Page 24 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘Come on, then. Let’s find you some books,’ he said, trotting off. ‘But don’t go breaking my ladders.’ He offered a small smileover his shoulder, and I followed him into the sanctuary of a million books.
Returningto my room with Tee, I carried a stack of books on the gods and Greek mythology and placed them on my desk.
‘Simos wasn’t too friendly when I first met him,’ I muttered.
‘Ah, he’s loyal to Hades, Sephy. Everybody is worried about him. All of his people are his friends and love him.’
I creased my brow. Were the king of the Underworld’s subjects his friends, who loved and cared for him?
‘Worried? Why?’
‘Well, your disappearance broke his heart, and the fallout was unbearable, especially at first. Mr Grumpy became Mr Insufferably Grumpy in your absence. They’re worried you might break his heart again,’ Tee said as she fetched two glasses and a bottle of wine.
I said nothing. Would I break his heart? How could I? I didn’t even know him—not really. Crap; I was awash with confusion. ‘Pour me a wine. A large one,’ I said as I held out my hand.
She poured the red wine and handed me one. It smelled like sun-ripened cherries, and as I took a sizeable mouthful, it burst with notes of ripe and juicy fruits—cherries, berries, and plums. The flavour was refreshing and delightful. ‘Mm,’ I uttered.
‘I’ll come back for you in an hour. Get dressed; pick one of the dresses from your closet. Do your makeup as I taught you… Make an effort,’ Tee instructed as she handed me the bottle. ‘And don’t get shitfaced.’
I sat for a while, my thoughts bouncing around like a butterfly in a whirlwind. I may have had this weird connection to Hades, but I couldn’t spend most of my life here.My life is inmy world.If Iwereher—the Persephone—which I questioned, I wasn’t that person any longer. I was a different Persephone. I had to ignore the insane infatuation I had with the god of the Underworld.
I took a sip of my second glass of wine and sighed. I needed to prepare for dinner. I was dreading seeing Hades again. Tendrils of unease clawed at my stomach at the mere idea of looking into those captivating blue-gold eyes.
‘I can do this,’ I whispered as I stood, and made my way to the closet.
CHAPTER 8
HADES
My cock twitched at the thought of touching and smelling Persephone again. At last. The bond between us was growing stronger; I could feel it. I was sure she felt it, too, but she was resisting.
This Persephone made me furiously angry and impossibly turned on at the same time, and I didn’t like the feeling one fucking bit.
Looking out of my window, the life Persephone had begun to create in the Underworld uplifted my mood. She was the goddess of life; the goddess of my heart. I slammed my hand down on the desk. Shebelongedto me.
Persephone’s dark power was growing while she was in the Underworld—it all but purred in my presence like a siren’s call. I sighed and poured myself another Scotch, downing it in one gulp. I was pouring my fourth when Tee materialised in my study. I poured another and handed it to her. It was difficult for a god to become drunk unless we drank rapidly in substantialquantities, but as I was apparently hosting a dinner this evening, I decided it would be best to avoid arriving rolling drunk.
‘I hear lunch went well,’ Hecate said with a straight face.
I glared at her, then looked down at my drink. ‘Persephone is infuriating, yes.’ I downed another Scotch. ‘She’s feisty and insolent, and I don’t know whether I want to fuck her or send her to Tartarus.’
Hecate guffawed with laughter. ‘You definitely want to fuck her, Hades.’ She sank into a chair and took a sip of her Scotch. ‘She’s pissed off that you kidnapped her.’
I let out an exasperated sigh. ‘I know. But what other choice did I have? I’ve messed up, haven’t I? Binding her to me for three months and bringing her here?’ I lifted my eyes to hers, then closed them.
‘Don’t behave like another Demeter, boss. Keeping her locked away like a prisoner and compelling her to fulfil your demands will extinguish her spark.’ I brooded on her words. I was tempted to take the easy option—keeping her regardless of her wishes. After all, she wasmine. But I longed for Persephone to choose me of her own free will, just as she had the first time.
Gods, this was a mess.
‘Do you sense her dark power growing stronger?’ I lifted my gaze to Hecate, and she nodded.
‘It’s like a sleeping dragon yearning to be awakened. I’m starting “magic” training with her. Would you like me to chat with her about it?’
I shook my head.
‘You sure? It's simmering, fighting for release.' I tilted my head towards her. ‘She needs to be able to control it.’
‘Okay.’ I sighed. ‘Speak to her about it.’
