Page 72 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Chapter 35

Hades

I watched as Ember fell to the floor. Her body shook as she held her head and her heart. I had absolutely done a royal fuck up, and I knew this was coming. I was being a fool and blindly shutting it away. If Zeus wasn't a complete prick, I could have had a few more days to break the news to her. Telling her the moment I was spilling my heart out about the Helm should have been my first clue she would have accepted what had happened. She believed and accepted the truth with ease.

Ember would have been hurt, undoubtedly so. Now, I had made it ten times worse by having her hear it from my younger brother, who has absolutely no filter and no damn soul as far as I thought. How Hera puts up with his shit is beyond me. Then again, they were only an item in the eyes of humans.

"You are a piece of shit." I stood as Ember was being led away by Hera. The goddess of marriage and relationships would be the best comfort for her. Maybe she could talk to Ember and calm her down. Unfortunately, that is wishful thinking because I knew Hera would come back to chew my fiery ass out.

"I spoke the truth. I have no regrets." Zeus waved his hand to sit down, but I lunged forward, pulling at his white robes.

"You have already interfered in my life before involving my relationships, and here you are at it again. I believe you should be the one in the Underworld having no regard for your family's feelings," I hissed as I knocked his drink from his hand. "You are a complete ass, I've known her for several weeks, and the bond is still forming. I wanted to break it to her gently, and you go and blurt out a sentence that will now haunt her the rest of our immortal lives. She will doubt me, she will…." Zeus cut me off with a stiff blow to my jaw.

Stumbling back, I put my hand on my jaw to lock it back in place. The static electricity was sparkling above his head as well as his fingers as he tightened his fists. "You have just a little under a month with a mate is enough time to tell her the truth and why she is with you now…" Zeus growled as he started to circle me. Just because he was the god of the heavens, he believed he was more superior. "…Is beyond a reason of a miracle."

Sure, Zeus defeated Kronos but only because Rhea had enough of him swallowing her children. Zeus was hidden, and once finally raised to maturity, he was ready to fight and ultimately defeat Kronos. I was the firstborn. I was not given the luxury of killing the monster. In fact, I suffered the worse since my fertility had been taken away from me being in Kronos' stomach acid too long.

Now, trying to be high and mighty, Zeus lectures me on relationships when he couldn't keep his dick in his pants for Hera. For a few thousand years before learning of Selene's new attempt to make mates for the gods, he cheated on her constantly.

Talk about a hypocrite. Giving out advice, my ass.

"Out of all the gods, you shouldn't have been allowed to be the first to receive one." Zeus yelled. I growled as my fangs descended, ready to rip his damn head off. "You work in the Underworld, away from the light, away from the normalcy. What mate would want to live in a dark hovel of death and destruction? I live in the sky, where it is bright, and I see the happiness in every face I pass. Bringing joy to those who are saddened, having the angels help those who are of pure of heart and in need." Zeus smiled as he approached the hearth with each original god in place. He walked to the very end, where should be the first god born, which was me. Tapping the base with his finger, he moved it back behind the rest of them.

"You bring death. Your body even knows this, so why were you the first to gain a mate?" Zeus' tone went sarcastic. I stood in silence, waiting for his answer before I strangled the lightning from his body.

"Because Selene wanted to see your mate reject you because you can't give what most women want... a child."

That did it.

Zeus swatted my statue from the hearth to the floor and put up his hands to crack the lightning at my torso. I felt nothing. I was pain and suffering, so why would I falter at just the tickle of a bit of static? The heated punch of my fist singed his hipster beard, bringing the scent burning hair and flesh into the air. Gaining his composure, he stood up to crack his neck as a few bolts ran through the palm of his hands.

Easily dodged, I crouched forward and aimed for his legs. His screams felt music to my ears as he grabbed his leg and tried to use his head to push me away. Putting him in an easy headlock, I took my knee and smashed his nose. The touch of death that I left for the vilest of humans was activated, and the skin began to melt.

"Had enough, little brother?" I laughed darkly just as Hera walked into the room. Celestial Fairies flew around in shock in the state of the room, not paying much attention to their master.

"Hades, it is enough. Now let him go." Hera waved her hand as Fairies cleaned the mess. Couches had been pushed over, and a few stray lightning bolts had set fire to the curtains around the windows. Out of the chaos, I caused the least amount of damage. Not unless you counted Zeus. I damaged all of that piece of shit.

Straightening my suit, which had nothing but a few pieces of rubble, I walked to Hera closely to speak privately. "Is she all right? Is Ember all right?" My voice came out more panicked than I wanted, but Hera, being the loving sister she was, cupped my cheek.

"She is fine and overwhelmed. She's relaxing with Pasithea, and Athena is on her way. There are a lot of questionable things going on with her body," Hera spoke thoughtfully.

"You mean the magic?"

"No, something else. Pasithea said she has the gift of empathy, almost unheard of for a human. Ember can feel and suck in the feelings of those around her so strongly it triggered her body to shut down. On top of it all, she has magical wards and supposedly another entity in her body." Hera spoke in hushed tones as she explained.

An Elven woman walked into the room and rushed to Zeus' side. That was probably his side piece of the decade. Her long brown hair was braided and swept the floor. Her purple robes and golden ropes that tightened and accentuated her assets sparkled in the sun.

"Your Majesty," the Elven woman bowed to Hera. "Is it all right if I take Zeus away to help with his wounds?" Hera nodded. Zeus and Hera hadn't shared a bed in centuries, but both remained the King and Queen of the Celestial Kingdom. Once they both gain their mates, I'm not sure how that would work out. Not my problem.

"Ember has also been given her nutritional supplement in pill form; Asklepios already had such a pill ready for her. Why didn't you bring her here before?” Hera didn't understand my concerns. I thought and still think Zeus was part of the conspiracy. "He would have healed her body more quickly if you had."

"I didn't want to subject her to more stress. What was working in the Underworld was fine. Hecate said slow and steadily with Ember, that there is much for Ember to figure out independently. Her memories, her dreams, I wanted her relaxed and not deal with that asshole." I glanced to where Zeus stood. His gold metallic blood still staining the floor.

"You both have your ways, but you know why he is this way, don't you?" Hera wrapped her arm around my own as I led her to the couch. Willing a pot of tea, she poured us both a cup and dripped the honey into the cup without asking.

Ignoring the question, I asked, "Vulcan made you this set, didn't he?" Hera smiled as she looked at the intricate gold designs.

"He did. I miss him."

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