Goddess of Legend (Demi-God Daughters) (17 page)

Chapter Twenty
-One

It had been the longest month of her life. Her face felt as if it would be permanently swollen together. Crying had become the new norm for her. But no matter how much she cried, she couldn’t forget. Persephone was her mother. She was the daughter of the Goddess of Spring and former Goddess of the Underworld. Fate had a cruel sense of humor. No matter how many times the truth ran through her mind, the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t go away. Her own mother hated her, wanted to destroy her happiness. Her world. Persephone had succeeded.

Before Persephone’s vengeful
revelation, she and Hades had been so happy together. Her guard had started to come down and she was ready to trust him with the thing that she guarded fiercely, her heart. Her mother’s bombshell had put an end to that. She hated Persephone. She hated her for giving birth to her and abandoning her. She hated her for being a cold, manipulative, spiteful whore. But most of all, she hated her for destroying her relationship with Hades. For that she’d never forgive her.
I wish I had never known. Things could’ve stayed the way they were.
Even the realization that she finally had an idea where her weird powers might’ve come from did nothing to ease her pain.

Cameryn was sick of crying. Sick of hurting. She was a stronger woman than this.
This crying shit is for weak women. I’m not weak. I have to pull myself together.
Her pep talks hadn’t stopped the tears, and she was starting to feel as if nothing ever would. She hadn’t seen Hades since the day her world had been turned upside down. She’d told him that she never wanted to see him again, and he’d abided by her wishes. Not even a glimpse. But then again, she rarely left her room. She didn’t even venture out for her meals. Tara brought everything to her. Cameryn couldn’t believe how pathetic she was acting. Things couldn’t continue like this. She had two more months until her deal with Hades was over. There was no way that she could continue hiding from Hades until the deal was done. She missed him.

Yes, despite his deceit she couldn’t stop herself from missing him. She didn’t know how any relationship could survive without trust. Hades had destroyed the slow trust that he’d built with her, but she missed his smile. The way he looked at her like she was the only woman in the world. His betrayal changed everything. Regardless of whether or not the truth about her mother would’ve upset her or not, he still should’ve told her. Because he’d chosen to keep secrets from her
, she couldn’t help but second guess everything he’d ever said and done.

Did he really even love her? Or was his true motive just to make Persephone jealous? Was he really going to bring her sister back? Could he even make her immortal? Before this, she would’ve never thought to doubt him. It had been so easy to look into his eyes and believe every word he said. She could live with not being immortal. She could even live with Deena having to remain in the Underworld. What she couldn’t live with was knowing that Hades had simply been using her for revenge against Persephone. She
couldn’t continue lying to herself. She’d done that long enough. She was in love with Hades, and she had no idea what to do about it.

*
***

Hades sat in his study staring at the roaring fire. It was all he’d been doing for days on end. Nothing mattered anymore. Not his duties. Not anything. He’d lost Cameryn. He had nothing else left to lose. He hadn’t seen Cameryn since Persephone’s malicious revelation. So many times he’d come close to seeking her out and trying to explain that he loved her, that her parentage didn’t matter. Fear had stopped him every time. He couldn’t bear her sending him away again with the same look of hurt on her face. It was better if he gave her time. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. But the longer he waited
, the more despair he fell into. He couldn’t care less if the Underworld plunged into chaos around him.

He had no idea how he was going to survive the next two months with Cameryn so near, yet so far. He knew that there was probably nothing he could say to convince her to stay with him now. It didn’t matter that he would keep his bargain and give her sister a second chance at life. In Cameryn’s eyes he was a liar. She was never going to become his queen.

“Still moping are we?”

Hades frowned when he saw Zeus sitting beside him.

“I’m not in the mood for visitors.”

“From what I hear you’re not in the mood for much of anything these days.”

“Why are you here, Zeus?”

“To remind you that you are a god. You have duties and responsibilities. You do not have the luxury to sit around and mope. Pull yourself together.”

