Hope in Dark Places

Chapter Fourteen

I could get used to this. My throne is very comfortable, my home beautiful and my husband smoking hot. I had never really seen myself as the marrying type after Hades broke my heart as a young goddess. That pain had prevented me from seeking any meaningful relationship. I dated a few mortals, slept with a few immortals, and haven't tried to avoid men. But I was always very, very careful not to get my heart involved. That's way I have no children, immortal or otherwise, because I thought that having a child with someone would cause a softening in my heart for the father. It's never been because I don't want children; I do. I was just never willing to take the risk.

Now out of nowhere, in a bizarre and sudden chain of events, Hades has become my husband and is striking his way back into my heart. For the first time, I want to let him. I want to let him soften me, I want him to force me to love him again.

Strange thoughts, but hey, I'm a wife now. Wives spend all their time thinking about their husbands, right? I mean, when they're not cooking or cleaning or raising the offspring. Yeah, if this was 1800.

"Penny for your thoughts?" my husband asks, muttering skilfully from the corner of his mouth as he stares down the next trembling petitioner.

"Nothing worth a penny," I whisper back.

"I find that hard to believe." Hades looks at me for a brief moment, a small twinkle of a smile in his eyes. Smiling back in return, I offer no reply. Concentration back to the job at hand, Hades' voice rings with power as he addresses the cowering man before him.

"What do you want?" It seems that Hades has lost all sense of diplomacy; I always thought that bluntness is more efficient.

"My lord, and lady," the man greets, adding me as an afterthought. Oh, I can just feel the boring filling the air from him. Drowning out his dullness, I flick my eyes around the filled throne room. Not really searching out any face, just looking. Most faces are innocent; wide, faith-filled eyes as they stare at their King. Some are angry; dark brows drawn down over hidden flames. The worst were the desperate, with gaping mouths and grasping hands. I don't envy Hades' job. Except, Hades' job is my job now, in a way. Great.

Not even listening to the drivelling man before my throne, I watch Hades subtly (not stalkery at all) from the corner of my eye. Hades looks slightly bored, but is still paying attention to the words. Opening his mouth to deliver his verdict, we're both surprised when the already wide doors are flung against the wall. Cloaked in shadows, a figure parts the crowd like that Moses fellow parted the sea. Shooting Hades a look, expecting to see him rise and threaten the intruder, I'm surprised to find Hades barely reacting at all.

"Charon, finally." Charon?!

Leaping to my feet, I run down the stairs and into my brother's arms.

Charon is my older brother, and ferries the dead across the rivers of the Underworld. Wraithlike, with stick thin limbs and towering height, Charon always dresses in black, ripped robes. Always had bad fashion sense, my brother. Pale, like most of my family, he wears a cowl over his face, making his face shadowed, and therefore dramatic and scary. Not. Charon is pretty much a moron, but he is my brother, and I love him.

Awkwardly leaning away from the hug and patting my back just as awkwardly, Charon looks up at Hades desperately, as if asking for help. Standing with a small chuckle, Hades walks towards us. I can't hold back my smile as I look at my brother. I haven't seen him in a hundred years. That's not an exaggeration.

"Nemesis, leave the poor man alone," Hades says with a sly grin. "You've scared him half to death."

I throw him a withering look, before turning back to my flinching brother. "Ignore him; he's a bit of an idiot." Hades chuckles lightly, then signals that we're moving back to important matters by walking back to his throne. He doesn't sit. By propriety, he must remain standing until I join him.

Now nestled back into my comfy seat of power, I tune out Hades' grumbles to Charon. Something about only ferrying the living, blah blah. Before long, Charon leaves, with barely a smile in my direction. He's always been like that. Besides, he has his own important job to do. Not very long after that, Hades declares our leaving, our subjects that have not yet asked anything from him growling in disappointment. They'll just have to come back tomorrow; Hades has enough other things to do, that effect every person, creature and immortal that inhabits the Underworld. Holding a hand to me, Hades leads me from the throne room, before anyone else is allowed to leave. We, as the rulers, have to be the last to arrive and the first to leave.

The rest of the afternoon was mine, Hades tells me as he guides me down the hall. My husband, busy man that he is, had several meetings with his advisors, his face already smothered in boredom at the prospect. Then he leaves me, standing by the door of our bedroom and I wonder, what do I do now?

I haven't the faintest clue.

Collapsing on the bed after entering the room, I sigh. This morning's activities have been pretty mentally exhausting, even for a goddess that wasn't really listening half the time. How does Hades do this every single day?

Because it's his job. It's been his job for thousands of years. As immortals, we all have a job to do, from the smallest creek god to the mighty Zeus himself. We all have our part to play in the fabric of the universe. And while being the Queen of the Underworld is amazing, am I able to handle it on top of my own duties as the Goddess of Revenge?

I've neglected that part of me today, and I'm increasingly worried that that may continue. Believe it or not, even though I'm classed as 'minor' by mortals, my job is very important. I don't believe that the good things and the bad things in people's lives should be laid down at Fate's feet. I am Revenge, I am motivation. I am taking injustice in your own hands and I am delivering what people deserve. I have shaped human history, caused and concluded countless wars, bringing down the blessed and raising the cursed. I am Adrasteia; I am inescapable.

And I should never measure my worth in the importance of my spouse. I may be the queen, but first and foremost, I am divine retribution and I have a job to do.

A pesky part of my personality is that I find it incredibly difficult to forgive. It isn't in my nature. I hold grudges against everyone that wrongs me. In fact, now that I think about it, Hades is the only one that I've been able to forgive after hurting me. But, it wasn't instant. I had to force myself to forgive him, because forgiving simply doesn't come naturally.

