Desperate Housewives of Olympus (18 page)

“She’s my
wife
.”

“No, not anymore.” Hades said gently.

“You’ll never love her. Does she know that?” Zeus spat.

“You don’t either.”

Zeus turned his rage on Hades. “She didn’t want you all those years ago. Neither did Persephone. Even after all of your gallantry. What makes you think Hera has any use for you besides your cock?”

For a moment, Hades and Hera both looked like they were about to shatter. Abstinence wished they could see each other’s faces. Nothing else would ever need to be said, but they couldn’t. Such a pity. Abstinence shook her head.

“What makes you think I want to be used for anything besides my cock?” Hades said in another measured tone. He seemed indifferent to everything but Hera.

Abstinence couldn’t let this go on. It was a feast of betrayal and rage, pain and suffering. They weren’t going to resolve anything. They were only going to twist the knives a little deeper, a little harder.

She grabbed his arm. “Stop it.”

He swatted her away lightly, but he didn’t know his own strength and it sent her reeling. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Abstinence quickly righted herself and for the first time, her power showed itself. A great warmth filled her and spread through her veins—a balm for her soul. She’d never felt strong before, but at this moment, Abstinence felt like she could tear down the walls of Olympus with her bare hands.

“You have had enough, King of the Gods. You’ve glutted yourself on your own fanfare and power until you can’t taste or feel anything else. Everyone has catered to your needs your entire existence and now it’s going to stop.”

“My crown—,”

“Is a one-hit wonder on a broken record. By all rights, it belongs to Hades. You’re lucky he doesn’t want it. It isn’t what defines you as a god. But you will learn. Abstinence is my gift to you, Zeus.” She reached out to brush her fingers across his brow with her meager blessing.

“You’ve murdered me,” he said in a monotone voice when her skin touched his.

Though, she had to wonder why he didn’t move away from her, try to avoid the benediction he thought would be his end. Some part of him wanted this lesson and that gave her hope.

“No, Zeus. You will live. You will only be able to feed on energy that’s freely given. No more taking, no more gluttony. No more ripped abs unless you work for them. You’ve never worked for anything you’ve had in all of your existence. How can you lead people if you don’t understand them?”

“They aren’t people, they’re gods.”

“They’re much more human than you’d like to think, Zeus. Even you. Right now, you embody selfishness and excess, but not pleasure. Why is that, do you think? Why is it you aren’t happy with what you’ve become?”

“Existence isn’t about being happy,” he countered grimly.

“It should be, Zeus.” Hera crept out from behind Hades. “Our existences are too long to spend them in misery.”

“Oh, now you’re the Oracle at Delphi? You’re selfish too.”

Hera nodded. “I never said I wasn’t, Zeus. I am selfish. Finally. After a forever of living to someone else’s standards, I am taking control and doing what I choose to do because it’s what I want. Not what I’m supposed to do.”

“You’ve all turned against me.” He sagged against the wall and sank to the floor. “Betrayed me.”

“Zeus, you betrayed them. Again and again.” Abstinence went to touch his arm in a gesture of comfort.

“Don’t touch me! After what you’ve done?” He jerked away from her.

Instead of letting herself be hurt, she eased down beside him. “Zeus, this is a prime example. A few hours ago, I almost died. You expected me to forgive you because you said you were sorry. Even when it seemed I would still have to go with Death. Why do you deserve forgiveness and trust, but I don’t?”

“I didn’t know. You did this to me wantonly.”

“Stop being a victim,” Hera snarled.

Abstinence held up her hand to stop her. “No, it’s alright. He believes himself to be a victim and that won’t change until he decides it will. I think I can handle it from here.” She was surprised to realize that she could and it showed in the tone of her voice.

“I think you can, little goddess.” Hades nodded his approval. “Come, Hera. Let’s celebrate your divorce.” He guided her out of the door, the shadow wings still splayed out behind him.

Abstinence turned her attention back to Zeus. “You can’t say you didn’t know because I told you. We’ve already been over this. You thought your needs were more important than anyone else’s and you didn’t care about the consequences. Now, you’ll have to learn your lessons like anyone else.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I know. Do you think I wanted to be Abstinence? Do you think I wanted to be alone with you when I knew you wanted to touch me and I wanted you to? Even knowing what it would mean for me?”

