Epilogue
Fay stared in the mirror as Nadia fussed around her, tidying up her formal uniform. She tugged and prodded, brushed non-existent dust off her shoulder, then set to work on Fay’s hair. It took very little time to comb back her usually wild mane and braid it back. When she finished Nadia stepped back, smiling into the mirror. Together, they looked terrifyingly powerful in their uniforms, ready to be thanked by the esteemed God himself. Fay tried not to snort. She looked at Nadia, saw the excitement in her eyes. The prospect of being honoured, of rising the ranks of the hounds, was a quiet dream of hers.
“Can I ask you something?” Fay asked tentatively.
As Fay turned in her seat and looked up at Nadia, she saw that frown deepen across her face.
“Sure. What’s up?”
“If you could ask Hades for anything, what would it be? Hypothetically and with no fear for being shut down?”
The question threw her but she wasted no time drawing a dream forward, laying it shyly before Fay.
“A home. Not like the camp. A place where the hounds could have their own homes here, something real. I’d ask him to let us be able to start families, not just to breed with approved humans. With each other, if we want to,” she confessed, then slapped a hand over her mouth, shocked she’d spoken aloud.
Fay grabbed her hand, gave it a squeeze. “He’s not listening.”
Nadia carefully pulled her hand from Fay’s. “How can you be so sure?”
She smiled. “I seriously doubt you’re the first hound to want something like that. I’d like that, too. See, now you’re not the only one.”
After a beat, Nadia relaxed, the tension bleeding from her slowly. She shook her head, bemused, and turned to her cloak when there was a knock at the door. A moment later, it was Remus who walked in, Diana by his side. The pair of them looked resplendent in their uniform. No one could mistake, however, the light in Diana’s eye and the way Remus kept by her side.
“You two ready?” Diana asked.
Fay got up, ran a hand down over the uniform. She nodded. “Yeah but you didn’t have to get us personally.”
Diana glanced at Nadia, who bowed her head and quietly left the room, followed by Remus. As the door closed behind them Diana took a step forward.
“Remus wanted to get you but I came along because I wanted to see you, to…thank you. Properly.”
“You don’t have to do that,” said Fay hurriedly. “It’s fine, really. You had every reason to mistrust me. I was a stranger…and the things I could do, the things I didn’t even understand myself. It’d make anyone worried for their family. You were just protective, that’s all.”
She shook her head. “No, I was unfair to you. I should’ve tried more than I did. Anyway, I’m glad I was wrong. You saved us, killed the threat of both Eris and Andromeda. You’re the hero and no matter what Hades says today, it was you.” She reached out and gently touched Fay’s arm. “I’m sorry about your friend – what was his name?”
Something yanked tight in her chest. She froze, seeing Ben’s death replay over and over in her mind…and the final words of Eris. Probably a lie but hard to believe he might come back somehow. She swallowed hard, focused on Ben’s name…not the other names he had or the lives he had. The truth that now lived solely within her, one no one would ever know, let alone believe. Just one more secret she held close to her chest.
“Ben.”
“He won’t be forgotten,” Diana vowed fiercely.
Fay looked up, saw the fire in her eyes and felt it rise within herself. That fire that had been kindling within her for so long…and finally, it was ablaze. An inferno of rage.
“Everyone will know his name…and yours, Fay, Goddess Killer.”
Fay glanced at herself in the mirror, no longer seeing the scared and bruised girl she’d once been. In that moment, she saw what she had become. “I like that title. I like it a lot.”
The ceremony was to be in the grand hall, a place where not that long ago, Fay had sworn her oath to Hades. Now, she’d returned, only to be honoured. As the grand doors swung open, she followed the squad inside, walking behind Remus, her head held high. She tried to look strong, indomitable, even though she wanted nothing more than for Ben to be there, by her side. Whole, like he was meant to, and to stand before Hades. In her mind she saw him saying ‘hello brother’ and all hell breaking loose. Grief roared in her mind. She shoved it down and strode forward.
Right past where Nebiru stood with the other generals. Past a few surprising faces. Some hounds she knew by face only. They weren’t who nearly caused Fay to trip over her own feet. It was Athena, dressed in rich white finery, and accompanied by several attendants. The Goddess, sensing Fay’s stare, flickered to her. Fay quickly looked ahead, swallowing hard, restlessly.
Hold it together, she chanted as the squad finally stopped and moved into a line before the dais.
Persephone sat on her throne to the right, clad decadently in a golden gown, a wreath of thorns and jewels atop her hair. She looked every bit the Queen, regal and proud. Catching Fay’s stare, she nodded and gave a little smile.
