Hades (Contemporary Mythos Book 1)

by Carly Spade

  I shook my head so frantically my bangs fell over my sunglasses.

  “It’ll be fine. Just jump up and hit it as hard as you can,” Guy added.

  The ball flew over the net, Keith pushed it with both of his hands, and I shimmied forward, smacking it with my hand. I’d swatted mosquitos with more force. The ball hit the net on our side.

  Keith’s jaw tightened. “No big deal. It’s only one point.”

  “Why did you sign us up for this again?” I tossed a glare at Sara.

  She brought her drink into the water, holding it with one hand. “Figured it’d be fun. Didn’t think we’d end up with two jocks on our team who can’t stand losing.”

  The other side launched the ball, but not over the net. It zoomed off to the side, out of the pool, and rolled toward Hades’ feet. He paused, drinking from his tumbler long enough to give it a sneer.

  “Hey, man! You mind giving the ball a toss?” Keith yelled.

  Hades didn’t budge. He didn’t even look in our direction, turning his body further away. Keith groaned and lifted himself out of the pool.

  “The view is certainly worth it, I’d say,” Sara said, smiling with her straw between her teeth.

  Keith’s wet feet slapped against the concrete, dripping a water trail, board shorts clinging to his—legs. “Thanks for helping out,” he said to Hades, scooping the ball up.

  Hades tipped an imaginary hat on his head. “You look like you handled it fine, kid.”

  “You weren’t joking. That man is one big bundle of doom and gloom,” Sara said, momentarily resting her chin on my shoulder.

  “He has a good reason. His wife left him.”

  “While it does suck, excuses for behavior are distractions from facing reality. Remember what I told you my training officer always said?” She beamed at me with those pretty brown eyes.

  “Results. Not excuses.” I sighed, watching Hades continue to ignore everyone around him.

  “He needs to suck it up. We only have one life to live. Move along, cowboy.” She gave me a side hug before backing away.

  Hades set his empty glass down and slid from his stool like he was leaving.

  “You guys keep playing without me,” I said to no one in particular, making my way to the pool stairs.

  “Then we don’t have a full team!” Guy said.

  “You two are the team,” Sara countered.

  Hades started to walk away, and I ran to catch up with him. He was within arm’s reach when my feet slid from underneath me. There was a reason resorts put “No Running” signs up everywhere around pools. I winced, waiting for the impact of concrete, but a pair of strong arms caught me.

  “You’re extremely clumsy,” he said.

  I let my eyes roam over his arms flexing as he held onto me, supporting my weight. He wore a tank top, but it didn’t stop my mind from imagining what he looked like underneath it. Did he have the ‘V’? Those carved tapering abdominal muscles that led down. My gaze dropped to his cloth-covered stomach.

  I stood, attempting to wipe the water beads from his arms. “So kind of you to notice.”

  He cocked an eyebrow, watching me squeegee his biceps. Considering my hands were also wet, it wasn’t doing much good. Once I stopped, he wiped his arms on the side of his shirt.

  “Are you going to the masquerade ball in a of couple nights?” I interlaced my fingers behind my back.

  “Masquerade?”

  “Yeah. Everyone wears masks, dresses to the nines—”

  He smirked. “I know what a masquerade is, darlin’. I’m just surprised they’d have one. It seems old-fashioned.”

  “I figured it’d be right up your alley. You can hide your face from everyone. Pretend you’re something you’re not. You could even spend the whole night brooding and sulking in a corner.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, briefly exposing his entire face. “I’ll…consider it.”

  “I figured you’d say th—wait, really?” I’d expected him to say no given the obvious party pooper he was.

  “I said I’d consider it. But it could be refreshin’ to pretend I’m not the divider of souls for a change.” He squinted at me, canting his head like he was gauging my reaction.

  “Are you a therapist or something?

  He narrowed his eyes.

  When he didn’t answer, I poked a finger against the elaborate artwork of his tattoo. His scent filled the air. Why did he always smell like he’d come from a bonfire?

  “What’s your tattoo?”