“You wanted me before I used my power on you?” He looked up at her, his sky blue eyes uncertain.

“Yes. I did. You were so witty and confident, sexy. I’d never been attracted to anyone before you.”

“Only because I was young. How I looked.”

She realized Zeus, for all of his gifts and glory, was insecure. “No, didn’t you feel me hold your hand while we waited for Hera to get here?”

“She’d never fed me so well from a touch. I didn’t even have to…” He buried his face in his hands. “It was Hades spurring that energy, the lust that fed me. I still hated seeing his hands and mouth on her. She’s mine.”

He seemed prime to learning things and she felt she owed it to Hera to try and make him see this now, while he was open. “Hades has never asked you for anything, has he? He’s never tried to take anything from you. And now your ex-wife—who still came to save your existence even after all the times you’ve betrayed her—she wants him. They give each other peace. Why can’t you let go of her, something you didn’t want, haven’t wanted in a long time, and let her be happy?” When he didn’t say anything she continued. “Hera has a great capacity to love. She’s very passionate. I think the betrayal that cut her the most wasn’t all of those you cheated on her with, but the fact you didn’t tell her why you did it. In the beginning, I know she loved you. If you would have told her, she would have tried to help you in any way she could. Even if it meant seeing you with another. You need to think about that.”

“Why do I always need to think about others? Who will think about me, if I don’t?” Zeus demanded.

“That’s the nature of leadership. You’ve fathered all of these gods and goddesses, but have you ever really been a
father
?”

“What do you know of it? You’ve abstained from everything your whole life so you wouldn’t have to sacrifice it later,” he growled.

Abstinence couldn’t deny he was right. “Nothing,” she admitted.

“Why did I let you do this? What is it about you I can’t resist?”

“I don’t know. You’d be the first who couldn’t.” Abstinence pulled him to his feet and led him to the bedroom. “You sleep here for a little while. You shouldn’t be alone.”

She knew this had been traumatic for him. Part of her screamed this had been traumatic for her too. What about her? But Abstinence knew she had coping tools whereas Zeus had never had to develop any. This was where the detachment of her mortal job came in handy. Who knew Olympus needed a resident psychiatrist?

Abstinence felt his pain as keenly as she felt her own. There was something broken about his perfection that had called to her and now she’d peeled away that pretty outer shell and found a rotted husk on the inside, but she could still see the beginnings of the god he could be.

This was a dangerous path. She knew that well. Abstinence had long warned clients against getting attached to a “fixer upper” type. People weren’t like old houses one could flip and get back all they’d invested or even make a profit.

Healthy relationships came from acceptance and honest feelings for whatever qualities the other person already had on the table—not expected winnings at Karmic poker. Even for all of his selfishness and faults, Abstinence couldn’t help but focus on the god he could be and feel a tender pity for the god he was.

He’d lost a lot today and she’d tried to change the way he viewed the world. That was never easy, even when one
wanted
to see things differently.

“You shouldn’t let me stay here, Abstinence.”

“Why not?” she asked as she tucked his golden head against her breast.

“I’ll hurt you when I’m stronger. I hate you.”

He wanted to hate her, she’d give him that one, but he didn’t. Some part of him knew he needed what she’d done. He’d lived his eternity as a child and it was time for him to be a man. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tried to warn her away.

The analytical part of her brain wondered if maybe he would do to her as he had to Prometheus—chain her to a rock to have her heart ripped out every day, only to grow back every night and see it done again.

Her only hope against that sort of punishment was that Fate would see it as excess and Abstinence wasn’t permitted any excess of any kind. She looked down at him as he slept and smoothed his hair from his brow.

This had been a lesson for her too.

She’d never before seen the purpose of what she’d become; of Abstinence. This was what she could do that no one else could. Abstinence realized it wasn’t a punishment, neither was what her power could do.

Abstinence taught that once on the roller coaster was a joy, but twenty would feel awful. That taste of chocolate on the tongue was divine, but too much led to sickness. Excess wasn’t to be coveted, but avoided. As was complete abstinence.

