Small Twists of Fate

Chapter Thirty Eight

Hades' footsteps echoed off the walls of the living room as he paced around the Underworld; his normally stoic expression twisted into one of unbridled fury. Hook, Milah, Smee, and Mollie all sat on the couch; looking almost small compared to the seething God in their midst. Persephone, however, stood as close to her husband as his pacing would allow, her hand gently resting on his arm as she tried to calm him with her presence.

The air crackled with tension and all the mortals in the room made a note to not anger Hades anytime soon.

"Maleficent can't get away with this," Hades growled as he broke the silence, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the living room. It was one of the rare times where one could see how he was related to the King of the Gods. "We made a grave mistake by not taking action when Malionë was first kidnapped but we couldn't risk her safety and Maleficent knew that. But now? Now is the time to act."

The determination in his voice was audible to everyone as he continued to pace back and forth. Fear and fury filled the room, making it feel as if a storm was brewing in the Underworld.

"Aye," Hook nodded, his eyes glinting in the excitement of a possible fight. "No one threatens the kids and gets away with it. Not even the self proclaimed 'Mistress of Hell'. But what can we do with the blasted barrier around the Isle?"

Hades sighed and opened his mouth to speak. But before he could say anything, Milah's voice cut through the air like a sharp blade; her tone full of determination. "We can't just do nothing," she said firmly.

"I don't think anyone said we would be doing nothing," Hades shook his head.

"Aye, Hades is right love," Hook nodded as he looked at his wife. "Why would you think we'd just sit by and do nothing?"

Milah sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just...what if Maleficent tries again? What if she goes after Harry? Or Sammy, Harriet, or Jessica next?"

It was Hades' turn to sigh. "As much as I care about the girls and Harry, I have a feeling they'd be safe from Maleficent's gaze. They would hold no value to her. Not in the way Malionë does."

"What makes you so sure?" Hook asked as he leaned forward, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Maleficent's magic is formidable," Hades explained, leaning against the stone wall. "We're lucky in that the barrier almost neutralizes her abilities, hence why Cassandra, Lance, and Hercules were able to get Malionë back so easily. Unfortunately, Maleficent's also not an idiot like the rest of the Isle. While your daughters bring magic to our lives, they don't physically have magic. And Maleficent knows the Isle is full of idiots so she'd want to steal a child with magic because otherwise, it might look like she produced a child without magical powers."

"And that would be a hit to her ego," Mollie nodded.

"Exactly," Hades said, as if thankful someone was able to follow where he was going.

Milah shook her head. "But what about Harry? Couldn't she steal him?"

Persephone shook her head. "The Fae have almost always had female descendants," she explained. "There have been some male Fae but they're few and far between, and for the people of the Isle, Maleficent has likely told them that the Fae only have daughters if she's revealed Malionë to the Isle. And since Malionë is of divine background, she wold be powerful enough for Maleficent to pass her off as her own child. No one would question it, especially since no one has seen Maleficent's hair so Malionë's purple wouldn't be a red flag."

"But couldn't Maleficent be luring us under a false sense of security?" Milah asked.

"And why on Gaia's green Earth would she do that?" Hades asked. "It's Maleficent, you know, woman who cursed a baby for not being invited to a party? Does she seem like the false sense of security type?"