Hades: Modern Descendants

by elda lore

  “Oh my God,” I whispered to no one. Veva had been with Tripper? How could this be? The hurt in Swanson’s eyes showed something I hadn’t noticed before either. He loved her.

  “Swanson,” Tripper squeaked out, hanging his head finally. He turned toward Hades and I, and looked at me. “I’m sorry, Persephone.” The apologize lacked heartfelt emotion, but I nodded in acceptance all the same. He tipped his chin at Hades and walked away. My arms wrapped around Hades waist and I noticed his feet and legs took on a deeper blue tint.

  “Hades,” I whispered, keeping my voice low and my eyes lowered.

  “It was the cold.”

  My head sprang upward. “I did this to you, didn’t I? I kept you under, to…to please me.” My lips quivered. I didn’t mean to hurt him.

  “I’m fine,” he said, tugging me against his chest. “I think it’s time I dry off, though, and head back.” He found our clothes and we awkwardly covered our damp skin. Taking my hand, he led me toward the firelight.

  --

  Swanson drove Hades and me back to the caboose shortly after we dried. His quiet unnerved me, but I didn’t press him. His upset over Veva was evident. She had some explaining to do to me regarding Tripper Grant. A carefree spirit, Veva had a habit of going for the wrong boy and getting burned. While I couldn’t imagine Tripper being any sort of prize, I hoped, for Veva’s sake, the cut to the heart wouldn’t run too deep.

  “Thanks for the ride, Swanson,” I said after Hades hopped out of the truck. “You okay?” His soulful eyes avoided mine, staring forward out the front windshield.

  “It’s stupid, really. Veva would never be interested in me. She has too much life in her. Too much life for this land.” He scoffed, flipping his hand upward from the steering wheel. “But Tripper? My own brother? That one I didn’t see.” He shook his head, keeping his eyes toward the empty night. His hand slipped from the steering wheel and patted my knee.

  “Have fun, kiddo. He loves you.” He tilted his head toward Hades, who respectfully waited a few feet from the truck while I spoke with Swanson.

  “Love you, Swanson,” I muttered, sliding off the bench seat.

  “Back atcha,” he called out with a weak smile. I turned to Hades, who held out a hand for me. Connecting our fingers, he pulled me under his arm as Swanson drove off.

  “He’s hurt? Did he and Veva have something?” The questioning tone of Hades surprised me, and I instantly wondered if he’d loved someone before me.

  “Nah, we’ve been friends since childhood. Our families work side by side on this land. I think he just secretively loved Veva. She’s so vivacious and full of laughter, what’s not to love? But Swanson is quiet. I think he just absorbed her energy, but he didn’t light the flame in return for her.”

  Hades nodded. “You light my flame.”

  A smile curled slowly, but I sensed there was something more he wanted to say.

  “What is it?” I patted his chest. We neared the caboose, but stood on the unlit side.

  “Just promise me you won’t go near Tripper. Don’t be alone with him. I…I don’t trust him.” His eyes squinted at the dark field before us.

  “He’s an ass, but he’s harmless.” I swallowed my discomfort, no longer convinced.

  “Promise me,” Hades turned to me, cupping my face in his hands. “He’s not what you think. He’s hateful and harmful.”

  Staring up at his shadowed face, I noticed the outline of the scar on his face. Shaky fingers traced along his hairline.

  “He did this, didn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, but a soft kiss cut off the words.

  “I hate that he kissed you.” Anger laced his voice.

  “Then I guess you should kiss me to wipe it all away.” I teased, but something flashed out of the corner of my eye. Another blip of light burst and faded. It happened again.

  “Look,” I spoke quietly, as if I’d scare them away. “Fireflies.” We stopped walking and Hades stared in the distance where little blips of fluorescent light lit here and there. If the orchestration of lights had a sound, it would be popcorn filling the night.

  “They are singing a song. They know the queen is near,” Hades teased.

