by Carly Spade
A tingle traveled down my spine, and I closed my eyes. The sensation meant another soul required guidance to the Fields. I swirled my hand around my head, producing my winged crown. When I appeared at the hidden entrance to the Fields, a young woman with auburn hair stood there shivering. I touched her shoulder with the gentleness of a passing cloud.
She gasped and turned around. Her widened eyes and trembling lips melted from her expression upon seeing me. I smiled and waved my hand, producing a portal window. The woman’s lips parted, the sun from the Fields illuminating her face.
“It’s so beautiful I almost forgot I died,” the woman muttered.
I held my hand out, beckoning her to follow me. “Death only of the mortal sense. This is your new home. Your new life.”
She let me lead her onto the green grass. It didn’t take long for me to sense her comfort, her contentment. My job was done. They weren’t all as easy. Sometimes I’d spend hours soothing them before I felt confident enough to leave them alone. The woman ran to a nearby stream, dipping her hands into the sparkling water. I backed away, slipping back through the portal.
Hades and I spent most of the day apart taking care of our realms, but would always come together at the same time to spend the rest of the evening together. And that time was right about—
His presence loomed behind me with the scent of burning wood. He traced his fingers down my neck, and I purred.
His lips brushed my ear, making my heart race. “I got your note,” he said, making the note appear in a burst of flame.
“Florida,” Hades said monotone. “Our first time back on the surface. You could choose anywhere in the known world, and you choose…Florida?”
I held my cup of cold coffee out to him with a wide grin, wiggling it back and forth.
He touched the side of it with a single orange glowing finger and the cup steamed back to life. “And you do realize we still have months before we get to go back?”
I waved my hand through the note, making it disappear. “I’m a planner. You know that.” Was it insane how much I missed him even though it’d only been hours apart? I beamed up at him and said, “Besides, what’s wrong with Florida? It’s sunny, has Disney—”
“Surrounded on nearly all sides by water,” Hades mumbled.
I grinned and sauntered forward, curling his hair around my finger. “And then after that, I was thinking—Alaska.”
His eyes narrowed. “Water and cold,” he grumbled. “I think there are souls who need torturing,” he joked, pretending to turn away.
I laughed and yanked on his arm. He looked down at me with a smile.
“Lucky for me, you’re excellent at putting on a brave face,” I teased, running my finger over the part of his chest that poked out from his robes.
He wrapped his arm around me, pushing his palm into my lower back. “Mm and lucky for me darlin’, I married an enchantress.”
Normally, he saved the southern drawl for his mortal guise, but he surprised me with it every once and awhile because he knew it drove me wild.
“Has Tartarus slowed down at all?”
“I’ve spent this time away to ensure it wouldn’t become overrun in my absence. Though the volcano was an unwanted surprise.” His finger drew absent circles over my exposed back. “But now you get me all to yourself for the rest of the night.” His voice grew husky.
I grinned. “And what should we do with our night?”
“Do you remember what you said when I asked what you missed most about life on Earth?”
I squinted and tapped my finger against my lip. “Me and Sara’s Friday the thirteenth movie ritual?”
He nodded. “Not sure if you’ve been keeping track of Earth calendar days, but today…is Friday the thirteenth.”
“What are you saying?”
He waved his arm, and we appeared in a small room with a red love seat and big screen TV. He transformed himself into his mortal self and touched a hand to my shoulder, changing me as well.
His dimple deepened as he gave a lopsided grin, staring down at me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
“The Underworld version of you is my Queen and beautiful beyond what I could imagine, but this you,” he traced the back of his hand down my arm. “Was my salvation.” Those wisps of hair fell over his eyes as he dipped his chin, and my stomach flipped.
I leaped up, wrapping my arms around his neck. He caught me, his forearms supporting under my rump. I kissed his lips and then pecked all over his cheeks and nose. He laughed, wincing like one of my kisses would take an eye out.
He lowered me to the ground. “Tonight, let’s simply be a normal couple, having a normal movie night.” He slipped my glasses on my nose with a snarky grin.
I bit down on my lower lip. “I wasn’t sure if it was possible to love you anymore. I was wrong.”
He conjured a pan of Jiffy pop and held his hand under it. A burst of flame popped the corn in an instant.
I folded my arms. “What happened to normal?”
“Except for that. It takes too long, and I don’t feel like creatin’ a stove.” He winked and flopped onto the couch. “Pick whatever you want, sweetheart.”
I sat down and patted my thighs. “Well, I think we start a new tradition. Instead of Dirty Dancing like Sara and I watched, we’ll watch…eighties horror movies.” I grinned.
He paused with popcorn in his mouth, turning to cock an eyebrow at me. Pluto trotted past us, sliding on the floor before leaping up to my lap. He panted and looked between us, one of his eyes squinting.
“I still can’t believe you named your pet after me,” Hades said with a snicker.
“Hey, I can’t help your Roman name also happens to be a beloved Disney dog.”
I scratched Pluto’s ears, and his back leg bounced. “Alright, first up.” I waved my hand at the TV. “Evil Dead.”
“Sounds like somethin’ I’m not going to like,” he grumbled.
