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The Immortal Heart	By : amandalee Category: 1 through F > Clash of the Titans (2010) > Clash of the Titans (2010) Views: 7819 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: We do not own Clash of the Titans or the characters portrayed in this story, and we make no money from writing this.

Chapter List
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Chapter 56

Early the following morning, land was already in sight when Hades woke up. Zeus had risen before him and left him to sleep while the other two gods navigated the shores. Hades began the day by emptying his bladder into the sea.

Poseidon was still bright and awake as he steered the boat, seemingly not bothered by the length at which he had stayed awake. Perhaps this had something to do with the rejuvenation the god felt from swimming in his much loved seas.

Gathering a blanket around him in the chill of the sea breeze, Hades joined his brothers, playfully nuzzling his face against Zeus’ back. Zeus turned with a smile and wrapped his arms around the elder god, kissing his forehead. Hades truly loved moments such as these when he could share a simple little gesture of affection with his brother.

“Is that Crete?” he asked. He felt the nod against his head as the two gods remained in their embrace.

“We will be at shore soon. Our sisters should be expecting us, thanks to the nymphs.”

Hades instantly thought not of Demeter and Hestia, whom he looked forward to reuniting with, but Hera. He wondered just how she might greet him after all this time. Pushing the thought into the back of his mind, he glanced toward Poseidon.

“Zeus, might I be able now to stand near our brother?” he asked. “I am sure he is no longer sick.”

Zeus smirked. “Yes, I agree.”

The exchange was not lost on Poseidon, who was blatantly within hearing distance, their boat being far too small for great secrecy.

“May I ask you something personal, brother?” Hades asked Poseidon as he stared at the slowly growing landform in the distance.

“Yes…?”

“It concerns the night you shared with Zeus.”

Zeus’ chuckle was easily heard behind the two gods. Hades could have sworn he saw color increase in Poseidon’s cheeks.

“What would you like to know, Hades?” the taller of the two asked, his voice rather subdued.

“I am just curious…” Hades explained, not wanting to cause his brother any embarrassment. “…of what it felt like. But if you’d rather not talk about it, I’ll understand.”

A sigh escaped Poseidon’s tightly clenched lips. “It felt good,” he said. “I enjoyed it.”

“Is that… all?”

Assuming that Hades was expecting a fuller answer to his question, Poseidon felt bound to elaborate. “You know, perhaps better than anyone, that Zeus is a great lover.” He could practically feel his younger brother’s self-satisfied grin against his back. “He needed a body to couple with, and I was able to provide him with that. It was a good night for us both.”

“So he did not hurt you? Even in the beginning?” Hades inquired.

“There was some pain,” Poseidon admitted. “But the pleasure soon outweighed any discomfort I may have initially experienced.”

Hades nodded thoughtfully. His brother’s experience seemed to mirror his own to a certain degree, but even though Poseidon admitted to gaining pleasure from coupling with Zeus, he seemed inexplicably embarrassed about it. Hades himself could not understand why; Zeus’ attentions were something to be proud of rather than ashamed. Soon realizing that Poseidon was the only one of his siblings who had been on both the giving and the receiving side of penetration, Hades’ mind formulated another question.

“Which do you enjoy more, brother; to take or be taken?”

Poseidon smiled at the thought. “Well… I would never give up the ability to take. But to be taken was a wonderful treat. Perhaps I shall have to answer after I’ve done the former again, for better comparison.”

“And who will you take next, Poseidon?” Zeus asked, unable to stop himself. “I am sure Chiron would love to volunteer.”

Poseidon’s jaw tightened and as Zeus laughed heartily at his brother’s embarrassment, the color returned with vengeance to the older god’s cheeks. Grimacing, Poseidon glanced in his youngest sibling’s direction.

“That is not funny.”

Hades wanted to keep a straight face, but the idea of Poseidon looking so embarrassed tickled his humor to no end. He covered his mouth as he giggled, but his eyes gave away his true feelings, and though Poseidon wanted to remain angry at how he was being made a fool, seeing Hades laugh was a good sight indeed. Stubbornly holding onto his angry expression, he was jostled about by his brothers.

