Drag Me Up

by RM Virtues

  “Not to me.”

  Demeter shoots up onto her feet, fists slamming against the table. “But to me! Do you forget where you came from, who gave you life, who gave you the means to be who you are in a world that would rather see you and women like you rot in the shadows! Is there no gratitude for me now, daughter, no-”

  “You tried to imprison me here!” Persephone suddenly shrieks, catching them all off guard. She’d never raised her voice at her mother, even at her most angriest. “You kept me from going to school, from doing what I loved, and I had to figure it out myself!”

  The ice in her mother’s eyes is impenetrable. “And is this how you figured it out? Falling into bed with the enemy? Are you-”

  “I did no such thing, and if you truly think so little of me, I don’t owe you an explanation—”

  “I am your mother!”

  “Then act like it!”

  The silence falls like a hammer, and then there is nothing but their heavy breathing and a tangible tension. Demeter stares at her, wide-eyed as though Persephone had slapped her across the face. Or as if she would have preferred Persephone had slapped her across the face. Either way, it takes Persephone only a moment to take it for what it is, an opportunity.

  “I had a dream for myself, one not tethered to you and your legacy, and you hated it. You hated the idea that I wouldn’t follow in your footsteps. Because that’s what it was all about, right? Why you paid for the hormones and the surgeries and the clothes. That’s what having a daughter meant to you, that you would have a carbon copy of yourself to take your place when you left this world instead of a son to overshadow you.”

  She only waits a second for an answer, and when it does not come, she continues.

  “But you don’t, Mama. You won’t. Now, you taught me a lot. You made me this strong, this brave, this bold. I am your daughter, but I am not you, nor will I ever be you. I am doing what I love, and Hades - that’s what he wants for me. He never demanded anything of me. I met him the night of my first show, and he supported me from the very moment I stepped on that stage. I’m not going to ask you to understand. I am not going to ask for your blessing. You can do what you want because either way, that is exactly what I am going to do. For me. You have your power here, and I have mine up in the air. And I will not cut myself down for you or anybody else.”

  She never breaks eye contact, and while Demeter doesn’t either, something shifts behind her catlike gaze. Persephone can’t decipher it for the life of her. She doesn’t know if it works for her or against her. All she knows is that her mother’s silence is as deafening as it has always been, and she has no clue what to do with it but claim it for her own.

  “Now, it’s late, and I’m tired, so all I ask of you is - if you’re not coming to Asphodel to watch me perform, I would appreciate it if you stayed away altogether.”

  Her eyes slowly turn to Adonis only for a moment before she turns on her heel and leaves the dining hall. In her peripheral, she catches the faintest smile on her aunt’s face.

  She’s just reached the entrance hall when she hears footsteps racing behind her, but she doesn’t stop.

  “So you’re with him now?” Adonis asks, his voice hollow.

  “I am,” Persephone returns without hesitation, her eyes set on the front door.

  “Why, Seph? I get why ‘Dite left, but you… We had it all.”

  “No, you had it all.” She turns at last if only to look him in the eye and tell him what he doesn’t want to hear. “There’s a reason you’re here alone with my mother, Adonis. You want a doll to play with, and I’m not the one or the two. I don’t fit in your box nor do I want to. That’s not gonna change.”

  “I would’ve given you anything.”

  She snorts. “I can get it all myself, as you can see. You knew that though, and you couldn’t stand the idea that I wasn’t some trophy wife you could show off like a new fucking sports car.”

  “I loved you, both of you. I still—”

  “And that wasn’t enough. You thought because of who we were, you could play house with us and we’d think ourselves lucky just to be loved because no one else would. You bet on that bullshit, and you lost. Let it go. We have, and I’ll tell you. I don’t miss a damn thing.”

  His jaw clenches. “He’ll hurt you.”

  She flashes a tired smile. “After what you’ve done to me tonight, and for the past few weeks, him hurting me is the last thing you should be worried about. I’d stay out of Asphodel, Adonis. I’m not telling you again.”

