Forever Yours

Chapter Seven

Makaria stared at him. She didn't know what to do. The sensible part of her brain was telling her to run, scream for help while the part that controlled her heart was saying "stay". Tilting her head to the side, she studied him. He had the same black hair, same stance as Ian Wallace did, yet she knew the person before her was different. "I don't understand," she said softly into the night air.

She stepped towards him, her hand reaching. It was when she was inches away from his frame that Makaria felt the spark, the same one she'd felt earlier that day in the cab of his truck. Yet this time they hadn't touched, merely stood inches from one another. She felt it as it raced up her arm, sending blinding dots before her eyes. A wave of red electricity passed in front of her eyes before she was able to focus again, making her dizzy. She could feel it in the air, the sizzle of it bringing a earthy smell to her nose.

Once passed, Makaria sway on her feet. She felt like she was about to pass out. She felt Ian's arm come around her, holding her steady. Putting a hand up to her face, Makaria held on to the his strong bicep with her other hand. "What..."

"You okay?" Ian asked gentle, his tone soothing. He was worried about her, about what showing his true form to her would do. He knew Hades wasn't too happy about it, but hoped to the gods that Persephone didn't know as of yet. Somehow he knew that wasn't the case and wasn't looking forward to the lashing he was about to get. Especially after what had just happened. "Makaria, are you alright?" He looked down at her, a frown on his face.

Nodding, she looked up at him. "Yes... yes, I'm fine," she said. "So the gods are real then?" Detangling herself from his arms, She took a step away from him, her body feeling small and insecure. She'd always known, also felt that there was a higher power and she wasn't talking about the Christian God. Her mother had told her all the stories, from Icarus falling from the sky to the twelve labors of Hercules. So Makaria had an idea of who they were, she just never believed they were real.

Ian sighed. She didn't think she'd lost her mind or he was crazy. Thank the gods for small favors, he said silently to himself. Shifting his stance, he closed his soulless eyes and felt his body relax. When he opened his eyes, they were their brilliant blueberry again and he was fully clothed. "I didn't want you to get scared," he confessed. "I needed you to understand, but since your mother had told you nothing of your birth; well... this was the only way."

"See, now that's where you've got me confused," Makaria commented as she turned her back to him. She stared up at the moon, letting its shine give her some small comfort. Turning back to look at him, she could see the confusion written on his face. "What does my birth have to do with you being the god of death? What does any of this have to do with me?"

Ian sighed. She still didn't understand her part in all this, or why it was so important that she believe. "A long time ago, a small girl was plucked from the gardens of Sicily. She was taken by the darkness as a wife. Over time, her mother began to despair and missing her daughter, she searched high and low for her. As she did, the land began to die, snow began to fall and all life was taken from the world. The gods saw that their creations were dying, and beseeched the young mother to stop in her search and bring life to the world once more. In her depression, she refused and continued on. When it was brought to the attention of her daughter, the girl returned to explain that why she had been taken, she wished to remind with the darkness. For she had fallen in love with it," he began. Ian walk around, his hands in his jacket pockets as night air formed small puffs of smoke when he spoke. "Her mother demanded that she return, for she was a child of light and air. Seeing that an argument was to began, the gods intervened and asked a simple question: Had the girl eaten anything while in the land of the dead? The girl nodded her head, replying that in her despair and depression she had eaten six pomegranate seeds. Her mother wailed. The gods told the girl that since she had eaten the fruit of the dead, she would return every six months to be with her husband. The other six months of the year, she was to remain with her mother. Her six months begins on the autumn equinox and ends on the first day of spring."

Makaria stared at him, her arms crossed in front of her to keep herself warm as another cold breeze blew by. It lifted her hair, moving it away from her face to help the moon as it shined down on her. Her turquoise eyes looked as if they were glowing in the bright moonlight. "The story of the kidnapping of Persephone," she breathed into the night air.

Ian watched as the elements circled around the young girl, watched as she unknowingly called them to her. It has to be done, he thought. But why am I the one who has to do it? He took a small step towards her, hesitating, afraid she would run off again. "The story of your parents."

Hades paced the small living room, agitation and frustration written on his face. He circled the plush couch again, his fourth time around before Penelope could no longer take his excessive walking and ordered him to sit down. He narrowed his eyes at her, softly calling the shadows to his hand before she waved her own and made them disappear.

"I may have lived as a mortal for almost eighteen years, but I still know your tricks," she expressed from her view in the large armchair. Penelope watched as he sat down, folding his long legs under his large frame.

He always was a bigger than life sort of person, with the ego and personality to match. It was one of the things that helped make Penelope fall in love with him. That and the way he could calm her down, especially after a visit with her parents. Penelope hadn't done anything to deserve the kind of love and faithfulness Hades bestowed upon her, but he did it anyways. He made her jewels from the rocks below, fancy peplos to wear around their kingdom. Even her crown was one made of gold and rubies, sitting in a safety deposit box in a bank off shore somewhere.

Jumping up, Hades cursed under his breath before running a hand through his dark hair. Striding towards the door, he called over his shoulder, "Are you coming?!"

Penelope stared at him, standing to follow. "What's wrong?" They exited out the front door, Penelope locking it behind her before they climbed into the car. She had no clue where they were going. "Where are we going?"

Hades didn't say anything, waiting.

Just as Penelope was to turn the corner that would take her into town, she felt it. The sharp, painful twist of ice in her soul. It consumed her, making her swerve into the other lane before pulling off to the side and once the car was in park, she climbed out, gasping and sobbing. "Oh gods.... What did he do?"

Hades was out before she'd even got the question, kneeling on the cold ground beside her. "What he shouldn't have," came his retort as he helped her to stand. "We have to get there, before she calls everyone, living and dead to her."

Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to get a chapter out before Christmas. Happy Holidays, everyone! Celebrate and be safe this holiday season.