“You know we love you, don’t you, Poseidon?” Zeus said teasingly, giving his brother and sturdy clap on the back.

“Sometimes I am not entirely certain.” The annoyed god answered, crossing his arms.

Zeus was about to tease him further when Hades spoke up, interrupting both gods. “I think I can see tiny figures on the beach.”

Zeus and Poseidon peered into the distance, hoping to make out what their brother could apparently see on the oncoming land. There, standing and waiting on the beach were the small but distinct figures of goddesses. Hades waved almost fervently at the figures, presently not considering that they were still too far away to be discerned as separate beings aboard the ship.

The initial joy brought by the thought of a reunion between himself and Demeter was then quickly diminished by the fact that Hera was present as well. His oldest sister had despised him before he left, and probably still despised him now, perhaps even more ardently. Though Zeus would now be present to fend for him, Hades did not look forward to finding out the ways Hera would cause him torment after they were reunited.

Noticing how the boat was picking up speed, Hades almost considered asking Poseidon to postpone the arrival on the shores but did not feel like explaining his fears to his brothers. Rather than speaking, Hades sought the wordless reassurance of Zeus by wrapping his arms around his youngest brother’s chest and leaning his head against his broad, sturdy shoulder.

A surprised chuckle escaped Zeus, but he welcomed the approach nonetheless, embracing Hades back and kissing the top of his head.

Minute by minute, the boat drifted closer to the shores of Crete, where three goddesses were awaiting the return of their victorious brothers.

*

“I believe I can see them!” Hestia called out, so excited that she kept shifting her weight from one foot to the other every two or three seconds. “Demeter, can you see them?”

“Yes, I see them,” her sister replied, the broad grin on her face proving the sincerity of her excitement. “And if I am not mistaken, they seem to be gaining speed.”

“Even waiting now is agony,” Hestia said with a laugh, wondering if she was truly seeing the wave of an arm on the approaching boat.

“Can either of you see the state of Zeus?” Hera, who had barely spoken to her sisters that morning, asked as she shaded her view from the sun with her hand.

“Still too soon to tell,” Hestia answered. “But based on whomever is waving at us, I would hazard a guess that they are all well.”

Hera seemed to ignore whatever else her sisters were saying. All that mattered to her was Zeus. She certainly did not wish for the Olympians’ few numbers to shrink, nor did she necessarily wish to see Poseidon dead, as irritating as he could sometimes be. But he hated – not just disliked, but hated – the fact that the one god who should have belonged to her had chosen someone else. And not simply someone else, but a god who was barely even half the Olympian Hera was herself.

When a nymph messenger had arrived to give news of Hades’ safe arrival back to the mainland, Hera could barely restrain her annoyance, secretly hoping that gigantic monster in the sea had devoured him. When the second nymph brought news that all three gods would be returning to Crete unharmed, the goddess could no longer hold back words which brought threats of physical harm from Demeter should Hera bring up such words in front of Hades.

The goddesses continued to watch until they came to realize the god waving to them had been Hades all along. Hestia called out his name joyfully and Demeter waved back.

Hera momentarily forgotten, Hades could not help sporting a broad grin once the boat was close enough to allow him a clear view of his sisters’ faces.

“Demeter! Hestia!” he hollered, hoping that the wind would carry his voice all the way to the shore. “I cannot wait to see you!”

Zeus and Poseidon, distinctly more subdued in their joy, merely chuckled at their eldest brother’s enthusiasm. Poseidon took upon himself the task to navigate their small vessel around the treacherous rocks surrounding the waters around the island, prepared to enter the water if the keel hit against something beneath the surface.

Once the boat was safely anchored next to a set of cliffs, Hades simply could not wait any longer. Ignoring his brothers’ warning words, he left the boat deck, leaping with minimal grace onto the rocks and came close to losing balance, flailing, before regaining his foothold and securing a grip on the boulder beneath him.

Demeter’s happy smile was momentarily replaced by a look of absolute terror as she expected Hades to fall into the sea, or – even worse – against the other rocks surrounding him.

