Seth navigated through the city with Rylan hard on his tail for over an hour. Chas’ Jaguar was severely dented after numerous hits from Rylan’s perpetual rear-ending. Seth didn’t care. He knew Chas wouldn’t care. All their possessions were disposable. Nothing mattered if he was going to save Persephone.
Persephone lay in the backseat in Juliet’s body. Sometimes she trembled. Sometimes she muttered phrases like, “Go chop wood,” or “Staining my arms.” She was remembering everything, because he bit her, and she was getting so much more than the thirteen years of Juliet’s life that she didn’t know about.
He had to lose Rylan. Checking his rear-view mirror, he saw Rylan’s headlights. In an all-or-nothing effort, risking his and Juliet’s safety, Seth spun the wheel to take them the wrong way down an on-ramp. Before reaching the oncoming traffic below, he hit the gas and sped across the median with a clatter to merge gently into traffic on the right side of the road.
Seth sped through a red light and into a residential neighborhood, leaving Rylan far behind and out of sight.
Seth exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. That was it.
He put his car in reverse and headed back downtown. He needed a place to go where Rylan wouldn’t find them. He headed for a hotel with underground parking.
He shuddered. He had to get them out of the car.
Seth nervously left Juliet still unconscious in the backseat to check into the hotel. After getting their room key, he parked underground and carried Juliet, limp, to the elevator, avoiding the hotel staff and any confrontations.
Once in the room, he placed her on the bed and looked at her face. She shook her head restlessly for a while. He stroked the side of her face in an attempt to get her to calm down. She grabbed his fingers and kissed them.
His face fell.
All his life he had been told that he was the consort of the Goddess Persephone. It was a fact his mother had told him since he was born. He felt it was true because he had vague memories of his first life. He thought he remembered a bonfire and dancing, but he couldn’t be sure. Raidne filled him in on the details. Apparently, his previous incarnations had told her everything. Seth thought this strange. He certainly didn’t think of his mother as a confidant in his current life.
Seth remembered his second life better. The second time he was born, Persephone came to meet him as herself, in all her glory with tangles of red hair blowing in the breeze.
Those memories were dearer to him. He remembered the passage of events with some clarity, but it felt like a dream and not like his real experiences.
The truth was, in this third life of his, he didn’t believe he would fall in love with Persephone, no matter what his mother told him. Raidne said that he would love her on sight. Perhaps he would have believed her if his mother, the prophetess, was not a blood-soaked siren who lived on a diet of dead human flesh. How could Raidne understand anything as divine as his love?
Seth had certainly been attracted to women before he met Juliet, but he always knew that his feelings were predominantly fueled by his desire to feed off them. Thus, he was disgusted with himself and clung to Nixie for friendship. All that changed when he saw Juliet, because he felt powerless in the face of his feelings―absolutely powerless. She was beautiful, but not as much as other women he’s seen. He couldn’t figure out why he wanted to be near her so badly. If he stayed with her, he would turn her into a shell.
It was clear now. It was because Persephone’s soul was in that young girl’s body that his heart ached for her. It was because his spirit recognized hers and all his past emotional wounds were unbound. It turned out that they were still fresh. A new body hadn’t healed him.
Slowly, he allowed himself to remember that second life and for the first time, accept it as his.
***
Seth had been raised on the rocks and cliffs of an isolated island. He knew sunshine, ocean waves crashing, sunrises, sunsets, wind, fog and, of course, murder. He was the only child with Raidne and Teles. If he wanted to eat, he had to drink the victim’s blood before Raidne and Teles spilled it. That meant he was the first on the scene of a shipwreck while the sirens sang from their perches above to lure in the sailors to their island. He was thin, brown, scarred and hungry all the time.
Raidne told him stories of a woman who he would meet when he was a man, who he would have to kiss instead of bite, caress instead of choke, and love instead of devour. He didn’t understand. What was kissing? What was love? He didn’t know anything except the cycle of luring ships to the shore, wrecking them, and killing everyone aboard.
Once, when he was fifteen, he told his mother that he wouldn’t go with Persephone when she called for him.
Raidne had responded with fury. “If you won’t go with her, you’re of no value to anyone and I’ll kill you now.” She had knocked him against the wall and moved to bite him.
He knew she did not jest when she threatened to murder him. He had hidden his face from enough gore to know she should be taken at her word. “I’ll go!” he screamed before she broke his flesh.
He was told to go to a certain mountain the year he was twenty-one. There, he would be carried on the back of a fey horse to the place where he would meet Persephone. His mother had dressed him carefully in the best clothes she had stolen from dead men. He mounted the unworldly stallion and stared sullenly at his mother.
“Spread your wings out when you see her. She loved to fly with you.”
