Seeds Volume 3

by M. M. Kin

  Seeds Volume 3 Copyright © 2013 by M.M. Kin

  ISBN-10 1492341614

  ISBN-13 978-1492341611

  All rights reserved

  ememkin@gmail.com

  Cover image and design © 2013 Moranyelie Osorio Morales

  All rights reserved

  mora.osorio@gmail.com

  This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or have been used in a fictitious manner and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Duplication in whole or any part of this book in print, photocopying, digitally, or any other form, is prohibited without written permission of the author.

  Making the book available for free distribution via torrent, file sharing, uploading/downloading, or any other electronic sharing format, or adding this book to any sort of electronic storage/retrieval archive is prohibited by the author. Please do not participate in or support electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support is appreciated by the author.

  SEEDS

  Volume Three

  M.M. Kin

  Books by M.M. Kin

  Seeds

  Volume One

  Volume Two

  Volume Three

  Interludes in Myth

  (To be released in 2014)

  and more!

  This has been a long journey, but well worth it. My heart goes out to Paige, Madame Thome, Elke, and last but most certainly not least Marit, who have been a cherished source of encouragement and inspiration. I would also like to thank everyone else who has given me encouragement or feedback when this book was still in progress. I could not have done it without your help and feedback, you have my undying gratitude.

  I would also like to thank Lani Rush, Sophia Luo (Sorelliena), Teresa Dec and Zele Jones for their feedback and editing help, and Moranyelie Osorio Morales for the incredible cover she designed for this book.

  I would like to thank everyone for reading and enjoying the previous books in this saga. I could not have done this without the support of my readers. Without further ado, the final installment of Seeds.

  ROOTS

  Chapter XXXIX

  Chapter XL

  Chapter XLI

  Chapter XLII

  Chapter XLIII

  Chapter XLIV

  Chapter XLV

  Chapter XLVI

  Chapter XLVII

  Chapter XLVIII

  Chapter XLIX

  FRUITAGE

  Chapter L

  Chapter LI

  Chapter LII

  Chapter LIII

  Chapter LIV

  Chapter LV

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Chapter XXXIX

  o0o

  With trembling fingers, Persephone brought her hand up to her lips, feeling the faint stickiness from the remnants of the pomegranate. She started to feel her throat constrict from anxiety, much as she had when she realized that her father was dead. Honestly, the two situations – as different as they were – had one thing in common; Death had taken her father from her, and now her freedom.

  No. No! It can't be! When she felt Hades's hand on her shoulder, she flinched away, her head snapping up to look at him with wide eyes that displayed a clear mixture of emotions – shock, hurt, and rapidly increasing anger. Hades's own face reflected surprise and perplexity when he noticed the sudden shift of emotion in her features.

  “Seph...” His voice was calm, masking the confusion he felt, and the slowly dawning realization that slipping her the seeds was something he probably – definitely – should not have done. The juice stood out against her pale skin like a bloodstain, and she let out a quiet whimper as she drew her hand from her lips, her gaze flicking down to her fingertips.

  Persephone couldn't breathe. It was as if an iron band had wrapped itself around her chest, and she felt light-headed. She opened her mouth to speak, but despite her best efforts, no words were uttered.

  “Seph.” She heard Hades say her name again – the nickname he used to show his affection for her. He dared to use that name after what he had done to her? How many seeds had she swallowed? She tried to remember. His fingers and lips had pressed seeds into her mouth... she remembered feeling something cool under her fingers... a larger hand entwining its fingers with her own as it guided her to touch whatever that thing had been... that sweet coolness that had been so refreshing after such a physically draining act. Her gaze flicked over to the offending fruit, seeing for the first time how most of its seeds were gone. It was a given that Hades had eaten most of it, but she was certain she had swallowed at least a dozen. Possibly – no, probably – more.

  Persephone didn't want to believe it. She had swallowed the seeds that had tempted her for so long. She remembered the crunching of seeds between her teeth, the savory tang of the jelly sliding past her tongue and down her throat... Hades whispering lovingly into her ear as he encouraged her to swallow the seeds that would seal her fate.

  Seal her fate. She was now forever bound to the Underworld.

  Hades glanced at her, still perplexed by her mixture of emotions. Surely she wouldn't be having second thoughts, not after the way she had enjoyed herself so passionately, and how she had been so eager to eat the seeds. His fingers were running along her arm, and he had been about to pull her into an embrace, to initiate more lovemaking. After all, his reserve of energy far exceeded that of even the most virile mortal male, and it would provide an enjoyable distraction for both of them. All she needed was to be reminded of what he could offer her... would give her.

  “Hades.” Usually, her tone was welcoming. Now, raw pain was clear in her voice. He did not notice the signs, not at first as she came to her realization; because his eyes were roving along her breasts as he reached for her. But when she said his name, Hades stopped, picking up the unmistakable undertones in her voice.