“Go back onboard!” Hestia shouted as their brother began the perilous trek toward the waterfront where his sisters were waiting. “You could fall and hurt yourself, Hades!”

Demeter was about to reinforce her sister’s admonition when she glimpsed Hera’s visage to her right. The eldest goddess was smiling, and it was not difficult to realize what had brought the smile to Hera’s face. A little sting of anger pierced Demeter’s mind, but she did her best to ignore it, knowing her concern for Hades had higher priority.

“Pardon me,” she said harshly as she stormed past her eldest sister, following Hestia towards their brother. She knew Hera still smirked, though she had not glanced back.

“Brother, please go back?” Hestia was pleading with Hades, who was stubbornly going against sisters’ requests. He scrambled from rock to rock, too eager to reunite with Demeter and Hestia to return to the boat.

Zeus, similarly surprised by his beloved brother’s behavior, simply needed to give one glance to Poseidon, who nodded and jumped off the skiff and into the water, closely following the eldest god and staving the harder of the crashing waves. Making the boat secure in its place, the Olympian leader had to secretly confess the sight of Hades being so lively brought himself into higher spirits.

Hades’ robe was essentially soaked through by the time he made it off the rocks and into his sisters’ arms. Hestia pushed aside the sopping wet hair and covered her brother’s face in kisses, while Demeter squeezed him tightly, nearly able to lift his slight body off the sand in her excitement. Poseidon arrived on the shore soon afterwards, and whilst Hestia greeted him, Demeter stayed behind with Hades.

“Are you alright?” she asked, eyebrow lifted and smile suddenly gone.

“Yes,” Hades answered.

“Good.” Demeter promptly grasped her brother by the face and gave him a quick slap on the cheek. Hades, suddenly remembering the much harsher greeting by Zeus when he reached the mainland, flinched at the blow, though Demeter had been much gentler.

“I cannot believe you left the way you did!” she exclaimed. Though she was happy to reunite with her brother, the goddess clearly was still displeased with Hades’ behavior.

“I apologize,” Hades began, suddenly ashamed of how he had acted toward his sisters. “I was so angry that I didn’t think. All I wanted was to get away.”

“You could have told us!” Demeter persisted, her arms now sternly crossed over her chest. “We believed for days that you had perished!”

“If I had told you, would you have let me leave?” Hades inquired, already knowing the answer to his question. Demeter likely would have tied him to his bed in an effort to keep him out of harm’s way.

The goddess sighed, admitting defeat. “It was still a very irresponsible thing of you do to, Hades,” she gently chastised her brother. “Hestia and I spent days looking for you in the woods. I believed I would never see you again!”

“I am here now,” Hades said, and they embraced again, brother and sister reunited after a great many ordeals. While holding Demeter close, it occurred to the god that his sister knew nothing of the titans’ violation of him and thus did not know the origin of the brands on his thighs, which she was bound to see sooner or later. Hades did not look forward to telling her the story of how he acquired them, but Demeter was his closest friend and deserved to know the truth.

“You must all be very hungry,” Hestia broke in, ushering Zeus and Poseidon in front of her onto the path leading back into the forest. “We have prepared a bountiful feast in honor of your return, my dear brothers!”

Poseidon, remembering the previous time he had indulged himself, rubbed absently at his growling stomach. He would not make the same mistake again, no matter how badly his hunger spurred him on.

Hera had meanwhile been greeting Zeus with her own servings of affection, and the leader accepted the gestures, but he did not necessarily welcome them.

“Are you displeased, brother?” she asked, trying to sound innocent. Though such a thing sounded hard to believe, she was very good at it, for she had practiced for years.

“I am happy to be reunited safe and sound with my family,” Zeus answered gruffly. “But I do not appreciate your treatment of my mate.”

The goddess hated the notion of Hades being referred to at Zeus’ mate, but she only smiled.

“Oh, I agree I was too harsh with him, dearest brother. But I was only playing with him, honestly. It was in jest only. I would have let him in eventually.”

