He lead me down the hall I’d come through some more, turning down a corridor and taking us out of the open air into a large ballroom type area. Inside the castle was actually cooler, which I could have cried for as well. The outside and the room we’d been in were both so hot, I’d thought for sure I would sweat my ring right off my finger.
We ascended a grand staircase in silence, which I also assumed to be normal for him. So far, he hadn’t noticed anything different about his wife, including the fact that I wasn’t her. If I could keep it up, I would be out of here in a few months and would be able to breathe freely again.
Reaching the top of the stairs, we turned to the left and headed past a grand tapestry. It depicted a very bloody war, one I wasn’t familiar with, which wasn’t too surprising. A pair of huge, ornate doors opened before us and the dining hall was revealed to me, a sight that almost took my breath away.
The long table probably could have seated over one hundred people, but there were only two places set; one on each end. The two seats were high backed and covered in black velvet, obvious care and workmanship put into their design. On the table was a spread of more food than I could ever eat. It was obvious that the two sides were eating something different, but neither of them carried food I was very familiar with.
When we reached the closest chair, Hades released my hand and pulled it out, motioning for me to sit down. I did so quickly, trying not to look like I was gawking around at the room. As he turned his back on me and walked across the room to his own chair, I did just that, though.
There was no natural light to speak of, or even windows that I saw. The walls were made of the same black stone the outside was, with golden candelabras holding hundreds of lit candles. A few smaller tables sat in strategic places against the walls, some of them holding things like water pitchers and extra plates, others left bare. The greatest attention draw was the magnificent crystal chandelier that hung over the table, though. It was the biggest I’d ever seen, stretching down in several tiers, the stones glittering in the warm light.
“Is something wrong?” Hades asked loudly from across the room.
I drug my eyes away from the decorations and looked at him, wondering what thing I’d not done right now.
Erebos sure hadn’t told me hardly anything, had he?
“No,” I said simply, looking down at the food around me. “Why?”
“You don’t usually wait for me to start eating,” he chuckled. “You seem out of sorts tonight. Was your trip back eventful?”
“No,” I said, grinning nervously. “I guess I’m just tired.”
“Well, eat up,” he said, picking up his own silverware and stabbing a piece of meat over onto his plate. “We can go to bed after.”
His words brought the knot back into my stomach instantly, though I hadn’t noticed it ever leaving.
Bed. With the king of the Underworld. Was I supposed to . . .?
I put the thought out of my mind and reached for the salad to my left, it being the only thing I was sure I’d like. Everything else appeared to be foods from around the world, places I’d never visited and dishes I’d never tried. It was such a waste, how much had been prepared. I doubted it had ever all been eaten, not with the way Persephone’s body looked.
Could gods not gain weight?
We ate in silence as well, which made my nerves dance around in happiness. I was surprised I’d lasted this long without freaking out and ruining everything. Maybe it was the thought of what could happen to me if I did.
After we’d finished, Hades stood and started walking to the door behind him, not looking back to see if I was following.
“I’ll have your bath drawn for you,” he called over his shoulder, disappearing through the exit without another word.
“Um,” I said quietly, now stuck in a room with no idea where to go.
Slowly, I got up and began clearing my place the best I could, leaving the uneaten food where it sat. After I stacked my dishes, I used the napkin to wipe down around them.
“Highness?” a voice asked timidly from behind me.
I jumped about a mile, turning around quickly and laying eyes on a girl probably around my own age.
“Yes?” I asked, a hand to my heart.
“I’m sorry Highness,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, I should have announced myself.”
She continued to blabber on, obviously becoming more upset as she went before I interrupted her.
“It’s not a problem,” I said, smiling tightly, but kindly. “What do you need?”
“I have your bath ready,” she said, hiccupping as she tried to wipe away the few tears that had fallen.
“Lead the way,” I said, motioning for her to go ahead.
She looked at me in surprise again, but scurried to do as I asked, her gaze falling to the floor when I tried to look her in the eye.
Quickly, she headed for the door that Hades had left through, pausing only a moment to make sure I was behind her. She led me down another hallway and up another, smaller staircase before turning down a passage with only three doors. The first two, on opposite sides of each other, were closed. The third, at the very end of the hall, was open and I could see the bathtub inside it.
I followed the girl inside, looking around at the still blackened and darkly decorated room. It appeared that black was the ultimate color of choice here. The tub was already filled with steaming water though, a sheer night gown and under clothes hanging on a hook on the wall.
The door clicked shut behind me and the girl made herself busy unzipping my dress and helping me out of it. Once done, she moved to take my ring off for me as well.
“No,” I said, sharper than I intended. “I’ll keep this on, thank you.”
She nodded her head, my rudeness having no real effect on her.
Once I was in the bath, I thought I would be left to myself. On this, I was also mistaken. She washed my hair for me with a lovely smelling shampoo and then helped to wash my body. It was an awkward feeling for me, having never been bathed by someone that I could remember before. At the end, instead of soaking in the water and unwinding like I so desperately wanted, I got right out and was helped into my night clothes. The nightgown wasn’t as see through as I’d originally thought, which was a welcome discovery.
