by elda lore
One knee knelt between her legs and I positioned myself to lay half over her. Her hands reached upward, tugging me down to her, and our lips rejoined. I nibbled on her lower lip and traced the arched bow of the top with my tongue. Her tongue met mine and we twirled together. Losing the battle to control my urges, I crushed her body then flipped her to cover mine. Her legs straddled my hips and she broke away to sit astride. Her white dress flowed around her, laying limp to cover me. She dragged the material upward to free her core and pressed her damp center over the hard length of me.
“Juliet,” I croaked. “Persephone,” I moaned as her hips rocked forward, thrusting along the length straining within my suit pants. My eyes rolled back and my hands limply rested on her hips. I didn’t have the will to stop her. She repeated the motion. All that separated us were thin dress pants and the heat of her underwear.
“What are you doing, Firefly?” I groaned as she picked up speed, increased the friction, and rode over me.
“I…” Her voice caught and her fingers clawed my chest. She tugged my shirt out of my pants and attempted to unbutton it. The attempt was fruitless as the rhythm of her rolling demanded her concentration. I sat up quickly, drew the shirt over my head and captured her mouth as she remained astride my lap. Her hands gripped my shoulders and her hips continued to rock. The tension built as my tongue assaulted her mouth and her core vanquished me. The bulge in my pants begged for release, longed for better contact, but I would take what she gave me, and tonight she took control.
My hands clasped under her firm rear and she slid upward to perch on the tip of my speared head. She paused, forcing herself downward. If we were raw, she’d be impaled by me. The thought caught my breath. I drew close. Release inevitable. She slipped down my covered length and rocked steadily.
“Hades.” Her voice hitched. “Hades, I…”
“Let it soar, Firefly,” I encouraged, guiding her hips as she lost herself over me.
“I can’t explain…butterflies…” Her voice choked. Her thighs clenched. Her nails dug into my shoulders and she groaned, a musical lyric of praise as she arched her back.
“Fly, Persephone.” She repeated the motion one more time then called my name as her forehead rest on mine. Her body quivered and I thrust upward, allowing the release I craved.
“Shit,” I muttered, as the force slammed through me and sprang forth so fiercely, I flinched. I held her firmly over me and relished the trembling pulses as I came. Our breaths mingled heavy with exertion while our chests rose and fell simultaneously. My mouth reached up for hers and I drank her in, savoring her breath, pouring over her tongue, and tasting the life in her. If I could die, she’d be the death of me.
Pulling back, I rested my forehead against hers. “Persephone, I…I never want to let you go.”
“You won’t have to,” she said, and it sounded like a promise to me.
Loss
[Persephone]
“What is this?” Hades’ father barked at me as I stood before his desk. I flinched at the sharpness of his tone. Behind him stood Hades’ mother in her dark glory. Hair piled on top of her head, she only missed a crown. Her hands slipped over the shoulders of her husband. Before me on the desk sat a basket full of red skinned fruit. I didn’t respond. Edwin stood in the shadows, his head bent. His large, imposing body not as powerful looking as his presence in the kitchen. Hades Sr. stood slowly, briefly kissed the cheek of his wife and rounded the desk. I didn’t miss the shiver rippling her body after he passed her. He leaned against the imposing desk and crossed his ankles. He reached back for a pomegranate and took a hearty bite.
“So juicy,” he slurred, his mouth full of fruit. Red liquid dribbled down his chin. “So ripe.” His eyes narrowed on me and I trembled. My eyes met the other Persephone’s over his shoulder. Her eyes closed in disgust. Hades Sr.’s rock star voice seductively rasped, but I was not seduced. Setting the half- eaten fruit back in the basket, he reached behind him again and held up a paper.
“This…,” he shook the parchment toward me. “…is now null.” Taking the top of the paper in both hands, he ripped the sheet directly down the middle. I stepped forward as if to protect the directive without knowing the words contained on it. I stopped and noticed Edwin shaking his hung head. A warning. My eyes flicked back to Hades Sr., the overlord of the underworld. His wife joined him at his side. I tried to raise my head high, stand taller than I felt as I stared at the strange royal couple.
