return it. But then she added, almost cautiously, “Let me offer my final argument now.”
Hades braced himself. “Go on.”
“You know that Demeter will come for me once she learns where I am. As I will continue to go without food until then, I will still have one avenue for return open to me. Don’t underestimate my mother’s power. Though she will not oppose you or Zeus directly, she will find a way to bring pressure to bear upon you both. If you truly want to keep me, your only weapon against her demand for my release would be my willingness to remain.”
“Then you think you could, someday, wish to remain?”
“Anything is possible.”
At that, the unthinkable happened. Hope called out to Hades’ entire being and the laughter he’d suppressed earlier exploded from deep within him. It was only when Persephone winced that he realized how awful and creaky it sounded.
Schooling himself, the god said, “Forgive me, I’m quite out of practice.”
“So it would seem.”
Hades gave a small smile. “Indeed.”
The goddess rose up onto her knees and comically inched her way over to the edge of the bed. Hades’ smile broadened as Persephone fumbled with the bedding, which slipped down around her. As near to him as she could get, she said, “Well, Hades, what say you? Will you acknowledge my right to choose, or will you take the craven’s path and try to bend me to your will?” Persephone softened the harsh words by smiling and extending her hand to him.
Hades leaned forward to accept her hand, congratulating himself on resisting the urge to pull her into his arms. “How can I deny you anything?”
THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE conversation, Persephone had ruthlessly tamped down on the emotions Hades’ confession stirred within her. His careful revelations caught at her heart, prompting her to smooth the way for him with humorous responses. That Hades named as her enchantments all of the qualities she liked best about herself encouraged her. He saw her as more than a potential plaything; he saw to the core of who she was. And his features, for the moment relaxed, appeared to their greatest advantage. Until then, Persephone desired him, but now that hunger ratcheted up to a heady blaze of need.
Her pulse quickened at his touch, and it was with difficulty that she fought back a rush of longing. Still, as if guided by some greater, unseen force, Persephone rose up on her knees. Leaning forward, bringing her face closer to his, she pressed her lips softly to his. It was to have been a quick kiss, to seal the bargain they’d struck. But when she drew back, he would not let go. Hades leaned forward to reclaim her lips, put a hand on the side of her face, steadied her. And she returned his kiss, allowing his tongue to probe her, drinking in his essence just as surely as he did hers. Finally, when he grew more demanding, she pulled away again, grasping the hand that held her face. “You see?” she said, her voice quivering only slightly, “I told you that anything was possible.” She laid a hand on his chest, to keep him from pursuing her further at that moment. “Given time.”
Hades shook his head, as if to clear away some haze. “If it’s time you want, then it’s time you shall have.” He turned the palm of the hand she covered so that it pressed against hers. He brought her hand up to his lips to be kissed. “But to make that happen, I think I had better take my leave of you for the evening.” He released her and got to his feet. When he reached the door, he turned to her once more. “You’ll join me in the morning so I can show you the mirror the Witch Goddess made for me.”
Persephone quickly hid a smile at the request disguised as a demand. “I will.”
Hades made to leave but the goddess found that she wasn’t ready for him to go just yet. “Hades,” she said, waiting for him to face her before she went on, “I want you to know that…”
When Persephone’s voice trailed off, Hades
Hades braced himself. “Go on.”
“You know that Demeter will come for me once she learns where I am. As I will continue to go without food until then, I will still have one avenue for return open to me. Don’t underestimate my mother’s power. Though she will not oppose you or Zeus directly, she will find a way to bring pressure to bear upon you both. If you truly want to keep me, your only weapon against her demand for my release would be my willingness to remain.”
“Then you think you could, someday, wish to remain?”
“Anything is possible.”
At that, the unthinkable happened. Hope called out to Hades’ entire being and the laughter he’d suppressed earlier exploded from deep within him. It was only when Persephone winced that he realized how awful and creaky it sounded.
Schooling himself, the god said, “Forgive me, I’m quite out of practice.”
“So it would seem.”
Hades gave a small smile. “Indeed.”
The goddess rose up onto her knees and comically inched her way over to the edge of the bed. Hades’ smile broadened as Persephone fumbled with the bedding, which slipped down around her. As near to him as she could get, she said, “Well, Hades, what say you? Will you acknowledge my right to choose, or will you take the craven’s path and try to bend me to your will?” Persephone softened the harsh words by smiling and extending her hand to him.
Hades leaned forward to accept her hand, congratulating himself on resisting the urge to pull her into his arms. “How can I deny you anything?”
THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE conversation, Persephone had ruthlessly tamped down on the emotions Hades’ confession stirred within her. His careful revelations caught at her heart, prompting her to smooth the way for him with humorous responses. That Hades named as her enchantments all of the qualities she liked best about herself encouraged her. He saw her as more than a potential plaything; he saw to the core of who she was. And his features, for the moment relaxed, appeared to their greatest advantage. Until then, Persephone desired him, but now that hunger ratcheted up to a heady blaze of need.
Her pulse quickened at his touch, and it was with difficulty that she fought back a rush of longing. Still, as if guided by some greater, unseen force, Persephone rose up on her knees. Leaning forward, bringing her face closer to his, she pressed her lips softly to his. It was to have been a quick kiss, to seal the bargain they’d struck. But when she drew back, he would not let go. Hades leaned forward to reclaim her lips, put a hand on the side of her face, steadied her. And she returned his kiss, allowing his tongue to probe her, drinking in his essence just as surely as he did hers. Finally, when he grew more demanding, she pulled away again, grasping the hand that held her face. “You see?” she said, her voice quivering only slightly, “I told you that anything was possible.” She laid a hand on his chest, to keep him from pursuing her further at that moment. “Given time.”
Hades shook his head, as if to clear away some haze. “If it’s time you want, then it’s time you shall have.” He turned the palm of the hand she covered so that it pressed against hers. He brought her hand up to his lips to be kissed. “But to make that happen, I think I had better take my leave of you for the evening.” He released her and got to his feet. When he reached the door, he turned to her once more. “You’ll join me in the morning so I can show you the mirror the Witch Goddess made for me.”
Persephone quickly hid a smile at the request disguised as a demand. “I will.”
Hades made to leave but the goddess found that she wasn’t ready for him to go just yet. “Hades,” she said, waiting for him to face her before she went on, “I want you to know that…”
When Persephone’s voice trailed off, Hades
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