“No brooding on movie night.” I nuzzled against him and threw some popcorn in my mouth.
Pluto did several circles before nuzzling into my lap and shutting his eyes.
Hades was reasonably quiet for the entire movie, only making the occasional scowl. It was after the third deadite soul took over a living mortal he felt compelled to express his opinion.
“Okay, this is ridiculous. Are they trying to say the evil dead can escape Tartarus and take over a living mortal just because some words were spoken in a made-up language? They’d never make it past Cerberus, let alone up to the surface.”
I slipped a hand over his mouth. “You’re missing all the best Ash one-liners.”
“Ash?” he asked into my palm.
I laughed and pulled my hand away. “Bruce Campbell. Ash. The guy in the blue shirt with the chain saw? The main guy?”
“Right,” he clipped.
We spent the rest of the movie eating endless popcorn and cuddling. He even chuckled a time or two.
When it was over, I turned to face him. “Was it as torturous as Tartarus?”
“Not at all. I quite enjoyed it after I stopped comparin’ it to the true way death works.” He smiled.
I threw popcorn at him. Pluto yipped and jumped to the floor.
His smile faded, and he narrowed his eyes before throwing some back. Several pieces landed in my hair. My jaw dropped. A sly grin slowly spread across his lips.
“Hey!” I protested through a giggle.
He tackled me onto the couch, hovering above me on his forearms. He rolled his hips against me. “Are you happy, Steph?”
“Very,” I cooed.
“Did this night of normalcy help your homesickness?”
I smiled. “Very. But I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.” He lowered his head and brushed his lips over my nose.
“Next time, use your wings to heat the popcorn. Because let’s face it, sweetie, this is my new normal.”
He kissed me and grinned against
my mouth. “As you wish, darlin’.”
Be sure to check out the first in Carly’s paranormal romance series: After Midnight. Vampires, shifters, Aztec mythology, and enemies to lovers.
Irresistible Demise
Buy it on Amazon
Excerpt from APOLLO, next in the Contemporary Mythos series:
The lights dimmed, and I sat up straight. Kate wasn’t back yet. Fog flowed over the stage, and the audience went wild. Whistles, whoops, and screams flooded my ears. Everyone around me stood up, but I remained in my seat, slouching down as far as possible. The drummer appeared first, starting a steady rhythm that reminded me of wrestling entrance music. The crowd’s rowdiness increased.
Where was Kate? She was going to kill me. Stupid nachos.
The lead guitarist walked on stage next. He had black hair down to his hips, a black t-shirt with a Punisher skull, and a baggy pair of shorts. He stuck his tongue out and raised his fists in two rock symbols. The crowd answered him by throwing their fists in the air. I wanted to curl the jacket over my head.
The bassist did a front flip onto the stage, with the bass guitar strapped to his chest. He had spiky short brown hair and enough charcoal around his eyes to put Jack Sparrow to shame. The drummer picked up speed, his arms flailing from one side to the other. A sun appeared on the farthest left jumbo screen behind the stage and transitioned to the middle one. The crowd screamed so loudly, I winced.
Ace appeared in the middle of the stage within a burst of flames. His guitar was strapped to his back, and he kept his head held low. A retro unidirectional microphone on a stand rose from the floor. He wrapped a tanned hand around it. The drums came to a stop, and the lights went out.
I gripped my armrests, not being able to see my hand in front of my face. A shimmery orange bow and arrow floated on stage. The arrow pulled back and shot into the audience, before exploding in a spray of orange glitter. I held my hand out, expecting it to collect in my hand, but instead, it disappeared as if it never existed. The lights blared back on, and I squinted my eyes as they adjusted.
Ace lifted his head and threw a fist into the air. “How are we doing tonight, Buffalo?”
Why did he have to be so disgustingly attractive?
He had pale blonde hair that fell just past his collar bone, bright blue eyes, and an insanely strong clean-shaven jawline. He wore golden skintight pants and a golden vest, giving a clear view of his upper half. Tanned. Muscular. Cut.
He smiled. I could’ve sworn the stage lights glinted off his teeth they were so white. And then his gaze dropped—to me. I shifted my eyes. How the hell did he even see me within my hole of standing fans? He kept his electric grin but squinted his eyes as if taken aback at my lack of enthusiasm for being in the first row.
“The line was insane. Oh my—how much did I miss?” Kate said, scooting past several people and thankfully—blocking my view.
“Not much. He just appeared in a burst of flames after shooting a glittery bow and arrow into the audience,” I said monotone.
She shoved the nachos in my face. The smell of liquid cheese and jalapenos wafted through the air.
“He did what? Oh, man,” she pouted, but quickly recovered when Ace started to sing.
I remained seated, eating as many nachos that I figured would appease Kate before shoving the remainder under my chair.
Ace swung the guitar from his back to his front, sliding his left hand down the neck of it like caressing an arm. It was white pearlescent with chrome accents and down the length of the neck, underneath the strings, were glowing orange suns. He dragged a hand through his hair, which had just enough greasiness to maintain sexy versus gross. He stood in front of the mic, strumming the guitar as he sang. His eyes never left the audience, moving from one person to the next.