“What was that?”
“A plea for your release. A bargain, of sorts.” He twisted to retrieve the half shell of fruit and continued eating. “But, now, you are still mine.”
“No, she’s mine.” The voice of the prince filled the large office space. He wasn’t present when Mina directed me to this office. I didn’t dare to look back at him, but relief washed over me. If nothing else, he was here to support me, but I wasn’t certain he could protect me from his parents. His father cocked a brow and stared over my shoulder at his son.
“I see.” Lowering his eyes, his lips twisted into a knowing smile. “Either way, she may no longer leave. The curse holds her bound here. She ate our food.”
“It was her mother’s food, actually.” Edwin spoke up from the corner.
“Be quiet,” barked Hades’ mother and a death-glare pinned him to the wall.
My mother? Of course, she knew I was here. They sent a ransom note. But did my mother know of some curse? Why would she send the fruit if it bound me to this forsaken place? These thoughts plagued me while the subtle sound of chewing filled the room.
“Technically, she hasn’t broken any rules,” Hades corrected behind me. “The fruit was a gift. Not something we provided.” His father’s eyes opened wide momentarily, then narrowed at the reality of this truth. If it were possible, his own mother’s eyes narrowed more. Her eyes, icy slits of hate, beamed at me.
“She still remains. I’m not taking their deal.” Hades Sr. sounded bored. His ankles uncrossed and he motioned to stand as if he finished with our little meeting.
“But why?” I stepped forward, reaching out for the older man. I thought better of trying to touch him and returned my hands to fists at my side.
“Because I want what should be mine. That land belongs to me.”
“How?” I blinked.
“My brother. He’s always interfering. Loved too many women instead of just one.” He shook his head and I was left to wonder what he meant. Who was his brother and what did it have to do with our land?
“The point is, you remain.” He tossed the shell of the fruit toward a garbage bin teeming with maggots. I gagged at the sight and a hand slipped into mine. The queen eyed the physical contact. Hades Sr. shook his head in disappointment.
“May it not be as bad for you as it was for her,” he muttered to his boot-covered feet. Reaching behind him, his wife brought forth an ancient hourglass, the lower glass bulb filled more than halfway with sand. Her lips curled slowly, eerily pleased with herself.
“Time has almost run out.” Her cold eyes danced with glee.
“I don’t understand.” I blinked again in confusion.
“You’ll have plenty of time to learn everything now.” Hades Sr. spoke with a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Come on, Persephone.” Hades tugged me gently to follow him. I countered the pull.
“What is the hourglass?” The question squeaked childishly from my throat, filled with terror.
“It’s Time,” the queen answered, giving the apparatus a shake. Surprisingly it didn’t change the sifting of the sand. The steady stream remained, dropping a thin line of grains.
“I thought you were Time.” I spun to face Hades, our fingers still interlocked. His mother’s laughter filled the room, snaking around my waist and crawling up my back to surround my shoulders. Something wasn’t right. My heart pinched. My brief caught. My hand rose to cover my chest.
“He is of no consequence. This is the Time you should be concerned with. Y
ou soul rests here.” A long fingernail tapped the lower glass attached to second one by a narrow curve. “When the sand runs empty, so will your life.”
The organ that kept me alive clenched so hard I folded at the waist. Hades hunched before me.
“Firefly?” he exhaled. A shaky hand came to my cheek. My hand fisted against my chest. The pain subsided instantly. I stood, taking a deep breath. Hades stood as well, shielding me behind him.
“I will not let you do this.” I couldn’t see a look exchanged between him and his parents. My forehand rest on his shoulder blade as I willed the tears not to fall. He spun quickly, leading me out of the office by a hand on my lower back.
I tried to remain brave, but I collapsed against the wall while we waited for the elevator. My breaths came deep.
“I promised nothing would ever hurt you here. Not even me. Not even them. I promised.” He brushed trembling fingers over my cheek and cupped my chin. Shrugging one shoulder, I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Looks like I’ll be staying.” I blinked rapidly, but the suppressed tears softly fell.
