Page 137 of Hell On Earth
“Did he hurt Mother?” I heard someone whisper.
I forced myself to lift my head and saw that Hades had teleported us to the throne room. A good number of his children were already there. They barely caught my attention, though. The room and the transformation it had undergone demanded most of it.
The beautiful marble walls served as a gleaming backdrop to all manner of plants now. Tables were scattered along the side of the room with short stools. The path leading to the thrones was lined with Zotera’s creations. Her bed to the side was gone, and instead, a new beautiful stool carved with twining vines waited next to my chair.
“She doesn’t bleed,” someone else whispered, drawing me back to their concern.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Your father didn’t hurt me.”
Hades glanced down at me, his gaze skimming over my face.
“You should probably kiss me to prove that everything’s fine,” I said.
He stumbled. I grinned like the love-struck human I was, and he threw his head back and laughed before kissing the daylights out of me.
When he lifted his head again, we were seated on his throne with me in his lap. I looked down at the Grecian gown I wore. No underwear, but a band around my breasts just like before.
I sighed contentedly and leaned into him.
“Your father has gifts for everyone,” I said, my gaze sweeping over Hades’ children. I saw a lot of faces I recognized. Most of them watched me warily.
I tipped my head to glance at Hades. His gaze met mine, watching…questioning…waiting. And in it, I saw the absolute devotion that had always been there and I knew would always be there.
Gently, I pried his arms from around my waist and stood. When I offered him my hand, he accepted it and stood too. I brought his fingers to my lips and kissed them as he watched me. As they all watched me. Then, I turned to face his children.
“I won’t apologize for what Persephone did to you because I’m not her anymore. However, I will do everything in my power to help you heal and move past what she did to hurt you.
“Hell is your home. It’s our home too. Let’s fill it with light and laughter and friendship.”
Hades’ fingers tightened in gratitude around mine.
“And if you see me kissing your father, know that it’s filled with love. It will never again be filled with hate.”
“Come receive the tokens of peace your mother asked me to make for you,” Hades said.
They looked stunned by the large bowl filled with rings and small hoop earrings, and it took a few beats for the first brave creature to approach.
“Which would you prefer?” I asked. “A ring for your finger or a hoop for your ear?”
“Whatever you wish, Mother,” the man said, his gaze flicking briefly to Hades.
“Then we’ll let the fates decide,” I said, covering my eyes with one hand and reaching into the bowl with the other. The first piece I touched, I withdrew. I handed the man a ring and offered a small smile. He quickly retreated, and the next person stepped forward.
Word spread, and the hall filled quickly. The conversation in the space slowly increased, as did the celebratory mood.
“Can I have something to drink?” I asked, glancing at Hades.
A table immediately appeared beside me. It wasn’t rustic like he usually materialized but something from the modern world. It generated a lot of questions, and after selecting a glass of fruity wine, I was able to enjoy watching Hades talk to his children while I continued distributing the gifts.
When I finished, I made conversation with a woman I vaguely recalled. I didn’t try to remember how or why. Persephone’s mistakes were her own, not mine. I would learn from them, but I wouldn’t let them rob me of the second chance we’d all been given. So I talked about the short time I’d spent on Earth and explained why Zotera wasn’t with us.
“She met a human on Earth that she wanted to spend some more time with,” I said.
“And you allowed her?”
“Yes. But she promised she wouldn’t hurt him, and my friends will make sure he doesn’t do anything to hurt her.”
“What are they doing then?” the woman asked.
