Hades and Persephone Ch 16 1.docx
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Hades and Persephone Ch 16 1.docx
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HadesandPersephoneCh161
Tomywonderfulreaders...
Thankyousomuchforallyourkindmessageswiththelastchapter,especiallygivenalltheemotionaltortureIputyouthrough.Justasawordofwarning,thischapterhasverylittlereferencetosex,soifyou'relookingforaquickie,it'sbesttolookelsewhere.I'drecommendthetopofChapter14ofthisstory,oranyoftheotherfineofferingsonthissite.
Icannotthankyouenoughforallyoursupportandkindness,andappreciateeachandeveryoneofyouandtheencouragementyou'vegivenmeasIpublishthis,mylongeststoryever.Only4morechaptersleft!
Andwiththat,pleaseenjoyHadesandPersephone,Chapter16:
Spring...
***
"Fates..."
Askalaphostookacautiousstepforward,hissandalpaddingsoftlyintothegrass.Cerberushowledinthedistance,theunsettlingharmonycausingthegardenertojerktoastop.Hereconsideredhisadvance;Hecatehadtoldhimnottocomehere,thatitwassacredgroundandnotmeantforhiscare.Thegrassesandmossunderhisfeethadgrowninuncharacteristicallywildly,stoppingattheoutermostrootsoftheintertwinedtrees.Theywereanuntamedislandintheseaofperfectasphodelandpoplarsthathe'dspentmillenniacultivating.
Heheardatwigsnapandheldhisbreath,thenrealizedthatithadcrackedunderhisownfoot.Thegardenwasstillpitchblack.AskalaphoshadbeenfinishingafinalperusalofthegroundstomakesurethatMenoetes'evergrowingflockofblacksheephadn'twanderedinagain,leavingtheirdroppings,munchingonasphodelflowers,becomingatoyorameal—orboth—forCerberus.Hewastiredofcleaningupafterthem.
Justashewasabouttoretiretohisbed,Askalaphoshadseenallthelightsinthegardendim.Then she hadwalkedout,cladonlyinLordHades'cloak.He'dhid,notsureofwhattodo.Shehaddroppedthehimationatherfeetandhehadstumbledawayandhuddledbehindapoplartree,prayingshehadn'tseenhim.Hedidn'tdareimaginewhattheQueen—or,godshelphim, the King—mightdotohimwiththeknowledgethathe'dglimpsedhernakedinthemoonlight.Askalaphoshadguessedthatitwasaritualofsomesort.Hehadneverinvolvedhimselfwithanyoftheesotericgoings-oninChthonia,andneverquestionedthem.He'dheardrustlingfromPersephone'sdirection,thensilence.Itwasn'tuntilAskalaphossawthewallsofthegardenglowwiththelightof her fire,soverymuchlikethePhlegethonitself,thathedaredtoturnaroundandslinkfromhishidingplace.
He'dbarelysteppedintothegrovewhenhesawit:
apomegranate,open,missingseeds,rightwhereshehadbeenstanding.
"No,no,no..."Askalaphoswrunghishandsandtriedinvaintodrawinafullbreath.
Whydid he alwayshavetostumbleintothesemesses?
Noonecouldfindoutaboutthis;notMenoetes,notHecateorNyx...noone.AndespeciallynotLordHades!
Askalaphosknew— everyoneknew—abouttheragethathadbesetAidoneusinthethroneroomthatday.WordtraveledfastintheUnderworld.Hermeswashere.TheOlympianshadrecalledPersephonetotheworldabove,somehow,andshewastoleavebeforedawn.IfanyoneknewthatPersephonewasnowboundhereforever,thatshe mustreturntoChthonia,andthatAskalaphoshadbeenpresentandcouldhavestoppedherintime,butdidn't... He wouldbeblamedforpushingtheentirecosmostowar.
Thepomegranatehadbeenwrenchedapart;atwisted,irreparablemess.Hehadtohideit.
Askalaphostookoffhischlamysandshivered.Hades'houndbayedforlornlyinthedistance,andhisskinprickledagain.Hebundledupthefruitandasmanyfallenseedsashecouldfind,andpinneditclosed.Dartinghiseyesaround,hopingdesperatelythatnoonehadseenhim.
Hetookafewsteps,carefulnottoleaveanytracksbehindhim,andwipedhisfeetinthegrass.Askalaphosduckedunderabranch,thenbrokeintoafullrun.Afrightenedbleatwasallheheardbeforehetrippedandsprawledinthedirt.Ablacklambshookitselfoffandboundedawayintotheasphodel.Hisparcelrolledawayfromhim,comingtorestagainstaroughebonystaff.Askalaphospaledandlookedupatthecrookedkneesofthebondsman.
"Askalaphos?
"Menoetessaid,holdingupanoillamp.Thelightwasblinding,andhecouldn'tseetheman'sexpressionbeneathhishood,onlytheflickeringflame.
"I...I..."hesaid,scramblingtoriseanddusthimselfoff.Menoetesleanedforwardandgraspedthegardener'shand.Hestillfavoredhisrightleg,injuredafewmonthsago,buthoistedtheportlymaneasilytohisfeet.
"Easythere,friend.Whatareyoudoingoutsoearly?
"
"I-Icouldaskyouthesame."
"Oneofthelittleronessqueezedunderthegate,"hesaid,motioningvaguelyintothedistancewherethelambhadzigzaggedthroughthegardenandawayfromAskalaphos'clumsyfeet."Ialmosthadherwhenyoucamechargingoutofnowhere.What'syourhurryanyway?
