by RM Virtues
“Maybe you should talk to Hades about your problem too.”
“Aphrodite, I don’t know the man like that. We had one drink. Really like, half a drink.”
“I don’t mean talk to him like a friend. Talk to him like the man holding Zeus’s leash. Maybe he can put him in a damn muzzle so you can get some peace. Think about it. He wouldn’t want the woman bringing in all this new money to be unable to concentrate on her work, would he? Besides, it’s an excuse to take back what you said about not making it a habit or whatever. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“What I want and what I need are two very different things. Besides, that’s the worst possible way to try and start talking to him again. ‘Hey, I know I said I don’t wanna see you again, but can you do me a favor and fight my battles for me? Thanks’.”
It’s Aphrodite’s turn to roll her eyes. “Alright, and what if you do start talking again? Naturally? You gonna tell him, or are you just gonna keep changing your number and hiding out here all the time until he finds out himself and it blows up in your face?”
“I’m not hiding out. I’m comfortable here, and - I can’t be changing my number anymore. I’m a professional now. People need to get in touch with me.”
“Alright, so my suggestion stands. Whether you start talking again or not, he’s your best option, Persephone. In all the ways it matters, Hades is the law in this city. Hephaestus, Achilles, Paris, every security provider in town, they all answer to him.”
“And he answers to Zeus. Look, I get your point, ‘Dite, and I know you believe he won’t turn on me to protect his brother, but of all the stories we’ve heard, one thing always stays the same. He works for Zeus. Who the fuck am I to disrupt that? Even if we do start talking again, Hades and I? It’s nothing. It’s always gonna be nothing.”
Aphrodite levels her with a pointed look. “If it’s nothing, then why are you so upset you haven’t seen him?”
Persephone pinches the bridge of her nose. “—Okay look, it doesn’t matter what it is or what it isn’t. I don’t have the time for this. I have to keep up with these shows and focus on what I can control. I can’t control Zeus, and I can’t control Hades. All I have is me.”
Aphrodite straightens now and rounds the corner, her face serious but softened. “All I’m saying is you don’t deserve to be harassed, not even by the king of Khaos Falls, and the only one who can step to him is Hades. It’s gonna be really hard focusing on anything if that man don’t leave you alone. You know men like that, Seph, men like our fathers. They get everything they want no matter what the cost is, and if they can’t get it one way, they’ll find another. I don’t want to know what that looks like for Zeus. Not with you or anyone else.”
Aphrodite kisses her forehead and wishes her good luck before heading out of the kitchen, leaving Persephone to sip her smoothie and mull over those words. Aphrodite is right. Persephone knows that Aphrodite is right, but so is she. Hades and Zeus are each their own brand of trouble, and she should be running the other way on both fronts. Despite that, her mind is far more occupied with the idea of speaking to Hades again than with getting rid of Zeus. Damn. She supposes there’s bound to be trouble either way, meaning there’s only one thing left to do.
Pick her poison.
5
Hades
Hades had been made aware of Zeus’s return the moment it occurred, but any ease that may have graced his mind was all but lost in a matter of minutes. He had expected a call from his brother within a few hours of the notification, but it never came. He still can’t decide which is worse, hearing from Zeus or not hearing from Zeus.
Tartarus had been on a red list lockdown for two weeks now. That not only means that no one from other districts is allowed in without explicit permission from Erebus and Nyx but also that nothing comes out. Tartarus specializes in security, mainly security for the coastal borders of all of Khaos Falls. This means the entire city is left vulnerable to outside threats without them watching the waterways. Tartarus guards the Olympus Port full-time, using it as a base for all naval operations. All they’d wanted was formal control of it to cut the costs being imposed upon them simply for being there. Zeus had not only denied them that. He had lied first. Their response is not simply swift. It is loud, and it is clear. For the first time since they had been pulled from power, Tartarus is rearing its head.
