“Winnie, come here.” Hades whispered. Alessandra was still sleeping and morning had already come and gone. Now it was the middle of the afternoon. Hades was surprised to pop into the room to find Winnie sitting in the chair she drug to the side of the bed to watch over Alessandra. He expected her to be awake and even feared the idea that death claimed her in the middle of the night, but Winnie would’ve detected that and no doubt call for him.
While he was away, he went to Olympus to question Zeus, but his brother didn’t know what happened. However, Zeus was angered to find out that what he feared had come to life. Alessandra was in danger the longer the stayed down here as a human, Hades had to do something to lull her to the idea of becoming a demi-god.
And he knew exactly how.
Winnie tiptoed to the door where both of them stepped out. She hadn’t heard anything since he left, but she got a visit from Lady Ryes with some fresh cooked food, but it’d gone cold now because Alessandra hadn’t woken up. It started to alarm her at first, but then she remembered the toll that the water from the sea of souls must have taken on her. She didn’t want to disturb Alessandra. “Hades, you’re back. Did you find anything?”
“No. We can talk about that later. How is Alessandra?” Every thought that he had was filled with images of Alessandra. He remembered every inch of her and committed her touch to memory for occasions where they were apart. He’d been grateful that she woke up willing to be near him and not resentful. He felt that it was partially his fault for leaving her so soon after they’d finally spent quality time together.
He never wanted to leave her side again.
Winnie caught him gazing at her through the slim crack of the door and smiled. She’d never seen so much passion in him since his previous Queen. “She called for you throughout the night.”
“She did?”
Nodding, Winnie said, “I tried to be of some comfort, but she’s been restless since.” It was true. In the hours that Winnie sat beside her bed, Alessandra would have random episodes where she called for Hades until she’d fall into a deep sleep again. Winnie was worried that it was the water from the sea of souls that’d somehow taken her back to those illusions, but Alessandra didn’t lash out or seem afraid.
“Thank you for looking after her, Winnie.” He couldn’t be far from her anymore. “I will take it from here.”
Winnie stepped back to curtsy. Though she didn’t want to, she couldn’t disobey a direct dismissal. “Yes, I am pleased to be of use.”
Before he stepped into Alessandra’s room, he looked over his shoulder. “And Winnie?”
“Yes?”
“Forgive me for raising my voice at you.” It wasn’t a proud moment of his as he let his temper get the better of him. He valued Winnie more than she knew it. He needed to make sure she knew that. “I—”
She curtsied again until her knees touched the floor and kept her head bowed when she said, “I understand. Take care of her.”
“You know how much you mean to me, don’t you?”
That statement caused her to look up and their eyes met. Winnie could see the truth in his endless blue gaze. “I do.”
He smiled, touching the tips of his fingers to the side of her face. “I will send word if I need you.”
“Thank you, Lord Hades.” Winnie rose and skipped down the hall in high spirits, waiting for the time when he’d need her again.
Closing the door behind him, Hades walked quietly towards her bed. As he did, he unlaced his boots so that he could crawl into bed. Alessandra instantly sought him. Unconsciously she scooted closer to him until he had to tuck her under his arm and she lied on his chest.
He combed his hand through her hair and listened to her breathing. Before long sleep had claimed him too.
“Hades . . .”
Something was tickling his face, but he was too tired to open his eyes. He was a little irritated to be disturbed after he’d finally gotten sleep. He tried to shoo away whoever was trying to wake him, but he only heard laughter in response.
“Hades, my love.” Warmth touched his cheek. “Wake up.”
And then he knew.
He recognized the sweet sound of the voice that’d brought him joy many times over in his life. He’d promised to always love her and keep her safe and in return, all she had to do was be with him as his wife and Queen. But he hadn’t seen her in decades.
She was here now.
“Persephone?” He opened his eyes. He’d never seen true beauty until he laid eyes on the Goddess before him. She was so ethereal and holy; he hardly believed that this sacred creature was his.
Sapphire blue eyes twinkled in the night as they looked into his eyes. She straddled him in one move, catching him by surprise like he always did with her spontaneous actions, but he enjoyed it. Her hair tumbled around them in perfect ringlets that were too wild to tame. She always kept her hair down and unkempt that reminded him of how wild she was. He admired each strand and how easily his fingers fell through them. “It is me; my love. I’ve missed you.”
“Persephone, you’re here.” He reached up to touch her face, overjoyed that she felt just as real as he hoped. It’d been so long since he’d been this close to her.
“I never left you.” She replied. “I will always find you.”
“Oh, my love, my light, my everything, you are my heart.” He hooked his hand behind her neck and brought her face to his, crushing his lips to hers.
