by S. E. Babin
And for awhile, Atropos appeared to be content, too.
She left me about half an hour later. We hadn't talked about much. Part of me felt like her visit was some sort of goodbye, the other part of me felt a little bit of hope. She wasn't normal by any means, and I wasn't sure we'd ever have the closeness Clotho and I did, but we'd turned a corner. We would be okay going forward. Even if she flashed those freaky teeth at me.
I stepped back inside and was greeted by a perky Persephone dressed to the nines.
She waved at me, her long, perfect hair bouncing and shiny. "You're up! Lots to do today! Let's go!"
I blinked at her. "Can I have another cup of coffee maybe?"
She frowned prettily. "Is it necessary?"
I stared at her. "It's always necessary. Plus Artie isn't even up. You're going to have to wait anyway."
"I'll go wake her up!" she announced and headed off to Artie's room.
I grinned an evil grin behind her back. "Oh, she'll be so excited to see you!"
I was totally lying.
Chapter 20
The first hint of discontent came with Persephone's startled yell and magic flying around the cabin.
"Ow. Damn! Fine! I'm SORRY!" yelled Persephone as she high-tailed it out of Artie’s room.
I bit my lip hard to swallow my grin and gave her an innocent expression as she walked back into the kitchen rubbing her burned arm. "Is she always like this?" she grumbled. "She needs to go to bed earlier."
"Gosh, no," I said innocently. "She's usually such an early riser."
I was again lying through my teeth.
"Don't go in there," she warned.
"Certainly not," I agreed and handed over a plate filled with eggs, bacon, and biscuits.
Hermes woke up shortly afterward, and before he'd even gotten a word out, I'd handed him a plate, too. I piled Artie's extra high with bacon and winked at her as she stumbled out of her room with a glare reserved especially for Persephone.
Hades was the last to wake up and strode out in the same clothes he wore last night. Those plaid pajamas and the t-shirt that shouldn't do funny things to my insides, but they did. What kind of Dark Lord wore human clothing like that?
I eyed him and piled on a few extra slices of bacon on his plate. He stared at it and sent me a dazzling grin. "I accept this pig's valiant sacrifice."
"Good," I said. "Make sure the chickens get a little credit, too."
He winked at me, turned around and I stared at his tight little rear end all the way as he walked over to the table. Loud throat clearing jerked me out of my reverie. Hermes was glaring at me, his face an angry red.
"You moved on," I mouthed, annoyed with him and his constant interference into my fun times.
He blinked first and then sent me a frosty glare. I waved a spatula at him, grabbed a plate for me and piled it high with breakfast.
Persephone was the chattiest breakfast guest we'd ever had, and I struggled to keep up with her constant observations about mundane things and all the events she'd planned for us today.
Artie finally broke in. "You can't possibly do all of that in an entire day unless you were high on crystal meth."
I snorted at Persephone's dismayed expression. "But we must! There are so many things to do before the wedding."
"Like tell Hamilton about the unborn child?"
Her face turned mulish. "Let me worry about that," she said, turning into the woman I'd met a few days ago.
Hades gave me a quelling glance. "Perhaps you should delay the wedding? Maybe just a week or so. Hamilton has been through quite the shock."
Persephone frowned at her former not-so husband. "I've explained everything the best I can and memory wiped the rest."
Hades choked on his egg, his expression appalled. "You memory wiped him?" he exclaimed.
"So?" she asked as if it had been no big deal. And normally, it wasn't. At least not when it involved us.
Apparently when the archangels messed around with a human, the process was different. Oh boy.
"He will remember everything about the person who stole his body. And nothing about the rest of us," said Hades.
She looked perplexed. "Okay?"
Hades stabbed his bacon. "And you do not think he will begin to question those large gaps in his memory?"
She opened her mouth, thought a minute then shut it. "Oh."
Hades shoved a piece of meat in his mouth and chewed violently. "It will eventually drive him insane. Those thoughts will be wiggling at the base of his brain itching to come out and they won't. All he'll see is an angel kidnapping him and he'll -"
I put a hand on his arm. "Hey," I said softly, "she didn't realize. None of us would have realized."
Persephone's brow furrowed. "How do you know so much about angels anyway?"
Silence fell over the room like a funeral shroud. Quiet, awkward, and tense.
Her gaze fell upon us. One by one. Confused. Accusing. Betrayed. "What are you not telling me?" she asked.
Hades' gaze shuttered. "I've had...dealings with them before."
"Dealings?" she sneered. "Oh, that's all?"
And suddenly it all made a horrible kind of sense. Persephone and Hades had been together for millennia. They'd known each other. Before he changed. I looked at both of them and their faces.
At one time those two had loved each other.
And it was most likely until his soul had merged with a fallen angel.
I stood abruptly, my fork and knife clattering against my plate. I quickly gathered everyone else's dirty dishes, placed them into the sink and acknowledged Persephone. "Please let me know when you're ready to go."
She nodded, but her eyes never strayed from Hades.
Artie followed behind me as I walked out and stayed with me as I walked into my room. As soon as she'd shut the door behind her, I let out the breath I'd been holding. "I'm a terrible person," I said.
