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Test

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Chapter 10: Test (Hades' POV)

"I don't want to go." She grabbed my arm in a death grip and glued her feet to the floor while I stood at the door, waiting for her to loosen her grip so I could teleport us through to the underworld. 

"What are you so afraid of? It's not hell, it doesn't look like it either. It's not on fire and burning red." 

She watched me warily. 

"It's just... dark." 

"Dark?" 

I took advantage of her confusion and pulled my arm out of hers, locking her hand in mine. 

"You—" 

I didn't let her finish, she would probably just curse at me. I walked right through the wood and found us already in the throne room. I fell into my seat while she stumbled beside me, grabbing my arm.

"I hate you," she whispered, glaring at me while gaining her footing. 

"You'll learn to move on," I smirked. I waved a hand and her throne slowly appeared beside mine, glowing around the edges before it faded. 

She sat down, holding the armrests, her head still spinning. 

"At least you're not as late as you were last time," Lia said. 

I looked away from Persephone and at the three ladies. 

"And you brought a guest, how exciting," Ali grinned. It wasn't genuine. 

"I brought her here because you asked to meet her. You need proof, here she is," I replied, my jaw tight and tense. 

"We didn't call her for proof, Hades. We know she exists, we have her life in our hands," Lia smiled while Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes at Lia's antics while Ali's in her own world. She's reading Persephone, that's how it seems. 

"Then why did you ask for her?" I asked, turning my eyes to Chloe. 

"We must test her," she finally spoke up. 

I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?" 

"Leave that to us. Would you join us down here, Percy?" 

Persephone looked at me for answers. 

"We can't hurt you here," Chloe said, and then she turned to me. "You put a spell on her, didn't you?" 

No... I didn't but she shot me a pointed look. It's a test for Persephone. I think interrupting might get me in a little too much trouble. I nodded, lying to Persephone. 

She stood up, still watching me. "Liar," she scoffed before walking down the three steps and stopping in front of the Fates. "What do I have to do?" 

"Just answer some questions that prove that you may be the real Persephone," Chloe explained. 

"That is if she exists," Ali added. 

"Spoiler alert, she doesn't," Lia beamed. 

"Spoiler alert, Lachesis gets kicked out of my palace," I said, glaring at her. 

"So possessive over your little girlfriend, aren't you?" She mocked me. 

"I'm not his girlfriend," Persephone said, glancing at me over her shoulder. 

"Yet," I smiled at her. I caught Lia and Ali looking at each other while Chloe stared at me in shock. "What?" I mumbled. 

"You..." Ali trailed off. 

"You smiled," Chloe stated. 

"So?" 

"So you never smile here," Lia scoffed. She turned to Chloe. "Start asking the questions." 

Chloe slowly looked away from me and turned her attention to Persephone. "How much do you remember from your childhood?" 

Persephone can't fail this test. I have a feeling that if she does, they'll take her away from me. They'll kill her because she was meant to die that night in my office. And I changed her fate. If she fails, they'll change it back. 

"As much as any child does," Persephone answered like it was obvious. "I remember a few birthday parties, I remember going to school, playing with dolls." 

"Tell us your earliest memory," Lia barked. 

Persephone fell in thought. She's hesitating. That means she doesn't remember it. It's her. 

My father had made sure that Persephone wouldn't have the memories of her first few years so that she would never remember who she was born as. 

"I... don't have one," Persephone sighed. 

The Fates exchanged looks and then Ali jumped in to ask the next question. "Have you ever met Hades before?" 

She turned to look at me and then shook her head. "No. I bumped into him at a traffic light." 

Persephone, that's the wrong answer. 

The Persephone meant for me is meant to feel a sense of familiarity when she's around me. I clenched my jaw. 

"But..." 

I looked at her carefully. 

"I felt like I knew him. He looked familiar. Like I was supposed to know him. Like I should but for some reason, I don't." 

"How do you feel around him?" Chloe asked. 

"Strange," Persephone scoffed. "I'm confused, I never thought all this would be real. Hades, the Fates, the underworld. But he just... makes my fucking blood boil." 

"Why?" 

"Because he abducted me, isn't that obvious? And he still acts nice." 

"Maybe he likes you," Ali suggested. 

"Well, I hate him." 

At least for now. 

Her thoughts, not mine. She thought that. But she doesn't know that not just me, even the Fates can hear her thoughts. Nice and clear. 

"Do you think you'll make it out alive?" Chloe questioned. 

Persephone thought hard about that one. "Yeah, I do." 

"Why?" Lia pressed further. 

"I don't think he'd let me die," Persephone sighed. 