She kissed him just as fiercely. Flattening her body against his to bring their bodies closer. He took control, roaming his hands over every curve of her body so that he could be reacquainted with his long lost love. He didn’t hold back. With impatient hands, he discarded her gown and with eager lips he kissed her skin. He started with her neck, trailing kisses all the way to her chest where he suckled each of her breasts to hardened points.
Persephone moaned her approval. “Hades,”
He stopped because the way his name sounded in her voice was unfamiliar now. It was almost as if it were a different person. He didn’t understand. She looked the same, acted the same, but—
She wasn’t Persephone.
“Please, don’t leave me.” He pleaded. He knew this fantasy would fade and he would soon go back to reality—a life where she wasn’t in it. “I can not live without you.”
Persephone placed her hand flatly on his chest right above his heart. This had been hard for both of them. She didn’t want to part ways so soon. “I will be with you when you wake up.”
“Why must you keep me waiting?”
“She’s not ready. You must show her the way.” Persephone replied. She kissed him once then twice. “And when she is ready then I will be ready.”
“I know. I don’t want to rush you.”
She chuckled. “You won’t, my love. Now, wake up.”
Blinking, Hades woke to the flickering light from the fire. It’s warmth quickly spread through the room, but the small body curled in front of it drew his attention. Alessandra wasn’t beside him anymore. She had a thin shawl wrapped around her body and her back turned to him.
“You’re awake.” She said without turning to him.
“Why are you all the way over there?” He rolled to his side, prompting his head up with another pillow. “Come back to bed.”
“Hades,” She swiftly rose to her feet. “Who is Persephone?”
He was taken aback by the question. So much so that he was left gapping at her rather than answering the most basic question, but what could he say?
Alessandra heard her name in the middle of the night. It was the name that woke her from her dream. She’d been having a strange dream about a woman, but she couldn’t make any sense of it. “Answer me, please.”
“She’s . . .” For the first time ever, he felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest. “She was . . .” He’d never spoke about her openly before and now that he had the chance he didn’t know what to say. Well, he knew exactly what to say about the woman that’d stolen his heart so many years ago, but to tell Alessandra was a different story.
“Tell me.”
“She was my wife.”
Alessandra shook her head in disbelief. He kept muttering her name as if she were in the room with them, as if he wanted only her. Alessandra shouldn’t have been surprised that someone like him already had a woman, maybe more, to keep him company. “Why am I here, Hades?”
“Alessa, I—”
“Don’t call me that. My name is Alessandra.” She removed her shawl. “I want to go back to Evyon.”
Those were words that he dreaded to hear. He promised that when she wanted to, he would return her to Evyon per her request. But Evyon hadn’t been the same since she left. Her cousin took the throne instantly and with Greer’s death, Nick became suicidal. If she came back then there was no telling what those people would do to her.
“Please, let me explain.”
“Explain what? I don’t understand anything. I don’t know why I’m here. I don’t know why you made that stupid deal with my mother or why I was cursed my whole life, but I sure as hell know that I will not be your play thing while your wife is wherever the hell she is!”
“She’s dead, Alessandra.”
She gasped. “But, you said her name . . .”
“Yes, I miss her, but I can not bring her back from the dead. Even that is out of my power.” He woefully admitted. He hated to even say her name so nonchalantly, but if Alessandra needed the assurance then he was willing to give it to her.
“How did she pass?”
“I do not wish to talk about it.”
“Hades,” Alessandra sighed. She found the nearest seat and sat down. “None of this makes sense.”
“I know, but all will be well soon.” He promised. Rising, he crossed the room to kneel in front of her. “I need you.”
“But do you want me?”
“Yes, with every last breath in me. I can’t even think of tomorrow without you.” He told her truthfully. He’d known her ever since she was an infant and knew from the moment that she was born that she had a special place in his life—his heart.
“Why didn’t you tell me about her sooner?”
“I didn’t want you to think the way you are thinking now.” He said. “I didn’t want you to think there is another when there is only you.”
“But I need to know what all of this is for? What is my purpose to you here?” She questioned, perturbed by the concept of being kept in the dark this long. He admired that he cared for her feelings, but she wanted to be informed of his life. He seemed to know everything about her, but she knew nothing about him.
Maybe he couldn’t tell her the entire truth, but he can give her a piece of her destiny in order for her to see for herself. “I can show you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Get dressed. Meet me in the foyer. I have somewhere to take you.” He went to his boots and began to put them on.
“Where are we going?”
“I am giving you a piece of your destiny.” He declared. Opening the door to her bedroom, he looked at her before he exited. “If you choose it.”