She’d been living on the wrong side of the spectrum too. She’d been avoiding everything so she wouldn’t have to give anything up. Who lived like that? No one. People made choices to stop doing things that felt good, or tasted good, or they enjoyed every day to be enjoyed again later. To keep them special. Pleasure was like a word that lost its meaning when repeated too often, made your tongue and lips numb if one did it all at once.

None of the other gods and goddesses were named after their power—although some of their names had become synonymous with their power. She wasn’t Abstinence—she was Merry who only bore the mantle of Abstinence.

For the first time in a long time, Merry felt a glimmer of hope spark inside of her.

PERSEPHONE

Persephone heard her cell phone ring for the millionth time that day and she reluctantly turned it off. She’d hoped with every ring it would be Hades calling to tell her he’d changed his mind—that he wanted her back and couldn’t live without her.

Word of her impromptu kiss with Thanatos had spread over Olympus like wildfire. Everyone wanted to know if it was true. A few gods had called to ask
twice
so word should have reached Hades by now. It had been a week. He should be seething in Tartarus over the fact some other god had dared put a hand on his goddess.

Still no phone call.

It was just as well. Persephone knew she wouldn’t be able to ignore his call when it came, so turning the phone off was for the best. Let him think she’d moved on. He was a bold god to take what he wanted. He’d done it before; nothing would stand in his way if he wanted her back.

She flopped back on the bed. Rolled over. And over. Only to sit up and flop again. This wasn’t doing her any good at all. She turned her phone back on and dialed Thanatos.

“No,” he said before she could get anything out.

“I haven’t even asked you yet. Do you know who this is?” Persephone asked in an accusatory tone.

“This is Persephone and you want me to come pick you up to torment Hades. Same answer. No.”

“Please?” she wheedled.

“You horrible tart. You don’t even deny it.” He gave an exaggerated and oh-so put upon sigh.

“Why should I? You want me to lie to you?” She didn’t think he did, but why would he want her to deny it?

“No. But it would be nice if you’d called to, you know, talk to me,” Thanatos admonished.

“I did call to talk to you. But about Hades. Pretty please with a kiss on top?”

“A kiss where everyone can see? What do I get out of kissing you? I’ve kissed lots of women, Seph.”

“What about a kiss that’s only for you?”

“What did I tell you about being a flirty little goddess?” he teased.

“It won’t get me in trouble with you. You’re one of the good guys.”

“Don’t be too sure about that.” His voice sent shivers down her spine.

Why did she like the bad boys so much? The more noble a god was, the less interested she was. She might as well put a sign on her head that read “Treat me like shit, I’ll follow you anywhere.” Persephone was starting to realize she’d needed Hades to take what he wanted from her. She’d been willing—it wouldn’t have been anything ugly—he knew her body craved his, but he’d still asked her. Offered her a choice and she’d been afraid—that choice, room to breathe, it gave her time to give in to her fear and to back away from what she wanted. Not a very feminist attitude, but he was a caveman sort. It was to be expected, wasn’t it?

“Well, I am. I’m very sure about that.” She drummed her fingers on her copy of
Wuthering Heights
. Heathcliff was a lot like Hades. They were both “H” names. She wondered if that had to do with the high levels of angst in their lives. “Are you going to tell me you don’t want to kiss me again? I know you liked it.”

“And how would you know that?”

Aside from the fact she’d liked it too? Gods, how she’d liked it. His mouth on hers had made her hot and cold at the same time, made places ache she thought only Hades could find and when she’d come home, she’d laid on her bed with her legs spread wide and touched herself, thinking of his kiss.

She didn’t feel the least bit guilty about it either. She’d imagined him doing the same thing to himself and thinking of her. Several of the poems she’d worked on with Eros came back to her and she wondered what it would do to Thanatos if she were to speak to him that way—if it would make him do what she wanted?

Persephone knew kissing her had turned him on, he’d pulled her into his lap and she’d felt his erection. He wanted her. Persephone wanted him too, lusted for him. Eros had told her that was natural, it was okay. She could lust after one and still love another. Maybe Thanatos would take that in trade, her virginity. She’d wanted to give it to Hades, but he was banging some chick right now. She didn’t even know who she was because she couldn’t get to Tartarus to see for herself. So why wouldn’t it be okay for Persephone to do the same? Maybe Hades would even be pleased if she came to him with more experience.