Page 40 of The Queen & the King

Hades’ lips pull into a smile against my neck, and he places another small kiss over my pulse before he loosens his hold on me. I glance over my shoulder at him when he removes his hands from me completely. He gives me a devilish smile and winks before sliding off the pegasus, plummeting toward the earth. My heart leaps in fear, and I search the clouds for him.

“Hades!” I shout, trying to catch sight of him. I try to redirect the pegasus, but she huffs in irritation and continues on her path.

A moment later, I see him in the distance, shooting through the clouds. Large leathery wings spread regally from his back, pushing against the air in powerful strokes as he ascends. His blue eyes pierce mine even from this distance. I feel that throbbing ache low in my body clench as I take in the glory of this man. His horns protrude proudly from his head, curling in such a pleasing way, and his forked tail curls behind him.

Hades effortlessly flies alongside us and looks at me expectantly. I feel my back twitch where my wings long to burst free, but I can’t. My mother would… At that thought, I land on my decision. She does not rule me anymore.

I carefully swing my leg over the pegasus and drop. The feeling of falling again brings me such euphoria that I almost lose myself in it. I fall toward the earth like a floral comet until my instincts kick in. My wings break free of the firmly placed glamor, and I groan at the feeling of freedom.

I stretch them, and my descent slows, the white feathers bright against the midnight -black sky. With the first flap of them, I feel the muscles in my back ache, though not as much as they should, given the decades of disuse. I slowly ascend into the sky. The wind against my skin feels even better when I’m the one doing the flying.

I see Hades’ shadow through the clouds, but I need another moment of this to myself. I want to enjoy this. The sea sparkles beneath me, the clouds float above, and I bask in the inbetween. It is a silent apology to my true form for keeping it hidden for so long, an apology for the vicious words from my mother.

I can only bear to be away from Hades for another few long moments before I move up through the clouds. He looks at me, his eyes glinting with what looks like affection. He holds out his hand for mine, and I slide my hand into his, my wings ruffling as I shiver at the contact. The top of my head throbs with a dull ache, the remnants of my horns reminding me they are no longer whole.My heart breaks that they are not.

Hades stops flying forward and hovers in place. I follow, taking his other hand, and we begin to spin. He pulls me away from the devastation I feel at the loss of my horns, and our laughter fills this perfect void.

Hades releases me, and I soar. I spin away, barely able to control my flight, but I’ve never felt more mastery over myself.Hades follows and grabs me, wrapping his arms around my waist. We hover there in the clouds, completely alone. He leans in, rubbing my nose with his and closing his eyes, his lips pulled into one of the most earnest smiles I’ve ever seen.

We slowly descend through the clouds. Hades’ shadows surround us, cloaking us from view. They feel like I am completely wrapped in him, and I’ve never felt anything more perfect. Eventually, our feet hit the ground, and my shoes sink into the soft gold sand beneath us.

Hades pulls back slightly, but he keeps his arms around me. “Welcome to the mortal world, Persephone.”

My eyes go wide as I look around. The beach is almost completely dark, but the sand reflects the moonlight, and a bonfire illuminates the night.

There are no signs of this being the mortal realm apart from the fact that this placefeelshuman and a sign a few feet away that reads, “No shirt, no shoes, no problem.” There is no overwhelming feeling of the power of the gods that usually surrounds me. I can see small imperfections on the beach. The areas of grass that line the beach. The shells aren’t all bright colors, and some are even black. This place is nothing like the beaches of Olympus.

“The mortal world?” I ask, disbelieving.

Hades pulls back and takes my hand. He kicks his shoes off and leads me down to the water. He drops my hand and crouches down, splashing seawater. The area where he disrupted the waves glow, illuminating his face in the electric blue light. I squeal and kick my shoes off before eagerly stepping into the water. I gasp a little, not only at the phosphorescent glow but at the temperature. It’s not freezing, but it’s definitely not warm.

Hades straightens, tilting his head at me. “Would you like to swim, Persephone?” he asks. There is something in his voice that makes my skin tingle.

“I don’t have my swimsuit,” I reply, hoping the darkness masks my heating cheeks.

The corner of Hades’ lips tug into a half smile. “I’ll turn my back until you’re in the water.”

I swallow but nod. Hades kisses my hand before turning and walking a little further up the beach. My hands shake as I tug at the tie holding my dress together. I wish I had better underwear than this pink frilly set.

I can’t even look back at Hades as I open my dress, exposing myself. My cheeks heat at the thought of his hands on my naked skin. I slip the dress off, throwing it to the beach, well out of reach of the gently rolling waves. I wade into the water, and I swear I hear a low groan from the beach. My stomach flutters in response, but I go deeper, covering myself beneath the surface. My skin breaks out in goosebumps, not only due to the temperature but the anticipation. When the water is almost up to my shoulders, I finally build up the courage to look at Hades, who is still dutifully looking away.

Did he peek?

“Can I look?” he asks, a similar anticipation making his voice tremble.

“Yes.”

Hades turns to face me. Although he is far away, I can see the hunger in his expression. He unbuttons his shirt and slowly walks toward the water.

He reaches the middle button before I find the willpower to look away from him. The throbbing heat low in my stomach is so much worse now, and it has traveled to the ache between my thighs.

I hear the faint rush of the water as he walks through it, and half a moment later, his strong, calloused hands are on my waist. He squeezes slightly and turns me toward him. I can’t stop the responding moan as my body comes into contact with his.

“You didn’t have to look away,” he growls.

I can’t bring myself to look at him, knowing that his eyes will undoubtedly be as dark as mine. He slides his thumbs along my skin, and I moan again. The blush from my cheeks spreads down my neck, the feeling of his touch against my skin even more intense than I’d anticipated.

“You know,” Hades leans in, his lips at my ear, “I snuck a peek, too.”

---