  “How could you?” With that, she started to wiggle away and climb out of bed. He reached for her, grabbing her with an expression on his face that was deceptively placid, as if nothing had happened.

  “I had to,” he merely said, trying to smooth things over, but that just made her more angry and offended. How could he try to calm her down? He knew what he had done!

  “You had to? You sneaked these seeds into my mouth! You... you used sex to play a trick on me!” She jerked away from him, grabbing the first thing she could find on the floor. It was his cloak, and she quickly wrapped it around herself, having no desire to bother with all the pins that held up her chiton.

  “You only used that cock of yours to get your seeds in me!” Her eyes blazed. Had she been in a happy mood, she would have laughed at her unintentional pun on the word 'seed'. Hades stared back. Used sex to play a trick on her? Sex had been something they both wanted. Hadn't she made her desire clear often enough? He frowned at her harsh accusation.

  “You gave yourself to me. We both remember the words that came from your pretty little mouth. I gave you what you wanted!” He moved closer to her as she scooted further away, and he had to pull himself out of bed.

  Even though part of him knew that what he had done was wrong, that she hadn't been fully conscious when he had offered her the seeds, he refused to feel guilty over it. What was done was done. He was confident in his power, but given how the situation on the surface world was nearing critical mass, he had felt it prudent to ensure that she was bound to him. He had simply done what needed to be done. That was all.

  But damn, he certainly hadn't expected her to be so pissed off. Given how close they had grown and the fact that she wanted to be with him, he had been certain that she would respond
to this more positively. Perhaps even appreciatively, now that she didn't have to worry about resisting the food of the dead. She had eaten, so the pressure was off. Shouldn't she be relieved with that, given how she had gazed hungrily at the food he had set before her on multiple occasions? He had done her a favor, damnit!

  When he reached for her again, she viciously slapped his hand away, and this caused him to feel hurt. After the way she had responded so eagerly to his touches, and lavished her own attentions on him, this was what she felt she had to do? Push him away? Hadn't she seen the hurt in his eyes whenever she refused to eat his food?

  “Just stay away from me,” she whispered fiercely, looking away from him. She had to get some message to the gods above. How? Hades would never permit it. Why would he? She had eaten the food of the dead.

  “You bastard.” Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned away, but the ornately-framed mirror on one wall revealed her tears all too clearly. As she turned away from her reflection, she caught a glimpse of his frown.

  “I am not a bastard. You need to understand! I need you so badly. Do you not see, Persephone?” he hissed, grabbing her shoulders. She jerked away from him with a yelp before placing her hands on his bare chest and shoving away sharply.

  “I told you to stay away from me! You have no right to decide where I will stay!”

  “Yes I do!” he growled, “You belong with me, Persephone. How can you say you would rather live with Demeter, treated like a child, never listened to or truly appreciated for the person you are?”

  “I belong to no one!” she shrieked back, choosing to not respond to the rest of his statement.

  The Lord of the Dead felt anger well up in his chest, though he struggled to contain it. He didn't want to yell at her. That would make things worse, but it was getting pretty hard to be civil, especially with how she was behaving. How could she be like this when she knew she belonged here? Why did she continue to deny it? What was it that made her respond well to his advances but refuse to eat the food of the dead – the food he and the other underworld deities ate every day!

  “I am leaving!” Persephone huffed and went to open the door to leave, only it would not open. She yanked on the handle and jerked it, and even tried pushing instead of pulling, but it would not open any way she tried it. She growled angrily and turned around to stare at him with fire in her eyes. Before, her eyes had been a pleasant myriad of colors – mostly warm green and blue – reflecting her happiness and pleasure. Now they glinted with a fierce orange-yellow, and Hades could almost swear he even saw flecks of red in them.

  “You bastard! Let me go! Let me out!” she yelled, and he stood up, towering over her and looking impressively intimidating, even scary despite his nakedness.

  She started to pound on his chest angrily, looking for some outlet for the rage she felt. How dare he trick her like that! He knew she was always somewhat dazed after sharing pleasure with him and had used that to his unfair advantage! She felt his essence leak between her legs since she was now standing up and moving around, and it only infuriated her even further.

  Persephone could do no real damage to him – they both knew that – but despite the fact, she continued to pound at his chest, shrieking and yelling obscenities that would have made Demeter faint if she heard them coming from her daughter's mouth. Hades did not do anything for several moments, but soon enough he scowled and grabbed her wrists, halting the blows. Of course, this did nothing to dampen the fires of her rage.

  “Stop!” he ordered sternly, but she kicked at his shins, refusing to be deterred as long as she could lash out at him in any way.

  “No! Let me go! You cannot keep me down here!” she screamed, clawing like a cat and kicking. Suddenly, she found herself bound by shadows all the way up to her nose, effectively muffling her shouts and stopping her from hitting or kicking. Her eyes blazed as she struggled against her shadowy binds.

  It was like a flexible full body cast, keeping her standing upright and rigid. She could not move, and the more she writhed and struggled against the bonds that would not give an inch, the more her body began to ache as the shadows squeezed more firmly.

