“Highness?” one of the servants asked upon seeing me enter.
“I’m a little hungry,” I said sheepishly. “Do you have anything you could spare? I don’t want to take anything you’ve made for the meeting.”
“We have more than enough,” he laughed, motioning for me to take a seat at the island in front of him.
The servants and I were still working out some of the kinks in our new relationship, but for the most part I thought most knew I wouldn’t snap their heads off if they looked at me the wrong way now. It had been relieving, not feeling like I was an executioner walking the halls whenever I saw any of them. They were still polite, but I honestly enjoyed sharing a laugh here and there.
“What would you like?” the same man asked me, bringing me a glass of water.
“A sandwich?” I asked in embarrassment. “Like I said, I know you’re all real busy with the other dinner.”
“And there’s always more food than those three could eat,” he said, giving me a stern look. “What would you like? There’s lamb, potatoes, salad, fresh fruit, the list goes on and on. They won’t notice one missing portion, trust me.”
“In that case, I’ll take whatever you recommend,” I said warmly, picking up the glass and raising it for a sip.
“That’s more like it!” he said enthusiastically. “Bonnie, get some of the nice china out of the cupboard, will you?”
A girl who was passing behind him curtsied and hurried to do as he asked.
“What’s your name?” I asked after he gave orders to a few more.
“I’m Jack,” he said, bowing to me. “Head kitchen attendant. I oversee the menus, the chefs, the servers, the cleaners, and basically everything that has anything to do with food here,” he laughed. “I rarely see a day that doesn’t have me in here.”
“You do get time off, though?” I asked seriously.
“When I want,” he said with a shrug. “There’s not much else for me to do or anywhere to go. I enjoy it here. It’s very much like what I did when I was alive.”
“I wondered about that,” I said as a place setting was laid in front of me. “I hope it’s not rude to ask, but Hades never explained it to me. You’re not like the other souls I’ve seen. You remember everything from your past life? How did you end up here and not out there with the masses?”
“It’s not rude at all,” he said, waving his hand. “Every person who arrives here remembers who they are, unless they are a Lost One, of course. Unfortunately, as time passes, we forget who we were, remembering only this place. In my case, though, I was recruited to come here. It’s not uncommon for people who excelled at their duties in life to be asked to work here. It’s always consensual and always an honor. Most to whom the offer is extended accept it. The alternative is forgetting ourselves, so it’s a pretty good deal.”
He laughed, loading my plate with food and setting it in front of me.
“I guess that would seem like a good trade,” I said thoughtfully.
“I have never regretted the decision,” he said with a nod. “The treatment has always been wonderful as well.”
“Except from me, I’m sure,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m sorry for my past rudeness. I’ve had a bit of a heart to heart with myself lately.”
“It has not gone unnoticed,” he said, a wide smile on his face. “Now, if you’ll excuse me? I have a few things to attend to still before tonight’s events wind down.”
“Of course,” I said, grinning. “Thank you for the food and the explanation.”
“My pleasure, Highness,” he said, bowing slightly before turning around and immersing himself in another task.
I ate the delicious food in silence, watching the beehive of activity around me in interest. It all worked so efficiently, something I was sure Jack was proud of.
After I finished dinner, a piece of the delicious looking dessert they were carrying out to the meeting was also served to me. All I could think was how every dish had been perfect. Hopefully, the three gods in the other room had enjoyed it as much as I had.
Things did begin to wind down after that, more cleaning taking place than anything else. Sure that my presence was more of a hindrance than anything else, I quietly slipped out, making sure to not disrupt the flow of the room.
“Persephone! Twice in one night, we’re honored.”
I froze, fighting the urge to roll my eyes and sigh. Of course, I was going to run into Zeus again. Once more, I had the feeling he and Persephone didn’t exactly get along.
“Hello,” I said tightly, turning around to smile at them.
Poseidon and Hades were with him, the three of them apparently having come from one of the rooms down the hall. I’d only been in that one once, but seemed to remember it being a type of conference room, much like the War Room.
“Hades has been telling us of your adventures this winter,” Zeus continued on, a strange grin on his face. “He tells us you two have been getting along for once.”
“That’s true,” I said, not exactly sure what kind of answer he was looking for.
“Leave the poor woman alone, Zeus,” Poseidon said, shaking his head and laughing.
“I just find it hard to believe she would suddenly want to be friends, after everything she put him through,” Zeus said simply.
Suddenly, it clicked in my head. Zeus didn’t like me—Persephone—because of the way she treated his brother. It wasn’t cockiness because of his position I was sensing, it was because he actually cared for his family.
I was surprised, to say the least. Apparently, the history books needed an update, in a bad way.
“Is it so hard to believe that a wife could like her husband?” Hades scoffed, obviously not impressed with his brother’s concern. “Yours likes you, doesn’t she?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” Zeus said, rolling his eyes. “Forgive me for not being so quick to believe the two of you. It’s not like you have a past to back you up.”