Considering they bordered Hades as the only other district on this side of the river, the whole situation makes him especially nervous. Erebus and Nyx are ruthless and always looking for a reason. Yet they are nothing compared to Coeus and Tethys. Coeus is vindictive and vengeful, and Tethys… Well, she is something else entirely. Unlike Hades, she never let her talents fade into gossip or ghost stories. She always made sure that Khaos Falls knew she was there, alive and well. And formidable.
Of course, none of this had occurred to Zeus when he haphazardly double crossed them. Now that he’s back, who knows what they’ll do.
“Anything?” Hades asks as Charon enters his office, face unreadable as always.
Charon doesn’t immediately answer. He takes a seat across from Hades, extracting a cigarette from his inner jacket pocket and lighting it. His silence is never silent. It surrounds Hades like humidity in the air, sweat-inducing and suffocating. The raven that spreads its wings across the front of his throat flexes as he holds the cigarette between his teeth.
“No movement in or out,” he at last reports. “Even for a red list, Tartarus is pretty quiet right now.”
“They’re always pretty quiet.”
“Then they’re very quiet. No deals, no trades, no activity at the port. I managed to get Achilles and some of his men down there to keep any smart guys in check, but he can’t patrol the water and the inner districts all at once. He isn’t equipped for that. No one is.”
“And the family? Tethys’s siblings?”
“No one’s seen any of them at their usual haunts in some time. They’re serious about this lockdown.”
Hades runs his hand over his head. “What about Nyx’s monthly symposium? They never cancel that.”
Charon shakes his head, smoke billowing from his lips. Hades knows it’s not tobacco. “Cancelled. Or it just didn’t happen. It’s a bit unclear. Either way, no one’s seen Tethys or Coeus or any of their siblings. You know Iapetos lives in the pleasure dens most days, and yet.”
“And yet.”
“My guess?” He ashes his cigarette in the tray before him. “If they do make a move, they’ll go to Demeter first. She’s the only viable ally they have, and she has access to the only other port apart from the Market District, so we’ll keep some eyes around there.”
And just like that, Hades is thinking about her again. Persephone. He’d been doing his best not to. He’s had so much going on, and while he’d failed to keep away completely, sneaking down to several shows in the past two weeks, he’s managed to make it out of the theatre without succumbing to the urge to wait for her. The threat of war has helped in that respect at least. He’s been forced to focus almost all of his energy on Zeus’s return and what Tartarus might do with it. Part of him, the part that sounds a whole lot like Hecate, wants to blow it off and let Zeus figure it out. However, Tartarus and everyone else knew that the best way to get to Zeus —if not the only way— was to rip the Underworld out from under him. Only then would he flail long enough to have his head separated from his body without a doubt. Hades knows this, meaning his district is not without enforcement, but he still feels obligated to worry. Hecate tells him often about how one day, all of those messes he’d cleaned up for his brother would come back to drown him. He wonders if that day has finally crested the horizon.
“Don’t,” Charon says, his voice suddenly stern.
“Don’t what?” Hades scoffs.
“Whatever you’re thinking of doing to try and fix this. You did your part. You hashed out the details with Medusa and gave Zeus your council. All he needed to do was sign a few papers. He ignored
that and backstabbed all of us. This isn’t your mistake to unmake, and even if it were, you can’t because they will never trust Zeus again. He’s finally shown his greed to the one district that will call it out, and there is no cleaning this up quietly. It will make us look complicit.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m already seen as complicit.”
“Not like this, not in a blatant act of betrayal against another district. Against Tartarus.”
“We are without security, and our district doesn’t have enough bodies to cover the loss. No district does. You just said so yourself.”
“ Zeus has put the whole city in danger for his own gain. He has to fix this, or else it can’t be fixed.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“Then when Tartarus comes to you, and they will come to you, you cooperate.”
“They’ll want him removed from power.”
