Ever with Hades
Table of Contents
Ever with Hades
About the Book
Ever with Hades
Hades and Persephone
Chapter One
Hades and Persephone
Chapter Two
Hades and Persephone
Chapter Three
Hades and Persephone
Chapter Four
Hades and Persephone
Chapter Five
Hades and Persephone
Chapter Six
Persephone
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Author's Note
My Eros
I've always dreamt of finding love like the one shared by Hades and Persephone.
But everything changes when I stumble upon an old key...that throws me into a world where Greek myths and legends have come into life.
It’s a place where everything is strangely and terrifyingly beautiful...and its ruler Hades sees me, an ordinary girl, as his prophesied queen.
Note: This was previously published as ETERNAL NIGHT. It's a modern-day paranormal fantasy with high heat, extensive world building, and a guaranteed happy ever after.
About the Book
“Milord!”
It was Thanatos, and Hades immediately turned, alerted by the ominous note in his second-in-command’s voice. “What is it?”
“Something inexplicable has shown up at the entrance of our world.”
“Show me.”
“Yes, milord.” Thanatos ripped the air around him like it was a piece of canvas, and a moment later Hades saw the entrance to his world, where the rest of his powerful sentries still stood guard.
“Above the gates, my king. Do you see it?”
Following Thanatos’ line of gaze, Hades started when he saw a doorway of some kind blazing above the gates of the Underworld. “I have not seen anything like this in my life.” He stretched his arm and with a wave of his hand, he drew the scene closer to him so that this time the doorway would be right above his head.
“Could it be human sorcery?” Thanatos asked grimly.
“Perhaps, but somehow this door feels much...stronger than anything a mere mortal could make.”
Before Thanatos could speak, Hypnos had come to join them in the balcony. “What’s happening?” Having sensed the winged demon’s presence, Hypnos knew that only the direst of circumstances could have compelled Thanatos to leave the Underworld.
Looking up, Hypnos almost took a step back when he saw the doorway right above the king’s head. “What is that?” Immortals moved freely from one world to another, but they did so without the use of portals—-
And that door looked exactly like what a portal would be, Hypnos thought with a frown, if such a thing existed.
Then he noticed something else.
“Milord, the door is opening!”
Hades stiffened.
“Stay back, milord!” Thanatos growled.
But it was too late.
The door was opened, and the sound of a feminine cry reached them.
Hades tensed.
Did that woman truly need his help or was she but a bait for a trap devised by powerful humans?
The answer to this fell on the Lord of the Underworld, literally, as the next thing Hades knew, a woman was thrown out of the door in the sky—-
Her ear-splitting cry made them wince and had everyone inside the temple running to the balcony.
Hades fell into the floor as she landed atop of him with enough force to make him suck his breath.
The woman quickly pushed herself up, her hands planted on his chest, and a dazed look on her pale face.
In the fraction of a second, two swords were pointed straight at her throat, with neither Hypnos nor Thanatos willing to underestimate any threat to their king.
Hades looked up into the bright blue eyes staring down at him with seemingly innocent confusion.
Who the fuck was she?
But before he could ask the pertinent questions, someone in the crowd started to clap.
“What are you doing,” Hades heard the god of light hiss under his breath.
“I can’t believe none of you are thinking what I’m thinking.” Hermes’ answering laughter held the usual note of amiable malice that was expected from the god of mischief.
“Stop speaking in riddles—-”
“I will, if you start thinking in them,” Hermes returned with laconic ease. Pointing to the girl still lying frozen atop the lord of the world, he quoted, “The lord would fall because of her.”
The crowd gasped, having recognized the words.
The two guards drew their swords back.
Hades whitened. Impossible. It was impossible. When had a prophecy ever been so literal?
And yet—-
He, the Lord of the Underworld, had fallen because of her.
When Thanatos and Hypnos saw the look in their lord’s eyes, the two sentries immediately dropped down on one knee as a sign of respect for their prophesied queen.
At this, the lower-ranking immortals in their midst fell on one knee as well, hoping to gain favor with the Lord of the Underworld.
When the girl saw everyone kneeling, she quickly scrambled off him—-
Hades’ jaw clenched when she squirmed against his erection. Dammit, was this girl trying to seduce him in public? Feeling his erection press noticeably against his pants, Hades bit back a curse and swiftly rose to his feet. He turned his back on the crowd, hoping no one had caught sight of it.
Hermes and Apollo glanced at each other, both of them having noticed the Lord of the Underworld’s reaction to the girl.
Hermes had only meant to joke about the prophecy but maybe there was more truth to it than he had originally seen.
When Hades turned to face the girl again, he was stunned to find her on bended knee as well. “What do you think you’re doing?” he asked in exasperation.