“Give it a rest,” Hades laughed, though I could tell that he was not amused in the slightest. “You’re not the only person who can find happiness. I just found it with my wife, versus sleeping with every woman I laid eyes on until I got myself kicked out of my home.”
He walked over to my side and wrapped an arm around my waist, a forced smile in place on the bottom half of his face while his eyes looked like they were ready to shoot laser beams.
“Oh come on,” Zeus chuckled, exchanging a glance with Poseidon. “We all know the only reason you weren’t out playing the field was because you kidnapped yourself a wife who wore bigger pants than you in your relationship.”
“Zeus,” Poseidon said, a tinge of embarrassment in his voice.
“What? We all know how she begged for me to please let her leave him. Maybe I should have done it, spared us all the trouble.”
“My wife and I are perfectly happy,” Hades all but growled, his hold on my waist tightening.
During the exchange, I did my best to hide the shock I was experiencing. This was, by far, the worst family confrontation I’d ever been a part of, including the time my fifteen year old cousin so graciously decided to tell the whole family she was pregnant over Thanksgiving dinner.
“We should get going,” Poseidon said, placing a hand on Zeus’s shoulder and applying some pressure.
“Yeah, I think so,” Hades agreed.
“Every time we come down here, you act like you’re so happy and we all know you’re not,” Zeus said sadly.
“I am happy,” Hades laughed, a strong defensive tone in his voice. “Maybe if you came to visit, instead of just coming for your monthly visit to tell me how I’m doing everything wrong, you would see that.”
“You’re not happy,” Zeus said, frowning as he finally moved to leave.
“Happier than you,” Hades said, pulling me in closer.
Before I knew what was happening, he had turned me to face him, pulling our bodies together and threading a hand into my hair.
Hi
s lips met mine roughly, moving against them with authority and anger, trying to prove a point to his brothers. Then, something weird happened.
His touch softened, embrace becoming that of something sweet instead of angry. Where his lips had crushed into mine before, they lightened to the point of feeling like an actual caress.
My heart pounded in my chest as I reacted to him without thinking, my own arms wrapping around him and hugging him back. It seemed like my insides might explode from being with him like this, that secret part of me I’d so desperately wished would go away flying to the surface.
I had it bad. This moment couldn’t ever end, I needed it to go on forever, to always feel his lips on mine, his hands clutching me to him gently, but with a need I couldn’t describe.
Much to my disappointment, he slowly pulled away, opening his eyes as I did and looking at me in surprise, like he’d been just overcome as I.
Keeping his eyes open, matching my gaze, he leaned in and kissed me softly again, like it was a test for something. I felt the fireworks resume in my stomach, my breath coming faster as he pulled away once more. All we could do was stare at each other, still clinging to the other’s body as what just happened sank in.
Someone cleared their throat and I looked away, the spell finally broken. Two very embarrassed brothers stood there, looking uncomfortable.
“Apparently, I was wrong,” Zeus said, the tremble in his voice suggesting that he was trying not to laugh. “Things do appear to be different here.”
“We’ll see you, uh, next time,” Poseidon said, his face red.
Hades cleared his own throat and finally released me, turning to face them as he straightened his shirt.
“Next time,” he said with a nod.
“Right,” Zeus said.
We all stood there awkwardly for a moment more before the two brothers turned and headed down the hall, taking their leave.
That left just Hades and I, standing in the corridor, silence between us. I didn’t even know if I should look at him, the shock factor of what he’d instigated still running through me.
“So,” he said slowly.
The silence grew between us again and I could feel my face reddening.
“Uh, thank you?” he said lamely. “I guess we showed him.”
“Yeah,” I said nervously. “That’s what happened.”
“Of course,” he said, sliding his hands into his pocket as we both continued to stare straight in front of us. “We were just making a point. That’s all. Nothing else.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t help the disappointment in my voice, immediately wishing I’d concealed it as soon as the word left my lips. “I mean, yeah. We proved a point. No big deal.”
It was too late, though. He’d caught the tone of my voice, finally turning to look at me.
“Persephone, I didn’t mean it like that,” he said apologetically, looking like he didn’t know what to do for the first time.
“It’s fine,” I said, acting like I was just brushing it off. “You’re right. It didn’t mean anything.”
I smiled tightly and then turned from him, heading back towards my room.
“Persephone, wait,” he sighed exasperatedly.
I didn’t wait, though. I didn’t trust myself to.
Chapter Sixteen
His hands slid over my waist, pulling me closer to him, our bodies melding together as his lips pressed into mine, an epic display of emotion exploding behind my closed eyes. I clung to him tightly, gasping as his mouth left mine and teeth nipped at my neck, his steamy breath burning almost as hot as my desire.
A knocking on the door suddenly pulled me straight out of dream land and into the real world, my breath coming in short bursts as I tried to figure out what was going on.
Heaven help me. I had been dreaming about Hades.
“Persephone?”
Speak of the devil.
His voice came through the door somewhat muffled, but I could tell he was here to apologize again.
