Dark Petals (A Hades and Persephone story)

Chapter Thirty One - Persephone

In a blink, we went from the stone corridor to an outdoor paradise. The warm breeze blows around me tousling my hair. My now strawberry blonde hair. I take the strands in my hand and twirl them. Despite it being my natural color that I had known my entire life I'm shocked to see it. I had become used to the dark auburn locks within the last couple of months.

I have to admit it does feel nice to have my hair back. So much changed at once when I went with Hades it was a lot to process. Though the dark hair wasn't a bad change, it was just a change in general one piled atop the others.

We arrived at the edge of the land beneath our feet, high above everything else. Something meets the edge of the land below, some kind of liquid. Could it be water? I have never seen such a thing.

"What is that?" I almost whisper in wonder.

I don't turn to look at him. Unable to, transfixed by what is in front of me. I hear him though as he answers, "The Ionian Sea."

"Sea?" I ask watching the liquid flow in and back out.

"It's a large body of water. This is Ithaca, it's an island" his voice and the wind caress my face however my face quickly scrunches up in confusion at another foreign word.

Hades reads my expression and without judgment explains "An island is a mass of land surrounded by water. In this case, the sea" he points toward the end of the land in front of us as he finishes.

The lush greenery that makes up the island is much different than the ones in my meadow. The trees and other greenery surrounding this island is vibrant from within. As if the water and sun in this particular spot provide each with souls of their own.

Adding to its beauty the water shines like there are millions of emeralds laying below the surface. Each floating and making up one giant blanket. The water and land creating a form of nirvana.

"It's beautiful," I say breathlessly as my eyes scan as fast as they can taking everything in.

"So you like it?" Hades asks, sounding unsure of himself for the first time since I met him.

"How could anyone think badly of this?" I ask finally breaking my gaze away from it to look at him.

He exhales and smiles down at me. His happiness evident at my words "You never can tell."

The small amount of pressure he gives to my hand brings my attention to our joined hands. He had not jumped away from me as soon as we arrived. I look up to him and his silver eyes swirl with what appears to be excitement. Not his normal brooding.

The swirling increased as a spark lights the silver "Would you like to go down to the water?"

"Yes please!" I exclaim and with a full smile that takes my breath, he transports us to the land below.