Seeds (24 page)

     “Please tell me. Why me?” she asked softly as he scooped her up in one arm so he could prepare the bed. He did not answer until he lay her down with a pillow under her head and pulled up the comforter, surrounding her in soft velvet. He leaned in, breath warm against her ear.

     “Because I love you, Persephone...” The words were so lovingly uttered and she was
so
tired...there was no way she could respond, so weakened by this pleasured state. Her entire body still tingled warmly from what he had done.
Persephone?
Somehow the sound of the name suited her, so she didn't argue and say her name was Kora. Everything felt too right, now, to argue or speak, and the warmth enfolded her body so comfortingly. She gazed up at him, and him back at her before she closed her eyes.

     Hades let out a quiet sigh of relief as he settled down on the bed, leaning his head against the headboard. He stroked her cheek and hair softly, knowing that first thing when she woke up she would need a nice hot bath and something warm to wear. So far she seemed to be taking everything well, which thrilled him. Idly he lifted the ring of flowers from her hair, ignoring the few petals scattered along the bedspread. The poor crown of flowers was now disheveled from her thrashing around, and looked as if it had been tossed and kicked around a few times.
Oh well
. He had one of his shades discard her old dress and the flowers, for there were many new ones for her to choose from, and let her doze as he lay next to her, simply basking in her presence as he listened to the faint sound of her breathing.

     He almost could not believe it. He had waited for so long. He had been so patient. How many times had he cautioned himself to wait until the right time? And now, finally, here she was. He stroked her forehead before running his fingers along her hair, smiling when the young goddess snuggled closer, curling up loosely against his side as she slept.

Chapter XIII

o0o

     It was not until the sun started to set that Demeter worried about her daughter. Kora was always in the house, or at least within her mother's sight before night-time.

     But the Harvest Goddess decided to be patient. She could simply be playing a game of tag with some of the nymphs, or taking one of her solitary walks. After all, like Kora had said in the past, she didn't go looking for trouble. The sun went down, leaving the thin waxing crescent visible for a couple of hours before the moon too disappeared beyond the horizon. Demeter could not sleep until her daughter was safe in bed, and strode out of the house. Her sharp calls roused the nymphs nearest her, but word rippled through the forest in no time as one nymph after another reported that they had not seen Kora since early afternoon. The night seemed to stretch on for Demeter. As the sun rose, she felt her worry grow into horror. There was no reason for her daughter to be gone! Her daughter knew better than to stay out all night and cause her mother to worry!

     Demeter's mind was already at work, trying to think what could have happened. Had Ares decided to take his revenge on Kora, or taken her in an attempt to force her to reverse the spell? She wouldn't put it past him, and fervently hoped that that wasn't true. Damn Ares. If he actually had something to do with this... The dark frown on her face almost caused the nymph tentatively approaching her to turn away. But all of the nymphs knew how much Demeter loved her only child. No nymph excluded herself from the search, especially knowing that Demeter would notice such absences. Even the few wild-haired Oreades that lived on Mount Etna had joined in, but the search along the rocky slopes was in vain. The Aurai nymphs did not find anything as they blew through the island.

     “Goddess?” the nymph murmured. Demeter's face softened slightly as she looked down at the willowy Dryad.

     “Yes?”

     “All of the nymphs are accounted for but one. Cyane's pond is empty.”

     “No trace of her is to be found?”

     “The entire island has been searched. Your daughter and Cyane remain missing.”

o0o

     As the other nymphs reported, the spring where Cyane was usually found was devoid of any signs of the water-goddess. The surface was placid, the ripples quiet and gentle, almost like soft folds of satin. The surroundings were silent, without even the call of a bird to penetrate the ominous silence. The Goddess looked up from her own reflection to see something across the pond, barely visible through the long, swaying grass by the water's edge.

     It was Kora's girdle, a dark rose-pink sash that had somehow worked its way from her daughter's middle... and just how did it become lost from its owner?

     “Cyane?” Demeter called. Suddenly, the water rippled with more energy than before, and this gentle churning of the water made her think of someone making a great effort to speak. The fact that Cyane wasn't appearing in her human form was indication enough that there was a problem.

