by Melody Rose
“No,” I whispered. “Nothing happened. I just…”
I trailed off. I wasn’t sure why I was feeling so gloomy all of a sudden. It wasn’t as though we had spoken to one another. We had simply made eye contact from across the room. So why did I feel so empty now? I sighed, trying to shake off the feeling.
“Sephie?” Artemis muttered. I looked up at my friend and smiled reassuringly.
“I’m fine. I’m just drunk. Did you find your dad?”
“Yeah, but he was in a mood for some reason. I didn’t bother asking why. My dad and my brother can both be a little melodramatic for no reason. We still have a little bit of time before the magic in your room ends. Do you want to stay here and party a little longer, or do you want me to take you home?”
I thought for a moment. If I stayed, there was a possibility that I could run into that mysterious man again. On the other hand, if I stayed too long and the enchantment on the handmaid wore off while I was still here, then my mother would lose her mind. I chewed on my lip for a minute.
“Sephie, I need to know what you wanna do, babe.” Artemis pressed. I took a deep breath and composed myself, smiling brightly once again. Artemis smiled back, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “So, I take it you wanna party hardy?”
“Absolutely. Like you said, we still have a little bit of time. I might as well make the most of tonight just in case, right?”
Artemis nodded and hugged me tightly. “That’s what I like to hear, girl! Let’s go, my lady. I believe I owe you a dance.”
4
Hades
I know I should have gone back to the underworld. I told myself I was leaving. My brother had just ruined my evening, and I needed to go home and recharge my internal batteries before I went on a rampage. And I would have done just that… if I hadn’t seen her. I let out a breath that I wasn’t aware I had been holding. Here I was, creeping through the shadows of the club, watching the alluring young woman from a distance like a weirdo.
It felt wrong and slightly creepy, but I couldn’t bring myself to take my eyes off of the beautiful young woman wandering the club. She looked lost and confused as she walked quickly from the dance floor of the club to the entrance, then gazed back out onto the dance floor, scanning the crowd like a hawk. Was she looking for me?
My stomach fluttered with the thought.
Shortly after I had locked eyes with the young goddess, my fight-or-flight response had kicked in, and I had flashed out of her sight before I could embarrass myself. I know it was stupid and that I should have just said hello, but the curiosity and excitement that I felt after our eyes met had terrified me. What was this feeling? I hadn’t felt that way moments earlier with Atropos. And I damn sure had never felt it any other time with any other woman.
Did you just get a crush? my subconscious teased. I shook the thoughts away. No, no, no, no, no, and, oh yeah, no. Impossible!
And yet…
As she made her way back towards the bar, I followed her footsteps. Luckily for me, I had been hiding on the other side of the club, concealed within the shadows of the alcoves in the back. While she couldn’t see me, I had a perfect view of her. Her long hair trailed behind her as she moved, and when she walked, she had the slightest bounce to her step, almost as if she was skipping. It was hypnotizing.
Once she reached the bar, I saw Zeus’ daughter, Artemis, join her. Artemis placed a hand on the young goddess’s shoulder with a look of concern, which elicited a surprising feeling of concern of my own.
Part of me was desperate to get closer to the two goddesses just so I could hear the sound of her voice as Artemis appeared to console her friend. I forced my thoughts back, feeling not only incredibly foolish but also incredibly stupid. Even if I went and said anything to her, what was to stop her from running from me once she learned who I was just like all the others had? What if she was just as self-centered as all the other goddesses?
I turned my back to her and ran a hand through my hair.
You are so stupid, I snarled at myself. What is wrong with you? Just go over and talk to her. The most that could happen is that she’s an airhead, or she runs, right?
Did I dare?
I took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and middle finger to gather my wits about me. Stop being such a coward and just do it already, dumbass. I nodded to myself, squaring my shoulders with resolve as I mentally steeled myself for rejection. When I spun around to make my way over to the young beauty, I froze. Standing behind me with a neon green martini in his left hand was Eros, the son of Aphrodite.
