He waited for the angry, the scathing disdain. But instead, she reached up and took his face in her hands. “I’ll speak no condemning words to you!” Her dark eyes burned with a mother’s
passion as she spoke, “I know you, dear brother. You wouldn’t have done such a thing if there had been another way. So listen to the advice of your sister and a woman. If you love her, tell her so. Tell her why you love her. Let her see the man beneath this warrior’s shell! The man I know you to be! And then let her go so she may make her own decisions.”
“I can’t let her go.”
“You must.”
“She’s everything to me, Leuce. Life without her…”
“Will be just as empty.” She gazed up at him, tears in her eyes. “Women maybe chattel in this world, but our hearts and our souls cannot be bought and sold. You may keep her here with you for eternity, and you will lose her.”
She kissed his cheek and walked away from him. He watched her return to the loving
embrace of her family and he knew she was right.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
PERSEPHONE STEPPED out of the palace and stopped at the strangest sight. Hades, Lord
of the Underworld, was kneeling in the dirt. She watched him in fascination as she lifted a spade, dug a few holes in the dirt, dropped something sparkling into each hole, and then covering them before moving on to the next spot.
He didn’t look so fearsome now. In fact, he appeared almost domestic. It was a side she’d never seen of him. It was part of his gentle side, the one he’d shown her in the forest.
She felt the stirrings of something unnamed in her heart as she watched him, something she felt for him before and had passed off as magic, but was being to realize it was him. His very presence evoked fond feelings of affection, friendship, and tenderness.
As she watched him, she realized she still cared deeply for him; she had always cared for him despite her anger. Her life here wasn’t so horrible. There were moments of great joy for her, friends she would miss terribly. There were moments of passion and pleasure. Hades treated her with gentleness. She couldn’t recall a time when he’d been really cruel to her. Well, there was the abduction, but the more she thought of it, the less angry she was at him and the angrier she was at Zeus for forcing her into the marriage and Demeter panicking and taking her away.
Hades sat back and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm. He turned his head and looked at her. She smiled at the dirt covering his hands and tunic, the smudges on his cheek, nose, and side of his neck.
“What is so funny?”
“I’m baffled and amused that a warrior, a king, and the Lord of the Underworld is planting flowers.”
He grinned. “I planted a tree over there.” He pointed to the freshly dug spot in the middle of the garden he seem determined to plant with a small twig of gold sticking out of the dirt. “It’ll have gold leaves on it.”
She studied the seeds. They seemed to be special types of gemstones like the ones in the
Elysian Fields.
“Do all the plants have precious metals or gems in them?”
“I guess.” He began digging another hole. “The creator of the Underworld used what they
had. This place is filled with riches.”
“Why don’t you use magic to plant them?”
He shrugged. “I thought it would mean more if I did it by hand.”
And it did mean more. It pleased her and bothered her that he was doing it for her.
“Can I help?” It was the most she could offer in her effort to show an outward display of appreciation.
“I don’t want you to get dirty.”
“I don’t mind. I can wash up in the bathing room.”
Before he could protest, she knelt beside him, unconcerned that her amethyst dress now
needed a washing. Their hands touched as they reached for the seeds. The simple contact
warmed her body and the briefest image of her dancing in the moonlight flashed before her eyes.
“If you insist,” he said. He handed her a handful of gemlike seeds and his spade.
“I wonder, could I?” She put her hand up to her mouth and pretended to blow the seeds
across the acreage.
He laughed. “That’s cheating.”
She looked away embarrassed. “I just… My mother does it. It looks efficient.”
He touched her chin, raising her face. He wiped the tear from her face. “I didn’t mean you can’t do it, Persephone. You should use magic whenever you want.”
She nodded. Swallowing her fear that he might try to stop her from using magic, she asked,
“Can you show me how?”
He nodded, moving to kneel behind her, his warmth enveloping her as his arms came around
her. His breath, warm and light on her neck, sent chills through her.
He rested her palm in his hand and raised their hands. She’d felt the surge of energy pulsing from him into her, flow through her body, awakening the maelstrom of power trapped inside her.
It paced and clawed at its confines. It reached for her, striving to be free. And in that instant, she felt the power of eternity expanding and contracting.
She reached for it, but Hades stopped her. “Not yet, sweetling, but soon.”
He reached into the swirling vortex. The magic spilled through their linked hands, filling her to the brim, before he closed the door and she was once more facing the garden.
“Now blow,” Hades whispered.
She blew. The seeds flew across the plot of land, landing in the soil, and burrowing down into the earth. Hades released her and resumed planting with the spade. She picked up more seeds from the bag he set between them and blew. They planted themselves.
She laughed, giddy with delight at her newfound power. Before she knew what she was
doing, she turned to Hades and took his face between her hands, kissing him. Not the sweet kisses she’d given him before, but one filled with everything she was feeling for him and was not prepared share with him.
Her desire, her delight at seeing him, the pleasure she felt as he touched her, her need for companionship, her cravings for his touch, and her need to end the loneliness and sadness they both felt.
