The Beauty and the Omega

Chapter 6: Judgment

“But, Lord Hades, surely a soul such as this doesn’t require so much of your attention?” Leonidas questioned, glancing quickly at Brooke.

“Nonsense, I am pleased to have such a beauty in our midst,” grinned Hades. “Miss Brooke, I will have my staff show you to your guest room. I think you’ll find it quite to your liking.”

As if on cue, the door opened once again to reveal a skeleton with a black bow tie. Was it the same butler that escorted them into the castle? It was difficult to know, since all the skeletons appeared the same.

“If you would follow me, please,” the skeleton said, gesturing to the open door.

Brooke glanced fearfully at Leonidas.

“Is…is this the last time I’m seeing you?” she whispered to him.

“Of course not,” he reassured her, although his eyes seemed to tell a different story. “I made you a promise, remember?”

“Yes,” nodded Brooke. Relief seemed to wash over her face as she smiled at him.

Leonidas felt a strange sensation course through his body at her smile, and as her hazel eyes gazed at him. His breath hitched once again in his throat, just like it did when he held her in his arms to save her from falling.

What is this feeling? he wondered as he felt her gaze glued onto his.

“Bye, Leo,” she whispered, squeezing his hand one last time before disappearing through the door.

Leonidas watched her go with a pang of guilt, but his attention was quickly brought back to Hades.

“I’d like to speak to you for a moment, Leonard,” he said seriously.

“It’s actually Leonidas,” he corrected him timidly, once again. But Hades seemed to pay no mind.

“The case of Brooke Bailey is actually quite complicated.”

“Why is that, sir?” Leonidas’ interest was piqued at his words.

 “Based on her history, her method of death was…unexpected,” Hades said, stepping back onto the platform to take a seat in his chair.

“But she was on my intake log, sir,” Leonidas replied. “We knew she was coming.”

“It was her time to die, but she was supposed to die from alcohol poisoning, not from saving the life of a child,” Hades answered. “Brooke Bailey, by all accounts, is a self-absorbed beauty queen who thrives on attention and cares only about using her appearance to gain wealth and notoriety. Her final, selfless act was very uncharacteristic of her, which makes her case so intriguing. It’s not often that the scales are unsure of what to do with a soul. Does saving the life of a child outweigh all of the sins she’s committed in the pursuit of fame?”

“I’m not sure how to answer that, sir,” Leonidas admitted.

He had to admit, he found this information about Brooke intriguing, although he wasn’t sure exactly why. Perhaps it was because her final destination was such a conundrum, and he couldn’t help but sate his curiosity for mysteries.

“What was her elemental affinity?” Hades asked.

“Fire, sir.”

“Hmmm, this puzzle is beginning to make sense now,” Hades hummed, placing a finger on his chin pensively. “Tell me, have you ever transported a fire soul before?”

Leonidas thought back on his centuries of ferrying the dead, racking his brain for another with a fire affinity. But he was drawing a blank.

“I don’t believe so, sir.”

Hades leaned forward in his seat, his dark gaze piercing Leonidas’.

“That’s because only gods and demigods can manipulate fire,” he whispered to him with a smirk.

As this revelation sunk in, Leonidas felt his body stiffen with shock. Brooke Bailey was a demigoddess? That couldn’t be.

“Thank you for this information, Leonard,” Hades smirked. “I think I will keep Miss Bailey here in the Underworld for eternity, rather than sending her on. You may consider your job with this soul complete. You’re dismissed.”

“But, sir…”

“That will be all.”

Hades’ dark gaze told him to obey, and Leonidas gave him a deep bow before turning toward the door.

“Wait! One more thing.”

“Yes, sir?” Leonidas answered, turning back around.

“Let’s keep this between us, shall we?” Hades smiled. “Zeus cannot find out about this. Understood?”

“Understood,” he answered, giving him another stiff bow.

As the door closed heavily behind Leonidas, he set off immediately toward the exit. He had to return to his boat to continue ferrying the other souls down the River Styx.

However, as he stepped into the forest to head back to the gate, his mind was racing with what he had just learned. He’d never encountered a human soul that was actually a demigoddess, and he scolded himself for not realizing something was amiss when she revealed her fire affinity.

“I should be glad she’s out of my hair,” he muttered in annoyance as he quickened his pace down the path. “She was more trouble that she was worth.”

And yet, as the words escaped his mouth, he knew they were empty and hollow. He remembered his promise to protect her, and how she had turned to him, begging him to keep her safe from harm.

How was any of this fair? Her final act of bravery was sacrificing her life for that of an innocent child. Should she not be rewarded for it by spending her eternity in the Elysian Fields?

Leonidas had spent his entire existence in the Underworld, which was outside the realm of the Elysian Fields. The Underworld was technically considered the first circle of Tartarus: Limbo.

There were certainly worse fates than Limbo, as any other circle of Tartarus would be considered much worse, but would Brooke Bailey feel the same way about this place?

If anything, this meant that they would see each other again. He knew it was a selfish thought, and he tried to push it from his mind as soon as it appeared. Leonidas could only ferry souls to the entrances of Tartarus and the Elysian Fields. Although he was free to come and go between the circles of Tartarus, he and his brothers were barred from entering the Elysian Fields by Zeus himself. If Brooke Bailey was allowed to spend eternity in Heaven, that was it. He would never see her again.

And he would not wish the danger of the other circles of Tartarus upon her.

Perhaps being kept here as Hades’ pet was an unexpected silver lining. Although she was quite the handful, he couldn’t help but find himself drawn to her.

As he approached the gate, he saw another figure speaking with his father on the other side. As soon as the figure turned its head, Leonidas instantly recognized him.

“Ah, Little Brother,” sneered the figure.

“Greetings, Petros,” nodded Leonidas, unable to manage a smile.

“Father was just telling me about the intriguing soul you just brought before Hades. I had to come see it for myself. Where is she?”

Leonidas stood behind the gate as it opened to let him pass, considering his next words carefully.

“She is being held by Hades for further investigation.”

“She did not receive judgment?” Cerberus asked, his brow furrowing in concern. “I assume this is due to her fire affinity?”

“Indeed, Father.”

“You are a wise observer, Father,” Petros added.

It took every ounce of strength to not roll his eyes, but Leonidas kept a stoic countenance as he approached the pair.

Petros was a taller, more muscular version of Leonidas, with harsh, silver eyes and sleek, dark brown hair. As the eldest son of Cerberus, he was the beta of their pack and the favored son. He was the next in line to guard the gates of Hades, one of the highest honors that could be bestowed upon a being in the Underworld. The position of alpha was also the general of Hades’ army, although fortunately there had not been a war for many millennia.

Leonidas looked upon his eldest brother with a disdain and a jealousy that he was not proud of, but he hid his true feelings quite well from the rest of the world.

“Don’t you have some work to do?” Petros smirked.

“Yes, I must get back,” he replied. “If you’ll excuse me.”

Leonidas strode past them quickly, the echoes of their laughter following him down the river as he set off.