Oh, come on. Not another one.
“Uncle Hades? Is that you?” Eros asked, squinting his magenta eyes with curiosity. “What’s it been, like, a thousand years or something like that?”
“Hey, Cupid. Nice to see you too,” I replied, peering over his crown of golden curls to keep an eye on the mystery goddess. Eros scowled and snorted through his nose distastefully.
“Oh, Gods! Please never call me that again. You know I hate it. What are you doing here all on your lonesome, Uncle H?” Eros took a sip of his drink, keeping his gaze fixed on mine until I made eye contact with him.
Eros was a short little man with a mop of unruly golden curls and swirling magenta eyes that glittered with mischief. Unlike his mother, Aphrodite, Eros was quite unsightly with his protruding belly and a hooked nose. While the mortal myth of Eros appearing as a cute little cherub with small silver-lined wings was the popular belief, the reality was almost a slap to the face. Thinking of it now, it was truly astounding to me that the Goddess of Love and Beauty could make such a horrifyingly ugly son.
Hephaestus and I used to joke about his unfortunate looks often just to pass the time.
Tonight, Eros had traded his usual cream-colored chiton for a haphazardly buttoned white shirt with questionably stained khakis. In place of his golden bow and arrows, he held a martini. Despite my attempts at subtlety, my facial expression was that of pure mortification. The boy was a mess.
“Yeah, something like that. Is there something you needed?” I asked, trying to keep the young woman in my sights. Eros downed his drink in one gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his left hand.
“Nah,” he said with a shrug, “I just saw you and figured I’d come to say hi. I thought you were all ‘holier than thou’ or something for not coming to see any of us. It’s weird to see you topside.”
“Trust me. It’s not like I was really given too much of a choice to be here,” I muttered with irritation. Across the club, Artemis now smiled as she led the young goddess back on to the dance floor. My body made a move to follow, but Eros blocked the way, his brow raised speculatively.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, following my gaze towards the floor.
“I’m just a little busy,” I answered in a huff. “Can we pick this up some other time?”
Eros continued to follow my exact line of sight until he said, “Ah. I see now.”
“You see what exactly?” I asked as I looked down at Eros, narrowing my eyes at the chubby god.
“Persephone,” he replied matter-of-factly. My heart suddenly skipped a beat at the sound of her name as my gaze involuntarily fell on her as she danced with Artemis.
Persephone, my subconscious crooned. I felt a delicious shiver run down my spine. Now that I knew her name, I needed to know more about her. If I could just get past my annoying little nephew, I could finally go over and introduce myself to Persephone. But who was she exactly? Clearly, Eros knew her, and so did Artemis. So how was it that I seemed to be one of the few who didn’t?
“You know her?” I asked, trying to seem nonchalant.
Eros nodded and turned back to me with a “who doesn’t?” look on his face.
“Oh, yeah. I mean, I’ve heard of her from Artie mostly, but this is the first time I’ve actually seen her. She’s pretty hot, right?” Eros said as he manifested a new martini into his fat, greasy little hand.
My curiosity was piqued now. How could this be the first time he’d seen her? Why was Artemis the only one who knew of her?
One question at a time! I mentally chastised myself.
“I’m not following,” I said, trying to ignore his comment to the best of my ability. “How is this the first time you’ve seen her? Doesn’t she live on Mount Olympus with the rest of you?”
“I mean, yeah.” Eros shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. “But her mom… you know, Demeter?... is, like, super strict or something. Never lets her out to mingle or anything. Artemis snuck her out just so she could see what it’s like outside of her house for once. I’m thinking of trying to get a piece of that before she’s gone. Think she’ll let me hit that?”
This time, I couldn’t hide my revulsion. I glared down at the little bastard, forcing my hands into my pockets before I rang his fat little neck. This little shit was just as aggravating as Zeus. What an unfortunate family trait to have. One of these days, his mouth was going to get him killed.
