Page 38 of Spring's Descent

His eyes narrowed as he stalked forward, the pupils expanding to fully eclipse the white of his eyes. “You should think twice about testing me right now, Persephone. You could’vedied.”

The break in his voice drew me up short, rattling something deep in my chest. Shadows spooled around him as if Aidoneus wore nothing but a robe of night. My heart shuddered as I realized that was all that covered him. He hadn’t bothered to dress before coming for me.

“I didn’t ask you to save me.”

“You would never have to,” he growled, but it sounded like a vow, one given to the fates. When he spoke next, it was little more than a whisper. “I heard you scream, and I wasn’t there.”

“I slipped,” I said, looking down as I shifted the clothes, needing an escape from the anguish in his eyes.

“A lot worse would’ve happened had you fallen.” His palms closed over mine. “But your magic saved us.”

My gaze snapped to his, finding nothing but honesty in his eyes. “The light?”

He nodded. “And judging by the lack of blood scenting the air, I’d guess your cuts have healed, too.”

“How?” I asked, glancing to my knees and finding the skin whole and unharmed. The sting along my palms was also gone. I wanted so badly to have magic worthy of an earth witch, but to possess magic powerful enough to stop the hydra’s attack? That seemed like a dream.

“The real question is why you’ve been cut off from your magic for this long.” Aidoneus tilted his head to the side, studying me. “You’ve always been powerful, Persephone. The fates have deemed it so. You’re the promised one meant to save our worlds. A child of earth. The bringer of life. YouarePersephone, The Destroyer. You were always meant to be feared.”

24

HADES

Persephone looked so fuckinggood dressed in my clothes. The pants were baggy and the shirt reached her knees, but gods did I love the way my scent clung to her. She’d been quiet after the hydra, contemplative and lost in her mind.

“I’ll have to carry you,” I said as we approached the mouth of the cave. Her full pink lips turned down into a pout and a crease formed between her brows. Unable to help myself, I cupped her face, loving the way her green eyes widened at my touch.

I’d hoped to allow her time to rest before venturing into the frigid kingdom of Cocytus. I had such fun playing with my little witch before she ran. I had pushed her last night, taking things too far without warning her first, but my little witch rose to the occasion. When I’d had my hand wrapped around her neck, she had yielded so beautifully to me. Letting me hold her life thread in the palm of my hand as my fingers fucked her sweet heat.

Her breathing hitched as I dragged my thumb down the center of her bottom lip.

“I can walk,” she said, batting my hand away, but we both knew her boots were useless. Scorched and half-melted from Tartarus, they were more hazard than help.

“We’re flying for most of it,” I continued conversationally.

“Flying?” Persephone eyed me a moment longer before realizing just how high up we were. “You flew us?”

I lifted an incredulous brow. “How else did you think you survived falling from a bridge over the Phlegethon?”

Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, the blush making my cock twitch.

Gods below, I hadn’t felt this much in years. Not only had I enjoyed every moment of her writhing beneath my touch, but the delicious sounds spilling from her lips as my fingers stretched her had stoked a fire within my heart. I wanted to imprint the feel of her body clenching around my fingers, ingrain the sound of her moans, and the sweet scent of her pleasure on my soul forever.

Holding her gaze, I let my wings unfurl, allowing her a glimpse of the monster beneath.

A foreign twisting in my stomach had unease pricking along my spine. This would all end the moment Persephone learned who I was. She would find out soon enough. If my little witch was honest with herself, a part of her knew something was wrong the moment she saw the tattoo of the upside down torch over my chest.

With my true form hidden, mortals gazing upon me had convinced themselves that I was a trusted general to Hades. It made them too uncomfortable to think that I could move among them so easily. I had resented the attention those in The Realm of the Living bestowed on my brother for centuries, but now it seemed they’d provided me the perfect cover.

“You have wings,” she breathed. I didn’t miss the note of awe in her voice as she stepped toward me, her green eyes widening as the leathery hide of my wings stretched.

“What? No demon comments?” I quipped, waiting for her to recoil. But she only stepped closer, the pad of her finger tracing the veins to the sensitive patch of skin behind my shoulders.

A growl ripped through my chest as I caught her hand, gritting my teeth against the primal urge to bend her over right now. But my little witch would never forgive me. Not without her knowing who she was giving herself to. I would have to wait until our bonding if I intended to keep her. And Iwouldkeep her.

“Sorry,” she squeaked, not daring to move.

Forcing a breath in through my nose, I released her hand, but she stayed frozen in place, her gaze fixed on mine.

---