Page 28 of A Single Thread Of Hope

Chapter 15

DEMKE

Ididn’t think I’d have to call on Hades so soon after seeing him last. Honestly, we could go another thousand years, and it would probably be too soon. Our relationship with Hades was much like our relationship with Cydon all those years; we were cordial, but mostly because the enemy of our enemy was our friend. Cy had proven his loyalty over the years, but I knew that Hades was only loyal to Persephone and his Underworld friends. Everything else depended on how he felt when he woke up in the morning.

He did hate the Fates, though, even though they supposedly dwelled in the Underworld with him. Or maybebecausethey dwelled there with him. He hated ninety-nine percent of the other Greek Mythics too. He hated basically everyone and everything, except Persephone, and just tolerated a few others.

As a God of Renewal, I’d been in the Underworld before he was King. Every year, I’d gone down there, when it was just a rough, fuzzy pit of darkness. As more religions were created, the more the Underworld had evolved into the Necropolis it was now. Hades had a lot to do with that.

So yeah, I was on good terms with him and his trusted advisors, but I wouldn’t call him a friend. It irked me to call him now and ask him the most important question I’d ever uttered.

First, though, we’d ply him with food and wine. There were few pleasures that could stand the test of time, but a perfectly made feast withkalitsounia,hirina apakia,andgamopilafowas one of them.

I’d sent a message to the Underworld, and the request had been accepted, so I’d been cooking for two days, with Erus and Tryp’s assistance. Sometimes, Milo would carry Wren down from the bedroom and sit her on the island counter, just so she could watch.

She tasted sauces and kissed Erus and Tryp easily, while a jealousy I hadn’t ever felt before burrowed in my chest. Instead of letting it fester, I fed her as much as I could. I didn’t let the worry I felt about the birth of her babies, or the Moirai, or the possibility of her death show on my face. I was her steadfast anchor, and her appreciation showed in small ways. A lingering touch, a soft smile.

However, I’d never wanted to be inside anyone the way I wanted to be inside Wren Mahone right now. She was dressed in a soft kaftan that billowed around her, though it stretched tight over her stomach. She looked like a goddess, but she was also terrifyingly mortal.

Now, as we waited for our dinner guests, Néit had her on his lap, his face buried in her nape as he breathed her in. I was nervous, but knew better than to let that show on my face.

Wren rubbed her stomach, and I thought about calling Teron into the room. “Are you okay?” I murmured, giving into the impulse to run my hand down her arm.

She nodded. “Cramps. They’ve been coming off and on all day. Teron said they’re Braxton Hicks.”

Nodding, I resisted the urge to reach out and cup her stomach. I trusted Teron’s medical opinion, and all I could do with my magic was vaguely tell her how close she was to giving birth, whether the babies were Mythics, and aid in the rejuvenation of her womb later.

None of that was helpful right at this moment.

The sound of a door knock reverberated around the room, and Erus bounced off the couch to open it like a spinning top wound too tight. We were all tense, I guess.

“At least they used the front door this time,” Tryp grumbled softly. “No one wants a portal to the Underworld in their living room.”

No one said much more as Erus led Hades and Persephone into the room. I was a little surprised to see a third member of their little Hell harem. Asclepius was a healing Demigod with such purity of heart and deftness of skill, Olympus couldn’t abide him to live and show them up as the petty, narcissistic assholes they were. Zeus had killed him, and rumor had it that Hades had snatched him before he could be completely obliterated. I wasn’t even sure Hades could stand between destiny and death like that, but I was not about to ask.

Cy perked up. Dressed in jeans and a shirt, he looked like he should be a cliff-diving college kid, not a Demigod who was the illegitimate son of one of the most powerful Mythics of all time. Or, I should say,oneof the sons.

Apollo was a fucking manwhore, and he had more than a few progeny. But unlike Zeus, Apollo seemed to at least tolerate them all, if not love them all. It was said that Apollo had asked Hades to save Asclepius, who was one of his offspring, and now owed the God of the Underworld a great debt for the action, but again, that was hearsay.

“Brother! It is good to see you so well.” Arms wide, Asclepius walked over to Cy and hugged him tight to his chest. Asclepiuswas the real golden retriever of the two. Sweet, kind, and completely unsuited to the Underworld, I knew he survived down there purely because he radiated such goodness.

Cy patted his back before stepping away. “It is good to see you too, Clee. Let me introduce you to Wren.” He led him over to where Wren still sat with Néit. “Wren, this is my half-brother, Asclepius.”

Asclepius held out a hand to Wren, his eyes taking her in with a practiced manner of a man whose gift was healing. “Please, call me Clee. You are Cy’s little bird, I see.”

Cy gave a quick, sharp nod—perhaps too quick—before diverting Asclepius to Néit. “And this is Néit, Celtic God of War, current protector of the Mother of Fate.”

When I saw Wren narrow her eyes at Cy, I knew she hadn’t missed his unusual response either. I would question him later, when we were alone.

Waving a hand at Hades and Persephone, Erus indicated the sitting room. “Come in. Have a seat. Would you like a drink?”

Persephone gave a tinkling laugh. “Absolutely. I never turn down a good Creten wine.” She dropped her voice, leaning a little closer to me. “Apologies for the extra guest. We thought he might take a look at Wren, make sure everything’s going well.”

So they had brought him for his medical knowledge. I’d wondered, because he never usually made appearances topside. Not worth the wrath of Zeus, who was apparently still a little pissed about the situation a couple of thousand years later.

With this knowledge, something in me loosened. It was like the universe telling us we’d chosen right. “Thank you. It’s appreciated. Teron says that it’s soon, and my magic is going haywire. If our meeting wasn’t so important, we would have postponed it for a later date.” I included Hades in my thanks, because while it was probably Persephone who had pushedthe idea, no one got in or out of the Underworld without his approval.

Shrugging, Hades picked at his nails. “Clee doesn’t get out enough, or get to use his healing abilities, since most inhabitants of our home are already well beyond even his skills. He likes to see Cydon as well. When Cydon’s down below, Cerberus monopolizes his time.”

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