The Heart of Hades

3

A few days later Lilia went for her normal morning jog, listening to one of her textbooks through her phone. She ran a five-mile route, but today she had some extra nervous energy to burn. Last night her professor had announced their senior project. They were to plan either a wedding, a sweet sixteen or anniversary party with a different budget for each. The following week he would assign them a project based on their concept proposals. She did not want the wedding project. She'd called off her own six months ago. She still remembered that horrid day.

It had been a Wednesday and her classes usually went late. That day her professor had cancelled her late class, and she had come home early. She walked into the apartment she shared with Phillip and heard strange noises coming from the bedroom. Opening the door, she found Phillip in bed with her cousin James. Screaming in shock, she had thrown her engagement ring at Phillip, told him it was over and left. She then ran to Ian and told him everything she'd seen. He hired movers, and she moved out and into his place the very next day. He even helped her cancel all the wedding plans and let their family know the wedding was off. He was the best older brother she could have asked for.

On her run, she realized she had started crying. Angrily she brushed away her tears and felt a shock of heat run down her hand and bounce off her fingers. Glancing at her hand, she could have sworn she'd seen a light flare on her fingers. Shaking her head, she told herself she needed more sleep and finished her run.

Unknown to her, an ominous shadow had followed on her run, keeping a pace just behind. He slipped into the alley beside her house and watched her unlock her door. Not a care in the world. Soon he would take her and force her to use her power to overthrow the gods and goddesses on Olympus. It would be his time with Medusa to control the human world. No more hiding in the shadows and covering up for human mistakes. He would force the world to accept monsters among everyone.

Lilia readied herself for work like always, putting on a cream-colored fitted dress and tucked hot pink pumps into her bag for work. Pink always made her feel the most powerful. She added a little more color to her makeup than usual and picked her favorite pink lipstick to wear. Today she would need all the confidence she could muster as James would come in for his meeting with Don. Maybe she could pretend to run an errand and not have to see him at all.

Lilia left for the subway; she walked the three blocks and down, passing through the pay station. Her neck prickled with awareness. She turned around, feeling someone's eyes on her. When no one made eye contact, she turned back to wait for her train to show. Get a grip Lilia, you are just worked up over James. She scolded herself and stepped onto her train. Her feeling of unease did not let up until she entered her office building and settled behind her desk, changing into her nice shoes.

"Good morning Mr. Waters, did you have a good night?" she asked, settling into her customary chair, for their morning meeting after placing his cup of coffee on his desk.

"Good morning Lilia, yes I did. You look lovely today," he greeted, taking in her outfit choice.

"Thank you, Mr. Waters. I always try to make my outfits ones that give me confidence," she explained.

"Rough morning?" he asked, curious if she would open up. He had yet to get her to talk about herself more than just the basics of where she was going to school and who her family was. Other than that, he knew nothing about her.

"Nothing I can't handle. Here is your schedule for today." She handed him the printed schedule, Don nodded and allowed her to continue.

"Today you have a meeting with Mr. Chimera at ten, a lunch with Melissa Harp at Gregorio's and a one o'clock meeting with... James Carter." Her hands shook as she said his name and the room temperature tanked. Don watched, curious to see if she would realise she had dropped the temperature of the room if his measure was correct about twenty degrees.

"Did the air conditioner kick on?" she asked, her attention snapping away from James' name.

"No," Don replied.

"Oh, must be me then. I must start bringing a sweater with me," she answered with a shrug of her dainty shoulders.

"Is there anything more you need from me?" She stood up and looked at him while clutching her notebook.

"I'm expecting Harry this afternoon, can you make sure you are here to greet him?" Don asked, watching her try to hide her feelings about being expected to be in the office that afternoon.

Did she really not want to see James that badly?

He would have Hades stay in the main office area, observe her, and protect James from any accidental power surges. He wanted to tell Lilia everything but needed some more information before he could explain.

"Yes, Mr. Waters." She gave a tense nod.

"Don, please," he corrected.

"Don," she whispered and closed the door behind her. The entire morning Lilia was a bundle of nerves. She spilled her coffee, dropped several files, and cut her finger all before ten o'clock.

Ring Ring.

"Mr. Don Waters office, Lilia speaking."

