follow me. “Hades? What’s wrong?” I didn’t answer and began stripping out of my shirt. I liked to feel the warm blood hit my bare body as I torture souls that deserve it. I needed to feel Teddy Johnson’s fear radiates off him, fuel my power within me as I suck him dry of his aura. I’ll take my time with him, pulling out his fingernails one at a time, pluck out his eyes, do the little things that will build until I finally have the final finale with him: pulling his beating heart out of his chest and let him feel the life squeeze out of his soul. Only for him to regenerate and start all over the next hour.

I can’t do anything to fix Jillian’s past but being sure I torture the soul for all eternity will have to do.

“Shit, well you lasted five days without having to go to Tartarus. What do I tell Jillian? She will be looking for you.” I stopped, gripping my fists tightly and then relaxed.

“I’ll be back when I can,” I spoke harshly as I calmed my breathing. “In time to help her sleep.” I sighed as I left Hermes to his devices.

Once in my room, I threw on my black cloak and transported directly to the Tartarus gates. As far as the Underworld was to the heavens, Tartarus was as equally lower than the Underworld. It takes great attempts to come here and only my most evil demons come to play in this playground.

Titans are still imprisoned here, and we no longer hear their pleas for help. Some 15000 years could do that to even the evilest of creatures. Now we have sections and stations of different men and women we torture based on the evil they had conducted in their previous life.

The man I was looking for was strapped to a pole that looked like a stripper pole. He was being beaten with paddles on his naked body as some demons took it on themselves to have him watch all the poor souls he tortured. Instead of watching in glee, he would feel their pain 100-fold. His eyes were full of tears of the physical and mental burden he was now carrying. As I walked up, I saw the picture of Jillian flash before his eyes.

It was recent; in fact, it was the night we saved her. She was wearing her pink outfit with her high heeled shoes. Silent tears dropped from her cheeks as she looked in the mirror. “Now, here’s your punishment, doll.” He took his hand and slapped her outer thigh harshly.

“Thank you, Master.” Her lip quivered, and he led her out of the room.

Thunder rolled through me as I cracked my knuckles and the tortured demons looked up. They were the worst looking ones of them all. Their skin was practically eaten away, only bone and muscle remained. Their skin was charred black from the flames of Tartus that flare during the afternoon shipment of new souls. Claws slowly retreated and their tails let go of his limbs as I approached, knowing I could blink and have them gone in an instant.

Teddy Johnson looked up at the sudden break he was receiving only to have his heart smashed again. “Y-you,” he whispered.

“Me,” I growled.

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