Athena’s Golden Champion did not scare her. She wouldn’t flinch at a pathetic mortal woman. So, why did her fingers tremble as she clenched her fist? Her nails bit into flesh and grounded her. 

“She’s impassioned,” Hestia chuckled, oblivious to Persephone’s quaking. “I remember when Athena brought her to Olympus. Her spirited nature persists; not much difference exists today.”  

Stop talking. Stop talking. Stop. Talking.   

Persephone wanted to scream.  

Instead, she laughed. “Yes. She is intense.”   

Hestia continued recounting her first meeting with the trio of Champions. They had been partners in their mortal lives, then turned family once they became Champions. Her aunt spoke until Hypnos’ door returned, and he stepped out.   

He looked exhausted, and she longed to soothe the worry line that creased his brow. She didn’t dare touch him, not with the shadows that dimmed his eyes. His gaze locked on hers, and she swore his brows furrowed deeper.   

“Hypnos,” she said, her tone more a question than anything. “Are you okay?”   

“Hello, Auntie,” he said with a cordial bob of his head towards Hestia. “I will survive after a dreamless rest. Thank you.”   

Hestia approached Hypnos, placing gentle hands against his cheeks. She pulled him down to place a kiss upon his brow. “You have seen much suffering, child. I do all that I can to protect you.”  

They whispered among themselves, too low for Persephone to hear. Breathing deeply, she tried to tame her annoyance. Without her, he’d still be trapped in his dreamscape. He would have died. Where were her thanks?  

“I must get back to my children,” Hestia announced. She patted his cheek again before she pulled Persephone into a hug. The anger seeped from her the longer her aunt held her. She smelled like home. “My Champion has returned. Farewell, my darlings.”   

Suddenly, they were alone. They stared at each other in the deafening silence.   

“You sent her away.”    

“I did.”   

Sighing, Hypnos stepped through the Underworld portal. She followed because she had no other choice. The scent of the lily permeated the air, blended with the smell of wet paint.  

He stood next to the floating bed and watched the rise and fall of Hades’ chest.   

“You intend to wake him?”   

“I do.”   

“Emotions aside, she is his best chance of survival.” He kept his attention locked on Hades. When she didn’t respond, he continued. “Do you believe he would want to see you? After everything that has happened? You are not what he needs.”  

“I can’t accept that,” she said, swallowing a wave of guilt. “Can you acknowledge he doesn’t want you either?” 

“He’s never needed me,” He lifted his hand as if to touch Hades. It fell to his side before he could. “But I have always admired him.” 

“What’s happening to him?” There was no use in arguing. 

Hades was still. If not for his shallow breathing, she’d think he was dead. Specks of ink discolored the lily in his hands. The coral color dulled to black. Whatever darkness lurked within him, her sunlight couldn’t compete.   

“The chaos inside his mind puts the demons in my dreamscape to shame.” A mirror formed at Hades’ brow, reflecting rapid glimpses of the beasts that invaded his dreams. “Without an anchor, it is only a matter of time before it affects the Waking Realm.”  

“Do you think a mortal capable of stopping something that powerful?” 

“She has a better chance than either of us does,” Hypnos said. “She is Athena’s Champion.”   

***   

Venom circulated through Hades’ veins, burning him from the inside out. He’d come awake with a demon on his chest. Fangs buried in his neck, it drank his blood and stole parts of his soul. He would lose those fragments forever if he didn’t kill it before it had its fill. Too bad he couldn’t even lift his fingers. The creature’s poison must contain neurotoxins.   

Dying in Slumber was not how Hades pictured his death. Faced with the possibility now, he hated the idea. He’d never see Pandora again. Hypnos would never receive an apology for his jackass behavior. The Underworld would still hold Persephone. Too many things remained unfinished. 

Fractal light broke the dark, piercing through the demon’s chest and bathing Hades in serene warmth. Anguish-filled cries permeated the air as the demon turned to ash. Tingling beneath his skin told Hades that his soul had returned. It would take a few days for the wound to heal, but he’d be no worse for wear. Unless he remained trapped here.   

A soft glow surrounded him, keeping the circling demons at bay. He was thankful, unsure how long it would persist. His powers were born from darkness, not from light. Once it faded, all hell would break loose. It had drawn every demon to his location.     

From the neck up, he retained feeling, and he got a better look at his surroundings. The blackness pulsed around him, ebbing closer until the brightness corralled it back. Nothing but demons and emptiness surrounded him.   

The venom burned inside him. Not enough to kill him, but it would keep him paralyzed. He didn’t know how deeply the beast’s toxin had penetrated or the lingering effects would persist within him.    

“The punishment for killing another god is exile.”   

From the direction of his feet, Hades glimpsed a black stola swishing as long legs appeared from the dark. Her upper half remained concealed, but he knew that voice.   

