P. Hoover - Solstice

I shudder. “Tartarus is a horrible place.”

Shayne nods. “The worst of any world. Why do you think I didn’t take you there?”

I look down, playing with the crimson stem of my wine glass, trying to calm my tremors. “I thought you were keeping the truth from me.”

Shayne sighs, and then moves over to me until he’s sitting next to me. “You’re shaking.” And he puts his arms around me.

I remember Pirithous’s arm and shake even harder. “They’re horrible men.”

I feel Shayne nod his head. His hair is so close, it brushes on my cheek. “They were horrible men while alive, and now they pay for it with torment for eternity.”

“They tricked me.” I feel the overwhelming need to defend myself against my stupidity.

“Of course they did. Did you really think you could trust souls of the damned?”

I shake my head and try to stop the tears threatening to flow from behind my lids. “I wanted to believe them.”

Shayne turns to me, taking the glass from my hand and setting it on the ground. He reaches out until we’re face to face, holding hands. His presence calms me and holds back my tears for the time being. “Did you get any answers?” he finally asks.

There it is. Hard in my chest. The sad truth. “Nothing. I didn’t learn anything.”

But Shayne doesn’t take his eyes off me. They bore into mine, and flash red. I can’t look away.

“Who am I?” he asks.

“Shayne. Hades. Lord of the Underworld. We’ve been down that path,” I say.

His eyes don’t falter. “Who are you?”

I sigh in frustration, and move to get up, but his hands hold me in place. His mouth is so close to me, I feel the heat from his breath on my cheek.

“Who are you?”

I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to focus on his words. Everyone in Hell seems to know who I am. Shayne knows. Reese knows. Even naked Sisyphus knows. But I don’t.

“Think. It’s important. Who are you?”

He moves close, and a vein in his neck throbs. He waiting for an answer I don’t have. For eighteen years, I haven’t even known who I am.

Then, in my mind, I see my birthday present. The box with the red feather. And Tanni’s voice rings in my head, but not with the haunting words of doom she’s spoken to me in the past. I see her soulless eyes filled with fog. Like she’s here in the room with us, but only in my mind.

Open the box. Free yourself.

I remember opening the box, finding the feather inside. The swirl of Greek letters. The wave of emotions which flew through me when I opened it. I relax and give myself over to the secrets once contained in the box, and the truth takes shape in my mind.

I open my eyes, and see Shayne’s gaze has shifted from determination to hope. He’s trying to draw the word from my mouth.

“I’m Persephone,” I say.

It comes out solid. All at once. I am Persephone. The box had held the secret, and now the secret is out. The truth is finally free.

Shayne takes me toward him, and every fantasy I’ve imagined since I met him comes to life. I’ve known him and been with him for eternity, and being with him now fills a piece of me which has been missing for the last eighteen years. And I’m never going to let it go again. Our kisses start soft, but as the fire crackles in front of us, I throw away any bit of hesitation. The heat rises until there’s no stopping either of us.

I lean back into Shayne and watch the fire. Persephone. I play the sounds over in my mind. Four syllables. Melodic. Exotic. And Shayne seems to like it. He rubs my hair and keeps finding excuses to use it.

“Do you want more wine, Persephone?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m okay.”

“Something to eat, Persephone?”

Again, I shake my head.

“Are you cold, Persephone?”

This is it. His arms are wrapped around me and flames roar in the fireplace; he knows I’m not cold.

I turn to face him. “You’re just trying to say it.”

Shayne cocks his head. “Say what?”

I punch him lightly. “My name.”

Shayne acts as if he’s gotten the punch line to a joke. “Oh…Persephone.” He smiles. “I just haven’t used it in a long time.”

The problem is that knowing my real name has only made me more confused. “So I’m the Queen of the Underworld.”

“Next to my side.” Shayne’s breath is on my shoulder. He leans into me and kisses my neck sending a ripple of chills through me once again. God, I love that.

I recover and look around the room, remembering how much I like it. “And I designed this room?”

Shayne nods. “I told you it was designed by someone with great taste.”

“And so, we’re…married?” It’s weird even to say.

“Hmm…well…kind of.”

I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean…kind of?”

“Think about it.”

“I’m trying not to. It’s making my head hurt.” Because how can I be Persephone when I’ve been Piper my entire life?

“Maybe we can figure it out together.” Shayne sits on a sofa and motions for me to sit next to him. Cerberus pads over and puts a head on each of us, begging for a bit of attention. “See, Cerberus remembers you.”

I smile at Cerberus. “And I remember him. Though I’m not sure how.”

“So what do you remember?” Shayne asks.

I sink back into the red leather and force myself to think. “I remember growing up. For the last eighteen years. As Piper.”

“And what else?” He’s hoping for something more. “Do you remember when we met?”

I sigh. “I don’t know. I remember being Persephone. Being part of this world. But it’s like it was another life. A part of my past but not a part of Piper.”

An image from ages ago plays there before my eyes like a movie on the tube. Of a mountain and a hidden area away from my mom. Even back then, she never wanted me to leave her. She thought I should stay by her side always. Earth was warm then, too, but my mom controlled the seasons. Winters were cold, and summers bright. But there were no extremes. No Global Warming. Plants prospered and flourished and flowered and bloomed. And I infused life into them just by my mere presence.

My mom tried to trust me. She let me venture out into the wide open spaces. And maybe I felt oppressed then, too, because I left her every chance I got. I had friends who met me and helped me sneak away. I had other gods vying for my attention. And though I toyed around with the idea of one day picking one to spend my life with, not Hermes and not Hephaestus and not Ares drew my interest. Though Ares was always the most persistent.

I saw my mom in the morning. She told me she would be spending the day traveling the earth in Apollo’s chariot. As the goddess of all living plants, my mom had responsibilities way bigger than most of the other immortals. And so she left, and I met my friends in the meadow.

“Have you heard the rumors?” Peisinoe said.

“What rumors?” Aglaope asked.

I leaned forward, wanting to catch their excitement. After all, it wasn’t every day my mom left me alone.

“The Underworld is leaking into our Earth,” Peisinoe said.

“Leaking?” I asked.

Peisinoe moved her head forward so all four of our heads nearly touched. “They say monsters are coming out into the world.”

Thelxiepeia put her hand to her mouth. “Monsters!”

Gods, she was always such a drama queen.

Peisinoe nodded. “Through the caves around Mount Othrys. They’re coming out into our world. The gods are all trying to control them.”