Tempting the Fates

Chapter 41

I'd tucked away my hurt feelings by the time Hades had returned, but I didn't forget about what I'd seen. He had not given me any reason to distrust him, but seeing that photo was a bruise to my heart. I needed time to process my feelings before I talked to him about it.

That night he had some work to do at his desk, so I convinced him that sleeping in my old room was something I needed. He'd obliged, given how quiet everything had been the last few weeks.

When I fell asleep, I was thrown into the first nightmare I'd had in ages.

I was back in the hallway from my earlier dreams, though I was not restrained. When I had broken free the last time, it had been permanent. There was no shadow man at the end of the hall, but I could hear the woman pounding on the door at the end of the hall. Not only that, but this time I could hear her voice, too.

"Someone! Anyone! Please!"

I had to help this woman in any way I could. I wasn't sure if it was even real, but my dreams often showed me things that were happening. I hurried to the end of the hall and twisted the doorknob. It was locked, naturally. I tried using my powers, but nothing worked. My powers were strong in real life, but the dream state was preventing me from doing any real magic.

"Hello? Who's there?" the voice called out.

"I'm Callie. Who are you?"

"Persephone."

My stomach dropped at the same time my heart did. "You're kidding."

"I wish I were, but no. Who sent you? Can you get through the door?" her voice was soft and lilting but edged with panic.

"No one sent me. I just followed the sound of your voice." I tried the door again, but it was stronger than anything I'd ever encountered. "I can't get through. Is there a spell on it?"

"Yes."

"Do you know how to break it?"

"The spell? No."

I paused my efforts to rescue her as a realization hit. What would happen if I freed her? Would she go back to the Underworld and try to take Hades back because it was safest? Would I be shoved back out to Earth with no protection apart from my own powers? Would people still try to kill me, even though I'd been ousted?

"Hello? Are you still there?"

I wanted to leave her there. The awful, selfish person inside me knew that things would stay the way they were if I just abandoned her in this prison. But could I forgive myself?

"Yeah, I'm still here." I whispered. "But I don't know how to break the spell either."

"Please, do something for me. Find Hermes and have him summon Hades, God of the Underworld. He will know how to free me. He has to know." She sounded desperate.

"Okay." I muttered. "Tell me, though- who has you prisoner?"

"Ares." she replied.

I winced, remembering how Ares had beaten me to an inch of my life.

"I'll... be back."

"Hurry, please!" she commanded.

I forced myself from the dream and awoke, staring at the ceiling. It took a few minutes to convince myself the dream had really happened, but eventually I pried myself out of bed and walked down to the study. It was the middle of the night, so I was able to think about the dream the entire way without being interrupted.

I knocked on the door instead of opening it. When the door swung open, Hades frowned at me.

"Callie, what's wrong? Why did you knock?"

"I didn't want to interrupt anything, I guess." I muttered. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Absolutely." He pulled me inside and shut the door. "What's wrong?"

I took a seat on the couch and he took his place next to me. I just stared down at my hands, which I wrung with a painful intensity.

"If someone's life was in danger, and you had the ability to help them, you'd do it, right?" I asked.

Hades put a hand on my back. "You know I would. What's wrong? You seem upset."

I nodded. "Let me finish. Would you still help them if it meant there was a chance that your life may change forever, in a bad way?"

Hades looked worried. "Cal, what are you saying? I'm really confused."

"Just answer the question."

"I..." he paused. "Probably, yes. I deal with death daily, so I don't take the idea of someone meeting their end lightly."

I bit my lip. "Even if it meant you might lose me?"

"Okay." Hades got up and knelt before me to meet my eyes. "I don't like the sound of these questions. What is happening? Are you alright?"

I shrugged. "What would happen if we found Persephone? Would she come back here?"

"Is that what you're worried about?" he sighed, dropping his head. "No, I don't think she'd come back. She hated it here."

"She can't have always hated it." I thought of the photo. "I mean, you guys were married. There had to be a time when you loved each other."

"A long, long time ago." He answered truthfully. "But she's free from our vows. I told you, I will promise to be yours as long as you want me. I only kept up the half-year schedule with her because I knew her mother would never let her go again if she was free. Plus, I hoped one day, she'd learn to love this place as much as I do. I didn't want her to see it as a prison, I wanted it to be a sanctuary."

"Was she... good?" I wondered.

"As a person? Yes, and no. At first, she really cared for others. She would go out of her way to do things for anyone who needed it. But after many years, she became bitter. She didn't want to do the 'queen thing'. She wanted everyone to leave her alone. I thought I was protecting her, but..." He trailed off, his lips pursing.

"Do you miss her?" I hoped he would say no, but I knew it wasn't that easy.

"I won't lie to you, Callie. Yes, I do miss her a bit. We spent millennia together. You can't say that a person doesn't leave a piece of themselves in your heart when that happens. But that doesn't mean I don't love you."

I swallowed the jealousy seething within me. As much as he wounded me with the truth, I was glad he felt comfortable enough to share it. I wouldn't be upset at him for being candid, since that's what I wanted between us.

"Thank you for being honest." I nodded.

He stood and placed a single kiss on my forehead. "Any time, my queen."

With one long kiss goodnight, I went back to my room. I was seething by the time I reached the door. My choice was clear, whether I liked it or not. I conjured up the armor I used when I practiced with Than and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I had to rescue Persephone, and I had to do it alone.