Hades sits back in his chair, gripping the arms and pursing his lips. Charon stamps out his cigarette and mimics the position. He doesn’t say what Hades knows he’s thinking, but his eyes certainly do, and for once, Hades doesn’t bother to discount it. With every problem, the common factor is Zeus. Hades never makes problems for himself, never gets in anyone’s way, and never goes back on his word. More than that, he has always proven himself to be ten steps ahead of everyone else, and Zeus’s reign has always depended upon the belief that Hades is an impenetrable shield on his frontline. While a visit from the elder brother has always been seen as an omen, that visit is always well earned and never based in fabrication or falsity. He does nothing without proof, and every outcome is given proper justification. But there is no justifying Zeus’s actions here, meaning there will be no justifying any actions in defense of him. As of now, Hades’ hands are tied.
Cerberus pushes his nose underneath Hades’ hand, resting his chin in his lap, until the man comes out of his head and pets him. Instantly, both are soothed to some semblance of comfort. Hades considers going downstairs for a show tonight. It would do him some good to get out of the office, to keep from dwelling on this. However, he fears that if he goes, he’ll simply dwell on something else —or rather, someone else— for even longer. And far longer than is appropriate at the moment. While he may be unable to do anything proactive, he must be ready to do something reactive if it becomes necessary.
“Hecate and Thana?” he asks, looking up at Charon.
“Downstairs. He’s training a few new guys today, and she’s gotta sign off on deliveries.”
“Anything I should be aware of going on? In the casino, I mean.”
Charon raises a brow. “Not that I can think of.”
“You mind if I take the night off?”
He smiles. “Not in the slightest, brother.”
Hades looks away. “Flood the streets. Now that Zeus is back, I want to make sure we’re tuned into everything. Ask Heph if he can come in and see me tomorrow afternoon. Coeus isn’t stupid enough to buy directly from him, but he’ll know if Tartarus is stocking up anywhere.”
“Will do.” Charon stands now, turning towards the door. “Enjoy your evening, brother.”
“Will do,” Hades echoes.
Though by the time he decides whether or not he wants to go down to the Pantheon, the evening has escaped him completely. The show’s been on for an hour, and he knows it will end soon. Rather than try and catch the rest of it, he continues to sit at his desk, staring off into the distance until he can do so no longer. With a frustrated huff, he rises to look down at the casino floor. There’s a poker tournament going on in one of the larger rooms, and so the traffic in the main area is less dense than it would be later on. There remains enough activity to soothe Hades nonetheless. He watches patrons at a nearby table squint at their cards, sweat collecting on their brow, glancing around nervously. He can watch a poker game from beginning to end and never get bored, even with the most inexperienced of players. If anything, throwing a few of those in the boat is always entertaining. Although tonight, not even poker can shield him from all of his woes. Persephone had been clear that she didn’t want to spend more time with him, and yet it is all he can think about. It’s pathetic. He’s never wanted for anything, content in the way his day-to-day goes. In a single night, she throws a wrench in it, and he has no idea how to dig that wrench out. Worse than that, he isn’t sure he wants to. Maybe he likes denying himself a bit too much.
He decides it best to retire for the night before Charon comes back and gives him shit for not leaving, but as he moves away from the window, he just catches a glimpse of someone he’s never seen on the main floor. He nearly lunges for his radio on his desk before rushing back to the window. He brings it to his lips, his hand shaking. He gives the description, then he gives the order.
“Straight up to my office. Now.”
6
Persephone
Naturally, Zeus attends the show. Although he obviously doesn’t wish to be seen, at least not by Dio or anyone else with the misfortune of being related to him, Persephone catches him in the crowd with far too much ease. She thinks it might be her instinct, drawing her eyes up to the second floor balcony where he lingers at the edge of the aisle next to the wall. His street clothes and unshaven face don’t fool her, but part of her wishes they had. The other part of her is glad to have an advantage.
