Chapter 11

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Jarrod hissed as he brought his arm back to punch Adam. Before he could I grabbed both arms pinning him down.

"Grab his legs!" I shouted over Jarrods grunts. Adam quickly grabbed his legs and we held him down.

"You have the wolf venom infused cuffs?" Adam panted.

"Yeah. Getting them on is going to be tricky. On three, we flip him and I'll get the cuffs on him." I gulped feeling the dread build knowing the pain I was about to endure.

"Y-you don't have the gloves on?!" Adam looked at my hands in a panic.

"We don't have time for the gloves. Just do as I say dammit!" I screamed feeling my fear striking me.

"Okay.." I could barely hear Adams low voice over Jarrods collection of grunts and screams.

"One.. two.." I was choking as I brought myself to fight my fear. "Three!" I shouted and we flipped him without problem. I spun around and pulled his arms behind him and pinned one with my knee and I quickly pulled the plastic bag out and removed the cuffs from the said bag. Instantly feeling the burning on my hands I clenched my teeth as I placed one cuff on his hand. Feeling my skin melting I quickly grabbed his other hand and cuffed it as well locking his hands behind him. Immediately I jumped off and shook my hands feeling the burning intensify.

"Are you alright?" Adam called out but I could barely hear him over the screams of pain coming from Jarrod.

"Dammit!" I screamed feeling the venom pour deeper into my hands, to my muscle.

"Alright enough of this!" Adam yelled and jumped to Jarrods head snapping his neck and leaving him unconscious on the ground. He ran to my side grabbing my arms and looking at my hands.

"Good thing I packed plenty of this." He smirked as he pulled out the small bottle of the antivenom.

"Look away." He said quickly. I did as he said and he sprayed my hands, it was painful but it was quick to release any pain.

"Thank you." I sighed as I pulled my hands away from his and inspected them.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just run out like that." Adam scratched the back of his neck.

"Why did you do that? You should've given me some warning." I sighed feeling my irritation grow.

"He almost caught himself on fire. I'm not letting Renae come home to his dead body." He walked back to Jarrod still laying on the ground.

"Still could have warned me so I could've put the damn gloves on!" I spat pulling out the gloves from my back pocket and throwing them at him.

"I know! I'm sorry, but we got him didn't we? I'm sorry you had to pay the price for my stupidity but at least we got him. We need to bring him to the school so we can get back to Italy. By the time we get him home and the time we get there, she should be waiting for us." He put on another pair of gloves and motioned for me to come over as he held up my gloves. "You have the shackles?"

"Yes. Here." I handed him the other plastic bag out of the bag and grabbed the gloves from him.

"Good. Now let's finish this." He sighed as he attached the shackles to his feet and tossed him over his shoulder.

---Renaes POV---

"You cannot heal him child." Nyx said irritated.

"Yes I can. He was only attacked by a wolf. I won't let him die!" I screamed at her as she let the dark sky fall more onto us.

"You only have minutes left before Hades has his soul." She sighed.

"No! I can do this! Be quiet!" I yelled once more. I closed my eyes and felt tears build as I felt his heartbeat slowly become stronger.

"One minute." She whispered with an evil hint behind her voice.

"You can live. You can strive. You just have to fight." I cupped the man's face and sobbed as I looked into his cold dead eyes. "I know you can fight. You have a family. You're not allowed to quit!" I brushed his hair out of his face wiping the blood from his nose and lips.

"Ten.. nine.." I could hear her smirk. Ignoring her I kept my eyes on him as I pulled him into a cradle position.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could've done more for you." I cried silently as I gently placed my lips on his as I felt his heart stop beating.

"Thank you. Let's go." Hades sighed as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I didn't save him though.." I sobbed laying his body back on the ground and closing his eyes.

"You can't save everyone. You still brought him comfort in his last moments. You showed him more love in those short minutes then he's ever seen his entire life and because of that, Death will be taking his soul to essence." He smiled as he wiped a tear from my cheek.

"He's not suffering anymore. If you had saved him he'd be here all alone in excruciating pain." Death grabbed his hand and pulled his spirit from his body.

"Thank you. I owe you everything I am." He smiled as he kissed my forehead before he ascended to the heavens with Death holding his hand smiling down at us.

"Blah blah. She passed this bullshit also. Lets go." Nyx sighed looking at the moon.

"Nyx! Have a heart!" Hades lightly slapped her.

"No! I will be losing her because of these damned tests!" She glared at him and walked away.

"Pay her no mind. You must continue to fight. You're kids need you, as well as Adam." He extended his hand helping me to my feet.

