Asphodel eBook final0

by Hammond, Lauren

Hades drops his hand from my face. “Just wait,” he comments. “There is so much more of the underworld that you have yet to see.”

  The ferry appears next to the dock and Charon hangs over the side. “Master,” he hisses. Hades takes one hand and Charon takes the other as they help me onto the boat. My eyes dart across the rows of wooden benches until I center on the wooden bench in the back right corner of the boat. I sit down as Hades appears on the bench across from me. Then Charon begins working the oars as I stare off into the choppy waters of the river of death.

  Fifteen minutes into the ride and I can feel Hades eyes on me. He’s staring, a thoughtful look in his eye. “So why did we have to take the ferry?” I face him. “Couldn’t you have just whisked us there yourself?”

  “Yes,” he says, still penetrating me with his gaze. “But then I don’t think the shock value will be as good.”

  “Shock value?” He smiles and my heart picks up beating rapidly. “You know you should do that more often.”

  “Do what?”

  “Smile.” His smile is beautiful, clouds parting during a thunderstorm to reveal a sliver of sunshine.

  He smiles wider. “I’ll try to.”

  I look away bashfully as heat rises in my cheeks. I’m at a loss for words. Truthfully I just want to stare at him. I want to feel the tiny smolder I get in the pit of my stomach every time I look into his eyes. Instead I play it off casually and nod toward Charon. “How come he knows where we’re going?”

  “He’s the captain of the boat. We wouldn’t be able to go anywhere if he didn’t know where we were going.”

  “Oh.” I look down, feeling silly. Embarrassed I play with my fingers and apparently Hades thinks my attempt at being coy is funny because he starts laughing.

  I don’t think it’s funny. In fact his laughter makes me angry. I stand, wagging my finger, prepared to give him a piece of my mind when the boat rocks and I topple over, tumbling to the opposite side. Just when I think I’m about to go overboard and land in the murky waters, Hades catches me, clutching onto my waist tightly. I turn my head, awkwardly and my lips are centimeters away from his. Any slight movement and they’ll be touching. His eyes dart across my face, searching, studying my features. He’s trying to figure me out.

  Bewildered, I steady myself sitting up, and try to make a joke, “Nice catch.”

  As I turn to walk back to my bench he whispers something. The soft words are barely audible, but I’m pretty sure I made out what he said. I could have sworn he said, “Come back.”

  I pirouette and gawk at him. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing.” I know he’s lying.

  “No, I heard you. You said something.” He said, “Come back.” I am sure of it.

  “I think you are hearing things. I didn’t say anything.”

  I narrow my eyes trying to keep a straight face. I’m actually flattered that he wanted me to stay in his arms. Right now that’s the only place I want to be. “You said something. I have excellent hearing, you know.”

  He glances out into the waters of the Styx. “Perhaps you heard a soul whispering into your ear.”

  I know all too well about the souls down here and their activities. “Maybe.”

  A smile curls on my lips as I sit back down. Maybe he’s trying to seem aloof on purpose. That way if I do decide to go back to earth, he’ll be able to mask the amount of pain he’ll feel when I leave. If he feels anything for me at all. He said he did, but he could be lying about that too. Hades is the ultimate illusionist; I know he’s a pro at masking his emotions.

  He moves over, sitting down next to me. I jump, startled by his sudden arrival. “Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s fine. I just didn’t expect you to come over here.”

  “Do you want me to move?”

  “No,” I answer, lacing my arm through his. “Stay.” His skin is freezing, but I don’t move my arm. We’re a linked chain welded and melted together. Not even a pair of needle nose pliers can tear us apart.

  From the way he’s looking at me, I can tell he’s holding something back. He studies my face again, reaching out to graze his fingertips over my cheek, but at the same time the boat stops and that’s when I feel it. It travels down my neck and shoots through my skin like a piercing wail blasting through a person’s eardrums. I turn slowly, using my arm to shield my face as the brightness burns in my eyes. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Hades nods. “Yes.”

  It’s sunlight. I close my eyes and bask in the warmth. I think of the beach and spring and the smell of wildflowers and suddenly this place isn’t so dark and gloomy after all. “Why did you bring me here?”

  “Because I knew how much you’d enjoy it.”

  “Is that sunlight?” I squeal in delight.

  “Yes, that’s sunlight. This is the only place in the realm of the dead where it shines,” he answers.

  I don’t even bother to open my eyes. “What’s this place called?” My voice is full of curiosity and excitement.

  Hades rests his chin on my shoulder. “This is the place where the truly good mortals and hero’s go after they leave earth. This place is called The Elysian Fields.”

  I open my eyes, staring out into potentially one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen in all of my five thousand years living. I shoot up out of my seat, running toward the exit. I’ve spent enough time down here, drowning in darkness. It’s about time that I step out of the shadows and into the light.

  Persephone

  An overwhelming sense of joy floods through me as I run my fingers over the long swaying grass in the Elysian Fields. Hades assured me that there was actually a city several miles away, but visiting the city would be a different trip for a different day.