“I am certain,” Zeus said, continuing to walk behind his other siblings back to the cottage, otherwise ignoring her. Hera walked at his side, but knew better than to take his hand just yet. She would have to win him back at a slightly slower pace.

*

The eating of the gods’ welcome home dinner was well under way before anyone decided to make conversation. A good meal made with time and care had been sorely missed back on the mainland, and the three brothers preferred to savor their food and enjoy the presence of their sisters for several minutes before interrupting the quiet harmony.

Poseidon finally broke the silence with a statement agreed upon by his brothers as well. “This has been the best meal we have had in weeks, dare I say months, thanks to the fate we share as free gods, reunited after such a glorious victory.”

Hades felt a hand on his back as the group approved, and he turned to look at Zeus, who gave him an affectionate little kiss, which he gladly returned.

Hera pretended not to notice the gesture, but on the inside, she was seething. How could something as weak and infirm as Hades have returned from battling against titans? His survival defied all logic, and yet he was here, alive and well, and forever the thorn in her eye.

Her already sour features were further warped by disgust when Poseidon, seated to her right, leaned back in his chair and let loose an audible burp which practically echoed in the small room.

“I apologize,” the god immediately said, knowing his behavior was against good table manners. “But I am full to the point of bursting.”

“That is too bad,” Hestia replied, smirking, “because we have yet to bring in the dessert!”

A hearty laughter could be heard from everyone except Hera and of course Poseidon, who groaned at his own predicament.

Demeter left the table to bring in said dessert, rejecting any offers of help from her brothers and returned shortly, precariously balancing a large tray in her arms, filled to the brink with colorful, ripe fruit intricately decorated to look as appetizing as possible.

Poseidon gazed longingly at the delicious dessert brought in by his sister, massaging his bloated stomach to help the digestion along and make place for new contents.

“I would not encourage him if I were either of you,” Zeus said impishly as he plucked a slice of fruit from the tray when it was placed on the table. “And here we would have thought you would learn your lesson, brother.”

Poseidon huffed and harrumphed at Zeus’ remarks and Hades’ snickers, but when he avoided the looks of his brothers, he was instead faced with the confused expressions of his sisters. Demeter was the first to give a sly smile.

“Have we had an event already?” she asked, turning to seek the truth from Zeus, who was feeding a bite of his fruit to Hades. “Did Poseidon see the disadvantage of eating too much?”

“More like too soon,” Zeus replied. “He picked meat from the spit too early and was sick for several hours before we could depart.”

Hera was the one to truly begin to laugh first, and though the others could not help joining in response to their unfortunate brother’s predicament, it was Demeter who suspected the most that Hera laughed more out of mean-spirited derision than playful amusement. Poseidon only looked embarrassed.

“We picked many of the fruits you see here, brother,” she said in an attempt to comfort her brother. “If this plate goes bad before you have your share, know that there is much more to be had.”

Hades felt sympathy for the discomfort Poseidon felt at being laughed at, and he decided to speak up, hopefully to change the subject of conversation.

“Poseidon’s abilities once again helped speed our travel,” he said, nibbling on another piece of fruit. “His power over the waters has grown. He even created a small pool for me to enjoy.”

“Is that a fact, brother?” Hestia said, addressing Poseidon. “You are too sweet to be believed.”

“Those same abilities came to great use on the battlefield,” Zeus added. “Not that I was unimpressive myself…”

A bark of laughter sounded from Hera. “We are all convinced that you were not, dear brother,” she said, smirking. “I am curious, however… Which one of you delivered the killing blow to our despicable father? Or need I even ask?” she added, eyeing Zeus appreciatively, as if the answer was already obvious to her.

Zeus’ boastful expression faded when faced with the question of Cronos’ demise. He could not take the credit of dispatching the titan king, since Cronos had not fallen by his hand. The creature from the depths, still largely a mystery to the Olympians, was solely responsible for their victory.

“None of us did,” Zeus finally said, feeling as uncomfortable as he looked. “Cronos was slain, but not by any of his sons.”

The three goddesses sported similar expressions of surprise and disbelief. The nymph that had come by to give them the news of the Olympians’ victory had not gone into detail concerning the battle itself, and they had all assumed that Cronos had met his end at the hand of his sons.