At last, I emerged from the bathroom, my helper curtsying to me and walking away with my dress, other duties to attend to.
At least I was left to myself to find the bedroom and didn’t have to feel so stressed about picking the wrong one.
I walked the few steps down the hall and stopped between the two doors I had to choose from. They looked exactly the same and no sound came from either. Taking a deep breath, I picked the one on the right and went inside.
The room was dark, but I could make out the giant bed in front of me, light curtains hanging around it. By the movement in the bed, I guessed I’d picked the right room.
“Persephone?” Hades asked, his voice somewhat surprised.
Stiffly, I walked around the side of the bed and pulled back the covers, crawling in and pulling them up to my chin.
My skin prickled as he slid up next to me, his arms wrapping around me and pulling me into his bare chest. Good grief, he felt the part of a perfectly fit god. His chest was well muscled and abs rippled against me. Warm breath washed over my face as a hand brushed my hair away. I tried to fight the goose bumps forming all over me as his lips brushed my ear.
“What are you doing in my room?” he whispered dangerously.
Chapter Eight
If I hadn’t already been practically paralyzed already from the fear of having to get into bed with him, I would have frozen solid. His room?
“Do you really expect me to think you want to be in here with me?” he cooed softly, his fingers still dancing through my hair, lips on my skin. “I’m not stupid.”
“No?” I managed to get out.
“I left your room just the way yo
u did—you can clean it up yourself. I’m not your maid and neither is anyone else when you’re off gallivanting around for half the year.”
His touched turned to one of force as he shoved me away from him, all but pushing me out of the bed and onto the floor.
I stumbled off the mattress and across the room, turning around quickly to look at him. I had no idea where I was supposed to go and was getting more and more frayed by all of the surprises that kept getting thrown in my face.
He sat up, the silky sheets sliding down his torso and revealing what I’d felt as I laid next to him. It made my head feel even fuzzier, trying to look at him without gaping. I’d been telling the truth when I told Stacy I’d never had sex with Josh. I’d just left out the part that I’d never done it period. I’d never even seen a man in bed like this except for in the movies.
“Don’t come in here pretending to want me again unless you plan on getting a treat,” he said, a wolfish grin covering his face.
Blushing, I wrapped my arms around myself and hurried to the door, peeking at him over my shoulder as I slipped through it.
He looked curious, almost . . . Suspecting?
Gulping down a cry of fear, I let the lock click shut behind me and bolted for the door right in front of me, locking it and resting against it as soon as I was in the room.
This room was much lighter than any other I’d been in so far, decorated in whites and purples. It was a welcome escape from the darkness I’d been thrust into. On one side of the large space was a bed much like Hades’s, only it was white and lacked the shroud of curtains. The light covers had been ripped off it and were lying all over the floor, along with what looked like a cracked dresser drawer. The dresser itself was on the wall adjacent to the bed, the remaining drawers haphazardly sticking out of it. Little pieces of glass littered the room, something unrecognizable that had been smashed before I arrived.
Gingerly, my bare feet padded around the room as I headed to the closet, wanting to make sure I was finally alone.
Half the size of the room, the closet was a mess as well, though the clothes Hades had said he’d gotten for me were hanging neatly in their spots. It seemed Persephone had thrown quite the fit here before she left.
My perusing confirmed to me what I’d most hoped for—I was alone at last. With a great shuddering sigh, I quickly crawled onto the bed and fought down the tears I so surprisingly wanted to shed. My nerves and feelings were completely shot from all of the day’s events. Something about the way he looked at me made me feel that Hades wasn’t falling for my performance either. Silently, I cursed Erebos for sending me here. Then I cursed myself for being so stupid and naive to agree to something without knowing what it really was.
A wall of exhaustion slammed into me as I allowed myself to sink further into the feathery mattress, my eyelids drooping heavily as if I’d been drugged. I didn’t want to sleep though—I wanted to stay awake and not miss anything that could cost me dearly in the end. There was no feeling of security here, like I’d crawled into a pit of poisonous snakes and somehow expected to make it out alive.
I didn’t know when I finally succumbed to the begging of my body. I thought I had blinked, wrapped in the only sheet remaining on the bed, but when I opened my eyes once again there was a tray of food on the dresser and it seemed the light had become more like that of the sun instead of candles.
I sat up slowly, pulling the covers around me tighter as I tried to gather my mind quickly, thrown off by my restless sleep. There was a soft sound coming from the closet, like that of humming. Scared of what or who might have entered during my unconsciousness, I gingerly slid from the bed, trying to remain as silent as possible. When the girl who’d helped me bathe the night before appeared in the doorway, fresh dress in hand, I about jumped out of my skin.
“Highness!” she squeaked in surprise, dropping the gown to the floor.
Her face turned dark red as she stumbled for words, horror in her eyes as she scurried to pick up what she’d lost.
“I-I,” she stuttered, tears brimming and catching on her eye lashes. “I didn’t mean—”
She balled the dress up in her arms, backing towards the door to the room as if she intended to flee. In her distress, she didn’t look where she was stepping, causing her to trip over the dresser drawer and fall into some of the broken glass I’d noted the night before.
