CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Isabelle had been intently listening to the conversation between two very powerful gods. One happened to be her current host and the other an all-powerful Lord of the Underworld, who seemed intent on finding her.
“There you are, Seer.” Turning sharply, she came face to face with the god of Hell. Wait—no, it was Hades, right? Her first thought was holy crap! He was Christian Bale, American Psycho handsome. Add on the facial hair and no wonder Persephone married the man.
She backed a few paces away from the door, which was a good thing, because a second later it was flung open. Apollo stood in the entryway, every inch the ancient god of Greece he had once been, now staring down his uncle. The very air burned with power.
“Hades, you are no longer welcome in my home! She is under my protection until her male retrieves her. Leave.” Hell, if someone had spoken to her in such a commanding tone, she would do anything he said to avoid feeling his wrath. Hades, however, shrugged it off and waved his hand at Apollo as one would a bug. The god was literally thrown off his feet, hit by some unseen force which sent him hurtling back into his living room.
“Impudent child. His father wasn’t big on manners, my dear. Do forgive him. Now, to the matter at hand…” A roar filled the penthouse. Then the pounding of feet on tile, and a blazing light that scorched flesh filled the room surrounding the great god Apollo, he charged towards Hades.
Isabelle knelt on the floor, trying to shield herself from the barrage, and feeling her flesh redden from Apollo’s power. The light was so bright she couldn’t see the fight, but it was over in a second. Dots hovered in her vision, as if she had been looking at the sun, which she figured she kinda had. As the light diminished, she saw Hades holding Apollo by the throat, his feet dangling in the air. It was some mean feat, considering Apollo had to be close to two-hundred-sixty pounds of pure muscle and well over six feet tall.
Wincing at the stinging pain on her exposed arms and face, she looked down at the small blisters that had formed under her skin. But the pain radiated deeper, like a bad sunburn, her skin a deep, angry red. The constant pulsing pain of the burn radiated from her arm, over her shoulder, to the right side of her face. This burn was from the glow from his skin? She hated to think what would happen in a true battle.
“Stupid boy! You seek to fight me? Arrange a time and place away from a city. In your blind rage you burned the Seer, foolish child.” There was no anger or malice in Hades’ voice, he just stated fact.
Apollo looked over at Isabelle, his eyes going wide. They turned from angry thunderstorm grey to beautiful sky blue in a second. Hades nodded and dropped him. The Lord of the Underworld straightened his suit jacket and rolled his shoulders, as if nothing at all had just happened. He, too, turned his gaze to Isabelle.
“I’m so sorry, Isabelle. I didn’t think. Please, let me fix this.” Apollo knelt beside her, reaching for her burned arm. She winced as he took her wrist in his hand. “I forget myself sometimes. Hades has that effect on most of us.” Apollo began to emit a gentle glow his fingers soft on her burned skin.
“Do not blame me for your mistake, Apollo. Take ownership of it and ensure it does not occur again. I expected better of you.” Hades chided the sun god.
Isabelle was in awe as his warming glow seeped into her skin, spreading up her arm and over her face. The pain vanished as it spread through her body, the blisters healing, the skin turning pink, then white and finally returning to her soft tan. Apollo lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the palm, keeping his head down.
“It is unforgivable to harm a Seer in anyway, even accidentally.” Such regret in his voice brought a small smile to her lips.
“Not to worry, all fixed now. I guess the term hothead has new meaning in reference to you, Nightlight. I still think you need a dimmer switch.” He let out a soft chuckle and dropped his eyes to his task.
“I will look into that.” Mumbling his words, he stood and faced Hades. “I promised to protect her. I gave my word to Lucifer.”
“I know. Your promise will remain intact. I will merely escort her back to Mammon. His madness has deepened. I’m unsure if his brothers can control him much longer. As his current affliction is partially my fault, I will endeavor to fix it. And you, my dear Seer, you are the balm for his soul.”
Isabelle got to her feet quickly. The idea something was wrong with her demon sat heavy in her stomach. She paused for a second. When had he become her demon? She knew when—it had been the second he had touched her, when she looked into his eyes and seen something familiar. She had been his from that moment. And he had been hers.
“Is he okay? Please, I need to know he’s okay.” Hades raised an eyebrow at her and Isabelle felt like she had committed some grievous faux pas. Leaning in to Apollo, her voice low, she whispered, “Am I supposed to kneel or something?”
“For future reference, Seer, I have excellent hearing. And no, I do not wish you to kneel. Despite my best efforts, time has brought with it changes to decorum in the human world. As much as I miss the old ways, I will not force them upon you.”
From the tension in his shoulders and the haughty way he held his head, it was clear this annoyed him greatly. It had to be hard for a god like him to acknowledge the world around him had changed. Isabelle found she couldn’t dislike the Hades. He was stuffy, old school, and far too arrogant for her taste, but she got the distinct impression he wanted to do right, he was trying to change and change was rough on him. Hades frowned as she came over and sank to her knees before him.
Hades stared at her, shocked. The look on his face was clear. Why was she kneeling? Hades crouched down to her level, where he took her hands and pulled her so she was standing again. Isabelle felt a low, pleasant hum from him. Yes she definitely liked him.
