Shaping Fate (6 page)

“
I knew that she’d become a disgusting monster if she was exposed to you,” she glared at Hades evilly, “and your ilk.”

“
What are you talking about, hag?”  Hades ground out.

“
Your daughter, you cursed fool! I knew you couldn’t take care of her, that she’d become a living nightmare, and here we see it come to pass!” Demeter’s voice went from cold hate to warm, chiding love in a heartbeat as she turned to her daughter. “Darling, I told you to let me take up our cause with Zeus, you know he loves you and would love to take you away from this foul creature you call a husband.” 

“
Mother, are you telling me that the demonic woman standing over Thanatos right now is my little Makaria?”  Persephone’s voice was hard and cold as she looked at her mother dispassionately.

“
I know, dear. Disgusting, isn’t she? Don’t worry, we’ll get Zeus to destroy her and give you your freedom. I know this wonderfully sexy Forest God that would be perfect for you, love.”  Demeter didn’t see her daughter’s eyes narrow, or her nails grow long into black, lethally sharp talons.

“
You mean you were the one who kidnapped my daughter? Then you came into my home and lambasted my husband about how he wasn’t a fit father or husband?”  The Queen’s voice was beginning to resemble the terrifying creature’s.

“
Well, yes, dear. I knew you wouldn’t see this bastard’s faults unless I did something dramatic, it just happened to be traumatic as well.”  Demeter said offhandedly.

She didn’t see it coming, no one did
. Demeter was suddenly screaming in pain as she was pinned to the granite floor by her daughter’s talons in her shoulder.

“
You sun worshipping, daisy picking, rose smelling BITCH!”  Persephone’s rage almost rivaled that of Ria’s, who still guarded Thane and watched the proceedings cautiously, her wrath and hate never diminishing. “You come into my home and pretend to comfort me over the loss of my child when all the while you were the one who stole her from me! Don’t you ever come into Hades again; you are not welcome within the Underworld. The only thing keeping you alive is the fact that you’re my mother.” The Queen of Hades snarled, fangs having appeared in her mouth to slightly garble her speech.

Demeter, knowing that she had lost this battle, vanished.

Hades appeared calm as he pulled his beloved wife into a hug. Inside, he was quaking. This beautifully dreadful, terrifyingly wrathful woman was his long-lost daughter. He felt pride, wonder, and love fill him at how beautiful she had become with age. He knew that he had to somehow fix the mistake he had made in hurting Thane, for apparently, he was who she had chosen for a mate.

“
Look at her, Hades, she’s beautiful. Our little girl is all grown up… and she’s terrifyingly beautiful,” Persephone breathed in wonder while staring at Ria.

“
You gave her your beauty, love. And I thank Zeus every day for listening to my pleas and letting me keep you.”  Hades let his love and pride show in his dark eyes.

A great, thundering boom echoed throughout the large chamber as Keres zoomed toward Makaria on bat’s wings
. Somehow sensing the danger to Ria, Thane's powers surged beyond his control, healing him instantly. Then, the barely conscious Thane suddenly leapt from the ground with a death defying roar.

His body grew to a staggering nine feet as he transformed into a beast that surpassed the ferocity of Ria’s current form
. His skin became a dark ashen grey as serrated talons and teeth extended from their respective limbs. Startling blue flames took the place of his electric blue irises, and icy vapor misted from his nose and mouth with every exhale. The beast wrapped his wings around his mate protectively and began using claws and fangs to fight off the Keres that swarmed them. It didn’t matter to this creature that the Keres were his sisters, it only mattered that they wanted to hurt his beloved.

Not about to let her mate be hurt defending her, Ria squirmed, trying to get to the Keres herself
. Finally, she fit her wings just below the joint of his and folded them around him, under his swinging arms. This allowed them to cover each other’s backs and tear into the Keres without mercy.

“
Enough, Sisters!” A red robed figure stepped away from the crowd as the Keres retreated and settled themselves along the edges of the room near the ceiling. They sat, bunched and ready to pounce at the first flick of their older sister’s finger.

Realizing their
quarry had escaped, the creatures that were Thanatos and Ria spun about to face this new threat. Their wings curled forward and their maws snarled in an effigy of vengeful gargoyles. No one approached the two gloriously terrible demons.

“
Why do you hesitate, Ker? We had an agreement; you get to torture, maim, and kill the bitch when I’ve had my fun with her!”  Helios suddenly appeared beside the red robed Ker. Hovering over his hand was a glowing bit of sun. All of the Underworld’s denizens cringed away from the Sun God and the horrible death floating in his hand… all but Ker and the two monsters in the middle of the room.

“
No,” Ker said thoughtfully, watching her staid, controlled brother. He had finally let his power loose and turned into his true form to protect his woman. “Our deal was for the Keres and me to capture and eventually kill a mortal bit of nothing. This woman is not mortal, and being the daughter of the King and Queen of Hades, as well as the mate of the oldest and most powerful God of Death, not to mention being a Goddess of Death in her own right, makes her anything but a bit of nothing. Therefore, our contract is void. Let’s go, Girls, I hear there’s a battle about to be waged on one of the Southern continents.”  Ker turned and began walking away. Helios, in all of his rage, let loose the Sun-ball at her retreating back.