“If you did not slay him, then who did?” Hestia inquired, breaking the uncomfortable silence which had replaced the previous joyful atmosphere.

“We are not sure of its origin…” Poseidon said hesitantly, prepared to be interrupted by Zeus. Nothing sounded from the youngest god, however. “But the sea beast which tracked our voyage here to this island unexpectedly showed up, targeting the titans.”

The goddesses, already baffled with the idea that victory had come without defeat by gods themselves, widened their eyes at the news of the creature.

“It came out of the sea?” Demeter asked, attempting to better understand.

Zeus nodded, Hades remaining rather silent on his lap, as he had not seen the strange sight for himself.

“We took the fight to the shores so that Poseidon might drown the smaller of Cronos’ soldiers. But something that size… I think it had been lying in wait.”

“How on earth did you escape such a monster?” Hera asked.

“That is what still confuses us,” the youngest Olympian replied. “As much as I hate to confess, I do not think we could have escaped this creature if it wished us harm, nor could we defeat it. It simply rose from the sea and tore Cronos to pieces, grazing upon his army afterwards. If I had to guess, I would say that it was helping us.”

“I doubt it,” Hera said with a sniff. “It likely recognized you as a force to be reckoned with.”

“Spare your sycophancy, Hera,” Zeus said. “It does not become you.”

Hades’ brow lifted at his brother’s response, and he dared not look at what must have been the outraged look on his sister’s face. Had he glanced her way, he might have caught the sight of Poseidon putting a hand to his mouth, feigning a cough to hide his laughter.

“Thank you, my sisters, for this wonderful meal,” Zeus spoke up, wiping his mouth with a piece of cloth. “You truly know how to make a god feel welcome. My brothers and I, however, are weary from our travels and would like nothing more than a good night’s sleep.”

“Oh, the beds have been made,” Hestia quickly said. “I was not quite sure who would be sleeping with whom, so we’ll leave that for you to decide.”

“I will share a bed with my betrothed, naturally,” Zeus replied, nuzzling the neck of the god still on his lap. A slight blush crept over Hades’ pale cheeks. “The rest of you can do as you wish. We will not linger here long.”

Though there was no home to return to for the Olympians on the mainland of Greece, Zeus did not plan on letting his family stay on Crete for longer than necessary. Unless kept on a firm leash, the surviving titans might get in their heads to rebel against the new rule, and he must not let that happen. The only way to prevent a rebellion was to be on location to watch over his subjects.

Zeus gave Hades a gentle nudge off his lap before rising and once again complimented the goddesses on their culinary skills. He had not rested thoroughly since before his last departure from Crete and looked forward to a night of undisturbed sleep.

“Are you coming, Hades?” Zeus asked over his shoulder, checking to see if his brother would accompany him.

“I’ll be with you in a while, Zeus,” Hades replied. “I only wish to speak some more with Demeter first.”

One look from his sister told the god that Demeter appreciated this.

Rather than inquire as to the reason, Zeus only smiled gently. He knew the bond between his sister and brother had become stronger than stone, and he surmised that they wanted to speak of their time apart.

“Very well,” he said, leaning forward to give his mate a quick peck on the cheek. “You know where I will be.” He gave a wink and walked away to his quarters.

“Perhaps we should talk outside,” Demeter suggested. “Away from the windows. That should provide us enough distance for privacy.”

Hades cocked and eyebrow. “Are you certain Hera will not lock us out?”

Demeter gave a small laugh. “If she did, she may not hear the end of it from Zeus.”

The sun was disappearing beyond the horizon and though the sky still had the remnants of light within it, the lovely pink hue would soon be replaced with the blacks and deep blues of night. Hades found it to be a calming sight indeed. They could not stay outside long, for Hades was just as tired as his brothers, but he honored his sisters’ request.

“I could not help noticing…” Demeter began as they sat upon the grass, watching the pinks in the sky fade away. “When discussion of the battlefield began, a certain light dimmed in your eyes.”

Hades lowered his head, a reflex brought on by the memory.

