Hermes lifted his hands in the air, palms facing outward. “Easy there, King of the Underworld. I’ll make it quick since I know your wife doesn’t like me.” He winked at Persephone.
She didn’t like Hermes? When did Persephone even have time to see Hermes?
Frowning, Hades looked between the two of them and resolved to ask her later. Maybe when he apologized for acting like a lovesick child who didn’t know how to speak to the girl he had a crush on.
“All right,” he replied. “Ask your question and get out.”
“There’s no question.” Hermes looked down at his fingernails, frowned, and then looked up with a mischievous smile that Hades knew meant trouble. “I’m here to bring her back to the mortal realm.”
Silence rang throughout the dining room. Not a single god, goddess, nymph, or demi-god dared to put a fork to a plate. Not when Hermes had strode into the room claiming that he was going to take Hades’ wife away from him.
Even Hermes realized his own blunder. He held up a single finger and cleared his throat. “To clarify. Zeus’s orders.”
Hades could feel his entire body lock up with the words. How dare Zeus try to step in like this? He was the one who had sent his daughter to the Underworld, and he was the one who had given away her hand in marriage. Zeus couldn’t take Persephone away from Hades, not when he still hadn’t fixed things yet.
It was Persephone who responded, however. And though he had anticipated her being ready to leave, she stood and said, “You can return and tell Zeus I am remaining in the Underworld.”
Hermes gave her an unimpressed look. “If you want to tell the King of Olympus, the King of all Gods need I remind you, that you will not follow his orders, then you can do that yourself. I’m not telling him no. No one tells him no.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” She stood her ground, glaring at him with all her power burning in her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You absolutely are,” Hermes replied. “You can’t stay here if Zeus wants you to leave. You have no idea what’s going on up there.”
Those were the words that caught Hades’ attention. Zeus wasn’t the type to randomly order people around. As much as he wanted to believe his brother was a terrible person who wanted to play with his subjects, Hades knew that wasn’t the truth. Zeus wanted to be a king, but he didn’t want to do any of the work to be one.
Hades placed his hand on top of Persephone’s and silenced her. Standing, he asked Hermes, “Why does Zeus want her back in the mortal realm?”
Hermes rolled his eyes and Hades knew he had wanted no one to ask that question. Hermes liked drama and things were far more interesting when there were smoke and mirrors.
He relented. “Because of her mother, of course.”
“My mother?” Persephone asked. There was a slight bit of hope in her voice, and Hades understood that bone deep ache.
They both were the outcasts in their family. They always wanted someone to see their worth or to miss them. And maybe Demeter had finally realized what a gem she had in her daughter.
Though there were better places for this conversation than in front of his entire court, Hades knew they didn’t have another option. “Hermes, just tell us what Demeter is doing.”
“She’s decided the world will suffer if she doesn’t get her daughter back. She’s been running around the entire realm searching for her and neglecting everything else in her fits of madness. The entire mortal realm is covered in snow.” Hermes held out his hand and a ball of ice shards appeared in his fist. “Rather difficult for humans to eat or harvest when water freezes.”
Damn it. Of course, why else would Zeus send the messenger of the Gods to collect Persephone?
Hades was going to lose her.
The thought rattled around in his mind, ringing bells of warning.
He knew her. Persephone wouldn’t choose him over the well being of the entire mortal realm. She had fought to gather coins for the souls who couldn’t pass on. She would not allow him to send the rest of humanity into the Underworld all because of her.
He would have. Hades would let the entire world die and make his kingdom the most powerful one in all the realms. He’d manage all the souls if they came here too,