Hades (Contemporary Mythos Book 1)

“Stephanie,” Sara said with a clipped tone.

I jolted in my chair, smacking my hand into my glasses and making them crooked on my nose. “What?”

“You’ve been staring out the window. Did you hear anything I said?” She tapped her fingers against her paper coffee cup.

We were on our weekly Sunday morning caffeine date. A month had passed since I was with Hades. I’d tried calling him through the charm, but it didn’t work. Ironically, I was somewhat glad for it. Part of me felt like if I heard his voice, it’d make everything that much more difficult. It was bad enough I couldn’t talk to anyone about it.

“I didn’t.” I frowned. “I’m sorry. Repeat it.” After jostling on my seat, I leaned forward and clasped my hands around my cup. “I’m all ears.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Talk to me, Costas. You haven’t been the same since Greece, and you’ve been walking around like a lost puppy for weeks.”

I leaned back and played with the charm on my necklace. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.” She crossed her arms.

“What if I told you—” I shifted my eyes. “Hades really was Hades.”

“You mean as a metaphor?”

“No. The Hades.”

She half-smiled. “The god of the Underworld?”

“Yes.”

“He tells souls where they’re to spend their eternal afterlife? Sits on a throne?”

I shrugged. “Yes. All of it.”

“Next, you’re going to tell me he has wings or something.” She snickered and sipped from her cup.

“He does.” I adjusted in my seat and moved my hands around with such enthusiasm I almost knocked over my coffee. “But they’re not wing wings. They’re fiery and morph into smoke and embers and—” I shut my trap once I saw one of her eyebrows raise so high, she looked like The Rock.

“Steph, do I need to make you an appointment with our department shrink? I’m sure they’d see a civilian too.”

I rolled my eyes. “This is why I couldn’t talk to you about it.”

“You believe he’s Hades.” She hunched forward.

I bit down on my lip, memories of peering up at him scorched into my brain like a brand. “It’s not about believing. I know he is.”

“Do you have proof?”

“How could—” The necklace. I wrapped my hand around it. “All I have is this necklace. He gave it to me the last time I saw him.”

She slapped her hands on the table. “You saw him? When?”

“A month ago.”

“Wow. You don’t tell me everything anymore, do you?”

“It sounds pretty crazy, Sara.” I clenched the charm tighter.

She clucked her tongue against the inside of her cheek. “Okay, so it’s a necklace. Big deal. That doesn’t prove anything.”

“I can talk to him with it.”

“Do it then.”

I looked around at the filled coffee house. “Here? Now? I don’t even know if it works. I tried it a couple of weeks ago, and nothing happened.”

“Let’s go back to your apartment then.” She stood and swung her purse onto her shoulder.

I froze in my seat and shook my head like I’d forgotten how to speak.

She picked up my coffee cup and nudged me in the arm. “Come on. You want me to believe you, right?”

I blinked. “Yes.”

I felt numb the entire walk back to my apartment building. Sara leaned on the back of my sofa with such nonchalance, there was no indication we were about to summon a Greek god. Would he appear out of thin air? Would it be just his voice like Mufasa in The Lion King? Would it still refuse to work?

“Ready?” I asked.

Sara shook her head. “That’s the fifth time you’ve asked. Still ready.”

I closed my eyes, rubbed my fingers over the charm, and thought of him. There wasn’t anything of note to indicate the necklace worked, no gust of wind or burst of light. Disappointment washed over me. Not again.

“I wasn’t expecting an audience,” Hades said.

My eyes flew open. He stood in front of me, but as a smokey mirage versus his physical form. I could make out his facial features, white hair, and pointed ears.

Was I the only one who could see him?

Sara’s eyes bulged out of her skull, and she gripped onto the couch with both hands.

Clearly not.

“Sorry, she didn’t believe me, so I wanted to—by the way, I tried to contact you weeks ago. It didn’t work.”

“Ah, yes. Sorry. I was in Tartarus at the time. Figured you’d rather save the conversation for…later.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re absolutely right. Forgiven.”

“I’ll be sure to keep the conversation…PG,” he said, his mirage floating closer.

