Hades’s mood darkened, and suddenly he wondered just how much his labors had intertwined with her ultimate goal of overthrowing Zeus.
He did not let himself think on that long, though. He filed the information away for later. Perhaps he was onto something—something that would allow him to end Hera’s labors and prevent her retaliation against Persephone.
“Do whatever you must to trade,” she said. “You have until sunset.”
Hades gave a frustrated growl as she left. He took out his phone and called Ilias.
“Yeah?” the satyr answered, out of breath.
Hades arched a brow. “Are you in the middle of something?”
“Running a marathon,” Ilias replied, a sarcastic edge to his voice.
Hades did not question it. “When you are finished,” he said, “I need you to travel to Lake Tritonis and secure the Graeae. Tell no one. I will be back as soon as possible.”
“Got it,” Ilias replied, and when Hades hung up, he vanished.
*
The Amazons lived in Terme, which was north of New Greece, and while part of the mainland, it existed on no mortal map. A smaller island extended
off the coast, which they called Themyscira and used as a training ground.
The landscape of Terme was lush and green, the terrain made of cresting hills and deep divots where white water flowed over great rocks. Their city was encased in a tall and expansive wall of stone and graying brick. Its towers and gates were heavily guarded as there was always a brave mortal or two trying to scale the walls, and depending on their intentions, they were either released or held in prison under Queen Hippolyta’s discretion.
It was at one of those gates that Hades appeared. While it was likely he could have appeared at Hippolyta’s sanctuary, doing so would have been considered in poor taste, and since he was going to ask a favor of the Amazon queen, he decided against it.
The two women at the gate were tall and stood at attention, dressed in bronze hoplite armor, including a helmet, breastplate, and greaves. They carried bronze shields that reached from their chins to their knees and spears in their right hands. They were stoic and strong.
While they stood still before the wooden gate, he could tell by how they stiffened that they did not expect to see him.
“Lord Hades,” the one on the left said. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”
“You don’t have to lie,” he said. “I need to speak with Hippolyta.”
The Amazon on the right used her spear to knock on the gate thrice, and the doors opened to reveal the interior of the Amazons’ oasis, which was just as lush, packed with evergreen oaks, cypress, and flowering myrtle and oleander. Dirt paths wound through identical homes that were composed of sun-dried mud bricks and covered in a flowering vine that smelled strongly of honey.
On the other side of the gate, another Amazon waited. She was dressed the same as the two guards and said nothing to him, only turned and led him down the winding road. Hades followed between the tightly built homes.
The floral smell was stronger here, and Hades noticed plump bumblebees
moving from flower to flower, zipping between him and the Amazon he followed.
The path led to a round courtyard that was several feet below ground level and accessible by a set of stairs that extended around the entire perimeter.
Despite the center being covered in sun-dried brick, the Amazons had managed to make the space look just as lively as the surrounding landscape, filling great stone pots with flowers and greens. Opposite this gathering place were more of the same homes, and from over the tops of their roofs, the mountainous terrain of the rest of Terme was visible, where clouds hung low to meet their peaks.
Despite the fact that the Amazons had a queen, there were no palaces here, and Hippolyta did not even sit on a throne. She was queen because of her knowledge and expertise in battle.
Nothing else mattered.
The Amazons not on guard wore white peploses and cloaks. Some wore gold or leather belts while others chose ribbons, and their hair was braided into intricate styles that kept it off their necks and out of their faces—a completely practical choice, both due to the heat and because of its interference in battle.
Hades followed the guard down the steps into the lower courtyard. There was a large fountain in one corner where the women could draw drinking water and a firepit where they cooked community food, but the thing that caught Hades’s attention was a metal pole protruding from the ground and the woman tied to it.
Hades nodded toward her.
“What did she do?”
The Amazon did not look in her direction but answered, “Slept with a man outside the mating ritual.”