She rolled her eyes at my dramatics. "I figured it out the same time you did. Hades did a terrible thing not telling her."
I shook my head. "But did he?" I wasn't sure. "Would she have accepted it? Would she have willingly fallen into line with the changes the soul bind wrought in him?"
She hooked a finger in the direction of the kitchen. "Well, it ended in that, so which way was better?"
I rubbed my face with my hands and grimaced as I realized they smelled like bacon. "I'm going to shower," was my answer to her.
She plopped down on the bed and grabbed the remote. "I'll be here. Netflixing and chilling." She sent me a winning grin and waggled the remote at me.
"Dork," I said and headed straight to the bathroom to try to scrub some sleep off me and figure out my swirling thoughts.
A soft knock on the door landed a few minutes after I'd dressed. Persephone stood there, her nose red from what I guessed was crying.
I was not going to get involved. It was none of my business.
"Ready?" I chirped.
Artie snorted and flipped off the television.
"Sure," she said, her voice dejected. She came in and made herself at home on my bed. "It's just that -"
And so the next thirty minutes were me and Artie reassuring her that Hades, in due time, would tell her what she wanted to know. I wasn't sure he ever would, especially since they were now free of each other. And if he were counseling me to keep my secret, I had no doubt he'd play his close to the vest.
Persephone wiped her nose on her sleeve and stood. "Lots to do today," she said with false bravado. “Let's go.”
Eight hours later I was sure I'd never hated anyone quite as much as I hated Persephone. True to her word, she replaced the teal dress. But the stand-in wasn't much better. It was perfect for a Tennessee wedding, I guessed. I wasn't exactly sure what Tennessee folks wore when others got married, but this white lacy confection had southern belle written all over it. It had a sweetheart neckline which didn't hide much of my ample cleavage. The waist nipped in and poofed out at my hips in a short
er ball-gown. Just short enough to show off the brown leather cowboy boots she was making me wear.
Artie didn't fare much better. Her dress was a purple lace confection, but she managed to snag white cowboy boots. When she walked out of the dressing room, her face stricken with horror, I couldn't help but snicker.
"You look awesome," I said in a thick, syrupy accent.
"I hate you," she whispered in the floor length mirror, but I wasn't sure whether she was talking to me or the dress.
Persephone walked out then, resplendent in a fitted white lace mermaid dress. Her skin shone a burnished gold and her blond hair fell beautifully down the side of one shoulder. She looked ready to get married right now.
Part of the perks of immortality, I supposed.
I, on the other hand, looked like I needed a tambourine and a strong dip-chewing man. Artie looked like she needed a guitar and a tall strong and handsome singing partner so they could croon about how their lovers did them wrong.
I whistled low. "You look gorgeous," I said to Persephone, and I meant it, even if I were a little bit jealous she got to look way prettier than we did. But I guess that was how it was supposed to go. Bridesmaids weren't supposed to outshine the brides. Though why she’d made me wear white, I wasn't quite sure.
I didn't want to examine that too much either.
Persephone twirled around, her smile wide and happy.
Artie sighed. "You do look beautiful," she said, grudgingly.
Persephone clapped her hands as she stared at us. "And look at you two! Positively fabulous."
"I wouldn't go that far," I mumbled under my breath. Artie elbowed me even as she choked down a laugh.
Persephone motioned for the woman to come over and pin us so our dresses could be altered. We stood there like obedient puppies for a few minutes until she finished, then slipped out of the dresses the best we could.
We collapsed in our seats and watched as Persephone haggled over the dresses and the alteration time.
"She looks more like she belongs here than you do," Artie observed.
"Yeah. She kind of does."
"Demeter is a Goddess of the Earth, Abs. Persephone likely grew up here." She sent me a side glance and a cheeky grin. "You just got here as soon as you could."
But I didn't laugh. I was too caught up in another thought. "You think Hades ever thought about living up here?" I asked her.
Artie fell silent for a moment. "I don't know, Abs. But if you read the lore, you know he was a favored child of God."
"And then he fell to Hell," I filled in.
"Sort of. He didn't bargain on Hades."
"So he's never spent real time on Earth. I get that." And I could tell each time he came that he was unfamiliar with a lot of our food and customs. But he shrugged it off like a champ and got by with no issues.
"Why are you asking a question like that?" Artie asked, her bright violet eyes concerned. But it only took her a moment. "Abs." She pinched the space between her brows. "Oh, friend. I kidded with you about him. I know I did, but are you really feeling something for him?"
I shrugged. "It's terrible timing. Considering I'm supposed to die."
"Well," Artie said, logical as usual, "did you ever think maybe he would have a hand in it?"
I sat up straight and peered at her to see if she were serious. From the solemnity of her gaze, she was.
I leaned back heavily and frowned. "He wouldn't hurt me."
Artie raised a hand. "I didn't mean that. I meant in the crossfire. We got caught up in something way over our head this time. I'm not even sure why we're here."
I pointed at Persephone. "Because she's a lonely girl who deserves a happy ending. She was delivered a raw deal."
Artie acknowledged my point with a nod. "You're right. She needs some friends."
I sighed. "Yeah. Don't we all?"