My cheeks warmed as my brain dipped into thoughts of our time together.

“How have you been?” He asked.

“Fine. Fine. And you?”

It was awkward personified.

“Lonely,” he answered.

Sara appeared beside us and held up two fingers. “Can we pause a moment here? There is a—” She flailed her hand around, speechless.

“Floating smoke monster?” I sidelong grinned at Hades.

“Yes. A floating smoke monster in your apartment.”

“It’s Hades, Sara,” I replied.

He turned to face her, and she stumbled backward, knocking into the end table. “We’ve met before.”

She shook her head. “Not like this, we haven’t. How is this possible?”

“He is a Greek god,” I said.

“Don’t Fear the Reaper,” Hades said with a smirk, eyeing me.

I smiled wide. “That song’s from the seventies, but I’ll take it.”

She bit down on her lip. “Uh, huh. Uh, huh. I’ll uh—let you two have a moment alone while I go and process—” She made circling motions with her hands. “—this.” She scampered off, holding her head.

“How are you really doing?” He asked.

I picked at the hem of my dress. “This is harder than I thought it’d be.”

“I have a family member who can remove memories if that’d make it easier for you. You shouldn’t need to suffer like this, Stephanie.” He held his head low.

“No. Absolutely not. I didn’t risk my life getting to the Underworld only to have the memory of it ripped away.”

He nodded, the smoke of the mirage shifting around his head.

“I’ll be fine, Hades. It’s hard not to miss you.” I gave a weak smile, a single tear rolling down my cheek.

He reached out, his palm cupping my cheek. “I don’t deserve your tears.”

“Yes, you do.” I sniffled and wiped the tear away. “Let someone miss you, Hades. Truly miss you.”

“You’re an amazing woman. I count the days until I can return to the surface. To see you again, if you wish to see me.”

“I might be an old, silver-haired, wrinkly woman by then, but if you don’t stop by when you’re in town, I’ll never forgive you.” I smiled.

“You can count on it.” He floated backward. “I’m afraid I must return.” He pointed at the charm around my neck. “Please don’t hesitate to call on me again.”

I bit my cheek to keep from crying and gave a vigorous nod. “I’ll be seeing you,” I managed to choke out.

His shoulders hunched forward, and then he was gone.

“Okay, okay. I think I can handle this,” Sara said, power walking into the room.

I slipped my glasses off and rubbed my eyes.

“I—” She frowned, doing several circles, searching. “Where’d he go?”

“Back to the Underworld,” I mumbled.

She flopped into a nearby chair. “Thank God because I honestly didn’t know how to handle it.”

“You get used to it.” I fished in my pocket for Tums, but only found an empty wrapper.

She crossed the room and hugged me. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

“It’s okay, Sara.” She’d pinned my arms at my sides, so I patted her shoulder with my forehead.

She pulled away but kept her grip on my shoulders. “It’s not okay. What kind of friend am I?”

“Sara, if it would’ve been reversed, I wouldn’t have believed you either. It’s a crazier concept to me than leprechauns guarding pots of gold at the end of a rainbow.” I snickered, but then my stomach gurgled. Were leprechauns real too?

She playfully punched my shoulder. “So, the god of the Underworld, huh?”

“I’m an idiot.”

She led me over to the couch. I sat on the edge and slipped my glasses back on, staring at the paisley patterns of the area rug.

“You’re not an idiot. Okay, except for that one guy during your biker phase. What was his name?” She asked.

“Snake?”

“Yes, him.” She scrunched her nose. “You binge-watched Sons of Anarchy, and instead of finding Jax Teller you found—that guy. I’m still in shock.”

I smirked and shook my head. “It lasted a week. The moment that fight broke out in the bar, and he smashed a beer bottle over someone’s head, I was done.”

She sighed and stroked her fingers through the waves in my hair. “How can I help you?”

“You can’t. But I appreciate it. I’ll be fine. Wounds heal all time, right?” I laid my head on her shoulder.

She chuckled. “Something like that.”

She continued to run her fingers through my hair, and I fell asleep.

