Hades and Persephone Ch 18 4.docx

Hades and Persephone Ch 18 4.docx

《Hades and Persephone Ch 18 4.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Hades and Persephone Ch 18 4.docx（11页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

HadesandPersephoneCh184

Apairofgiddyloversdressedinsaffronchitonsdashedpasthimintheoppositedirection,escapingthefiresandtorchesfortheprivacyaffordedbytheopenfields,thenightskyandthestarsabove.Aidonjoggedafterhiswife,nearlylosinghertrailintheincensewaftingfromthetemple.Helookedaboutthecrowdforsignsofher,thenfeltahandgraspathis.

"Comeon,"shewhispered."It'snotmuchfarther."

Themusicfadedintothebackground,asteadymuffleddrumbeatandamelodyfromthefluteamidstthesinging.AidoneusandPersephonecarefullyscaledtherockyhillsidenorthofthetemple.Sheliftedthefaceplateofherhelmandpercheditatopherhead,becomingvisibletohimagain.Hefollowedherleadsohecouldbesureofhisfooting,buthishelmstillcoveredhisface,hiscloakhidingallbutasinglearmandaglintofhiscuirass.Persephoneheldhishandandgatheredupherskirtswiththeother,onepalefootcarefullyfollowingtheother,tryingtofindthescatteredstepsinthedarkness.

"Youclimbtheserocksbarefoot?

"heasked.

"Ofcourse,"shesaid,smiling."IalwaysdidsowhenIwasKore."

Theinclinegentledandtheysooncametoashortwallofstackedstonesandblocksofmarble.Mason'stoolslayproppedagainstoneofthewalls.Thiswasanunfinishedtemple."Iknowthisplace..."

"I'dhopeso,"shesaid."It'swhereweemergedandstruckthenewAgreement."

Hefrowned."It'swhereIlostyouforhalftheyear,everyyear.Whybringmehereofallplaces,Persephone?

"

"Look."Shepausedandheturnedinthedirectionshefaced.AllwassilentexceptforthedistantmusicinEleusis.Herhusband'seyeswidenedandhismouthhungopen.Persephonespoke."Yousaidyouweren'tworshippedintheworldabove.Youtoldmehowyouwouldbeblamedforallthathappened,howthemortalswouldneverknowyou..."

Aidonshookhisheadandremovedhishelm,layingitonthegroundbesidehim.Beforethemonaraisedaltarstoodtwolife-sizestatues—hislikenessandhers,carvedfromashtrees.Theywerefacedoutwardtogetherwithhiswoodenimageplacedslightlybehindhers,onehandgentlyholdinghershoulder,theotherhandcuppingherupturnedhandinfrontofthem.TheimageofPersephoneheldalongstalkofasphodelbetweenthem.Thestatues'headswerecrownedwithfreshwreathsofpoplarleavesandasphodelflowers,respectively.Boughsofcypresscoveredtheground,perfumingtheairwiththeirspicyscent.Itmingledwiththesweetsmellofnarcissusandpomegranateflowersthatwerestrewnaboutthealtar.Thefaceofhiswife'sstatuelookedserene,hislookedstern.

Footprintslitteredtheground.Thisplacewaswellvisitedand,judgingfromthecrispnessofthewreathsadorningtheirheads,recentlyandcarefullytended.Cradledinthestatues'upturnedhandswasasingle,perfectpomegranateflower.Theirwoodenvisagesblurredinhisvision.Persephone'shandintertwinedwithhis.Hequicklyswipedhisfingersoverhiseyesandgazeddownather."How...Persephone,haveyou..."

"Yes,"sheansweredsoftly."Iwasn'texpectingthemtocreateallthis,though.Itwasbuiltbystudentsofoneofmymother'spriests.Mypriest,intruth—Eumolpus.Hesaidthatitwouldtaketoolongtochiselreliefsandstatuesoutofmarble;sothisistemporary."

"Ashame.Iquiteliketheashwood."Aidontookastepclosertolookattheembracingstatuesandsawamphoraeofoliveoilstackednearthebaseofthealtar,offeringstohisrealm."Sothat'swherealltheoilhasbeencomingfrom."

"MortalshavemadeofferingstotheUnderworldbefore,though.Haven'tthey?

"Sherememberedhowhe'dusedtheoiltoslickbackhishair,andshavehisthickstubble.

"Onlysmalllibations,"heanswered."Nothinglikethis.Oliveoilhasbeenappearinginthegreathallofthepalaceoflate.Whathaveyoutoldthemofourworld?

"

"Thetruth."Persephoneleanedagainsthisarm."Thattheyarerebornabove.AbouthowpeacefulAsphodelis,howyouarefirmbutkind,ashepherdofsouls."

"StoTheo,kaiThea,"hesaid,readingtheinscriptioncarvedintotheplatformbelow.

"Isthatwhatthatsays?

"shesaid,asmilebroadeningacrossherface.

"TotheGodandtheGoddess;yes.Unsurprising.We'regodsofthedead.Theywillnotcallonusbyname,orwriteournames,forthatmatter."

"Whataboutthatone?

"shesaidpointingtoaheavymarblecornerstoneattheentrance.Sheonlyrecognizedthefirstletter,pi,thesameletterthatstartedhername.

Aidonsquintedtoreadit.Theword Plutonion wasscratchedroughlyintoitssurfacetomarkwherethechiselwouldeventuallydotherest."TheRichOne..."hesaidwithasmirk."Orrather,thesanctuaryoftheRichOne."