“Thank you. It was…” He struggled to find the words. “…kind…of you.” He smiled, and she got the feeling he didn’t smile much. Isabelle realized then she could read him. Not like she could humans, but she’d gotten a sense of his mood. It was almost automatic to respond in a way that soothed his spirit. Was she starting to believe she was this Seer they kept talking about? She could sense the god felt calmer, more grounded from just one action. How had she known he needed that? She had just followed her instincts.
“You’re welcome. Please, Mammon—how is he?” Isabelle frowned a little, was that guilt in the old god’s eyes? He dropped his gaze from hers for just a second, but when he looked back at her, they were filled with a level of solid determination. She was sure he had made some decision concerning her. She just hoped it was a good one.
“Not well, I’m afraid. The news you’d been taken did not come from the most concise source. As such, he descended further into the madness that lives within him. Come with me Seer, and I will explain all.”
Isabelle nodded and turned to Apollo. He stared at her like she had grown a second head. She thanked him for his help but was pulled into a bear hug by the Greek god of the sun. Laughing, he released her, his grin wide.
“You’re incredible, Isabelle. I hope we meet again soon. Call on me if you ever have need. Just summon me to you by name. I will answer.”
Nodding she returned to Hades’ side. He seemed confused, yet calmed by her presence. She wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing or not, but time would tell.
“Apollo, bring my boys to me. If they won’t come, tell them I have the Seer. That will make them obey.” Isabelle opened her mouth to ask why they wouldn’t come when asked, but didn’t get the chance. Hades placed his hand on her shoulder, and the world around her shifted.
The opulent decorated penthouse vanished, only to be replaced by the rustic décor of a hunting lodge. She swayed a little, a strong hand at her elbow steadying her.
“Give it a second. Your mind needs to catch up with the flash.”
The god Hades released her, and she sank down onto the closest object, a large cream couch sitting before a huge open fireplace. Blinking, she took in the dark, vaulted wooden ceiling. One wall was nothing but wood and windows. Standing slowly, she made her way over to take in the scene—a large glittering lake bordered by majestic mountains and lush green trees. Where on earth was she now? She’d better be getting air miles for this.
“We’re in Alaska. I much prefer my solitude to the city. Unlike my relations, I have no desire to live among those I must judge and deliver to the next world. Hello, my love. I missed you.”
He missed who? Isabelle turned to face the god. She was shocked to see a small woman standing beside him, nearly dwarfed by his sheer size, but she radiated power equal to his. Her smile was open, and her hair cascaded across her shoulders in long waves of strawberry blond. Her eyes shone with a mesmerizing mix of green and blue. Moving forward, she took Isabelle’s hands in her own. A sense of happiness washed over Isabelle. This had to be Persephone.
“I’m so pleased Hades finally got out of his study and brought you here. I hope he was polite and not too forceful. He has been known to forget his manners when it comes to company.”
“Seph, my love, please don’t embarrass me. I do have an image to uphold.”
Isabelle smiled. The great big bad god of the Underworld, famed for his rage and temper, keeper and judge of souls, looked like a scolded schoolboy. It was totally and utterly endearing.
The woman waved him off, pulling Isabelle with her to the couch. Persephone continued to clutch Isabelle’s hands in her own. She totally ignored her husband, her concentration focused on Isabelle.
“Pay him no mind. He is not as bad as people say, well not anymore. I think ‘mellowed’ is the term currently in vogue. Modern times have been hard for my kind and harder still for him. He’s stuck in his old ways. It would be easier to get blood from a stone than to make this one change.”
Isabelle heard the groan from Hades and hid her smile behind her hand. His wife was utterly amazing—she shone with love for her husband. This was the kind of true love every girl dreamed about when they read romance novels.
“So, let me see if I have this right. Your name is Isabelle, and you’re a Seer. Empathic abilities if I am not mistaken. You have met your destined mate, for the second time…”
“Wait, whoa. What do you mean ‘second time’?”
Persephone turned her gaze to her husband and raised an eyebrow at him. Isabelle knew she was missing a huge piece of this puzzle. Hades scowled at his wife, but clearly he knew he had lost the battle. Groaning again, he took a seat across from them, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips. Persephone nodded, eyes on her husband as she talked.
“If my dear husband here had just let things be five hundred years ago, then we wouldn’t be in this mess now, would we?” He kept silent, glowering at his wife. “Would we, my love?”
Huffing, Hades relented, “Please don’t bring it up, Seph. You know how I get when you are with your harridan of a mother. I’m hardly the most forgiving of men at the best of times. When you’re gone, forgiveness and mercy are foreign words.” Isabelle looked between the two. Clearly this was a sore subject. The goddess sniffed and turned her gaze to Isabelle, ignoring the plea in her husband’s voice.
“You, my dear, have met Mammon before. About five hundred years ago. If Hades had left well enough alone, you would have been mated to Mammon then, not reborn into this time. But my husband decided to teach his son a lesson. Locking him away because he didn’t blindly follow the orders given to him.”