"Hades.. have you checked on them lately? I'm worried about all of them lately. I just have this terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach." I bit my lip feeling the dread in my guts that's been building for weeks.

"I have.." He looked away as he played with his staff.

"Hades.. please tell me.." I grabbed his arm catching his attention.

"You and Persephone are the only ones I will ever allow to touch me." He sighed as he rolled his eyes. "Your father's not doing very well. He's safe so you have nothing to worry about. Adam and Eros handled him just fine." He smiled reassuringly at me.

"Thank you Hades. You're one of the few I can trust." I smiled as I gave him a hug. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"You mean a lot to me Rae.. it still feels weird calling you that.." He shook his head and released me.

"Yeah I know. Nobody likes calling me Rae but it's the only name I find acceptable right now." I sighed as I stepped back.

"Now that you've fulfilled my tasks, you need to speak with Kronos." He dropped his gaze.

"I've been dreading speaking to him.." I bit my lip.

"I know. I have been too.. Zeus and I's offer is still on the table." He placed his hand on the small of my back and pushed me to walk with him.

"What have I told you about being pushy." I rolled my eyes as I stepped away from his grasp.

"Yes. Sorry, force of habit.."

"Either way, I still think Poseidon will be my best option. I'm not trying to say you two don't know what you're doing but I think the earthshaking will be the best route to take since he's kinda.. trapped in the ground.. in a sense.." I confused myself the more I spoke.

"Regardless, just whistle and we'll be there. You are our favorite little goddess." He patted my head.

"Yes well. Maybe you should let Persephone have more freedom and she'd be more appreciative and then she'd always be your favorite." I stuck out my tongue at him making him laugh.

"If only I could. I'll see you next time.. Rae." He smiled before he took a step back. "Oh! Before I forget Death asked to join you in visiting Kronos and I told him yes. Bye now!"

"What? Hades!" I shouted but before I could catch him he vanished.

"Dammit!" I sighed as I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"Shall we go get Poseidon then?" I turned around and saw death leaning against a tree with a smug smirk spread across his face.

"You really worked your way into this didn't you?" I rolled my eyes as I turned back around and started walking.

"How could I not! You do realize this is the first time anyone has had a chance to actually speak with Kronos!" He ran beside me as I sped walked towards Poseidons nearest alter.

"You do realize this man is my great grandfather, I should have no issues with this... I hope." I gulped.

"He's terrifying isn't he?" He laughed.

"Why is it that you find this so funny?" I stopped and looked at him.

"Because! I mean honestly if you think about it. You're apart of the family that didn't bring him down. He's been locked up for how long? He did get released for that little bit but Zeus was quick to lock him back up and he's had no visitors. I'm older then him and I still love the guy." He patted my head leaning closer allowing the moonlight show his features.

"Why do you do that?" I stepped back.

"Do what?" He stood back up and looked at me confused.

"You show humans you're a skeleton with a dark robe and your creepy ass scythe but around literally anything and everything else you show your actual form. Plus who would've guessed death to be a blonde punk."

"I am not a punk. Besides it's the rules. Humans see actual death like that so that's what they see. If that made any sense. They don't see death as something beautiful, they see decomposition and bones and.. well death. If they saw death for what it truly is then they would be able to see the real me. You're the only one who saw me for me when you went through transition so that's why I hang around you so much. You're my favorite." He smiled brightly.

"I only saw you because I wasn't scared of death. Not a lot of people can actually say that. I was accepting of death because the pain I was going through. People can not be scared of death but still not want to die. I didn't really care either way." I shook my head and started walking again.

"I already know that. Still though, it amazes me. None of the other gods that have lived a human life have accepted me. You're special." He started skipping next to me.

"Do you mind? I'd like to walk without hearing your breath hop." I rolled my eyes.

"So be it. Have you spoken with Alifini? He was supposed to help Rose with some stuff in essence." He stopped skipping and kept walking next to me.

"No I haven't seen him. Why do humans call it Heaven if it's really called essence?" I scratched my head. I've had time to adjust but it all still confused me.

"It's both. Remember how humans burn oils and plants and call it essence?"

"Yes."

"Well think of the smoke. Heaven, or Essence, is like the air inside the smoke. Essence is protected with the smoke so no evil and no love can enter. Until you broke the curse the amount of souls was becoming thin. Hades was working overtime because humans were having less and less love and kindness in their souls. Humans call it Heaven because it's a term used for paradise but there is no paradise. Well there is but humans have to go through many lives till they learn the true meaning of life and they need to learn it themselves. They can't just get advice and instantly be able to go into paradise. They have to struggle all the hardships that life has to offer before they can experience true bliss and wisdom and live within Essence. Does that make any sense?"