Tempting the Fates

Chapter 32

The first thing I did was try to close my eyes and travel right to him, like I had with my mom in Greece. But for some reason I couldn't locate him. I tried over and over, to no avail.

Frustrated, I flopped down on the couch. Where would he have gone to look for me?

"Your husband is beside himself right now, you know."

I jumped, frightened by the deep voice that echoed out behind me. I turned to see Hermes leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. He had on his Olympian uniform- his white toga, complete with golden sneakers.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped.

"Easy, tiger." He raised his hands in defense. "You've been gone an entire hour on your own. Hades sent me to find you and make sure you were okay."

Had it really been an hour?

"He sends his errand boy to clean up his mess, then?" I rolled my eyes.

"No." Hermes clapped back. "You told him to leave you alone, and he's respecting your wishes like a decent person."

Oh yeah. I had said that.

"He is beyond upset, if you were wondering." Hermes raised an eyebrow in frustration. "He was already feeling guilty over how he acted at the Sky Palace, and then suddenly you're blowing up your mother's throne room and accusing him of being the mastermind of a plot to kill the few people he cares about. Way to go."

"Don't patronize me." I stood. "My mom told me everything. I know what he did."

"And what did he do, Callie?" His face was stone cold, like he was begging me to start an argument.

"He stole my mother from me by forcing her to choose her life on Olympus over her child, forced me into a marriage in order to save my father's life. He had choices, and he chose to hurt me." I raised my hands, daring him to answer.

"You know, for a smart woman, you sure are dumb sometimes." Hermes rolled his eyes, joining me on the couch. "Callie, you have this all wrong. I was there in Olympus when your mom asked him to save your dad. When Zeus invited us for dinner that night, he told your husband that he wanted to smite you and your dad from where he sat just to spite her. He wanted you both out of the picture so she would come back to Olympus."

I sank back into my seat, tired and confused.

Hermes threw an arm over the back of the couch, making himself comfortable. "That's why he made those conditions. Hades is a great god, but he's got a bit of a savior complex. He's a bleeding heart, really. If he thinks he can spare an innocent life, he will do whatever possible to save them. He put in the caveat about you being his wife because he knew that if the situation ever called for it, being queen of a realm would give you immortality. You'd also be under his protection. And he forced your mother to return to Olympus and stay away because you'd be safe from Zeus' wrath. He did all that to protect you, Callie. Gods only know why he does what he does. And before you start asking, he didn't tell you because he didn't want you to worry more than you already were. He figured that if you knew that you'd basically had a hit put on you from birth by the most powerful god in existence, you might freak out."

There was something painful in my chest. Guilt. It wracked me from inside. I'd blamed him for all those things, and he'd only been trying to protect me. I felt like the most awful bitch in the universe.

"What about Persephone not returning? The timing was convenient." I pushed. "Wouldn't that seem a little fishy to you?"

"Not if she found out about his little loophole with you." He said, sighing. "She'd been looking for a way out of their agreement for a thousand years. If she knew that he would have another wife and let her go without a fight, she'd take that opportunity. She was miserable down there with him. She wanted freedom. I think it was just an awful coincidence that she taken after."

"Now I feel awful for saying those things to Hades. It looked so bad when I started to think about all the coincidences." I breathed. "I didn't even let him defend himself."

"Yeah, well... I may not know much about marriage, but relationships are hard. You must communicate with each other. You can be pissed off if you want, but you should hear him out. And he should give you the same respect."

I buried my face in my hands. "I'll apologize. Thanks, Hermes."

"Don't mention it, kid. Maybe just remember how I helped you if I ever get on Hades' bad side, eh?" I could hear a smile in his voice.

I smirked, looking up. "You got it."

With a nod, Hermes rose from the couch. He flew down the hall and out my bedroom window, which closed and locked behind him.

I took a few moments to think of a game plan before I stood. I thought clearly about what I wanted and waved a hand in the air. Thankfully, my powers obliged and my outfit changed.  I relaxed as I stretched, reveling in the comfort of my new clothes. I admired the leggings and t-shirt for a moment before I zipped the black hoodie up and pulled the hood up over my head.

I cursed at myself for forgetting my phone, but I headed over to the old rotary phone Dad never used (but refused to get rid of). I dialed his cellphone number, but I got an error tone. I slammed the phone down and headed outside.

I was going to apologize to Hades. But first, I needed to chase the trail my dad left behind before it went cold... or worse, something awful happened to him.

It was raining outside, but it felt nice. The Underworld was always overcast, and Olympus had sunshine, but I missed the sounds and smells of Earth when it rained. I savored the icy cold taps on my skin as I walked.

I tried to think about where Dad might look for me. He'd been gone a couple days, and he'd packed a passport... he knew who my mother really was, and that I'd been looking for her. Logically, he had probably traveled to Greece.

The only place I'd ever actually been in Greece was the island where we'd visited my mother a little while ago. I decided to start there in hopes that proximity would make it easier to find him. If that was a place my mom frequented, Dad may have even known about it.

I slipped into the alley next to the nearest building, not wanting to draw attention to myself if someone was looking. I let my powers guide me again, and they did not disappoint. I shuttered, and I was in the warm Greek heat once more.

I was at my mother's villa, but outside at the pool where the "grope fest" had been happening earlier. It was eerily quiet and empty. Not a single person was inside or out. The lust had left along with my mom, so the partygoers were long gone. I glanced to the door leading inside to see if she had returned.

I walked into the villa, which was just as empty as the pool had been. Without her presence, the Aphrodite Suite looked a little dark and sad. I headed toward the couch, but something stopped me in my tracks.

A fist pounded on the front door, and the doorknob rattled. It felt way too similar to the first dream I'd had, with the woman screaming and banging on the door. I took a couple steps backward, wondering how quickly I could escape before the person on the other side could break through.

"Venus, open the door! I know you have her!"

No. Freaking. Way. The coincidence was way too large for this to be real, right? I flew forward and ripped the door open, my heart beating wild in my chest.