  The sunlight bleeds through my pores, spreading through my entire body. It’s like an infection I want to keep eternally. I turn, letting a gust of wind tousle my hair as a light floral smell creeps up my nostrils. I inhale deeply as freesia and daffodils invade my nose and remind me of a meadow behind my house back in Oregon. The enticing scent—for some odd reason—reminds me of the day Hades took me.

  Thinking of Hades has me wondering something; where is he? I haven’t seen him since he brought me here and I’m both hurt and angry that he isn’t here sharing this beautiful scene with me. Pivoting, I scan the field. He’s not even lingering off to the side somewhere watching me like he usually is. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air—another one of his annoying parlor tricks. I sprint through the field and call out for him, “Hades!” I push aside plants, look under rocks, search behind a slew of the various trees, but can’t find him anywhere.

  I run harder and faster, desperate to find him. When Hades first took me, I swore to the God’s that I would loathe him for the rest of my immortal life. But things have changed. My feelings for him have changed. Now I miss him when he’s not around. I want to be near him at all times. I’m finally able to look past his cold demeanor and find warmth in him. His smile makes me want to smile. His icy touch makes me shiver in a good way and I want him to hold me, touch me, and kiss me. I want to be wrapped in his arms for the rest of eternity and that could only mean one thing: I think I might be in love with him.

  I know what he is; the pied piper of death and depravity, playing his flute as an army of the dead trails behind him. I’m in that army marching in line and I will follow him anywhere.

  I’ve never been in love before, so I’m not one hundred percent sure how to classify the way I feel about Hades, but it has to be love. It just has to be. The incessant longing, and fire smoldering inside of me like the crackling embers in a fireplace has to be love.

  On the boat earlier, was the first time I recognized a growing adoration for him. Right after he caught me and saved me from falling over the edge. Gazing into his eyes, I knew that I couldn’t leave this underworld without him. I won’t leave this world without him.

  Panic hits me like a marble column.
I still can’t find him and he’s not answering me when I call out for him. I’ve been running for what feels like years and there is no sign of him. Tears swell in my eyes and a gaping hole burrows into my heart. The hole stretches and expands like a black abyss and suddenly I feel like I can’t breathe. Why would he leave me out here all alone when he knew I’d enjoy it so much? Wouldn’t he want to share this blissful experience with me? Looking over my shoulder, I pick up speed, charging forward and smack into what feels like a wall. I hit the wall hard and fall backward onto the ground.

  A gentle breeze whips around me and the sunlight burns into my eyes, blinding me. For the first time ever, in my immortal life I loathe the sun. I loathe it because I can’t see what I ran into. I squint as my eyes adjust to the light and a hand appears inches away from my face. Taking the hand, I hoist myself to my feet and Hades stands in front of me, eyeing me oddly. He’s curious, but his look softens when he gazes into my eyes and a nervous tingle flutters around in the pit of my stomach. My cheeks burn from the sun and from anxiety and I’m not sure how to speak to him. Somehow everything about him felt better when I was thinking and not acting on my feelings. It was also easier when I disliked him. Now all I can do is gawk. All I can do is stand here gazing at him adoringly like a lovesick fool.

  All of a sudden a volt of anger snaps through my like a loose wire. Why do I always have to be the one who’s speaking her mind? I’m sick of doing all the talking. Why can’t he just open up to me? Why can’t he just tell me how he feels?

  “You should watch where you’re going?” he says in a somber tone.

  “I’m sorry for running into you,” I manage, trying to keep calm.

  “It’s fine,” he booms. His voice is seductive, deep and beautiful. “What exactly were you doing?”

  The comment makes me snap back to reality. “Excuse me?”

  He cocks his head to the side. “Were you looking for something?”

  Yes, you. That’s what I really want to say. Instead, I put on a bright smile and lie. “I was just enjoying the sunshine.”

  I’m not sure if he can tell whether I was being truthful or not. Then a tiny smile spreads across his lips. “I’m glad you like it here.” He turns abruptly and walks in the opposite direction.

  Where is he going? An instant pain shoots through my heart. “Don’t leave,” I utter, softly. I don’t know if he heard me, but at this point I don’t care.

  He stops, his back still facing me, and peers casually over his shoulder. “Did you say something?”

  “Yes. I said don’t leave.” I can’t lie anymore. I can’t pretend that I want to go back to earth when I care for him so much more than the sun in the sky, the flowers growing in fields and the smell of clean air. I step toward him and brush my fingers over his shoulder. “Why are you leaving?”

  His reaction to my touch startles me. His entire body stiffens. Then he turns and faces me. “I just thought this would be something you’d like to enjoy alone. I know how much you miss the earth and the sun,” he tells me.

  But he’s wrong. I’d much rather enjoy all of this with him. “Why don’t you stay out here and enjoy this with me?”