  His eyes narrowed further. “Cerberus.” He grabbed my finger, which hadn’t left his arm.

  “Right.” I gulped, feeling the calluses on his palm brushing against my skin.

  He tightened his grip. “I’m not sure whether to take your persistence as flattering or irritating.”

  “If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that one.” A nervous chuckle escaped my belly, transfixed on his hand holding my finger prisoner.

  “I think you’re being summoned, sweetheart.” His eyes lifted.

  Sara waved her arms back and forth from the pool. After holding up a single finger to her, I looked back at Hades, but he was gone. How in the world did he keep doing that?

  When I reached the water, Sara smiled up at me, her eyes drooping. “I didn’t want you to miss the race. Look!”

  They’d lined up several lounge pool floats. Keith, Guy, the Michigan man and Rupert, the Englishman we’d met earlier, stood at the edge outside of the water.

  “What are they doing? And are you—drunk?” I sat down, dangling my feet in the water.

  “They’re going to race across the floats. Whoever gets the farthest, wins. It’s Canada vs. America vs. England. Fun, huh? Oh, and I could possibly, very well be on my way to drunk-y-ness.”

  I laughed. “How much did you drink while I was gone?”

  She held up two fingers. “Three shots.”

  The men sprinted across the floats. Most of them fell in after hitting the second one, but Keith managed to make it all the way across, diving into the water after the last one.

  “Is there anything athletic Keith isn’t good at?” I asked.

  “I’m starting to think not. It explains a lot about his big—” She pointed downward, but then moved it to her face. “Head.” She giggled and burped at the same time.

  “Come on, you. I need you sober so we can go shopping tomorrow.” I coaxed her toward the stairs.

  She gasped. “You’re going to let me take you shopping for dresses? I might cry.”

  “As sad as it is, I don’t trust my judgment. I haven’t worn a gown since senior prom.” I helped her up the stairs, despite her unwillingness to set her drink down.

  She whined, slumping over my shoulder. “Can you carry me to our room?”

  “We’d get about two feet, if that, Sara. Come on.”

  “Need some help there?”

  A part of me wished it’d been Hades who asked, but I knew the voice didn’t belong to him. Keith stood there, giving his blonde hair a toss, the sun sparkling off the water beads littering his tanned skin.

  “Actually, yes. Would you mind?” My feet were slipping, trying to hold her up.

  He laughed and slipped one arm around her waist, securing the other under her legs. It was an awkward, silent walk to our room.

  “Which room?” He asked.

  I contemplated ways around him knowing our room number, but came up empty. “This one right here.”

  I swiped the card through the reader. Would it have been impolite asking him to drop her on the floor so I could drag her in? That way, he wouldn’t physically be in our room? Nah. Sara wouldn’t be happy with rug burn on her back.

  “If you can put her on the bed over there. I really appreciate it.” I tapped the card between two of my fingers, impatiently waiting, and side shuffling to the phone on the nightstand.

  After setting her down, he walked past me, rubbing the back of his neck with a snarky grin.

  “Thank
you! Have a good day!” I nudged him toward the door.

  He chuckled, stumbling forward. “Alright, alright. What are you two up to tomorrow, though?”

  “We’ll be off property.” Thank God.

  “You going to be back in time for trivia night? I hear it gets pretty crazy.”

  Did they stalk our names on the sign-up list or something? “Wouldn’t miss it! See ya then! Bye!” I nudged him the rest of the way into the hall and slammed the door shut.

  After drinking a gallon of water and drowning herself in coffee last night, Sara started to act more like herself. Filling her belly with greasy food and carbs was first on today’s agenda. The buffet was set up in an outside eating area with open spaces, allowing the wind to blow through, and a breathtaking view of the horizon. We sat at a table facing the beach, munching on smoked pork, toast, and brine cheese.

  “How did you get me to the room yesterday?” Sara asked.

  I choked on my toast and grabbed for my water. “Keith.”

  Her forked clanked against her plate. “Keith? He carried me?”

  “You wouldn’t walk on your own, and you’re a foot taller than me. I didn’t see it going well. Don’t worry. I escorted him from the premises post-haste after he dropped you off.”