“Just a second!” I called, trying to gather myself and calm down. The dream had seemed so real, I was ready to throw the door open and kiss him again, just for the fun of it.
I slid out of the bed quickly, running my fingers through my hair and checking my face in the mirror in the closet. To my horror, the dark veins I’d noticed before were even darker and longer, obviously noticeable to more than myself alone now. In a panic, I grabbed some makeup and covered them up the best I could, trying to hurry along.
“Is everything okay?” he asked as I accidentally knocked over a perfume bottle.
“Fine,” my voice squeaked out. “I’m, uh, getting dressed? Yes, getting dressed!”
I dabbed a little more makeup on, trying to blend everything together, before grabbing my robe and slipping it on.
“Not to be coy,” he laughed slightly. “But I’ve seen everything you have before.”
I paused awkwardly, the silence between us obviously that of embarrassment.
“I just meant, I think, I—”
He stuttered through his words, nervous laughter accompanying him.
“It’s fine,” I said, finally crossing the room and opening the door for him.
He looked me over, licking his lips quickly as his eyes met mine.
“I wanted to apologize for last night,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You didn’t,” I lied. “I understand. Your brothers were being a bit pushy about everything.”
“Still, I shouldn’t have made it seem like nothing after they left.”
He smiled nicely, his apology one of the more sincere things I’d heard him say.
“It’s not a problem, really,” I assured him. “I understand.”
“I want to make it up to you anyway,” he said. “Despite the show I put on for them, I really do think our relationship is improving. I don’t want to be the reason that stops.”
“You don’t have to make anything up to me,” I said, laughing slightly. “I get it, really.”
“Still. Would you join me after dinner tonight?”
He looked hopeful, a small smile playing across his lips as he waited for my answer.
With a start, I realized I was staring at his lips.
“Yes,” I said forcefully, looking away quickly. It was unclear if he’d noticed.
“Good,” he chuckled, stepping back, further into the hall. “Wear something pretty.”
“Okay,” I said suspiciously.
“I’ll see you then,” he said in farewell, turning and heading to wherever it was he had to be.
I closed the door to my room and leaned against it, a stupid grin on my face. Another date. I couldn’t deny how excited I was, thoughts of what I was going to wear spinning through my head.
I glanced down at my hand, the ring Erebos had given me still sparkling on my finger. I knew that more black veins meant I was changing too much, disrupting the disguise he’d made for me. I didn’t know how to stop it, though, my feelings seeming as uncontrollable as Hades himself. At the rate I was going, I’d have to invest in sunglasses, just to hide the marks from everyone.
I put the worries out of my mind, deciding to be happy about another date instead. It may not have been the smartest thing to do at the moment, but I couldn’t find the energy to care.
The day was spent as I usually did things, reading in the library and going down to brush Hero for a little while. Instead of focusing on trying to discover where the helmet could be, though, I was caught up in thoughts of what would happen that night and the memory of what happened the night before. At times, I would find myself with my fingers on my lips, thinking of what it would be like to be kissed that way again.
I’d been kissed by boys before. In fact, I’d made out with boys before. But none of it was anything like being kissed by Hades. I’d never had such a surge of emotions occur when I was kissed, none of the jittery feelings of excitement and awe. What did that mean about how I was feelin
g?
As night fell, I readied myself for dinner, donning a black and silver floor length gown and matching hair clip for whatever was planned after. Surprisingly, as soon as I was ready, there was a knock at my door again.
I opened it to find Hades, who had also changed from his usual, casual attire. Instead, he wore a well fitted suit, a silver tie around his neck, giving him the look of an important business man.
“You look nice,” he said with a smile, holding his hand out to me.
“So do you,” I laughed. “Who knew you owned something besides that hoodie?”
“Hey, I like it,” he laughed back.
“I don’t even know how you stand wearing it in this heat,” I confessed, intertwining our fingers.
“You get used to it,” he said with a shrug.
We started towards the dining hall, our pace much slower than normal as we visited together about unimportant things, commenting on the events of our day.
Upon reaching our destination, I was surprised to find that the large table usually housed there was gone, replaced by a small, two person one. It had been set with elegant flowers and candles, beautiful dishes placed on it. The food hadn’t been brought out yet, but I could smell the delicious aroma of whatever it was already.
Along with the normal table being gone, the room seemed to have had a type of makeover, a makeshift stage set up on one side, the tiny table facing that direction. Apparently, we were going to have a show with our dinner.
Hades walked me to my seat, pulling my chair out and helping me to sit down. He took his seat then, motioning to someone in the corner who brought over a bottle of wine.
“So, what kind of show are we seeing?” I asked, eying the chairs lined up across the stage.
“Mozart,” he said, filling our glasses and setting the bottle in the bin of ice the server had rolled over as well.
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “I didn’t realize we could do that here, for some reason.”
“Well, we don’t usually have celebrations here,” he laughed. “It’s a shame. We literally have some of the best in entertainment and it just goes to waste because it’s in an undesirable location.”
Hades (The God Chronicles #3) Page 12
