Persephone's Prison

Chapter 8

Howard's warehouse fell silent as Aphrodite herself in all of her glory storms through the building and halts production singlehandedly. The men watch her walk by in a trance. Aphrodite's presence there was rare but when it does happen, she normally made time to flirt before arriving at her husband's office. There was no time now though and her mind was too focused on the mission to flirt. The office door bangs open with a force so hard the walls rattle. Hephaestus looks up from his paperwork and immediately sits up straight in his seat at the sight of his wife.

"How dare you!" Her long red nail points directly at him.

"What?"

"What?" She mocks, "Don't you 'what' me! You're sleeping with that Underworld slut!" She accuses.

"Watch your mouth!" He demands as he gets up from his seat.

He walks over to the door and shuts it, so they don't have as much of an audience.

"You will not speak of her that way," he states firmly.

"You defend a harlot over your own wife?" Hephaestus sighs and sits back down.

"I'm sorry Aphrodite for my inappropriate actions; I don't plan to do it again." He apologizes.

"Damn right you aren't. Who do you think you are? I've never in my life been so humiliated! Do you know what this could do to my reputation if it got out? That my husband was in love with another Goddess? Did you even THINK of me?!" Heat flashed through Hephaestus as the anger surges over him.

"Do you ever think of me?" Hephaestus asks and Aphrodite stops and stares at her husband in confusion, so Hephaestus continues. "When you were with Ares? What about while you lay next to Adonis every night? Hermes, Anchises, or Poseidon? Did you spare one thought for me? You cannot demand loyalty from me while you live with another man who is not me! I remained faithful to our marriage since we've been wed but you can't say the same. I promise not to embarrass you, but you can't barge in here demanding me to remain faithful to a relationship that is one-sided. I love Persephone and she loves me. You're going to have to accept that like I accept Adonis. Now if you don't mind my men haven't been working since you stepped foot in the warehouse. If we're done here, I will see you later Aphrodite."

The Goddess was so shocked she didn't know what else to do besides leaving quietly and quickly so she did.

___

Persephone walks into Rising Sun Café again to find Artemis already at the same table they met at last week with a mug in hand. She smirks when Apollo nods at her and motions for her to sit with his free hand not making a drink. She places her bag on an extra seat and Artemis hugs her in greeting. They sit and Artemis goes back to sipping her drink, so Persephone assumes they have to wait for Apollo to start.

A moment later Apollo is placing a drink in front of Persephone and taking a seat with his own cup next to Artemis again. Persephone takes a slow drink.

"Cappuccino, you remember," she teases. "So, do you have news?"

Artemis leans back in her seat as Apollo moves forward.

"Have you heard of a half-God named Perseus?"

"The one who killed Medusa? His name rings a bell..." Persephone sighs bored.

The twins launch into the story of Perseus anyway. Perseus is the son of Danae and Zeus. Danae was locked in a room by her father after an oracle informed him, he would be killed by his grandson. Zeus found her and broke into her room through a crack in the form of a shower of gold. Once her father Acrisius, king of Argos, had discovered Perseus was born he locked his daughter and her child in a wooden chest and had the box thrown into the sea. They survived and ended up being saved by a fisherman on the Island of Seriphos. This fisherman was Dictys, brother to the king of Seriphos.