"HAVE YOU SEEN HIM YET?"

Hermes frowned, brushing a speck of invisible dust off his spotless wing, whiter than snow. The burnish of his gilded helm shone ominously in the summer heat as he turned to the stained glass windows, peering out precariously.

"I have no visual."

"Patience, dear immortal," Apollo muttered under his breath. "I hear from Ares that Thanatos and his fragile ego have been badly wounded."

"It may take some time for him to emerge from that shady cesspit he calls home," I hissed under my breath - steadily brewing a heady, thick broth over the green tinged fire. "You must be patient, Hermes. I will not have you foil my carefully laid plans."

"What happened to Thanatos?" the winged messenger called out from his vantage point by the windows, spider like cracks weaving through the glass.

"Sisyphus tricked him and left him in handcuffs. For quite a bit of time," Apollo said. Coughing, he wiped a trickle of sweat as it made its way down his temple. "Damn it, Demeter. Can't you let us open the window an inch?"

"No," I snapped. "The wind blows too heavily today."

He sighed, turning back to run his finger down the tip of a sharp arrow.

"There is a message to be delivered," Hermes got up with a snort, eyes gleaming. "I will be back shortly." Even as I opened my mouth to protest, he opened the door wide, slamming it shut - but not before a gust of mighty wind rushed in like an impatient lover, eagerly gulping the oxygen in the room as some of the smoke went out.

I glared holes into his back.

"Your peasants will fight with us?" Apollo asked, latching the door shut, turning the lock with a detached click.

"Of course they will. Unless they'd like to see their families starve come winter," I crossed my arms, inhaling the sweet, pungent fumes hovering above the pot like an angry cloud.

Just a few drops of this, and my devoted humans would rise with unnatural strength to aid my quest against the devil who stole my life. Hunger was more dreadful than fear - leave a man to starve and he'd kill to fill his belly.

"I assume you will not go back on our deal," the god continued, bracing his arms on my worktable to look right into my eyes.

"Only if you make my plans go off without a hitch, Apollo. My promise stands. You help me get her back, and you get to wed her... when the time is right."

He only raised an eyebrow, nodding curtly before turning back. I rolled my eyes, inhaling a sharp breath before rolling up my sleeves, hair pulled up. Absentmindedly, I watched Apollo as he went back to keenly observing his weapon.

Men. So easy to fool.

I had no intention of letting anyone have her.

Imbecile that he was, Apollo was stupid enough to fall for it. My false, empty promises. As if I'd rescue my daughter from one monster to hand her over to another. By the time this was over, I'd have taken her and fled - fled so, so far away that no god of Olympus or their minions could find us even beyond the ends of the world.

"So we just wait here for Thanatos to show up catching spirits?"

"Oh, much more than that. We see where he goes. We see who he meets. We see when he goes back. And when the time is right, we follow him into the Underworld. Rosyln tells me that the hidden gates through the Cyane are accessible only to Hades - but there has to be an alternate entrance for others. How else do Hecate and Thanatos go about their tasks in Olympus?"

"Are you completely sure?" Apollo questioned, doubt still lingering in his eyes."It is dangerous."

"A great gift does not come without a great price," I looked back at him. "Or are you having cold feet?"

"I am not," he glared at me, considerably offended at my response.

"You only have to unlock a door," I added. "I will steal the key to Tartarus from Hades. You need only open the Gate when we find my daughter and are about to leave. And then," I grinned at him, "the darkness below the ground shall swallow them all."

The smile on his face matched mine. Like a cat grinning after lapping up a bowl of warm, delicious milk.

Only that he had no idea the milk was poisoned.

Someone knocked at the door, rapping their fists hard against the blessed iron. Annoyed, I shrugged my shoulders as Apollo flung the door open for Hermes, who took off his helmet with irritation written all over his face.

"I am done being a glorified messenger for the gods. You will elevate me to a better position after this is over, I hope?"

"Of course," I smiled sweetly at him. "After this is over."

Hermes seemed not to notice as he pulled off his boots, handing over a tightly bound scroll to me.

Frozen, I stared at the wax seal stamped on the paper.

Two crossed swords and a single rose.

The seal of Hades.

"Do you think one of these might have some answers?" I peeked above the huge stack of books to find Hecate wiping the dust off the cover of some dusty old tome.

She half closed her eyes, pressing the tips of her fingers together before flicking her hand to the towering pile of books. Instantly, the room was filled with thuds and clattering as the books flew in the air, before neatly falling into two piles. Impressed, I raised an eyebrow as she just shot me a devilish smirk.

"Try these first," she pointed to the first pile. "They're older. Might be useful. Try these later," she beckoned to the second stack. "The newer ones are usually full of bullshit."

I traced a finger over the gold embossed lettering on the first book. Ancient. It was positively ancient.

"Death, Transition and Spiritual Mastery," I read out the title. My gaze fell on the next one, even thicker than the first, nearly six inches high. "The Book of Shadows. Are these things even useful or do they just like using fancy names to confuse people?"

I heard her snort as she disappeared in between the books again.

Pondering over the huge mess on my desk, I lingered near the wall, reading the titles to see if something interesting caught my eye. It had been an awfully long morning with a sufficiently grumpy and disgruntled Hecate pulling out books for me from the deepest recesses of her precious library.

My powers were still new, relatively undiscovered and dangerous. It had been Hades who suggested that I consult those huge, ponderous tomes for some clue on how these things worked. He'd walked out with a laugh to let me deal with the Hecate as she chided me like a mother scolding a mischievous child for running around with her possessions.

"Do you really think they might help?"

"Hmm... let us see," her voice drifted to me from another corner of the chamber. "Ah!" she triumphantly held up a novel from somewhere near the cabinet. "I knew Hades was lying when he said he lost this!"

I sighed, shaking my head. Seeing her with her beloved scrolls and maps and stories was like watching a toddler having too many sweets.

"And... yes. Well, let us see," she mused, clasping the book shut and tucking it safely under her arm. "We know you can resurrect shades. Humans too, and animals. But what about more?" her face lit with delight. "Kings? Gods? Would such transactions of life and death require some unseen cost?"

"Would it ever be possible?" I whispered. "It seems far fetched."

"Ah," she tapped my nose. "That, my child, is why you will read these. All of them. The best gems from my library."

"I cannot fathom. It would take me such a long time to get through all of them."

"It might need continuous reading, yes," she murmured, lips pursed. "You will have to persist day and night. Though I suppose the nights are out of question. You have been fairly busy those nights, haven't you?"

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

"Hmm," she observed my face carefully like I was one of the herbs in her tender garden. "You are positively glowing these days."

"It is... the wine," I murmured.

"You both have been careful, I assume?"

"Yes?"

Amused, she turned to watch me fully. I was... I was breathing. I bit heavily.

"Persephone? When was the last time you bled?"

The realisation hit me like a storm. It had been two months since I got here, and it was only a month ago when we first - when we first... did it. Made love. And the last time I had my cycle was-

"A little over a month."

Both of us looked at each other in silence for a second, before our eyes widened in realisation. That I was - that I could be-

She had me sit on the couch before dropping to her knees, pressing a soft palm against the side of my stomach. Could I - could I actually have -

Hecate leaned closer, hearing keenly, eyes narrowed to emerald slits. I could feel her sensing, as if she could feel the presence of the very air molecules drifting around, being keenly aware of each and every vibration by every particle of matter. Her ear perked up as her face lit in joyous delight, before she cupped my face in exultation.

"Am I?"

"Yes," she whispered. "You are going to become a mother, Persephone."

∞