"That's just because he needs you. You're useful to him," Lia sneered at Persephone. It's pissing me off the way she keeps talking to her in a degrading manner. She's making it a point to make Persephone feel like I'm only using her, and I am, but that's just for the time being. 

"For now, yeah. But I'll always be useful to him. Doesn't that mean he'd never let me die?" Persephone shrugged and then continued, "He won't kill me, I'm too useful to him. He won't let anybody else kill me either because again, I'm too useful to him." She turned to me. "But that could change. He might not kill me because he likes me." 

I watched her, impressed and amused at the same time. 

"Or because he loves me. Not now. But one day." 

"One day, huh?" I mused. 

She nodded and then spun back around to face the Fates. "Is that all? Any more questions?" 

Lia opened her mouth to ask another one but Chloe grabbed her arm, beating her to it. "No. You're free to go." 

Persephone spun on her heels and walked back up, sitting in the chair beside mine, staring at me. "Can we go back now?" 

"You don't like the underworld?" I asked while the Fates headed to the main door, teleporting through it and leaving. 

"I haven't seen the underworld. I just didn't like them. I want to leave." 

"You could stay for a tour. Without them bothering you. It'll keep you busy while I work. I'll come back and take you home after." 

"Will I be trapped here too?" 

"I'm your ticket in this world, Persephone. At least until you become the queen. You only get in with me and you only get out with me. But Dashiell can show you around the underworld. You'll have a good time. Because on the contrary to what people believe, this isn't the miserable land of heartbroken souls that are being punished. Yes, we do have those here. But there's a different side you've never heard of." I stood up, turning to her. "So tell me what interests you more. Sitting idle in my office in New York or exploring the underworld with a tour guide?" 

"A tour guide I don't know," she drawled, standing up, going on her toes to seem taller. I'd love to kiss her one of those times she tries this and then see the look of shock on her face. "Why can't you be my tour guide? I don't trust strangers, you see. Because I did this once and he turned out to be Hades. And then he abducted me. And then he brought me to the underworld. And then he actually—" 

I rolled my eyes and clamped my hand over her mouth. "If you want me to stay with you, all you have to do is ask nicely, Angel." 

She glanced at my hand and I lowered it down. "Bite me," she whispered. 

"Not yet," I replied. 

She scoffed but she let out a soft chuckle. I heard it. I couldn't miss it even if I tried. "If you're leaving, I'm leaving with you. If I'm staying, you're staying with me. I don't trust anyone else here. Not even the people you trust. Trust takes time, Demon," she sang. 

"You trust me? In twenty-four hours?" 

"You saved me. That's the problem," she said pointedly. 

"Should I have just let you die?" 

"Maybe." 

I shook my head slowly, staring at her. "Then I wouldn't find my Persephone." 

She faltered right there. Her arrogance, her cold and nonchalant and unbothered act. It cracked for the first time. 

And I felt... I thought that maybe... just maybe... I could really get her to love me. And I could love her. And we'd mean it, we both would mean it. 

"Come on, bring out the romantic Hades in you. You said I'd get whatever I wanted. I want to see the underworld with you as my tour guide. Yes or no?" She tilted her head to one side. 

I noticed that instantly because I do it often when I ask questions or ponder about something. "You passed the test," I stated. "So I will show you my world as a reward," I agreed not-so-begrudgingly. 

She narrowed her eyes on me. "You just want to spend time with me." 

"Not necessary. I could make you do whatever I wanted." 

"By dragging me by my hair?" she deadpanned. 

"Precisely," I smirked. 

She rolled her eyes and started walking to the main door. "You never know," she called out without turning around. She stopped at the door and spun, looking at me. "I might be into that," she smirked before twisting the handle open and walking out. 

Well, I would hope she is. Because now that she's said that, I sure as hell am. I walked to the door and then right through it, finding her outside, waiting for me. Of course, she's waiting, she doesn't know where to go. I stuck my hand out, hoping she'd grab it. But she didn't. 

"That feels intimate," she mumbled before linking her arm with mine instead. "There. Lead the way, demon." 

"You know if you were Persephone, you'd be punished for calling me that." 

"Under charges of blasphemy?" 

"Yes," I nodded. 

"Then arrest me," she teased. 

Oh, how I'd love to.

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Chapter 10

Vaughn Spencer.

If you know which book this man is from then please be my best friend.

If you fell in love with this man then PLEASE be my best friend.

because I just finished reading that book and I fell in love with him, harder than I ever have for a fictional character

VAUGHN FUCKING SPENCER I LOVE YOU

next chapter: visit