  “Too bad they only light once then fade.” My tone softened, and melancholy seeped through me. The thought of flashing bright only once, like my love for Hades, seemed sad. Would our love fade? I sensed his time with me was limited, although we didn’t discuss it. I refused to think of him as only a summer love, an affair carefree of constraints because the end was inevitable. Plus, our love began in the decaying darkness of fall. Love was more than a season. It was timeless.

  The thought unburdened me and I rolled my body to press flat against his.

  “The caboose is empty.” My mouth came to Hades’ neck and sucked tenderly on his damp skin. The night remained warm; the swim only a temporary relief.

  “Persephone,” he warned.

  “Everyone will still be at the river for hours.” I continued my tender assault of his neck, nipping and licking at his salty skin. He groaned my name in warning again.

  “Why don’t you want me anymore?” My forehead fell against his chest. I wasn’t complaining about the kissing or the touching. I just didn’t understand why he no longer made love to me.

  “I don’t want to hurt you,” he muttered into my hair.

  “You won’t hurt me.”

  “I made you sick before.”

  “You don’t know that.” My face lifted to his.

  “I do.”

  I stepped back from him. It was foolish to beg. If he didn’t want me, I should respect him. I should respect me, but I was hurt and embarrassed. I took another step back but he captured my wrist.

  “Don’t go,” he pleaded.

  “I shouldn’t stay.” My voice weakened with his touch. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of him in the river. It had been so long since I’d felt that kind of release, but it was selfish. I thought of his blue legs and how taking from him could have hurt him ultimately.

  “Don’t…don’t give me that look.” His mouth came tenderly to mine. Soft pecks sucked at my lower lip.

  “I wasn’t giving you any look,” I muttered between kisses.

  “Yes, you were. That innocent doe look that makes me weak at the knees.”

  I giggled against his mouth. I had no idea what he was talking about.

  “I do not have an innocent look like that,” I chuckled further.

  “Yes, you do. The whole take-me-please Hades. And my heart cracks and my dick aches.” His voice grew thick.

  “Well, whatever that look is doesn’t work well enough, because if I said take me now Hades, there would be no additional effect on you.” We stared at one another and the night air crackled. Fireflies still popped circles of light over the dark field. Our breaths grew exaggerated.

  “Persephone,” he warned meekly, but I didn’t retreat. “Take me, Hades,” I whispered, as seductively as I could muster. I rolled up on my tiptoes to align our bodies and pressed against him as my tongue licked over the outline of his scarred lips. He rocked his hips and our cores collided. We moaned in unison. Spinning me instantly, I pressed against the side of the caboose, and Hades’ hands roamed my body. Fingers pinched my breasts, causing my nipples to peak even harder. Palms cascaded over the flat of my belly and hands wrapped under my ass. Lifting me, I circled my legs around his hips. There was no denying the strain in his jeans. The friction only flared the flame burning within me.

  “You have no idea how much I want to light you up, Firefly.”

  My head nodded as I continued to kiss him. Yes, I did know. I wanted it too. He carried me inside the caboose still coiled around him and we crashed onto his bunk. The force thrust him against me. I cried out in need. Quickly removing his plaid shirt and tank, his chest pressed against mine. He’d removed my cami as well and the white bikini hardly hid the pleasure I felt. His mouth covered one breast over the
material and he nipped at me. The bite jolted my hips and my center ground against his length.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this,” he muttered.

  “Okay,” I replied, my fingers mashed in his hair and his mouth crashing over mine. Our bodies moved in tandem, grinding like a dance. My hand skittered to his waist and unbuttoned his jeans. Blindly working at the zipper, the release offered some relief. My hands pushed down the denim and my feet took over when I could no longer reach. His fingers nimbly removed my jean shorts. Returning to press against me, the tip of him balanced outside my entrance, separated by boxer briefs and a bikini bottom.

  “Just this,” he swore. “This will be enough.” His voice strained as he increased the rhythm. We humped against one another, reminiscent of me riding him in the river.

  “Hades,” I choked, as the sparking tickled my toes.