“Brother, I realize you are here in your official capacity as King of the Gods, but I don’t give a damn. For the first time in my existence, I wish I could die. Oblivion would be better than what I feel now.”

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You’re losing your balls over a woman?” Zeus thundered.

“She’s not just any woman. She’s half god and your granddaughter. That alone makes her special.”

“Perhaps, but that doesn’t excuse your behavior.”

“Zeus, maybe you’d understand if you ever truly loved another as much as you loved yourself,” Hades said scoffing.

“We’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you and your melodramatics.”

“I’m not being melodramatic. However, I am in love with your granddaughter. But your spiteful, jealous daughter had destroyed my budding relationship. I think I have a right to be upset.”

“Hades
, I’m sorry about what happened. Persephone had come to me and begged me to put a stop to what was going on between you and Cameryn. I refused. I told her that you deserved to be happy and that I would not interfere. I suppose I should’ve known that she wouldn’t just leave it alone. Persephone is so unlike her mother.”

“I’ll say. She’s evil personified.”

“That’s a bit harsh. At one time you did love her.”

“A foolish mistake on my part. I can’t believe I’m paying for it all these eons later.”

“Brother, it pains me to see you this way. Perhaps if I spoke to Cameryn on your behalf I could smooth things over. It seems she has my stubborn streak,” Zeus said.

“Thank you
, brother, but no. I don’t think she’s ready to be lectured by a grandfather she didn’t know she had.”

“Very well. I will respect your wishes. Take care
, brother,” Zeus said before disappearing in a flash of light.

Hades sighed wearily. Zeus was right. He’d spent enough time wallowing in self pity. He needed to get busy doing something before he lost what was left of his sanity. He got up and took out a fresh canvas. Maybe painting would take his mind off things.

****

Cameryn lay in bed watching TV. Even after four months it still blew her mind that they had cable in the Underworld. She sat up straight when the flat screen in front of her exploded.
What the hell?
Cameryn looked around and a flash of bright pink light nearly blinded her. When the smoke cleared, a scowling golden blonde with frosty blue eyes was standing in her room.

“Who are you?” Cameryn asked rising form the bed.

“I’m your great aunt Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.”

“So you’re the one that put that spell on me. I didn’t appreciate it.”

“Persephone is definitely your mother. You have her bitchy streak,” Aphrodite said.

“How dare you? I’m nothing like her. Nothing!”

“Listen, sweetie, you can be in denial all you want, but I’ve known your mother since she was born. You do have some of her tendencies. You’re stubborn, impatient, and you refuse to admit when you’ve made a mistake.”

“What do you want
, Aphrodite? And why in the hell did you blow up my TV?”

“I did that to get your attention. I’m here about Hades.”

“What about him?”

“You can lose the attitude with me
, dearie. I know you love him,” Aphrodite said.

“You’re crazy.”

“And you’re lying. Now stop being a little bitch and woman up,” Aphrodite said voice rising.

“If you keep this up, I’m going to have to kick your ass,” Cameryn
said.

“Don’t let the title fool you. Try it and you’ll get a beating you weren’t expecting. Now shut up and listen. Hades loves you
, and he would never do anything to hurt you.”

“He already has,” Cameryn said quietly.

“No. Persephone hurt you. There was no reason you ever had to know she was your mother. She didn’t want anything to do with you, so none of us said anything. Why tell you the truth about your birth when the truth would only hurt you? That’s why Hades kept silent. Out of consideration for your feelings.”

“I still had a right to know,” Cameryn said stubbornly.

“No, you didn’t, and technically you never asked. Hades is a good man. Complicated but good. All he wants is someone to love him unconditionally just like you. The two of you are more perfect together than you realize.”

“How can I not
second-guess everything he says now?”

“Because he loves you. Love is my domain. I wouldn’t lie to you about that,” Aphrodite said seriously.

“I want to believe that, but I’m afraid. In the back of my mind I just keep thinking he only wanted me to get back at her.”

“Darling
, we gods are petty, well all of us except Hades. He doesn’t play games with the emotions of others. He loves you, and you know it. Anyone looking at the two of you together can see that.”

