A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone 1)

“Yes, we are close to Asphodel,” Hecate said.

Hecate held out her hand, as if to stop Persephone from moving too far forward. When she looked down, she stood at the edge of a steep canyon. The asphodel grew right up to the edge of the incline, making the chasm almost impossible to see as they approached.

Persephone wasn’t sure what she expected from Asphodel, but she guessed she’d always thought of death as a sort of aimless existence—a time where souls occupied space but had no purpose. At the bottom of this canyon, however, there was life.

A field of green stretched for miles, flanked by sloping hills in the distance. Scattered over the emerald plane were several small homes. She was surprised to observe they all appeared to be slightly different—some were crafted of wood and others of obsidian brick. Smoke rose from some chimneys, flowers bloomed in a few window boxes, and warm light illuminated windows. A wide path cut right through the center of the field, and it was crowded with souls and colorful tents.

“Are they...celebrating something?” Persephone asked.

Hecate smiled. “It is market day,” she said. “Would you like to explore?”

“Very much,” Persephone said.

Hecate took the young goddess’s hand and teleported, landing on the ground inside the valley.

When the goddess looked up, she could see Hades’ palace rising tall toward his muted sky. She realized it was similar to the way Nevernight towered over the mortals in the world above. It was both beautiful and ominous, and Persephone wondered what feelings the sight of their King’s tower inspired.

The path they followed through Asphodel was lined with lanterns. Souls wandered about, looking as solid as living humans. Now that Persephone was on ground level, she saw that the colorful tents were filled with a variety of goods—apples and oranges, figs and pomegranates. Others held beautifully embroidered scarves and woven blankets.

“You are puzzled?” Hecate asked.

“I just...where does all this stuff come from?” Persephone asked.

“It is made by the souls.”

“Why?” Persephone was confused. The dead did not need any of this stuff.

“I think you misunderstand what it means to be dead,” Hecate said. “Souls still have feeling and perception. It pleases them to live a familiar existence.”

“Lady Hecate!” a soul called.

Once one of the souls spotted the goddess, others did, too and approached. They bowed and grasped her hands. Hecate smiled and touched every soul. She introduced Persephone as the Goddess of Spring. At that, the souls seemed confused.

“We do not know the Goddess of Spring.” Of course, they didn’t—no one did.

Until now.

“She is the daughter of the Goddess of Harvest,” Hecate explained. “She will be spending time with us here in the Underworld.”

Persephone blushed. She felt compelled to offer an explanation, but what was she supposed to say? I entered into a game with your lord and he held me to a contract I must fulfill? She decided staying silent was best.

She and Hecate walked for a long while, exploring the market. Souls offered them everything—fine silk and jewels, fresh breads and chocolate. Then a young girl ran up to Persephone with a small, white flower. She held it out in her pale hand, bright-eyed, looking as alive as ever. It was a strange sight, and it made Persephone’s heart feel heavy.

Persephone's gaze fell to the flower. She hesitated because if she touched the petal, it would shrivel. Instead, she bent and allowed the soul to thread the flower into her hair. After, several more souls of all ages approached her to offer flowers.

By the time she and Hecate left Asphodel, a crown of flowers decorated Persephone’s head and her face hurt from smiling so much.

“The crown suits you,” she said.

“They are just flowers,” Persephone said.

“Accepting them from the souls means a lot,” Hecate said.

Persephone and Hecate continued toward the palace, and as they crested a hill, Persephone stopped short, finding Hades in the clearing. He was shirtless and chiseled, sweat glistening over his defined back and biceps. His arm was back as he prepared to throw the red ball his three hounds had brought her earlier.

For a moment, she felt panicked, like she was intruding or seeing something she wasn’t meant to see—this moment of abandon where he was engaged in something so...mortal.

It ignited something low in her stomach, a fluttering that spread to her chest.