Seth had frowned and told the horse they could go. He was too nervous to be reasoned with. This was what he was born for, to be toyed with by a goddess. He felt sick. During all the times his mother spoke to him of his purpose, she had never said anything about what Persephone looked like except that she had green eyes. Green was the color of life, but what could she know about life? She was the Goddess of the Underworld.
When he was a child, he had built up an idea of what she would be like and even when he became a man, the image did not dissipate. He was frightened of her. In his mind, her hair was oily black and stringy, running down to her knees. Her face was long and pasty. Spiders and mice lived in her clothing. Her skin would be greasy and he would have to touch her. The thought made him gag.
The stallion lifted Seth into the air, flying a direction Seth didn’t know it was possible to fly with no wings. The island beneath them disappeared and there was only the ocean currents and the horizon to be seen. On their journey, they flew through clouds higher than any Seth had ever flown through, and when the clouds parted, Seth saw a river beneath them. It was black with tiny lights like blue fireflies dotting the surface. The river flowed the wrong way, up the mountain and into a gaping cave of shadows. It was the river Styx. They must be close to their destination.
The stallion didn’t agree and it flew on, out of the darkness and into color. The color was gold. They were flying in a straight line, toward a different mountain, a higher mountain than the land of the dead. In the distance, shining gold and green, was Mount Olympus. Seth faltered. He wasn’t worthy of going there, but again the stallion had his own route mapped out, and suddenly began his spiraling descent. They had not flown all the way to Olympus, but instead landed on the far side of the Underworld, where water ran upward.
Seth looked around, confused. The side of the mountain he had originally seen was dark and sick with death. It had been a facade. The other side of the mountain was green with grass and lined with well-kept trees. There was a road in front of him, not a human road, but a road that looked like it was made of just the yellow part of a rainbow. It led to Olympus, and the other end of the road led to the doors of Hades’ palace.
Seth dismounted and unfurled his wings to await Persephone.
He told himself the arrangement could only last six months at the most. Then she would return to the Underworld and he would be free, for at least six months. He hoped she tired of him quickly.
But then the doors of Hades’ palace were flung open and a young woman burst forth from them. Monsters chased her and when they could not reach her, they curled their shadowy claws around the doors, pulling them shut with a thunderous slam. The young lady threw her shoes up in the air and fell back on the grass, laughing up at the clouds. Her red hair curled and fell in gorgeous waves around her face.
Seth was speechless.
This was the Goddess of the Underworld? No, this was the Goddess of Fertility.
He was a siren so he sung almost always, just for the beauty of it, but he had never heard anything as beautiful as the song his heart sang as he gazed upon her. She was smiling and the delight on her face made him feel unworthy. Why should he have this pleasure? It was forbidden love.
He spread his wings as proudly as he could and walked with grace to offer the Goddess Persephone a hand in rising.
She took it and flew into his arms. Seth couldn’t find his voice. She was so different than what he imagined. She was short. Her head tucked in right under his shoulder, and the perfume of her hair was intoxicating. He was losing his senses.
She kissed him and prompted, “We need to go. I’ve got a place ready.” She mounted the stallion and put him up behind her. Telling him to tuck in his wings, they raced across the skyline.
Seth didn’t know how long they traveled. It was a blur of happiness as he held onto her waist and nestled his face in her hair. Finally, they alighted outside a cave not unlike his old home. The cave had a huge circular entrance. Inside there were no tunnels leading deeper into the earth. Instead, there was only a pool of black water protected by the walls and ceiling of the cave. He could hear the waves of the sea crashing nearby.
“What are we doing here?” he asked.
“I made this place especially for you, for when you came to see me,” she said, holding out her hand. “I’m sure you’ll be able to make the journey,” she said sweetly. Then she pushed him into the water.
Seth surfaced, unsure how to take this playful side to her nature. He hadn’t wanted to be drenched when he was dressed so well. Sirens were not water creatures even though they lived by water. They were creatures of the air.
She was laughing as she jumped in after him. “Take a deep breath,” she said grabbing his shoulders and dunking him.
Under the water, she took his hand and together they swam through the coral and rocks. Seth ran out of air more than once, but Persephone kissed him and blew new air in his mouth. He tried to hold onto her to extend the kiss, but she hurried him on. He held her hand as they made their way deeper and deeper into the water. When they came to the end of their journey, there was almost no light. They had to swim under a huge rock and then up to get to an entryway. They emerged in a room that was bare, except for a landing with two large carved doors.
When they stood on the landing, Persephone rung the water from her dress and pulled open the doors. “Give me a moment,” she said, closing them behind her.
Seth stood dripping on the tile, feeling rather foolish. Nothing was turning out how he expected. He wasn’t supposed to love her, yet every moment they were separated was agony.