"Lilia, it's Penny, want to go to Bert's for lunch?" Penny asked, in her sweet perky voice. She and Lilia had been working as general secretaries together before they promoted Lilia.

"Meet me at the entrance at twelve. I still get an hour for lunch." Lilia agreed, feeling her first genuine smile of the day appear on her face.

"Good morning my name is Roger Chimera and I am here to see Mr. Waters," A young man said, wringing his hands in front of Lilia. He had deep brown eyes and blond hair. His eyes were darting around, taking everything in as he waited for her to respond. He reminded her of a lost, scared, puppy dog.

"Please have a seat and I will let Mr. Waters know you are here," she replied, in a calm voice and watched as the visibly nervous youthful man nodded and sat down, back ramrod straight as he waited. She wished she could make him feel calmer. She knew all about nerves when she had danced from her time in elementary school all the way through this past year. She dialled Don's extension and let him know his appointment had arrived. She didn't notice a small pink heart float from her to Chimera's chest. As it touched him, instantly Chimera relaxed and felt calmer, as if someone had given him an enormous hug.

"Mr. Chimera, you may go in now. I know everything will be fine, Mr. Waters is an amazing lawyer," Lilia assured him.

"Thank you, you've really made me feel better," Chimera replied, giving her a smile and going into the office.

An hour later Chimera left and Poseidon walked to stand in his doorway, leaning against the doorjamb, he then asked.

"Did you tell Mr. Chimera anything before he came into my office?"

"I told him everything would be fine and you are the best at what you do," she replied, with a soft smile. Don watched as part of her aura escaped as a light pink heart and floated toward him. He let it settle against his chest where his heart was beating and felt relaxed and content.

"Thank you, he was much easier to talk to this time around."

"I did nothing special, just told him the truth," she answered with a shrug of her slim shoulders.

"You helped and after my meeting with James, I would like to talk about your amazing effect on the surrounding people," Poseidon told her, walking back into his office.

Lilia stared after him for a moment, puzzling over what exactly he meant. She was still puzzling over it when her alarm went off for her to go to lunch with Penny.

...

"Lilia, are you all right?" Penny wanted to know once they had ordered their drinks.

"Why?"

"You seem on edge ever since we met up outside the elevators. Is everything okay with your new job?"

"I am not sure Mr. Waters wants to talk to me this afternoon about my effect on people. James, my cousin, is coming in for a meeting at one today and I am not ready to see his face," Lilia explained. When everything happened with James and Phillip, Penny had been the first friend she went to, to tell her they had broken the engagement off and she had moved out of her apartment into Ian's home.

"Well, just be civil with James to keep it professional. No one is asking you to have a conversation with him. Just announce his presence to Mr. Waters and then ignore him," Penny suggested.

"I will, I don't plan on ever speaking to him or Phillip again. I am so angry and embarrassed that my gay cousin stole my fiance from me. I had to lie to both our families about why we broke up. Phillip wasn't ready for his family to know. Thankfully, James is open about his sexuality, but why my fiance of all people?" Lilia demanded, slamming her fist on the table emitting sparks. Both women jumped back.

"What are these utensils made of, flint?" Penny joked, coaxing a smile out of Lilia.

"Haha maybe, but enough about my boring past. Tell me about your new boyfriend Kevin," Lilia asked, steering the conversation away from a painful and sensitive topic. Penny was all too happy to let the subject change and gushed about her wonderful boyfriend for the rest of the lunch.

"Say, Lilia, how would you feel about a double date with one of Kevin's friends?" Penny asked as they made their way back to the office.

"I'm not ready to date again. I want to focus on school and this huge senior project I have due. When I am ready, you'll be the first to know."

"You've been out of the dating game for a long time. You don't want to get rusty," Penny warned, hitting the elevator button.

"I went on dates with Phillip," Lilia shot back, crossing her arms and giving her best friend an unamused look.

"But those weren't first dates and new love," Penny responded, her voice trailing off as she remembered her first few dates with Kevin.

"I will let you know when I am ready to date again." She gave Penny a push out of the elevator and stepped back to head up to her floor. Penny sighed and nodded her agreement. Lilia took the elevator to the top floor and began the second half of what was sure to be a very trying day.