Chapter Fifty Seven

The anger I felt from everything fueled me to fly away for a very long time. Under the artificial moon in this strange artificial world I choose to fly to the artificial location of my future kidnapper, not kidnapper cruel husbands high rise apartment.

I landed on his rooftop and pulled the large door open to the familiar large and empty apartment.

I opened Hades' wine cabinet and poured myself a glass of red wine.

Six months of the year I could leave, to return to earth and be with my mother. But did I even really want to be with my mother? If I wanted to leave for more than six months…what would happen? Would he force me to stay? Would he keep me in a cage?

These questions swarmed around in my head until I fell asleep on the couch.

The next morning I woke up late. I had slept in so much.

I retreated to my closet and pulled on a comfortable white chunky knit sweater dress and leather knee high boots.

I left the apartment and walked a few blocks through the pristine clean city to a coffee shop. I generously overpaid the staff and sat outside under one of the few rare trees here.

The city was one of the most fascinating things to me. Everything was concrete, stone, and silver.

All nature, like the bushes, flowers, and trees were sparse and perfectly manicured.

Perfectly controlled, I thought to myself.

He had to control everything.

After having coffee I strolled around the city for a while, popping into some art galleries and bookstores.

After a few hours I returned back to Hades' apartment. I heard a group of voices coming from inside the apartment as I stepped off the elevator.

“Kore.” Hades said as I opened the door, he walked over to me and kissed me.

“I thought you left me.” He said, his eyes were bloodshot from crying, his clothes stained from his black blood. He hadn’t changed or showered.

“We were looking for you all night princess.” Andrea said.

“We thought you had died.” Andre said with more frustration in his voice.

“Kore I was so worried.” Nyx said.

I looked around the room full of people that less than a year ago were strangers to me.

“And my mother?” I asked Hades.

“She’s returned home.” Hades said.

“On her own free will?” I asked. Hades looked to Andrea, then me.

“Yes. She was upset.” He said.

“Athena wants to talk to you.” Andrea said.

“That name means nothing to me.” I said angrily, emotion breaking out of my voice without my consent.

“Kore please.” Nyx said, reaching out and grabbing my arm.

I pulled my hand back harshly.

“I’m going home.” I said to Hades.

“I can’t allow that.” He said to me,

“If you love me, you will let me go.” I said to him, anger bubbling inside me.

“If you go, there’s no telling what will happen to you there.” Hades said, returning my anger.

“Do you really think that I am safer down here?! With demons and creatures of hell?” I asked him. Hades shook my head. I stepped in close to him.

“She is my MOTHER.” I said to him, my voice cracking.

“And you said I wasn’t a prisoner.” I said to him,

Hades looked at me, angry that he couldn’t control me, angry that he couldn’t control himself.

“Fine.” Hades said.

“But bring Nyx.” He said. Nyx jumped with joy.

“See?!” She asked me, and I looked at her strangely. How would Nyx look in my mothers kingdom? How would my old friends react to her?

“And you will come back in one day.” Hades said.

“Five.” I responded.

“Three.” He compromised.

“Fine.” I said.

“Fine.” He responded.

“Andre will escort you.” Hades said.

“FINE.” I said.

“Very well!” He responded. Everyone in the room was silent and staring at us, the tension beyond imaginable.

“I love you.” Hades said, leaning in and kissing my forehead.

“I love you too.” I said angrily, my arms crossed.

“Have a-have a safe journey.” Hades said.

“I won't,” I responded.

“Oh my GOD can we just GO? You love him, he loves you, he loves control, you’re a wildflower, you’re clearly made for each other now can we please get on with our lives?” Nyx asked. I rolled my eyes.

“I’ll see you in three days.” Hades nodded to me.

“I won’t hurry back.”

Hades grabbed me and kissed me again. I think I even heard Andrea groan.

“Goodbye sir.”

“Goodbye your highness.”

—--------------

I left the building with Nyx and a hesitant Andrea. I could tell she wished she wasn’t coming. The three of us took the train to the river I had journeyed on so long ago to the underworld. We were given a royal ship, guided by a strange creature that I spoke to out of curiosity.