He sang about being born from the sun and something about sharing the warmth. It should’ve come as no surprise the lyrics were as if he thought he truly was a god. Kate grabbed my arm and hoisted me up.
“At least pretend like you’re having a good time,” she said with a snicker.
Ace swung the guitar to his back and removed the mic from the stand. He started at the end of the stage farthest from us, holding his hand out for anyone who wanted the privilege of touching his clammy fingers. Kate leaned forward, her chin barely above the stage. She waved her arms, stretching her fingers as far as they’d go. I folded my arms.
When he got to us, he brushed Kate’s fingers, and I thought she’d pass out on the spot. He continued to sing, squinting at me again as he passed. Why did he keep looking at me? Move along rockstar. He moved back to the stand, repositioning the mic on it. He took his guitar off, resting it on the floor and stepped to the edge of the stage.
Kate had the hand he touched up in the air like she was a prepping surgeon.
“Please tell me you intend on washing that hand again,” I yelled over the music.
She shrugged. “I honestly couldn’t tell you.”
Ace pumped his leg in beat with the music, biting down on his lower lip. He grabbed both sides of his vest and raised his brows.
Women in the crowd yelled with such high-pitched shrills it could shatter glass. One woman next to us shouted, “Take it off!”
Ace slid one side of the vest over his shoulder, followed by the other, and let it slide down his forearms until it was in his hand. He swung it around several times before throwing it into the audience. One woman caught it, but another near her latched onto it, and a catfight ensued.
My God. Was I even on planet Earth anymore?
He stood in all his bronzed skin, shirtless glory, the lights casting the perfect shadows over every piece of taut muscle. Did he plan it that way?
He scooped the guitar up, throwing the strap over his head. Not missing a beat, he played with the interlude, and my head started to nod. I couldn’t help it. The song had a nice beat to it, and rhythm was ingrained in my very soul. The nod turned into a full-on head bob.
Ace walked in front of us and dropped to his knees. He held the guitar vertical, and his fingers flew feverishly over the strings. His muscles twitched and flexed, and veins popped out over his forearms. I gulped.
“Oh my, God!” Kate squealed, jumping up and down, and clamping her hands over her mouth.
The concert went on for another hour, and the audience persuaded them to play not only one, but two encores. Something told me Ace had no issue with it. He didn’t even seem out of breath. He made eye contact with me five more times throughout the performance and did his shirtless guitar playing in front of us another three times. No exaggeration. I counted.
Once they said their goodbyes and the clapping and screaming finally started to die down, they walked off stage, and a security guard appeared in front of us.
“You two ready?” He asked.
“For what?” I asked back.
He cocked a bushy eyebrow. “You have backstage passes.”
“Don’t mind her,” Kate said, shoving me to the aisle. “We’re so ready.”
The closer we got to the stairs leading backstage, my heart beat faster. Sweat soaked the back of my neck, and I wanted to turn away, but Kate had me trapped in her damn arm curl. Ace stood in the distance, chatting it up and laughing with the bassist. A female fan with a bosom twice the size of her head bounced in front of them. She handed Ace a sharpie, and he gave a lopsided grin. Without batting an eyelash, he signed her cleavage. He was still very shirtless.
“These are the two backstage pass winners, guys,” the security guard said, holding his hand out for us to approach them. He motioned for the buxom woman. She frowned, and he led her off stage.
I dug my heels into the ground, but Kate pulled me right along. For such a tiny woman, she had the strength of a rhino.
Ace glanced at Kate, but concentrated on me, flashing one of his trademark grins. “Ah, the two beauties from the front row.”
I looked at the rafters, the ground, the roadie bent over and showing his butt crack, anywher
e but at him.
Kate giggled, draping a hand over her mouth. “You all put on an amazing show. And those pyrotechnics? They looked so real.”
“We have an amazing crew,” Ace said.
Kate gasped. “Oh my God, the drummer. I’ll be right back, Laurel.” She ran off, the little traitor.
The bassist looked between us and then snapped his fingers. “I’m going to go—over here,” he mumbled before walking away.
“Your name is Laurel?” He asked with a twinkle in his eye.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that name?” I finally found the will to look at him, but tried not to stare at his nipples.
He smirked, and his pecs bounced. “Not at all. Did you enjoy the show?”
“It was alright,” I lied.
He laughed, and his damn pecs danced again. “I saw your head bobbing. You were into it.”
“Music is music.” I turned my head away.
He dropped his face to look at mine. “Why can’t you look at me?”
“You’re standing here half-naked.”
He dragged his hands over his chest and abdomen.
My stomach flipped.
“Does this bother you?”
I didn’t answer.
“Wait. Are you a lesbian? Not that there’s anything—”
“No. I’m not a lesbian. You’re so arrogant. It truly astounds me.” I crossed my arms in a huff.
He put one hand on his hip and pointed at me with the other. “And you’re snooty.”
My jaw dropped. “Why? Because I didn’t drop my pants at first sight of you?”
“Amongst other things.” He rubbed his hand over his chin, eyeing me like one would eye up pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
“Not used to having your ego bruised, are you?”
