Page 8 of Tempted By Hades

“What do you have?”

“I’ve got just the thing for you,” the cyclops bartender said, his single eye brightening with enthusiasm as he wiped a glass with a white cloth.

“I’m listening.”

“We just received a small batch of whiskey from Tennessee,” the bartender continued, his voice low and smooth. “I believe you’ll find it quite satisfying.”

Hades nodded appreciatively and indicated his preference for a table at the back. With a fluid motion, he made his way to the chosen spot, the bartender’s knowing eye following his path.

By the time Hades was comfortably seated, the glass appeared before him. The amber liquid inside the glass glinted invitingly under the ambient lights, promising a moment of interlude in the midst of eternity.

He raised the glass and took a moment to inhale the complex aroma of the whiskey. The scent of charred oak and caramel filled his senses, a tantalizing prelude to the indulgence that awaited him. With a sense of quiet satisfaction, he finally took a sip, savoring the exquisite blend that Tennessee had to offer. The smooth warmth of the whiskey enveloped him, and for a fleeting moment, the weight of his divine duties felt a little lighter.

“So, you did find your answers from the oracle, huh?”

Hades cringed inwardly at the sound of the familiar, cheerful voice. Even in the Upperworld it seemed he could not escape the god of the sun. “What do you think?” he replied, not turning to the god who appeared beside him.

“See?” Apollo gave him a hearty slap on the shoulder. “I told you Delphi was the answer.”

Hades frowned at his glass, regretting that he had even asked Apollo in the first place. Perhaps it was desperation, drink, or derangement. Still, he could not deny that if it wasn’t for Apollo, he would still be running around in circles. “Thank you,” he muttered.

“You’re welcome, that’s what friends are for, right?”

Hades was tempted to deny the claim of friendship, but after nearly ten thousand years, it was obvious Apollo was not taking his not-so-subtle hint. “And where did you hear that saying?”

“From a song. It was a hit a couple of…oh, decades ago?”

He took a sip of his whiskey. “If you say so.”

“Well, whatever it was you were trying to do, I hope it went well. You know you can talk to me, right?”

Preposterous. Why would he ever confide in anyone, much less Apollo? However, he just answered “Uh-huh,” then stared back into his drink, his thoughts straying back to the little plant shop.

Persephone. Goddess of the Spring.

Intriguing. Gorgeous. Mesmerizing.

Hades’s heart thumped against his rib cage. Was he prepared to do what he needed to do? Could anyone be?

After all, there was only one way for him to ensure the goddess of the spring would be at the next sealing ceremony.

Hestia’s words from the first sealing ceremony rang in his head.

Things change when you take a mate.

He would have to make her his queen so she could take her rightful place by his side.

I will do what I must.

“So, if you found what it is you were looking for, why do you look down in the dumps?” Apollo’s eyes narrowed at him.

“I’m not.” He knocked back the rest of the drink, the liquid giving him the courage he sought.

Oh, he would do what was necessary to get her to the sealing ceremony, but afterward, they would live separate lives, as most gods and goddesses who mated did. As for sex, it was nothing more than a need, one that he managed to fulfill with willing partners over the centuries. He preferred his encounters casual and non-committal.

Indeed, as long as he achieved what he needed—to get revenge and what was rightfully his—he did not care what Persephone did.

Chapter 2

---