Keepers of the Underworld

Dee and Sephi Pappas stood outside their new sprawling estate near Tarpon Springs, Florida. It was the perfect location. With many acres of land surrounding their home, it ensured they would have the privacy they needed, making the expense of building their home worth every penny. The greenhouse and gardens were exactly as Sephi had wanted them. Dee did not have a use for those himself. However, if they made his wife happy, he would give them to her without question. He was more interested in the rock outcropping and small cave not far from the house. That cave was the perfect entrance to and from the underworld. It meant he would not have to construct something and try to hide it from prying eyes. Over the eons, it had become rare that Dee and Sephi needed to return, but there were times when it was necessary. "Are you positive this is what you want to do, my queen?" Dee asked Sephi. Sephi put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply before she answered, "Yes, my king. This feels like the right thing for us to do. We will never find another place as perfect as this. It feels like home. Even more so than when we are below." Dee smiled down at her and said, "Then we will stay here as long as your heart desires." He kissed her passionately before breaking the kiss with a sigh. He held up the keys and said, "Let's go inside so you can make a list of everything you want to add. I know it will start with at least one hundred pillows." Dee kept an arm around Sephi as they strolled to the porch. He unlocked the door and motioned for Sephi to have the honor of opening the door and walking inside first. Sephi would be ecstatic, and he wanted to take in all her joy as she saw the little details he had added to their home to surprise her. "Dee! It's perfect!" Sephi said as her eyes welled with tears. "The floors…" she trailed off as she knelt and ran her fingers over the tiles Dee had shipped from Greece. "The tiles are new, but they are made to look ancient. I found them in a little shop in Greece a while back. When we began building our home, I knew we needed them," Dee said as he smiled at her. "You might want to have a look at the kitchen." Sephi laughed as she darted into the kitchen. It was magnificent. The high ceilings were dark wood with exposed beams. Shelves and cabinets of the same dark wood lined the cream stucco walls, and an island separated the space from a small breakfast nook. The countertops were granite, and the area around the stove was lined with rough-hewn granite blocks that matched the countertops. Somehow, they had worked modern appliances into the rustic kitchen seamlessly. It had every known convenience yet had the same warm sentiments as when she was in her old kitchen. "I wanted to give you everything you could possibly need and still make it feel like home," Dee said as he kissed her. "I can picture you tucked away on the window seat behind the nook, reading a book while I prepare your favorite dishes." "And what if I want to cook for you?" Sephi asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deftly pulled the elastic band from his hair, freeing his thick, long black curls. "Something tells me you do not mean in the kitchen or food," Dee chuckled as his deep, baritone voice vibrated through his chest and into her. "I did mean in the kitchen and food. But I am certainly not opposed to what you mean," Sephi said as she smiled at him. She attacked his lips, demanding his kiss. Their kiss grew deeper, as did their passion. Dee's hands glided around her body and down her hips. She felt his length harden as he pressed her against the island, leaving no space between them. Sephi moaned into his mouth as his hands found her buttocks, squeezing and kneading them as he rocked into her. She broke the kiss and panted, "Why don't we take this to the bedroom? We have to christen the room and the bed." "Are you sure you don't want to christen the kitchen first?" Dee asked, giving her a wolfish grin. "Bed first. Kitchen second?" Sephi offered as a compromise. "I can work with that," Dee smirked as he stepped back, enough for Sephi to slide from between him and the kitchen island. He gave her a playful swat on the bottom as she wiggled out of the space. Sephi walked down the hallway in front of him, swishing her hips more than necessary. She reached up and pulled the hairpin from her bun, allowing her long blonde locks to tumble down her back. Sephi smiled at Dee over her shoulder as she untied the sash on her dress, letting it fan out around her before it fell to the floor, revealing her lace bra and panties. Dee was unbuttoning his shirt as he followed her into the bedroom. Sephi smiled at him as she stretched out on the bed. She put her hands above her head and arched her back, grinning as she watched him remove his shirt. Sephi loved to watch her husband. He was indeed a god. He could take any form he chose, but they both preferred the one he had now. He stood 6'4" tall, with long black hair and a beard that reached the middle of his chest. His broad chest and heavily muscled body looked like it had been sculpted from marble, with each muscle perfectly defined. His warm, dark brown eyes made her melt whenever she looked into them. Dee gazed upon his wife. Her delicate lace undergarments left nothing to the imagination. Not that what she wore mattered to him. She was the most perfect creature he had ever laid eyes on. That is why he had taken her to be his wife. Her long golden hair and her perfect hourglass figure had captivated him. However, it was her eyes that were like looking into the Mediterranean that had made him fall in love with her at first sight. That love had never waiver, and it never would. Sephi was biting her lower lip as she watched Dee drop his shirt on the floor and begin to unbuckle his belt. She could see he was hard and ready to take her. Something that she wanted desperately at that moment. He chuckled at her as he paused in taking off his pants, causing her to huff and frown at him. Dee's grin turned into a scowl at the sound of the doorbell ringing. Sephi watched as his eyes went black and the surrounding skin grayed before returning to normal. That often happened when he became angry. Sephi had seen it many times but never once directed at her. "Do you think whoever it is will go away if we ignore them?" Dee asked before the bell rang again. "No," Sephi sighed as she sat up and swung her legs off the bed. "I think we need to answer the door, make whoever it is go away, then