Ink was still missing at breakfast, which had come as no surprise to anyone, although Blythe took the news particularly hard. Protocol dictated they alert the local inhabitants to the presence of an armed god roaming unattended in the underworld. Lexi insisted she visit the minotaur herds, and she promised to meet Hades at the palace before she left for Olympus. Despite his growing trust of the minotaurs and of Lexi's ability to defend herself, Hades could not shake the worry of Lexi traveling through the forest with an emotionally unstable god at large, a god she pissed off just one day prior. Of course, she would have Lars sticking to her like glue, which Hades could also blame his worry on.

Hades and Kade made for the centaur and satyr encampments, speaking to clan leaders and searching the landscape for signs of Ink. By early afternoon, they had exhausted themselves and their horses, so they made their last stop Charon's ferry to fill him in. But Charon was not in his boat or lounging naked next to the river. They had to travel a distance to finally locate him at the bridge to Elysium.

"Don't you think you should be at your boat, Charon?" Hades had trouble controlling his accusatory tone. His morning may have started with Lexi straddling him, but it had since taken a more vexing turn.

"Yes, but I wanted to see what was going on here." Charon pointed across the bridge and Hades followed his gesture. Three goddesses stood in corporal form in front of three enormous boulders situated within the tall grass. Hades knew the goddesses as The Fates, and an unwelcome shiver overtook him as he watched them engage in a heated argument.

"What do you make of it?" Hades asked.

"I think they're fighting about something," Charon offered.

"That's not news. When are they not fighting about something?"

Charon nudged Hades in the ribs. "Why don't you investigate?"

Speaking with The Fates was on Hades' list of least enjoyable pastimes, and often resulted in more information than he cared to know. "Why don't you investigate?" he said to Charon.

"I have to get back to my boat." Charon patted Hades heavily on his back before taking his leave.

"Charon can be a prick," Kade said. "C'mon, I'll go with you. There's safety in numbers."

Hades and Kade crossed the bridge and made their way toward the sound of angry voices. Of the three, Lachesis seemed to be making the most noise. She was in charge of measuring the strand of life, and there was always room for error in her area of expertise. When the goddesses noticed Hades and Kade approaching, they halted their argument to greet them with poorly concealed grimaces.

"What brings you, Hades and winged son, Kade?" Clotho asked. Based on her aloof stance, she seemed to be the most serene of the three.

"We couldn't help overhearing your rather dexterous conversation and thought we would investigate," Hades said. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

Lachesis and her sister, Atropos, scowled further, while Clotho spoke on behalf of the three. "We are merely discussing the matter of the titan who appears to be nearing the end of her rope."

Hades and Kade looked at one another, sharing their initial shock before turning automatically to The Fates, who appeared unimpressed with the entire situation. Hades found his voice first.

"I assume you have knowledge of Phoebe's prophecy? The one that predicts the titans demise."

"Correct," Clotho responded.

"I was under the impression the prophecy was a metaphor," he continued, despite his desire to bid the three spinsters farewell. "The titans' influence is merely giving way to the Olympians and their progeny."

Clothos nudged Lachesis, who pulled a golden string from her cloak, letting it unravel to the ground. It was quite long and glowing like it had been imbued with the rays of the sun. "That was the assumption," Clotho said. "But here we are, and here is Rhea's life thread."

"Rhea?" Hades swallowed as he choked out the name. "How can she be close to death? I spoke to her not three days ago through the scrying mirror and she was the picture of health."

"We do not know what brings a god close to death," Atropos croaked, looking annoyed and in need of a long nap. "These are mysteries that are beyond our realm of comprehension. We merely facilitate it. And when we are presented with a life thread, we take it into our possession until the life force fades to black, at which time we sever it. This is our objective. Nothing more, nothing less."

Hades felt Kade's hand come to rest on his arm, a gesture meant to reassure him, but it only made the threat seem more real. Oh, how he loathed these fateful meetings.

"How soon do you expect the end to come for her?" Kade asked, granting Hades a reprieve.

"That's what we were just discussing," Clothos said. "Lachesis seems to think it is soon."

"How soon? A year, a week, a day?" Hades demanded, his voice rising despite the infernal calm of the swaying field grass.

"One hundred and twenty-eight days, give or take," said Lachesis as she gathered the life thread up and deposited it into her cloak. "The hourglass is not always the best gauge. The life thread will tell us when the time has come. Then... snip."

Hades' body startled at the sound of Lachesis' threat, and Kade's grip tightened on his arm. "Hades and I have been spreading word that a rogue god is wandering the underworld. His name is Ink, and he is armed with a bow and enough arrows to keep him entertained for a while."

"What do you expect us to do about it?" Atropos snapped. "Should we send a messenger pigeon to the palace if we spot him? Bah. Unless he has a death wish, you won't be hearing from us." She tugged on her sisters' cloaks, and the three strode away, their forms fading before they reached the center of the field.

The journey back to the palace remained thankfully mute, even when Hades asked Kade to keep their exchange with The Fates between them, an agreement was sealed with a nod. Once inside the front door, Hades shouted his wine choice to the nymphs, requesting it be delivered to the dome room as he scaled the stairs. It probably wasn't the best plan, as it only forced him to address his troubles, which usually resulted in a brood. But it was all he knew.

As Hades began his tour of the room, hands clasped at his back and gaze on the marble tiles, he was stopped by Lexi's statue. An alluring likeness immortalized in marble, suggestive in its pose yet regal in its stature. She was his future, the source of his desire, the mother of his child. The titans were his past. He rarely saw his parents, rarely spoke to them. He knew why they had grown apart. It was the luxury of having all the time in the world, and he felt ashamed he had let it happen.

The dome room door opened and Hades was pleasantly surprised by the face of his beloved rather than an overly cheerful nymph. Cheerful didn't always mix well with broody. Lexi was just the distraction he needed, and she offered her warm smile along with two goblets of wine as she strolled over and kissed him.

"Kade tells me you saw no sign of Ink on your travels today," she said, her tone laced with guilt.

Hades drank his fill before slipping his arm around her waist and claiming her mouth. "I am sure he will show up when he is tired of eating berries and raw vermin. Did you speak with the minotaurs about our rebel god?"

"Yes. I talked with the herd leaders and asked them to spread the word. They will send a messenger to the palace if they spot him."

"I expect the messenger will be Lars. He seems eager to visit the palace."

Lexi quickly brought her wine glass to her mouth, taking a sip as she held his gaze. "Actually, I did invite him to the palace. He wishes to personally offer you his congratulations on our child and our marriage. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course, not. I am happy to share the news with him. Then maybe he will stop ogling you like the dessert platter."

Lexi tsked as she slapped his arm. "Don't be ridiculous, Hades. Lars feels indebted to me for healing him, that's all. He may have suffered permanent damage if his wound had gone untreated."

Hades laughed. "You know damn well Lars would take you as his mate the moment you gave him the nod."

"Don't tell me you're jealous of a minotaur?" Lexi backed him up, forcing his body against the glass dome. Then she kissed him hard, dragging her grape-infused tongue through his mouth. "I have yet to meet a minotaur who can serenade me with the violin or make me wet with a few heartfelt words. How many times do I have to give myself to you before you're convinced of my devotion?'

Hades allowed himself to get lost in her face, smiling contentedly at his good fortune. "I feel like this is a loaded question, and I would like to continue pursuing the answer indefinitely. If that is all right with you."

Lexi kissed him once more. "I look forward to being pursued by you."