The Daughter of the Sky // Wattys 2016

Chapter 20

    Hades's palace was the anti-Olympus and he wasn't subtle about it. The place was nearly identical; large, black marble stairs led up to an enormous glittering obsidian mansion. The portico extending off the mansion was made to match the marble black stairsInstead of fluffy cotton candy colored clouds surrounding the palace, there were only thick clouds of ash. On either sides of the building were breathtaking arrangements of flowers, bushes and small trees, even more exotic and wonderful than the ones surrounding Hera's cabin at Camp Half-Blood. Even from a good ten feet away I could smell their fruity and alluring perfume; the flowers were practically begging for me to come closer. 

   "Don't touch or eat anything. If you do you'll be trapped here forever," Percy grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the entrance of the castle.

   Strangely enough, the doors to the devil's palace were open. His guards were skeletons wearing, what looked to be, confederate soldier uniforms from the Civil War. The skeletons remained frozen in place even as we walked right past them. They didn't say a word and I wondered if the god of death was already anticipating our arrival.

    The entrance to the interior of his home was not a modest one. Imagine the nicest house you've ever seen in your entire life, like, one from MTV Cribs. Except the house of Hades was ten times larger and decorated with the finest jewels, art and furniture in the world. 

The entire room surrounding us was bronze and copper, even the floors. They were so polished you could see every detail of your reflection staring in awe right back at you. 

There were works of art covering nearly every wall, each complimenting the next perfectly. There was one in particular that caught my eye. The familiar painting hung comfortably over the crackling fireplace in the center of the room right in front of us. It was a woman reaching out for her husband as a demon dragged her away. The woman's face was contorted in pain and raw agony as she cried out for her lover. Emotion seemed to pour out of the masterpiece itself as it came alive before my very eyes. I knew immediately it was a symbol of emotion and heartbreak; the vivid colors and precise technique were too eerily familiar to be mistaken or mixed up with any other artist. 

It was my mother's painting.

"And to what do I owe the absolute pleasure of having three godlings in my home?"A venomous voice snapped me out of my trance, 

    I met the eyes of the man who had disrupted and ruined my life. They were tar black and glistened with pure hatred. Being in Hades' presence was soothing. I felt calm, sleepy almost. 

 Oddly enough, the man's evil eyes didn't match his appearance whatsoever. Truly, I don't know what I expected of Hades, but it wasn't this. The guy looked like Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler had a love child. I didn't know gods could rock ripped skinny jeans, leather vests and band tees.

 Then again, I'd seen Poseidon in flip flops and a pink Hawaiian shirt. Anything was possible.

    Hades's hair was dark with a few stray grey hairs here and there, curly and spun off in all directions, making him look like a cross between a rocker and a mad scientist. His coal black eyes studied me with caution as he stroked his goatee.

    "Surely you did not come all the way down to the underworld to rudely stare, did you?" Hades chuckled darkly, beaconing us to come closer with his heavily adorned finger.

    "Come, we have much to discuss."

    Discuss? This was coming from the same guy who sent his fifteen year old son and a blood thirsty monster to kill me in the span of one week. Now he wanted to sit in front of his fireplace, sing Kumbayah and have a civil conversation.