Page 53 of Seeking Hades' Ember

I had finished off a small tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, triple the chocolate with a fudge core, and I was stuffed. Who knew eating your way through some hormonal embarrassment from your soulmate would make you feel so much better?

We were in our usual position, but this time Hades and his hand was at the top of the joggers, palm down at the seam. They were loose and easy for him to get his hand into. All he did was lay the palm of his hand on my stomach, and I felt heat radiate from his palm. I instantly melted and let out a slight hum of enjoyment.

"Vulcan said that might make you feel better." He kissed the back of my head.

"Mhmm, it really does. You can leave it there as long as you want." I laughed as he stopped on a movie channel. It was called 'Hercules’, and the character Hades was grey and had bright blue hair. I started laughing, and Hades was growling behind me.

"Who comes up with this shit?" he scoffed as he turned the channel. "Of all things, why would I have blue hair? It's insulting!" I continued to laugh as I gripped his hand on my stomach.

"You think that's just hilarious, don't you?" he joked as he turned my face. Tears were in my eyes at the harmonious laughter I was emitting. Hades showed his pearly whites and leaned in to kiss me, but there was a ring at the door.

The servants had been ordered away, so it was only Hades, Vulcan, and Ares. I couldn't see Ares opening the door, and I heard Vulcan calling for Hades. Hades growled in his throat and held onto my arm tightly. "Don't leave Blaze or Cerberus, do you understand?" I nodded worriedly as I watched him stand from the couch and walk out the entryway. Turning back, "If Cerberus tries to lead you somewhere, you go."

"What's going on-?" Hades cut me off.

"I mean it. It's to keep you safe." His voice was low as I heard his bare feet smack across the floor. Cerberus growled, hopped on the couch, and snuggled next to me while Blaze started chittering at Cerberus to let me go. I continued to pet the both of them to sate their inner beasts while I waited.

I would just stay here on the couch and do what I was told, but the curiosity was getting the best of me. "Come on, let's see what they are doing." Cerberus whined and pulled on my shirt. "I won't be seen, come on." Cerberus hopped off the couch as I stood in the entryway to the living room. I had one hall to walk down, and I would be able to peer behind a giant statue of Aphrodite. It would be the perfect place not to be seen.

Tiptoeing and grabbing my stomach from another cramp, I made my way down the dark hall. I heard talking, some shouting as I reached the doorway before the statue. Before I had my chance to get closer, I realized I didn't need to because now they were full-blown yelling at one another.

"She is to come with us; she cannot stay here," the angel boomed. He was dressed in white robes, chest shining in pure porcelain skin. I recognized him from the club; he was the one that tried to buy me! I squatted down lower to the ground because my legs began to shake. Cerberus sat in front of me, so if the angel-like creatures looked over, they would see him instead.

"Jillian is my damn mate; of course, she can stay! She's human but she's mine!"

"Rules are rules. Hades, only gods and spirits can remain in the Underworld, and she is obviously living. Hand her over, and she can stay in the Celestial Kingdom while we wait for trial.”

"Never," Hades growled, and wisps of black smoke began to travel from his body. Cerberus barked and pushed me to the floor. Nodding his head in the direction we came; I ran down the hall.

"She is here; go search for her!" I heard the familiar voice say. Running back to the living room, Cerberus grew to the size of a large Clydesdale horse. Jumping in front of me, he knelt for me to climb. Blaze tried to help by pushing on my rear, but his small stature couldn't do anything. Holding onto Cerberus' collar, he let out a large howl as he reached the far west end of the palace.

The large windows I had looked out over the pool just a week ago stood staring down at Cerberus as he ran towards it. "Cerberus!" I shouted, but he continued on, huffing while gripping the floor with his padded paws. In one swift movement, he jumped and crashed through the window.

Thousands of shards of glass rained down on us. I could feel it nick parts of my skin as he leapt one more time to jump over the massive pool. It proved to be no obstacle for Cerberus. The men or angels were shouting behind us as we ran. I dared not look back because falling off was not an option. My legs gripped Cerberus tighter as I saw dozens more of Blaze's kind emerge from the forest. Cerberus grunted in disgust but continued ripping the soil under his claws.

At least fifty Phantomtails were flying towards us. They came in an array of colors, blues, purples, yellows, and reds, and they talked to Blaze. Blaze flew ahead of them all and in front of Cerberus, who continued to chatter in his ear. In a language I didn't know, they ran faster and in a slightly southwest position. The sun was still high in the sky as we ran, but it became darker as we went deeper into the forest. The trees lost their green, the dirt became black, and ash had begun to rain down on us.

Tartarus? I wondered, but then I remembered it was far beneath Hades' Underworld. For hours we traveled until no sunlight was left, the moon had not risen, and there were no signs of stopping. The Phantom tails begun to land on Cerberus and chatting to him to get him to go to a slow canter and eventually stop at a large lake.

With no moon, it looked black as tar, and even though my thirst for water had started not long ago, I dared not take a drink. Sliding off Cerberus, I got a better look at my surroundings. Rocky cliffs were to the right of us, just where the lake meets the sand; it would be an excellent place to stay for the night. The trees were straight out of a horror movie. Finger-like branches blew in the wind, and I couldn't help but squeeze my arms to my body.

The large crowd of Phantomtails gathered around and started pulling at my joggers to walk there. Looking at Cerberus for confirmation, he shrank back down to the size I was used to and pushed me along with one of his heads.

This was getting stranger by the minute. I never knew the Underworld could be so large and vast. Not once did I see another person, demon, or soul encounter us along the way. My heart started to ache to be away from Hades. It had only been this morning since I saw him, but my worry was only growing that he hadn't come to find me.

Who do you pray to when you are mated to a god? Zeus wanted me to come to the Celestial Kingdom, so I doubt he would be the right choice. What about Selene? The mating god? Remembering her glorious statue in the garden with a wolf beneath her fingertips gave me a glimpse of hope.

I'll take what I can get. Once we were settled, I could pray for guidance on what to do next.

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