  She groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “I’m never drinking again.”

  I cocked an eyebrow.

  “Okay. I’m not drinking today.”

  The smell of salt, coffee, and breakfast food wafted through the air with every gust of wind. It was quiet save for the low murmurs of surrounding conversations and the tide crashing against the shore. I wondered if this was what the Elysian Fields would be like.

  Sara flopped her napkin on the table and scooted across the booth seat. “I’ve drunk so much water I feel like I’m peeing every two minutes. I’ll be right back.”

  I chuckled and ate a piece of pork. Hades walked around a nearby corner, dressed all in black. Had the guy never heard of the color grey before? Heaven forbid he switched it up for something crazy like green or blue. He leaned against a beam, crossing his arms over his chest. Another man walked up to him with black cropped hair that transitioned to wavy in the front. He dressed like he’d gotten out of a business meeting. A full tan suit, jacket draped over his shoulder, the sleeves of his white button-down shirt rolled up to his elbows. Aura colors of brown and dark muddy pink eked from his pores. This guy was bad news.

  I leaped from my seat to eavesdrop. Another pillar stood adjacent to the one they were by, and I ducked behind it.

  “What I don’t understand is how she worked her way around it,” the dark-haired man said, rubbing a hand over the light beard on his chin.

  “Well, she had a long time to figure it out, didn’t she?” Hades asked.

  “The clause was solid. I made sure of it.”

  “Oh, yeah? Tell that to Theseus.”

  “If you’d have been patient like I said all those years ago, maybe you wouldn’t be a depressed fool all over again,” the dark-haired one scoffed.

  “Theseus?” I whispered to myself, so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice their conversation had come to a screeching halt.

  “Who’s your friend?” The dark-haired man asked, a light flashing in his eyes.

  A hand gripped my arm, and Hades yanked me from the confines of my pillar.

  “Eavesdropping on me now?” He glowered down at me, letting go.

  “Pfft. Don’t flatter yourself. I was uh…” I eyed the smoothness of the pillar next to me and dragged my finger down it. “Admiring the resort’s infrastructure. Top-notch craftsmanship.”

  The dark-haired man smiled, his pearly whites beaming in contrast to his olive complexion. He slipped a hand in his pocket.

  “This is my brother,” Hades grumbled.

  His brother stepped forward and slapped Hades on the back several times. “Jesus.” He extended his hand. Pronounced: Hey-Seuss.

  I shifted my eyes, heat rising up my spine. “Nice to meet you, Jesus. I’m Stephanie.” I managed to introduce myself with only two stutters.

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Stephanie? How interesting.”

  “It’s a—pretty common name.” I chuckled, and he squinted at me. “Is this the one who has a thing for water?”

  Hades kept his gaze fixed on Jesus. “No.”

  “I’m more of a fan of thunderstorms, to be honest,” Jesus said, winking.

  I put a hand on my hip. “Oh? Are you one of the ‘getting caught in the rain’ types?”

  “Not so much the rain as it is the lightning. The way it crackles across the sky.” He grinned, shifting his glance to Hades, who rolled his eyes.

  “That’s a nice suit,” I said.

  “Why, thank you. I’m in the middle of a big case right now, actually. I came to check in on my brother. Make sure he’s relaxing like he said he would.”

  Hades’ hands balled into fists.

  “Case? Are you a lawyer?” I knew something felt off about him.

  “I am. Criminal defense.”

  Criminal defense lawyers were the absolute, positive scum of the earth in my profession.

  “And somehow, you manage to sleep every night?”

  Hades arched a brow in evident surprise.

  Jesus’ grin spread wide. “There’s nothing quite like the challenge of defending someone you know is guilty.”

  My jaw dropped.

  Hades stepped in front of me, casting a shadow. “Darlin’, your friend’s back.”

  Sara slid back into the booth at our table.

  “I’ll uh—I’ll leave you to it.” I took one last look at Jesus, and he waved with his fingers.

  Absolute. Scum.