Strangely, Thanatos was absent from the event. Fay held back a frown, tried not to worry too much on it. It changed nothing.
She took a deep breath and quelled the storm within her, commanding it to settle. As she exhaled a thunderous clap boomed before them and in a burst of black smoke Hades appeared. The God of the Underworld was clad all in black, a flowing cloak of smoke and ash billowing behind him. At his hip, the sword. Fay tried not to stare at it as the whole squad fell to their knees, bowing. She didn’t fight the movement and kept her head down.
“Rise,” commanded Hades. “Today, you are welcomed as heroes, saviour of the Gods themselves, of your home.”
The squad moved in sync to their feet. Fay lifted her head slowly and looked Hades in the face, keeping her face perfectly calm. Hades smiled at them, as if they were children whom had done him proud.
“Remus, you should be proud of your squad. Proud of all you have accomplished, of the hounds you trained. Take note that the Goddess Athena herself has come on behalf of Olympus. A true honour.”
Remus bowed again, ever the gracious hound. “You honour us but the true glory belongs to one of my alone. It was Fay who fought Eris and struck the killing blow. It was she whom defeated the Goddess.”
Hades nodded and looked to Fay. “Step forward, Fay. It is time you claim your reward.”
She stepped away from the squad, her heart racing. Not out of fear, though. As she lifted her gaze to Hades she felt no fear, only steely resolution, a determination that had been simmering for years. She ascended the steps of the dais slowly, her gaze never wavering from his. At the top, she stopped.
“Ask for anything you desire, my loyal hound and it shall be yours,” he proclaimed.
“Anything at all?” She pointed brazenly at his sword. “Even that?”
For a second, he was silent. Then, he cracked a smile and threw his head back and laughed. She joined in, sobering after a beat, silent until he sobered too, wiping the edge of his eye.
“Oh, it warms my heart to see you still have your humour,” he said with a smile.
She snorted. “Oh, I wasn’t joking. After all, it’s not actually your sword, is it?”
The smile faded from his face. Fay took a step forward and snapped her fingers. Above, the fires lighting the lanterns turned blue, bathing the room in an eerie blue glow. Silence fell as she snapped her fingers again –
And the sword blinked from his side, right into her hand.
She stepped right in front of him, staring into those hellish black eyes…and let her own eyes bleed to black. As they did, a look of recognition dawned in his eyes. Frozen to the ground, he couldn’t fight her. Couldn’t do anything at all.
“Kneel,” she commanded, her voice rumbling through the room.
The God of the Underworld kneeled before her, his gaze never wavering from hers.
“What now?” He ground out.
“Consider the prophecy fulfilled,” she said and drove the sword into his chest.
He screamed as the sword pierced flesh. She dropped to her knees and moved her lips to his ear.
“This is for Cerberus.” She drove the sword in deeper. “This is for stealing what is mine.” She gave the sword one final dig until she felt her own hand nearly inside his chest. “And this? This is for your part in taking my family away from me.”
She got to her knees and yanked the sword free. Hades burst into dust before he even hit the ground. She inhaled and as she released the breath, she dissolved the glamour that clung to her. It melted away, revealing her as she truly was, as she had been, crafted in the void of Chaos. Destined for a role she had finally claimed. She let a long dress of black with the night sky, lit by stars, as the skirt take shape on her. The sword hung off her hip, a thin silver belt sheathing it. Tiny rubies appeared in her night black hair that cascaded down her back, framing a face that bore an ancient youth. Eyes like polished onyx lifted from the ground to where Persephone sat, smiling in approval.
Slowly, she turned and looked over the room, still frozen by her magic. Athena, normally so composed, was white was the moon. Their eyes met across the room.
Andromeda took a step forward, melting into shadow, appearing before Athena.
“Tell Zeus I am coming for him. Tell him I’ll tear destroy Olympus and everything he loves until he returns what he stole.”
She strained against the magic holding her, using all of her power…but she was in the Underworld, out of her natural element. Andromeda snapped her fingers and the Goddess vanished, along with her attendants. She turned around and willed herself back to the dais. Lifting her head, she swept over to the throne and stopped before it. She reached out, half afraid it might vanish beneath her touch.
“Claim it. It’s about time,” murmured Persephone. “It was always meant to be yours.”
Andromeda looked at the Goddess, nodded and with no further hesitation, sat down on the throne. She looked out across the room and saw the faces of people she once called family, friend, ally.
“Now,” she began, her voice rolling over the room like a rumble of thunder. “Any questions?”
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