One minute later she opened the door to let him in, except she looked completely different. Her hair was dry and she was dressed, having discarded the white dress she wore before. This time she wore a gown of orange flame with long tight sleeves and a square neckline. There was amber shining in her hair and she brought a brown tapestry robe that she hung on his shoulders.
“I love you,” he said suddenly, surprised at the sound of his own voice.
Her expression was forlorn. “Come inside,” she invited, drawing him through the doors.
Inside was a magnificent palace, clearly fit for a goddess. The floor glistened with mother-of-pearl triangle tiles and the walls were carved out of black rock, jagged and sharp. Even though the palace was deep within the sea, the rooms they entered were not cold. Actually, it was somewhat like home for Seth, except there had never been blood spilled here. He liked it.
Persephone led him to a bedroom decorated in tan, like the sand of the sea. She told him to get cleaned up. There were plenty of clothes for him in the wardrobe.
So, he took care in dressing. He wanted to please her.
When he returned from the bed chamber, the blinds were drawn and Persephone was looking out into the ocean. There was a bale of turtles swimming by. She was pacing. Her shoes clacked on the tiles.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“All is not well. I’m not feeling easy,” she admitted.
“Why?”
She sighed. “You’re going to die.”
“You don’t know that,” he contradicted softly.
“No, you are,” she said. Her beautiful lips quivered. “We must make the most out of this time and not waste it.”
She touched his shoulder and looked at him as gravely as if he were already dead. He didn’t understand it. Did she have second sight? Well, he wouldn’t die!
“Well, what am I to do?” he asked.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, extending her wrist. “You can have a drink if you want to.”
Actually, he was not hungry. His mother had seen to it that he was well fed before he left home.
He evaded the question and asked, “Aren’t I to be your lover?”
She winced. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to form that bond since our love is hopeless. I’ll live with the pain of remembering just your arms around me for who knows how long without relief. Let’s not make memories too intense for me to live with after you are gone.”
“Why do you keep saying I’m going to die?” he asked, his voice rising. “I’m not. I’m young. I’m healthy and sirens never die. My mother has already lived over a thousand years. Why do you keep saying this?”
“Because it’s true, but I must see your strength. Bite me!” she insisted, extending her arm and pulling up her beautiful sleeve.
He recoiled. He did not want to break her flesh if it was not necessary.
“Bite me! I want to see how much power she gave you.”
“I don’t want to bite you. You’re too precious. I want to kiss you.”
Persephone pushed her sleeve down. “You don’t understand our situation right now. Sit down with me and I will explain something.”
He sat down and she took his hand in hers. She began by touching his skin lightly then she kissed his palm. “I know you’re brave. I know you would die for me. You already have. You don’t have to prove it. I would prefer it if you didn’t.”
Now she was talking sense.
“There’s no way we can be successful this time,” she continued. “We will have to wait for you to be reborn a third time.”
Seth didn’t understand why she was so hopeless. What would be different the next time? He was frustrated and he didn’t understand. He had been told he was her lover, but now he felt like he was being rejected when it was his birthright. And he wanted her so badly his body hurt.
“Be patient,” she said softly as she pulled his head into her lap and stroked his hair. “We’ll succeed next time.”
He didn’t believe her.
***
Perhaps he wouldn’t have died if he had taken her warning seriously, but at the time he couldn’t stand the limbo in which his life hung while he lived in Persephone’s palace. He forgot completely of the struggles he endured while living with the sirens, and instead his life with Persephone felt unbearable.
He was not allowed to sleep in Persephone’s bed chamber. She said that gods and goddesses who committed adultery tended to be caught in the act and she did not want anyone to see them, least of all Hades, who she suspected would appear at any moment.
Seth was not her equal.
She treated him like he was a butterfly in a bottle. He would die, so she had to enjoy his beauty while she could. His fragility was proven when he tried to bite her for the first time. His fangs were like daggers and though he evaded biting his own tongue and cheeks with them, a human was nearly cut to ribbons when he applied them. He knew this, so he bit into her softly. He expected to break her flesh. It didn’t. When he put all his effort into it, he could draw a tiny portion, but she would quickly heal.
She told him that was the difference between them. She said that if he were immortal, he would have been able to break her skin and make the blood flow, but none of the sirens were truly immortal. They were merely spared from death.
After that, she drew her blood for him, using her own blunt teeth to break the skin.
His ego stung. He thought he was a ferocious beast—a cursed prince—but when he stood up next to Persephone, he was nothing.
He asked her how she planned to break the sirens’ curse and her own marriage contract, but she hushed him.
“If anyone heard of our plan, it would be stopped. I don’t dare tell you... since you’re going to die.”
Seth raked at his hair in fury. He hated his life. He hated the mystery. He was a key player, yet he didn’t know his role. Well, maybe he did. He was the pawn, the slave, and not one thing in his life was turning out in a way he could stomach.