     “What happened?” she asked. The water rippled more violently, and the goddess leaned down, hoping to make something out of the rippling. Why did Cyane not reveal herself? Had she been witness to some awful thing that had happened to Kora and been horrified into silence?

     Understanding the Demeter's effort to hear or see her, Cyane screamed, at least to the best of her abilities. She no longer had a human form; Hades had taken it from her so she could not speak in a human voice. She wondered if that was a blessing – the Dark God could have simply destroyed her outright. In her mind, all the words were there – how she had seen her friend crying for help, the tall, dark god closing in on her, and Hades taking Kora below.

     How did one without a voice convey that?

     Taken... taken...
taken!

     “Where is my daughter?” Demeter asked frantically.

     Down... down...
down!

o0o

     Warmth and softness surrounded Persephone as she slowly came to. Her hand slid along her pillow, taking in the plush sensation that linen was entirely lacking. The mat beneath her was softer than anything she had ever felt, though it was also pleasantly firm, and she rolled over onto her back with a soft groan. When she opened her eyes, she couldn't even see the ceiling as it was obscured in shadows. The fire was burning low now, but she was able to make out the outline of her surroundings. Wait, how had she gotten here? This wasn't her mother's house!

     She lay there, feeling the weight of the comforter on top of her, and the softness of the material that rubbed against her naked body when she moved...
Naked?
With wide eyes, she carefully lifted the blanket and... yes, indeed, she didn't have one stitch of clothing on!

     There was a faint tingling between her legs, and she remembered hands and lips exploring her body and...

     “Oh!” she exclaimed softly at these memories and whipped around to look before she fixed on Hades. He was reclined on the divan with a soft, loose dark robe wrapped around his form. The opening of the robe plunged down to his navel, revealing a nice glimpse of his bare chest. His hair was combed back loosely, and she wondered at how different he looked now that he was dressed casually. At their first meeting on Olympus and then the day before, he had been dressed so regally.

     “Are you well?” he asked, wanting to make sure that her cry of alarm didn't signal a larger problem.

     “I... Yes. I was just... “ She looked around again, “It almost seems as if this is all a dream...” She wiggled over to the edge of the bed, trying to stand up even as she held the sheet to herself to maintain what she could of her modesty. She didn't have quite the energy yet though to stand right away and simply sat there, blushing as she remembered the things he had done to her, and how she had enjoyed it all. How had she succumbed to Hades so easily?

     After several more long moments of contemplation, Persephone was finally able to pull herself up, the sheet now taut against the right side of her body. She wobbled for just a moment as she wondered what she could – or should say.

     “I... “ she paused. What was she going to say to Hades? Hmm. There were a few questions she needed to ask, and she plucked one out of her thoughts.

     “Will you be sending me back home now?” she asked hesitantly. He glanced at her for several moments before lifting his arm from the seat. He sat straight as he rested his hands on his knees.

     “Do you really want to go back to your mother?” he asked dryly.

     “I want to go home,” she said simply, ignoring his tone. This was the Land of the Dead, after all! Already, now that she wasn't lost in pleasure, the reality of what had happened was now sinking in. She felt her stomach twist at the expression she saw on his face – did he mean to keep her down here?

     “Really, now?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. She stared at him levelly and nodded.

     “Of course. You kidnapped me and brought me down here and ravished me!” she protested.

     “You enjoyed it,” he reminded her, smirking as he noted the angry blush on her cheeks. She pouted huffily, looking so adorable he almost smiled outright.

     “That is not the point! I... I did not consent to be brought down here!” she exclaimed softly. “My mother will not let you keep me down here. This is the Land of the Dead.”

     She squirmed around as she felt the slight dampness between her legs, evidence of what the Dark God had done to her despite his attempt to clean her. Her cheeks pinkened further as she remembered how she had asked for more of his touch, hissing words of encouragement as his lips and hands explored her body, holding her close.

     “Are you not going to answer me, Uncle?” she challenged.

     “You cannot tell me you did not enjoy your time with me...” His eyes moved along her sheet-covered body, admiring the way the sinuous material held to her slight curves.

