Hades

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Evie." Hades greets me with a curt nod. "What are the three rules to follow when judging a troubled soul?"

I blink. "Well, hello to you too."

Hades ignores my quip. "What are the three rules?"

"My refreshing break was thought-provoking, thanks for asking." I reply cordially. "How was yours? Find any horrifying new ways to torture people? Realise a horrifyingly obvious truth about any of your close friends?"

Kezia snorts from the background. Hades sighs, his impassive expression wavering for a moment.

"Evie, I have only been gone a mere few hours. Do we really need to exchange superfluous pleasantries?"

"Believe it or not, I actually enjoy the 'superfluous pleasantries', Hades. It helps me get to know you better." I respond with a small smile. "I like getting to know you."

"Ugh, way to be gross, Evie. Why would you want to get to know him better?" Kezia mimes gagging, turning a blind eye to the scowl Hades throws in her direction. "I mean, have you met him?"

"Okay." I groan, purposefully moving in front of Hades before he steps forward. Kezia smirks unashamedly, wriggling her eyebrows impishly at Hades. I give her an exasperated look. "Stop being snide."

"Snide?" Kezia gasps in mock offence, laying a hand on her chest. "I don't know what you mean. I'm never snide. Hades is just icky."

"Kezia."

Kezia grins, holding her hands up innocently. "It's not my fault you can't handle the truth."

I roll my eyes and turn back to Hades. "Let's go."

Kezia barely has time to finish singing "that's what I thought!" before we've blinked out of her cottage and into the throne room.

"Well, that was rude. You could've at least said goodbye."

"I think we can both agree that, between Kezia and myself, I was not the one who was acting rudely in that interaction." Hades turns to me, his expression austere. "Now. What are the three rules?"

"Wow, no rest for the wicked, huh?" I joke. No response. My joviality sobers up. "Okay, not in the mood for joking. Got it. There will be no more jokes. I will be jokeless. What is a joke?"

"Evie." Hades stops me with a bemused look. "You are rambling."

"You're rambling." I retort childishly. The look on his face deepens into utter chastisement. My nose wrinkles. "Alright, fine. The three rules we must follow when judging a troubled soul are reassure, reason, rectify. The three 'R's."

Hades raises an eyebrow. "Those aren't the rules I told you."

"I know. But the words you used when you explained it all to me were so big and superfluous," I give him a pointed look. "That I completely forgot them and came up with a much more exciting way to remember the rules."

"Exciting?"

"Oh, don't act like that word isn't in your vocabulary." I grin unabashedly up at him when his eyes narrow slightly. "I'll prove it to you. The three 'R's. The first: reassure. Reassure them about their death and where they are, but be aware that everyone adjusts differently. The second: reason. Listen to their reasons for wanting their specific elysium with an unbiased and open opinion. And the third? Rectify. Rectify their elysium and be confident in the decision you make."

Surprise lights up his expression. A smile twists up his lips. "I underestimated you. You do remember them."

"Of course I remembered them. It is literally my job to remember them." I reply with a laugh. Then my grin grows. "Plus, I like surprising you. I like making you smile."