by Gina Carra
Instead of writing to Autumn, Persephone writes a letter to Hades, the Hades who will be left over after the lead arrow.
She hopes she’s making the right decision. She hopes they can get through this. She hopes they can hold onto this bizarre love they’ve found.
She hopes.
They kiss and they hope.
Persephone hides the letter under Hades’s pillow and they hope.
They hold each other, wrapped up in each other’s subconscious. Totally having lost where one starts and the other ends, just a blur of thoughts and emotions and love and hope.
They don’t sleep.
And then it’s morning.
And they can go back to Earth.
Earth
Persephone can feel the exact moment Hades gains the ability to travel between worlds. She’s not surprised that Hades hesitates.
Hades is looking her in the eye and Persephone can feel it all. She can feel that Hades believes this is the last time she’ll feel like this. This is the last time she’ll ever have Persephone in her bed just to hold her.
Persephone fights back all those feelings with her own. This is ending, but they’ll figure out a way to get it to work again. Her thoughts are filled with doubt and anxiety and it does nothing to quell either of their worries. Persephone takes a breath and speaks out loud. “We have to go up. Whether we use the arrow or not, Demeter’s going to want to see me. And I know you want to talk with Cue.”
Hades nods and sits up, gathering their clothes and getting dressed. Hades sits cross legged on the bed and Persephone catches on that she should too. Hades grasps Persephone’s forearms and Persephone does the same. Hades stares at Persephone long and hard before her eyes fall closed and Persephone watches her brow furrow in concentration.
And then they’re surrounded by sunlight.
Persephone can barely see as her eyes adjust, but she doesn’t need to see right now to feel the surge of power that courses through her as every flower on the earth links to her heart.
Hades breathes heavy at the feeling and Persephone’s eyes flutter open to look at her. Hades stares at Persephone with wonder. “Is this what you normally feel like?”
Persephone nods, a tear slipping from her eye as she smiles widely. “This is what my flowers feel like.”
Hades lets her fingers slide down Persephone’s arms to hold her hands. Her eyes fall shut again as she breathes in the feeling of Persephone’s power.
Persephone watches her with a fond smile.
She glances around and lets her emotions flow freely, flowers sprouting around them.
Hades opens her eyes curiously as lilacs[4] grow around them.
She looks Persephone in the eye with a knowing grin.
They sit in the field surrounded by a circle of lilacs. Hades gets on her knees to lean forward and capture Persephone’s lips.
Persephone tugs her playfully so Hades falls onto her chest and they fall backwards, lying in the grass kissing and laughing.
A voice clears somewhere above them and Persephone practically chokes.
She looks up from where she lies on her back, Hades on top of her, and meets Demeter’s frantic gaze.
Persephone offers him an embarrassed smile. “Demeter.”
Hades rolls off Persephone quickly and kneels in the grass, head bowed and very still. She doesn’t move or speak. Persephone continues smiling up at Demeter, but she wants to frown as she loses contact with Hades.
Persephone stands up quickly to hug Demeter, but hesitates at the negativity flowing out of him. She notices Hebe a few steps farther away, unwilling to break up the kiss they both witnessed.
Demeter stares at Persephone, looking her up and down, completely ignoring Hades. “Persephone.”
Persephone takes a half step forward, unsure what Demeter’s thinking. Part of her thinks she should just reach out and grab his hand, but that only works with Hades.
Before she can think of a second plan, Demeter’s wrapped around her. Demeter sighs deeply as he holds Persephone and Persephone buries her face in Demeter’s chest as she holds him tightly. Demeter’s voice is weak. “Don’t fucking do that ever again.”
Persephone considers joking and arguing that she didn’t have much choice, but it doesn’t feel like a very funny joke right now.
Demeter lets her go and turns his attention to Hades. Persephone can see the anger in Demeter’s eyes. “You—”
Persephone quickly steps between Hades and Demeter. “Don’t. She didn’t do this.”
Demeter ignores Persephone, looking behind her at Hades. “What did you do to her?”