Isabelle turned her gaze to Hades. He returned her gaze. She had to remember the man she saw now with his wife, wasn’t the man he was required to be when acting as Lord of the Underworld. Unsure of whether she should speak, she bit her tongue and dropped her gaze.
“Speak your mind, Seer. No harm will come to you. I swear it.” Persephone’s voice was more alluring than Apollo's any day.
“What did he do that was so bad?”
Hades looked away and sighed he ran his fingers through his short hair. “Five Hundred years ago, a Seer came into her power. A pretty little thing, possessing more of the seven Seer gifts than had been seen in generations. By the 1500’s most of the Seer bloodlines were gone. Battle for possession of the few women who remained was fierce. I found one…” His eyes locked on her. “I found you.”
“Me? I don’t understand.” His words rang with truth. Despite her fervent wish to deny them, something deep inside remembered.
“You were a ladies-maid to Queen Anne Boleyn of England. She was Henry VIII’s second wife. Back then the Ottoman Empire had taken Greece from the Romans and our power was in freefall. Finding you meant I could shore up my defenses against anyone who might seek to usurp my throne. I sent Greed, Mammon, to collect you and bring you to me. He failed, refusing to fulfill his duty. I…lost my temper. I punished him in a way I saw fit, at the time.”
Isabelle heard Persephone clear her throat, and she raised her eyebrows at her husband. He winced and let out a sigh, leaning forward in his chair to continue. Isabelle felt him then; his barriers were down. Unlike mortals, his emotions were controlled. Still, he didn’t like admitting he might have been just a tad excessive in his punishment.
“I sent him to the Pit. A dark place in Tartarus. It’s where I send souls I want to forget about. The demons there have peculiar proclivities. They like to skin the prisoners.” Isabelle could hear the blood rushing in her ears. Hades, his own father, had sent him to that place? Tears burned her eyes, she stared down at her hands, gripping them together so tightly in her lap her knuckles turned white.
“How long?” She was amazed her voice sounded as strong as it did, because inside she was weeping for her demon and the suffering he had endured.
“Five hundred years.”
Unable to remain seated, she shot to her feet, nausea rolling through her stomach. Everyone had made mention of Greed’s incarceration, but no one had explained it. No one had the balls to tell her he had been locked away in darkness and pain for half a millennium. Because of her. Because of a version of her.
She wanted to rage, shout, scream, to beat some damned sense into the god watching her. Pushing down that desire, she swallowed hard, keeping her eyes to the floor. “Please excuse me, I would like some fresh air.”
“Of course, Isabelle. The door is right over here.” Persephone stood slowly. Isabelle nodded to the goddess and turned on her heel heading towards the exit. The moment she was outside she broke into a run.
Panting hard as she reached the fence line and closed her eyes. Isabelle sucked in deep breaths of the cool Alaskan air, the chill making goosebumps rise on her skin. Hades words kept ringing in her head. Five hundred years in darkness, five hundred years being tortured. How could anyone go through that and come out whole on the other side? Simple answer was you didn’t. Greed was damaged, she could see it in his eyes. He had an emptiness to him as if life had no meaning and the despair was so all consuming it made each day a struggle.
She wanted to scream at the injustice he’d suffered, but wouldn’t solve anything. She closed her eyes. Her future, once so clear to her, were now laying in tattered pieces around her. You could either fight against the flow of the water pulling you along, or you could adapt and let the raging torrent of fate deliver you to its destination. The only thing she hoped was she could be strong enough to help him, she wanted to be the light that guided him back. Her soul had marked him as hers, therefore Isabelle would do everything in her power to guide him from the darkness.
She didn’t hear Hades as he approached and jumped a little as he draped a long coat over her shoulders. Silently, Hades leaned against the fence, no doubt waiting for her to speak. Only one thing kept circling her mind.
“Is this my fault?” Isabelle pulled the warm coat around her, sliding her arms into it. She kept her eyes downcast, staring at the rich grass. In a week or so, white snow would cover the green in its wintery blanket. Odd the things your brain comes up with, when you’re trying not to think about the fact you may have caused the man you love five hundred years of torture. Wait…love? Yes, she loved him, with all his damaged, tarnished pieces, they fit together, she felt complete with him.
“Of course not, it was I who punished him. Despite what the books will tell you, Seer, we gods do make mistakes. Mammon, was one of mine. I could make up excuse after excuse as to why I locked him away. The truth is, everything was falling around me. People had stopped worshipping me. Yet they died by the thousands every day and still expected someone in the Underworld to be there, waiting. As the new One God gathered more power, I worried for my position. We all did. Persephone likes to tell me, ‘Hades, sometimes you’re so dense, it’s a wonder you manage to get out of bed in the morning, let alone dress yourself.’ Losing the Seer was a setback I had not foreseen. I could not have predicted he would be bound to you. Thus, I handled such a revelation rather poorly.”
Isabelle couldn’t stop her snort of derision; he was the Lord of Understatements. Turning to him, she took a slow breath, determined not to let the anger she felt cloud her words.
“I want to help him. He shouldn’t have to stumble through the darkness alone.”
Hades smiled and nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. “I am pleased to hear you say that Isabelle.”