His face reddened slightly as he spoke and it occurred to me that this might be the first time he’d ever actually asked a girl out before.
“I think that sounds fun,” I said honestly. “Sometimes it gets lonely, being here all by myself.”
“I completely agree,” he said, his smile returning. “It’s been nice to have your company lately. Well, your nice company anyway.”
“You surprise me,” I confessed. “I thought for sure you would be nothing but mean and cruel to me while I was here.”
“It amazing what happens when you don’t start off every conversation by screaming, isn’t it?” he teased. “In all honesty, though, I know things have been bad since we had that falling out. It’s been nice to put the battle axes away.”
“Still think I’m trying to get something out of it?”
“Absolutely.”
The look on his face gave me no doubt he was being completely honest. There seemed to be something else there though, something that made me think his reservations weren’t as great as they’d been before.
“What do you say to a lunch date, tomorrow afternoon, here? My mornings are always tied up and I’ve got a thing tomorrow night,” he said, smoothly returning to the previous topic.
“Sure, I guess,” I said, knowing I usually just let the day flow however it was going to.
“What an inspiring answer,” he laughed, tossing his head back as he did so. “I’ll have a movie and food set up for us. Meet me here around twelve thirty?”
“I’ll be there,” I said with a grin.
Chapter Fourteen
“What am I doing?” I moaned to myself, letting my head fall into my hands.
I was sitting in my closet, my hair and makeup meticulously done, several different outfits pulled out and laid around me. It was only after I’d pulled out all the stops that I saw the red flag.
I was actually excited to be going on a date with Hades. Giddy, like a school girl. When did that happen? He’d done nothing but terrify me at the beginning. Now, I could sense the flutters of a crush, something that was extremely dangerous to have. If he were to find out who I really was, that would be the end of me. No matter how many times I thought that, though, I couldn’t shake the grin from my face as I thought of all the time we’d been spending together lately.
He was handsome, maybe that was the reason I’d developed feelings. Tiny feelings. Minuscule feelings that should be crushed by the heel of my boot.
His personality was so interesting, though! I found myself wanting to know more about him, what he did every morning that took him out of the castle by himself. I wanted to know what it felt like to spend an entire day with him. What would his lips feel like against mine?
“Stop it!” I scolded myself, standing and practically running around the wardrobe, kicking dresses out of the way as I did so.
“This is not happening,” I said to myself in the mirror as I sat back down at the makeup desk. “You do not have feelings for him. You are doing a job, that is all. Get in get and get out . . .”
My mini coaching session slowly faded away as I studied my reflection. Since I’d come to stay here, I’d gotten used to having a different face. Well, mostly used to it anyway. Today, there was something new there, though, something I hadn’t noticed earlier.
The veins just under my eyes looked black, almost like they were bruised. It wasn’t enough to be super noticeable, but enough to cause pause. I rubbed where the discrepancy showed, wondering if it was just makeup gone astray, but that proved untrue. Finally, after a few more minutes of trying to figure out what could be happening, I picked some foundation up and carefully covered the blemishes, making a note to see if I could uncover the mystery later.
A tired sigh broke through my lips as I looked back at the closet, still not knowing what to wear. At this point, it seemed like it would be a better idea to not go at all, since my feelings were thinking it was time to join the mix. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, though, especially after the kindness he’d shown me the night before.
When the time for our date finally rolled around, I found myself outside the door to the game room, dressed in another sun dress and wondering what on earth I was doing letting myself fall for a god.
No, not falling for him. No way, I scolded myself as I went in.
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face as I saw him there, in his usual black jeans and t-shirt, his black hoodie thrown over the back of the couch. He was grinning at me as well, standing next to what appeared to be a makeshift picnic on the floor.
“Good afternoon,” he said, stepping off the blanket and holding a hand out to me. “Allow me to help you to your seat.”
“Thank you,” I giggled. “What is all this?”
“This is a cheesy, movie lunch date,” he said, picking up the cover to a chick flick and handing it to me. “We are recreating a scene from every romantic comedy, ever.”
“I can see that,” I snickered, letting him lead me to the blanket and set me down in a grouping of large pillows.
“How was your morning?” he asked, settling down next to me, close enough to send the butterflies in my stomach into a frenzied flight.
“Good,” I said, my inner self rolling her eyes at the reaction. “Yours?”
“The same,” he replied, fiddling with the remotes as he turned on our movie.
“Where do you go every morning?” I asked curiously.
“It’s a secret,” he whispered with a wink.
Setting the controllers down, he pulled a plate with sandwiches on it towards him, setting it in front of us before clapping his hands and turning the lights off.
The next two hours were spent the same as any movie date I’d ever been on. We watched mostly in silence, commenting every now and then on something we liked or found interesting. The food got eaten slowly and everything was if I was out with a friend more than on a date. For some crazy reason, this drove me insane.
