Marked (Eternal Guardians #1)
Page 39
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Hades wasn’t alone. He’d know that damn flower scent anywhere.
His head jerked up, and he leapt off his throne so fast he nearly tripped down the five marble stone steps. He made it as far as the archway before the double wood doors were thrown open and Persephone flung herself into his arms.
“My sweet,” he crooned, gathering her close and kissing her hard. Her hands flew to his face, her mouth was possessive against his, warming the coldest space inside him. “Missed you…so.”
She groaned against him, frantic as her hands ran under his shirt and across his skin. “Oh, god.”
He chuckled and turned her around, pushing her back toward his throne and the solid stone table just to the left he knew she liked so very much. “I am. All yours. Now tell me how you got away from the wicked bitch of the west.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled back and chuckled herself while he kissed her throat. “Don’t talk about my mother like that. You know I don’t like it when you take that tone.”
Since she sounded anything but upset, he licked the column of her neck, slid his hands around to her ass and lifted her so he could get her to the table as fast as possible.
“Hades, wait. We have business first.”
“Business?” And that’s when he noticed the slight creature standing in the corner of the room, just inside the door. He dropped his queen to her feet and whirled back around. “She’s human.”
“Argolean,” Persephone said, placing one of her delicate hands on his chest. “Future Queen of Argolea, actually.”
Oh, now this was interesting.
He looked down at the slight gynaíka with her big brown eyes and nearly white hair. He could tell she was sick, but she held an air of authority that intrigued him. One he doubted she was even aware of. “Come in,” he barked.
She hesitated, then cautiously stepped forward.
In the light she wasn’t simply beautiful, she was magnificent, and he knew interest flared in his eyes before he could stop it. Persephone saw it, too. She punched him hard in the stomach and glared at him. “Not her. And not when I’m standing here, you jackass, or I’ll make you both sorry.”
Hades coughed and rubbed a hand over his abdomen, then laughed when he saw the gynaíka’s frightened eyes dart between him and his queen. “She’s too small. I’m pretty sure I’d split her in two. Besides, I gave up virgins last year.” He looked back at his wife. “Really, Persephone, if you were going to bring me a treat—”
Persephone socked him again, and he doubled over, laughing twice as hard. She was the only creature in the world allowed to raise a hand to him, and he loved every moment of it.
Persephone’s eyes flashed. “Pull your head out of your pants for ten seconds. She’s here about the pact.”
That got his attention. “My pact?”
“Is there any other?”
A wicked smile slid across his mouth. “Oh, now this is interesting. What is it you want, little queen?”
The gynaíka took two steps closer, then stopped. Fear flashed in her eyes, but she lifted her chin, looking every bit the regal queen she could become. “I—I ask that your pact be broken. Or at the very least, postponed.”
He lifted one eyebrow as he drew his queen to his side, amused at the Argolean’s audacity. “And why should I do that?”
“Because…” The gynaíka swallowed. “Because I’m one half of the prophecy.”
Well, duh. He’d already figured that out, but he was intrigued enough to hear the rest of what she had to say. “And the other half?”
“My sister.”
“And let me guess,” he said, slowly running his hand up and down Persephone’s spine. “You’ve come to ask me to spare the human’s life.”
“She’s not just a human. She’s a Misos.”
“Even better.” Hades scoffed. “Useless. I don’t know why your kind can’t keep their pants zipped.” Persephone punched him in the arm. His head swiveled her direction. “Do that again once more, wife, and I’ll make you pay.”
Desire lit her eyes. “Promise?”
He growled low in his throat and leaned in to take her mouth again.
The Argolean’s coughing brought his head up in irritation. He pinned the exasperating creature with a look. “Why in all that is evil in my realm are you still here?”
“Hades,” Persephone warned.
He sighed, knowing he wasn’t getting inside his queen until he appeased her and dealt with this situation first. “Very well. You do realize the ramifications of this, correct?”
The gynaíka nodded.
“And you realize that by interfering, you set events into motion that cannot be undone?”
The gynaíka hesitated, looked between them and nodded again.
Hades shrugged. “Fine. Your human’s life is spared.” The gynaíka breathed out a sigh of relief. “But not without a price.”
“But Persephone said—”
He nuzzled his queen’s jaw. “Whatever bargain you struck with my conniving wife is between the two of you. I still require payment. One soul. Yours or hers. I don’t care which.”
“Now?”
“Now could be interesting,” he said, smiling down at his wife, “but the time isn’t of my choosing.”
The gynaíka looked as if she would be ill. Which pleased him. It very much pleased him.
“Well?” he asked. “What do you say?”
She glanced at her hands, seemed to struggle with some internal debate, then closed her eyes. “Mine,” she whispered.
His laughter bubbled up from the depths of his soul as his eyes ran up and down her slight and very feminine body. Oh, what he would enjoy doing to her, with Persephone’s approval or not.
“Make yourself comfortable, little queen.” His hand slid down to Persephone’s ass. “The show’s about to begin.”
The gynaíka’s eyes snapped open, and shock registered in her fine features, igniting a whole new set of bargains in his head. Ones that involved not only him, but his wife as well. “I’m not going home?”
“Not yet.” Hades’s smile widened. Catching on, Persephone’s did, too. “Not yet. Not until we’re both done with you.”
Chapter Twenty-two