“I sincerely doubt it,” I hissed, losing grip on my temper.
“Well, if anything, I could just slip her a bit of the ol’ razzle-dazzle, right? One shot of my love arrow, and she’ll just spread like butter,” Eros said as he made a parting gesture with his hands, seemingly oblivious to my growing rage.
I took a step towards Eros until I loomed over him, letting my fury radiate into his personal space until he began to cower before me like the little rat he was. He glanced up at me, masking his fear behind a smug little smile.
“You should learn to have some respect, Cupid. I’m pretty sure your mommy taught you to have some basic manners at the very least, didn’t she?” I snarled.
Eros polished off his second drink before throwing his head back and laughing.
“Chill out, Uncle Hades. It was just a joke. I wouldn’t do that to her. Jeez… I guess all that time in the underworld has literally killed your funny bone, huh?” As Eros continued to laugh, he manifested two martinis into his hands: one green and the other gold. He handed me the gold drink and flashed me a lop-sided grin. “Here, Uncle Hades, you clearly need to loosen up a little. All work and no play makes you a very irritable god.”
I took the drink from his hand, purposely squeezing his fat little fingers as I did so. From behind his smile, I could see him swallowing nervously, his gaze expectant. I eyed the drink for a moment.
“What’s this?” I asked, feeling suddenly suspicious. Eros shrugged lightheartedly.
“A peace offering. Hope you like peach,” he replied. He raised his own glass to his lips and winked. “Bottom’s up!”
As he swallowed his drink in a single gulp, I sighed. Perhaps I was a bit too harsh. I was starting to feel like perhaps Eros had been right. I had been locked in the underworld for so long that I had somehow lost the ability to socialize completely. If it wasn’t for my disdain for my brothers, I’d probably be out in the world more.
Besides, the more I looked at Eros, the more I realized he was just an idiot. He had always been a little troublemaker. While it irritated me to my very core, I should have known that he was going to push my buttons to irritate me after not seeing my face for so long. I rolled my eyes. What the hell, right? I needed to learn to live a little.
“Bottom’s up.” I followed, downing the drink in one go. When I looked up again, I caught sight of Persephone. Good grief, that woman was unbelievably beautiful. On the dance floor, she and Artemis were both failing at learning how to twerk from a group of young human women who had joined them. My lips turned up in a smile of their own accord.
She really sucks at that. I chuckled to myself. Finally, though, the song ended, and the women said their goodbye’s. I watched as Artemis wrapped one long slender arm around Persephone’s shoulder and said something to her over the next song before they both started to walk towards where Eros and I were standing.
Eros, his gaze shifting between me and Persephone, cleared his throat. “You feeling okay?”
“Yes,” I replied breathlessly.
As Persephone neared us, heat crept up my neck. Suddenly, my body felt as though I had been shocked by one of Zeus’ lightning bolts. I took a step away from Eros as I tried to slip further into the dark confines of the alcove. Every part of my body was now wide with every new step Persephone took. I struggled to breathe.
I had never felt so alive before. This feeling was overwhelming, but also exciting. It was as though Persephone was the rain that had finally come to a land that had seen nothing but drought for several years.
I was that land. I was parched, and I needed a drink. I wanted to drown in Persephone.
Still smiling to himself, Eros shrugged his shoulders and left, no longer interested in harassing me at last. In the shadows, I waited expectantly as Persephone nearly reached me, the scent of her perfume finally wafting in my direction.
She smells like violets, my body hissed, growing tight with a sudden longing that I’d never felt in my entire life. But suddenly, she and Artemis were stopped as Apollo, Artemis’ twin brother, snuck up from behind and grabbed Persephone’s waist.
Apollo, unlike his crimson-haired sister, had short blond hair that was tied back into a low ponytail. His sun-kissed golden skin accentuated his royal blue eyes and his gleaming white smile. Laughing, he gave Persephone the lightest of tickles before wrapping an arm around his sister and whispering something in her ear. Persephone seemed unamused by this and took a small step away, her body language changing to one of discomfort.
