Page 79 of Hades

“I did not think for a moment that you would.” She smiled softly as he drew back, her tone light and teasing, easing more of the heaviness from the air.

He huffed and went back to the weapons, gathering the blade and shield he had chosen, and something else. Some kind of fabric?

On a long sigh, he held the sword and shield out to her. She took them and he eyed the fabric. It was similar to what he wore. The thin leather of his armour had come from a wyvern, one he had killed decades before they had met, and he had once told her that he had only a scrap of the material left. Her eyes widened as he held the garment aloft between his hands, revealing it to her, and the miniscule scales that covered it shimmered in the blue torchlight, confirming it was made from the same material as his armour.

He looked at it rather than at her, his tone gruff as he said, “I had this made for you. I had hoped this day wouldn’t come, even when I knew it would.”

She stared slack-jawed at the long-sleeved top that looked as if it would fit her perfectly, and then her eyes leaped up to his. “How long ago did you make it?”

His broad shoulders lifted. “When I knew I was in love with you and I needed to ensure no one could ever take you from me.”

The corners of her lips curled. “So, around the day after we met?”

He huffed, and rather than denying her, muttered, “Around the day after we met.”

Persephone took the top and stroked it, her fingers gliding over the soft material, feeling a little giddy that Hades had made it for her. She wasn’t sure he had ever given her a more wonderful gift. Not because the material he had used was rare and extremely valuable, but because it revealed that he had always known this day would come and he had wanted to be prepared for it. Some part of him had always intended to allow her to fight beside him, despite the part of him that had always denied her pleas to let her join the battle.

It had just taken him a long time to win the fight against that side of himself.

“It’s beautiful.” She couldn’t stop stroking the material, even when she was excited to see how it would fit. He held a matching pair of trousers out to her and she glanced up into his eyes, stilling as she caught the soft look in them. He was pleased she liked the gift, and she liked to think maybe part of him was pleased that this time they would be fighting alongside each other. She took the trousers too and held them to her chest. “I have a wild need to put them on right now.”

His smile widened and shadows swirled from beneath his feet, racing past her towards the door. The light in the room dipped as the shadows pulled it closed, sealing them inside the armoury.

She reached for the top of her nightgown and paused as she remembered something. She dipped her hand inside the garment and took hold of the token Erastus had given her. When she pulled her hand out and unfurled her fingers to reveal the pendant, Hades frowned at it, his eyes darkening.

“It belonged to Erastus, the guard who helped me escape,” she said before he could get ideas about who had given her a token of affection. “He wanted me to deliver it to someone called Daphne.”

She wasn’t sure how she would find the female, but she was determined to fulfil Erastus’s last wish.

Hades stepped closer and took the pendant from her. “And you will. It will be safe here. When this war is over, we will ask Erastus to tell us where to find this Daphne and will see she gets it, and I will allow them to meet.”

Her smile wobbled on her lips as relief filled her, together with gratitude. She was thankful that Hades hadn’t brought up Erastus’s betrayal or denied her need to deliver the token to Daphne, instead choosing to support her and help her. She watched as he pulled out one of the dresser drawers, placed the pendant inside, and then closed it.

Satisfied it would be safe, and her heart buoyed by Hades’s offer to help her, she focused on the task at hand—winning this war.

Persephone hastened to pull the trousers on. They felt soft and fragile as silk as they glided up her legs, but she knew the material was incredibly strong. It was slightly stretchy too, moulding to her legs and her backside.

Apparently in a way that pleased her husband because when she removed her long nightgown and went to place it on the dresser, he growled low.

“By the gods,” he uttered, “You shall be the death of me.”

She pulled the top on and tugged it down over the waist of her leathers and looked at herself, and then at him. “Does it suit me?”

His expression was dark and wickedly sinful, heating her blood as he raked hungry eyes over her. “I take it back. You cannot come. I will not be able to concentrate.”

“I am coming whether you want it or not.” She did a little turn, admiring herself as best she could, and Hades growled again when her back was to him. She got the hint that he liked the view. Intent on joining the fight and unwilling to let him change his mind, she settled on bribing him. She stroked her fingers across her chest, over the buttery soft material that hugged her bare breasts. “You can peel it off me afterwards.”

He growled and swooped on her, gathering her into his arms to kiss the breath from her.

“Bloody hell!” Valen exclaimed as the door of the armoury swung open, startling her so much that she leaped out of Hades’s arms. “Found them,” Valen yelled and then gruffly added, “I need to scrub my eyeballs.”

Ares chuckled, the warm sound drawing her gaze to the war room. A blush burned up her cheeks when she saw it wasn’t only Valen and Ares who had seen them.

Megan stood just to his side, close to Keras and Enyo. Behind them, Thanatos loomed with Calindria. Eva held her hand out to Valen as he trudged to her, shaking his head and shuddering. Daimon and Cassandra linked hands as they exchanged a glance, one that was filled with meaning that eluded Persephone. Something was different.

Daimon proved that by stepping forwards and saying, “I’ll stay here with Cass, Megan and Eva. Hold the fort like.”

Persephone looked from him to the black-haired witch and back again, meeting his pale blue eyes as he raked a hand through the soft white spikes of his hair. Awkwardly.

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