Page 47 of Hades

The split in the rock isn’t more than a few feet wide, but it’s pitch-black inside. I glance down at Argos, who is excitedly stomping on the ground.

“I’m not going in there,” I inform him.

Argos looks at me, then at the split in the rock, and then back at me before he runs into the creepy darkness of the fissure. I can hear his bark echoing off the walls, amplifying the sound. The panic that subsided returns as I think about all the creatures that might come looking for a tasty meal.

“Argos,” I whisper-yell into the darkness, and to my surprise, he comes running back.

I’m about to turn and walk away when he bites onto the hem of my dress and pulls me toward the darkness. I try my best to yank him back, but he’s much stronger than an ordinary dog, most likely because he’s not really a dog. He easily wins our game of tug-of-war, and when I look back, we’re far enough inside the rock that what little light that did come from outside is nearly gone.

Reaching out, I grip his fur and try not to think about what might be creeping around in the dark spaces of the Underworld as we continue forward.

“You better know where you’re going,” I tell Argos, who seems unfazed. Or at least he would if I could see him.

I force my legs to continue to move me forward, but a glimmer of light ahead assures me I won’t be stuck between a rock and a hard place forever. As we approach the shimmering light, I realize it looks more like an outline of the exit than the actual way out.

Argos surges forward as we near the minuscule light source, escaping my grasp and leaving me alone in the dark. “Argos!” I call out, but all I hear is the echo of my voice against the walls. “Argos,” I whimper as I edge my way forward.

The shimmer ahead grows brighter with each footstep I take. I hear Argos barking as I approach the glimmering outline, yet the sound seems far off. Reaching out, I try to run my fingers along the light, but my hand passes straight through.

“What the hell,” I whisper, but then take another step forward and exit the darkness. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust to the bright light, but I’m paralyzed in shock once they do. “How is this possible?” I utter as I take in the green landscape before me.

Taking a deep breath in, the sweet aroma of grass and flowers permeates the air. Argos runs up to me and nearly knocks me to the ground as he jumps with excitement.

“Did you know this was here the entire time?” I ask him, and he answers with a bark that I still can’t understand.

I’m confused as to how a beautiful green landscape could be hidden inside a prison, and then I recall Hades telling me to explore.

Could he have done this for me? But, how?

Looking up, even the sky here appears to be a crystal-clear blue. I take a moment to look around. There is a small log cabin just down the hill, with a well-tended vegetable garden to one side and a sparkling blue lake to the other. Tall pine trees line the lakeside, and a winding dirt road extends to the house.

Something about the entire scene seems oddly familiar, but like so many things lately, my memory just won’t connect.

“Well, it’s a lot better than that rock,” I tell Argos, who takes off running down the hill toward the house. When he gets to the bottom of the hill, he turns and barks, and I head down after him.

HADES

Standing on the hillsidelooking down at the cabin, I’m overcome with memories from many lifetimes ago. This cabin by the lake had once been our secret refuge, where we would disappear for days. I had so many places to choose from to give Aradia, but this place was ours before our banishment. It’s also the place I asked her to be my wife and where we stood exchanging vows to each other, because we knew neither of our families would agree to our union.

I take a moment to appreciate my work. It’s perfect in every detail. Gazing up, I look to the night sky and take in the canopy of stars and constellations I haven’t seen in thousands of years. Every night we would come outside and make up names for each one, just before making a wish.

When I returned from The Firehouse and didn’t see Aradia, for the briefest of moments, I feared she was gone. That somehow my theory about this place was wrong, and Themis had discovered where I hid her.

Then I saw the footprints and paw marks and I knew Argos led her here. I showed him where his new home with Aradia and me would be, and told him I planned to take her here. He must have listened and beat me to surprise.

One of the perks of being from the ruling family of the Underworld is I can make it whatever I desire. The dark and desolate façade is only because I’ve lacked my soul, which Aradia has captured since we met. But with her here, I can let in the light or shroud her in darkness, whatever her heart desires.

I don’t want to waste another moment alone, without her by my side. I intend to spend the rest of my days winning her back, if that’s what it takes. Heading down the hill, I have a revived sense of purpose, with just a hint of hope—something I haven’t had in a very long time.

Grabbing the handle to the door, I gently turn it and push the door open. Looking down, I smile at seeing the curved scrape on the wood flooring. Aradia asked me to fix the door so often that it became one of the only arguments we would ever have. I made sure it was here, hoping she would want to argue with me to take care of it.

There is a fire blazing in the hearth, and its light flickers across the floor where Aradia is curled up with a fur blanket over her, and Argos is asleep at her side. I want so badly to lay down next to her and pull her close. Instead, I stretch out on the large leather couch and watch her sleep. At some point during the night, sleep finally claims me as I lay gazing at her.

“Wake up,” I hear Aradia order right before she shoves at my shoulder.

Barely opening one eye, I grab her by the waist, pulling her beside me. She lets out a surprised squeal and struggles to get back up.

“What are you doing?” she snaps as she squirms to sit up, getting her legs tangled in her long sapphire gown.

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