On the one hand, I was out with a handsome, powerful man who I found interesting and wanted to get closer to. On the other, I was a traitor in disguise, one he would surely hate for all time if he ever found out. It was almost certain I was going to spend my afterlife burning in a river of fire if I was discovered. He’d probably kill me himself to begin with.
My heart sank slightly as I continued to think about it. Even if he were to feel the same way about me, it wasn’t me he would having feelings for. He thought I was his wife. Persephone. There would never be feelings for Katrina from Hades. It was a fact I might as well accept and move on with my task.
As the credits rolled across the screen and the lights popped back on, Hades stood, helping me to my feet.
“Not the greatest movie,” he laughed. “But it was a nice break from everything else.”
“Yeah,” I giggled slightly. “Thank you.”
“Listen,” he said, walking towards the door and motioning for me to follow. “I have this thing with my brothers tonight, one of our monthly meetings about the state of things. It sucks, no joke. I basically sit around and listen to them talk about how awesome their lives are. Anyway, I can’t do anything later because of that, but I wondered if you wanted to do something again tomorrow? Maybe go out for a ride, or something?”
“Really?” I asked, surprised he’d want to do anything again.
It hadn’t really seemed like he was having an extraordinary time during our time together today.
“Yeah,” he said with an indifferent shrug. “Like I said, it’s nice to step away from it all for a bit.”
“I guess I’ll see you again tomorrow then.”
A grin spread across my face while some disappointment stung in my chest. It helped me hold onto the thought that none of this was real.
“Have a good day,” he chuckled, letting himself out of the room.
Left alone, I let a sigh loose that moved my bangs off my face. Of course nothing had happened. What did I think this was, prom night? H
e was supposed to sweep me off my feet and carry me away? Even back at home, I’d never been this stupidly crushing over someone. It made me feel sick.
Letting myself out, I walked back up the staircase and made my way back to my room. For once, I felt what I needed was some good, old fashioned exercising to get my head back on straight. I’d been to the pool several times during my stay, but I’d yet to actually go swimming in it. Today seemed as good as any to break it in.
Unfortunately for me, the swim didn’t help much. I still felt angry with myself, scared for what the future would bring, and annoyed that I was no closer to finding the helmet. It didn’t help that I had no idea why Erebos would want it. Obviously, he didn’t need the invisibility feature, since he’d escaped from here unnoticed and could come and go by smoke. My research had taught me the helmet also incited fear in people, but really? He could do that on his own, too.
Then there was the state of my family. What was going on with them? How could I figure it out if there was no way to communicate here? It was all supremely frustrating.
Finally, I decided to leave the pool and go for a ride, hoping that my classic relaxation method would work.
I hurried back to my room and changed again, picking another short dress and putting shorts on under it, frowning at the fancy taste Persephone had. If Hades hadn’t made a point to say that he’d gotten all the clothes for me when I arrived, I would ask for something different. I didn’t particularly feel like ticking him off over it, though.
The castle seemed unusually busy as I walked to the stable, servants running all over the halls fulfilling various tasks and duties. Everything was being cleaned and polished, each torch lit, extra banners hung, the whole nine yards. It must have been for the arrival of the other two gods.
I was almost sad that I hadn’t been invited to the meeting. It would have been cool to meet more people from this world. However, staying on the down low and keeping to myself was the better option. It wasn’t that I thought they could reveal me easier than Hades could, but I wasn’t going to take that chance.
At last, I broke free from the chaos on Hero, heading down the bank that lead to the hidden gate. With everyone so caught up in the meeting tonight, it seemed like the perfect time to slip through and check things out for myself.
I made quick work of getting there, nervously looking around for guards or anyone who might be watching, but there was no one. With a confident smile, I dismounted and left Hero to wander around on his own, knowing he wouldn’t go far without me. Another quick glance around confirmed I was still alone and I walked through the wall, into the maze.
My disguise faded away quickly, the smoke leaving from around me and sucking back into the ring that hadn’t left my finger. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed my own body until now, as I felt my blonde curls and laughed just to hear my own voice. It was a truly wonderful moment for me.
After a few moments of reuniting with myself, I set off into the maze, dragging a rock along the wall with me so I would be able to track my way back. In the beginning, it was just as when I’d first entered—I couldn’t tell the difference between solid wall and doors, or which way was the right way to go. As time passed, though, I started noticing the subtle signs of an opening every now and then. Not every door looked the same, but it was quickly becoming apparent that there were too many for me to go through and search. Even if I had ten lifetimes to do it, I would never make it through all of them. They literally littered the tunnels, making it impossible to even set up any plan to try and go through them.
“What are you doing?”
I jumped at the hissing voice, dropping my rock to the ground in shock as I spun around.
“Erebos,” I sighed in relief when I saw his smoky form, halfway through one of the doors. “You scared me half to death.”
“If Hades discovers you’ve left the Underworld he’ll have your head,” he hissed, coming the rest of the way into the tunnel and looking around suspiciously.