  Before he can conjure up another word, she pushes through the doors of her mother’s house, and this time, it feels far more like freedom.

  20

  Hades

  Hades manages to keep his nerves at bay until he’s stood in front of Persephone’s door, holding two coffees that suddenly seem pointless now. Despite a sleepless night, anxiety spikes like a shot of adrenaline through his system, keeping him upright and alert. He tells himself he’s here because he doesn’t like to leave things up in the air. He likes understanding. He likes finishing what he starts. He likes close-ended questions and clear, concise answers. He likes closure. Therefore, driving to Persephone’s apartment first thing in the morning seems to be the only option.

  Not that he doesn’t question the decision because of course he does. He doesn’t want to push limits and cross boundaries the way Zeus has. After all, Hades knows she left Asphodel of her own accord, and she hadn’t called or texted him since. Though maybe he’d come because - he doesn’t really expect for her to answer. Maybe he doesn’t expect for her to be here at all. It would make more sense that she would find sanctuary with Aphrodite in order to avoid both brothers, but... If she isn’t here, if she doesn’t answer, it becomes easier to confirm his suspicions and justify running back to being a myth, one created solely for the benefit of his brother.

  Hades can’t deny it. Last night had scared him as much as it had scared Zeus. Never had he spoken to his brother that way. Never had he put hands on him like that. He can count on one hand how many times Zeus has heard the word ‘no’, but not a single instance has involved Hades saying it. He’s a coward. He has no qualms about coming to terms with that, but that doesn’t change the facts. He doesn’t know who he is without Zeus, and so maybe he needs his brother as much as his brother needs him.

  It will be easier this way. That’s what he tells himself now. If he can’t keep his promise to Persephone, at least he can still keep his promise to his mother.

  He takes a deep breath and shifts both cups to one hand before he knocks on the blue-paneled wood. He waits patiently, counting out the seconds in his mind and focusing more on the numbers themselves than the time that passes. He knocks only once more, but once he hits triple digits again, he steels himself and prepares to retreat, setting the coffee down by the door. Before the cup touches the ground however, the door cracks open, wild curls and a sleepy gaze appearing above him. Persephone offers a bashful smile as he straightens awkwardly, and he tries to match it. He doubts he succeeds. She opens the door completely and steps aside to allow him entry, both of them looking at the floor instead of each other. He walks in, setting the coffees on the counter before he turns to her.

  “I’m sorry,” she croaks before he can start. “For not calling or texting or - trying to explain.”

  Hope constricts around his heart, but he doesn’t acknowledge it. He remains true to his nature, which ensures that he can suppress and solve and afford nothing to the emotions incited.

  “You don’t need to worry, Persephone,” he assures her. “You had every right to change your mind about us. I only came here to clear the air so that you don’t have to stress about coming into the casino. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. You’ll still be protected there, very much welcome, and I-”

  “Hades, hold on,” she says, holding up a hand as she rubs her eyes with the other. “Wait. That’s - that isn’t what happened. My mother - She sent Adonis to get me, and I di
dn’t want him, or her, causing a scene. So I went. I would’ve called you on my way there, but he had my purse and my phone, and - I should’ve made time. Or gone back to the casino after, but I was just exhausted by then, and I didn’t want to talk about it or have you worrying too. I figured I’d just come to you when I woke up. I’m sorry.”

  He halts, blinking several times before he refocuses on her. Well, that… It seems too easy, doesn’t it? Things are never that easy for him, and her not changing her mind makes much less sense. Whether because of Zeus or because of him, he’d been willing to bet on it. He’d — well, he’d underestimated her.

  “But - I saw you leave the casino alone,” he manages.

  He’s almost ashamed to admit that he looked for her on the cameras, but she smiles as though she’d expected him to. Her next words confirm it.