Rage suddenly came to life in my chest. Seeing someone else touching Persephone filled me with an indescribable sense of jealousy. It was as though I had already laid claim to her, and I was out to kill anyone who dared to even speak to my woman. I blinked back the feeling.
What the hell was wrong with me? Was I going completely insane? I took a deep breath and watched as Artemis shoved her brother away from her with a glare. Apollo laughed and said something to Persephone quietly enough that I couldn’t hear him, even from his distance. I forced my gaze away.
I needed to stop this. I was getting myself worked up over absolutely nothing, and if I didn’t control my raging emotions, it was going to end up becoming a problem. She barely even knew I existed. So why, then, did I suddenly feel so protective of her already?
Just do yourself a favor and go home quickly, my subconscious warned.
Kicking myself, I took one last look at Persephone. I wanted to remember her beautiful face and her stunning green eyes. I wanted to memorize the curve of her lips and the scent of her perfume as it drifted slowly towards me with every small movement she made. When I was sure to have her ingrained in my mind, I lowered my gaze, clenched my jaw, and disappeared into the shadows to make my way back home.
5
Eros
As I left my Uncle Hades standing alone in the shadows, staring at Persephone as though she was a prime steak on the grill, I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. That miserable old man was such a buzzkill. There I was, enjoying myself to the fullest, drinking my apple martini, when I stumbled upon the brooding God of the Underworld. Ironically enough, Hades was looming in the shadows like a vampire stalking its prey.
Having not seen my uncle for quite some time, I had decided to say hello. I was hoping the two of us could catch up, but of course, Hades was still the strong and silent type. Not only that, but he was ignoring me completely. When I had found Hades moments earlier at the back of the club, he had his back to me and looked as though something was troubling him. Just as I was about to make my presence known, he turned around and stared at me with disbelief.
Or maybe it was disgust? I could never be sure with Hades.
I could tell his attention was elsewhere, but I was still hoping to get him to open up and talk to me. But, as always, Hades was a man of little words. His eyes were glued to something out on the dance floor. Curious, I had decided to try to follow his gaze. At first, I had seen nothing. But as I kept scanning the crowd f
or whatever the taciturn god was obsessing over, I finally found what I was looking for.
“Ah, I see,” I said after a while. Hades was gawking at the young daughter of Demeter, Persephone. And why wouldn’t he?
The young Goddess of Spring was dancing beside my cousin, Artemis. While both women were beautiful in their own right, Persephone was quite the little number. I swallowed at the sudden thirst I felt while watching her dance. Persephone was a small woman with long brown hair that fell in soft beach waves to a slim waist. She wore a tight-fitting glittering black dress that stopped just above two deliciously peach-colored thighs and black high-heeled knee-high black boots that stopped under her little pink knees.
I mentally peeled the dress back from her curvaceous thighs with a groan. What I wouldn’t give to bend that girl over my knee and spank that perfectly rounded little ass. I felt myself growing hard at the thought.
“You see what exactly?” I heard Hades say beside me, knocking me out of my daydream rather rudely.
“Persephone,” I replied, gesturing at Persephone with my drink. Hades fell silent, processing the information in uncomfortable silence.
I glanced back over to Persephone. Earlier in the evening, I had run into Artemis on the floor while she was searching the club for her father. The fiery-haired vixen had all but pounced on me as I left my mother and aunt Athena sitting at the far end of the bar.
“Hey, Eros!” she cooed, hugging me tightly. “Have you seen my Dad anywhere?”
“I saw him a second ago when I was with mom,” I replied, taking a sip of my martini. “Hey, why don’t you come dance with me? I’ve got a little pep in my step tonight, if you know what I mean?”
“I can’t,” Artemis said with a huff as she dropped her arms from my neck and placed her hands on her hips. “I left Apollo with Persephone, and I don’t trust him alone with her for very long.”