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“Persephone,” Hades said quickly, trying to calm her.
When she looked at him, recognition and relief descended upon her face.
“Hades!”
Her arms tightened around his waist. She buried her head in his chest and sobbed.
“Shh.” His kissed her hair, thankful that she still touched him, that she still found comfort in his presence.“What are you doing here?”
Then he heard Tantalus’voice cut through the dark and Hades’ blood turned to ice.
“Where are you, little bitch?”
Hades set Persephone aside and approached the grotto where Tantalus was imprisoned, snapping his fingers so that the pillar where Tantalus was chained turned. The man was a sack of bones, loose skin sagging over sharp angles. He was pale and withered, his hair scraggly and matted, like wire coming out of his face and head.
He had not looked upon the prisoner in years, as his method of torture tended to take care of itself, starvation and thirst while always being within reach of food and water. Except that Hades knew he had partaken of drink because his lips, drained of color, glistened.
Hades flung his hand toward Tantalus, and the mortal’s knees gave out, pulling the manacles that held his arms overhead tight, and he cried out.
“My goddess was kind to you,” Hades hissed.“And this is how you repay her?”
Hades closed his fist, and Tantalus heaved, spitting up the water Persephone had given him until there was nothing left to vomit. Then he parted the water in the grotto, creating a dry path straight to the prisoner. The wicked king struggled to find his footing, pressing his feet flat against the column to which he was chained. Hades enjoyed watching him struggle. It eased the burden of his anger and his wish to see this mortal meet a violent end.
“You deserve to feel as I have felt—desperate and starved and alone!” Tantalus spit out as Hades approached.
Hades’ hand closed over the man’s neck.
“How do you know I haven’t felt like that for centuries, mortal?” he said quietly, his voice deadly in its tone. It promised punishment and pain, it promised all of the things Tantalus claimed he felt now, but worse.
His glamour melted away, and he stood before his prisoner in his Divine form as he had in the past.
“You are an ignorant mortal,” Hades said, his magic bubbling under the surface.“Before, I was merely your jailor, but now I shall be your punisher, and I think my judges were too merciful. I’ll curse you with an unquenchable hunger and thirst. I’ll even put you within reach of food and water, but everything you partake of will be fire in your throat.”
Hades dropped Tantalus, and he hit the stone pillar with an audible thud. It did nothing to deter the mortal, who growled like an animal and attempted to lunge for him, snapping his teeth. The feral attempt at an attack only amused Hades, and earned him a slot on his own victim’s list.
Hades snapped his fingers, sending the prisoner to wait in his office. After, he turned to Persephone.
He had never seen her look like this before—wide-eyed, small, shaky. She took a step away from him and slipped. Hades lunged forward to catch her before she could hit the ground, free of water since he still stood in the middle of the parted lake.
“Persephone.” Saying her name hurt his chest.“Please don’t fear me. Not you.”
Her eyes watered, and she broke, crying into his robes. His grip on her tightened, and yet, though he held her close, he felt that she was far away, and he realized that this was what it was to be on the brink of losing everything.
Still, he thought,if I hold her long enough, if I give her long enough, maybe I could hold her together, maybe I could hold us together.
He teleported to his room, where he sat near the fire, hoping she would warm enough to stop shivering, but she didn’t. He grew frustrated and gathered her against him, heading to the baths.
When they arrived, he lowered her to the floor. He drew her finger beneath her chin and tilted her head to meet his gaze. He wanted her to speak, to say something—anything—but she remained quiet. The only thing that gave him hope was that she did not protest as he undressed her or as he cradled her against him and carried her into the water.
“You are unwell,” he said after he could no longer stand the silence between them.“Did he…hurt you?”
He asked because he had to be sure.
Her answer was to squeeze her eyes shut, something he never knew could hurt his heart so badly.
“Tell me,” he whispered, brushing his lips across her forehead.“Please.”
She opened her eyes, glistening with tears.
