8 Chapter 7 - Change of Plans

I wake up to the sun shining down on my face. I make the vines return back to the tree and sit up rubbing my eyes. My body aches from sleeping in the tree. I hop down stretching and look around me.

"I have no clue where I am. . ." The field seems to go on forever until I spot the city. I cant go back there right now with all those cameras and microphones. . . Unless. . .

I pull the hoodie on my jacket over my head and continue to look down while passing people. I dont know where exactly Rosettas address is and I left my phone at Hades. Ugh! I see the large mountain that Hades Mansion sits on. Talk about having to go back to hell. I make my say to his mansion trying to avoid anybody walking on the street. I notice the. Billboard that had once had Hades face on it but now my face appears. A reporter stands in front of the building with a camera being pointed at her. She speaks into a microphone she is wearing. I walk to the back of the crowd that has assembled around the reporter.

"As you can see, I stand in front of a billboard with the picture of an unknown woman. Many believe this is to be Hades future wife but also our destruction. If you look at the damage in front of Hades building, you can see the street has been conpletely destroyed and blocked off. This goddess is much more powerful and is a danger to our city-" but suddenly she is cut off by a tall person. He turns around and I see his eyes. Hades. . . I hide lower in the crowd trying to keep from his eyes.

"I know Kore Persephone has caused destruction to the streets, but I assure you I will cover all costs for repair. Kore Persephone is not a threat to this city and she shall not be treated like one." As he continues to speak, I see the big bags under his eyes and his droopy face.

"But what about a marriage Hades??" One of the people asks followed by more follow up questions. He clears his throat and holds up his hand silencing them again.

"Kore Persephone and me are not to be married but me and Charmaine will be joined in marriage within the next month." His words pierce through my heart. I watch as he bends over and kisses the woman next to him on the lips. She is a nymph though. . . She has pure black hair and pale skin. She is a bit taller than me and pretty bony. I feel hatred towards her fill my heart. Why do I care? He can marry whomever he wants, I just want my freedom. I pull down my hoodie and as he stands back up straight from the kiss, his eyes meet mine. I struggle to pull up a smile at him while my eyes begin to water. As I feel a tear trickle down my cheek I quickly turn away heading towards his house. I just need to get my phone and get back to Rosetta.

"Wait! Kore!!!" He calls throughout the crowd. They all turn to me. I watch as he tries pushing through the crowd leaving the woman, Charmaine with the reporter woman. I wait for him to catch up and he grabs my arm.

"Take me to your house so I can get my phone." He nods his head and snaps his fingers. Everything behind us turns to darkness until the living room of his house comes together.

"Kore, can we talk?" I walk to the dining room grabbing my phone and he stands in the doorway of the exit.

"I dont want to talk right now." He grabs my arms gently.

"Just please, listen to me and dont be stubborn for once." I let out a sigh in defeat. Lets just get this over with. We both sit on the couch. He takes a deep breath as I slouch into the couch away from him.

"You can have your freedom." He says quietly but loud enough to make sure I could hear. It catches me off guard and I grip the arm of the couch sitting up.

"Is this for real?" He nods his head avoiding eye contact with me.

"Its not fair to keep you cooped up under my arm in a place your nowhere near familiar with. You can leave the underworld if you want. Go anywhere. . . I wont follow you." His voice isnt as stern or playful when he usually talks to me. Now I could see his words didnt only hurt me.

"No. . ." I mumble while crossing my arms.

"No what?" He says looking up at me with his eyebrows peaked in confusion.

"Ill stay in the underworld. . . I have nowhere else to go." He nods his head.

"Plus I cant leave my new friend down in your dungeon." I let out a small laugh trying to lift the mood. He looks up at me looking helpless.

"Hey Hades?" He nods his head in response.

"Do you love her? Uhm. . . Charmaine." He shakes his head and brushes his fingers through his hair.

"Not really but. . . I have no choice."

I shake my head and place my hand on his shoulder.

"You always have a choice." A fake smile appears on his face. I know its fake because the once swirling deep blue ocean in his eyes lays still.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" He shakes his head chuckling.

"Too much work I had to do." He lets out a large yawn. You know what. . .

"Since you let me have my freedom, ill help you with your work. Just tell me what to do and you get some extra sleep." He shakes his head.

"No its fine, really." I smile.

"If not for that reason then. . . Consider it a favor from a friend. But you have to pay me of course." He smiles for real this time as his eyes begin to swirl once again. I pull him close to me hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry for yesterday." He hugs me back tightly.

"Its okay, just dont dissapear on me again." I nod my head and press my cheek against his chest. This warmth is the same as before when I hugged him in the kitchen the day before. I just cant get enough. . .

"What are you guys doing?" A womans voice pitches from the side of us. I quickly push Hades away looking up at the woman from earlier. Charmaine.

"Hey Charmaine, this is-" Hades starts but she cuts him off.

"I know full well who she is, what is she doing hugging you like that?" She says while placing her hands on her hip.

"I'm just apologizing for making a big scene yesterday." I say while smiling.

"Dont touch my fiance and dont come back in our house." I shoot my eyes to look at Hades.

"Now hold up. She is just a friend Charmaine. Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Just a friend? I know how you guys feel about each other." She looks from Hades back to me.

"You cant wait to undress him. You do it whenever your looking at him filthy goddess." I suddenly feel my face grow hot as if I have a fever. She did not just call me filthy. I stand up pushing the hair that had rested on my shoulders to my back.

"Only filthy thing here is you for assuming things and discouraging me. I have no intent on 'undressing him' as you had said." She smiles and flips her hair.

"Babe, kick her out." Hades looks between the two of us.