“But
when you love someone you’re supposed to be honest with them. What if there’s another deep dark secret he decides I don’t need to know?”

“Real love also has your best interests at heart. If secrets bother you, make it clear to Hades that you expect total honesty from now on. Now what else is bothering you?”

“He was my mother’s husband, and he’s my great-uncle.”

“Is that all? Dearie, when it comes to immortals, the familial connections are hardly incestuous. If we didn’t marry within the family half of us wouldn’t even exist. Don’t let that bother you.”

“But he was still with my mother. There is a little ick factor involved there,” Cameryn
said.

“Honey
, look at your soap operas. Sometimes things like this happen. You are Hades’s one true love. He and Persephone were a mistake. Don’t let the past destroy your future.”

Cameryn was silent as she thought about everything Aphrodite had said. She knew her great aunt was right. She was allowing her fears to override her common sense and cloud the truth. Hades loved her
, and she loved him.

“What now?”

“Go to him. Talk things over. Try again,” Aphrodite said rising.

“Maybe he’ll forgive me.”

“He will. Now fix yourself up, and go get your man,” Aphrodite said smiling before disappearing in a bright flash of pink light.

Cameryn walked over to the mirror and took a look at herself. It wouldn’t hurt to make herself more presentable. As soon as she’d showered and dressed, she was going to see Hades.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Cameryn felt a measure of trepidation as she left her room. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Hades in a month. Would he even be receptive to anything she had to say? She hoped so. She realized that she’d been a bit foolish. There were any number of places Hades could be, but she had a good idea where to find him. When she reached the door to his study, she took a deep calming breath and opened the door. Hades had his back to her. He appeared to be hard at work painting on an easel.

“Hades,” she said tentatively.

Hades turned around abruptly. When he saw her, he couldn’t keep the look of shock off his face.

“Cameryn?”

“Can I come in?”

“Of course. Please,” Hades said as he moved to put his stand and easel away.

Cameryn entered and closed the door behind her. She stood rooted in place, nervous. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she stared at him. He was so handsome.
How in the hell did I stay away from him so long?

“You can come closer. I won’t bite,” Hades said offering his hand.

Stepping forward, she took his hand. They stared into each other’s eyes, silently assessing the other. She could feel the heat of his gaze as he looked at her. She’d missed that.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

“You have no reason to be sorry, Cameryn. I’m the one who messed up.”

“We both did.”

When Hades tried to speak again, Cameryn put a finger to his lips to quiet him.

“Please let me finish. When I found out that Persephone was my mother, I was angry at the world. It was like the cruelest twist of fate. But what I was even angrier about was you keeping the truth from me. I was starting to trust you and fall for you. I felt like you’d deceived me. I started to feel like everything you’ve eve
r said and done was a lie. I convinced myself that you’d never loved me and that all you wanted was to get back at Persephone. That’s what hurt the most. Feeling like I was just a pawn in a game between the gods. But now I know that I was wrong.”

“What changed your mind?” Hades asked quietly.

“A month by yourself is a long time to think. I started to miss you, and it made me rethink how I’d acted. Then Aphrodite showed up and gave me a piece of her mind. She forced me to confront what was really bothering me.”

“Cameryn
, if Aphrodite forced you to come here…”

“H, she didn’t force to come here. I came on my own. I came because I was wrong to treat you the way that I did. You didn’t tell me the truth about Persephone because you knew she hated me and you wanted to spare me that pain. I understand that now. Can you ever forgive me?”

“There’s nothing to forgive, love,” Hades said as he caressed her face, clearly delighting in her touch again.

“Maybe not, but it would make me feel better if you’d say it.”

“Fine. I forgive you, Cameryn,” Hades said smiling.

“Thank you. I promise I won’t ever act like that again. I’m not usually so childish.”

“We all have our moments. I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you
, too. Everything was just so complicated. And then there was the whole dimension of you being my mother’s ex and my great-uncle. That’s a lot for any woman to deal with,” Cameryn said.

