Hades said nothing, lost in a haze of want, and rose to cover her once more, positioning himself at her entrance. He sank deep, his thrusts were rough and wild.
At some point, he lifted her as if she weighed nothing, sitting back on his heels and gripping her hips, he moved her up and down his shaft. The feel of him inside her was perfection, and she grew hungry to feel him deeper and faster. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved against him. Their mouths came together, teeth scraping, tongues searching. Together, they rode wave after wave of mindless sensation and came together, collapsing in a heap of limbs and sweat and hard breaths.
Before she fell asleep again, she had the fleeting thought that, if this was her fate, she would gladly claim it.
CHAPTER XIX – A TOUCH OF POWER
Persephone woke to find Hades asleep beside her. He lay on his back, black sheets covering the lower half of his body, leaving the contours of his stomach exposed. His hair spilled over his pillow, his jaw covered in stubble. She wanted to reach out and trace his perfect brows, nose, and lips, but she didn’t want to wake him, and the move seemed too intimate. She realized that sounded ridiculous considering what had taken place between them last night. Still, touching him without invitation or initiation seemed like something a lover might do, and Persephone did not feel like Hades’ lover.
She wasn’t even sure she wanted to be a lover. She’d always imagined falling in love as something heady, almost shy—but things with the Lord of the Dead had been anything but shy. Their attraction was carnal and greedy and burning. It stole her breath, crowded her mind, invaded her body.
Heat started to build in the pit of her stomach, igniting the desire she’d felt so strongly yesterday. Breathe, she told herself, willing the warmth to dissipate.
After a moment, she slipped out of bed. She found the black robe Hades had let her borrow when she’d first come to the Underworld and slipped it on. Wandering onto the balcony, she let herself take a deep breath, and, in the quiet of the day, the full weight of what she had done with Hades crashed down upon her. She had never been so confused or afraid.
Confused because her feelings for the god were all tangled up—she was angry with him, mostly because of the contract, but otherwise intrigued and the way he’d made her feel last night—well, nothing compared. He had worshipped her. He had lain himself bare, admitting his desire for her. Together, they had been vulnerable and senseless and savage. She didn’t need to look in the mirror to know that her skin was discolored in all the places Hades had bit and sucked and gripped. He had explored parts of her no one else had.
And that was where the fear came in.
She was losing herself in this god, in this world beneath her own. Before, when all they’d shared was a moment of weakness in the baths, she might have sworn to stay away and meant it, but if she said it now, it would just be a lie.
Whatever was between them, it was powerful. She had felt it the moment she laid eyes on the god. Knew it deep in her soul. Every interaction since then had been a desperate attempt to ignore their truth—that they were meant to come together—and Sybil had confirmed that last night.
It was destiny, woven by the Fates.
But Persephone knew there were many such alliances, and being meant for each other didn’t mean perfection or even happiness. Sometimes it was chaos and strife—and given how tumultuous her life had been since she met Hades, nothing good would come from their love.
Why was she thinking about love?
She pushed those thoughts away. This wasn’t about love. It was about satisfying the electric attraction that had been building between them since that first night in Nevernight. Now it was done. She wouldn’t let herself regret it. Instead, she would embrace it. Hades had made her feel powerful. He had made her feel like the goddess she was supposed to be—and she had enjoyed every bit of it.
She took another breath as heat rose from the bottom of her stomach. As she inhaled the crisp Underworld air, she felt something...different.
It was warm. It was a pulse. It was life.
It felt distant, like a memory she knew existed but couldn’t quite recall, and when it started to fade, she tried to chase it. Descending the steps into the garden, she halted on the black stone. Her heart was racing, and her breath came harshly. She tried to calm herself again, holding her breath until her chest grew tight.
Just when she thought she’d lost it, she felt the feather-light pulse at the edges of her senses.
Magic.
It was magic. Her magic!
She stepped off the path and wandered into the gardens. Surrounded by roses and peonies, she closed her eyes and breathed deep. The calmer she became, the more life she felt around her. It warmed her skin, soaked deep into her veins. It was as heady as the lust she felt for Hades.
“Are you well?”
Persephone’s eyes flew open, and she turned to face the God of the Dead. He was a few paces behind her. She’d stood beside him often enough, but this morning, in the garden surrounded by flowers and wearing only a wrap around his waist and still in his Divine form, he seemed to swallow her vision. Her eyes fell from his face to his chest and down, tracing all the planes of his body she’d touched and tasted last night.
“Persephone?” His voice took on a lustful tone, and when she met his gaze again, she knew he was restraining himself. She managed a smile.
“I am well,” she said.
Hades took a breath, and then approached her, clasping her chin between his fingers. She thought he would kiss her, but instead, he asked, “You are not regretting our night together?”
“No!” Her eyes lowered, and she repeated herself quietly. “No.”
Hades’ thumb passed over her bottom lip. “I don’t think I could handle your regret.”
