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Chapter 6
Elyse
I lived a highly scheduled life. Between Poseidon, Ares, and Heracles, I was never alone—they made sure at least one of them, if not more, stayed by my side at all times. And even though I started to miss alone time, I had to admit I preferred the guys being near me. Sure, I got to spend more time with them, getting to know them more, but in truth, I was scared.
I’d managed to save myself from X when he attacked me at the training center, but was it only the element of surprise that saved my ass. X hadn’t realized how strong I’d become. If he hadn’t been caught off-guard, I’d be in deep shit, and that terrified me.
I had absolutely no illusions he wouldn’t try to kill me again. And this time, I knew for a fact he’d succeed if he found me alone. That was enough to give me nightmares and wake me up in a cold sweat.
So, not having time to myself because my three gods were around was a small price to pay for a little peace of mind.
Slouching in the kitchen at Heracles’s place, I watched him brew coffee—one of his specialties since he’d been on Earth longer than anyone. Technically, he’d existed before the beginning of coffee, and he’d practically perfected it as an art. When he made coffee, it was literally the “nectar of the gods.”
“Do you think we’re ever going to beat this guy?” I asked, failing as usual to change the topic of conversation for too long. Everything always came back to him, and my stomach remained in a permanent knot.
“Of course,” Heracles said without missing a beat. “That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it?”
“I’m here to look after the humans and save them from the beasts X sent up from the Underworld. I was never meant to battle the man—the devil—himself.”
Heracles nodded. “I know this is daunting, Elyse.” He turned toward me and leaned against the kitchen counter, gripping the edge with both hands. It made the muscles in his arms bulge, and he looked quite impressive. I wished he’d find someone he could love again, that he could give his heart to someone new. “But you can do more than you can imagine.”
Right, Heracles kept reassuring me. But I wasn’t so sure. I could defeat monsters and demons and beasts, but defeating X himself, when he was devouring souls that made him stronger, was a different thing altogether. I just wasn’t sure I was cut out for such a battle.
“If Hades doesn’t come around…” My words trailed off.
Heracles frowned at me.
When he didn’t say anything, I lifted my chin. “You do think that’s what it’s about, right?” I asked. “Hades’s affection for me?”
He pulled up his shoulders. “I’ve heard theories.” He turned back around and continued to make two cups of coffee, one for each of us.
“Persephone is convinced it’s because he refuses to accept love into his life again,” I continued. “She came to my apartment specifically to tell me so.”
A short while ago, Persephone had come to Earth from the Underworld and paid me a visit. She told me Hades was in love with me, and it was because of his rejection of his feelings that X ran rampant in the streets. I wasn’t so sure she was right because Persephone insinuated that if Hades was willing to love me, I could defeat X.
And that was romanticizing love in a way I wasn’t sure was possible. It was ironic, but it seemed like something from a movie, not something that should have been possible in real life. Was love really the answer to all of this? It seemed so damn cliché.
“What do you think?” I asked Heracles when he still didn’t say anything.
“Honestly, Elyse, I don’t know. I know what love is and what love can do. But Hades… I just don’t know about him. I think you’re going to beat X all by yourself. You have it in you, even if you don’t believe it.”
I shook my head, refusing to believe I’d defeat X alone. But if love could be the answer to this, if Persephone was right, it could mean the end of X, so what was that answer?
“Look,” Heracles said, putting a mug full of coffee in front of me. The steam curled out, and the smell was heavenly. I closed my eyes and breathed it in. “Everything works differently in the divine realm,” he continued. “If this is about love, it could very well be that accepting that love will be the end of it. But I don’t know if Hades has what it takes to open up that side of himself again. Over time, he’s become the darkness of the Underworld itself. There was a while where I wasn’t sure he’d be able to divide himself from X at all. The fact that it happened is a miracle in and of itself.”
I shook my head. What Heracles said sounded horribly sad. If Hades had turned into the darkness, if everyone thought he’d morphed X, it was a terrible thing. How did he feel, knowing he was being compared to Death itself? That had to take a real knock at his self-esteem. It explained a lot about who he was and his behavior.
Or maybe I was making excuses for him. Maybe Hades was nothing more than an ass, and he didn’t want X’s rampage to end.
How the hell was I supposed to know, anyway? I had feelings for Hades, no denying the facts—and not just the crazy sexual tension between us every time I saw him, the way I was drawn to him—it was more than that. I yearned to bond with him the same way I’d connected with the other gods. When I spent time with Hades, part of me completely opened up, and I longed to get closer to the person I’d spent time with when we’d stargazed.
But what if he didn’t want me? What if I’d only ever be a piece of ass to him? I didn’t think I’d ever be able to resist him, which meant I’d never get rid of him or saynoto him. But what if Hades didn’t want me and because he didn’t, we’d never be able to win against X? What if the monster took over and won? I didn’t know if I’d be able to stomach being a failure in that regard.
If I survived at all.
“And if this fails?” I asked, staring at Heracles as he sat down next to me on a stool. He sipped his coffee.
“That’s good stuff,” he said, lowering the mug. “Do you mean if Hades rejects you?”