“B-because they knelt down, so I thought—-” She gazed up at him, bewildered. “Shouldn’t I?”
Not when you’re the reason they’re kneeling, Hades thought.
Ever with Hades
By Marian Tee
Copyright 2021 by Streak Digital Publishing
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Hades and Persephone
On the first instance Hades’ gaze settled on the brown-haired girl, the Prince of Darkness fell in love. Watching her play amidst the flowers, running freely on the meadows, and frolicking in the lake, Hades saw her as the epitome of joy and beauty, innocence and love.
He wanted her. He must have her.
And so he did.
He went to her, a figure in and from the dark, a prince who made the promise of eternal night more forbiddingly thrilling than lonely and terrifying. His eyes, a swirl of black, white, and gray, mesmerized the girl, and she rose from her knees, trembling.
When he offered his hand, she did not hesitate, and even as her heart beat maddeningly hard and fast, she placed her hand in his.
Days passed, and Hades sought to be in the girl’s company almost every day. They talked and talked, past sun down and even when the moon reached its zenith in the sky. And finally, the day came that when the stars faded into slumber, Hades and the girl became one.
The shadows they left on the grass bl
ended, and her soft cries filled the night.
He pledged his love to her, and so did she.
When streaks of sunrise began to paint their skin, Hades turned to the girl in his arms. Looking at her, knowing that she had given herself to his, he had never felt more invincible and alive. For countless millennia, he had believed that it was his destiny to walk alone, despite what the prophecies foretold.
But with her—-
With just one touch, she managed to sweep away the loneliness inside of his heart. With her, he began to hope, and if she agreed to be truly his, he would treasure her forever.
“Persephone.” His lips savored the sound of her name. Persephone, Persephone, Persephone. Each utterance brought him untold pleasure.
She looked up at him. “What is it, my love?”
He said slowly, “I want you to be with me.”
Her eyes shone. “Then be with me! I will tell Mother about you, and we could—-” Her voice trailed off at the way Hades’ beautiful face remained grave. She said uncertainly, “What is it? Do you not want me to tell others about us?”
“You misunderstand,” he said tenderly. “It would be my pleasure to let mankind and the world beyond it to know that you have captured my heart.” He touched her face. “But the way we are now – the way we do – cannot continue. My world languishes every time I am away. So you must make a choice.” He drew a deep breath. “And I hope you will choose me.”
Her eyes widened, and she let out a nervous laugh. “If I didn’t know you so well, I w-would think you are proposing marriage.”
Hades said simply, “I am.”
Persephone gasped.
“I love you, Persephone. You should know that by now.” He looked into her eyes. “Do you love me?”
“Of course I do,” she cried out. And then unable to help it, she threw her arms around him, causing him to release a startled laugh as her sudden weight forced him to fall back on the grass. She rained kisses all over his face, laughing as well, but when she pulled away to look down on him, tears were streaming on her cheeks.
“Oh, Hades. I never even hoped you would love me, too.” She smiled tremulously at him. “Everyone says that you are the type to make all the girls cry and break their hearts because no matter what, you will not fall in love with them. Every girl I know wants to marry you, do you know? Every girl!”
“But I don’t want any girl. I want you.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “Oh, Hades. You are one of our most powerful gods, brother to Zeus himself. How can you want someone such as me?”
“You are a goddess yourself,” he reminded her. “Demeter’s blood runs in your veins, and she is an Olympian like me.”
“Exactly.” Her smile was pained. “It is Mother who is powerful and famous, not me. You should have fallen in love with someone who had done more for the world, someone like Artemis—-”
Hades grinned. “She would not hesitate to shoot arrows into my body if she learns I am contemplating matrimony with her.”
“Then Athena?”
“She will steal Zeus’ thunderbolt and strike me down.”
In a small voice, she asked, “Are you certain I am deserving of your love?”
He shook his head, saying gently, “It is the other way around. I am not deserving of your love. I am sinful and broken, and yet still you entrusted yourself to me. You are everything I have wanted but never allowed myself to dream. You have enslaved me, milady, and I have never been happier to be one’s captive.”
He clasped her face and drew her down for a kiss, and she surrendered to his touch with a soft moan.
When he pulled away, he was smiling. “I love you.” But his eyes remained grave.
“I love you, too, Hades.” She touched his brow. “But I don’t like you looking you so sad.” She bit her lip. “Tell me of this choice I need to make. If it’s to make you smile from the heart, I will do it.”
He captured her hand and brought it to his lips, his heart softening at her words. “If only it were that easy, my love,” he said with a half smile.
“It is when you love each other.” She traced his lips. “So tell me.”
And so he did.