  “That’s why I told him to let me drive myself. I knew if you saw them pushing me out, you would have come running, and I didn’t want that trouble for you. I figured I could just talk to my mom and be done with it.”

  He squints at the sky, raising his hands. “—She couldn’t just call?”

  Her smile turns sly. “She has been. I haven’t been answering or - wanting to talk to her because I knew what she would say. She figured this was the easiest way to get me to go to her, and I guess she was right. In a way.”

  “Oh.” He’s still processing.

  “I told her about you, about us.”

  That’s going to take him a moment. He leans back against the counter, bracing both hands on its edge, tongue poking out of one side of his mouth. He doesn’t miss the way she tilts her head, those gorgeous curls following the movement as her lips curve upward. She picks up the coffee with her name on it and drinks as she watches him. Finally, he inhales deeply.

  “You told her about us?” is all he can come up with.

  “Mhmm,” she hums against the lid of her cup. “And my auntie. And - my ex too, but I don’t think that matters too much in the long run.”

  “Adonis.” Another tidbit he’d managed to pull from the Harvest District gossip mines like a scarf from a hat. “I gotta say I’m surprised she’d send him.”

  “That’s why she did it. She knew I wouldn’t expect it either, but he’s apparently been watching me for some time. Zeus wasn’t the only one keeping tabs on who I was having drinks with. But I did tell him he’d stay far away from Asphodel if he knew what was good for him.”

  “Oh?”

  Her eyes flash, and her voice lowers. “My boyfriend is kind of a legend around these parts. I wouldn’t come looking for trouble with him if I were - well, anyone.”

  The title triggers a feeling Hades can’t quite put a name to. It flutters in his stomach and makes him puff out his chest a bit, to his shocked horror. He clears his throat and rubs the back of his neck.

  “And - what did she say? Your mother.”

  “Actually, she didn’t say anything, and I know my mother. That’s probably the best possible response she could have had.”

  “And if she does something?”

  “What is she gonna do? She’s protective, not stupid. This whole thing is bigger than her daughter dating when she’s dating the leader of the Underworld.”

  “But I doubt she would care too much if you were dating anyone else.”

  “You’re probably right, but facts are facts. When it comes to revenge, my mama goes big or goes home, and she knows she can’t go big here. Coming for you would be an act of war. She isn’t gonna put her district at risk. You have the largest district in the city, and she has your brothers on either side of you. There’s no gambling with that, not if you wanna win.”

  “I would never—”

  “I know that. Doesn’t mean she does, and I’d rather use that to our advantage, at least for now. Once she calms down, that might change, but I doubt it. She really does not like you.”

  He snorts. “Tell me about it.”

  “Do you even know why?”

  “Not a clue.”

  “In that case, I figure it’s before both our times.”

  He shrugs. “It must be, because I don’t know what I’ve done to warrant that kind of hatred from her. She’s never been shy about it though. I mean, I’d never even laid eyes on you when you lived in her house, and I doubt it was merely coincidental.”

  She places a hand on his chest, and he breathes out on impact. It does soothe him, the idea of an unspoken truce in place of Demeter’s blessing. Demeter is a far bigger threat than Zeus could ever be on his own. He may throw his tantrums and do something foolish for Hades to tend to in the next week, but beyond that, there’s little else he can realistically accomplish, king or not. If Hades thought otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so - civil last night.

  “Then I suppose we’re in the clear,” he sighs, placing his hand over hers.

  “Yeah?” she asks. “What about Zeus?”

  “I told him.” He pauses. “Well, not outright, but I doubt he’d believe anything else after what I said to him. Or did to him.”

  She raises a brow before her lips curl into a grin. “Ooh, put your foot down, did you?”

  “I did.” A soft chuckle leaves his lips. It feels - good. “I’m not saying he won’t blow up your phone-”

  “Oh, he has.”

  Hades glares at the floor. “By the Fates.”

  “Hey. What did I tell you? He isn’t your responsibility.”

  “But he is, Seph.”

