A Touch of Darkness (Hades x Persephone Saga Book 1)

It was an hour or so later when Hades walked Persephone outside. He held her hand, fingers laced, and called a name into the air. “Thanatos!”

Persephone was surprised when a god dressed in black appeared before them. He was young and his hair was white, which made the rest of his features stand out in vivid color—sapphire eyes and blood-red lips. Two short black gayal horns, slightly curved and coming to sharp points, stuck out on the side of his head. Large black wings, heavy and ominous, sprouted from his back.

“My lord, my lady.” Thanatos bowed to them.

“Thanatos, Lady Persephone has a list of souls she’d like to meet. Would you mind escorting her?”

“I would be honored, my lord.”

Hades looked at her then. “I will leave you in Thanatos’s care.”

“Will I see you later?” she asked.

“If you wish.” He lifted her hand to his lips. She blushed when Hades kissed her knuckles, which seemed so silly considering all the places those lips had been.

Hades must have thought the same thing, because he laughed quietly and vanished.

Persephone turned to face Thanatos, meeting those striking blue eyes. “So, you’re Thanatos.”

The god smiled. “The very one.”

She was struck by how kind and soothing his voice sounded. She instantly felt comfortable with him and there was a part of her brain that realized it must be one of his gifts—to comfort the mortals whose souls he was about to harvest.

“I confess, I have been eager to meet you.” Thanatos added. “The souls speak well of you.”

She smiled. “I enjoy being with them. Until I visited Asphodel, I didn’t have a very peaceful view of the Underworld.”

His smile was sympathetic, as if he understood. “I imagine so. The Upperworld has made death evil, and I suppose I cannot blame them.”

“You’re very understanding,” she observed.

“Well, I do spend a lot of time in the company of mortals, and always in their worst or hardest moments.”

She frowned. It seemed sad that this was Thanatos’ existence, but the God of Death quickly soothed, “Do not mourn for me, my lady. The shadow of death is often a comfort to the dying.”

She decided she really liked Thanatos.

“Shall we find these souls you wish to speak to?” he asked, quickly changing the subject.

“Yes, please.” She handed him the list she’d made her first day at New Athens News when she’d begun her research into Hades. “Can you take me to any of these?”

Thanatos’s brows came together as he read the list, and he grimaced. She did not think that was a good sign. “If I may, why these souls?”

“I believe they all had something in common before they died: a contract with Hades.”

“They did.” It surprised Persephone that he knew so much. “And you wish to…interview them? For your paper?”

“Yes.” Persephone found herself answering hesitantly, suddenly unsure. Did Thanatos share Minthe’s view of her?

The God of Death folded the piece of paper and said, “I will take you to them. Though I think you will be disappointed.”

She didn’t have time to ask why, as Thanatos stretched his wings, folded them around her, and teleported.

When he released her from his feathery hold, they were at the center of a field. The first thing Persephone noticed was the silence; it was different here, a tangible thing that had weight and pressed against her ears. The grass beneath her feet was golden and the trees tall and lush, heavy with fruit, completing the image of beauty and peace. “Where are we?”

“These are the Elysium Fields “The list of names you offered, those souls reside here.”

“I…don’t understand. Elysium is paradise.”

The Elysium Fields were known as the Isle of the Blessed, reserved for heroes and those who lived a pure and righteous life dedicated to the gods. That was far from the truth of the souls on the list she’d given Thanatos. These were people who had struggled in life, who made bad decisions—one of those being a bargain with Hades—that ended their life.

Thanatos offered her a small smile, as if he understood her confusion. “It is a paradise. It is a sanctuary. It is where the pained come to heal in peace and solitude—it is where Hades sent the souls on the list you gave once they died.”

She looked out at the plain where several souls lingered. They were beautiful phantoms, dressed in white and glowing—but more than that, she knew this place was healing them. Her heart felt lighter, unburdened by the frustration and anger she felt over the last couple of months. “Why? Did he feel guilty?”

Thanatos shot her a confused look.

“He is the reason they died,” she explained. “He made a bargain with them, and when they couldn’t fulfill it, he took their souls.”