“If you choose a life with me, my love, I promise to give all of myself to you. You will be my Queen – my everything. But it is also a life that dwells forever in the darkness, and there can only be a few days in each season that we may leave my kingdom. The balance of the worlds above would be ruptured if we were to stay away far too long from it.”
At her silence, Hades rose up and gazed down at her. She was still lying on her side, one hand under her face, and her large eyes were filled with turmoil. It wrenched his heart, and he said tautly, “I am asking too much from someone as young and sheltered as you. I understand this. But I also had to let you know because I didn’t want you to think I’m abandoning you. I must return to my kingdom and—-”
She sat up and placed her fingers on his lips to stall his words.
Their eyes met.
“I will go to the ends of the earth with you if it is what you ask, Hades.”
His heart thundered against his chest, and he had to fight for control as he carefully removed her fingers. “Do you understand what you’re saying?” he asked hoarsely. “Do you understand what life will you lead by becoming my bride?”
“Yes, my love.”
His arms locked around her, and he nearly crushed her to him, making her cry out in laughing protest. “Hades!”
He forced himself to loosen his hold. “Sorry, my love.” He kissed her hair. I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
Chapter One
Over a thousand years later, in a small town in England...
Ever Carlisle wiped the tears from her eyes surreptitiously as she closed the book and hid it under her pillows. Although her bed was but boards of wood and her blanket was nothing but an old discarded curtain, these little discomforts ceased to exist the moment she lost herself in the stories of the Underworld.
She could no longer count the number of times she had read this particular version of Hades and Persephone, but she was pretty sure she would continue reading it over and over. It was just so beautiful and romantic, so...much everything that her life was not was.
The buzzer in her room sounded, reminding her on cue that Hades and Persephone’s love story was a dream and this—-
The buzzing went on and on, threatening to shatter her eardrums.
This was reality.
She had once asked Arisa if the volume could be adjusted, and her aunt had only given her a look. The next day, the buzzing had gotten twice as loud, and Ever had learned her lesson.
Biting back a sigh, Ever sat up and reached for the intercom. She pressed the number for her aunt’s room. When her aunt picked up, she murmured, “Good morning—-”
Arisa cut her off rudely, demanding, “What’s taking you so long?”
“I’m sorry, Aunt. I’ll be right—-”
Arisa slammed the phone down on her.
“—-there,” she finished unnecessarily. Returning the receiver to its place, she walked to the windows of her bedroom, which was really the house’s old and unrepaired attic. The world outside beckoned, with its cerulean skies and the sound of life.
Chirping birds, the low chatter of neighbors greeting each other, and if she closed her eyes, she could even imagine hearing the way the wind sang of all the dazzling and beautiful things it had seen.
This world was beautiful, but for one like her, it was but an oppressive cage and she would gladly trade it for a world of eternal night if it meant she could just be...
Free.
Outside, the skies slowly turned overcast. Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled. And then it started to drizzle. She closed her eyes, the sound of raindrops soothing her.
She loved weather like this, mostly because she felt like this was how the Underworld would be.
Exquisitely, soothingly dark, and ruled by a king and quee
n who loved each other.
I don’t care if I’m stupid, Ever thought with a rare burst of stubbornness. Dreams were free anyway so why couldn’t she let herself dream of the most magical things?
And for her, that dream would be to find her own Hades one day.
Her Hades would sweep Ever off her feet and take her away from all of life’s cruel realities.
Most of all, her Hades would see her as a human being worthy of love.
EVERYDAY LIFE WAS PREDICTABLE by nature, but whether such a routine would feel monotonous depended on the company one kept.
Those who were surrounded with love were lucky. The very repetitiveness of their daily lives was an aspect they treasured. They saw it as a sign of stability and commitment, and there was no greater thing they could ask than the assurance that the rest of the days would allow them to stay together.
But for those who were alone even when surrounded by other people, the sheer monotony of their days would be like a hole in their existence, a gnawing emptiness that would grow every second until they were but shells.
They would stop living.
Instead, they would merely exist...until they stopped existing at all.
I can’t believe it’s just eight in the morning, Ever thought as she started cleaning the living room, which was decorated in shades of yellow. It was the picture of genteel poverty, which was ironic since everyone knew Arisa Carlisle was extremely wealthy. She only happened to be stingy, too, and did not care at all that the wallpapers had faded and started to peel and that the aging carpet covered the entire second floor already had a musty odor to it.
Ever couldn’t help gritting her teeth as she pushed the heavy sofa to the side. It would be nice if she could have someone to help her with the furniture lifting, but that would mean Arisa having to pay for another helper in the house, which was next to impossible.
When Arisa was done with the second floor, she trudged down the stairs carrying the vacuum cleaner to start on the hallway.
Unable to help it, she glanced at the clock once more and suppressed a sigh when she saw it was only eight forty-five.