Page 71 of His in the Dark

I will always love you.

Some part of me wants to argue against the proclamation he made. It wants to argue thatlovecan mean many things. My eyes drift to the bound grimoire on the table where I left it. It might not mean he wants me to stay here, for example.

If he loved me, would he not wish me to be with my family? Would he not regret the pain he causes me of losing my mother forever?

But—no!

I open my eyes and get out of bed before I can let those thoughts spiral too far.

I wash my face and dress simply, my mind caught between thoughts of Hades and the loneliness he’s left me with, choosing one of many pieces that appear in the wardrobe of the dressing room in the baths. Then I go out to the grate to practice my magic. If I concentrate hard enough, the flames disappear…

And I can make them come back again. I play with the fire now. It knows me and I know it.

It is only one fire, and only in this grate, but I love the sensation of having itwork.For so long, I was filled with doubt that I would never have powers at all, and would become a nymph, wandering about the gardens aimlessly for the rest of my days. Nymphs cannot do this. And no one can take this away from me.

At the very thought, my body goes cold. Could I perform such spells in Olympus? Would my magic follow me there? It’s so difficult to keep that doubt away.

I make the fire go out, then light it again, banishing even its memory.

Silvie enters the room as I light the fire again and greets me with a smile. “My Queen.” Her tone full of pleasant surprise.

“Silvie.” I step back from the grate and match her smile. “How are you this morning?” I’ve grown so fond of the dark eyed witch.

“I am well.” She goes to the table and places her basket down. “And I seeyouare well.”

At her side, I question if I can confide in her as I could Beatrice. Should I tell her that Hades was not there when I woke? Should I tell her about the tiny prickle of unease I still feel? As if something is wrong. It is not as if he stays in these rooms all day with me. He goes about his usual habits, which do not include keeping me in the bed with him until the sun sets.

I’m free to go as I wish as well… within the confines of the castle, but still, something feels very wrong.

I decide against it. There may be nothing to worry about, and as much as I trust Silvie, I do not want her to have reason to tell others—which others, I do not know—that Hades left the room and I lost my composure.

“I’m grateful for the power of fire,” I say in reply. “I owe that to you.”

Silvie shakes her head, blushing slightly. “I am only showing you what is already within you.”

I think Silvie is both right and wrong. Some powers may have been inside me—I was born of a goddess, after all—but those powers do not exist in the Underworld. However, there areotherpowers, and it is because of Silvie that I have found it and learned to wield it. It is because of Silvie that there are enchanted bells at the threshold to the room.

I am about to tell her so when the bells chime gently.

Silvie looks first. It takes me another moment because I am still deciding what to say to her, but I turn my head as soon as my mind catches up.

“My Lord,” Silvie says. “Excuse me. I did not know you would be returning.”

Silvie scoops up her basket and bobs her head, but Hades holds up his hand. “Stay. I will have need of you.”

“Of course, my Lord.” Her demeanor with Hades is quite different. Less friendly and more subservient. Hades doesn’t seem to notice and I don’t quite know what to think of the difference.

Silvie does not leave the room, but she goes to stand near the door, quiet and unobtrusive.

I almost feel as though I am alone with him.

It is hard to look anywhere but at his tall, handsome frame and the possessive heat in his eyes as he moves toward me, stopping a few feet away. He looks me up and down as if he is trying to make a decision.

Or as if he has alreadymadea decision, and now wants to see if it will suit me. My heart beats faster, fluttering up into my throat. My palms grow clammy and I don’t love the unease that comes over me. I keep my back straight and my chin lifted, though what I feel waiting for him to speak is not fear or anger.

A smile quirks the corner of Hades’s mouth, and he meets my eyes at last. “You will sit beside me at court.”

I had wanted to answer without missing a beat, but when I open my mouth, words escape me. He’s kept me hidden except to a spare few.

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