“Eris,” he croaked, wishing his tone were steadier. “You did this?”   

Her laugh was sharp, and then she hovered over him. The folds of her stola hung like a curtain. The sheer fabric obscured the salivating devils. “No, pretty god. I did not do this. I am only here to sow the seeds of discord and feast.”   

Her hair curled over his face, trapping him within the inky strands. Thicker tendrils wrapped around his neck, squeezing until he gasped for air. Satisfied that his head was secure, she trailed elongated fingers over his features.   

“Such beautiful darkness surrounding you. Master always thought you a fool for rejecting him.” Tendrils filled his mouth when he tried to respond, and she snarled. A clear warning to keep quiet. “I’m not allowed to hurt your little pet, but no one said I couldn’t enjoy it with you. Let’s play.”   

She vanished as a shadow enveloped him. The monsters faded away, and his guest bedroom materialized. The mattress felt firm beneath his back, and the sheets were warm. Pandora’s scent hung in the air. Angry, raw grief tore through him when his woman swung her leg over his hips and popped her head into view.   

“Hello, Hades,” she cooed.   

A slight distortion in her inflection broke the illusion. Pandora’s tone held more of a lilt, a stark contrast to her muscular physique. His heart pounded as agony wrapped him in ice. He needed to pretend he hadn’t caught on. Her reaction would be unpredictable should she realize. 

“Hello, darling,” he said, voice airy despite the torture. “I’ve been lonely without you.”   

“You’ve missed me? You sent me away.” She cocked her head to the side, gray pupils shifting to ocean blue. Eris didn’t know the correct shade of her eyes. “Want to grasp how that felt?”   

Before he answered, her hand slid through flesh and bone. His gasp of pain preceded a wave of nausea as fingers wrapped around his beating heart. She squeezed it in intervals with the beat. Squeeze, release. Squeeze, release. Each time she did, his vision swam.   

He wouldn’t die if she pulled the muscle from his chest. If she kept it pumping but didn’t return it, she could control him. That prospect was worse than demons devouring him and entering the real world. A lesser god having command over him would create a lot of chaos.   

“Let me kiss you,” Not-Pandora begged, pressing her weight against him. The added pressure caused his pulse to falter. “I want to taste your anguish as I take control of you, pretty god.”   

“Eris, I told you to stop this shit.” Enyo’s deep voice filled the room, and Eris’s facade melted away.   

Pouting, Eris gave his heart a lingering squeeze before ripping her hand from his chest. Blood sprayed in a crimson arc, leaving freckles across her skin. She licked the few drops that landed on her lips, and bloodlust left her eyes sparkling.   

“No one ever lets me have a good time.”   

“If your fun wasn’t putting Master’s plan at risk, I’d tell you to have at it. Unfortunately, until the triplets seal their side of the bargain, Hades must remain intact and in control of his own facilities.” Enyo grabbed her by the hair, dragging her off Hades when she didn’t respond. “I will murder you and bathe in your blood if you do not fall in line, Eris.”   

Eris hissed at Enyo before vanishing. Crimson droplets rained onto the floor in her wake, staining the white carpet. He turned his head toward Enyo, still unable to move, and watched her seethe.   

“How do you handle insubordinate fleas that act like children?” Her bronze eyes moved to him, and she placed a hand over the gaping wound in his chest. “Your little Champion has gotten herself into quite the predicament, and she doesn’t even know it. I bet you didn’t realize how deep that curse of yours runs.”   

“Why tell me this?” He clenched his fist. The neurotoxin had faded. If he kept her talking, he could overpower her.   

“Does it matter? You’re fucked either way. The wheel is in motion; each spoke properly placed.” Ice filled his veins, chasing the burn. Her hand lingered over his wound. She was healing him, even if it hurt like a bitch.   

“Help me before I’m too far fucked.”   

Dry laughter fell from her lips, and she licked the blood from her fingers. “I respect Master for always conniving, but he’s overstepping boundaries by involving you. Your Champion deserves what is coming for her, but you don’t. Gods born of darkness should stick together, not plot the other’s destruction.”   

“Who is your lord?” The chill of her power brought more feeling to his body.   

“You’re not that dense, Hades. I can’t say his name.”   

He lunged for her, riding the last bite of cold as it energized him. She’d seen it coming and weaved. She materialized on the other side of the bed, tutting her tongue as he hit the floor. He struggled to get to his knees.   

“I hope you can put that energy to good use with the next wave of demons. Prove that you deserve my help, and maybe I’ll tell you.” She disappeared, leaving an acrid cloud of smoke.   

Angry snarls filled the room as claws scratched the other side of the walls. They’d break through soon. Hopefully, the venom was gone before then. If he could stand, he could fight. Even if his powers were unavailable to him.  

“I love you, Pandora,” he whispered.  

Editor: Lucy Cafiero