CHAPTER XXVIII: A PICNIC IN THE UNDERWORLD

CHAPTER XXVIII – A PICNIC IN THE UNDERWORLD

Hades left Persephone’s apartment, teleporting to Olympia. He hated that he had to return, hated that he had to go before Zeus, but it was necessary and just as he suspected, Demeter had already arrived. He could hear her voice outside Zeus’ office.

“He cannot have my daughter, Zeus!” she cried. “I will starve your people if you let him keep her!”

When Hades entered, she whirled to face him. Demeter’s face changed when she was in a rage. Hades imagined Persephone had seen it over and over again. Her eyes seemed to sink into her face and darken. She leaned forward, shoulders hunched, like the weight of her fury was too much to handle.

“You!”

“Kill everyone, Demeter, it only makes me more powerful.”

“Hades,” Zeus said, sitting behind his oak desk. “Is what Demeter says true? Have you seduced her daughter?”

“I did not seduce her,” Hades said. “She came to me willingly on more than one occasion.”

He glared at the Goddess of Harvest, and she glared back.

“Liar! The mark on her wrist tells me otherwise.”

Zeus looked at Hades, waiting for his answer.

“She invited me to her table. The mark was fairly placed.”

“It sounds as though Persephone has made her own decisions, Demeter,” Zeus said.

“She is my daughter, Hades! I have a right to decide her fate!”

Hades did not look at the goddess, but at his brother.

“She is Demeter’s daughter,” Hades said, “But she is destined to be my wife. The Fates have woven her into my future, and Demeter has interfered.”

There were few things that scared Zeus, but the Fates were one.

“Is this true, Demeter?” He looked to the goddess for her answer, but Hades responded instead. He was ready for this to be over.

“It was what the Fates demanded in exchange for giving her a daughter.”

“I will never believe that she came to you willingly!” Demeter seethed. “The Fates be damned.”

“I am sure Hecate would be happy to testify on my behalf,” Hades added.

“That will not be necessary,” Zeus said, and he knew his brother did not want to appear as if he were questioning the Goddess of Witchcraft. Theirs was an old friendship, a strange one, and just as Hades relied on her for advice, so did Zeus. “Demeter, I will not grant your request. It seems your wishes are not in line with the will of the Fates.”

Demeter’s fury gathered, and massive roots broke through Zeus’ marble floor. Hades cast his magic like a net, enveloping the entire place in shadow, blinding the goddess and Zeus. Their battle was short-lived, however, as a bolt of Zeus’ lightning separated the two. With their concentration lost, their magic faded.

“I will not mediate childish fights between you two,” Zeus said. “My word is law, and you will both abide.”

Hades glared. Childish fights? There was nothing childish about his love of Persephone, nothing childish about the wrath of Demeter. Still, he was thankful Zeus had sided with him, not that it meant a lot in the end. Persephone was her own person, she had free will. If she wanted, she could leave him.

“There is another matter we must discuss,” Zeus said. Hades did not think it was possible, but the mood of the room darkened. “A goddess has not been born in centuries. Has she any power?”

“None to speak of,” Demeter answered quickly. Hades glared at her. She answered too fast.

Zeus looked to Hades. He would have to respond truthfully. “Her power is dormant. She has shown no ability to wield it.”

“Hmm.” Zeus was quiet, ever suspicious of new gods. It was only fair that he feared a rebellion like the one he had led against their father. “I wish to meet her.”

“No.” The two said instantly.

Zeus’ eyes flashed.

“Persephone has no desire to embrace her Divinity as of yet,” Hades explained. “Introducing her to Olympia too soon may scare her away. We would never know how truly powerful she was then.”

His brother studied him.

“Let her remain where she is,” Hades said. “Hecate will train her, and when her powers start to surface…I will bring her to you myself.”

It was the only way he’d allow the meeting to take place. It was inevitable, but it would be inevitable with him by her side.