“You know you needn’t be afraid of telling me anything, brother,” she said, placing her hand over that of the god. “What was it like on the mainland?”

Welcoming the comfort of his sister’s hand, knowing the trust between them was unwavering, Hades still felt trepidation at the thought of telling Demeter all which had happened. Still, if he could not willingly tell her, then who?

“Hades,” Demeter spoke, reaching out to cup her brother’s cheek. Something heavy was very clearly weighing down his heart, and she once again offered to help him carry that burden. “I am sorry for hitting you earlier. I was still angry at you for leaving without so much as a word, but I can understand now why you did it. You are a god, after all, and I see why you wanted to join your brothers in battle.”

“I… I wasn’t present at the battle,” Hades confessed. “Zeus likely would not have allowed it anyway, but something happened…”

“What, dearest? What happened?” Demeter asked, concerned by the obvious tremble in her brother’s voice. “Were you hurt?”

Hades nodded, quenching the urge to shake forth his long hair to help conceal his face. “I had no trouble finding my brothers’ camp on the mainland,” he quietly began to tell her. “It was easy spotting them from so high above.” A brief smile came about his lips at the thought of the magnificent winged stallion, but it disappeared as quickly as it had formed.

“The following day… my brothers went to scout the area for spies… from Cronos. They did not want me to slow them down, so I was left behind.”

Demeter had already developed a lump of dread in the pit of her stomach as her brother’s story progressed. Suddenly she was no longer sure she wanted to hear the rest. She did not let her visage or actions give her feelings away. Squeezing her brother’s hand, she urged him to continue.

“You may have wondered why we did not return with Poseidon’s winged horse,” Hades said quietly.

Those words left a chill in Demeter. “I had assumed it stayed behind on the mainland with Chiron,” she admitted.

Hades shook his head, giving a shuddering sigh. “No, it is dead. Had the day ended for the worst, I might have joined it.”

Instinctively the goddess edged closer to her brother, still holding his hand, which was now beginning to feel damp in her grasp.

“It was almost as though the whole thing had been planned,” Hades said, looking slightly lost in thought as he spoke, “as though they waited until the others had left the camp. But coincidence or not, they were there.”

“Titans.” Demeter guessed. Hades nodded.

“Four of them, three males. The horse was dealt with very quickly,” he continued. “I could do nothing for it. They ate much of it.” A tear rolled down the god’s cheek. “I struggled and I fought while they destroyed the camp, but my efforts amounted to nothing.”

His own grip against Demeter’s hand tightened, as though he felt anger in this moment. For whom, the goddess wondered, the titans for their cruel deeds or himself for being unable to defend himself or the horse?

“They tore away my clothes and held me down then. They tossed me about and beat me so easily. And then…” admitting it even now still brought a pain to Hades’ chest. “Oh it felt awful… even worse than the scratches and bruises and twisted limbs. I think they had the chance to take turns.”

Hades turned his head away then, ashamed to be seen even by Demeter. His sister heard the soft impact of tears against the robes gathered on his lap.

The goddess did not need further elaboration on what her brother was talking about. The look on his face – the shame, the anguish, the self-loathing – told her all she needed to know.

Words were superfluous and inadequate to express her feelings about what her poor sibling had been put through. Instead of speaking, Demeter carefully pulled Hades into her arms, allowing his tears to fall onto her gown instead.

They sat like that for quite some time, until Hades’ tears finally dried out and he straightened himself, still too ashamed to look his sister in the eye.

“I was half dead when Poseidon found me,” he continued his story in a whispering voice, ragged with tears. “I don’t remember everything… not much at all, in fact… except when he gave me water. I begged him not to tell Zeus… I thought… Zeus might not want me anymore after those foul beasts had defiled me, but I could not hide it from him for long, of course.”

“Zeus loves you,” Demeter said. “He would never repel you because of something that you had no say in.”

“There were moments when I wished for death,” Hades admitted. “My injuries were grievous, but my brothers did not give up on me and nursed me slowly back to health.”