“Whoa!” I said, all fear leaving me as I hurried to help her up. “Are you okay?”
I pulled the fabric from her arms, grabbing her hands and helping her to sit up. She said nothing, looking at me with wide eyes, fear still present in them as I assessed the cuts she’d received.
“You should have dropped the dress and caught yourself,” I scolded her, carefully picking a few tiny shards from her flesh.
There was still no answer from her.
Blood trickled down one of her arms and I reached for the fabric I’d tossed aside, ripping it easily and wrapping the silky strip of garment around her wound.
“Are you okay?” I asked again, looking her in the eye this time.
She nodded quickly, averting her gaze as soon as I’d caught it.
“I apologize, Highness,” she said shakily. “I didn’t mean to wake you. I intended on cleaning your room before you woke as well.”
“I usually sleep in later?” I asked her, frustrated that she wouldn’t look at me.
Again, she nodded quickly, obvious skittishness in her behaviors.
“You didn’t wake me up,” I stated, standing and helping her to her feet. “And I thought Hades wanted me to clean this up.”
She stood there awkwardly, staring at the floor, one hand on the makeshift bandage I’d created for her. It suddenly occurred to me that I was acting in a very un-Persephone like manner.
That made me furious.
“Look at me,” I ordered.
She quickly obeyed, wiping away a tear that had fallen onto her cheek as if it had burned her.
“I don’t care how I’ve acted before,” I fumed. “You are a person and deserve to be treated as such. I apologize for any harsh treatment or wrong doing I’ve inflicted on you.”
Her mouth popped open in surprise, my statement obviously unexpected.
“I made this mess,” I continued, gesturing to the room. “I will clean it up. As for breakfast and dressing . . .”
I looked over at the tray, a heaviness lifting from me as I discovered I didn’t have to eat every meal with the Lord of the Dead. I could handle that easily.
“Please keep bringing me my breakfast,” I chuckled. “And I imagine I can’t get into some of those dresses alone, so please keep coming to help with that as well. I will be waking much earlier than before from now on. You don’t need to worry about waking me up. If I’m still asleep when you get here, I should wake shortly.”
When I was finished talking she gave me a short little curtsy and hurried for the door. Before she made it through, though, I thought of one more thing.
“Wait,” I called.
She turned, still obviously shaken by what had happened or by what I’d said, I didn’t know.
“What’s your name?” I inquired.
“C-Cassandra,” she stuttered.
“Cassandra,” I repeated with a smile. “Thank you. Make sure you take care of that cut.”
She nodded again, her eyes wide, and then exited the room, the door clicking shut softly behind her.
A deep breath escaped me as I turned to look around the room again. Acting like myself had been so reliving after trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to be doing the night before. If only it could be like that all the time.
I caught sight of my foreign reflection in one of the closet mirrors and smiled to myself. Maybe it could be like that all the time . . .
The idea took root in my brain and grew like wild fire, my grin growing wider and wider as I thought it over. Before I could see if it would work, though, I had chores that needed to be done. Thankfully, th
at was something I was used to as well.
Somewhat hopeful, I went into the closet to look for pants, not relishing the idea of being stuck in a dress all the time. Unfortunately, there weren’t any to be found. Biting my lip in displeasure, I pulled a shorter, lighter dress off one of the hangers and proceeded to change out of my night clothes. Thankfully, it appeared that there were still some things I could get on by myself. Persephone obviously had expensive taste. Or Hades bought her clothes she couldn’t put on alone just to spite her.
After I finished changing, I grabbed the broom and dust pan Cassandra had left in the corner and went to work on cleaning up the mess in the bedroom, the disaster in the closet having disappeared already. It didn’t take very long, the glass being the majority of the work, and before I knew it I’d made the bed and was examining the broken dresser drawer. If I had a hammer and a few nails I could probably fix it.
Making a mental note to ask for those things the next time I saw someone, I set the cracked pieces next to the dresser where I wouldn’t forget about them. Satisfied I’d cleaned everything up nicely, I decided to go through the other drawers. Much to my glee, there was what appeared to be a pair of board shorts in one of them, along with several pieces of swim ware. I quickly slid the pants on under my dress, a sigh of relief and comfort escaping me as I finally felt covered up again.
For a moment, I paused to wonder what had happened to my clothes. They had been masked to look like a queen’s, but what happened once I took them off and they weren’t under the ring’s protection anymore? They hadn’t changed immediately once I removed them in the bathroom. Perhaps they were still hidden?
I made another note to snoop around and see if I could find some answers about that and went back into the closet, remembering the vanity that took up the whole back wall. There were all sorts of beauty and hair care products spread across it, making it look more like a rack at a store than something I would actually use. All I needed was a brush and hair tie, though.
Sitting down on the fancy, poufy stool, I quickly combed through the dark locks that framed my disguised face and pulled them back into a high ponytail. A quick perusal of the drawers next to me revealed more makeup than I could possibly hope to learn to apply. Personally, I wasn’t one to wear a whole lot of stuff on my face, but I figured Persephone probably was. Even if I had a plan to try and change things up, it was probably wise to keep up some appearances.
Hades (The God Chronicles #3) Page 6