22. Hide and Seek

Lola and I talked for a long time. I was starting to get tired. This was the first day I had fully been awake, and I already felt like I was about to crash. Being a god meant I didn’t need to lay down during the day. A lot of gods and goddesses liked to lounge but I was not normally one of those. Normally I was pretty active but not today. I was now tired. I figured it had something to do with the trauma that Hecate was sure I had.

“Lola, I need to get going.” She nodded and said, “Your eyes seem to be having a hard time staying open.” I nodded and stood. Cerberus rising with me. I hugged my friend. “I will come find you again, please feel free to find me anytime.” We hugged and I retreated. I wove my way through the large halls of the palace making my way back to Hades and I’s room. I crawled straight into the overly large bed. Cerberus crawling up next to me. I almost instantly was cast into a dream as I fell into a deep sleep. My mind flowed freely; it was blackness. Which made me suddenly feel claustrophobic.

I felt my skin being sliced and comfort instantly came. I liked the feeling it induced. I continued to let pain cover various parts of my body. Until I was shaken awake. “Hades?” I asked, looking at him. His face was twisted with concern. “What is wrong?” I asked. He looked at me very concerned. “You don’t know?” I shook my head. “You are covered in tiny cuts. Your tiny thorns have sliced into you all over.” I looked down and sure enough black vines covered most of my body.

Tiny black thorns slicing into my skin. From my chin and down. “You didn’t wake up, despite Cerberus barking loudly in your face. That is when I came in running for you.” I focused on the vines that tied me to the bed. I willed them to wither and free me. It was hard to focus but eventually they left. Cerberus whimpered and I patted him on his left head. Hades sat down next to me brushing the side of my neck. The tiny slices were already healing.

“They don’t hurt Hades. They are actually kind of comforting.” I said, a little embarrassed. He didn’t react to me and that was comforting seeing as he had looked so nervous with me moments before. “Where you having a nightmare?” He asked. “Yes and no. I was in darkness, which was horrible and then I felt sharp sensations all over my body. I liked it in a way. Not the darkness. That made me feel claustrophobic but then the pain came, and I felt safe and comforted.” Hades nodded. “So, it seems you developed this need for pain to feel safe.” He spoke. “I guess.” Then a thought came, and I laughed.

“What is it?” Hades asked smiling at me. I liked that smile. “I was just thinking next time you know we...” he nodded, smirking. “We should include some pain. I like the sound of that.” Hade's face looked amused. “The word you are looking for is BDSM.” I had no idea what that was. “It stands for Bondage, Dominance, Submissive or Sadism, Master and Machoism. It is a sex thing, some say taboo, but if you like pain with pleasure that is the thing you want to say.” I nodded. “I think I would like that.” Hades laughed again. “Now what is funny?” I asked with a little attitude.

“You, you are all sweet and innocent, yet here you are wanting to run before you walk.” My face soured. “I can do whatever I want.” Hades was laughing harder, his deep tone filling the whole place. “I am not something to be laughed at.” He shook his head trying to calm down his laughter. “I am sorry Persephone Darling; I am not laughing at you I swear you just are amusing. The things you say that is. I like being surprised.” I liked seeing the God of the Dead laughing. It made me feel like how I felt before I went into my mother's cage. “Hades can we be like this?”

“What do you mean Persephone Darling?” Hades asked. “I feel like all day and yesterday when I woke, everyone is so serious. I like this lightheartedness. I mean even Lola was serious. I don’t like it. I am not used to it.” He still looked easy going enough. “Are you saying you want to do something fun?” He smiled. “Are you suggesting we go back up top with the mortals, maybe back to the theme park?” My smile was huge thinking of this, but I looked at Cerberus he wouldn’t be able to come, and I would feel bad leaving him behind. Since he was so attached to me.

“Persephone Darling, I don’t think that would be a good idea so soon?” I frowned. “Come on Hades what about Nox. We could go there. Come on I need to do something fun.” I was desperate. Hades looked at me and I could see he was going to cave. “Fine we can go to Nox, but we are bringing Hecate.” I smiled. “Let's bring Charon too, he deserves a break.” He looked at me like he was thinking something. “Go on tell me.”

“Let’s have a party here. We haven’t celebrated you coming back. And it would be safer, we can even invite Hermes if it makes you happy. I think Diaynious may crash. Plus, it has been a long time since the ball room has been used. All the souls minus the ones in Tartarus can come. The only thing is it may take a few days to plan.” I bit my lip. “Maybe you could organize it. It might give you something to do.” I thought about it.

Maybe this would be my chance to prove something. I had never organized anything. "Yes, I like this idea. But I still want to do something fun now.” He laughed. “Is my company not fun for you?” I frowned. “I like it, but my heart is not racing. So, I don’t know if I would consider it exhilarating.” He laughed again. “Okay so what was something fun to do on your mothers' estate?” I sat there thinking. Then an idea came to me.

“Okay I got an idea. How do I call for Hecate, Charon, And Lola?” He sat there grabbing my arm and teleporting us to the throne room, where he sat on his throne pulling me onto his lap. Suddenly the three of them appeared in the hall. Lola looked confused. Charon looked calm and didn’t seem to care, but Hecate looked like she didn’t want to be summoned. “Persephone wanted all present.”

“We are playing hide and seek.” Lola jumped in excitement. She loved this game. Just then Cerberus made his way into the throne room. Hecate looked amused. I didn’t turn to see Hades. “Not it.” I said followed by Lola and Hecate. Hades said it then and Lola and I laughed at Charon who was supposed to be the seeker. “How long do I count?” Hecate answered. “Wait is it just in the palace or the whole of the underworld?” I thought but Hades answered. “The Palace but no going in Persephone and I’s room. And count to 200 Charon.” He nodded and surprisingly covered his eyes, Hecate and Hades transported. I knew I should be able to do that. I tried and sure enough it worked. I ended up in the kitchen. I snuck into the massive pantry.

I hoped Cerberus wouldn’t come and find me. But no surprise he did as did Hades. He was not the one who was supposed to be looking for me. He shut the pantry door behind him. I could hear Cerberus whining outside the closed door. “Hades we shouldn’t be hiding together, it makes it easier to be found.” Hades was smirking. “This game is rigged Persephone Darling. If I don’t want to be found in my home, then I won’t be. Not even Cerberus will give away our location.”

He then leaned into me, and my back hit the large shelf. “So, this was your plan to get me alone.” He again smirked. “I never said I wanted to play hide and seek.” One of his massive arms was outstretched and he placed it on the next shelf over my head. Leaning in he had invaded my space. My chest was rising in falling fast. I liked the closeness. I wanted him to lean down and kiss me. He looked at me. Hades always looked serious and collected. At least my memories of him he did.

This was the first time I had seen him with a similar look that he had before I had been caged. I liked it, this is what I wanted. I wanted normalcy. I wanted the kind of Hades I told my mother I loved. I had said he was not what she believed he was. But what Charon had told me about how Hades reacted while I was gone was what my mother had described. I thought over Charon’s words. Hades needs me. The underworld needs me, but I would have to be the one to ask for it. Hades would never push for it. Could I do it, I wondered?

I didn’t want Zues to tell me what to do. That may involve working with my mother and I knew I couldn’t handle that, not yet at least. In that moment of him looking at me in the pantry. With me wanting him to kiss me I said. “Hades?” He was focused on me entirely and I loved that feeling. “What is it Persephone Darling?” I tried to calm my thundering chest. But I couldn’t so I just let the words fall out. “Hades, I want to be your queen.”