❛THEY WOULD TELL YOU OF A KING WHO STOLE ME HELPLESS FROM MY SUNSHINE GARDEN.❜
They won't tell you about the woman who came to him sublime, lily eyes and lily lips. A king does not ask permission from his prize, but she, oh she, she knelt, kissing m...
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DEMETER'S GARDENS, OLYMPUS.
DEMETER
"HAVE YOU SEEN HIM YET?"
Hermes frowned, brushing a speck of invisible dust off his spotless wing, whiter than snow. The burnish of his gilded helm shone ominously in the summer heat as he turned to the stained glass windows, peering out precariously.
"I have no visual."
"Patience, dear immortal," Apollo muttered under his breath. "I hear from Ares that Thanatos and his fragile ego have been badly wounded."
"It may take some time for him to emerge from that shady cesspit he calls home," I hissed under my breath - steadily brewing a heady, thick broth over the green tinged fire. "You must be patient, Hermes. I will not have you foil my carefully laid plans."
"What happened to Thanatos?" the winged messenger called out from his vantage point by the windows, spider like cracks weaving through the glass.
"Sisyphus tricked him and left him in handcuffs. For quite a bit of time," Apollo said. Coughing, he wiped a trickle of sweat as it made its way down his temple. "Damn it, Demeter. Can't you let us open the window an inch?"
"No," I snapped. "The wind blows too heavily today."
He sighed, turning back to run his finger down the tip of a sharp arrow.
"There is a message to be delivered," Hermes got up with a snort, eyes gleaming. "I will be back shortly." Even as I opened my mouth to protest, he opened the door wide, slamming it shut - but not before a gust of mighty wind rushed in like an impatient lover, eagerly gulping the oxygen in the room as some of the smoke went out.
I glared holes into his back.
"Your peasants will fight with us?" Apollo asked, latching the door shut, turning the lock with a detached click.
"Of course they will. Unless they'd like to see their families starve come winter," I crossed my arms, inhaling the sweet, pungent fumes hovering above the pot like an angry cloud.
Just a few drops of this, and my devoted humans would rise with unnatural strength to aid my quest against the devil who stole my life. Hunger was more dreadful than fear - leave a man to starve and he'd kill to fill his belly.
"I assume you will not go back on our deal," the god continued, bracing his arms on my worktable to look right into my eyes.
"Only if you make my plans go off without a hitch, Apollo. My promise stands. You help me get her back, and you get to wed her... when the time is right."
He only raised an eyebrow, nodding curtly before turning back. I rolled my eyes, inhaling a sharp breath before rolling up my sleeves, hair pulled up. Absentmindedly, I watched Apollo as he went back to keenly observing his weapon.