He kissed her, his fingers threaded through her hair, and he cupped the back of her head, holding her to him. It wasn’t long before her robe parted, and her creamy skin exposed to the morning. Hades hands trailed down her body, gripping her thighs. He lifted and thrusted into her. She gasped and held him tightly, moving against him harder and faster, feeling wave after wave of pleasure rush through her body while life fluttered around her.
It was intoxicating.
Persephone buried her face in the crook of Hades’ neck biting down hard as she shattered in his arms. A growl tore through his throat, and he pumped into her harder until she felt him pulse inside her. He held her a moment while they breathed hard against each other before he withdrew and helped her to the ground. She held onto him, legs shaky, fearing she might fall. Hades seemed to notice and picked her up, cradling her against him.
Persephone closed her eyes. She didn’t want him to see what was in them. It was true she didn’t regret last night or this morning, but she had questions—not only for him but for herself. What were they doing? What did this night mean for them? Their future? Her contract? What would she do the next time things started to go too far?
They returned to Hades room where they showered and when Persephone went to pick up her discarded dress, she frowned. It was far too dressy to wear around the Underworld, and she planned to stay a while.
“Do you…have something I can wear?
Hades gave her an appraising look. “What you have on will be just fine.”
She gave him a pointed look. “You’d rather I wander your palace naked? In front of Hermes and Charon—”
Hades jaw tightened. “On second thought—”
He disappeared and returned in an instant, carrying a length of fabric. It was a beautiful shade of green.
“Will you allow me to dress you?”
She swallowed hard. She was getting used to these kinds of words coming out of his mouth. Still, it was odd. He was ancient and powerful and gorgeous. He was known for his ruthless assessment of souls and impossible bargains, and yet he was asking to dress her after a night of passionate sex.
Would wonders never cease?
She nodded and Hades set
to work, wrapping the fabric around her body. He took his time, using this as an excuse to touch and kiss and tease, and by the time he finished, her body was flush. It took everything in her power to let him pull away. She wanted to demand that he finish what he started, but then they would never leave this room.
He kissed her before they left his chambers and directed her to a beautiful dining room. She almost felt it was a little ridiculous. Several chandeliers cut through the middle of the ceiling, and a gold coat of arms hung on the wall over an ornate throne-like chair at the end of an ebony banquet table crowded with chairs. It was a banquet hall for more than just she and Hades.
“You actually eat in here?” Persephone asked.
Hades seemed amused. “Yes, but not often. I usually take my breakfast to go.”
Hades pulled out a chair and helped Persephone sit. Once he took his seat, a couple of nymphs entered the dining hall with trays of fruit, meat, cheese, and bread. They were followed by Minthe. The nymphs placed the food on the table and Minthe came to stand between she and Hades.
“My lord,” Minthe said. “You have a full schedule today.”
“Clear the morning,” he said without looking at her.
“It’s already eleven, my lord,” Minthe said tightly.
Hades filled his plate and when he finished, looked at Persephone.
“Are you not hungry, darling?” he asked.
She was well-aware that he had called her darling. Though he had been doing it since they met, he’d never said it in front of anyone. A glance at Minthe told her the nymph had heard and didn’t like it.
“No,” she said. “I…usually only drink coffee for breakfast.”
He stared at her for a moment, and then, with a flick of his wrist, a steaming cup of coffee sat before her.
“Cream? Sugar?” he asked.
“Cream,” she said, smiling, and it was given.
She cupped her hands around the mug. “Thank you.”
“What are your plans today?” Hades asked.
It took Persephone a moment to realize he was talking to her. “Oh, I need to write—”
She stopped talking abruptly.
“Your article?” Hades asked. She could not tell what he was thinking, but she felt it and it wasn’t good.
“I will be along shortly, Minthe,” Hades said at length, and Persephone’s heart fell. “Leave us.”
“As you wish, my lord.” There was amusement to Minthe’s voice that Persephone hated.
When they were alone, Hades asked, “So, you will continue to write about my faults?”
“I don’t know what I am going to write this time,” she said. “I...”
“You what?”
“I hoped I might be able to interview a few of your souls.”
“The ones on your list?”
She explained that she didn’t want to write about the Olympian Gala or The Halcyon Project, knowing that all the other newspapers would jump on that story.
Hades stared at her for a long moment and then wiped his mouth with his napkin. After, he pushed away from the table and stood, striding toward the exit. Persephone followed.
“I thought we agreed we wouldn’t leave each other when we are angry? Didn’t you request that we work through it?”
Hades twisted toward her. “It’s just that I’m not particularly excited that my lover is continuing to write about my life.”
She blushed at hearing him call her lover. She thought about correcting him but decided against it.
“It’s my assignment,” Persephone argued. “I can’t just stop.”
“It wouldn’t have been your assignment if you had heeded my request.”
Persephone crossed her arms over her chest. “You never request anything, Hades. Everything is an order. You ordered me not to write about you. You said there would be consequences.”
His face changed then, and the look he gave her was more endearing than angry. It made her heart flutter. “And yet you went through with it anyway.”
