When Ariadne did not respond, he asked again, and this time, she screamed. “Three years! Three. Years. You. Bastard,” she seethed. “And now, because of you, I will never see her again!”
There was silence in the aftermath of Ariadne’s outburst, though Hades did not blame her. He could feel the love she had for her sister. It shook her body and broke her voice, and he wanted to do everything in his power to ensure she saw her again.
“Perhaps you should have thought about that before you came here with the intention of locating the Graeae,” Dionysus said, because he did not know when to shut up.
“I didn’t!” she seethed. “I came here hoping you might help me rescue my sister, but when I discovered how difficult you were, I decided it was easier to just go along with Theseus’s instruction.”
Hades looked between the two, and after a moment, he knelt. “Look, Ariadne. We can get your sister back…but I have to ask, does she want to be saved?”
“She doesn’t know what she wants anymore,” she replied, and she took a shuddering breath.
“That’s not what I asked,” Hades said.
“He abuses her,” she countered.
“Ariadne,” Hades said, his voice quiet, and truly, his heart broke for her. “You know you cannot rescue people who do not want to be saved.”
She buried her face in her hands as a few deep sobs racked her body. After a moment, she looked up and took a breath.
“You will help me get her back no matter what she wants,” said Ariadne. “And I’ll give you the information you need.”
Hades looked up at Dionysus, who stood aside, mouth set hard. He did not wait for the god to agree before he said, “Deal.”
It still took Ariadne a few minutes to begin, but when she did, everything fell into place.
“Theseus already knew where you were keeping the Graeae. It was just a matter of distracting you long enough so Hera could retrieve the sisters.”
Dionysus’s mood darkened at the mention of Hera, and Hades knew why. The Goddess of Women had been the bane of his existence in antiquity. She’d struck him with madness, made him travel the world endlessly and listlessly. She was also responsible for killing his mother, Semele.
“So the woman in the bathroom?” Dionysus asked. “Was she a setup?”
“No! I would have never…” She paused and huffed. “I know what you must think of me, but Theseus does not control every part of my life. I came here with my own motivations.”
“Because you thought I was trafficking women,” Dionysus replied sourly.
“I came because I thought you might be able to help me,” she snapped, her words silencing Dionysus who stood, stunned. Then she added in a quiet voice, “He doesn’t know about Medusa, and I did not tell him. I couldn’t bear the thought of putting another woman in danger.”
Hades had to admit, that piece of information was a relief and likely an advantage they had over the demigod.
“When they came without the eye, he was angry, but he kept them alive for a time, and he only decided to kill them when he thought that you might be able to rescue them,” she said, looking at Hades. “Hera gave him access to hydra venom, and he thought killing the Graeae was a way to test how much he needed to murder the Divine. Of course, Theseus didn’t actually make the kill. He sent his soldiers to do it.”
“Who are his soldiers?”
“Other demigods, mostly,” she replied. “There are mortals too, but he only finds them useful when he wants the public to think the Impious are acting alone.”
Other demigods, Hades thought. There were a number scattered about New Greece, and he had no doubt that most carried a lot of resentment toward their Divine parents.
“He wants to overthrow the Olympians,” she said. “Even the ones who side with him now.”
“Do you know his next move?” Dionysus asked. “If he intended the Graeae to be a weapon and they turned into his victims, what’s next? He needs more weapons and new targets.”
Ariadne shook her head, and Hades frowned deeply. While he was not surprised by what she had shared, it brought on an immense amount of dread.
Perhaps the worst part was that he would have to tell Zeus, though the only good that might come out of that was leverage against Hera, who still thought she held power over Hades with her labors.
She was about to discover quite the opposite.
Dionysus looked toward Hades. “I’ll send maenads to scout. Maybe they can discover his next move.” He looked at Ariadne. “And start planning an escape for Phaedra.”
“I thought you didn’t take sides,” Hades replied.
“Yeah, well, fuck anyone who sides with Hera,” Dionysus said.
Chapter XXV
The Forest of Despair
It was late when Hades returned to the Underworld to find Persephone waiting up for him. She turned to face him as he entered their room, dressed in a full-length gown. It was black and gold and the sleeves were long but split, so she looked as if she wore a cloak that touched the ground. On her head was a crown with jagged edges. It was black in color and encrusted with diamonds and pearls. It complimented his own, and he knew that it had been done purposefully, likely by Hecate.
She took his breath away, though she gazed at him unhappily, looking like a queen—his queen.
“I did not think you would be awake,” he said.
He had expected her to be asleep, exhausted after celebrating with the souls. Instead, she looked bright-eyed, almost lustful, and there was an excitement that curled in the bottom of his stomach.
“Where were you?” she asked.
“I had a few things to take care of,” he said. Explaining what had happened with Dionysus and Ariadne needed too much context. It also opened up a whole new part of his world that, while he’d eventually be glad to share, was too uncertain.
Luckily, she did not seem interested in pursuing his whereabouts.
“Were these things more important than your realm?”
“You are angry that I was not at your party.”
He frowned, in part because she knew why he did not often attend celebrations. He made people uncomfortable, as much as she believed otherwise.
“Yes, I am angry,” she said. “You should have been there.”
“The dead celebrate everything, Persephone. I won’t miss the next one.”
“If that is your view, I’d rather you not come at all,” she snapped.
His brows lowered. Obviously, she was searching for an answer he could not give. “Then what do you want from me?”