I gasped, waking up in my bed in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Pajamas replaced my dress, glasses resting on the nightstand. I didn’t remember changing my clothes, let alone crawling into bed. With a groan, I slapped my hand over my face. The universe played a cruel joke bringing a man into my life, a man who called to every fiber of my being. And I had no humanly way possible of being with him.

Human.

Thanatos said only immortals and…gods could survive the Underworld.

The back of my neck tingled, and I sat up, hyperventilating. Could it be possible? Would he accept me? Was I willing to go to those lengths?

I kicked at the blankets, tripping out of bed as I grabbed my glasses. There wasn’t enough room to properly pace in my bedroom, so I headed for the living room. Sammy was curled up in his favorite cat bed, and his head shot up like a rocket. My bare feet slapped against the wooden floor as I walked back and forth, chewing at my nails.

“You’ve done a lot of crazy things in your time, Costas, but this would surpass them all,” I said to myself.

Sammy followed on my heels, making me stumble several times when he decided to do random figure eights through my legs.

“Just admit it. And stop stalling,” I ordered myself.

I’d been mulling it over long enough. I knew what I needed to do to be with Hades, what I wanted to do. And who likely I needed to make it happen.

“Zeus,” I yelled in my apartment at three o’clock in the morning. The neighbors would get over it.

Silence.

“Zeus, Zeus, Zeus,” I repeated over and over like a toddler having a tantrum in a toy store.

A flash of clouds and lightning sent Sammy running and sliding across the floor, hiding behind a planter.

“What?” Zeus roared, standing in a suit, his hands balled into fists, chest pulsing. “Do you have any idea of the heated meeting I had to leave because you won’t shut up?” He pointed at me and then dropped his eyes to my—attire.

I crossed my arms over my chest, covered only in a tank top with no bra. He squinted, looking around my apartment, lingering on the doorway to my bedroom.

“I like where you’re going with this.” A sly grin slid over his lips.

“Do you have the power to turn mortals into gods?” I sputtered.

He put his hands on his hips. “Come again?”

“Can you—” I played with the lace trim of my pajama shorts. “Turn me into a goddess?”

He squinted at me, walking forward. “Are you saying you want to be Queen of the Underworld?”

I gulped. Queen of the Underworld. Yes, yes, that’s exactly what I wanted.

“Yes, but—” I started.

“That’s all I needed to hear.” He snapped his fingers with a malicious grin. “Done.”

My heart fell to my feet. “Wait. What? What do you mean ‘done’? I wanted to talk to Hades first. To tell Sara…”

“Not my problem. I’m an impatient god who’s been nothing but patient with you. Believe me.” His hand clasped my shoulder, and we stood in Hades’ throne room. Hades sulked on his throne and shot to his feet when he noticed us.

“Why did you bring her down here?” Hades boomed.

Zeus pinched the bridge of his nose. “For the love of me. You two are the most difficult project I’ve had in eons.”

My throat tightened. “What are you talking about?”

Hades’ wings flapped, and he floated down with a scowl. “What did you do, Zeus?”

Zeus slipped his hands in his pockets with the smugness of the Chesire Cat. “What I do best, brother. Meddle.”

Hades’ hands clenched, and the embers on his wings brightened.

“When I found her, I knew she’d be the perfect distraction for you, the easiest to get down here. I put the thought of Corfu into Sara’s head because I knew Hades would be there,” Zeus said, narrowing his eyes.

“What?” I asked through a shaky breath.

“All it took was a little mental push to get you to talk to him, and remarkably, you did the rest. And then it was a matter of getting you to the Underworld.”

My lips parted. “The chains. It was you.”

“Smart too.” Zeus smirked. “Yes. Rupert was so bent on not dying he didn’t even question how magical chains appeared in his room. I cast them with magic that would only break in the hands of dear Stephanie here. Did you think you suddenly became Heracles or something?”

I wanted to crawl into a corner and cry.

“I created the perfect opportunity, but Hades sent you right back to the surface.” Zeus shook his head. “You’ve changed, bro. You’ve changed.”