His arms closed around her, his strong hands tightened around her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened her simple kiss. His mouth slanted over hers, and in return she felt his need to be with her, his desire to touch her, his yearning, his affection and joy at seeing her, and his acceptance that nothing could happen between them.
She moaned. Her entire body was afire. She forgot ever reason why they should not to do
this. She pressed closer, striving to merge their bodies into one.
He jerked away, eyes wide with panic. “No! We can’t do this, Persephone.”
She blinked. “I understand,” she said, though she wasn’t sure if she really did.
He cupped her face in his hand. “You don’t, sweetling. I wish you did understand, but you don’t.” He kissed her lips, swift and hard. “It’s going to be hard enough to let you go, but…”
Let her go? Of course! How could she have been such an idiot? She was just his pawn in a
fight between him and Zeus. He didn’t care about her and she would be a fool to think otherwise.
She pulled away, rising to her feet, and leaving him kneeling in the dirt. She had to get away from here, before her hopes and dreams clouded the truth.
“WELL PLAYED.”
Hades groaned. He wanted to chase Persephone down and explain things to her. But he
turned on his mother instead. “What do you want from me?”
“To not be a bloody idiot!” she snarled.
“It’s too late for that,” he grumbled, wishing of all the people to catch him, it wasn’t his mother. “Bored again?”
“Yes. Which is why I’m taking Campe’s place in the arena. He came down with a sudden
case of sword in the heart.”
Hades blinked. “Really?”
“He’ll be all right in a day or two. Until then I plan on thrashing you for being an idiot.”
He sighed. He could cry off, but he really didn’t want to. A good fight was just what he
needed to get his mind off the woman that made his blood heat and his brain forget all his good intentions.
Chapter 20
ZEUS STARED out the window of the assembly room and wished he was anywhere but here
with Hera, Hestia, Poseidon, Athena, Artemis, Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, and Hermes. Even
polishing his thunderbolt would be more interesting than watching Aphrodite and Ares flirt and fight as they were now.
Aphrodite laughed. “Please, Ares. It wouldn’t hurt you to take a vacation for a change.”
He growled. “You know what my policy is: always be ready to fight.”
She leaned forward, revealing a generous view of her ample breasts. “And my policy is to make love, not war.”
A smile spread across Ares’ face. “We can do both.”
Athena and Artemis glanced at each other and shook their heads. Zeus sighed. It wasn’t just tiring watching the two; it was downright indecent. There were moments when Zeus wondered if Ares and Aphrodite were going to have sex on the floor, regardless of the gods and goddesses watching them.
“Enough. We’re here to discuss business.”
He straightened on his throne, aware that Hera watched him with careful eyes. The other
gods and goddesses sat on their own thrones in the oval room. He shifted so he wouldn’t have to make eye contact with his betrothed. He hoped she didn’t know about him and Leda yesterday.
He cleared his throat and began again. “The humans need to be physically fit. They’ll live longer if they’re in good health and good shape.”
“And have better sex,” Aphrodite interrupted, glancing Ares’ way.
He glared at her and Ares. “You two need to stop. The way you go on is ridiculous.”
“No more ridiculous than a god turning into a swan so he can hump the first woman he sees,”
Hera snapped.
He didn’t even bother looking at his soon-to-be-wife. She knew. He hated it when his
suspicions were proven true. He’d have to protect Leda from Hera’s wrath. But later. First, he had to get through this meeting.
“Um, alright,” he said as if confused by her comment. “The humans need to be fit. It’s not necessary for them to fight in wars.” He pointedly glanced at Ares. “So we need to find an alternative. Are there any ideas?”
“Sports,” Artemis said.
Apollo nodded.
The door to the assembly room crashed against the marble wall. Ares and Apollo jumped to
their feet and Ares drew his sword. Hermes fled with a screaming, “I didn’t do it!” Aphrodite lounged on her throne with a bemused look on her face. Hera rose to her feet. Artemis, Athena, and Hestia remained in their seats.
Zeus briefly wondered if Thanatos was making another grand entrance, but it wasn’t
Thanatos standing in the doorway. A disheveled Demeter stormed into the room. Her dirt stained dress whipped around her legs and her corn blond hair was pure chaos. Zeus sighed.
Demeter’s wild eyes locked onto Zeus. “Where is she?!” she thundered. “What have you
done with her?”
His spine stiffened at the accusation. “Who?”
“Persephone! My daughter!”
He stood, absolutely shocked. Who would have the audacity to kidnap a goddess? “Last time I saw our daughter, she was at the party.”
She seemed to inflate, stumbling to a stop. “But you…You wanted her to marry…”
“I ordered you to present her two months ago so she could pick a husband. You took her from Olympus. Maybe she ran away?”
“No! Persephone’s missing! She was taken!”
Zeus grimaced at the shrill shouts. His gaze swept the room, noticing he was the only one in the room uncomfortable by this discussion. The others were fascinated by the display playing out before them.
“I’m sorry, Demeter, but no one has seen Persephone.”