Hades looks up then and her eyes are empty. She knows if she were to show the confusion and hurt she truly feels, Demeter would think she was lying. “I brought her back as soon as I could.”
Persephone turns as Hades’s words come out stilted and curt. Persephone holds out her hand to Hades to understand, but Hades just looks between Persephone and Demeter without moving.
Persephone kneels next to her and grabs her hand.
They both relax significantly as they make contact again.
Demeter stares at them curiously, glancing over at Hebe who shrugs as she walks closer.
Persephone tries to explain to Hades that she should feel comfortable and be herself, but Hades immediately shoots back her fear because she knows Demeter feels as though Hades took Persephone from him.
Persephone looks up at Hebe and smiles. She sends a pulse of emotion to Hades as she releases her hand to stand up and face Hebe who immediately runs at Persephone and hugs her tightly.
Persephone pretends to hate every second of it. “Ugh, you’re disgusting.”
Hebe hums, agreeing. “The grossest.” Persephone’s arms tighten around her.
Hades’s eyes soften ever so slightly, knowing how long Persephone has been longing to reunite with her friends.
Hebe pulls back, hand cupping Persephone’s jaw as Persephone pouts at the attention. “You’re okay, right?”
Persephone tsks, shoving her hand away. “I’m fine.”
Demeter’s still staring at Hades and Hades keeps her gaze down. She won’t run. She won’t leave Persephone yet, but she knows what Demeter thinks of her, she can see it in his soul.
Hades takes a second to glance up at the sun, partly to ask Helios to get Eros, partly to get a reference for how much time she has.
Hebe keeps her attention on Persephone despite her protests. She pushes Persephone to turn so she can fully examine her and make sure she’s okay. Persephone knows it’s pointless, but it’s Hebe’s way of checking on her so she tolerates it and spins.
Persephone keeps glancing at Demeter as Hebe pokes at her.
Hades doesn’t lift her head, just stays perfectly still and quiet.
Persephone frowns, addressing Hades. “Hades, you can stand.”
Hades doesn’t move at all.
Persephone glares at Demeter. “Kneel down.”
Demeter scoffs in surprise, looking at Persephone worriedly. “Why don’t you want to get away from her?”
Persephone kneels beside Hades, lacing their fingers together. She keeps her eyes on Demeter. “Kneel down.”
Hebe kneels down first in front of Hades and Persephone. Her eyes beg Demeter to play along until they can figure out what this is all about.
Demeter rolls his eyes as he gives in, kneeling by Hebe.
Persephone didn’t really think out what she was going to say to them. She’d been so focused on Hades these last few days.
She starts bluntly. “I don’t intend to leave her.”
Hades’s head whips up at that. As much as she can feel Persephone’s emotions, it shocks her to hear Persephone say that out loud to Demeter.
Violets[5] bloom around the four of them and Demeter feels his resolve weaken as he stares at one.
Demeter looks at Hades, cautious but curious.
Persephone squeezes Hades’s hand.
Hades looks up at Demet
er and bows her head. “It’s very nice to finally meet you.”
Demeter takes a breath and turns his attention back to Persephone. “You can understand my hesitance to trust her, can’t you?”
Persephone focuses on where her hand is interlaced with Hades’s. She uses her other hand to trace patterns onto the back of Hades’s hand. “Demeter, I love you and I respect your opinions. But I really don’t give a shit about whether you trust her or not.” She lifts her head to look Demeter in the eye. “It doesn’t change how I feel about her.”
Hades stares at Persephone, a pulse of desperate curiosity flowing between them. Persephone sends back her unguarded emotion and Hades is so overwhelmed by affection that her eyes flutter closed.
A tear forces its way out of Hades’s eyes and Persephone frowns as she turns her attention to Hades, lowering her voice. “Hey, I’m sorry. Was that too much?”
Hades shakes her head slowly. “I…don’t know what to say to them.”
Persephone laughs. “Just say whatever you’d say to me.”
Hades looks between the three people in front of her.
Persephone catches on to her confusion. “You’ve never been around this many people?”
Hades shakes her head minutely.