  “Soar, Firefly,” he demanded and the words recalled another time. My orgasm took flight and I cried out as he continued to thrust against me.

  “Persephone,” he sang, growing still, the tip of him releasing moisture that further dampened my wet center. He collapsed over me, kissing my neck, my jaw and my nose.

  “Don’t fade on me,” his mouth muttered over my lips.

  “Never,” I promised, and the melancholy returned. I feared I’d just lied to him.

  Fair

  [Hades]

  An American county fair seemed the epitome of a harvest fest. People showed off their produce, their baking skills, and their livestock. Animals were sold. Food was devoured. Fairgoers celebrated. I knew nothing of this pastime first hand, and Persephone insisted we attend. The fairgrounds were a distance from her land and I worried at the separation — I didn’t know how far I could travel. The span seemed endless as we passed more fields of green, entering a large area alight with bright carnival rides and tinkling sounds of machinery spinning, twirling, and racing through the air.

  “It’s fun,” she assured me. People were everywhere. Although I’d been to parties at the river and played drinking games among the workers on the farm, I hadn’t been in the midst of so many humans before. The closeness unnerved me. Persephone never released my hand, though, as she guided me to her mother’s booth. Sweet, lemony nectar sold with drops of sugar and ice was too sweet for me, but the line curled around the booth. Mortals were strange creatures.

  Persephone spoke to her mother. As we stood near the wooden structure, I observed those around us. A kid dressed in head-to-toe black looked familiar. He stood awkwardly at the corner of a ride, his head hung low, his knee bend upward as his foot braced on the fence. His hands rested in his pocket. He seemed nervous as he looked side to side, as if awaiting mischief. A few minutes later, a group of girls passed by him. His head popped up and he followed their trail. One blonde-haired girl looked back at him and smiled. He returned the smile slowly, and then the girl looked away, giggling with her friends. He pushed off the fence and walked the opposite direction.

  My heart sank. I looked over at Persephone, so animated, so alive, talking to her friends and her mother. If I took her with me when my time ended, she’d miss all the activity of this world. The bright lights, the loud sounds, the pungent smells. Sensing my stare, she looked over at me, and smiled slowly like that younger girl. She bit her lip, distracted by me enough to have missed what her mother said to her. She blinked once, and then turned back to the conversation. I decided to follow the group of girls.

  They waited in line for some strange food called an elephant ear. Another sugary sweet treat, the smell alone curled my stomach. I tapped the girl on the shoulder.

  “I think you dropped this,” I said, holding out a yellow flower. I’d pulled it from a bush lining the midway.

  “I…I don’t think so,” she said, her friends teetering and her face blushing.

  “Yeah, I saw that boy give this to you, and I think you dropped it.” I pointed to the kid who stood several steps down the strip, his back to us, but distinguishable enough in his black attire.

  “He did?” She questioned, looking around me. Her friends giggled and sighed.

  “Here.” I held out the flower and she took it from my hands. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. A slow smile curved her too-glossy lips and she glanced up at me.

  “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder to the girls and walked briskly in the direction of the boy. My eyes followed her and found Persephone watching me.

  “What are you up to?” Her grinning face warmed me and I reached out for her.

  “Nothing.” I watched the girl finally reach her mystery man and touch his back. He spun and they exchanged words. She held out the flower and pointed toward me. He stared back at me. A moment later, they turned together and walked toward a carnival ride. A slight twist of his body, and he tipped his chin. I smiled to myself in sadness. I’d be seeing him too soon.

  “You’re up to something,” Persephone teased and I looked down at her beaming face while she watched me.

  “Nope. Nothing,” I chuckled. “Ready?” And she led the way to the Ferris wheel.

  The only heights I’d ever reached stood within a building. The idea of being raised in the air on a rickety piece of machinery didn’t sound appealing, but I followed Persephone into the chair and the lifting began. We stopped every so often as the chairs filled until we happened to be at the top. Looking out over the vast distance beyond the fairgrounds, the glowing haze of lights from Hades Emporium could be seen at the edge of darkness. I stared at the aerial view of a growing city amidst the flatlands.

