Hades

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Well, would you look at that." A voice drawls the moment we walk through the front door. It's followed mere seconds later by the appearance of a familiar brunette woman, who's curled up on the couch, nursing a large glass of wine. "The prodigal children have returned!"

"Hello to you too, Minnie." I roll my eyes, throwing my bag at the couch. She grins, raising her wine glass up in the air in acknowledgment. I narrow my eyes at her. "Hang on. If they're the prodigal children, what does that make me?"

"A work in progress." She replies simply. "It's taken me almost nine years, but I think I'm finally getting somewhere."

"Hey!"

"Spencer, is this supposed to be the surprise party you had planned? Minnie and her bottle of wine?" Axel asks, raising an eyebrow as he surveys the room. "Because dude, your party sucks."

Spencer gasps loudly, staring at my foster brother like he'd just roasted a live puppy.

"You take that back, Axel! You take that back right now!" Then Spencer pauses, frowning slightly as he visibly processes Axel's sentence. "Wait, how do you know about the party?"

"I know everything." Axel replies coolly. "Just like I know you're about to have a drink of Minnie's wine without her noticing."

"What?" My foster mother whips around, just in time to see the bottle pausing in front of Spencer's lips. "Spencer! Put that bottle down before I gut you with a spear!"

"Told you. I know everything." Axel holds his hands up in the air. Selene snorts, shoving him and his bags upstairs.

"If you keep talking you're going to be the gutted one, Mr Oracle."

Spencer makes a noise of disgust. "Minnie, what the hell kind of wine is this? It's abhorrent."

Minnie's eyes narrow. Seconds later, a pillow is launched through the air at his head. Spencer somehow manages to both duck it and prevent the wine from spilling as he takes another sip.

"If it's that bad then go and buy your own."

"I don't buy my wine." Spencer scoffs. "What do you think I am, some kind of peasant?"

"Yes. That is exactly what you are."

He huffs, turning his nose up in mock offence. "I think you need to be fired as Evie's foster mother. You are an equally shocking person and a terrible influence on her."

"Spence, you are at least ten times worse." I pipe up, watching their exchange with incredible amusement. He swivels around with a smirk, pointing at me with the wine bottle.

"You know it baby."

Minnie clicks her tongue, glaring at the back of his blonde head. "Spencer, that's not something you should be proud of."

"Minnie, darling, it will always be something that I'm proud of." Spencer clicks his fingers at me, motioning me forward. "Come forth, Evelyn."

"You have to know that's not my name." I fold my arms over my chest and arch an eyebrow at him. "And why?"

"So you can finish this bottle of wine for me. I need an excuse to open another bottle. Another, better, bottle." He corrects himself. "This one is gross, and I have no intentions of going to the twins' surprise party full of gross wine. That's basically a felony."

Minnie pushes herself up to her feet, giving him a stern look as she passes him on her way to the kitchen. "Spencer, you better not be planning on getting drunk on my leather couch. While I don't condone typical student behaviour, I do condone typical student behaviour on my very expensive leather couch."