believe his words. 'And you are no longer that person. Look at what you did up there. You controlled the power this time, and saved the lives of thousands. Possibly more.'
This time, his words did hit home. Saved the life of thousands. He was right. New Persephone saved lives.
I would never forgive myself for what I knew I had done, but at least I was making a start on setting it right.
A bright flash was followed quickly by the smell of the ocean, and then Poseidon was stood before us, Dionysus at his side.
'Skop!' The gnome sitting on Dionysus’ shoulder shifted into a dog as he jumped down and ran to me. I crouched and pulled the dog into a hug. 'I'm so glad you're OK.'
'And boy am I glad to see you too,' he said.
'Zeus escaped,' said Poseidon, and I stood up fast, my attention on the sea god. 'He severely wounded Ares and Artemis, and Hera has withdrawn completely, and won't talk to anyone.'
'Shit,' hissed Hades.
'Shit doesn't cover half of it,' said Dionysus. 'He's got that fire Titan of yours with him, she came and busted him out of Ares’ hold.'
'But he hates Titans!' I exclaimed.
'If Ankhiale knew that Cronos wasn't going to be free, she will move to the next strongest god,' Hades muttered. 'And Zeus won't turn down allies now.'
'So, does that mean you're at war?' I asked slowly.
'No. Zeus hasn't declared any such thing, but he will need to face a trial and punishment. Just like Hades did, when he broke the rules,' Poseidon said with a pointed look at Hades.
'Is that why he has run?'
'Yes. He'll be back, I've no doubt. With an elaborate excuse for all of this, and a new plan to inflate his ego further.'
'He is a dangerous maniac, and he can no longer rule the Olympians,' said Hades. Dionysus nodded.
'Hear, hear. The man needs to chill the fuck out.'
'We will deal with succession later. For now, I’m here to see Persephone,' said Poseidon. I gulped as the Lord of the Oceans turned to me. 'Your handling of Cronos' power bears the marks of a true Queen and goddess of Olympus. I am pleased to welcome you to our ranks.' My mouth fell open. 'And thank you for taking care of my hippocampus,' he added, before giving me a twinkling smile, and vanishing.
'Well done, Persy,' said Dionysus, as I blinked after Poseidon. 'Make sure you visit soon, there are some folk on Taurus who remember growing up with you now,' he said, with a big grin. 'And your fella needs a drink. I got lots of that.'
'I-I will,' I stuttered, and felt a smile take over my face. My future in Olympus was looking a whole lot better than I could have possibly imagined.
Thirty-One
Persephone
I took a deep breath as I stared at my reflection in the grand mirror. Happiness so intense it made me want to scream washed through me. I was wearing an actual wedding dress.
I twirled, letting the white lace spin around the satin slip beneath. The dress had been made for the occasion, and the top was a classic white corset, but the bottom... The bottom was miles upon miles of white lace that I had designed myself. An intricate pattern of roses and skulls. Earth and nature, dark and light, life and death.
It had been a month since Cronos had almost killed me and I'd used his power to turn the surface of Virgo into a nature-filled haven for the two of us. Hades used his power to build us a modest hut, to see if we really could live above the ground. He had been nervous at first that the longer he was above the surface of Virgo, the less control he would have over his realm and the dangerous demons he was linked to. Mostly, he feared losing his grip on Tartarus.
But it was a full two weeks before he felt any difference in his power, and so for the following two weeks, we returned to his rooms in the palace, below the surface. His control strengthened again immediately.
I saw no reason we couldn't live like that for eternity, spending half our time in the light, and half in the dark. Especially since I had some pretty epic plans for the house in the glade.
I looked down at the ring on my finger, a thrill of anticipation whipping through my body. Married. I was actually getting married.
It hadn't taken much to convince Hades to do