“Is it so bad?” he asked, brushing away the droplets.
“It’s not awful.” I shrugged again, smiling weakly at him. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to remain with him, but I missed my family and friends. I missed my freedom and fresh air. I didn’t want to ferment here because I was forced.
“I think I’d like to be alone.” I just wanted time to wrap my head around staying here permanently. About the threat of dying soon. Hades stepped into my space, brushing back my hair and wiping at another loose tear.
“Don’t shut me out,” he whispered. His lips tickled over mine. It wasn’t a kiss; it was an asking. Let him into my thoughts and my fears. I rubbed my nose on the tip of his.
“Just give me a little time tonight, okay?” I paused as he pulled back from me. The concern in his eyes matched the shade of a deep sea. Calm on the surface but swirling underneath. The elevator dinged and the door parted. I walked around him to enter, but he didn’t follow.
“Tonight.” The words fluttered from his lips, and flew out to me, but I couldn’t decipher if it was a warning or a wish. Either way, he gifted me time alone to think. It appeared Time was I all I had.
Level Seven:
Lust
[Hades]
I took a different elevator down to Elysium and stood against the bar with my head in my hands. Rhad poured me a drink and I swallowed the bitter wine.
“Trouble in Paradise?” He joked.
“You have no idea,” I muttered, taking from him his second offering.
“She’s certainly beautiful.”
My eyes shot up to his. He was considered a good looking man for his time. A hero, he’d been hailed when he entered the underworld.
“Think she’s beautiful among men?” I don’t know what I wanted to know. I’d seen the way that fighter, Tripper Grant, reached for her, called to her. He wanted her as his. My fist lowered with a thud to the wood counter. He couldn’t have her.
“I’d say, she’s hot. Isn’t that the modern term?” He chuckled as he poured himself a shot. “Seems feisty, possibly.”
I snorted.
“Maybe passionate is a better word.” Rhad paused with his thought, and I realized he was correct. She loved her family and her friends, and while I believed she felt something for me, her feelings laid with the land and those attached to it outside of here.
“Nothing wrong with being passionate, though.” Rhad amended his earlier comment.
“Her passions are made of nothing but the finest part of pure love.”
“What’s that you say?”
“Shakespeare,” I mumbled. I could not fault her feelings for those she missed. I only longed for her to feel the same about me.
The ancient rotary phone rang opposite the bar and Rhad answered it. He looked at me instantly and nodded as if the person could see him. Without a word, he hung up.
“Your girl is on Level Seven.”
--
Level seven didn’t hide its title. The word “Lust” beamed in bright pink neon over the double doors. The pulse from the nightclub inside vibrated, luring me in. The dull red doors thumped steadily, like a heart. One could feel the energy before you entered.
Once inside the dark cavern, an assault of glimmering walls and beams of gold shot across the space. The room throbbed with life from the steady movement of bodies in all manner of gyration. I found Persephone easily in the center: a firefly inside a glass jar. Her dress highlighted her behind and cleavage peeked over the top. It looked like she wrapped herself in a strip of material and it struggled to cover her. Her hair hung long and curled at the tips, flouncing with each thrust of her hips.
My hands clenched together, trembling at how beautiful she looked. Sexy, that was her tonight. My jeans tightened and I made a weak attempt to adjust myself.
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” I recognized the voice of Sirene at my side.
“Amazing.” Even my voice shook. My attraction to her was like a moth to a flame. I longed to be burned by her light. My cock flinched firmer and I tensed all over. Parting for me, the crowd made space as I strutted toward this vision, hardly clad, in white. A techno-tonic beat surrounded her, and she danced alone within a sea of creatures. Gray-skinned and ashen hair, the others ignored her, letting her glow like the firefly she was within the darkness. Oblivious to what and who surrounded her, she rolled her hips and lifted her hair. Her eyes closed and her smile disappeared. She lost herself in the rhythmic music.