Hades growled, the embers on his wings glowing even brighter.

“Watch it. Or I’ll fry those wings so profusely you’ll only have two stubs on your back,” Zeus said with a snarl.

Everything that happened with Hades was a…lie?

“And then Stephanie called for Thanatos. That was me, by the way. Thanatos is about as social as a doornail. He would’ve never answered you.”

“Oh, my God.” I slapped a hand over my face.

“Hades had you again. Even jumped in the sack with you, and yet, he still sent you back. Remarkable. You two weren’t supposed to fall in love or anything. Quite frankly, I find it disgusting. Who do I look like? Eros?” He shuddered.

I sighed with relief. What I felt for Hades was real. At least I had that much despite Zeus’ crazy involvement.

“Anyway, you should thank me. You’ve got your Queen. A willing queen.” He snapped his fingers. “Here. You’ll need to give her this. Can’t be Queen of the Underworld for an eternity as a mortal, can she?” Zeus plopped something orange and glowing into Hades’ limp hand. “Do whatever you want for her coronation. I got to bolt.”

Hades clenched his hand around so tightly it shook.

Zeus played with the gold pinky ring on his right hand. “By the way, the word in the clouds is that you did Dirty Dancing, brother. Is that true?”

Hades glared. “I thought you were in a hurry,” he growled.

“We’ll circle back to it,” he winked with a grin and disappeared in a flash of blinding white light.

Hades blew out a breath. “Stephanie, I’ll talk to him. Get him to reverse this. He can do it. He’s just an arrogant prick. He tricked you, he—”

The skin between my eyes wrinkled, and I placed a hand on his forearm. “Hades, he didn’t trick me.”

He squinted. “What?”

“It caught me off guard happening so quickly because I wanted to talk to you first, to say my goodbyes to Sara, but I chose this. Me.” I pointed at my chest.

“Really?” His eyes quivered like he was about to cry.

I nodded.

“I…don’t know what to say.” His gaze dropped to his feet.

I slipped a finger under his chin and met his eyes. “You don’t have to say anything, but I’d love to see a smile.”

His lips curled back, revealing his pointed teeth and a wide grin spread across his face. The pastel colors of his aura burst through the darkness. A single shimmering tear rolled down his cheek. He pressed his hands on my cheeks and kissed me. Salt from our tears mixed with the taste of smoke and ash.

He peeled away, keeping his hands on my face. “I’m going to spend the rest of eternity showing you how much I appreciate this, but you need to go back to the surface first. You should’ve had the chance to say goodbye.”

“I can go back? I thought we had to stay here?”

“We do. Zeus seems rather preoccupied at the moment. If he catches wind of where you are, I’ll distract him to give you time. You’ll have to be quick about it.”

My heart thudded against my chest. I cried and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thank you,” I whispered into his ear.

He blew out a breath into my hair. “You do not need to thank me.”

“I know you gave it to me as a gift.” I stepped back, wiping my tears away, and clutching the charm necklace in my hand. “But, would you mind if I gave this to Sara? So I can still talk to her?”

He grinned again. His wings were beautiful, but it didn’t compare to the brightness of his smile. “That’s a great idea. Yes. By all means.” He brushed my cheek with his knuckle. “We don’t need it anymore.”

I beamed up at him.

He waved his hand, producing a portal.

“How do I get back?”

“Simply think about the Underworld and a way will present itself. Make sure you’re in an isolated area.”

I started to back away.

“Go and say your goodbyes, Stephanie. When you come back, I’ll give you the ceremony you deserve.”

“I’ll be quick. Say my goodbyes and return to you.” I smiled.

He grinned back. “Return to you. Those are probably the three most precious words I’ve ever heard.”

“More than the words—I love you?”

He stepped forward, his wings peeking out. “Are you saying you love me?”

“Hades, I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t.”

He smiled and yanked me forward, kissing me. “I love you too,” he responded in a whisper. “Truly.”

Was it possible for your heart to grow so large it sprung from your ribcage?

“Go,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

The portal swallowed me up, and I appeared back in my apartment.