Nearly Witches

Chapter Ten

Alysanne just looked at them while she carried out one mug of coffee and a cup of tea to her guests, she had also prepared a clean bowl of meat for Cerberus, along with Ghost and Nymeria’s normal dinner. Persephone smiling at her while she handed her tea and then handed Hades his coffee.

“I’ll bring Cerberus some dinner,” Alysanne told them.

‘Along with yours,’ Alysanne told Nymeria and Ghost.

‘Meat?’ Cerberus asked her.

‘Meat, some vegetables and fruit,’ she told them. ‘Three bowels, enough for each of your heads.’

‘You’ll have to go shopping soon,’ Nymeria told her.

‘To get more meat,’ Ghost said.

‘It’ll be worth it,’ Alysanne told them. ‘They’ll have information that I don’t have, this mess might make some sense.’

“Thank dear, dear sister,” Persephone told her.

“Of course, it’s no trouble,” Alysanne told her, out of the two of them. She had a feeling that Persephone would be the scary one, Hades; seemed like someone you really had to push at to piss him off. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Soon, she had all the bowls of meat in front of Cerberus, Nymeria and Ghost. Along with a small bowl of reheated soup and some buttered bread out before the on in front of her, Hades and Persephone.  

“If you don’t mind be asking, if your names aren’t Hades and Persephone,” Alysanne said, she might regret asking this. “Then what are they?”

“I’m afraid, our mortal names have horrid memories connected to them,” Persephone told her with a sad smile on her face. “My mortal mother didn’t want me ending up with him, but it was love at first sight.”

“Who’s looking after the underworld?”

“Right now? Nyx,” Hades told her.

“You make really nice soup,” Persephone told her.

“I’ve been cooking for a while,” Alysanne told her as she drank her own tea, she would be going to sleep soon and didn’t need caffeine. “I’m guessing you no longer have to leave the underworld every six months?”

“Demeter and Persephone are no longer mother and daughter,” Hades told her.

“That agreement disappeared when we did,” Persephone told her.

“Just like how Apollon and I are no longer twins,” Alysanne guessed.

“I have a feeling that you’ll always be that close, once we find him,” Persephone told her.

Alysanne just looked at them, while Hades and Persephone just looked at her. Alysanne just blinked before checking on Nymeria and Ghost, both were asleep on their beds and she looked at Cerberus, also asleep on the floor.

“You’re not freaking out as much as I thought you would,” Hades told her.

“She’s always been a thinker, patient a hunter,” Persephone told him patting him on the shoulder as she looked at her. “Hermes and Apollon were more likely to freak out once given information that didn’t fit their world view, Artemis would just walk off and think about it.”

“I can talk to animals and sense danger, have been able to as a child,” Alysanne told him, finishing her late-night snack. “I also found out that Cleopatra had her sister killed while she was in exile, that she killed Cleopatra and that woman had children, one that might have died on the way to Rome before being paraded around the city. Along with her eldest son being killed because he was a threat, but the others weren’t.”

“But the two I saw you with don’t know any of this?” Hades asked her.

“I’m crazy enough to tell them,” Alysanne told them. “Like you said, their fear of the unknown might lead to things I don’t want to deal with.”

“Hades, why don’t we tell her why we’re here?” Persephone asked her husband.

“Yes dear,” Hades quickly replied.

“Why are you here?” Alysanne asked.

“Your father has been killed, murdered with a dozen of others,” Hades told her, holding Persephone’s hand. “The plane had been taken down by Hyperion and Iapetus.”

“The unknown plane crash?” Alysanne asked him; putting her hands to her mouth, before tears went down her face. Persephone pulling her into a hug, letting her cry into her shoulder. She had lost her mother and now, she had lost her father without seeing him for months because he was busy in other countries.

“It’s okay, sis, we’ll help you,” Persephone told her. “I’m married to the God of Riches and we’ll make sure you can look after yourself.”

“Everything will work out,” Hades told her.

“Tribe said that they hadn’t realised any information about the crash,” Alysanne told then once she had stopped crying, she was still leaning on Persephone’s shoulders. “They didn’t the flight number or where it was going.”

“With Hyperion and Iapetus involved, they won’t be able to,” Hades told her.

“You can’t be seen on cameras, kind of like spirits.”

“People can only see us if we want them to,” Persephone told her. “And rarely do any of us want to be seen by humanity, the Celtic Gods and Goddess more so.”

“Well, they were mostly written out of history,” Alysanne said. “Turned into powerful Queens and Kings by the Roman Church.”

“But they were written down.”

“True.”

“Morrigan had her heart broken by a warrior, she’s not risking it again.”

“Which is why barely any likes Eros or Aphrodite,” Hades told her.

 “You don’t think Thanatos threw me from a roof building?” Alysanne asked.

“It’s not in his nature,” Persephone told her. “Thanatos has a gentle touch and has others deal with violent deaths.”

“Which was why he had me deal with the Human traffickers.”

“And he’s far too scared of Persephone to try something like that,” Hades told her. “Most of the underworld is.”

“Destroyer of light,” Alysanne said.

“Sounds pretty, but doesn’t suit a Spring Goddess,” Persephone told her. “But it’s better than Kore, Demeter still calls me that.”

“Perfect for the Queen of the Underworld.”

Hades nodded his head; while Alysanne couldn’t help but wonder. Why was he telling her this? The last time she checked, Hades hadn’t been accepted by Zeus or by Hera for one reason or another, at least Demeter made sense.

“Why are you telling me this?” Alysanne asked him. “Hecate, Mnemosyne and Hypnos didn’t tell me anything nor did Thanatos.”

“You and Persephone were close when you were young, Demeter wouldn’t allow males near her while she was growing up,” Hades told her. “And they would have been more concerned about other things, you had been shot and they didn’t want you dying.”

