the Underworld their home to come to him.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
STEPPING OUT of the stifling suite of rooms and into the cool night air of her mother’s
garden, Persephone sighed with relief. They’d been on Mount Olympus for nearly a week, and Persephone was tired of enclosed spaces and groping gods. She dreamed of the wide open spaces that the valley provided her and Hades.
She had yet to see him and she found herself missing him. He was the only god or goddess
that didn’t treat her like a child, an invalid, or an object to fight over. He didn’t make her uncomfortable like the thief Hermes did, or the full-of-himself Apollo, or Ares who slept with married Aphrodite.
Although she came to the conclusion that she couldn’t fully believe the all the accusations the two goddesses heaped upon men, she couldn’t dismiss them either. The nymphs and Aphrodite loved and sought the attentions of men. They couldn’t be all bad.
Staring up at the full moon, she promised that if it was in her control, she would retain control over her life. She would be her own woman, and she’d make her own decisions about men. Her fate would be her own.
Small goose pimples rose on her arms and her flesh tingled. The smell of sandalwood and
vanilla reached her nose and she knew Hades had joined her in the darkness of the garden.
Smiling, she raised her hand, palm up, and breathed, “Hades.”
He appeared before her, a strange look crossing his face. His calloused hand caressed her cheek and his warm mouth slanted across hers, demanding and hard. His arm slithered around her waist, drawing her closer. She stiffened and melted in equal measure. Her heart raced in a heady mixture of fear and pleasure. Just as she was starting to think Demeter was right about men, Hades ended the kiss.
He rested his forehead against hers; his entire body shuddered once, before he stepped away.
Wrapping his cloak tight around him, he hid his face. “I’m sorry. I should go before…”
“Before you ravish me?”
She hadn’t meant to say it, but the moment the words left her lips, she was glad she had. His head jerked up, his face stricken, and his beautiful blue eyes met hers.
“Yes,” he hissed. “Yes. Is that what you want to hear? That you set me aflame! That I want you as I have never wanted another woman! Does that please you?!” he snarled.
She felt the pain, the shame, and the fear in his voice and in his words. She wanted to soothe him, to make all right in his world, but she didn’t know how. Taking a hesitant step toward him, she reached out to touch his face, to caress the haggard look from it. She saw herself, an image through his eyes. Her long hair pooled around her head, a beatific smile curling her lips.
“I don’t understand, Hades.” He shook his head, turning away, and she panicked. “Please
don’t go. I want you to stay. I want to…” What did she want of him? And was it fair to ask it of him? “I’ve so many questions and I know you can answer them for me.”
“It would be unwise, Persephone.”
“Probably. But it would be nice to know men aren’t the monsters everyone keeps telling me they are.”
He remained with his back to her so she glided toward him and did something that placated her mother when her mood was foul. She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled up to his back. He stiffened.
“I want to understand the relationship between man and woman,” she murmured into his
back. “I want to understand why Athena and Artemis bemoan it while the nymphs and Aphrodite pursue it. I want to be with you.”
“Persephone,” he groaned. “You don’t know what you ask of me—”
“I ask you to be my friend. To speak truthfully with me. To kiss me again,” she said shyly.
He turned in her arms and gazed down at her for several seconds, though it could have been an eternity.
She stared right back at him.
“You’re a bold woman.”
She frowned, not sure if that was a compliment or a
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
STEPPING OUT of the stifling suite of rooms and into the cool night air of her mother’s
garden, Persephone sighed with relief. They’d been on Mount Olympus for nearly a week, and Persephone was tired of enclosed spaces and groping gods. She dreamed of the wide open spaces that the valley provided her and Hades.
She had yet to see him and she found herself missing him. He was the only god or goddess
that didn’t treat her like a child, an invalid, or an object to fight over. He didn’t make her uncomfortable like the thief Hermes did, or the full-of-himself Apollo, or Ares who slept with married Aphrodite.
Although she came to the conclusion that she couldn’t fully believe the all the accusations the two goddesses heaped upon men, she couldn’t dismiss them either. The nymphs and Aphrodite loved and sought the attentions of men. They couldn’t be all bad.
Staring up at the full moon, she promised that if it was in her control, she would retain control over her life. She would be her own woman, and she’d make her own decisions about men. Her fate would be her own.
Small goose pimples rose on her arms and her flesh tingled. The smell of sandalwood and
vanilla reached her nose and she knew Hades had joined her in the darkness of the garden.
Smiling, she raised her hand, palm up, and breathed, “Hades.”
He appeared before her, a strange look crossing his face. His calloused hand caressed her cheek and his warm mouth slanted across hers, demanding and hard. His arm slithered around her waist, drawing her closer. She stiffened and melted in equal measure. Her heart raced in a heady mixture of fear and pleasure. Just as she was starting to think Demeter was right about men, Hades ended the kiss.
He rested his forehead against hers; his entire body shuddered once, before he stepped away.
Wrapping his cloak tight around him, he hid his face. “I’m sorry. I should go before…”
“Before you ravish me?”
She hadn’t meant to say it, but the moment the words left her lips, she was glad she had. His head jerked up, his face stricken, and his beautiful blue eyes met hers.
“Yes,” he hissed. “Yes. Is that what you want to hear? That you set me aflame! That I want you as I have never wanted another woman! Does that please you?!” he snarled.
She felt the pain, the shame, and the fear in his voice and in his words. She wanted to soothe him, to make all right in his world, but she didn’t know how. Taking a hesitant step toward him, she reached out to touch his face, to caress the haggard look from it. She saw herself, an image through his eyes. Her long hair pooled around her head, a beatific smile curling her lips.
“I don’t understand, Hades.” He shook his head, turning away, and she panicked. “Please
don’t go. I want you to stay. I want to…” What did she want of him? And was it fair to ask it of him? “I’ve so many questions and I know you can answer them for me.”
“It would be unwise, Persephone.”
“Probably. But it would be nice to know men aren’t the monsters everyone keeps telling me they are.”
He remained with his back to her so she glided toward him and did something that placated her mother when her mood was foul. She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled up to his back. He stiffened.
“I want to understand the relationship between man and woman,” she murmured into his
back. “I want to understand why Athena and Artemis bemoan it while the nymphs and Aphrodite pursue it. I want to be with you.”
“Persephone,” he groaned. “You don’t know what you ask of me—”
“I ask you to be my friend. To speak truthfully with me. To kiss me again,” she said shyly.
He turned in her arms and gazed down at her for several seconds, though it could have been an eternity.
She stared right back at him.
“You’re a bold woman.”
She frowned, not sure if that was a compliment or a
Similar Books