  As I walked back to Sara, I replayed the snippet of conversation I heard them having in my head. Theseus? Why did that name sound so familiar? I sat down and dug out my cell phone from my bag.

  “Care to fill me in?” Sara asked.

  “Eavesdropping turned into meeting Hades’ brother.”

  “Does their entire family look like Greek gods?”

  I dropped the phone long enough to give her an exasperated look.

  She laughed and slapped the table. “Oh, right. That was a joke I didn’t even realize I was making.”

  I flicked my thumbs across the screen, searching through my Google results.

  “Why are you on your phone during our vacation?” She snatched it.

  “Hey!” I went to grab it back but returned with nothing but air.

  “Theseus? The Greek hero? Why are you randomly looking this up?

  My knee bounced underneath the table. “Wanted to be prepared for trivia later tonight. I know my gods and goddesses more than heroes, and you know they’ll ask both.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “Uh, huh.” She held the phone out to me, and I yanked it back.

  I could never get away with any B.S. with her.

  “All I’m seeing are references to him and the minotaur.”

  “He was in a lot more stories than that one.” She licked butter from her thumb. “Like the one about the Underworld?”

  I lifted my eyes. “What about it?”

  “You don’t remember? Him and Pirithous ventured there to rescue Persephone. They were captured until Hercules released him. But Pirithous had to stay. Poor guy.”

  Hades and Jesus were finishing up their conversation. Jesus pointed a finger at Hades before turning to walk away. Hades dragged a hand over his face, clenched his fist, and stormed off.

  “Let’s get going. For some reason, this resort feels claustrophobic all of a sudden.” I stood up, tossing my napkin in a perfect tri-fold on the table.

  “You okay? You seem spooked.”

  “I’m good.” I gave a reassuring smile. “Great.”

  We grabbed a taxi and asked the driver to take us to the nearest bazaar, or plaza, or mall…whatever they called them here. We walked through the city center with a dozen businesses. There were shops for sandals, spices, alcohol, je
welry, leather, virtually anything imaginable. The buildings were an ancient Greek style with a modern flair. Patrons of all forms made their way over the white tile walkways. You could quickly tell the locals from the tourists by the speed they walked or whether they stopped to take selfies.

  We found a boutique with gowns in the window. The small width of the entrance was misleading. The place was massive. There was a high ceiling with a circular design cut into it. Wooden planks filled the circle, and every wall had racks of clothes, shoes, and purses.

  A woman walked up to us, greeting us in Greek and clapping her hands together.

  “Hello. We’re here to find a couple of gowns,” I said.

  She grinned and clapped her hands again. “Wonderful. Are you from America?”

  Sara gazed around the shop. Her eyes were as wide as beach balls. “We are.” Even her voice sounded mesmerized.

  “Splendid. Welcome, welcome! Let me show you to our dress section. Do you have any ideas in mind? Neckline? Color? Length?” She motioned to us with her finger and walked to the back. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor.

  “Long length. It’s for a masquerade ball,” Sara answered.

  The saleswoman’s eyes brightened, and she smiled at us over her shoulder. “How fun!”

  This woman was in full sales mode.

  “Here is our selection. As you can see, we’ve got plenty for you to choose from. The dresses are sorted by color and vary in style from there. If you don’t see your size, just ask, and we can check in the back for you. Please don’t hesitate to come to me with any questions.” She gave a warm smile. “Dressing room is in the back corner. And mirrors are in the center.” After giving a firm nod, she walked away, approaching newly entered customers.

  Sara made a beeline for the purple dresses, her favorite color. White and yellow were mine, but they only managed to drown out my already pale skin. By the time I settled on the green and blue racks, Sara had three dresses draped over her arm. I had no clue what I wanted and grabbed two at random. Sara dragged me to another stand. She feverishly pushed hangers aside until she landed on one, which made her gasp. She held the dress up, biting down on her lower lip, smiling.

  It. Was. Gorgeous. A cranberry-colored dress with a strapless bodice transitioning into a full, flowy skirt. I had no clue what the pattern was on the front or what fabric the skirt was made of, but it was perfection. “I’m not sure I’m worthy of wearing this.”