"
"Nothing.N-nothingimportant,Menoetes,"thegardenerstammered."I'll-lljustbeon...my..."
Askalaphostrailedoff,droppinghisgazetothebundlethatnowhadMenoetes'raptattention.Afewseedshadspilledout,shiningbrightredintheflickeringlightofthebondsman'slamp.ColdraceddownhisspinewhenMenoetespokedatthebundlewithhisstaff.
"Whathavewehere?
"
***
"Sweetone..."
Hedidn'twanttodothis.
"Mylove..."
Lethersleep,hisheartscreamedathim.Letherrest,andletherstayhereforeverrightbesidehim.Buthehadtoawakenher.Theywerewaiting.
"Persephone,"Aidoneuswhisperedclosetoherear.
"Hmm?
"
"It's...timetowakeup,mylove.Youhavealongjourneyaheadofyou."
Persephonefelthishandpettinghershoulder,anddrowsilyopenedhereyes.Thegentlycracklinghearthfirelitherhusband'scarewornface.Sheblinkedslowly,wakefulnessarrivingalongwithrecollectionofeverythingthathadtranspiredoverthelastdayandnight.ShesatupandwrappedherarmsaroundAidoneus.Heheldhertightly,breathingagainstherneck.
Shetangledherhandsinhishair,andnoticedafaintredglow.Herbreathcaughtinherthroat—itwascomingfromtheringsonherhand,theKey.Shebreathedoutslowly,hopingthatAidonwouldn'tmaketheconnectionyet.Persephonepulledawayfromhimandclaspedhislefthand,histhreeringssmolderingthesameashers.Sheopenedhermouthinbewilderment.
Sixseeds.
"Isawthemtoo.BeforeIwokeyou,"hesaidquietly."I'mgoingtotakeit...asagoodomen—thatyouandIwillbetogetheragain,someday."
"Yes."Persephonenodded,thenswallowed."Aidon,when did youwakeup?
"
"Anhourago.Icouldn'tsleep."
Shefrowned."Youneedrest.Todaywillbenoeasierforyou."
"I'mnottheonewhohastofacetheOlympians."
Perfect,shethoughttoherself."WhatifIaskedyouto?
"
Hegrimaced."Persephone,wediscussedthislastnight—"
"Thisisdifferent,"sheinterrupted."IwanttospeaktothemandconvinceZeus—"
Aidonsnortedderisivelyandshookhishead.
Shecontinued."IneedtotellthemthatI must comeback.ThattheUnderworld needs me.AndIneedyoutheretosupportme,Aidoneus."
"Persephone..."
"Thetruthisastruetodayasitwasyesterday,andasitwillalwaysbe."
"Shouldwejustforgeteverythingthat'shappenedandwallowindenial?
Please,mylove,don'tmakethisharderonyourself.Thereareonlytwopathsdivergingfromthismoment, andoneleadstotheendoftheworld."
"Pleasebetherewithme."
Hefurrowedhisbrow."Youoverestimateme,sweetone.Doyouthinkitwillbeeasyformetofacethosewhoareseparatingus?
Tojustleaveyouthereandcomebackwithoutyou?
"
"Pleasetrustme."
"Thishasnothingtodowithmytrustin you,mylove.Idon'thavethatkindoffaithinmyself."
"ButIdo,Aidon,"shesaid,strokinghischeek."Youaskedmetotrustyoubefore.Manytimes.Please..."
Heloweredhishead.WhatwouldstophimfromtearingZeusandDemetertopieceswhenhesawthem?
Forbetrayinghimandrippingawaytheonethinghe'deverwantedoraskedfororcaredfor?
"Please,"sherepeated."ThismightbethelastthingIeveraskofyou."
Aknockatthebedroomdoorinterruptedhisanswer.
"Yourmajesties?
"cameamuffledvoice.HecatehadcometoescortherandHermestotheworldabove,Persephoneknew.Whatshedidn'tknowwashowthethreeofthemwouldtravel.Wouldtheyalljourneythroughtheethertogether?
Abouttheothermatter, thewhitewitchhadsaidyesterdaymorning. Icanandshouldspeakwithyouaboutitlater.Tomorrow,perhaps?
Atleastshewouldhaveananswerabout that.Hecatemusthaveknownallthatwouldtranspireandhadwiselysaidnothing.Persephonewrappedabedsheetaroundherselfandcrackedopenthedoor."Hecate."
ThekindlyGoddessoftheCrossroadsstoodontheotherside,herhairwoundupwithstrandsofselenite,anoillampinherhand."Alltheworldabovewaits,QueenPersephone.YouandIcanspeakcandidlyonthewaythere."
Shenodded."Ifyoucouldwaitoutsideandgiveusamomenttoprepareourselves?
"
"Certainly,"Hecatesaid,andnoddedherheadbeforeleavingtheantechamberthroughthedoubledoors.
Persephonelitthetorchesonthewallwithawaveofherhand.
"Youcandothatalmosteffortlessly,"Aidoneusmused.
"Thankstoyou."Shewasabouttoaskhimagain,andworriedherlipwithherteeth.
"I'llthinkonit,"heanswered,readingPersephone.
Shegavehimapainedsmile."Weshouldgetdressed."
Theroutine,mundanepreparationsforthejourneyaheadhelpedkeepherheartfromburstingoutofherchest.IttookallofPersephone'swilltosuppressandconcealeverythoughtaboutwhatshewastodotoday,andwhatitwouldmea
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