“Cameryn
, I can’t erase the past. Neither would I want to. Despite the deeply troubled marriage between Persephone and me, if she’d never left then you would’ve never been conceived. I’d have lived for all of eternity without my soul-mate.”

Tears formed in Cameryn’s eyes.
He loves me. He loves me so much. I was such a fool to run away from him. I won’t make that mistake again.

“When you say things like that I don’t even know how to respond. All I can say is thank you for loving me so much. I don’t know what I did to deserve it.”

“There has never been a woman in all of creation like you, Cameryn. You are wholly unique, and I love you so much,” Hades said cupping her face.

“And I love you
, too,” Cameryn said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Hades
’s tongue licked away her tear, before his mouth descended on hers. His tight grip on her face was almost painful, but she didn’t care. Her hands clutched his shoulders as she kissed him back hungrily, nearly breathless. She could feel desire building up hot and fiery in her belly. When Hades stopped kissing her she pouted.

“Don’t stop,” she
told him.

“We don’t have to rush. I want our next time together to be special. I want to wine and dine you and make love to you all night. You deserve better than just a quickie up against the wall in my study,” Hades said thoughtfully.

“I wouldn’t object to a quickie or anything else you wanted,” Cameryn said boldly.

“Be that as it may, we’re going to do things right this time. And while we’re being honest there are a few things I would like to say to you.”

“Like what?”

“That I’m sorry for keeping things from you. Regardless of my feelings, you don’t deserve to be kept in the dark about anything. You’re a grown woman
, and you can handle anything. While it’s true I was afraid of Persephone hurting you, a part of me also feared how you’d feel about being not only your mother’s ex, but your great-uncle as well. I’m not always so noble,” Hades said.

“Those are not easy things to swallow I admit. I think I’m okay with you being Persephone’s ex, but the whole familial connection thing is throwing me for a loop.”

“That’s because you’re still thinking like a mortal. All of the gods are related. We come from the pairing of brother and sister. Without familial relations there would be no progeny, much like the children of Adam and Eve in the Bible. Who else did they have to marry but each other?”

“Well when you put it like that, it makes sense.”

“Uh-huh. Now besides, when I touch you or I kiss you, does it turn you off?” Hades asked.

“Of course not. Nothing about you is a turnoff.”

“I’m glad you think so, beloved.”

“So that means you’re ready to try again?”

“Yes, as many times as it takes.”

“I’m glad. I’d hate to lose you over something so trivial.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Hades said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Has anyone told you that you look like Don Diamont from
The Young and The Re
s
tless
and
The Bold and The Beautiful
?”

“No
, beloved. You are the first,” Hades said laughing.

“Don’t laugh. Watch B&B and you’ll see what I’m talking about.”

“If you say so. Now, what else?”

“I’ve been thinking that it might be nice to pose for one of your paintings.”

“I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful muse.”

“Really? You see I was thinking about lying on a sofa nude while you captured my naked beauty,” Cameryn said li
cking her lips.

Cameryn felt Hades harden against her.

“I don’t think I’d be able to do your beauty justice. Not to mention, be able to focus on anything but partaking in your naked loveliness.”

“Well at least you’re honest about it.”

“From now on. I promise,” Hades said before capturing her lips again.

*
***

Persephone moaned as Apollo sucked hard on her clit. Her legs were splayed open wide as the as the sun god pleasured her. Who knew Apollo was such an amazing lover with
such stamina? After Hades had rejected her yet again, she’d sought out Apollo ready to put their plan into action right that minute. Instead he’d calmed her down and led her right to his bed. They’d been fucking nonstop for the past month. Persephone had enjoyed her little interlude with Apollo immensely, but it was time to get back to business.

“Oh Apollo
, that feels good, but enough. We have work to do. It’s time to put the plan into action.”

Apollo ignored her and continued sucking hard on her clit while his tongue swiped her channel. Persephone groaned as she felt yet another spectacular
orgasm rip through her body. She writhed in the bed as Apollo sucked long and loud between her legs. When he was done he moved upwards to lie beside her.