"They'renottalkingaboutgold,Aidon.Thathadlittlevaluehereduringwinter.TheycallyoutheRichOneinEleusisbecauseyouhelpedbringfertilitybacktotheearth.You'remorethanjusttheGodoftheDead."

"Hmm,"hegruntedinacknowledgementandthinnedhislips.

Persephonepointedtoamuchsmallercavelitteredwithcoppercoins."ThatonetheydedicatedtoCharon."

"Oh?

"AwidesmilebrokeonHadesfaceandhelaughed."Ohno,Ican't..."

"What'swrong?

"

"IfItellhimtheybuiltthis,I'llneverheartheendofit!

"

"Oh,poorCharon;heshouldknow,Aidon,"shesaidandlaughedwithhim."Fine.HoldoffuntilIcomeback.Itwillamusemetonoendtoseehisreaction."

Heturnedtowardherandcuppedherfaceinhishand."You'vedonetheimpossible,mylove."

"Whatdoyoumean?

"

"You'vefoundawaytobridgethedividebetweenourworlds.Thisisthefirsttemplethey'veeverbuiltwhereIamevenmentioned.You'vecreatedawayforthemortalstoknowusasweare."

"Icouldn'tjuststandbyandleteveryonespeakforme,orforyou.Mymotherhadmorethanenoughtosayaboutourrelationshipduringthewinter.ButIwantedtheEleusiniansandallofHellastoknowthat—"

Heliftedheragainsthimandsilencedherwithakiss.Persephonegavein,holdinghimtoher,graspingathiscloak,pullinghimcloser.Hedrewhisshakinghandsalongherwaisttoherhips."Persephone..."

"ThatIloveyou,"shewhispered.

Hegatheredhercloseandkissedheragain,andPersephonerelaxedinhisarms,herlegsgoinglimpandheatpoolinginherbelly.

"Iloveyou,sweetone,"hesaidwhentheyseparatedtocatchtheirbreath."Ioftenthoughtabouthowitwasbarelytwomonthsyouwerewithme...theblinkofaneyecomparedtothelongaeonsI'velived.Butitfeelsasthoughapieceofmehasbeenmissingwithoutyouthere."

"Iknow..."Sheshookherhead,hereyeswatering."Aidon,I'msosorry,halftheyearwasthebestIcoulddo..."

"No,mylove.Don'teverapologizeforwhatyoudid,"hesaid,thenlookedaway."Doyouregretit?

ForevertetheringyourselftotheLandoftheDead?

Tome—afterknowingmeforsuchashorttime?

"

"Ofcoursenot,"shesmiledathim."Youforget,it'smyworldtoo.Yourpalaceismyhome...yourbedismybed."

Hekissedheragain,harderthistime,andshefelthisfingersbunchinthefabricofherpeplos.Hislipsplayedwithhers,hertonguestrokinghis,boldlydeepeningthekiss.Hepulledawayfromherandbreathedshallowly,hispulsedrumminginhisears.Whenhefinallyspokeagain,hisvoicewaslowandvulnerable."Canwe...?

"

"Here?

"

"Anywhere."Hishandsretracedtheirpathupherwaist."Ineedyou."

"Icanthinkofnobetterplace,"shesaidwithasmile."Thisisyoursanctuary—yourhomeinthisworld,afterall."

"Ourhome,"herepliedhuskily,brushinghisthumbovertheoutlineofatautnipplepeakingagainstherdress.

Shegaspedandpressedherselftohim,herbodyflushagainstthecold,muscularoutlinesofhiscuirass."HowdoIremovethis?

"

"Ifyouwant,Icouldchangethearmorbacktomyrobes,"hesaid,hismouthtwistingintoalustyhalf-grin."OrIcouldjustwillitoffmybody."

Shelookedathiminsurprise."Idon'trecallyoudoingthatbefore,Aidon.AndIcanthinkofseveraltimeswherewewouldhavebenefittedfromthatexpediency."

"Iliketheritualofremovingclothes,"Aidonsaidagainstherneck,plantingasoftkissbehindherear."Ofrevealingeachinchofyourskin...ofdiscoveringandknowingyouonepartatatime.AndIlovetheexpressiononyourfacewhenyourevealmine."

"AsdoI,"shewhispered,impatientlyrunningherfingertipsovertheedgesofhisarmor."Showmehowtotakethisoff..."

Aidonunlacedoneofhisgauntlets,andPersephonecopiedhimwiththeother,albeitmoreslowly.Shebentdownandexaminedhisgreaves.Hehelpedherbyeffortlesslypullingoneforward,themetalspringingbackintotheshapeofhisleg.Persephoneremovedtheother.Shequicklyuntiedoneofhissandalstraps,thentheother,theleatherthongslooseningandfallingaroundhisankles.Shetossedthegreavesasidenexttotheotherpiecesashesteppedoutofhissandalsandkickedthemaway.

Aidoneusunpinnedhiscloak,lettingitdroptothegroundbehindhim.Shetracedherfingersoverthetensedmusclesofhisexposedarmsandtheveinswindingtheirwaytohiswrists.Hecoveredherhandswithhis,movingthemtohissides,herfingersbrushingoverthestrapsthatheldhiscuirasssecurelytohisbody.Shekissedhimandstartedworkingtheleatherthroughthebronzefasteners,threeoneachside.

Thefirststraptookthelongest;theothersquicklyfollowedonceshefiguredouthowtounlacethem.Aidonliftedthestrappedshouldersoverhisheadasshepulleditupfromthebottom.Thegoldencarapacecrashedloudlytotherockyground.

Persephonejumpedbackandglancedabout,thenturnedtoherchucklinghusband."Afraidofbe