“I can imagine…” Demeter, though it made her feel physically sick, could not help but wonder how Hades had even survived a violation by not one but three titans. She had been fortunate enough never to see the size of the monsters’ endowments, but it was not difficult to imagine what it was like for a god to be forcibly taken by a titan.

“Raping me was not all they did…” Hades suddenly said, and his sister wondered what they could have done that equaled such an assault.

“Not all…?” she echoed. Part of her still felt anger that Hades had run away. Had he stayed in Crete, none of this would have happened. Oh, why did their brothers not leave anyone behind to protect him?

Hades’ hands instinctively gathered in his lap where he proceeded to stare, grasping at folds of cloth, particularly where his legs met. Demeter grimaced, her reaction unseen by the god, when her fears caused her to presume her brother had been castrated.

“I think Zeus still does not care to see this. And truthfully neither do I.”

He felt one of Demeter’s hands cup his cheek.

“What did they do?” she asked, though she was frightened of what she might find out.

“They decided to make me property of our father,” Hades said, his voice still slightly shaky. “I keep the scars of his symbol. Zeus was unable to heal them from my skin.”

“Oh Hades…” Demeter squeezed her unfortunate brother in her embrace, kissing a cheek which still had lingering tears. “Perhaps if I looked at them myself, made some salves…”

At this offer, Hades tensed in her arms. “I doubt it will be of any help. Not that I doubt your abilities, but by the time Zeus was finished, they were already nearly healed. I am sorry, but… I am not quite ready for others to see them yet.”

Demeter nodded. She understood perfectly, as she had felt the same way with the scars left behind by the fire so long ago yet still so fresh in her memories.

“It is alright, brother. I will not pry. But remember I had something very similar when Rhea had healed my burns.”

“I remember,” Hades replied. “One day I will let you see. But not quite yet.”

Demeter smiled, and her brother managed a smile in kind, though his also carried sadness. “Let us go inside,” she said. “You could use the sleep.”

Hades gave a nod and followed his sister into the shelter of the cottage. Hera had not locked the door this time; in fact, their eldest sister had briskly disappeared after the meal, and no one knew where she had taken her refuge. Hades hoped that he would not have to face her again until the following day.

“I should join Zeus in bed…” Hades murmured, glancing at the door to the bedchamber the Olympian leader had requested to share with him. “He asked for me.”

“You can join him in a moment,” the goddess responded, nodding at the door to the room previously shared by the two of them. “Besides, I would think that Zeus is already asleep. Let me have you to myself for some time longer.”

Hades managed a weak chuckle and acquiesced his sister’s request, following her into what he assumed was where she had slept alone during his absence. Surprisingly enough, the bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in for ages, the sheets smooth and pristine and the pillows untouched.

“You no longer sleep in this room?” Hades asked, almost afraid to sit down on the bed and ruin the illusion of pureness.

“Hestia and I have been sharing her bed, while Hera has been using Zeus’,” she explained. Upon the horrified look she received from her brother, Demeter quickly elaborated. “The linen has been washed, and she understands that she cannot remain there. Do not look so petrified, dearest. Her foul stink is undoubtedly gone from there.”

“Foul, eh?” Hades retorted, taking a seat on the bed next to his sister. Demeter pulled back the formerly smooth sheets and soon both Olympians were instinctively beneath the covers, shielding themselves from the night chill.

“I hate the way she behaves around him,” Hades said. “She does it as though she will win him like some kind of victory prize. And I know the advances she makes upon him are deliberately in my presence.”

“Zeus sees through her façade.” A hand rested against Hades’ side, warm and comforting. “Do not worry so. I think Zeus is strong enough to fend her off.”

Hades gave a quiet laugh at the thought of someone like Hera, as strong as she looked for a goddess, giving Zeus a fight that the Olympian leader had a chance of losing. “I missed you, sister,” he said.

“And I you,” Demeter replied.

The following moments passed in silence as Hades lay in the silent peace of the room. Though this was not home, only a place to rest until the Olympians’ real home was rebuilt, it felt more like a home than the cave. Partly because of the uninviting conditions, and partly because his family had not been all together.

TBC...
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The Immortal Heart