by Carly Spade
The waiter walked up with our order just in the nick of time.
“Oh, look! Food’s here,” I yelped, grabbing my fork.
The waiter placed a plate lined with large green fig leaves, and a glazed brown patty between us.
“This is supposed to be delicious?” Sara asked with a quirk of a brow.
I dug my fork in. “What happened to your sense of adventure?”
I glanced at Hades from the corner of my eye. He beamed at me, showing that dimple again. He watched me as I took the first bite. It was sweet, nutty, and a tad spicy. Overlapping flavors I wasn’t expecting.
“Oh, wow. This is different.”
Sara dug in next and ran her pinky under her lower lip, scraping away the crumbs. “No kidding. It seriously looked like a cow patty. This is delicious.”
Hades reached past me for his portion. “Told ya.”
We spent the next hour finishing our savory fig cake and talking. Hades did his quick smoke trick several more times, mostly because I think he didn’t want me to forget who he was regardless of how normal the conversation seemed. And…I liked it. Thankfully, Sara steered away from more questions about Hades and focused more on telling embarrassing stories about me. Ironically, those stories were far less stressful than worrying about how Hades would answer questions like: What were your parents like growing up? What’s your favorite pastime? Or, who’s your favorite sports team?
The cab ride back to the resort was different. Sara seemed more relaxed and didn’t look at Hades like he would flip his lid at any given moment. We stood in the lobby after the cab dropped us off. The night sky had rolled in. Except for the hanging sconces, the only other light source came from the moon.
Sara yawned as she walked away. “I’ll meet you back at the room, Steph.”
“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” Hades said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
“Dinner, huh?” I sheepishly smiled.
“It’ll give us a chance to talk alone. I’m sure you have a lot of questions I couldn’t answer fully around your friend.”
“Yeah, about that. You’ve never tried to hide who you are around me, but you did with Sara. I mean, Simon? Who even is that?” I laughed.
“Poseidon.” He smirked. “It was the first name I could think of on short notice. And I played the part with Sara because I can tell it’s important to ya.”
“I don’t know. It’s also kind of exhilarating hearing you talk about it so candidly.” I smiled and kicked an imaginary pebble.
“Stephanie Costas has a courageous side. I’ll remember that.”
“I’d like to have dinner with you. As long as your offer includes a glass of wine, I’m in.”
“I’ll make it an entire bottle if it helps you.”
The spark in his gaze made me forget for a brief moment what he was. Maybe it truly was possible to see past it.
“I should get going. I’m sure Sara’s lurking around the corner spying on us anyway.”
He nodded. “Good night.”
“Night.”
I may not have felt the urge to marry him after swimming through the Canal d’amour, but one thing was certain…I felt something.
I felt a responsibility now to keep his secret. I was Lois Lane, and he was Superman. And just like Lois, if I were to tell anyone I knew the god of the Underworld, they wouldn’t believe me anyway. It killed me inside, not telling Sara. We told each other everything. Sometimes a little too much. As much crazy crap as she’d seen, I knew this would be something beyond her out-of-the-box thinking.
The only other dress I had with me aside from the one I bought for the ball was reserved for the dancing contest. Sara let me borrow one of her little black dresses. She laughed, stating Hades and I would match, guaranteed. She knew about the contest from yesterday, but I left out the small detail of it being a Valentine’s Day couples only dance. It was only a matter of time she’d figure it out on her own once she realized the date it fell on.
Hades insisted we meet at the Greek restaurant at the resort. Odd, there was only one considering we were in Greece. I asked for the farthest table away from everyone else so we wouldn’t need to have an entire conversation in whispers. The restaurant bustled with dozens of conversations. Forks clanked on plates, laughter, and Byzantine ambient music played over the speakers. The fake candles on every table provided dim lighting.
It was hard not to notice when Hades walked in. He wore black dress pants and a long-sleeved button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He squinted like Clint Eastwood when he first entered, peering at the maître d’ through strands of hair. Women turned to stare at him as he passed, whether they had company or not.
Had they been doing that at the bar and I didn’t notice?
My heart raced the closer he got, and I fidgeted with my necklace.
He slid into the booth seat across from me, eyes unabashedly roaming over my attire. “Interesting color choice.”
“It was Sara’s idea. She thought it was funny. We look like we’re getting ready to go to a funeral.”
“Well, the night is young.”
I stared at him.
“I’m kiddin’. At least, I hope so.”
“Do you have any idea how frustrating it is when I don’t know if you’re being serious or not?”
He canted his head from side to side. “Probably about as frustratin’ as it was convincing you I’m the god of the Underworld.”
I wanted to retort, but the waiter appeared, displaying a wine menu to Hades. They both conversed in Greek, occasionally pointing at the menu before the waiter left. Women from various tables gazed at Hades like he was the world’s yummiest chocolate bar.
“Do you have seduction powers or something?”
He sputtered his water. “I’m sorry, seduction powers?”
“You had every woman in here drooling as you passed.”
“Oh, that. I reckon it’s due to being in the presence of a god. We give off this…aura if you will? They all react differently to it.”