  “Mnph! MPH!” She screamed into the shadows. Hades sighed, looking at her with a stern, reproachful expression. He did not want to bind her, but if she was going to carry on like this...

  He had been gentle with her before whenever she had asked to go to the surface or been defiant, but now he needed to be serious. She might be feeling hurt – and he genuinely regretted that. However, she had to understand that this hadn't been done out of any hatred. He saw how happy she was down here and knew she didn't belong in her old life. She belonged with him. The seeds he had fed her – seeds that he had imbued with bit of his Dark essence – would ensure that no other god could ever have power over her.

  Persephone writhed around angrily. The shadow bindings were flexible so she could wiggle like a worm. She tried to scream again, and glared at him as fiercely as she could. She tried spitting up the seeds, but of course that was to no avail.

  The flesh and juice around the little seeds had long since been swallowed, and the kernels wouldn't make a difference even if she spat them out. The point of the matter was, his essence was inside of her. She was bound to him and his world forever, whether or not she liked it. He glared back, matching her anger, and strode forward, putting his hands on her bound upper arms and looking down into her eyes.

  “Listen...” he growled, almost panting with anger, “I have done so much for you, Persephone. I have shown you a life so much better than the one you were living with Demeter. You have free reign of the Underworld, and Elysium, which is so much more beautiful than the little strip of land you were confined to above. You have no right to act this way, all I did was take the final step to bind you to me.”

  Persephone glowered at him, refusing to accept this... excuse. He hadn't asked her! She wanted to scream that he had made a decision for her, a choice she should have made herself.

  That rebellion, that defiance, was something Hades admired in her, but in this situation it was tiresome and he merely wanted her to understand. She may have made the decision herself in time, but when would that be? Months? Years? Aeons? He did not want her to live in the torment of a flavorless world, a world where one's stomach was constantly a null void, a reality of constant self-denial.

  For a god of the Underworld, eating the food of the dead was by no means any sort of death sentence as it was for a mortal soul or an Olympian. When she realized and understood that, then she'd be free.

  Persephone's struggle slowly ceased. She knew she couldn't fight the shadows. Her head hung limp, and she felt tears on her cheeks. Her eyes burned, and her body felt sore from the violent struggles against the shadows. Her limbs trembled, and if the shadows hadn't been holding her up, she would have collapsed.

  “Persephone...” he whispered, and she slowly looked up at him, cheeks shining wetly. A soft whimper issued from behind the shadows that covered her mouth.

  He brushed a hand along her lips, and the shadows seemed to melt off her head, joining the shadows that wrapped around her neck.

  “No...” she whispered, looking away as he caressed her cheek.

  “I love you,” he replied softly, his voice almost pleading. It even almost looked as if he might cry, and she squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring the pleading she saw in his gaze. She kept her eyes closed, determined to be angry. She couldn't let his pleas soften her heart. It was tempting to just give in, since Hades could be persuasive when he wanted to. She couldn't let him win!

  She shivered within her bindings as he continued to touch her face. As he did, the bindings began to relax around her body.

  “Persephone, please...”

  “Please what?” she asked stiffly, his light touch sending chills up and down her back. She opened her eyes to glance at him. He felt the moisture on her cheeks, and lifted his hand to taste her tears. This made her feel embarrassed, and she looked aside.
>
  “I want you to understand why I did this...” he said. She remained stubbornly silent. Hades let out a quiet exhale as he withdrew his hands, the shadows sliding from Persephone's body.

  The Queen of the Underworld slowly collapsed to her knees, leaning against the mirror as she looked up at Hades. Part of her was pleased that he seemed to actually feel so bad about what he did. If he had looked smug, acted victorious and triumphant, it would be easy to hate him forever. But as she knew already, Hades was just like any other male, having made his own mistakes and despite his regal demeanor. This mighty god had his own insecurities, however well he hid them.

  She had to admit, she was surprised that he actually seemed sorry about doing this to her. Of course, that didn't excuse him from what he did. But at least he wasn't rubbing it in with some sort of victorious declaration such as 'Now you're stuck with me forever!' or the like, which was what she might have expected after their months-long struggle over the food.

  What was she supposed to do now? Was she to never see Mother again? Or to confront the god who had sired her and so casually discarded her fate?

  She remained where she was for a while more, leaned against the mirror before she looked up. Hades had already settled into bed, watching her quietly. He looked morose, and she felt a tug at her heartstrings. She had to resist the urge to climb in bed with him and comfort him.

  No! I'm the injured party here, not him! She wrapped her arms around her knees after adjusting the fabric around her body more neatly and comfortably.

  “Come to bed. There is no point in you staying on the floor,” she heard Hades say.

  “No.”

  “Surely you prefer the comforts of our bed to the cold, hard floor.”

  “Leave me alone.”

  “Come now, love. You do not intend to spend the night there, do you?”