***
Persephone was expected on Olympus during her six months out of the Underworld, so she often went to the heavens without Seth, and stayed there for days on end.
“Have you seen Hades on Olympus when you’ve been there?” Seth asked anxiously when she came back.
“Yes.”
“What does he say?”
“Nothing. It’s maddening. He knows your soul went missing because it never came to judgment, but I believe he suspects that Zeus has it. My father has been pulling strings for me, but not the ones he thinks.”
“What? I didn’t know your father still cared for you.”
“He does. Zeus gave me two gifts. The first one was that it wouldn’t matter how much food I ate in the Underworld, it would no longer condemn me. Secondly, he gave me a favor.”
“Did you ask him to release you from your obligation to Hades?”
“He can’t do that. Even though Zeus rules the Heavens, he cannot command anything in the Underworld, including me. Hades powers are not like Zeus’. Father would shrink if Hades rose against him. You see, all that lives must die and death is eternal... sometimes.”
“So, what has Zeus done for you?” Seth asked hesitantly.
“He added another layer to your mother’s curse.”
“What?” Seth almost screeched. Wasn’t his family already as low as they could get?
“Don’t agitate yourself,” Persephone said leaning back on her dais unconcernedly.
Seth didn’t understand. How could she be so beautiful and holy and so cruel at the same time?
“He stopped Hades from murdering them all.”
“What?” Seth breathed, lowering himself in front of her.
“He tried after you died, but for once his movements were slower than mine. I had already arranged it. You see, your darling mother is a part of my plan. I could not allow Hades to kill her when she still has a role to play. For all intents and purposes, she is the one who will have to break your curse. Your part is merely the crowning glory of her accomplishment. However, she failed this time and you will die as a consequence of it.”
“I don’t understand.”
When Persephone answered, she was not vexed or impatient. Her voice was like the mist on the mountains, full and poignant. “Zeus put a seal of temporary immortality on Raidne and Teles. It will be removed when I bid him, but it’s false and provides no comfort or help in this situation. They still suffer like the damned. As they should.”
Seth knew how they suffered better than anyone. Their curse was heavy. He could not think of it without pain, even when he was removed from the situation.
***
Seth could have lived there with Persephone forever, but he did not make it to the end of the first cycle.
There was a masquerade ball to be held on Olympus. It was a going-away celebration for Persephone, and Seth desperately wanted to go. When he asked her if could escort her, since he would be in disguise, she refused saying it was too risky.
Seth wouldn’t listen.
He wanted to dance with her. He wanted to hold her close. As they lived, she would hardly let him touch her and soon she would disappear back into the Underworld for six months. The idea wasn’t as appealing as it had once been, especially since she had decreed that he wouldn’t be able to live alone in her palace during the cold season. She was going to send him home.
“You can’t live here,” she said. “Without me, your source of food is gone. I don’t want you to die of starvation or drive yourself mad with hunger, so it’s best to set you free.”
“If I stayed here, I’m sure I would be able to hunt for food.”
She stroked his cheek lovingly. He knew she loved his confidence, but she also feared it. It would kill him. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “Considering the way you are now, I don’t think you could survive the trip to the surface. You would have to have an air supply and you would have to swim up slowly to relieve the pressure on your body.”
“I could manage that,” he said, getting behind her and massaging her shoulders.
“Even if you made it, you would arrive in the darkest wasteland of the sea. Seth, there is nothing nearby, no human settlements. The only thing remotely close is a cloud trail that leads to Olympus and trust me, there’s nothing edible along that path.”
“What if we stored your blood?”
“That wouldn’t work either. My whole body has to go back to the Underworld. If some of it was left undigested in your stomach, you would have to follow me. You have to go home.”
Seth didn’t see any point in arguing with her. Though it did beg the question, why had she built a secret hideaway for the two of them that he couldn’t live in all year round?
Then there was the matter of the masquerade ball, a matter in which he couldn’t accept her decision.
The day of the ball, he stood by her dressing table, admiring her and feeling bitterly dejected that he couldn’t go with her.
Watching her apply gold powder to her face, he asked, “How are you going to get to the surface without all that washing off in the ocean? Is that another skill of yours as a goddess?”
“Every palace has more than one door. This one has two.”
“Two?” he asked in astonishment.
“One leads to Olympus, and one leads to the ocean floor.”
“Why is that such a difficult entrance? Is it to stop Hades from reaching you here?”
“No. Hades could come here whenever he wanted to, but out of some twisted respect for my feelings, he never has. You see, even though I’m expected to spend six months of the year on Olympus; it’s awkward, socially. Hades himself doesn’t choose to spend his time there although he is a joint ruler over Gaia with Zeus and Poseidon. It’s uncomfortable for