Was what I felt for Hades—thinking I felt for Hades—real, or was it this bizarre power?
“Wait, do I react differently?” I frowned.
He interlaced his fingers atop the table. “It’s one of the reasons you intrigue me. It doesn’t seem to affect you at all.”
“How would you know?”
“Trust me. I’d know.” He gazed at me, the flicker of the fake flame glinting in his eyes.
“Sara hasn’t tried to jump your bones or anything. What about her?”
He smirked. “It’s there, but her mind can suppress it. I’ve only seen a handful of mortals able to do it. Must be her profiling abilities. But you…no, you are—” He squinted. “Different.”
A lump formed in my throat. “If you have that effect on women, then why did Perseph—” I pinched my eyes shut, shaking my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
He leaned back in his seat, draping his arms over the back. “No, no. It’s a fair question. Will you allow me to tell you what happened? What truly happened?”
“Of course.”
“No interruptions?”
I propped my elbow on the table, holding up my pinkie finger. “Pinkie swears.”
He looked at my hand before wrapping his pinkie around mine. His touch sent a chill down my arm, and I slid my hand away, shoving it into my lap.
“As you can imagine, ruling the Underworld is a lonely existence. I ruled that throne for thousands of years in solitude. My brothers both had queens—”
Brothers. Hades. Zeus. Jesus was Zeus.
My eyes bulged from my skull. I leaned forward. “Wait a minute—”
“Hey,” he said, raising a brow. “You promised.” He held up his pinky finger.
I made the gesture of zipping my mouth shut and sat back.
“As I was sayin’, my brothers had their queens, several of them. And neither of my brothers appreciated the companionship. I never imagined
any woman would ever want to live in the Underworld, let alone agree to be with someone like me.” The corners of his jaw popped; his eyes focused on the table.
The waiter walked up, resting our wine glasses with blood-red liquid in front of us. I wrapped my fingers around the stem of the glass as Hades continued.
“When I saw her pickin’ flowers in the field through my portal to the aboveground, my heart stopped. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. So sweet. So innocent.” He brought the wine glass to his lips, taking a long swig, and rolling the stem between his fingers afterward. “Loneliness and desperation drove my actions. I had to have her. So, I went to Zeus, asked for his blessin’, and he agreed. Even assisted me with luring her to the Underworld.”
“I sat in my chariot, my heart racing, watchin’ her grow closer and closer to the flower. There was a moment I even thought of backing out, but the idea of having someone to share my eternal life with was too great of an opportunity to let pass.”
As he told his story, I imagined him painting pictures of the event in his brain and the pain it must cause to conjure the memories.
“Hades, you don’t have to—” I started, but clipped my words when his scowl pierced me.
“I want to finish, so you know the truth.”
I nodded, cupping my glass with both hands, and taking a long sip.
“Once she was in the Underworld, I made it very clear if she were to eat anything—anything at all—she’d be stuck. I only wished for the chance to allow her time to know me, to find out if she could see a future with me. Lookin’ back, I know now the methods Zeus and I took to get her down there, had already damaged any chance of her truly loving me.” His eyes glazed over, and he downed the rest of his wine.
“After she ate the seeds and I knew she was there forever, I did everything in my power to make her happy. I made her Queen and let her rule by my side as an equal. No other god has done such an act because they’re all too obsessed with their power to share it.” His hands balled into fists. “She asked for a realm where all the good-hearted people could live out their eternal lives. I created the Elysian Fields—for her. Everything I did was for Persephone.”
I was beside myself. To hear this firsthand was surreal. Hades’ intentions may have been selfish, but it was clear Persephone became his whole world.
“How did she escape?” My voice cracked.
“Theseus. He’d always wanted her for himself. And he got close to it once, but I trapped him. Heracles rescued him. I assume, given what I know now, that during the six months Persephone went to the surface, she spent her time with him. And they hatched a plan. She left her shade in the Underworld so her physical form could be with him.”
“Shade?”
“You may know of it more as a—soul.”
I frowned. “She left her soul behind?”
He smirked, running a hand over his face. “She was with me for over a thousand years and yet was so repulsed by me, she was willin’ to leave it if it meant being rid of me.”
I reached for Hades’ hand. He quirked a brow, but obliged, resting his hand on the table.
“Trickery and abduction aren’t really taken in the best light. I understand why you did but—”
His hand stiffened beneath mine. “It was a long time ago. You don’t need to tell me it was wrong.”
“But,” I continued. “What you did for her when you knew she couldn’t leave was entirely selfless. And Zeus eventually let her go to the surface.”
“Because I talked him into it. She’d been weeping for days, missin’ her mother and friends. I had to practically grovel at his feet before he agreed to the deal.”
“He really is an asshole.”
“You have no idea.” His eyes fell to my finger, idly stroking one of his knuckles.
I hadn’t noticed I was doing it and slid my hand across the table, back to my lap. “You’re not at all what I imagined you to be. You walk around with this permanent scowl and act so stand-offish, but there’s this whole other side to you. Why don’t you show that part of you more often?”