     “I am a little sore between my legs,” she murmured, thinking of how he had used his fingers and Gift, “And sticky too. And you ruined my dress. I am not going to walk around naked, you know. And I cannot go home naked either,” Persephone said with a pout.

     “You will be given clothes, my darling. But before that, I am sure that we both can agree that a bath is what you need right now, yes? To take care of that...
stickiness
.”

     “You caused it,” Persephone replied, squirming as she felt the slickness of her private flesh.

     “So I did. But there is no need to worry.” He grinned as he rose from his seat. How tempted he was to rip that sheet off her body, and push her to pleasure again and again. Oh gods, if he was constantly occupied with that kind of thing, he'd never get anything done!

    
Patience, Hades. Don't overwhelm her... or yourself
. He shook his head, taking a deep breath before he approached her. His hand reached out to toy with a lock of her hair, wrapping it around her finger as he studied her.

     “If you are ready, would you like to go and bathe?” he asked. She noticed how he asked her if she wanted to take a bath – rather than
telling
her, like her mother did. And she liked that. A lot.

     “Lord Hades?”

     “There is no need to be so formal in the privacy of our apartments,” he replied.

     “... Our?” She glanced around with curiosity.

     “Certainly. Why should I keep you in a separate bed, when I can have you here every night?” he asked, patting the soft bedspread, seeing her shiver at the thought. “Now, you had a question?”

     “My name... you keep calling me Persephone. Perhaps you have me confused with someone else?” she asked almost shyly. He shook his head.

     “No. The name your mother gave you... it did not suit you.”

     “My parents gave me that name for a reason, and it was my father that suggested it,” she replied defensively, her eyes glinting with indignation. He had seemed nice by giving her a choice about the bath, but now he was expecting her to just... accept a new name! Mother had told her of how when she was born, they hadn't been able to decide on a name until Father had suggested Kore, and liking that, they had changed it just a bit to make it more unique before handing it to their daughter. Persephone wasn't an ugly name, but she wasn't going to just take it because someone thought her old name wasn't good enough. Of all the nerve!

     “Your father chose a nice name,” Hades replied. Persephone had been expecting to hear him talk placatingly, like Mother did when she tried to calm her daughter. But the Dark God offered no such condescension, and he spoke matter-of-factly. “It suited you well before. But things are different now. Kore, it means
girl
. Do you wish to remain a girl forever?” he asked. The goddess looked down at her own body, stunted in its growth by her mother, and frustration and resentment at Demeter's smothering sprung anew.

     “No!” she murmured fiercely. He smiled faintly.

     “I want my bath,” she added, her tone bordering on petulant as she pondered her situation.

     “As you wish, my lady.” There was that... my lady. It
pleased
her. It made her feel all grown-up. Of course, certain grown-up things had also gone on last night, but this was different. The sheet was tugged away and she instinctively covered her private parts with her hands.

     “Relax. There is nobody else here. None are permitted to enter my inner sanctum.”

     “Do you clean this place yourself, then?” she could not help but ask.

     “None are permitted to enter... without my specific command.”

     “How specific?” she asked. He smiled.

     “Do I ask too many questions?” she asked, blushing just a bit.

     “No. I like a curious mind. It is nice having someone to talk with. And no one comes in here until they have been called for, and given a task. You will find that the Palace is quiet and private,” he explained as he tugged open the door. It opened into what she figured was the central room of his apartment, large and circular in design, with a vaulted ceiling that seemed to open into a starry night – the reality was that diamonds had been placed up there – and there was that ever-present black marble. Across the room an even larger fireplace than the one in Hades's room sat, unlit for the moment. The drapes were open, illuminating the room with a gray but clear light, highlighting the table and plush furniture. Opposite from the full-length windows was a thick and heavy door. But there were a few smaller ones matching the one they had just gone through.

     Hades pushed the door that had been sitting ajar, revealing a room with a black-and-white tiled floor and a large tub set in the floor, white and various shades of green and blue tiles making up its sides and bottom in a graceful design much like the currents of water. The tiles were made of various gemstones – emerald, lapis, aquamarine, blue topaz, and jade – and any king would have been envious of such a lavishly decorated tub. Steam rose from it welcomingly, and Persephone's eyes widened.