Page 10 of Hidden

My father's face lit up with a huge grin. "Your mate? Oh, how fantastic!" I opened my mouth to thank him until he added, "Fourteen of my children have found their matches, and Zeus's offspring have yet to find a single one! Oh, I can't wait to rub Mr. Holier-than-thou's face in it!"

He laughed maniacally and I changed the subject my asking, "Were you visiting the human world?" He typically stayed within his realm, so finding him outside the wall was rare.

"I was." He lifted his flowers from the stones and added, "I wanted to get a gift for my sweet Persephone." He tended to stay in his realm except when he wanted to spoil his woman. He explained to Marcus, "Flowers don't exactly grow here." My mate nodded slowly, obviously overwhelmed by everything around him. "Do you think she'll like them?"

"They're lovely," Marcus replied after staring blankly for a moment. "So, Persephone is-"

"My wife," Dad answered proudly.

"So she's your mother?" Marcus asked me, but before I could answer, Dad cut in.

"No, his mother is just some human bitch." I gave him the stink eye, but he didn't notice.

"I'm sorry, but I'm confused," Marcus replied, and it was no wonder. Once again, my father jumped in to explain.

"Over time, the human population grew, and so did the number of souls who came here. I needed many children to help me guard and punish. I am a god, and my Persephone is a goddess. Our biological children would be gods and goddesses."

"That may sound like a good thing, but there would be many powerful beings who could cause an uprising or even overthrow my throne. I needed children who were more powerful than humans, but who could identify with the human condition."

"Of course, I would never betray my darling Persephone, so all of my demigod children were conceived by magic to mothers after persuasion or bribery. They carried my offspring in their wombs and then gave them to me to raise once they were born."

Marcus nodded again and my father gave him another small bow. "But speaking of Persephone, I have been away from her for far too long. We will see each other soon, I am sure. Welcome to the family." He held out his hand but drew it back quickly. "I forgot - bird guts."

He turned to me and apparently didn't care If I got bird guts on me, because he pulled me into a big hug. He said into my ear, "I'm very happy for you, my son. A mate is the greatest gift. Love him with everything you have."

"I will," I promised, and he let me loose. He gave each of Cerberus's heads a pat and disappeared behind the wall.

Marcus slowly looked over at me and said, "He wasn't what I expected from the ruler of the underworld."

I chuckled and replied, "I think he gets a bad rap because of his surroundings. Don't get me wrong; he can be vengeful and takes delight in torturing people who deserve it. But overall, he's a good guy doing a necessary job."

"What was it like growing up with him as a dad?"

"Honestly, it was great. I can't imagine a better father. He taught me and all of my siblings about right and wrong and trained us to use our powers, but he also made time for fun. He never forgot a birthday even though he had countless kids, and he gave a great example of how to love. His relationship with his wife is a beautiful thing. You can feel how much they care about each other."

"That's so sweet. Maybe our worlds aren't so different after all. You know, besides immortality and powers and three headed dogs and…you know what? Nevermind."

I chuckled and took his hand. Speaking of my family filled my heart with a desire that I couldn't deny. "I want to show you something."

I led Marcus past Cerberus and along the stone wall until we came upon an entry point. When we crossed through the barrier, Marcus gasped at our surroundings.

We were no longer enclosed in a dreary world of gray. The stone path continued before us, but along each side stood small cottages painted in every color of the rainbow. There were no plants, as the environment didn't support vegetation, but the rocky yards were spotted with statues as decorations.

Marcus looked behind him to the stone wall and back. "Are we still in your world?"

"We are. There are places here that are filled with fire, brimstone, and cries of the wicked. But not all souls are meant to be punished. Some are good, and have just passed on. They come here. It's a representation of their world, which gives them comfort. Cerberus makes sure that they don't wander into danger. They don't need to see suffering. We ensure their happiness and safety."

"This is incredible."

I couldn't wait to show him the purpose of our visit here. If he thought the homes were incredible, he would be amazed at what they held.

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