Several minutes later, Persephone settled the bill and walked out of the store with a smile on her face and a spring in her step. Then came the florist, and after that the cake baker who was appalled we needed one of her works of art in such a short time. Persephone fixed that without magic as I stared on in awe. When you needed to solve a problem with an uncooperative person on Earth, the answer appeared to always be a bundle of cash. Even though the baker still didn't look happy, the wad of cash she was holding mollified her a bit.
Persephone leaned in. "In four days, I can expect to have a three layer cake." She held up her fingers as she ticked each flavor off. "Lemon. Chocolate. White."
The baker nodded wearily.
"With icing made from butter, not shortening, correct?" Persephone could be really menacing when she spoke of cake.
The baker licked her lips and her eyes darted to the side.
I gasped. Trickery!
"Butter," Persephone growled. "Or no deal."
"Butter is expensive," the baker whined.
"Bad press is even more expensive," Persephone barked. "I can let it slip you were willing to take extra cash. Lots of it for me to get ahead of the crowd."
Anger sparked in the tired baker's face. "Fine," she agreed after a tense moment.
"Butter," Persephone hissed.
I took her and Artie's arm. "Oookay, let's sign the contract and go, please."
A few minutes later, the deal was struck, and Persephone again led us down the street to yet another place she needed to tick off her list.
And so it went. Over and over and over again until our feet were burning, and we were whining like kids who'd been left outside too long without any drinks.
But Persephone was a wedding master with no mercy and showed no quarry until the sun was beginning to slip back over the horizon into slumber.
"Good," she said finally. "How about a drink?"
"Yes," I croaked.
"Gods yes," Artie groaned.
She steered us into a Mexican restaurant just a couple of blocks down the road, and we collapsed in our booth, bone tired.
She speared us with a grin. "Wasn't today fun?!" she chirped, still full of cheer despite the ridiculously lengthy day we just had.
"Can I kill her first?" Artie mumbled.
Chapter 21
Four days later, we stood in front of Hermes and Hades, who were both valiantly trying not to burst into hysterical laughter at the sight of us. I wore the white lace. Artie wore the purple. Our cowboy boots were pristine and our boobs were hoisted nearly to our ears with the corsets Persephone insisted we wear.
And we did. Because we felt guilty.
But that wasn't the worst of it. She'd hired a makeup artist who came "highly recommended." After an hour apiece in her chair, we came out looking like Dolly Parton on speed. I could feel the thick layer of lipstick resting on my lips and ready to mutiny if I should, heaven forbid, pick up a glass and try to drink anything. But Artie was on an entirely different level. The artist cooed and made yum yum noises over her high cheekbones and darker tanned skin and put enough glitter on my friend that we could mail her and she'd explode in a riot of color on arrival.
We both looked ridiculous, and we'd been through some things over the centuries. This had to be the worst. But, we did it because we had a person who needed this day and who needed some people to share it with. And so I did my best to resist my urge to take a washcloth and scrub two layers of skin off my face, and Artie tried her best to stop scratching the areas where the itchy lace rested against her skin.
Today was shaping up to be super awesome.
On the other end of the spectrum were the two men who stood in front of me. Both got to wear normal black suits with gray ties and a spray of baby’s breath in their pockets. Their hair was well groomed and their shoes were shined. They both looked ridiculously handsome.
“I don’t see why you get to be normal and I have to look like a southern hot mess,” I said.
“You do know the old wives’ tale of not looking better than the bride, don’t you?” asked Hermes trying to restrain his grin.
“I
look like the love child of Dolly Parton and the joker,” I said.
Artie snorted at that and patted my hand. “Three more hours,” she said. “That’s all. Then we can burn these dresses.”
“I hear lace catches fire fast.”
“I’ll bring the kerosene,” my friend said.
We peered out of our dressing quarters only to see half the chapel had already been filled with the townspeople. Persephone may not have many friends, but Hamilton was well known. And even if people didn’t like him, none of them were willing to miss the wedding of the year. It wasn’t often the most eligible bachelor finally got serious enough to take a wife.
But I couldn’t help feeling like something was...off. Hamilton and Persephone appeared to be in love, that was true. But there was something forced about this entire thing, and there was a bad feeling I couldn’t deny.
Hades stepped over to us as Artie and I leaned back to shut the door. She trailed over to speak to Hermes about something, but Hades stayed, the smirk still resting on his face. Glad I could be so amusing. But he was an observant guy.
“Something bothers you,” he said.
I shrugged and had to scratch my arm as the lace rubbed against it. He pulled my hand away. “A few more hours. Then you can burn it.”
“I’ll never wear lace again.”
“Abby? Tell me what’s wrong.”
I shook my head. “I can’t explain it. There’s a tightness in my lungs and a feeling of dread I can’t stop. Something is going to go wrong today. I can feel it.”
His brow furrowed in concern as he opened the door back up to study the growing crowd. “They’re all human,” he observed. “None of them can do much damage.”
“Yeah,” I said, though his words failed to comfort me. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s nothing.”
He shut the door and leaned against it to study me curiously. “Or maybe it’s something. Perhaps we should ward the church.”