"Come in Charmaine, your over reacting." Hades says while trying to calm her down. I grab my phone and walk towards the door.

"Such a wife youd be." I say while exiting and rolling my eyes. I close the door behind me and hear them two begin arguing. I grab my phone and call for Rosetta to come pick me up and take me back to her place. In the car ride, I explain all that had happened since its all over the news ans city billboards.

"Talk about being famous." She says while turning the wheel to the right to park in the driveway of her house.

"More like hated. His new fiance called me filthy and said I undress him with my eyes." Rosetta lets out the loudest laugh I had ever heard. Then changes gears to reverse.

"Were going back and wooping that little wratched Nymphs ass." I grab her hand tightly and shake my head.

"No-no, its fine." She stops the car and looks at me confused.

"What do you mean its fine?" I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't want to be in Hades bad side. He needs to marry her to be seen as the true king." Rosettas face drops down as she crosses her arms and pouts. Then she looks at me affectionately.

"When it comes to the moment when he has to choose, itll be you and that can only cause more drama for the two of you. You so know that right?" I nod my head and prepare to leave the car.

"You never know." I say smiling back at her. It was fake though. Every fiber in my bones hated the thought of her being the one that sleeps in the same house let alone the same bed. She can eat his meals almost every day. She will get to kiss him. . . and feel his warmth and-

"Damn, already planning on killing her, arent you?" Rosetta says while laughing and pointing at the door where I had squeezed crushing the metal.

"Oh sorry. . . ill repair that."

"With what money?" She laughs while hopping out of the car."

"Well, im planning on working with Hades. Have you seen the amount of work he gets?!" Were right next to the front door and Rosetta grabs my shoulders tightly.

"YOUR WORKING FOR HIM NOW?!" I nod my head and smile. Her face falls into complete luxury as she smiles.

"You are taking me to the mall every Friday, he is loaded!" I smile and brush a strand of my hair past my ear.

"Only if you leave all the lava cakes for me." Her face falls into complete shock as she looks like she is about to pass out.

"I could never!" Hehehehe.

"Mmm. I saw these beautiful heels at the mall when you took me a-" She shoves her hands over my mouth.

"Say no more, you have a deal!!!" I smile in triumpht as I open the door and head inside.

I hear a loud ringing coming from my phone so I roll out of bed sitting up with my feet dangling off of the edge. I turn on my phone to see it say.

Your Worst Nightmare is Calling

Hades. . . I smile before hesitantly dragging the green button to the right.

"Hello?" A familiar deep voice breaks through the phone. Suddenly, I realize the time.

"Hey, its Kore. What are you doing up so late?" He sighs.

"Work. Anyways, we didnt have time to talk about this earlier but what did you mean when you told me the three girls of the time paradox told you that you were to take control of Olympus?" I guess I should tell him. . . He IS involved after all.

"Is Charmaine there?" He lets out a quiet chuckle.

"No, she went back home a few hours ago."

"Surprising." We both laugh a bit before becoming serious again.

"When I Uhm. . . fell asleep in your guest bedroom in my dream I met these three girls called Candace, Harlow, and Allegra. They said they guard time itself or something like that."

"Mmm-hmm." He says notifying me that he is following.

"They told me when I was younger that I had wripped a hole in time to save some garden nymphs and after they told me h. . . how uhm. . ." I stop for a few moments. Now that I am actually preparing to tell, I feel awkward.

"Just tell me Kore, this is important." I take a deep breath before telling him everything else that they had said to the very last detail.

"So. . . Your destined to overthrow Zeus?"

"Yes and I dont know what I'm supposed to do. I have never even heard of these girls and I dont even know if they are real. Oh My Gods!!! I almost forgot to tell you, I saw them right before using my magic in front of your office. They told me to."

"Three moons Kore. . . you just signed your fate. They are real and they do guide time. When you change something in time they curse you. They weren't warning you that your power MIGHT overthrow you but that it WILL." I freeze not knowing how to respond. I stumble for words but it seems I'm choking on them.

"W-what. . . does. . . can. . . w-what. . . does that mean?" I'm finally able to get out.

"When your power over takes you, you will die. Its one of the few ways to kill a god."

"This is a joke right?" I can hear him sigh and I can only imagine that he is brushing his hand through his hair in frustration.

"No." Is all he says. I should have never left the mortal realm. . . If I never left my fate wouldnt be tied to Hades. . . I wouldn't have used my magic and sealed my fate. . . I feel my eyes water up as the thought of my power killing me itself surrounds my heart. Every sound around me seems to go away besides the sound of wood creaking and wind whistling.

"Kore!!!" Hades yells pulling me back to myself.

"Y-yes? Sorry. . ." I curl my knees to my chest and wrap my free arm around my legs while holding the phone to my ear.

"Just. . . calm down. We will figure this out but you can not tell any other gods about this. They will kill you." My body begins to weigh down. I feel heavy and my heart begins to burn. Not the same as when I saw Hades with Charmaine but it still hurt just as bad.

"What am I supposed to do?" I say while fiddling with my clothes.

"You cant run away from something youve sealed with those three."

THIRD PERSON POV

Harlow, Candace, and Allegro hover aside a rose that had bloomed. Everything around them is pitch black. They all blow on it gently and slowly, a peddle falls off leaving only 25 left.

"The timer has."

"Started."

"May the rest."

"Follow in the path."

"She has sealed." They take turns saying. An image appears next to them showing Persephone on the phone with Hades crying and holding onto her hair tightly. They all smirk looking at the image and fall into laughter.

"Your powers will be mine little goddess. . ." A deep womans voice says from the shadows.

"Watch over her carefully you three." She orders. The three girls bow before her.

"Yes mother of all." They say while laughing and smiling.