Page 20 of Hades

And came after her.

She released the dolphin and kicked to the surface, and he followed as she bid farewell to the creatures and swam to shore over the bright corals. Several curious fish followed her, investigating her before moving away as she reached the shallows.

Morpheus beat her there, rising to his feet in the warm water and stepping out onto the white sand.

He stilled, arrested by the sight of her as her tail became long shapely legs and she walked onto the beach. She gathered her tangled golden hair and wrung it out, sending a cascade of water over her bare curves.

And then with a sigh she sat on the white sand and flopped onto her back, close to the shade of a palm tree, her arms outstretched and a smile gracing her lips.

By the gods.

Morpheus ached to go to her and reveal himself, something he could do if he wanted. He remained where he was though, feeling the invisible barrier between them, one that was more than just a divide created by his power to keep the dreamer unaware of him.

He looked at his hands. At his bare chest.

At his onyx skin.

He looked at his shadow on the sand before him.

At dragon-like wings.

This might be a dream, but even here she would fear him if she saw him.

Morpheus held his hand up and pressed it to the barrier, longing to break it but still too afraid.

Instead of risking scaring her, he turned away and closed his eyes, and dropped into the void that opened beneath him. He spread his wings as stars blazed bright trails past him, slowing his descent, and reached out with his power, seeking his next dream.

He had lingered in her one long enough. It wasn’t his duty to watch her, and if Hades knew he had been using his time to walk in her dreams, he would be furious. His mission was to enter the dreams of an ancient slumbering giant, fulfilling his god-king’s request. Something he had done for decades, sifting through them for the knowledge Hades desired.

And then he had grown tired and had wanted a change.

And he had seen a bright flash of aqua in the infinite night.

Curiosity had drawn him to it and desire kept him coming back.

Perhaps the curiosity remained.

He enjoyed discovering things about her, and felt comforted whenever he found her dreaming.

Comforted?

Because whenever he wasn’t with her, he was worried someone might have discovered what she was and he would never see her again?

Beneath his bare onyx feet, a gaping hole came into view. Stars circled it, slowly being drawn into it. Morpheus didn’t move out of its path. He sank into it and into a dark dream.

And then light burst around him.

He flinched away from it and raised his arm to shield his eyes, and frowned as a voice reached his ears.

“Morpheus.” She was quiet at first. Distant.

Because it had been a long time since he had used his physical body?

“Morpheus,” she said again. This time, she jostled his shoulder too. “Wake up. Hades has new orders for you.”

He did?

Morpheus slowly cracked his eyes open. They watered, making the gritty feeling of them worse when he blinked against the warm candlelight. He licked his dry lips and tried to swallow. His throat was rough. Thick.

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