Bringer of Death (Cruel Gods 1)

Chapter 33-The Heavens

Hades castle was nothing compare to the huge multi-pillar golden palace they entered. The vaulted ceilings looked as if they were made of the sky itself, the glow of the unseen sun shone bright against the pink gilded clouds. The silence was filled with flowing water from somewhere in the distance, a music she could listen to for the eternity she now had.

No one greeted them at first. The large open entryway lead to so many different directions, Kore let Hermes lead them down one of the hallways he must be familiar with.

He turned to say something to Kore when a gilded woman with little clothing offered them a clear flute of sparkling yellow liquid. The tray she held next to her shook while she waited.

"Here let me help you." Dionysus reached for the tray but the woman swiveled it out of his path with a frown.

Hermes grabbed two of the thin glasses and handed one to Kore, "It's her job to serve drinks all night." He told Dionysus.

"In that case" Dionysus grabbed two of the thin glasses and thanked the woman with a wink. The woman was still frowning when she walked away.

Kore finished the sweet wine completely without tasting it first. She'd need all the courage she could get tonight.

Hermes held his glass out of her reach when she reached for his to have something to hold, grinning down at her playfully.

"Here." Dionysus nodded his head toward her flute which was already refilled with her favorite white wine. "I think we have the same idea tonight." He chuckled laying his arm around her shoulder.

"This way please" Another shining gilded woman found her way to them. This one had more bounce in her step as she lead the way, making her hips sway back in forth in front of them as they followed closely.

They heard the sounds of a lyre, and singing first. As they followed the woman closer to the tall blood red double doors at the end of the hall, loud voices came from the other side. Many loud voices. Kore tried to hear a coherent conversation but failed, there were too many people talking at once.

Her chest tightened. She hated crowds.

The woman pushed the doors open with just a touch of her finger.

No one had looked at them as they entered. It had to be at least a hundred gods gathered in what looked like a massive garden. The gilded servers circled the groups gathered in conversation with trays of drinks and food. The tables covered in food scattered throughout the stone patio reminded her of the sacrifice that felt like a lifetime ago.

Tall neatly cut shrubs seemed to mark the end of the gardens, or at least where people were gathered. Kore had a strong feeling they marked the beginning of something grander she couldn't see yet.

She'd contemplated bringing some of her roses as a gift like she would have back home but seeing the gardens now, that would have been more embarrassing than showing up completely naked.

Different flowers decorate every surface of the gardens in neat clean rows. It was nothing like her gardens back home full of any flower that felt like living there, red carnations, purple hydrangeas, yellow daffodils, some she didn't even know of but admired anyway.

Not here though. Each surface had a special look to it. A specific flower belong to a specific section. She scrunched her nose at the neatness of it all. The only thing she truly liked was the hysteria climbing the walls. At least those were living freely.

Dionysus, with his arm still around her shoulder, kept them moving through the group of gods with Hermes leading the way.

A blonde haired boy playing the lyre caught Kore's attention. His green chiton almost blended into the bush he was standing in front of. Beautiful young goddesses swayed their hips to the soft melody of the lyre and the elegant voice of the dark haired woman in a long purple dress next to him. She thought back to her readings. They must be muses and graces. And that must be Apollo playing the lyre for them.