Zeus’ eyes narrowed, and then he chuckled. “Ever the protector, brother. Very well, as soon as she shows her power, you will bring her to me.” He paused a moment, his hand resting on his stomach, and shook his head. “A goddess, masquerading as a mortal journalist. No wonder you fell in love, Hades.”

Once they were outside Zeus’ office, Demeter turned to him.

“Your life may be woven with my daughter’s, but that does not mean you were meant to love one another.”

“I will always love her,” Hades said. It was the only thing he could promise. “And I care for what I love.”

“If you cared, you would have never touched her. She is a Daughter of Spring!”

“And a Queen of Darkness,” Hades countered. “If you wish to be angry with anyone, be angry with yourself. It was you who planted the seed of her betrayal, you who pushed her further away with your tyranny, you who left her powerless and afraid. She deserves loyalty and freedom and power.”

“And you think you can give her that? King of Death and Darkness?”

“I think she can take it for herself,” he replied and vanished, leaving Demeter alone with her fury.

***

In the weeks that followed, Hades tried to distract Persephone from her mother’s wrath, but she seemed to grow more morose. He saw it most when she thought he was not looking—in the moments before he surprised her by appearing in the library while she read, or just before she left the palace for a walk, or in the early mornings when she rose before him to shower and dress.

She was creating distance between them. He could feel it growing, pulling at the threads that bound them for eternity, and it hurt.

He found her standing in front of her still desolate garden. He hated to find her here, staring at this patch of land that had come to mean so much to the both of them.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against him.

“Are you well?” he asked, his head falling against her shoulder.

She did not answer, and the weight in his stomach felt sharp and acute. She turned in his arms, staring up at him, and he got the sense that she wanted to ask him something. Instead, she answered him.

“I’m just stressed. Finals.”

He studied her, eyes searching. “Persephone, you can tell me anything.”

She frowned, as if she did not believe him, and Hades felt the inside of his chest wilt, like a flower exposed to too much sun.

He closed his hand over her wrist, where the mark covered her skin.

“Are you worried about the contract?” he asked.

She looked away.

He didn’t know what to say; the contract was binding. The terms had to be fulfilled. He could not comfort her with promises that everything would be okay when he knew what she wanted—the ability to move between worlds. It was a reality he was coming to terms with, that his love for her would never be enough. She would need her freedom, too.

“Come,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”

He guided her hand to his, threading their fingers together, and tugged her toward the open field outside the garden. They walked for a while, entering the forest on the other side of the field. He did not follow a set path, navigating between trees to a meadow where a blanket was spread and a basket of food waited.

“What’s this?” Persephone asked, looking up at Hades.

“I thought we might have dinner,” he said. “A picnic in the Underworld.”

She raised a brow, suspicious. “Did you pack the basket?”

“I…helped,” he said. “I even made cookies.”

Persephone grinned. “You made cookies?”

“You are far too excited,” he said. “Lower your expectations.”

But she was already racing to the blanket. She fell to her knees and opened the basket, digging inside until she located what she was looking for—a small bag of chocolate chip cookies. Hades had slaved over them. It had taken hours in the kitchen last night, and he had made a mess Milan, the head chef, had been very unhappy about.

Persephone sat cross legged and opened the bag.

“You know those are for dessert,” Hades said as he lowered himself to the blanket.

“And? I’m an adult. I can have dessert for dinner if I want.”

Hades chuckled and fished out the remaining items he had packed—meats and cheeses, fruits and breads. Last, a bottle of wine and his flask. He wasn’t keen on another evening spent drinking fermented grapes.

He popped a cube of cheese in his mouth and took a drink from his flask as Persephone bit into a cookie. It crunched loudly, and Hades flinched. They were not at all like the cookies they had made together. Hers were soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. His were hard and kind of burnt.

“You don’t have to eat those,” Hades assured her as she continued to crunch.

“No, they are the best cookies I have ever had.”

