Tempting the Fates

Chapter 22

I threw the bedding off my body and went to the bathroom door. The candles were no longer burning, but what little light came from the bedroom spilled inside. The glass shards from the lights were still scattered on the floor, twinkling at me like glitter.

I lifted a hand and waited. Nothing happened. I sighed, trying to remember how I harnessed the power in my dream. I focused on the glass, and I waved my hand. The pieces wiggled, and I bit my lip, focusing harder. Glass, repair yourself, I ordered in my mind. I waved my hand toward where the remaining lightbulbs sat in the fixtures.

The glass lifted off the tile floor, making no noise as it flew up and reattached itself like a translucent three-dimensional puzzle. The light flickered twice before it lit with a confident glow. I looked down and swallowed hard at the empty floor. I just did that. I... have powers.

I sat on the edge of my bed for almost an hour, trying to comprehend the events that had unfolded. Someone had appeared in my dream and threatened me and Hades. They had also suggested that they were the ones to take my father. Then I broke free from my dream and gained incredible powers. I had finally become a full-blown demigoddess.

I wasn't sure what to do next. My mother had told me to trust Hades, and he would likely be pleased to know that I'd come into my abilities. But he'd been so worried about me becoming a weapon for someone... maybe keeping him in the dark about my powers would help protect me in the long run.

He's going to be my husband. We're going to be together every day, and I can already feel the power inside me, aching to break free. It's going to be almost impossible to hide this from him. I sighed, wiping a hand down my face. My skin felt jittery and my limbs were restless. Even though the clock on the wall said 3:27 AM, I got up and headed out into the hallway to find Hades.

A few minutes later I tapped my knuckles against his study door, trying not to be too loud. I wasn't sure if the workers slept, and I didn't want to interrupt their peaceful slumber if they did.

"Hades?" I called out, still trying not to raise my voice too much.

I was starting to get a bit worried. It had been hours since I'd seen him as he'd hurried me off to my room. He never said what he was doing, only that he'd be back soon. He didn't sleep, so I wasn't sure if he had a bedroom. Rather than sitting in my room feeling restless, I decided to go look around the palace and see if I could find him.

The place was eerily quiet, even for the late hour. When I'd arrived in the middle of the night, there had been people bustling all over. But now? I hadn't seen a single person yet, and I was standing right in the foyer.

"Hello?" I whispered. My voice echoed off the towering walls around me, but no one responded.

Where the hell is everyone?

After exhausting the handful of places I'd seen him before or spent time with him, I ended up walking down a hallway I'd never been in before. This one was almost pitch-black, apart from a light coming from under a door at the end. I wasn't usually so reckless as to walk down a dark hall after having a nearly identical nightmare, but I could hear a deep voice coming ever-so-faintly from the room at the end.

I crept forward but stopped about three feet away. I wasn't sure who was inside the room, and I didn't want to piss off someone I shouldn't be messing with. The one deep voice separated into two as I neared the room, and I finally recognized them both.

"- doesn't have a clue what it takes to rule this place." Hades sighed. "I'm just not sure what to do anymore."

Was he talking about me? Of course I don't know what it takes to rule this place. I was a normal human a couple days ago. I didn't even know this place existed, let alone that I would be responsible for it...

"You need to stick to the plan, sire." Than's dark melodic voice responded. "Marry the girl, restore your power, find the bastard who is trying to take the throne, and end him."

"Doing my job, taking down those who have wronged me... those things I understand. Love is, well, beyond my expertise. I spent millennia believing someone loved me, only to find out it had been the complete opposite. How do I know she's the right one?" Hades asked.

I tensed, standing firmly in place. He is definitely talking about me. My fingers twitched, aching to let loose another burst of energy.

"I can't say I'm an expert at this sort of thing," Than paused. "But how do you feel when you're around her?"

"Excited. Hopeful... Weak. Powerless." There was a long pause. "She stirs something within me that I can't explain. My heart almost leaps from my chest when I see her walk into a room. The sound of her voice calms the darkness inside me. And her touch... there's this spark. It lights me up from the inside out."

My heart thudded in my chest, a wave of pure joy rolling through my chest and down my limbs. He likes me just as much as I like him...

"Well... that certainly sounds promising to me." Than chuckled.

"It's just odd." Hades continued. "How can I know someone for such little time, and feel this strongly about them?"

Yeah, I've been wondering that same thing myself. I rolled my shoulders, feeling the urgency rising under my skin. I wasn't sure how long I could hold back, and I didn't want to interrupt their conversation at such an inconvenient time. How awkward would it be for me to show up just as he's talking about his feelings for me?

"You said her tapestry was blank?"

"Yes."

"Well, perhaps with a blank tapestry, it leaves room for destiny and fate to surprise us." Than sounded deep in thought. "Humans believe in something called 'soul mates', where two people are destined to find each other and fall in love. They are supposed to be the ultimate mate, like two halves coming together to create one perfect heart. Perhaps there is some truth in that?"

There was a long, silent pause.

"But what about Seph?" Hades muttered. "I promised Callie loyalty and devotion, and I had intended to give her just that. But after what we discovered today in the Mourning Fields... I feel myself torn. I promised to keep her safe, and now it's clear that someone is hurting her."

I wanted to be sick. Jealousy burned me, and I clenched my hands into fists. The power inside me seemed to strengthen with my emotions. Was he going to call this whole thing off now that he had proof she didn't leave on her own free will?

"Persephone was your first love, sire. No matter what you feel now, there will always be a sense of connection and love. With that comes the desire to protect those we love. We will do what we can to find her. But you, more than most, must know that unrequited love is fruitless. It rots you from the inside out. You say yourself that you have strong feelings for Callie. Well, she stands before you, and from what I can see her feelings are as strong as yours. Who are you to deny them? Let yourself be happy, Hades. You're allowed to put yourself first once in a while." Thanatos sounded quite tender.

A long pause stretched out. The silence was so deafening that I feared they would hear me breathing outside the door. Finally, Hades spoke.

"You're right. Callie is a good woman. She's wise beyond her years, selfless, caring, passionate, and her eyes... I swear they look right through me. I fall deeper every minute I'm with her."

A tiny spark shot from my fingertips. I grasped my hand and winced, praying they hadn't heard me. I needed to get back to my room immediately lest I was caught.

"Persephone needs our help, and I'm happy to assist with that. But she hated it here, and you know she wouldn't want to come back even if we are able to save her. Callie is here, and she is ready to take her place by your side. Don't be a fool, Hades. Marry her."

I tiptoed down the hallway and ran back to my room as soon as I was out of earshot. I threw myself under my covers and spent the next several hours trying to make things appear from thin air. I wanted to surprise Hades the next time I saw him, and I had the perfect idea. I just had to master my powers first.

No pressure.