Demeter looks at Hebe to see how she’s reacting to all of this, but neither of them really know what to believe. Hebe has a weird look on her face every time she glances at Hades, but Persephone is a little too focused on appeasing Demeter to ask her about it right now.
Hades tries again. “I don’t meet a lot of people who take the time to listen to me. It’s…It’s very important to me to make a good impression on both of you since you’re both so important to Persephone. I don’t know what I can do since all of what I’m sure you’ve heard about me is so terrible. I—” She pauses, feeling like she’s talking too much. Persephone nods, pushing her on. “I can’t tell you that any of it is untrue, but I’d like to ask you to consider that you haven’t heard the whole story.”
Hebe nods. “Um, my—my wife has some strong feelings regarding you, but she doesn’t talk about it. I’ve felt for a long time that I don’t know the details of what happened well enough to form my own opinions.” She reaches out to casually rest her hand on Hades’s, but Hades yanks her hand away.
Hebe startles and Persephone jumps in to explain, “It’s her ability. She can read you if you touch her.”
Hebe’s eyes fall to Persephone’s hand, still laced with Hades’s. “So…right now? She…?”
Persephone nods slowly, eyes drifting to Demeter as she sees the rage build within him. “You’re saying she’s in your head right now, Persephone? And you expect us to fucking trust her?!”
“It goes both ways!” Persephone lifts their joined hands as Hades quietly watches all of them. “She can feel everything I feel, and I can feel everything she feels. She can’t hide anything from me.”
Demeter scoffs. “She’s still in your head. I can’t trust anything you say either.”
Wallflowers[6] burst around them. Persephone whines. “I don’t understand how you can’t trust me.”
“You’re not really acting like yourself! I find you rolling around making out with the god of death and then you tell me you trust her with your thoughts? The Persephone I know is guarded and quietly caring. You’ve never been this vocal about your feelings. It just feels like an act.”
Persephone feels like she’s been slapped.
Hades speaks up again as Persephone’s head drops in reaction to Demeter’s harsh words. “I think…I should leave you three to talk.” Hades’s eye catches on Helios and Eros waiting in the distance.
Demeter doesn’t look away from Persephone as he responds to Hades. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Hades relaxes her fingers to drop Persephone’s hand, but Persephone grips her hand tighter. She doesn’t say it, but Hades knows. They both feel incomplete when they’re not together. They’ve spent a month together and the idea of being apart feels like it’s going to unravel everything.
Hades gently tugs her hand out of Persephone’s. Her voice is a low mumble as her fingers skate over the back of Persephone’s hand. “It’s fine, you’re safe here. I need to talk with Eros. They need you and you need them. You’ve been stuck with me for a month, yeah?” Hades smiles somehow.
Persephone smiles in response, though she’s reluctant. “You’re not safe here.”
Hades scoffs. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
Hades stands and Persephone catches her hand one last time and looks her in the eye intensely. “If you so much as touch that fucking arrow while I’m not with you—”
Hades shakes her head.
Persephone feels her sincerity and lets go.
Hades takes a deep breath and walks away from the three of them. With Persephone’s presence gone from her mind, she feels a quiet rage build in her as she locks eyes with Eros.
Demeter watches Hades walk away. As soon as she’s out of earshot, Demeter lets out a loud sigh. “Are you in shock? Did she—Did she hurt you? Is that why you’re so—”
Persephone pinches the bridge of her nose. “She didn’t fucking hurt me. Did you or did you not read my letter about her taking me to see Autumn?”
Demeter shakes his head. “It sounds like a farce. A game to make you trust her. I’m still not convinced this isn’t some plot that she’s got Cue involved in.”
Persephone turns her attention to Hebe without speaking a word. Hebe nods. “I believe you, Seph.” Demeter glares at Hebe with betrayal in his eyes. Hebe shrugs as she resigns herself to her boyfriend’s wrath. “Demeter, you haven’t slept with Seph, okay? She’s not brainwashed.”
Demeter and Persephone both scrunch their noses at the thought of them sleeping together. Demeter glares. “What does sleeping with her have anything to do with this?”