return to our plans." She stood and began to walk out the door when Dee looped his arm around her waist to stop her. "And where do you think you are going in nothing but your underwear?" Dee smirked. Sephi giggled as the bell rang again, "To the hallway to get my dress so I'm not in my underwear. Unless, of course, you want whoever is at the door to see all this." She motioned to her body, knowing the mere thought of someone seeing her in that state would make him jealous. Dee scowled as he let her go to put her dress on again. He fastened his pants and picked up his shirt from the floor. The doorbell rang again before he reached the living room. He glanced back into the hall to see that Sephi was tying her dress closed and gave him a nod. He slipped on his shirt before he yanked the door open to see his children standing on the porch. They had adapted their names to be more modern, like Dee and Sephi. Their daughter, Melinoe, went by Melanie or Mel, and their son, Zagreus, used Zachary or Zach. They both held sizable brown paper take-out bags from Dee and Sephi's favorite Greek restaurant. "What are you doing here?" Dee asked as he greeted them with hugs and kissed their cheeks. "We weren't expecting anyone today." "We can tell," Zachary smirked as his eyes moved from his father's open shirt and fell on his mother, whose cheeks were still flushed with excitement. "We brought dinner, so you might want to button your shirt." Melanie backhanded her brother's shoulder and said, "We wanted to come and see the house now that it is finished. The grounds and exterior are stunning." "We also thought we should ask if living in Tarpon Springs is a good idea or if we need some sort of weird underworld intervention," Zachary grinned as he greeted his mother with a hug and kisses. Sephi laughed and said, "Let's eat on the patio. We will explain why we have chosen this." They went to the kitchen to gather the plates, utensils, and drinks. As they walked out the door to the patio, Dee grabbed a bottle of ouzo from the bar and grinned at Sephi. "If we are going to celebrate, I intend on celebrating," Dee said as he kissed her temple. Sephi and Dee set the table while Melanie and Zach unpacked the food. They had ordered all of their favorites. The appetizers included feta cheese and olives, spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, and crab cakes. The main course was a mix of lamb, beef, pasta, and seafood, with grouper, calamari, moussaka, pastitsio, souvlaki, a seafood platter, and roast leg of lamb. The sides consisted of rice pilaf, pita bread, and roasted potatoes. For dessert, they had chosen baklava and loukoumades. Zach smiled at his mother when he placed a pomegranate salad in front of her, knowing it was her favorite treat. "You did not bring us dinner," Dee said as he studied the table and his children. "You brought us a feast. I am always suspicious of a feast without cause." "We wanted to talk to you about this whole thing here in Tarpon Springs," Melanie said. "I'm trying to understand why and of all places here. I'm not questioning your decision. I just don't understand it." Sephi smiled at her daughter. "It's simple, really. I love being a nurse. Your father loves being an attorney. However, your father and I have our obligations. We will both be working for the Spring Haven Hospice Center. That will allow us to escort people to the underworld and skip much of the annoying sorting that did take place after they arrived," she explained. Dee told his children, "I know it seems odd, but it does make things far easier in the long run, especially with the large Greek population here. As I deal with the paperwork, I can see what each individual and their family members are like. I met three yesterday during my orientation. Two seemed delightful. The third made me want to create a special torment just for him." "I guess that makes sense," Zachary said as he filled his plate. "I just worry about you, Pops. You're old. You might be getting senile." "We are immortal, not old, Zach. There is a difference. And you know how much I hate it when you call me Pops. Call me Pappa or Pater. You can even call me Dad or Father. I beg of you, anything other than Pops," Dee said. "Really? You wouldn't mind if I call you Uncle Dad?" Zachary smirked. All Dee had to do was give his son a look, and he dropped his head. He knew he had crossed the line with that joke, even if it was true. "Sorry," Zach muttered. Melanie broke the tension by asking, "Mom, when do you start working at the hospice center?" "We both start on Monday, and I can hardly wait," Sephi said with a smile. "I know it sounds silly, but I find it easier to help them cross when I have gotten to know them. I sometimes wonder how I have done it for so long without it." "You did it because it was needed, and it still is," Dee told her as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. "You two are so sappy," Zachary chuckled as he bit into his crab cake. That earned him another slap on the shoulder from his sister. "I think it's sweet. Mom and Dad are my relationship goals," Melanie said as she smiled at her parents. "Yes, we are sappy. That will never change," Dee said as he smiled adoringly at Sephi. "What have the two of you been up to? Melanie, didn't you say that you were thinking about taking a class of some kind to help you pass the time? Did you decide on which one?" "I did, and I took it. In a lapse of temporary insanity, I decided to take a free one-day course in Greek Mythology. I wanted to punch the "Expert" who was teaching it," Melanie said as she put the word expert in air quotes. "The nitwit had everything all wrong and tried to convince everyone that Mom is only with you because she suffers from Stockholm Syndrome." Sephi laughed, "Why does everyone think that? I fell in love with your father because, even though he is impulsive and can easily anger, he is also kind and loving. I watched the amount of care he put into every decision he made when sending souls to their correct locations. The day I watched him pick up a child and comfort him before personally walking him to Elysium was the day I fell head over heels in love with him." "Even though he is your uncle," Zach muttered. "Yes. That was also not the taboo topic it is now. Eons ago, you loved who you loved, and it did not matter, especially if you were a god or goddess," Sephi said as she smiled at Dee. "All in all, I would not change a thing. Everything happens for a reason. Now, let's enjoy our meal before it gets cold."