Asphodel (The Underworld Trilogy)

The mother reached them, winded and held her hands out, reaching for her son. “Thank you so much,” she said in between breaths. “I only turned my back for a second.

Demeter handed the child over with a smile, but as soon as she did, she felt her sadness return. Not only was she the Goddess of the Harvest, but she was the Goddess of Fertility as well, so she had a soft spot for mothers and their children. “No problem.” The mother patted her child’s back and kissed his cheeks. “All it takes is a second, though.” That comment reminded her of the day her daughter was taken. She’d only dropped her guard for a second and she was gone.

“I know,” said the woman. “What’s your name? I’d like to thank you properly.”

“Demi.” That’s the name Demeter gave to the mortals on most occasions.

The mother extended her hand. “Metaneira. Mettie for short.” Demeter took her hand and shook it. “Thank you Demeter,” said Mettie. “From the bottom of my heart.”

“Anytime,” Demeter replied and watched Mettie and the child as they walked farther down the beach.

Later on, Demeter sat on a jagged rock, watching as the crystalline aqua waves of the Aegean crashed into the dusky sand. She closed her eyes and exhaled, swearing she could hear Persephone’s laugh echoing on the wind. It was an illusion of course, but Demeter swore that even though she and her child were apart that there would always be a little piece of Persephone with her at all times.

A whooshing sound pulled Demeter from her thoughts and she opened her eyes abruptly. Just in time to notice an eagle, magnificent and majestic soaring through the pale blue sky. The eagle nose-dived and curled up before slowly fluttering its wings and landing at her feet.

A smile tugged at her lips. “Hello, Zeus,” she said to the eagle.

A nano-second later the eagle transformed and Zeus stood before Demeter with his hands on his hips. “How did you know it was me?” he boomed with a smirk.

Demeter laughed. “Did you actually think I’d forget that an eagle is your transformation animal of choice?”

“No,” Zeus said with a chuckle and sat down next to Demeter. He placed his hand on her back and gently rubbed her shoulder blades. “How are you doing?”

Demeter turned a cheek in each direction. She was being cautious. Hera had been known to follow Zeus to catch him in scandalous situations. When she realized they were in the clear Demeter sighed and said, “As good as I can be I guess. I’m just really nervous and worried.”

“What for?”

She looked Zeus in the eye and swore she could see the waves of the Aegean crashing in his navy blue eyes. “What if Hermes fails? What if Hades puts up a fight? I just have this bad feeling that something is going to go wrong.”

“What could possibly go wrong?”

“I don’t know. I think we both know that when it comes to Hades realm anything and everything is possible.

Zeus wrapped a massive arm around Demeter’s shoulder and hugged her close. “You need to trust me. I told you we’d get her back and we will.” Demeter placed her head on Zeus’s shoulder. “Hermes has been in and out of the underworld millions of times through the centuries. He will retrieve her.”

“I know that,” Demeter said with a sigh.

“Then what are you so worried about?”

“Look,” she started, “We both know Hades and what he’s willing to go to get what he wants. I just think he’ll try something drastic and our plan might backfire.”

“And you think I didn’t know that?”

Demeter lifted her head slightly meeting Zeus’s gaze. “You have a back-up plan?”

“It’s more than a back-up plan,” Zeus said. “It’s a war.”

Persephone

After Charon dropped me off, I found my way back to the castle.

Inside, I ram my back into the front door, sliding down until my butt touches the cold marble floor. The hard and icy marble sends a chill through me. I’m frozen inside, trapped in a block of ice. I’m pounding and pounding and pounding praying to shatter the slick walls with my fists. But I can’t get out and no matter how loud I scream there’s no one around to help me. I’m alone.

For the second half of the ferry ride, my tears had dried up. I got distracted watching the choppy waters of the Styx swish back and forth. The waters reminded me of the ferry I was on. It rocked against the current, making me think of my relationship with Hades as a ferry ride. During that moment it was filling me with motion sickness.

Now, I bury my head in my hands and wail, hugging myself. Alone. Alone. Alone. Even when I’m with him, I won’t really be with him. I’ll be here while he’s out doing what he does and the thought of that expands into a black abyss covering every organ inside of me. Pretty soon I’ll be nothing. Just a hollow shell of a Goddess that used to be.

My chest vibrates as the sobs turn into howls and I squeeze myself tighter. I need to keep myself together. This is not me. And I can’t remember when I became this weak. Sniffling and using the heels of my hands, I wipe the tears from my eyes. Then using the door as a crutch, I stand. I don’t know where to go or what to do, but I know there’s an incessant pain inching its way toward my heart and the pain is seconds away from plunging deep into the core of my thumping organ.