Leia and The Underworld

10: Just Another Cruise Ship

"So, you just happen to be going on an epic journey with Hades," Genesis said. "But you are not dating him. Also, you guys randomly make out."

"You are suddenly curious about Hades," I laughed. "Didn't you once promise to keep me away from the cursed dick?"

"I did, but I had not seen him," she said. "I have objective eyes. Damn girl. He might be worth it. Those fucking eyes, and that brooding thing he has... He is not hard to look at."

I let out a laugh and shook my head, happy to talk to her.

"Aren't you engaged to my brother?"

"I am engaged, but not blind."

"So you like him," I said.

"He was oddly polite for the ruler of the underworld," she replied. "And the way he looks at you... I think he loves you. Your parents are convinced he is a predator, but I think there is more. No man works this hard just for sex."

"My mother has told me that part of her concern is that he wants another wife," I said. "But that he did not treat Persephone very well."

"So, when you guys get to a place where you trust him," she said. "Address it. You have fear, do not hide from it. He needs to have a chance to explain it."

"What if he is a liar," I asked. "I trusted David. Not a lot, but enough to sleep with him. I thought he was a friend, at the very least. And he..."

"David is a fluke," she said. "No one else is like him. I am sorry you hooked up with Ted Bundy. But you are lucky, girl. You could be dead if you were human."

I let out a deep sigh, realizing it. Something within me felt a deep sense of dread like a weight was pulling me down. Someone else could fall into David's trap, his web of lies. How many women would he abuse, rape, or murder? He was powerful, so I wondered how I could stop him?

"You're right," I said. "But how do I allow myself to trust anyone?"
"Sounds like a great goal for your therapist," she replied.

"I guess so," I said. "Look, I am going to lose my signal soon. I am heading south."

"How far south?"
"Underworld, south," I said with a smile. "The journey to the oracle begins at the River Styx. That is why I asked Hades to take with me."

"No other reason," she said, her voice full of intrigue.

"I have to go," I said. "Tell Luke I love him..."

She hung up and some part of me felt a wave of excitement. I was going on an adventure, a quest. And for the first time, I would be alone with my thoughts and with Hades. It was time to figure out what I wanted, and it felt as though the world was open. I closed my eyes and when I opened them I had gone to the underworld.

There were two ships in the underworld awaiting those on the shores of the entrance. One carried you to the heart of the underworld, where there were layers of torture awaiting. The other took you to the other side, the good place. Today, a third ship awaiting. It was a large ship, a caravel. It was made of wood and iron and in the front, the carved mount of Cerberus was on the mast of the ship. This was Hades' ship. I saw the faint outline of Hades in the distance, talking to a group of reapers. He was dressed more formally than I had seen him last, wearing an all-black suit with just a red pocket square. He was beginning to grow out his beard, though I had only seen him clean-shaven. He was different here, in his element. This was him as a boss, a kind, as Hades as the world knew him.

He turned to me, flashing a smile. For the first time, his dark eyes were bright and fiery, a red flame dancing in his gaze. Holy shit. I had not seen that before. I should be freaked out or scared but some part of me was turned on. He was incredibly powerful, and as he spoke, the underworld shook beneath the weight of his voice. I hated how much I liked seeing him here.