Tempting the Fates

Chapter 6

I took a long moment to grasp what she'd said. I was going to marry Hades, God of the Underworld, and if I didn't, Dad would die.

"Tell me about this deal you made." I wiped the tears from my cheeks with the sleeve of my shirt. "Why will Dad die if I say no?"

Aphrodite took a long breath and closed her eyes for a moment. She glanced toward the door and then back to me.

"He was dying. I had just given birth to you when we found out. Terminal cancer. I loved your father something fierce, and I didn't want to lose him. We hadn't had enough time together, and I don't have that kind of power, either."

Dad told me that he'd been misdiagnosed with cancer as a younger man. He'd never even suggested that the cancer was real.

My mother continued. "I begged Zeus to save him, but he was already upset that I'd spent too much time on earth and so he refused me. His brother Hades was far kinder. He agreed, but at a cost. I promised him that you being my daughter meant you would grow up beautiful and fertile. His wife Persephone has never produced children, and a kingdom always requires an heir. I offered you as his consort, to marry him and perhaps bare him a child. He agreed to save your father, but he would not abandon his wife. That's when we drafted up the terms of our agreement. I figured that it was a win-win for us. Your father would live, and I believed the bond between Hades and his wife would never sour, which meant that you would never be required to fulfill your part of the deal. I don't know why she's gone, but Persephone has left the Underworld for good. Hades needs you, and we don't have a choice. If we don't fulfill our promise, your dad's life will end."

I bit the inside of my cheek, reeling over her confession. My insides churned, anger and fear clashing together like oil and water. All I had ever wanted was to find my mother and get the answers I'd so desperately searched for. But everything she was saying drove the knife in deeper. Even as my heart stung with fury, it ached for her. She had been so in love, so desperate to save the man she loved, that she was willing to give up anything- or anyone- to make it happen.

"Dad doesn't know you saved him, does he?" I glanced up at her.

She shook her head. "I couldn't tell him the truth. He would find some way to break the pact to protect you, and then he would die. I knew he would never think twice about giving his life for yours. But there was another part of the deal. You became Hades' backup wife, and I had to return to Olympus to fulfill my duties. If I'd left you with him and he broke the pact, you would have been an orphan. Zeus wouldn't allow me to bring you to Olympus. I told your father I couldn't stay here and give up my responsibilities as a goddess- I mean, what would have happened to world without the Goddess of Love? It was the only way to keep the two of you safe." She stood and lifted her hand, plucking something out of thin air.

Like magic, white fabric appeared from nothing. It moved quickly, but appeared long and silky. By the length and the general shape, I could guess it was a dress. She didn't even pause to show me as she folded it and placed it carefully on my bed.

"I've always dreamt of making your wedding gown." She reminisced, sliding her delicate fingers over the gown. "I hoped it would be under different circumstances. Regardless, I hope you like it. Should be fit for a goddess."

I could hardly look at her. I was terrified. Either I was completely insane and would need hospitalization, or the entire experience was real and she was telling me the truth. Either way, my life was about to change completely.

"What about dad?" I asked. "Can he come with me?"

"I'm afraid not." She shook her head. "Humans cannot survive in the Underworld. The occasional demigod has trespassed, but the blood of the gods in their veins was the only thing that saved them. You will be okay, since you have my blood within you."

"I'm going to be all alone down there." I thought aloud.

She sighed. "I would visit you if I could, Callie. The rules of the Underworld are strict. It is far more likely that you'll visit me in Olympus. Hades hardly ever travels away from his dominion, but I'll get you in touch with Hermes as soon as you're settled, and maybe he can escort you." She replied.

"What... what does he look like?" I asked. It seemed a little vain of me to worry whether my future husband would be old and ugly, but I definitely hoped he wasn't...

"Your betrothed? Last I saw him, he had pale skin, dark black hair, and eyes a soft blue, like ice." She described. "He is incredibly handsome, but also quite intimidating."

My eyes widened. Was he the man I'd seen last night?

"I... I think I saw him. Last night I was attacked, and he scared the men off." I whispered, hardly able to believe it. "I wasn't sure if what happened was even real. But if you're really here, and magic actually exists, it must have been real."

Her brows lifted in surprise. "How do you know it was him?" she asked.

"Because he summoned the dead like soldiers." I ran a hand down my jaw as I remembered the night before. "He roused them straight from the ground beneath him."

She bit her lip and nodded. "That probably was him. But I'm sure he was just trying to make sure the deal went through. He can't marry you if you're dead. Now hide that," she pointed to the wedding dress she'd given to me, "or your father will know I've been here. And don't worry about him. Once you're gone, his memories will be wiped."

My stomach dropped, and I fought through a wave of nausea. "Like... all of his memories of me? I won't even be able to visit him if he doesn't remember me."

"It's for the best." She whispered, setting a hand on my shoulder. "Gods only know what he would do if he knew about this pact. I'll see you soon, my sweet girl."

I nodded without a word, and she disappeared in a flash of light.

I took a few minutes to cry, scream, and punch my pillow. I'd worked so hard in my life to get to where I was. And now I was put in a situation where I had no choice but to give up everything. If not, the only person in the world I loved would die.

I grabbed the wedding dress and shoved it into the bottom of my backpack, setting a few large books over it as camouflage. I threw the bag to the floor and curled up on my bed. Even with the mystery of my mother's identity solved, I felt empty. Deep inside my heart, a piece of me wished that I'd never been born.