Hades raised a brow. “You don’t have to lie.”

“I’m not.”

She wasn’t, but he didn’t understand. He knew those cookies were terrible.

“They’re the best because you made them.”

Hades snorted.

“I’m serious,” she said. “No one’s ever made anything for me before.”

Hades stared at her for a moment, and suddenly, he was the one who felt ridiculous for not taking her words for granted.

“I’m glad you like them,” he said, his voice quiet.

They sat in silence. Persephone continued to eat his cookies, and he continued to drink. After a moment, she rose to her knees.

“Do you want one?”

She came toward him and held out her hand, a cookie clasped between her fingers. Hades grasped her wrist and bit into the cookie. It was exactly what he expected, hard and bland, only slightly sugary. Still, he loved it if she loved it. As he chewed, her eyes dropped to his lips, and he raised a brow.

“Hungry, darling?”

He wasn’t sure how she would answer, given her earlier sadness, but when she lifted her eyes to his, he could see her longing.

“Yes,” she answered.

He leaned in to press his mouth to hers. For a while, they maintained their distance as they kissed. Hades enjoyed this, the feeling of desire building up inside him, resisting the urge to take her into his arms and touch her. He ran his tongue along her mouth, and just as he was about to pull her to him, he pushed her away as a ball flew between them, followed by Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus.

“Sorry!” Hecate’s voice came from the trees beyond.

Hades sighed, and Persephone giggled.

“Oh, a picnic!” Hecate said as she appeared in the clearing.

“Hades made cookies!” Persephone said. “Would you like one?”

Hecate did not hide her obvious surprise and looked him. “You…baked?”

He glowered, and Persephone, who was either oblivious to his obvious discomfort or did not care, said, “I taught him!”

Hecate laughed and took a cookie. Hades was a little relieved. Maybe she would leave, and he and Persephone could get back to kissing.

Except that Persephone had other ideas. “Sit with us!”

“Oh, I don’t want to intrude—”

No, you don’t, Hades thought.

“There is more food in the basket, and Hades brought wine!”

The two looked at him, and he sighed, relenting. “Yes, join us, Hecate.”

Persephone dug around in the basket, handing Hecate a variety of foods, while Hades poured the goddess of glass of wine.

Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus returned, the three fighting over their red ball.

They weren’t there long when Hades sensed Hermes’ magic.

“Fucking Fates,” he mumbled, drawing the attention of Persephone and Hecate.

“Oh, Hades!” Hermes sung as he appeared in the clearing. “Oh, a picnic!”

“Did you need something, Hermes?” Hades asked, his jaw tightening, frustrated that the evening he had planned for him and Persephone had turned into this…circus.

“Nothing that can’t wait,” he said. “Are those cookies?”

“Hades made them!” Persephone said.

Hermes sank to his knees on the blanket, and Hades watched Persephone offer food and wine, and smile and laugh, and his frustration at having their evening interrupted lessened because she was happy. He also found that he did not mind the company so much, though he could do without Hermes’ teasing.

They spent a long time in the woods together, until the Underworld’s light faded and Hades’ night lit the sky. When they left, he and Persephone walked side by side back to the palace. They did not touch.

“Thank you for tonight. I know it did not go as planned.”

Hades chuckled. “It was nothing like I had imagined.”

They came to a stop, shrouded by the garden just outside Hades’ fortress, and faced each other.

“If Hecate had not thrown that ball at our faces, I would have kept kissing you,” he said, and his hand came up to cup her face.

“Is it too late?” she asked. “To have it all?”

Hades stared at her for a moment, thumb brushing her cheek. He stepped closer.

“What are you asking for, my darling?”

“I’m not sorry Hecate interrupted us,” she said. “But I still want that kiss and everything that comes after.”

“I’m only sorry you didn’t ask me sooner,” he said, obliging her request. His mouth touched hers, and he drew her against him, making love to her beneath the stars in the garden outside his home.