“Where to miss?” The strange ghost apparatus captain asked us.

“Demeter’s fields.” I said, instructing the man to take me to my home.

After a journey of a few hours we were back on the earth's surface. The warm Mediterranean air hit my skin and I happily filled my immortal lungs with its humidity.

“Ahhh.” I stretched into the wind. It was simply lovely, like the earth gave me a warm hug. The sun had begun to set and we watched a pretty pink haze slowly disappear over the ocean.

The sun, I thought to myself, the real sun.

“This is beautiful.” Nyx said.

“Not too bad.” Andrea said, I turned to look at them and upon seeing Andrea, screamed.

“Have you ever seen a shade before?” Andrea asked. Her skin was gray and somewhat transparent. Her bones are visible through her slightly translucent skin. Her face structure resembled that she was a dead musculoskeletal.

“You look…dead.” Kore said.

“Well, news flash, I am.” Andrea said, rolling her eyes and beginning their walk towards her mothers castle.

“I wonder if I can fly on earth.” I said to them,

“I can.” Nyx said, giggling and lifting herself off the earth. I laughed as I lifted myself off the ground.

“Ugh.” Andrea said, rolling her eyes as Nyx and I began to fly over and around her. Nyx and I raced up the long hill to my mothers villa and then began teasing and flying at one another.

When Andrea had finally reached the top, Nyx and I settled back on the ground. Laughing with one another like old friends. I suddenly felt guilty about this. She was my best friend, I thought. I hoped my old friends liked her.

I opened the villa's doors and we walked around. My mother was nowhere to be found. Our courtyard was vibrant and full, and we immediately ran into my three friends.

“KORE?!” Someone shouted, and suddenly I was attacked with hugs.

“You’re alive?! You’re here?” Narcissia, twirling me around and looking at me in complete shock.

“I thought I would never see you again.” Sophie said, tears welling up in her eyes as she hugged me.

“Your mom told us you were imprisoned, what are you doing here?!” Zoe asked.

“What is that?” Narcissia asked plainly, looking at the large emerald ring on Kore’s engagement finger.

“I have a lot to explain.” I said to them,

“Yeah, clearly.” Zoe said, looping her arm around me.

“Ahem.” Nyx said.

“Oh guys, I’m so sorry. This is my friend Nyx, and my future royal advisor Andrea.” I said, introducing the two strange and dark creatures to my bright friends.

“Oh, hello.” Zoe said awkwardly, Nyx and Andrea were grossly out of place here. Nyx dressed in punk clothes and had pale white skin. My friends from home wore white togas, had olive skin, and flowers or leaves in their hair.

“Nice to meet ya.” Nyx said with a nod.

“That promotion better come with a pay raise.” Andre said. I turned back to my friends and gave them a sheepish grin. They were looking at me like I had three heads.

“Well, let’s go!” Sophie said, innocently grabbing me and bringing us to my living quarters.

I opened the doors to my childhood bedroom with a sad smile. So much has changed since I’ve last been here, I thought.

“I’ll ask the maids for wine and cheese.” Narcissia said, opening the curtains of my room to let in fresh air.

“Fresh fruit please.” Nyx asked. She and Andrea had crashed down on the couches in my sitting room.

My childhood friends and I sat on my bed and caught up on everything.

I told them about my dreams with Hades, how he had kidnapped me, and fell in love with me. How he trained my powers as well as my father, Athena and Ares. The three of them sat on the edge of the bed, listening intensely about the underworld's cities, conflicts, royal structure and the demons.

“Okay but did you have sex?” Sophie asked, squealing as she asked such a naughty question. I looked over my friends on the bed to Nyx, who groaned and threw her head back. Andrea had fallen asleep.

“Let’s just say I’m not a virgin in that dimension.” I said to the girls, they all screamed and squeezed my hands.

“Tell us EVERYTHING.” Zoe said.

“No details left out, please.” Narcissia said.

After several hours of talking, drinking, and eating, my friends and I fell asleep in my bed all together, pressed up against one another like we used to when we were little.

I was very happy, I thought to myself. Very, very happy.