“It’s tiring trying to convince people I’m not who they think I am. It’s easier to just—give in.”
His eyes cast downward, and I studied his expression. He’d spent so long wearing this façade, it was hard to see himself as anything but darkness and gloom.
“Have you ever tried to—I don’t know, smile? Does wonders for the spirit.” I grinned.
The left side of his face grimaced, his lip twitching like he was sneering.
“What are you doing with your face?”
He blew out a breath like the act took a great deal of effort. “Smiling, I thought.”
“Know what? I’m making it my personal mission to put a real smile on your face.”
His eyes darted to mine. “I applaud your willingness to attempt, but you’re gonna be very disappointed. They don’t come as often as they used to. When you haven’t smiled as long as I have, you lose the knack.”
“We’ll see.” I took a sip of my wine, peering at him over the rim.
The waiter showed up, and I fumbled with my menu.
Hades waved his hand. “I got it. Don’t worry.” After exchanging more conversation in Greek, the waiter took our menus and left.
My jaw dropped. “Hey, I was looking at that. What if you ordered something I don’t like? What if I’m allergic to it? What if—”
“Are you?”
I snapped my mouth shut. “Am I what?
“Allergic to anything?” His eyes brightened.
“Yes.” I folded my arms. “Pollen.”
His dimple deepened, the left side of his lips quirking ever so slightly. “I promise there isn’t any pollen in what I picked for you.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Do you trust me?”
A tiny smile played over my mouth. “Hypothetically.”
He pressed his back to the seat, draping an arm over it. “Good.”
What was this man doing to me? I played with my necklace.
He picked up his wine glass, holding it out to me. I clanked mine against his.
“Yamas,” he said. After taking a sip, he lowered the glass to the table, keeping his fingers wrapped around the stem. “Tell me a little bit about yourself.”
“Me?” I chuckled. “My life is pretty boring compared to yours.”
“I’ve also been around for thousands of years. That’s hardly a fair comparison.”
“You think the unfair comparison is how long you’ve been around? Not the whole—god thing? With powers?”
He raised his eyebrows as he tapped his finger.
“Fine. I already told you about my mom. My dad is a retired cop and lives in Alaska. He didn’t take what happened to Mom very well and preferred to be away from everyone. Including me, his only kid.” My grip tightened on the glass. “I finished at the top of my class. I love knowing I help put bad guys behind bars even if it’s only from the digital perspective. And I love Disney movies, comic books, and girly romance books.” I shrugged, finishing the remainder of my wine.
“And Dirty Dancing.” He tipped his glass.
I smiled, curling my feet underneath my seat. “And Dirty Dancing. Oh! And eighties music. I can’t get enough of it.”
“Hades music?”
I blinked.
“I’m kiddin’.”
I grinned. “The god of the Underworld makes jokes. That’s the second one tonight.”
“You have to have more questions rumbling around in that head of yours. Ask away.” He took a sip of his wine, keeping my gaze.
I tapped a finger against my lips. What did you ask a Greek god? “If you’re Hades…and Jesus is your brother…that means he’s—” I raised my brow, rotating my head in a circle, begging him to finish my sentence for me.
He arched a brow, cocking his head to the side. “Judgin’ from that strange look on your face, I’d reckon you know exactly who he is, sweetheart.”
“But he—I mean, why is the King of the flipping Gods practicing law as a criminal defense lawyer?”
“We’ve already established he can be a dick. Every decade or so, he’ll come to Earth disguised as someone different. He thought it’d be amusin’ to help criminals avoid sentencing. I also think it may be a jab against me.”
“You? Why?”
“I think we both know the likelihood of a criminal changin’ their ways once they’ve gotten away with it. They normally end up doing something worse. When they arrive in the Underworld, it makes their punishment more extreme. Contrary to how the media and stories have depicted me, I don’t particularly enjoy torturin’ people. It’s simply a part of the job.” He took a sip from his glass.
My throat constricted. I tucked a finger underneath my necklace, working it back and forth over the chain.
He leaned forward. “I’m not scaring you with any of this, am I?”
“No. I mean maybe. I don’t know. I’ve barely wrapped my head around the idea of you being real, let alone Zeus. Have I met any other gods I don’t know about?”
“Not while I’ve been with you. I just resurfaced, so I couldn’t tell you where most of the others are.”
I gripped my head. “This is so crazy.”
“It’s no less crazy for me. I’ve never been around mortals this long. Somehow, I find it—comforting. Being amongst life. Hope.”
“You better stop talking like that, or I’m going to start falling for you.” Yup. I said that out loud. I instantly clammed up.
A fire lit behind his eyes. “I’d catch you.”
In any other circumstance, I may have found that line corny or cliché. The way he said it, though, was like a masculine Siren’s call. My heartbeat thumped harshly against my chest. I thought it’d snap a rib. The waiter showed up with our food, and I jolted back to reality.
The waiter set a bowl with overlapping sliced tomatoes and melted cheese in front of me. Hades had the same.
“What is this? Looks amazing.” I slid my napkin over my lap and held the fork up, ready to dig in.