  He remains in his spot and doesn’t move. Secretly, I wish he would have jumped at the opportunity to spend the day with me, but he’s doing the exact opposite and it hurts. His actions cut deep like a butcher knife through the shoulder blade. I touch him again and he jumps. He’s acting like my touch repulses him and I don’t understand. He’s so hot and cold. One minute I think he feels the same way about me and the next he’s doing what he’s doing now. “Why would you bring me out here if you didn’t want to share it with me?”

  Now I am determined to get to the bottom of this. Why in the name of the God’s did he take me if he’s spurned by my touch? And what about yesterday? Yesterday was beautiful. Yesterday was perfect. How could he go from that to this? He doesn’t answer my question. I stare at him, crossing my arms. “Well?”

  He still doesn’t answer.

  He’s obviously distracted. He’s somewhere else and from the look in his eye I can tell he wants to be anywhere, but here—with me. I can feel the tears welling in my eyes, but I suck them back and lower my voice. “Give me an answer.”

  He gives me a vague answer. “I thought you would enjoy it.” He’s not even looking at me. He’s staring past me at the swaying grass in the open field.

  A mixture of emotions swirl around inside of me and I know it’s only a matter of time before anger becomes the front-runner. I don’t want to be here anymore. The home-like feeling has vanished. The want of feeling the sun against my skin has vanished. I need to get out of here before this turns into a screaming match and I say thing I know I’ll regret. “Take me back.”

  “I thought you were enjoying yourself?” he asks as a confused expression stretches over his face.

  “I was enjoying myself. Now I want to go back,” I answer him with force. Then I storm past him, marching to the boat. There’s a part of me that wants to run back to him. A part of me that wants to crash into his arms and tell him everything I’m feeling. But I don’t because I’m nervous and frightened and I can’t help but feel like I’m swimming in uncharted waters.

  Ever since we fled Greece I’d always felt like I’d lead a loveless life. I couldn’t date the mortals and no Olympians appealed to me. Adonis is only the tenth boy I’ve ever had a crush on in all my years of living. I have no idea what to do, say, or how to act when it comes to a relationship. To me, love is as terrifying and mysterious as the murky waters of the Styx.

  Also, I’ve never been around a couple who is actually in love. My parents had never been together, so I’ve never seen them show affection toward each other. I have absolutely nothing to go off of. I am running blind.

  I once heard someone say that love comes naturally. Well if it comes so naturally, why is Hades making it so damn difficult? Perhaps he hasn’t been in love either. I laugh out loud at my ridiculous assumption. Of course he has been in love what am I thinking? He has to have been. He’s a God; he can have any woman he wants. I imagine that through the centuries he’s had many lovers or relationships. After thinking about that I go back to the same question I’ve asked myself at least a dozen times. Why does he want me, then? I know he wants me to be his companion, ruling the realm of the dead alongside him. But for some odd reason I don’t think he’d chase me for all this time if that was his only purpose. Hades doesn’t strike me as the type of God who has an unintended purpose for doing something.

  After going over my theories I know the only way I’m going to get any real answers is if I ask him directly. So I stop and turn around only to discover that he’s not behind me. He’s vanished again. It shouldn’t shock me that he’s evaporated into thin air for what feels like the millionth time. But it does. It seems to me that he always chooses the worst times to disappear.

  During that second, I find myself feeling empty. My eyes sweep over the abandoned field as tears spill onto my cheeks. Why is he doing this to me? That’s the only thing going through my mind. I think about throwing myself onto the ground and letting every tear that I ever cried pour out of me. But as I suck back my tears and turn on my heel, I see him, standing directly in front of me, blocking my path. I quickly wipe my tears away before he can notice, but I’m too late.

  He gazes at me, a flicker of concern in his eyes. “Is something wrong?”

  He’s always asking me that; is something wrong? Yes! You! You’re what’s wrong!

  Rage replaces the hurt and pain and I feel like a wild stallion. I am unglued—unhinged—and nothing or no one can keep me from breaking free. And I feel crazy too. The rage inside of me is making me crazy. “What’s wrong with you?” I snap. “Why do you keep doing that?” I walk toward him and ram my finger into his chest. “Why are you playing games with me? I told you, I hate games!”

  A look of complete shock spreads across Hades calm, collected face. But he doesn’t move. “Doing what? What
is wrong with you? I am not playing games.”

  “You’re always appearing and reappearing! Always hot and cold! And you’re moody, too!”

  He raises an eyebrow. “Moody?” He looks around me, staring at the ferry. “You make it sound like I’m a woman.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing if you are one.”

  I slant my eyes, folding my arms across my chest. I’m fed up with his antics and the only thing I can think about is getting away from him. I brush past him and bump into his shoulder, making my way back to the ferry. Part of me is tempted to say one last thing, but when I turn and open my mouth my chest sinks. He’s gone.

  Charon helps me onto the ferry and I take the same seat in the back that I took on the way to the Elysian Fields. Exhaling, I glance out into the murky waters as the plunking from the wooden oars slapping against the water infiltrates me ears. The sound soothes me and smothers the anger inside of me. I stare at Charon’s back. “Where did he go?”