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You are Hades, god of the Underworld, an Olympian, and second in power only to Zeus. Hades reminded himself forcefully of these facts, but it didn’t work. A disgusting sense of trepidation continued to gnaw at his insides, and it did not help that all eyes inside the throne room were on him.
Even without looking, he could feel most of the other Olympians grinning and clearly enjoying his discomfort, and Hades’ teeth gnashed. Damn it. He didn’t even know why the hell he was nervous. It wasn’t like he was getting married or anything. This was Ever’s coronation, and so if anyone needed to be nervous—-
“Hades.”
He almost stiffened, having recognized the voice. Turning around, he said politely, “Demeter.”
Persephone’s mother inclined her head in acknowledgment, but her tone was wry as she said, “I know you’ve only sent me an invitation out of courtesy.” Unlike her daughter, Demeter was known to call a spade a spade.
“Your presence will always be considered an honor.” Since he wasn’t the god of truth, Hades had no problem lying, if only to keep things civil.
“I thought I should take the opportunity to right the wrongs my daughter has done to you.” Seeing the god’s brow arch slightly, Demeter said with a sigh, “I love Persephone, but it does not make me blind to her faults. I knew she had been spreading mostly lies about you, but it has always been my belief that a marriage is only the business of two people. I considered it neither my duty nor right to interfere.” Her lips twisted. “It is not common knowledge, but ever since my daughter left you, she and I have not been on speaking terms either.”
“That is a surprise.” Especially since for as long as he could remember. Demeter had doted on her daughter.
“I can be forgiving on a lot of things, but she crossed the line with what she did to your people. I am sorry for that, and I have always wanted to atone for it—-”
He shook his head. “I have never blamed you for it.”
“Even so, I consider myself partially to blame at the least, which is why I am here now to show support to your future queen. Let us hope that the world is smart enough to read between the lines.”
“Let us hope it is so, but Demeter—-” Hades smiled. “What the world thinks of me has never mattered, and it still doesn’t now. But if it means anything to you, I want you to know that I am happy.”
She blinked. “Are you saying—-”
“Yes,” he said simply. “I love her.”
“In so short a time?” she said dubiously.
Hades answered good-naturedly, “Our Aphrodite can tell you that time is immaterial when it comes to her domain.”
“Then I suppose this only leaves one thing. Congratulations—-”
“Milord!”
Hecate suddenly appeared in front of them, and even without her speaking another word, the anguished expression on her face told him everything he had to know.
Ever.
He transported himself to her chamber, and the moment he saw where she was, Hades roared, “No!”
She looked at him, crying, her lips forming two words.
I’m sorry.
And just like that, the room was empty, leaving not a single trace of her existence.
He blasted the bedside drawer open, knowing that it was where she kept the crystal key, but nothing fell out of it.
He ripped the air with his hands, willing it to show him Ever’s whereabouts, but all it revealed to him was darkness.
No.
“Ever.”
“Ever!”
“EVER!”
He shouted her name over and over.
“Come back!”
Hecate appeared in the chamber together with Thanatos just as Hades fell to his knees.
“Milord!” The two rushed to his side to help bring him back to his feet.
“She left me,” he said dully. “I don’t understand.” It was almost like Persephone all over again, only this time he was not glad it was over.
Instead, he despised every second of it, and he wanted her back.
He goddamn wanted her back.
“I tried to stop her,” Hecate confessed painfully, “but she was crying and adamant. I tried to ask her why, and all she could tell me was that she had heard you and Thanatos—-”
The winged demon jerked in realization, and Hades whitened.
“What is it?” Hecate demanded, seeing how the two had reacted.
“She must have overheard us,” Thanatos said bleakly.
“Overheard what?”
“It’s my fault.” Hades’ voice was harsh with self-loathing. “Thanatos asked me if I believed she was the prophesied queen...and I said no.” His eyes closed as his mind conjured an image of Ever the moment she heard his words—-
He must have made her cry.
His fists clenched. “I told her I blamed myself for what happened in the past, and she must have left to prevent me from going against the prophecy.”
Ever’s tear-ravaged face flashed in front of him.
He remembered her lips start to move.
I’m sorry.
And yet, she had mouthed the words like she knew she was also saying goodbye and that they would never see each other again.
“I have to get her back,” he said tautly. And he had to do it now. To use mortal methods to look at her would take too much time when the only things he knew of her were practically useless, such as the fact that her name was Ever, she was from England, and she had an aunt he would like to kill.
By the time he found her, anything could have happened—-
Anything.
“I need to be alone to think,” Hades said tautly under his breath. “Do not dare follow me.” Not bothering to wait for an answer, he transported himself back to the temple where he had first met Ever.
Now that the party was over, the temple was once again abandoned, its location remaining unearthed and undiscovered by mortals. The silence in it was tomb-like and the darkness oppressive, but none of it had any effect on Hades.
Memories rushed to his mind the moment he stepped foot inside the temple—-
Of Ever falling out of the door like manna from heaven—-
Of Ever accidentally rubbing herself against his body—-
Of Ever making him realize that he could choose to turn her into his prophesied queen—-
Hades went still.
A long ago memory seemed to wake from him, of the One above whispering to him and his brothers that even though every second of their lives were foretold, it all still came down to free will.
It – life – would always start and end with a choice.
And he had chosen.
The lord would fall because of her.
And had he not, at that moment, chosen to believe it meant the way he had fallen literally on his back because of her?
The lady would disappear because of him.
And Ever, too, had made her choice by using the crystal key to leave him.
And when these two came to be,
The Underworld would have made its choice.
Hades’ head jerked up, and he suddenly knew what he had to do.