A mysterious figure rammed himself into her and took the Sun-ball in her stead
. Rather than becoming the Godly equivalent of a crispy critter, the man somehow absorbed the blast and returned one just as powerful. Helios vanished before it could make contact; however, and just when it seemed the bolt would strike Persephone, it froze. It then zipped back to its originator and merged with his body.

“
Thanks, but I didn’t need any help. Next time, stay out of it,” Ker snarled, her voice full of venom. The figure bowed low to her and vanished. With an outraged scream, Ker followed.

The hall was silent for many minutes while everyone assimilated what had happened
.

“
Chimera's quills, Older Brother, I didn’t think you’d be that ugly when I sent the girl to you. I did know you’d take care of her, but I didn’t think you’d go and mate with the girl.”  Hypnos, younger twin of Thane, God of Sleep and father of Dreams walked out of the crowd. The only difference between the brothers was a thick, ragged scar that ran from Hypnos’s hairline down to his chin.

“
When I stopped Helios’s beating of her, I figured the only safe place to send her would be where the sun couldn’t reach. Of course, those dreams I sent her on behalf of the Fates may have had something to do with you two being destined to be together, but you’ll have to ask Atty about that one.” Hypnos grinned as he divulged the truth about the last missing fact in Ria’s life.

“
Ria, Love?” Thane asked, realizing that sometime in the last few minutes they’d both returned to their humanoid forms.

“
Hmmm?” Ria asked absently, refusing to look at him.

Knowing he’d have to get it out fast if he was going to say it in front of so many people, many of whom he’d never given a thought to knowing, he let the words crushing his heart tumble from his lips,
“I love you. Will you…marry me?”  He had to force the last words out of his mouth because he’d caught a glare from Hades.

“
Of course I will. It’s about time you asked me. I’d been wondering how to ask you the same question, actually.”  She smiled softly, joy shining from her eyes, “I love you, my Lord Death, and I don’t want to be anywhere else but in your arms.”

Thane
tugged nervously at his tie. The damned thing was choking the life out of him.
Cursed sisters and their twisted ideas of propriety
, he thought with a scowl. A stinging hand smacked his shoulder and he met Atty’s glare with one of his own.

“
Stop it. You’re making the walls shake. If one single decoration is ruined after all our hard work, I’m going to start weaving an army of fire ants into your ass’ future,” she said with a teasing glint in her serious eyes.

“
Do that and the décor will get ruined more quickly. What the hell happened to the simple little wedding Ria and I wanted?” Thane asked, wincing at the whine in his voice. He sounded like a churlish kid being forced to do something against his will by nagging parents. Nothing could be further from the truth.

“
I happened,” Hades stepped forward from leading his wife to her seat. “You’re taking my little girl from me. The least you can do is let me spoil her on her wedding day. Now, for a bit of friendly advice: hurt her, and the deepest, darkest, most torture filled cell in Tartaros will become your new home.”

“
That was advice?”  Thane asked with a shudder. He knew exactly the things that went on in those cells.

“
Advice. Warning. Promise. What’s the difference? Just don’t hurt my little girl,” Hades snapped as he moved away.

Thanatos studied the temple he was being married in
. It was his mother’s, The Halls of Night. Everything was in shades of black and starlight. The ceiling looked like a clear night sky with no moon to block the magnificence of the stars. The floor was polish onyx and the walls were obsidian mirrors. All to reflect the stars’ brightness.

The room was filling up with guests
, denizens of the Underworld mixed with Olympians and ambassadors from other Pantheons. This was a high profile wedding, what with Ria being a princess and Thane one of the oldest Gods in existence.

Various Goddesses from the Pantheons stood around the corners of the room, each awaiting her turn to give the happy couple her blessing
. Not that Thane needed or wanted them. They probably wouldn’t stick to his old and powerful ass anyway, but Hades had insisted.

Chaos stood beside him to preside over the ceremony, she smiled at him warmly; her loving eyes
eased his nervousness that threatened to shake the obsidian rafters.

Music started playing and Hades returned to the room, a nervous Ria on his arm
. Her black silk gown set off the various colors in her hair. She was so beautiful in that moment that Thane couldn’t look away.

Hades placed Ria’s hand in
Thane's and said a few words, but Thane didn’t hear them; he was too busy staring at his bride. He didn’t stop ogling until Chaos poked a sharp finger into his shoulder.

“
Wha-What?” he asked, dazed. The crowd of Gods laughed at his obviously love-struck state.

“
Vows, dear boy, say your vows,” Chaos smiled.

He stumbled through his vows and happily returned to gazing at Ria
. He was still listening with half an ear, however, as proven when he heard the words ‘kiss’ and ‘bride.’  He pulled Ria into a passionate embrace. The ground shook and the world exploded, but only for Thane and Ria as they shared the first of many passionate kisses that Fate held for them. For now and forever, the Fate of Death was Bliss.

The End

Kayla lives on 80 acres in rural Kansas.  Her domain is the dungeon (basement) where she resides with her fat, orange tabby, Angus, her Chihuahua, Boo, and her Brittany, Sugar.

She loves to play with her niece and nephews (there are six!), and enjoys listening to music.  She writes in the evenings and on weekends; burrowed in the basement with her laptop and notebooks.