Hebe shrugs. She points to herself “God of youth, right? Younger you are, the less you can hide between your thoughts and your actions. I know all of Persephone’s physical tells. Persephone sprouts flowers, for fuck’s sake.”
Demeter rolls his eyes. “Just ‘cause she’s honest about how she feels doesn’t mean Hades didn’t corrupt he—”
“I’m in love with her!” Persephone interrupts and almost immediately regrets saying it. Her voice lowers, embarrassed. “I know it sounds fucking crazy, okay? I know. But I’ve never—I know her. I know everything I need to know. She’s nothing like the stories say—”
“Not right now, but what about after the lead arrow?” Demeter stares Persephone in the eye, challenging her.
Willows[7] bloom around them. Persephone breaks eye contact with Demeter. “I intend to be there with her to help with the side effects.”
Demeter narrows his eyes. “You’re staying with her? Even after the arrow?”
“I can’t leave her like tha—”
“You’re leaving us?” The hurt in Hebe’s voice hits Persephone right in the chest.
Persephone goes quiet. “No. I just…I can’t leave her like that.”
Demeter shakes his head. “I won’t let you go down there with her like that—”
Persephone’s head snaps up. “What the hell do you know about what she’ll be like?”
“I talked with Cue, Megara, and Hercules.”
Persephone laughs. “Wow, Hercules. What a great, unprejudiced resource.”
Hebe interrupts, looking at Demeter, frustrated. “Just tell her!”
Demeter shoots a look back. “She doesn’t know and she still wants to go back. She doesn’t need to know right now.”
Persephone glances between them, voice monotone. “Tell me what.”
Demeter tries to play it off, “Persephone, I need you here. I need you to get distance from her before I can—”
“Tell me what, Hebe?”
Demeter shakes his head at Hebe. “Don’t.”
✽✽✽
Years of pain and emptiness fill Hades as her eyes land on Eros
. She should want to destroy him for this. She should want to throw him in the River Styx. But as if on autopilot, she finds herself pulling Eros into her chest and holding him there. “I fucking missed you, Cue.”
Eros presses their cheeks together and feels that familiar release of tension Hades gets when they used to touch after the golden arrow. Hades absorbs from Eros the feeling that she lost the memory of, relaxing as it comes back to her. Eros nearly sobs. “Hades, I was so worried you’d never be able to be yourself again.”
Helios stands back. He's not jealous, he understands.
Hades catches Helios’s eye as she holds Eros. She nods a greeting and Helios nods back. They never got that close, but as mutual friends of Eros, they trusted each other by default.
Hades pulls back from Eros, smirking at Helios. “He treating you right?”
Eros laughs. “Yeah, he is.”
Hades glances over to see Helios blushing. She laughs at them lightly. “Ah, cute.”
Hades can feel the joy radiating from Eros freely. She can feel how relieved Eros is to see Hades with happiness in her eyes again. Then she feels Eros sober and pull away.
They break contact and Hades gets worried.
Eros’s eyes glance around nervously. “Hades, there’s something you need to know.”
✽✽✽
“The arrow wasn’t random. You two are fated to be together.”
Persephone sits still for almost a full minute, trying to process what she just heard. “We’re…fated?”
Hebe nods as Demeter stares at Persephone with fear in his eyes. He loves Persephone and he wants her to be happy. It’s been excruciating to sit here and provoke her, but he needs to fully understand what’s happening and he needs to make sure Persephone’s not in danger.
She’s been gone a full month and here Persephone is, playing Hades’s guard dog. She hasn’t asked about how either he or Hebe have been. He knows they’ve been trading letters, but everything’s been so bizarre, and he’s scared to trust anything Persephone says right now.
He can’t be sure what happened down there for the last month.
Persephone swallows and says it again as if she’s testing it out. “Fated.” She runs her hands through her hair roughly. “What—What happens if we use the lead arrow? If we’re fated…would it—would I lose her? If she’s meant to be—” Persephone’s voice goes quiet. “If she’s meant to be mine?”