“You are something else
, Persephone,” Apollo said tweaking a nipple.

“I know. Now not that I haven’t enjoyed our extended tryst but I haven’t forgotten your promise.”

“I haven’t either, but I don’t know you’re in such a hurry to run off and reclaim your boring husband when you’re having so much fun with me,” Apollo
said.

“I’ve already explained my reasons,” Persephone said irritably.

“Very well. I can’t dissuade you from your course of action, but before we put things into play, I have a surprise for you,” Apollo said rising from the bed.

“What kind of surprise?” Persephone asked curiously.

“Just a moment,” Apollo said before he disappeared from the room.

Persephone waited
, and a minute later he appeared with three mortal women: a brunette, a red head, and a blonde. All three were naked.

“Bow before your goddess,” Apollo
said.

All three women fell to their knees before her. Persephone cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

“Now rise and worship her,” Apollo commanded.

The three women rose and approached the bed from all sides. Persephone glanced at Apollo. He gave her a
self-satisfied smirk before disappearing. Persephone lay back and smiled as the women surrounded her. This was what mortals were made for, worshipping the gods. Hades could wait a little longer. Right now she was going to have her fun with these mortals.

*
***

Hades smiled as he watched Cameryn lounging on the beach. The sunlight was shining on her skin, giving her an ethereal glow. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with her again, especially when she was in a bikini. He walked up to where she was lying on a blanket. She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“About time you decide to join me.”

“I didn’t mean to keep
you waiting. I just wanted to ensure that we weren’t disturbed,” Hades said removing his shirt and lying down beside her.

Cameryn moved quickly into the circle of his arms. He held her tight, breathing in her unique fragrance.

“Like anyone would really disturb us,” Cameryn said.

“Some of the spirits love to visit this place as well,” Hades said kissing her forehead.

“I’m not surprised. It’s beautiful here.”

“Indeed, but having you here makes it even more beautiful.”

“You always say the most romantic things. A girl could get used to it.”

“We have eternity,” Hades said quietly.

When she snuggled closer to him, he smiled, closing his eyes. For the past two days they’d been inseparable. From picnics on the beach, to dancing under the moon and even falling asleep in the same bed, they’d not spent more than a few minutes away from one another. Going to bed with Cameryn in his arms made him rest so much easier. They hadn’t made love yet, though it hadn’t been from Cameryn’s lack of trying. She was eager and passionate in her response to him, but he wanted to be absolutely certain the time was right this time. He’d waited eons for her. He could wait a little longer.

“H, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you know who my father is?”

Hades was silent. He’d known that eventually she’d ask about her father. What child wouldn’t be curious about their parents?

“H?” she asked again.

“Yes, Cameryn, I know who your father is. His name is Tre’ Adonae. He is a mortal descendant of Adonis.”

Even now, saying the name of one of Persephone’s most famous lovers made him grit his teeth in anger. Cameryn moved out of his arms and sat up.

“Does my father even know about me?”

“No. From what I gather he was just another of Persephone’s indiscriminate affairs. When she grew bored with him she moved on.”

“Hmm. So my father has no idea I exist, and because he’s a mortal that makes me a demigoddess right?”

“Yes.”

“You should hate me,” Cameryn said quietly.

“I could never hate you
, Cameryn. You haven’t done anything wrong. You’re innocent.”

“My mother was unfaithful to you with Adonis more centuries ago than I can even imagine. To add insult to injury she bears a child through his family line. Every time you look at me, I’m a reminder of all the ways she hurt you.”

Hades sat up and pulled Cameryn back into his arms. He could feel the tension in her body. Despite her innocence, she felt guilty. Her compassion and care for his feelings only made him love her more.

“Cameryn
, it doesn’t matter how you were conceived or who your parents are. The only thing that matters is you were made exactly for me. You are everything I could ever desire in a woman, and every day I wake up I am so grateful for you. I love you so much,” Hades said turning her in his arms.