  “Do you miss it?” Persephone’s voice rang small as she asked. My arm was already around her shoulders and I tugged her closer to me. Kissing her forehead, I answered.

  “Not really. It’s just different here.” The Ferris wheel lurched forward and we dipped to the ground, circling low and then spinning upward again.

  “Would it be enough for you? If you stayed?” The question drifted out and around the whirling ride.

  “Being with you would be enough.” I kissed the side of her head and she rested hers against my shoulder.

  “I saw what you did.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I lied.

  “For that boy. And the girl. It was sweet.” I heard the grin in her voice. She shifted to look at me. “I love that you look hard, but you’re actually soft inside.”

  “And I love that you look soft, but you’re hard as nails sometimes.” She laughed and we dipped low again. The world spun but my eyes kept drifting to the lights on the horizon. The city of sin whispered my name.

  We wandered through the grounds after the Ferris wheel ride, participating in games and sampling food. That elephant ear thing tasted better than I thought, but I couldn’t handle the richness of such foods. We stopped near a restroom for Persephone and once she was out of sight, I was tugged behind the building. Prepared for a fight, I raised my fist in anger when a woman faced me.

  “Mother?”

  “I had to see if it was true.” Her eyes roamed my body in the dark light. “How did he do it?” Her breath exhaled with her wonder.

  “Does he know I’m gone?” I ignored her question and referenced my father. I hadn’t told him where I was going or what I was doing. We could easily have gone months without interaction.

  “I have no idea. I’ve been running the resort. Summertime is our busiest. I heard that you were out here.” She paused. “You followed that girl.” Her arms crossed and she tapped her heeled foot. Dressed in her typical power skirt and blouse, she was clearly not dressed for a county fair.

  “Her name is Persephone. Sound familiar? And I love her.”

  My mother scoffed. “Love? You know nothing of love. You’ll never be able to stay with her. History will only repeat itself.” She took a deep breath and eyes that matched mine in color, but not in temperament, nailed me to the ground. “She ate the forbidden fruit.”

  “It came from her own farm. It was safe.”

/>   My mother pursed her lips and stared. “All the same, I’m assuming you’ll be bringing her back in the fall.”

  I didn’t respond. How could I tell my mother before I told Persephone? When my time was up, she would not return with me.

  “It can’t last like this,” she whispered, waving her hand up and down at my appearance. When she heard a sound behind me, she stepped back into the shadows of the trees beside the building. I spun to face another nemesis.

  “Clandestine meetings with an older woman. Does Persephone know?” Tripper’s voice dragged with drunkenness as he took a swig from a brown bottle. I made to step around him, but he gripped my arm.

  “Can’t say I mind an older woman. Been in Demi’s pants myself.”

  I shook my arm loose from his grasp.

  “You’re sick,” I spat.

  “I’m a hero. I found her precious daughter, abandoned in the fields.” His eyes squinted before he took another sip.

  My heart rotted. The stench of my own weakness at leaving her behind choked me.

  “You’re a phase. The bad boy on the farm. When the seasons change, you’ll be gone with the rest of the migrants.” Tripper spit and the smell of wadded, slimy tobacco hit my boot. “But don’t worry, lover-boy. I’ll be here to take care of her, like a real man.”

  I raised my hand for his throat but his response was quick. A knife flicked at the side of my face.

  “Might have to match the other side,” he winked.

  “If you lay one hand on her, I’ll send Death for you before your time.”

  “What kind of whack-job threat is that?” Tripper laughed falsely.

  “The same threat that came for you in the river.”

  Tripper’s eyes opened wide then narrowed to slits. “How could you know that unless it was you holding me down?”

  “It wasn’t me and we both know it.” The thing that came for Tripper had been released from the underworld for revenge. Tripper’s return to the underground fights might have resulted in a loss, but his strength was fierce. He shamed the beast and Death pulled out a favor.