My hand came to her lower back and pulled her close. Without acknowledgement, she leaned into me and our bodies meshed with the pulsing beat, wrapping around just us, and forcing our bodies to move with the sound. Her back to me, she rubbed over my hard center. Her hands combed into her hair and twisted upward the golden mass, exposing her neck. I gripped her hips and dipped my head.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed, dragging her backside over me. She twisted her neck to squint at me over her shoulder.
“Losing myself.” I kissed her shoulder and she spun to face me. One arm slung over my shoulder and we returned to a sensual curl of our lower bodies. I leaned forward to take her lips with mine, but she pulled back. Her eyes shifted over my shoulder and her expression changed.
“Someone’s watching us.” I glanced behind me to see Sirene across the room, her graying hair streaked with dull red. Catching my eye, she sauntered toward us, her curvy body swaying with sin. Striding up to me, she slipped an arm around my shoulders and started to dance at my side as if one with me. Still gripping Persephone’s hips, she eyed the girl, taking in her dark, fitted clothes, and the streaks in her hair. She watched the two of us for a moment. Then Sirene ran her long nails through the back of my hair. My eyes didn’t leave Persephone. Her hips still rolled, nudging into me every other beat and colliding with the length of me. Sirene leaned in toward my neck and Persephone lost control.
“No,” she snapped, pushing Sirene on the shoulder. Sirene’s smile turned wicked and her black lips sneered at Persephone. The wrist loosely draped over my shoulder swat at Sirene’s fingers in my hair.
“Get off him,” she hissed with the flick of her wrist. Sirene stopped moving and Persephone’s feet stalled. The two faced off. Fearing for Persephone, I scooped down and picked her up, lugging her over my shoulder. My hand slipped up her thigh and I quickly realized I had exposed her backside to the crowd. She beat my back.
“Put me down,” she yelled as she slapped at me. “Let me at her.”
I set her down when we were a safe distance toward the back of the bar.
“What was that?” I yelled over the pulsing rhythm that matched my heart.
“She wants you!” Persephone’s arms flapped out to the side.
“So?” I chuckled, struggling with containing my joy at her jealousy.
“She can’t have you.”
“And why not?” I crossed my arms to match hers. Hope for h
er answer made my heart throb with anticipation. I wanted her to say no other could have me because I belonged to her. Her arms flared outward again and she slapped one hand on her thigh. Without answering, she spun away from me and stalked toward the door.
“Wait.” I gripped her arm and she twisted, falling into me. Distracted, her eyes opened wide at something to my left. Narrowing her eyes for clearer vision, her mouth fell open.
“What do you see?” Twisting, I knew the answer before I saw them: two people pinned up against the wall, using the rhythm of the music to guide them, as the man thrust into the woman. Her head lulled back and her mouth gaped. He kept the tempo steady to the musical beat. Her head rolled forward; her scream lost in the sensual sounds surrounding us.
Persephone’s head spun and, on the other side of me, she noticed a man on a low chair in the corner, a girl on her knees before him. His eyes were trained on Persephone while the girl sucked him deep. Her face flipped to mine.
“Take me out of here,” she exhaled.
Love
[Persephone]
My heart galloped but the beat between my thighs was winning the race. The things I saw did something to me. Combined with my anger at that vile creature touching him, and my jealousy that they would make a better pair, my skin prickled with an unquenchable need. We entered the elevator and rode in silence. His mouth opened to speak and then shut quickly. He covered his lips, tempted to smile, yet struggled to suppress it.
I entered his room first and spun on him the second the door closed. I flew at him and he caught me. My mouth crashed with his and our tongues fought for control. I climbed him. My dress did not restrict me and my knees clenched his hips as his hands slipped under my thighs. He met with bare cheeks.
“What in the name…” His breath caught between unrelenting kisses from me. His fingers pressed against two warm globes. Walking us to the bed, I refused to relinquish him and he fell on top of me. The pads of his fingers exploring, he found the thin strip of thong between solid muscle. A slice from his talon-like nail and the lace shred. I took his wrist with one hand and moved his fingers forward.