Dark Shadows (#1 of Dark Shadows Series) |Old Version|

Chapter 17: Thoughts

How can you describe the fact that your soul is being devoured to a literal darkness? A manifestation of shadows conjured by someone obssessed with you, for reasons still unknown?

When Hades asked her how it felt, Katherine couldn't describe it. How could she say that she felt her soul in something thick and black, voices scratching at her mind; voices of her mom, dad, sister, and... Hades himself.

She couldn't tell him that she kept hearing his voice inside her mind. Full of malice and spite as he screamed that he would never love her, that it was all for pity.

That hurt the most.

Katherine always knew. When the servants and nympths dodged the question, why he had seemed happy looking at the diamond throne...calling out her name when they danced... She knew, it was obvious.

She doesn't know how Persephone died, but she had a feeling Hades had something to do with it.

Hades gently picked her up, placing her back on the bench. He kneeled down in front of her: even when he was on his knees, he towered over her. Her eyes went back to their natural blue color, but they were still somehow darker than before. Dark and dead.

She had visibly calmed down, no longer shaking, but there was still fear in her eyes. She kept whispering to herself, some of it nonsense.

This was a common sign of a spell possession. Though it had been eons since Hades saw a human possessed by such a spell, it has happened.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, his voice barely a whisper.

"Fine... Just different."

He nodded. He would have to tell her older sister what happened to Katherine. She already didn't much care for the god, though his intentions were good. Knowing the fact that Namie accused him of raping Katherine, she would believe that Hades was the one who casted the spell.

But Hades knew little to nothing about magic and witchcraft. He didn't conjure such things. That was Hecate's domain.

Hecate! Maybe she could help.

"Are you okay to walk?"

"I think so?"

Katherine began to get off the bench, her legs wobbily. Her body was still weak from the attack. Hades wrapped one of his arms around her waist, holding her close to his body. Her body temperature was cooler than before. Hades would never admit it in front of her, but her warmth made his heart skip a few beats.

The god and the human walked together to the library, the silence thick between them. Hades was worried about trying to find a way to break the spell: Katherine was thinking about when he called her Persephone.

She knew it was going to happen at some point. From the side glances and hushed whispers, she knew that everyone in or around the castle was curious as to why she was here.

During her first few days here in the Underworld, she heard two maids outside her room talking to each other.

"She looks so much like the late Queen," one of the maids commented. "I mean, they almost look identical. You don't think that human is somehow her sister?"

"I doubt it," the other maid said. "She could be a reincarnation of Persephone."

"Probably, seems more likely."

Katherine had no idea on how much she resembled the goddess until she researched the Goddess of Spring one day in the library.

Persephone had long, flowy black hair, pale olive skin, and blue eyes that were as blue as a clear spring sky. In the picture, the girl looked no older than nineteen, standing in a field of flowers. She wore a long, light pink toga with a rose crown on top of her head. She was beautiful; no wonder Hades fell in love with her.

The picture was before she came to the Underworld. The next one that Katherine saw, it was of Hades and Persephone. Hades stood behind his wife, ine of his hands on her shoulder. They both had bright and matching smiles.

They looked to be a perfect couple.

It was at that point that Katherine was envious of the young goddess. The girl was the picture of perfection, even being compared to Aphrodite.

Seeing that picture only made Katherine's mouth bitter with jealousy.

They came to the library, and walked to the very back to a tiny room in the corner. The door was heavily locked with several padlocks. Katherine could feel the darkness surrounding that room, but...there was something else. There seemed to be other energy; it felt pure, good.

She remebered reading that Hecate was both good and evil, as the representation of balance. She was the keeper of the hell-hounds, as well as she was the mother of witchcraft.

Hades knocked on the door, but didn't get an answer. He knew that she spent most of the night in that room as her powers were stronger during those late hours.

"Hecate," Hades called out, but once again, he never heard a reply. Growing a little impatient, Hades tore the locks off the door and kicked the door open with his boot.

The room was empty and dark.

Panic coursed through him as he realized that Hecate wasn't here. He tried to sense her energy, but nothing came up. Almost like she placed a block between herself and Hades.

How was Hades supposed to know how to break the spell? Katherine was possessed and he had no idea what the spell was or when it would be complete.

He sighed, feeling completely frustrated. Hecate still had to be in the castle; he just had to find her.

He went back to Katherine, who was leaning against the wall, her body wary from trying to fight the spell. He knew that the spell will break her eventually and consume her. Hopefully she will fight long enough for Hades to find Hecate and stop the spell.

She looked exhausted. There were already circles under her eyes.

Katherine was too tired to notice that Hades had picked her up bridal style, his hand on her lower back and under her thighs. She didn't have the energy to blush or get flustered. On instinct, Katherine wrapped her arms around Hades' neck to keep herself from falling. She didn't notice that Hades heart skipped a few beats.

They made it to Katherine's chambers. Hades opened the door as best he could, and went inside. He gently laid her on the bed, and covered her with the comforter. She curled into the covers and quickly went to sleep.

Hades kicked off his boots and shrugged off his shirt before climbing into bed. He kept trying to convince himself he was only doing this to keep an eye on Katherine, but in reality, he liked sleeping next to her.

And even though Hades didn't want to admit it, he was falling for the human. Fast.