  He looks into her eyes, his own alight, and he has no choice but to accept the facts he’d tried to deny standing outside her door. Whether they pursue this or not, his dynamic with Zeus has changed, and not for the last time. It has to evolve. If nothing else, this has been a wake up call, one that his friends have been trying to give him for years, and he can ignore it no longer. He shouldn’t have had to fall for her to realize the damage he was doing, the damage he was allowing to be done. Now he has to clean up not only Zeus’s mess but his own. Maybe he has no clue who he is without his unfailing loyalty, but if he keeps hiding behind it, people are going to get hurt.

  “Men like him are my responsibility because men like me are the ones who enable them,” he sighs. “All this time, I let him believe it was okay to treat people like they were only there for his amusement, like they were expendable. Every woman he takes an interest in, every child he’s conceived and turned his back on, every person he’s betrayed and stepped on, I never called him out on it, and now it comes naturally to him. And yes, you and every other woman he’s accosted should be able to say something and be heard, but that will never happen unless I call him out on his bullshit. Because he doesn’t see you as his equal. That is the issue.”

  She pats his chest again. “I get that, and I’m all for you calling him on it, but I need you to remember he’s a grown ass man. If you can’t change him, it’s not up to you to hold his hand until he gets it together. It will kill you, Hades, and I’m not cosigning that. I’ve learned to love my mama from a distance because I know I have to have boundaries. If I don’t, she will drain me of everything I am. Don’t let Zeus do it to you. He’s already taken enough.”

  He chuckles in spite of himself. “How are you so calm when he’s blowing up your phone and shit?”

  “Oh, I blocked his number right before you got here.”

  He rolls his eyes before reaching up to cup her cheek, her hands moving up along his torso to hang from his shoulders. His sheets had been so cold the night before. To feel her warmth again, to breathe her in, it feels like a revival, a resuscitation. He doesn’t know how he could have ever thought he would be able to just walk away from her. If she stops touching him right now, he might disintegrate.

  “And if he shows up here?” His voice is as tender as his touch.

  “I’m barely here anyway.”

  “But you come here to rest. That will be very difficult to do if he’s banging down the door at all hours.” He pauses a moment before his face softens. “Will you stil
l consider it? Staying with me? If not, I understand, but I’ll insist on either getting you a room at the casino or making it easier for you to get to and from Aphrodite’s each night. My driver would probably be grateful to spend more time actually driving.”

  “You don’t think we’re moving too fast, moving in together?”

  He shrugs. “I think we’re two levelheaded adults who can figure it out together. There’s more than enough room for both of us to have our space if we need it, and if it doesn’t work, we can make other arrangements. But you’ll be closer to work, and I’ll make sure you’re getting quality sleep. As will I.”

  She glances up at him. “And how do you intend to do that?”

  He grins at last. “I’ll wear you out every night.”

  “Mm, I think I’m gonna need a demonstration before I commit to anything.”

  “How much time you got right now?”

  She glances down at her wrist where his watch is still secured. “A couple hours.”

  “I think I can work with that.”

  “Yeah, but will my legs be working by the end of it?”

  “For the most part.”

  She pushes her lower lip out though a smile lingers just beneath the surface. “So… you ain’t mad at me for ghosting you?”

  He’s about to assure her he isn’t when he finds he has a better idea. “Oh, I never said I wasn’t mad at you.”

  He slips into the role with ease, taking what opportunity she offers him as she gives him a questioning look. He drops his hands from her entirely, a mask of stoicism sliding into place across his features. He wants her, and he wants her bad, but he thinks he has just enough patience to drag it out a bit longer.

  “Put your hands on the counter, Persephone.”

  She doesn’t obey right away, frozen where she stands. No, she watches him remove his jacket and roll up his sleeves before turning around and pressing her palms into the countertop. He simply takes her in for a time, allowing the anticipation to build for them both. Then he steps up behind her, chest pressed to her back so that he can feel the shuddering breath she releases.