Chapter 11 : Drawn to her

"Go on don't be shy," Hades encouraged the petit goddess who was skeptically eyeing the large table filled with different foods, snacks and deserts.

Persephone couldn't decide what to get, some of this food she had never even seen before. Didn't they have something simple and yummy like roast beef or a fruit salad?

"Try the caviar to tantalize your taste bud a little before you decide what to eat," Hades grabbed some flat bread, spread some tiny orange pearls over it and threw it into his mouth. "Exquisite.." he then repeated the process and gave the strange looking food to Persephone.

"Caviar? Is it some sort of fruit?"

"It's actually roe from a breed of fish called sturgeon."

Persephone sniffed the little pearls in her hands and gave the crimson eyed man a skeptic look, "roe?"

"Yes, the mass of eggs found in the ovaries of fish."

Persephone pursed her lips to stop herself from gagging before putting the nasty 'caviar' back on the tray. "I think I'll pass on the caviar thank you." She searched the table and finally spotted something that looked familiar, "that meat looks pretty good."

"Ah yes, muktuk, you've got a good eye." Hades explained, "hails from the mortal realm in a place called Greenland, it's a heaping serving of whale skin and blabber."

"Whale?… I'm suddenly not to hungry anymore."

Hades could understand her hesitation with tasting some of these foods, fancy parties like this did go out of their way to boast rare and exotic meals, but for most of those meals the tastes was mostly acquired. And this young goddess even though exotically beautiful, didn't seem like someone who was accustomed to such things.

"If you prefer, I could order you something?" Hades suggested.

Persephone looked up at the man in shock, and it seemed he too was a little surprised at his own actions as well, why was he offering to order food for a woman he had only just met?!

"You would do that? But how will the food get here?" Persephone inquired, she was aware that not just anyone could reach Atlantis, they either had to be able to teleport, or have the ability to manipulate water somehow.

"Don't worry about that, I know the perfect person to call." He quickly dialed a number on his phone and brought it to his ear, "hello Thanatos, drop whatever you're doing I have a rather pressing task I need you to handle."

*

Back in the main hall of the party, Poseidon spotted Melia speaking frantically to the door bouncer. From the spiteful expression on her face, Poseidon could sense there was trouble brewing.

"Oh no.. code blue, code blue!"

Zeus did a spit take and rushed to where Poseidon was standing, "shit, do you think she's looking for Hades?"

"No doubt about it," Poseidon responded, "if she finds him in a compromising position with that goddess he left with, we might as well kiss this whole charade goodbye, we don't want an angry siren on our hands."

"Well don't just stand there Mr party host, go stop her!"

"I can't, Amphitrite already suspects I'm subscribed to her only fans page, she'll straight up murder me if I'm seen with her," Poseidon explained. "Didn't you two date a few hundred years back? You go talk to her-"

"Sssh sssh shut your mouth about me dating her," Zeus hushed his big mouthed brother, "you want Hera to hear you?!" The god adjusted his jacket before drawing in a deep breath, "Hades owes me so much for doing this."

*

"Come on! You couldn't have missed him! He is a tall blue guy with dark hair and ridiculous glasses on his face, you know… the king of the underworld?! He passed through here a few minutes ago with some redhead!"

The door man shook his head at Melia, "I'm sorry miss, like I said earlier I didn't see him, neither did I see a woman with red hair."

"Oh forget it I'll go find him myself-"

"Melia! Hey long time no see!"

The siren turned around and folded her arms as she watched Zeus make his way towards her, "If you're here to beg for a second chance I'm not interested, you're too much of a handful for me Zeus, and you're honestly too full of yourself."

"Well look at the pot calling the kettle black.." Zeus mumbled in irritation.

"What was that?"

"Nothing!" Zeus smiled broadly at the woman and put an arm over her shoulders, "it's just been a long time and I wanted to catch up."

Melia yanked Zeus' arm off her and took a step back, "as you can see I'm very busy right now. Now shoo, go back to your little wife."

A few hundred years back when Hera had left to sort out some divine duties in the mortal realm, Zeus had been having an affair with the siren Melia. Their meet ups were always steamy and exciting, so steamy that Zeus kept the affair going regardless of how much of a bimbo Melia was.

But when his wife Hera returned to Olympus, Zeus immediately cut ties with the siren, breaking her heart in the process because apparently she had started catching feelings for the god. And now because of that she hated him. Women, always so dramatic.

"You're not still mad at me for that little incident a hundred years ago are you?" Zeus chuckled sheepishly.

A scowl painted the sirens' face. "Little incident?! You told me you were single and looking for someone to settle down with! Imagine my surprise when I found out you had a wife and children!"

"Okay I'm getting the sense you're still a little upset, and I want to properly apologize." Zeus gesture the woman towards the bar, "allow me to get you a drink, and maybe you can tell me about what you've been up to over the years, how popular you've become and all that nonsense."

Melia rolled her eyes before accepting Zeus' offer, "alright fine, just one drink and then you leave me alone. I know I'm the most attractive woman here but could you men please contain yourselves."

"We'll try our best," Zeus responded sarcastically.

*

Thanatos narrowed his angrily eyes at Hades as he set the takeaway packs in front a red haired woman. How could he?! How could Hades call him in the middle of the night to deliver take out to a party that he hadn't even been invited to?! If it wasn't for the sole fact that Hades was his boss, and Persephone was a total babe, Thanatos would have been very upset right now.

"Anything else I can do for you before I leave your lugubriousness?"

"Leave?" Hades mumbled with a fake look of surprise, "but the party is still in full swing, please Thanatos enjoy yourself."

"I asked you to let me tag along to this party yesterday and you said no! You even lied to me that it was invite only!"

"Did I?" The dark haired man stroked his chin thoughtfully before shrugging, "I'm sorry I don't recall."

"You know what forget it," Thanatos responded before turning around and marching towards the exit, "I better be the best man at your wedding after this shit!"

Persephone who was stuffing her face looked up at Hades who had a faint blush tinting his cheeks, "you're getting married?" She asked with a full mouth.

Hades quickly grabbed a glass of wine and averted Persephone's gaze, "don't listen to him, he's probably been drinking a little too much."

As Persephone continued eating her sticky wings, the god of the dead took another glance at her. She must have really been enjoying those wings if they compelled to take her shoes off. She was a little naive and slightly unrefined, but for some reason he found himself drawn to her.

*

Back in the VIP section, Poseidon was still rummaging through the internet trying to find out who this mysterious new goddess was, and finally after a whole hour he hit the jackpot.

"Yes!" Poseidon scrolled through the university's website and read through Persephone's details. "Bla bla bla… enrolled at Olympus university… bla bla bla.. daughter of Demeter? Oh, I didn't know Demeter had a daughter, wonder who the father is?" He continued reading through until he came across a piece of information that startled him, "oh gods… oh gods! Hades is so dead!"