However, there is someone that I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive. The O Mighty Sovereign, Zeus. Not specifically because he forced me to marry Hades, as I've found that I rather like being Hades wife. But he took my choice away. He took my freedom. And that is something I won't forgive.

Covering myself in a shimmer mist, I take my self to a small courtyard in Olympus, sneaking within the shadows. I never really like Olympus; too bright. I know it, though, like the back of my palm. What most gods do not know, or realise, is that I also take vengeance against them on the behalf of mortals. I'm separate from the ones dancing in the light, in that I have no real allegiance to Zeus. I'd just as quickly grant a mortal revenge as a god. A little known fact is that I've often urged Hera to take revenge on Zeus for the ways he's mistreated her. But I cannot force it, and Hera stupidly prefers to punish the consequences of Zeus's indiscretions, rather than her husband himself.

This time, I don't need her permission. All I need is my vengeance.

Slinking my way to the Temple of Zeus, I hug the walls unseen. At least, I thought I was unseen.

"Nemesis, where are you going?" I jump, startled. Darn, I knew I should have borrowed Hades' helmet before coming here. Hindsight is always 20/20, after all. I turn, meeting the blank, violet eyes of my sister, Lyssa. Her petite form is barely covered by torn fabric, her midnight hair falling in greasy strings. As the goddess of insanity, of raging fury and frenzy, she is extremely unstable. Pity fills me; of all of us immortals, I think her dominion affects the most negatively. The gods of Olympus treat her as a shameful secret, using her only when it suits their purposes. My mother has often tried to talk her into living in the Underworld; that the Mountain of Olympus is not the place for her, but Lyssa cannot be reasoned with. Thankfully, she seems to have a hold of herself right now, but that could rapidly change.

"Lyssa. I'm going to see Zeus."

Her unfocused eyes seem to study me, before her black lips open again. "Zeus will not see you."

A little stunned, but not willing to become fazed, I reply, "why not?"

"Zeus will not see you."

"Well, maybe I won't seek his permission. I will do what I set out to do here, and I won't let anyone stand in my way," I hiss, letting my anger take me away. Mistake.

Lyssa appears to double in size, her eyes flashing red in uncontrolled rage. Before I even see her move, her taloned fingers are wrapped around my neck, pushing me roughly against the wall. Oh no, I'm not going down that easy. Drawing back my fist, I send it into her cheekbone, crushing and coating my hand in hot, golden blood. Screeching, Lyssa stumbles back, giving me the opportunity to push my advantage. Roundhouse kicking her in the gut, I send her crashing into the open space of the courtyard.

This seems to have cured her bloodlust, as her body shrinks back to her original size and her eyes return to the glassy, unsettling purple. Crawling to her feet, Lyssa sends me a slow, searching stare, before turning tail and disappearing into a thin alley.

Well, that was weird.

After checking by neck for blood (thankfully, she hadn't broke the skin) I continue on my way. Usually, I wouldn't let disputes with her bother me; she's not ever fully here. But this time, I can't help but wonder if she was trying to warn me about something. And as much as I want instant gratification, vengeance is patient. I will return another day.

And on that day, Zeus will pay.

.

.

.

Author's Note: Words will never, ever describe how very sorry I am about how long it's been since I last updated. I'm super, super sorry, and I hope you guys, if you're still following this story, will forgive me. I haven't abandoned the story, I promise. The truth is, that my last year of high school started at the start of February, and I've just been extremely busy. Also, I'm not very happy with the start of this chapter, though I think it does redeem itself in the second half. But I thought that you guys have waited long enough, so here it is. Surprisingly, this chapter really didn't go where I thought it would. Actually, I was planning a little time skip and Persephone was going to come back on the scene. However, Nem went into another direction and this felt like the right place to stop. So, now I have an option. I either 1) ignore the chapter pattern and do the next chapter in Nem's P.O.V instead, bringing Persephone back into it or 2) stick with the pattern, have the chapter in Hades' P.O.V and try think of something he has to deal with. Let me know what you think in the reviews.

Speaking of reviews:

Moontse: thank you so much, I'm rather fond of it myself :D

Daily Sinner: Thank you, every review means a lot to me

Madame Thome: They're both getting adjusted, and I think they're more similar than they think, but it'll all work out. I wouldn't worry about Hebe and Herc; he loves her, really.

TheAlabasterPhoenyx: thank you so much for the review; I always love them because you put so much effort into them. I know you love references, so Lyssa is for you (even though I made Lyssa a bit nuts). So sorry it took me so long to update; the holidays are coming up, so it won't take so long for the next one, I promise.

Nadenshka: Jeez, it took me forever to update, sorry. Thanks for the review, even though you didn't need to. I'm glad the characters are interesting.

Scrougeofares: thank you so much! I always get so happy when I get new reviewers.

Zervona: thank you! I'm so glad that people think my story is unique, and good.

Oh, and I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but a major inspiration for Hades and Nemesis's developing relationship is a song called Poison and Wine, by the Civil Wars. I know the lyrics say "I don't love you, but I always will," don't worry, they do/will love each other, I just felt that the rest of the song really fit, especially "I had no choice, but I still choose you." Anyway, it's a fantastic song, and I suggest you check it out.

Cool, I think that's it from me. Thank you so much for waiting so long for this chapter, and I will try my hardest to make sure that the next chapter isn't so long in coming.

KatyLynne.