Hermes opened his mouth when there was a low rumble of power that swept through the house. Hecate jumped to her feet, the heads of the maiden and the crone flashing on her shoulders. The power rattled the jars on her shelves and caused a cloud of mist to gather around their feet, disembodied faces peering at them through the fog. Hermes blanched as though he had eaten something unpleasant, relatively unused to the power of the Underworld. The very walls seem to vibrate with it as the light from outside dimmed.
“Hades,” Hecate’s voice echoed as red power flickered across her skin, “Rein it in or don’t enter my house.” White light began to take over her eyes until they glowed. Her dogs began to bark, running out of the room with their hackles raised. A moment later, Hades appeared in the doorway, gray, lifeless power erupting over his skin and sucking all the air from the room.
“Goddess.” Hades’s voice was smooth as silk. “You know I mean no disrespect.”
“You know better than to enter my house with your power out,” Hecate growled, her voice dropping in pitch once more. Tendrils of red power started pouring from her skin as her three-headed appearance solidified.
Hermes sat down with an amused look on his face, snapping his fingers occasionally to add his own spark to the flames…literally. A slow grin slid over the God of Underworld’s face.
“I told you she was asight,”Hades said, full of approval, calling out to someone else. Confusion flickered over both of Hecate and Hermes’s faces, and a moment later, all Hades’s power vanished from the room with a wave of his hand. The three gods stared at one another, Hecate nearly growling before she settled herself and her heads disappeared.
“Well.” Hermes clapped his hands together. “This has certainly gotten more exciting.”
“What do you mean by this, Hades?” Hecate moved around him and stepped over to her workbench, immediately pulling herbs from their jars and preparing a kettle.
“He means that I’ve been underestimating you.” Poseidon’s rich, salty voice filled the room as he stepped in behind his brother. He looked suspiciously dry, and therefore, rather uncomfortable, one hand fidgeting with his coral cuff. The God of the sea had been under the earth for well over a day and he was ready to be home. Hecate nearly snarled, dropping the cup that she was holding.
“Am I meant to host everyfuckinggod in the pantheon in my kitchen? Might I remind you that none of you were invited?” Hecate’s anger picked up like wind, blowing through the room as her dogs came running back in, growling at both brothers. Hades and Poseidon jumped away from their snapping jaws, dodging to the side. Hades growled back. Hermes sat at the table, still unmoving, his eyes going back and forth between all the gods like he was watching a sporting match. Poseidon, ever the most stoic, bowed his head in respect.
“I apologize for my intrusion… and my brother’s.” He slapped Hades on the back a little too hard, wiping the smirk from his face. “As for Hermes, well, we’ve all been apologizing for him for a while.”
“Hey!”
Poseidon broke the tension and Hecate’s anger faded, leaving a no-nonsense look on her face.
“What can I do for you all?” She stared at each of the gods with a look that made them whither slightly. “The sooner you tell me, the sooner that you can all leave my house.”
“I was on my way home, and we were implored to ask you, once more, if you had thought about joining Zeus.” Poseidon held his hand up and cut Hecate off before she could shout in outrage once more. “I know. I know. Trust me, intuitive one, I’ll do you no more disrespect by asking.”
Hermes cocked his head to the side, watching Hades and Poseidon closely. There were tricks and messages aplenty between them, and he was determined to find out what they were.
“You didn’t come to the Underworld with your brother to askmeagain.” Hecate’s voice was devoid of emotion, making it even more threatening. Poseidon shrugged.
“Well, Hades is always…”
“Not Hades. Zeus. He was here. Do not coax at me with your respect, Poseidon, and then attempt to lie to me in the same breath.”
“Hecate—”
“I will dry you out like a fish out of water,” she snapped, her patience threatening to cave with all the gods in her kitchen. Hades’s eyes went wide as he took a step back, nudging Poseidon forward with his shoulder. The brothers had more power than Hecate, especially combined, but Hecate wasn’t just about power. She was about intuition, witchcraft, and revenge; her battles weren’t fought with one-on-one power. No, the death blow often came after people had thought they had won, or she had forgotten. She had cultivated a reputation for handling men, both mortal and immortal, who had trespassed against the innocent. Neither Poseidon nor Hades were interested in ending up on her never-ending list.
Hecate was still standing at her counter, and she took a step in their direction.
“Zeus was here. He summoned both Poseidon and me to his side to speak to Erebus again.” Hades shrugged and Hecate’s power began to bubble over, red sparks covering her skin like freckles. “Now, Poseidon was just leaving.”
He needed no more exit, and Poseidon gave a short nod in respect before slipping out of the kitchen. There was a rush of air that smelled like seawater, and the remaining gods felt his presence leave the Underworld. Hecate already knew what had happened, and the tangible flickers of her power only grew stronger.
“First, you come into my home—all of you, uninvited—and you ask me to join Zeus?” Her gaze pinned both Hades and Hermes to the wall.
“Leave me out of that! I made no such request,” Hermes whined, crossing his arms over his chest and positively sulking. Hecate continued, nearly shaking a finger at Hades.
“Now you’re going to tell me that the three of you cornered Erebus once more.”
“I…”
“Don’t tell me,” she snapped once more, busying her hands with the pot long forgotten. “In fact, I need the both of you to get out of my house or I’ll curse the private bits of you that youdo notwant cursed.”
Hermes’s eyes got wide, and he nodded, an uncomfortable grin sliding onto his face.
