Blinding Night

Prologue

Prologue300 BC, Athens, Greece

The first day he laid eyes on her, it was incredibly bright and warm outside. The land above the Underworld, where the humans lived out their lives, was ripe with greenery and speckled with vibrant flowers. Lilies, magnolias, and violets swayed against the cool breeze, filling the air with a sweet aroma. The harsh winter was finally coming to an end.

The warmth poured over his cold skin like tepid water, creating a translucent mist around him.

He was never fond of the seasons, or how often they changed in a year, because his realm was not so. The Underworld never changed. In his great palace of souls, Hades was confined to his regal comfort and yet, he longed for the sliver of sunlight. Though he did not know it at the time, there was something different about the ever-changing human world.

Something new.

Something unexpected.

When Hades first emerged from the entrance of the realm below, he had not seen the Goddess right away. He had not noticed the way she kissed the petals of the blossoming flowers, breathing new life into their limbs. He had been too taken with the sun. When he finally spotted her, alerted by her presence only by a sigh as sweet as the fragrance in the air, he was breathless. The very essence of her being was the field of flowers. She radiated with the same vibrant colors as the lilies at her feet.

This Goddess was unlike his brothers or the others, because she was young and truly pure.

Her beauty would certainly put the naiads and nymphs at war with one another. The thought of those fickle forest creatures fighting one another caused him to chuckle. She turned at the sound of his voice, startled by his laughter, but made no move to flee. In her eyes, he could see her curiosity winning out over her fear. She wore her questions like the fine silk wrapped around her frame.

Who are you? Where did you come from?

The God of the Underworld held out his hand and smiled, “I am Hades.”

She looked to her flowers then, as if they held the answers she needed. It was a brief conversation that he could not hear, so he waited and when she smiled, he knew she was pleased. Her voice, much like the cool breeze, rippled along his skin and sighed against his ears.

Her voice was clear and light as she spoke, “I am Persephone.”