“I’m looking for the helmet,” I shot back. “I’m not having any luck there.”
“Do you think I haven’t already scoured these tunnels looking for it?” he asked as if I was stupid. “Get back to your job.”
“Hang on,” I said, not liking the way he was talking to me. “What about your end of things? You sent me in there without a clue to anything and basically abandoned me flat until now! I have a right to know what’s going on.”
“You have a right to nothing,” he sneered. “I do not go back on deals. Trust me, everything is being taken care of, as I promised.”
“My parents—”
“Are not your concern now,” he said sternly.
He paused in his lecturing of me, eyes traveling up and down me a few times before a wicked smile spread across his face.
“Something is different about you,” he said thoughtfully. “Feelings that you did not have before.”
“What?” I asked, put off by his sudden accusation.
“You like him,” he giggled in glee, clapping his hands together.
“I do not!” I argued back defensively.
“You do,” he said, nodding. “I see it, hidden in the darkest part of you, wrapped in shadows you’re hoping will smother it.”
“I don’t like him,” I said nervously, experiencing the uncomfortable feeling of being probed by his powers once again. I’d forgotten how scary it felt, to be seen for exactly what I was.
“Best be careful, Katrina,” he laughed. “That ring was made for who you were before. If you change too much, it will stop working. And we both know what that would mean.”
“Can you fix it?” I asked nervously, fear lancing through me at the thought of suddenly losing my disguise in the presence of Hades.
“Unfortunately, no,” he said, his head tilting to the side as he smiled evilly again. “There is no time. Now, get back to where you are supposed to be. It was foolish of you to come here.”
“If you would have given me any instructions, I would have known better,” I snapped back, tired of feeling pushed around by him. All the same, I turned and started walking back the way I came.
“Be careful, Katrina,” his voice warned behind me, fading slightly as he disappeared again. “You don’t want to anger the wrong people.”
I stopped, turning around to ask him what that was supposed to mean, but he was already gone. A frustrated yell left my mouth and I spun back around, storming my way back to the gate. It was easy to ignore the voices and faces as I fumed to myself, upset I was still no closer to finding what I needed and in the dark about why it was so important I find it.
As I passed through the gate and back into the Underworld, I took on the form of Persephone once more. I hated it a little, feeling like I was trapping myself in my own prison of secrets.
Secrets that apparently weren’t secrets to Erebos. I was mortified he’d so openly called me out on my crush, basically insisting there was more to it.
Hero greeted me from the bank, trotting over and waiting for me to mount him. With a sigh, I did so, wondering what I was to do with the rest of my night.
We rode back to the stables at a comfortable pace, my mind still frustrated by everything that had happened throughout the day. Even brushing Hero down didn’t calm my nerves. It seemed the best option for me was going to be sleeping it all off.
I started back to my room, lost in my own thoughts, when I suddenly realized that someone was calling out to me.
“Persephone!”
I turned, catching sight of two men getting off a boat and coming towards me. Based on their attire and the way the guards were acting around them, it was clear to me who they were.
A meeting with Zeus and Poseidon was in my future after all.
Chapter Fifteen
They both looked every bit the part of an all-powerful god, dressed to the nines in fine apparel, each displaying their own symbol on their right breast. It wasn’t hard to imagine some type of armor covering them, g
linting in the firelight as they advanced towards me. It was also painfully obvious that good looks ran in the family. I felt like I was watching a runway show splattered with muscles and perfect smiles.
“How are you?” Poseidon asked me, smiling widely as he opened the door and motioned for me to go through.
“Very well,” I said, my own smile feeling a little tight.
“A smile,” Zeus laughed, following me through the opening. “I don’t think we’ve been graced with one of those for quite some time! Things must be going well this year.”
I laughed humorlessly, not particularly enjoying the conversation. I felt like I was being teased, and not in an affectionate way.
“I guess I felt it was finally time to pick my favorite brother,” I said coolly, turning to duck down another hallway. “Excuse me.”
As I walked away I could hear Poseidon laughing, the two continuing on to wherever their meeting was.
No wonder Hades didn’t like spending time with them. In maybe a minute, tops, I could tell there were feelings of superiority. I didn’t even have to spend time with them and I was grateful to be away already.
I made my way to my room, every intention of going to sleep locked in my mind. The longer I was in the soft bed, though, the more restless I felt. My brain kept buzzing with the events of the day, my body tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable. After about an hour, I finally gave up and got back up, having no idea what to do.
I felt hungry, having skipped dinner since I hadn’t needed to meet up with Hades for it. Maybe, if I went down to the kitchen, I could find something to snack on.
I decided to stay in my long, silky nightgown and robe, my bare feet padding down the hallway as the fabric brushed over the top of them. Everything seemed very quiet, all of the help still involved in whatever special duties they’d had for the day.
Upon arriving at the kitchen, I found it was still very busy. Apparently, the meeting between brothers had involved its own dinner, which was still going on.
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