She opened her mouth to deny it because the reality was that she hadn’t—Adonis had, and despite the fact that she really disliked the creep of a mortal, she didn’t want Hades to know he was responsible. In truth, she’d rather deal with Adonis herself.
“I should have expected it,” he said, drawing his finger along her jaw, tipping her head back. “You are defiant and angry with me.”
“I’m not...” She started to say, but then Hades’ hands cupped her face. “Shall I remind you that I can taste lies, darling?”
He brushed her bottom lip with his thumb.
“I could spend all day kissing you.”
“No one’s stopping you,” she said, surprised by the words that came out of her mouth. Where was this boldness coming from?
But Hades only chuckled and pressed his lips to hers.
CHAPTER XX – ELYSIUM
It was an hour or so later when Hades walked Persephone outside. He held her hand, fingers laced, and called a name into the air.
“Thanatos!”
Persephone was surprised when a god dressed in black appeared before them. He was young and his hair was white, which made the rest of his feature stand out in vivid color—sapphire eyes and blood-red lips. Two black gayal horns stuck out on the side of his head. They were short, with a slight curve and came to sharp points. Large black wings sprouted from his back. They looked heavy and ominous.
“My lord, my lady,” Thanatos said, bowing to them.
“Thanatos, Lady Persephone has a list of souls she’d like to meet. Would you mind escorting her?”
“I would be honored, my lord.”
Hades looked at her then. “I will leave you in Thanatos’s care.”
“Will I see you later?” she asked.
“If you wish,” he said, and lifted her hand to his lips. She blushed when Hades kissed her knuckles, which seemed so silly considering all the places those lips had been.
Hades must have thought the same thing because he laughed quietly and vanished.
Persephone turned to face Thanatos, meeting those striking blue eyes.
“So, you are Thanatos.”
The god smiled. “The very one.”
She was struck by how kind and soothing his voice sounded. She instantly felt comfortable with him and there was a part of her brain that realized it must be one of his gifts—to comfort the mortals whose souls he was about to harvest.
“I confess, I have been eager to meet you. The souls speak well of you.”
She smiled. “I enjoy being with them. Until I visited Asphodel, I did not have a very peaceful view of the Underworld.”
He looked sympathetic, as if he understood. “I imagine so. The Upperworld has made death evil, and I suppose I cannot blame them.”
“You are very understanding,” she observed.
“Well, I do spend a lot of time in the company of mortals, and always in their worst or hardest moments.”
She frowned. It seemed sad that this was Thanatos’ existence, but the God of Death quickly soothed.
“Do not mourn for me, my lady. The shadow of death is often a comfort to the dying.”
She decided she really liked Thanatos.
“Shall we find these souls you wish to speak to?” he questioned, quickly changing the subject.
“Yes, please,” she said, handing him the list she’d made her first day at New Athens News when she’d begun her research into Hades. “Can you take me to any of these?”
Thanatos’s brows came together as he read the list, and he grimaced. She did not think that was a good sign.
“If I may, why these souls?”
“I believe they all had something in common before they died,” Persephone said. “A contract with Hades.”
“They did,” Thanatos agreed. It surprised Persephone that he knew. “And you wish to…interview them? For your paper?”
“Yes.” Persephone found herself answering hesitantly, suddenly unsure. Did Thanatos
share Minthe’s view of her?
The God of Death folded the piece of paper and said, “I will take you to them. Though, I think you will be disappointed.”
She didn’t have time to ask why, as Thanatos stretched his wings, folded them around her, and teleported.
When she was released from his feathery hold, they were at the center of a field. The first thing she noticed was the silence. It was different here—a tangible thing that had weight and pressed against her ears. The grass beneath her feet was golden in color, and the trees tall and lush, heavy with fruit. The place was beautiful and peaceful.
“Where are we?”
“These are the Elysium Fields,” Thanatos answered.
“I...don’t understand.”
The Elysium Fields were known as the Isle of the Blessed, reserved for heroes and those who lived a pure and righteous life dedicated to the gods. That was far from the truth of the souls on the list she’d given Thanatos. These were people who had struggled in life, made bad decisions—one of those being a bargain with Hades—that ended their life.
“The list of names you offered,” Thanatos said. “Those souls reside here. In Elysium.”
“But, Elysium is paradise.”
Thanatos offered her a small smile, as if he understood her confusion. “It is a paradise. It is a sanctuary. It is where the pained come to heal in peace and solitude—it is where Hades sent the souls on the list you gave once they died.”
She looked out at the plain where several souls lingered. They were beautiful phantoms—dressed in white and glowing, but more than that, she knew this place was healing. Her heart felt lighter, unburdened by the frustration and anger she felt over the last couple of months.
“Why? Did he feel guilty?”
Thanatos gave her a confused look.
“He is the reason they died,” she explained. “He made a bargain with them, and when they couldn’t fulfill it, he took their soul.”
A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone #1) Page 22