Page 133 of Hell On Earth
I shrugged lightly. “You are who you choose to be. Persephone had no love for Zeus, but knowing everything I do, I think he tried to be fair and just. He tried to protect the people he cared about. It just didn’t go the way he had planned all the time.”
“So the gods are really gone?” Megan asked. “Then why is Thanatos here?”
“Hades was left behind to care for mortals in their afterlife. Thanatos was left behind to ensure the spell’s completion. That’s it. Thanatos cannot create like the other gods could. He can only remove mortal life, and even then, it’s limited to when the fates allow it.”
“What about the fates?” Fenris asked.
I shrugged. “They’re entities that guide humanity without bias. They exist like wind and rain. They just are.”
I focused on Thanatos and Adira again. “Hades doesn’t need to sleep again. And the banshees’ cries were likely due to the two of you trying to kill me. Which I suggest ends now.”
Thanatos bowed his head in acknowledgment while Adira held my gaze.
“Are you plotting again?” Megan asked. “Seriously, when are you going to be done already?”
“I believe I can finally be done.” Her gaze swept over all of us. “On behalf of Uttira’s existing Council, congratulations on your ascension. We look forward to the upcoming transition.”
“Getting a straight answer out of her is like milking a troll,” Fenris mumbled.
Eliana and I made the same ‘ew’ faces.
“He’s right,” Megan said. “Not about the troll—I wouldn’t know anything about that—but about getting a straight answer. Just say what you mean for a change.”
Adira’s smile widened. “I look forward to seeing how long your forthright way of dealing with issues lasts, Megan. I suggest all of you give careful consideration to who will fill the lead Council position. Likewise, I would caution you against putting Megan in charge of the Academy. She will end up condemning more students to Hell than helping them graduate."
“Yeah, I’m about two seconds from sending you there,” Megan said, her eyes flickering with her annoyance.
“Anwen and I have been waiting a very long time for the next Council to rise. Centuries, in fact. We teach our young that humans are prey when the truth is that these strongholds help keep us safe from them. During a time when humans captured and killed so many of us, Anwen and I went to the Oracle for help.
“She gave us the answers. Build these strongholds. Give our young a safe place to grow and learn. To teach future generations how to take control, we would need to show them what it feels like to be controlled. She said it was the only way to ensure the next Council would have the strength to lead us into a future where we might co-exist with humans.”
Megan narrowed her gaze at Adira.
“Let me guess the price for her helpfulness. All-she-can-eat mermaids for the rest of her life?”
Adira nodded.
“She is allowed to feed on the mermaids without recourse, and I gave up my ability to have children of my own. Nothing is without sacrifice, Megan.”
I threaded my fingers through Hades’, thinking of everything everyone had to sacrifice to get to the point we were at.
“So you’re telling us what? That you were a pain in our asses because you knew this was going to happen?” Megan asked, her eyes glowing brighter. “You wanted to almost destroy the world?”
“My only goal was to bring together the people we needed to save it,” Adira said. “You know I’m not wicked, Megan. I’ve simply pushed you and meddled in your lives in hopes that you would choose to become the best version of yourselves as possible.”
“I don’t care if Megan thinks you’re wicked or not,” I said. “You tried to help someone kill me for a cause you thought was just. I get it. You were trying to save people. However, the fact that you didn’t involve the other Council members in your decision tells me you knew on some level that what you were doing was questionable. You say that they’re ascending to be the next Council members that the Oracle told you to expect? Then start trusting them. Work with them. Listen to them.”
“Them?” Adira replied, looking at me. “A Council takes many members. Who better to ensure the rights of humans than a human?”
Hades kissed the side of my neck, distracting me for a moment.
“We can decide that later,” Megan said. “What we need to decide now is what to do with these two?”
“Thanatos can choose between Tartarus or a vow,” Hades said.
“The vow,” Thanatos said immediately.
“Very well,” Hades said, releasing me.