“Us bastard children of Zeus had to stand together,” Persephone told her. “Hera has never liked any of us, but she barely liked her children.”

“Is Apollon and Hermes back? Is Zeus and Hera back?” Alysanne asked them. “I’m sure I’ll panic when I think more about the whole thing.”

“It doesn’t seem real, does it?” Hades asked her.

“The memories seem like dreams,” Alysanne told them hugging Persephone tighter, it was the first hug she had in a while. “This whole thing doesn’t seem real, that I’ll wake up and this whole night will merely be a nightmare.”  

“Those four aren’t back yet,” Persephone told her.

“I’m sorry about your father,” Hades told her.

“He’ll see Mum again, since her car crash,” Alysanne told them putting her head on Persephone’s shoulder. “He loved her more than life itself, they were high school sweethearts.”

“I’m sure she’ll miss you,” Persephone told her.

“I loved Mum; she’s the reason I continued Irish dancing.”

“I’m sure I can tell her that.”

Hades nodded his head before finishing his coffee, putting the cup back on the table before taking a bracelet out of his pocket, handing it to her and when she took it, she blinked at the small silver deer charm that were tied with woven string.

“You never forget those you’ve lost,” Persephone told her. “Even if hundreds of years have passed, they’ll always be in your heart.”

“The bracelet will let us know if father’s men go near you,” Hades told her. “You lot weren’t around for most of the first Titian war, you were born for the giants and the pit’s monster child. He didn’t attack until he felt he was strong enough to do so.”

“And that took a few hundred years,” Persephone told her.

“The stories never had a story line,” Alysanne muttered.

“And humanity wasn’t around,” Hades told her. “They were around a few hundred years after the first giant war.”

“We can’t hide forever,” Alysanne whispered as Persephone ran her fingers through her hair, she would be asleep soon, she knew Nymeria and Ghost will try to defend her, should either of them try anything. “A war’s coming and it won’t just be Saturn and his men, will it?”

“No dear,” Hades told her.

“Set has been seen, so as Loki,” Persephone told her. “Others will most likely join them, they don’t work together, but we have to plan for anything.”

“Get some rest for now,” Hades told her. “Athena will know what to do, as annoying as she can be when something like this happens.”

“Only because people don’t always give her the correct information,” Persephone told him. “And she has to deal with Hera more than we do, Hephaestus was thrown off Olympias because Hera thought he wasn’t as perfect as her.”

Alysanne closed her eyes and she fall asleep on Persephone’s shoulder, even if she didn’t know if she could trust them.

--

Alysanne leaned against a tree as she watched the battlefield in front of her; the Greeks and Trojans fighting each other. Apollon leaning on the tree underneath her, his bow was in his bow in his hand and he narrowed his eyes.

“Troy is going to fall,” Alysanne whispered.

“And Achille’s will pay,” Apollon growled.

“You know I’ll stand behind you, brother.”

“As I’ll stand behind you.”

Alysanne just looked at him, watching as he walked onto the battlefield and she spotted Achille’s as he fought. Rage filling his expression, his friend had been killed taking his place in the war and his grief was still obvious.

Alysanne watched as an arrow went through his ankle, the battle meant that no one saw him die and she just smiled as she watched him fall.

“Artemis,” Hermes greeted.

“Hermes,” Alysanne said as he sat down next to her, they were watching as Apollon spoke to Achille’s dead body. “Achille’s was a fool; so is that girl.”

“This won’t end well,” Hermes told her as Apollon yanked the crying girl over Achille’s dead body, the arrow piercing through her chest. “Neither Athena nor Hera are going to like this.”

“Troy will fall, no matter what Apollon does to two people.”

“It might drag on the war for a few more years.”

“You underestimate Athena and her anger, baby brother.”

“No one is going away from this war happy,” Hermes told her. “Maybe Zeus was right, we should have left it alone.”

“The prophecy has been fulfilled, Achilles has died,” Alysanne told him. “Fate never said by whose hand he would die.”

Alysanne and Hermes merely watched as Apollon walked towards them, golden bow held gently in his hands. Lightning flashing in the sky to show Zeus’ displeasure, Athena would be raging at her twin’s actions. None of them blinked at it, all of them were used to his rage and knew it would burn out as quickly as it showed.

“You feel better?” Alysanne asked Apollon.

“I’m the God of Truth, and I told him he would die at my hand,” Apollon answered. “I told her; she would die when she did.”

“She was one of your priestesses,” Alysanne said.

“She was, but now she’s his w***e,” Apollon hissed.

“Troy is falling,” Hermes told them as they watched the battle continue, they had watched a wooden horse being pulled into the city.

“Athena’s wrath,” Alysanne told him.

“Stupid apple,” Apollon said.

“Damn him  for getting a mortal involved,” Alysanne added. “Also, damn Eris for being so petty in the first place.”

“This whole situation is stupid,” Hermes agreed.

“As stupid as Hera and Zeus putting you in the middle of their arguments,” Alysanne told him.

“Achille’s will regret what he did to my temple,” Apollon spit. “No place of worship should be treated as mine did.”

“They’ll learn from this,” Alysanne told them, jumping from her branch to stand by her brother’s side, Hermes’ followed.  “until the next time a ruler or solider think they’re better than the gods.”

“They’ll be always be someone with a big enough ego,” Hermes told them.

“And they won’t like the results as much as he did,” Alysanne told him. “Hades said, that Achille’s will forever be stuck at the river Styx, to warn those away from bathing in it, like his mother did to him as a child.”

“Let’s go to our rooms, everyone will be fighting soon,” Apollon told them.

“They always fight,” Hermes told them.

“And you’re the one who has to deliver their messages,” Alysanne huffed. “Let’s get going, I have to get back to my girls.”