Zeus sighed and tried to focus on the problem at hand. He was King of the Gods and was
responsible for those under his control, regardless of how distasteful the problem. “How do you know she did leave on her own? It’s not the first time. Persephone always had an adventurous spirit.”
It was the best explanation of what happened. No one was foolish enough to abduct a
goddess whose power would never allow her to be subdued for long, so the only other
explanation was that she ran away from her overprotective mother.
Demeter’s eyes shone brightly with angry tears. “I heard her screams. She didn’t leave
willingly. Someone kidnapped her! And I think you know who!”
“Who, Demeter?” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “I know this is hard for you to hear, but who would be foolish enough to kidnap a goddess. Maybe it’s time to let her go.”
She choked on an outraged cry. Shaking her head vehemently, she said, “No! She’s still a child.”
“She’s six-hundred-years-old.”
“What does age matter to an immortal? She has centuries more to mature.”
He closed his eyes for a brief moment and released a long breath, hoping she would begin to think logically. “We both know that’s not true, Demeter.”
“She didn’t run off! Someone took her! Who was it, Zeus?”
“I’m not involved. I’ve enough problems to deal with, without adding Persephone to them.”
When she looked like she was going to protest, he held up his hand to stop her. “Listen. If she was a child, I would search for her. But she’s not a child anymore. She’s a grown woman. She’s a goddess. She’s capable of handling things on her own.”
“No!” She trembled as more tears streamed down her face. “You don’t care for your children anymore than you do for the women you sleep with.”
Zeus rolled his eyes at her melodramatic anger. He had no patience with unreasonable
goddesses. It was bad enough that he had Hera harping on him about his behavior and Hades blaming him for his bride’s disappearance. “That’s not true. It’s just that are some things even I can’t control. Like free will. When she’s ready she’ll return to you.”
“I know you have something to do with this, Zeus. But even if you didn’t, mark my words
well. Until my daughter is returned to me, nothing will grow. The world you know will remain in constant flux. The voices of thousands of mortals will beg for your mercy.”
Demeter pivoted and stalked out of the chamber, her back ramrod straight. He sighed and
shook his head. Irrational, unreasonable women. Why Hades wanted one, he’d never know.
Ares was the first to move. “Sports it is. I have to go.”
He bolted for the door and the others followed him with excuses of their own. All except
Aphrodite. She sat on her throne, watching Zeus with knowing eyes. He almost wanted to ask her what secrets she kept, but she shook her head. She wasn’t prepared to impart them.
Aphrodite rose from her throne in a graceful move that might have been seductive had he
been in the mood to appreciate it. “Well, that was highly entertaining,” she said.
Zeus glared at her. “Did you want something?”
“Did it ever cross your mind that Demeter might be right, Zeusy?”
“Who would capture a goddess and be able to hold her?”
“You mean, who would be able to capture magic-bound Persephone and hold her? Apollo.
Hermes. Ares. Poseidon. Not to mention any Titan and mortal in the world. Persephone doesn’t just lack her memories but her magic. She wouldn’t be able to escape a stick hut.”
“But...How could she do that? The gods are born with the abilities of magic?”
She sa
untered toward him, a hand on her hip. “Unless?”
“Demeter wouldn’t!”
“Wouldn’t she? To keep that girl so innocent and with her for eternity after what happened?
After all no one knows what occurred in the palace after Coronus came for her.” She patted his cheek. “It’s okay if you don’t understand, Zeusy. You’re only breeder, not a parent.”
“I have more children than you.”
“And you raised how many?”
He shrugged.
“But you’re right. Demeter didn’t do it. She doesn’t have the strength.” She walked away, her hips sashaying. At the doors she turned to him. “Oh, I almost forgot. Hades may feign innocence, but he knew our dear Persephone before he asked you for a bride.”
The doors closed, leaving him alone with his unsavory thoughts. Hades knew Persephone?
He’d directed the conversation. He’d pressed Zeus until he named a bride he wanted. The
bastard!
“Hades!”
Even before he finished calling the gods name, Hades appeared. The god looked absolutely awful. He was covered in cuts, dirt, and blood. “What do you want?” he snapped.
Zeus glared at him. He had no doubt that Hades was behind Persephone’s disappearance. He
was a brute, a cold hearted god with power behind him, but he wasn’t known for abusing
women. Despite the rumors, Hades’ first wife was an unfortunate accident of youth, not a
deliberate attempt at murder.
“What have you done?”
“What do you mean?” Hades snapped.
“Persephone!” Zeus clarified. “Where is she?”
“In the Underworld,” Hades confirmed, not even pretending to misunderstand. “I claimed
one of your daughters, our deal is sealed. Now if that’s all. I have other business to attend to.”
And then the god of the Underworld was gone, leaving Zeus to rain curses down upon the
empty air.
Chapter 21
PERSEPHONE WAS suffocating, trapped, helpless. She had to get out of here. She had to
escape the Underworld and the man that brought her to such confusion.
She loved him. She hated him. She wanted him. She wanted nothing to do with him.
My Lord Hades Page 17