“Ah,” Thanatos said. “You misunderstand. Hades does not decide when souls come to the Underworld. The Fates do.”

“But he is the Lord of the Underworld. He makes the contracts!”

“Hades is the Lord of the Underworld, but he is not death, nor is he destiny. You may see a bargain with a mortal, but Hades is really bargaining with the Fates. He can see the thread of each human’s life, knows when their soul is burdened, and wishes to change the trajectory. Sometimes the Fates weave a new future, sometimes they cut the thread.”

“Surely he has influence?”

Thanatos shrugged. “It is a balance. We all understand that. Hades cannot save every soul and not every soul wants to be saved.”

She was quiet for a long moment, realizing now that she hadn’t really been listening to Hades at all. He had told her before that the Fates were involved in his decision-making, and that it was a balance—a give and take. Yet she hadn’t thought twice about his words.

She hadn’t thought about a lot of things.

But that didn’t change the fact that he could offer mortals a better path to overcome their struggles. What it did mean was that Hades’ intentions were far nobler than anything Persephone had given him credit for.

“Why didn’t he tell me?” she snapped.

Why did he let her think those horrible things about him? Did he want her to hate him?

Thanatos kept smiling. “Lord Hades is not in the habit of trying to convince the world he is a good god.”

You are the worst sort of god, she’d told him.

Her chest tightened at the memory, and she could not reconcile her feelings. While she was relieved Hades was not as monstrous or uncaring as she first believed, why had he drawn her into a contract? What did he see when he looked at her?

Thanatos offered his arm to Persephone, and she accepted. They strolled through the field unnoticed; unlike Asphodel, the souls here were quiet and content to be alone. It didn’t even seem like they realized two gods walked among them.

“Do they speak?” she asked.

“Yes, but souls who reside in Elysium must drink from the Lethe. They cannot have memories from their time in the Upperworld if they are to reincarnate.”

“How can they heal if they don’t possess memory?”

“No soul has ever healed by dwelling on the past,” Thanatos answered.

“When do they reincarnate?”

“When they heal.”

“And how long does it take for them to heal?”

“It varies…months, years, decades, but there is no rush,” Thanatos answered. “All we have is time.”

She supposed that was true of all souls—living or dead.

“There are a few souls who will incarnate within the week,” Thanatos said. “I believe the souls in Asphodel are planning a celebration. You should join them.”

“What about you?” Persephone asked.

He offered a small laugh. “I do not think the souls wish to have their reaper join them for a celebration.”

“How do you know?”

Thanatos opened his mouth, hesitated, then admitted, “I suppose I don’t.”

“I think you should go. We all should, even Hades.”

Thanatos brows rose and a smile broke out across his face. “You can count on my presence, my lady, though, I cannot speak for Lord Hades.”

They walked a little while in silence, and then Persephone said, “Hades does so much for his souls…except live alongside them.”

Thanatos did not answer immediately, and Persephone paused, facing the God of Death.

“When Asphodel celebrated him, he told me he didn’t go because he wasn’t worthy of their celebration,” she added. “Why?”

“Lord Hades carries many burdens, as we all do. The heaviest of them is regret.”

“Regret for what?”

“That he was not always so generous.”

Persephone let that comment sink in. So, Hades regretted his past and therefore refused to celebrate his present? That was ridiculous and damaging. Maybe the reason he never tried to change what others thought of him was because he believed all the things people said.

He probably believed her, which is why her words were so important to him.

“Come, my lady,” Thanatos said. “I will show you back to the palace.”

As the two walked, she asked, “How long has it been since he hosted a party at the palace?”

Thanatos’ brows rose. “I don’t know that he ever has.”

That was about to change—and so was Hades’ opinion of himself.

Before Persephone left the Underworld, she stopped to let Hecate know her plans, and also of her new-found ability to sense life.

Hecate’s eyes widened. “You’re sure?”

She nodded. “Can you help me, Hecate?”

She was glad to sense magic, but she had no idea how to harness it. If she could learn how to use it and fast, she could fulfill the terms of her contract with Hades.

“My dear,” Hecate said. “Of course, I’ll help you.”