She doesn’t waste a second once the show ends. She doesn’t wash up or dress down or any of the normal things she would do on any other night. Instead, she rushes straight back to the dressing room, gathers her things, and scurries straight out of the theatre, throwing sloppy goodbyes over her shoulder. She then ducks inside one of the doors Hades had taken her through after that first show, which leads her into the service hallway. Hoping she can find a way up to and out through the casino, she tries to calm herself as she walks along the empty corridors. It’s much less comforting here without Hades beside her, but she bats that thought away the moment it registers in her mind. It’s become a common occurrence, batting thoughts of Hades away. She wishes she could go back to when she truly thought he wasn’t real.
These hallways are more maze than anything, but she’s dedicated to her escape, listening for the sounds she could associate with the casino. She does hear Elysium, but that’s the last place she wants to go, thinking it’s the first place Zeus would go looking for her when she didn’t come out of the dressing rooms. She imagines he wouldn’t get too close anyway, what with Dio down there, but truly, she doesn’t know what he’s capable of anymore. Aphrodite’s words still echo in her mind, and a chill runs down her spine.
At last, the sound of slot machines meets her ears, and she races towards it. She’s betting on the idea that Zeus would steer clear of the casino altogether if only to avoid Hades, but she really has to stop pretending she knows what either of these men will do. They didn’t put the city in a headlock with transparency. As of now though, taking into account both her conversation with the elder brother and the reaction of Zeus himself, Persephone is sold on the conclusion that Hades has no clue about Zeus’s interest in her. Seeing as Hades seems to know everything, it’s safe to say that Zeus had not only intentionally withheld that information from him but thoroughly hidden it, which may just work in her favor. For now.
She’s clutching her clothes tight to her chest as she hurries across the carpeted casino floor. She keeps her eyes straight ahead, only glancing at the marquee above to confirm she’s heading for an exit. There aren’t enough people up here to keep her from feeling exposed, but there are still enough to make her nervous. She keeps moving, dodging bodies left and right until she can make out the glass doors up ahead. Before she reaches them however, a man and a woman step in her path, effectively cutting it off and stopping her in her tracks.
“Excuse me?” she says, exasperated. “What’s the problem here?”
The woman gestures upward, and Persephone follows it with her eyes. “The owner wants to see you.”
Above them, Persephone can see a large, glass box wi
th tinted windows jutting out over the floor, and she imagines this is what the skybox in Elysium looks like from the ground. Of course his office is styled in the same way, offering him an eagle-eye view of all that goes on below. She’s willing to bet that he has a penthouse in the casino hotel with the same privilege. It certainly explains how he manages to see so much without being seen. This isn’t merely an architectural preference. This is a glimpse at the inner workings of his mind.
Before she truly has time to decipher how she feels about being summoned like this, she’s following the two guards up the stairs. She tries to think of what she wants to say to him, but none of the words form coherent sentences, and she struggles just to find a baseline. It’s only once she’s stepping inside of his office, leaving the guards at the door, that she decides she’s pissed. She ignores the fact that it’s geared more towards herself.
To start, he’s sitting there behind his desk looking absolutely flawless in a black suit and tie over a red dress shirt. It’s obvious he’s been lined up recently too, his hair trimmed and his beard tidy, but those eyes haven’t changed one bit. Again, they’re staring at her as though she’s something to be marveled at, and she wants to scream.
She also wants to dive into them headfirst.
“Are you kidding me?” she spits, clutching her belongings tighter. “I don’t hear from you for two weeks, and you think you can just summon me up to your office like I got caught smoking in the bathroom?”
He looks genuinely appalled, smile fading and mouth falling open as he flounders for something to say.
“—We - allow smoking in the bathroom.”
And how the hell is she supposed to remain mad at that? Still, she stands her ground, drawing herself up to her full height and giving him a potent glare, one she’d inherited straight from her mother. If he were anyone else, she’s certain he would wither to nothing beneath it. But no, he has to be fucking Hades.