My Lord Hades (39 page)

“He stole what he could, but it did him little good. He came to me for healing, a blackened crisp of a god, not recognizable as a man. It took him three years to heal the damage.”

“If I won the battle—”

“You didn’t. You protected Kora from the backlash of power, but it wasn’t enough. Kora

disappeared and you locked away your magic and memories. Your father proposed a plan to help you and I arranged for you to meet a Phlegethon daemon-god in the hopes that you would regain what you lost.”

“But Eris…”

“Eris forced you to face the truth, but only you could unlock your memories.”

“Was my mother part of it?”

“No. Only Thanatos, Eris, Hestia, and me.”

“And Hades was the Phlegethon you chose.”

“You were so fond of the stories I told you and Kora as children, and he has always been

close to my heart. Do you disapprove of him?’

“I love him so much. I want to be with him. But how can I? Mother can’t accept that I am old enough to have a husband.”

“All is not lost, my dear one.” She stood, drawing Persephone to her feet. “Let your mother, Hades, and the mortals fade into the background. Now what is best for you?”

“But—”

“No. What do you want, Persephone? What are your desires and dreams?” She kissed her

forehead and let her go. “You’re a Phlegethon daemon, a goddess of passion, created in the water of my tears, not born to power as others believe. Only when two Phlegethons come together in love will they conceive a child.”

She patted Persephone’s belly before sinking into the earth. Persephone closed her eyes,

enjoying the sun’s caress upon her skin. It was time to decide.

AS THE first light of dawn caressed the world, Persephone stood, her decision made. She

flashed to her mother’s villa.

Demeter stood at the table, wearing a dress that enhanced every curve of her voluptuous

frame, her blonde hair flowing freely down her back. For a moment, Persephone could only stare at the woman. This was not typical Demeter. Typical Demeter never showed that much flesh.

“Mother?”

Demeter shrieked and swung around, the vase of flowers in her hand flying. Persephone

reached out and it halted midair. Demeter rushed to Persephone and embraced her daughter. “I missed you.”

Warily, Persephone hugged her mother back.

“May I ask where you’ve been?”

“Nowhere in particular.”

“Are you here to stay?”

She shook her head. “This isn’t my home. It hasn’t been since I choose the Underworld. I’ll be returning there soon.”

“Good.”

Persephone’s mind went blank. She hadn’t expected that. “You do understand that I’ll be in the Underworld with Hades?”

Her mother pulled away from her embrace and nodded. “I understood the first time. And I

agree. You’re a grown woman with a child on the way, who loves her husband. No matter what my fears were, I was wrong to treat you like a child.” Her hands came up to Persephone’s

cheeks. “You were happy with him?”

She gave her mother a cautious stare. “Yes.”

“You love him?”

“Yes.”

“He loves and misses you too.”

“You talked to him.”

“He came here to make amends a few days ago. He was quite congenial and I was ready to

listen. He told me about himself, his half-sister Leuce, Phlegethons, and the reason he was in Tartarus. I told him about you, the Underworld, when you were Queen, and finding you after Coronus came to get you. He invited me to see your garden in the Underworld.” She smiled. “I liked it. I liked him.”

“You were nice to him and he was nice to you?”

“We were. He was here yesterday to bring some of your flowers for the garden.”

It seemed shocking that the two could be in the same room and be nice.

“It looks as if you’re expecting company. I should go.”

“Will you come back for a visit?”

“Of course. Perhaps you can spend some time in the Underworld with us?”

She nodded. “When the winter comes, I’ll come for a short visit. Is it alright if I bring a friend?”

“Of course. I’ll set up rooms for you both.”

She smiled. “Just one for Iasion and me.”

“Mother!”

Demeter gave her a startled look. “I may be your mother but I am still a woman.”

There was a knock at the door, and Aphrodite breezed into room. She grinned. “You’re

looking great, Demmie.”

Her mother blushed. “Really? I haven’t worn a dress this revealing in…I forget how long it’s been.”

Now Persephone knew she was imaging things. Her mother couldn’t stand the Goddess of

Love.

“It’s perfect on you. Now remember what I told you?”

“I will. And thank you for your help.”

Aphrodite turned to Persephone. “What are you doing here? Haven’t you returned to the

Underworld yet? Someone down there misses you. He hasn’t been sending petitions, of course, too manly for that, but I can hear the longing of a man in love.”

“I was just leaving.”

Demeter smiled at her daughter and hugged her again. “You chose a great man.”

“Thank you.”

She liked the change in her mother. Persephone turned to Aphrodite. “And thank you for

what you’ve done for us.”

Aphrodite laughed. “I didn’t do it for either you. The truth is you’re much too pretty to be kept in the land of the living. When I saw Hades was interested in you, I decided the Underworld was a perfect place to return you to.”

Demeter shook her head. “As nice as you can be, there’s usually an ulterior motive with

you.”

She shrugged. “I won’t deny it. My first plan was to get Eros to shoot her with one of his arrows so she’d fall in love with one of the gods. But it turned out I didn’t have to resort to that much mischievous behavior.”

Persephone cringed. She was glad the goddess hadn’t gone with her first plan. She’d hate to be married to Hermes, Ares, or Apollo.

LIFE WASN’T the same without Persephone. She was his joy. Without her, life was hollow

and colorless.

Hades tried to fill his days with activity, but his thoughts were never far from her.

Everywhere he went, he saw her. The flash of her smile when she saw him, the shine of her auburn hair in the firelight as he brushed it, the lush curves of her body as she responded to his touch, and the fire in her magic as it engulfed him.

Would she be mad at him forever? And would he blame her if she was?

He had every right to demand her return then and there, but what good was having her at his side if she didn’t want to be there? He wanted her to be happy, doing whatever it was she wanted to do.

Skirting the entrance to her garden, he paused. Her flowers were in full bloom and the tree had grown to its full height. He wished she could see it, enjoy its heady fragrance. But after two months, he lost hope of her return. He would keep the garden as a memorial to her, but he would never enter in. There were far too many memories of her.

He headed for the Hall of Judgment and the task of returning the shades to life. Then he was off to keep his end of the promise to the Furies by learning the names of those deserving their brand of punishment. He didn’t envy the short list of names, but he wouldn’t renege on his promise. The justice of the Furies extended to the gods just as much as the mortals.

Come to me
.

He closed his eyes. Did he dare hope? Reaching through their link, he followed it back to her garden. Flashing to the clearing, Hades didn’t dare trust his eyes. He’d imagined her here often enough.

Hades watched Persephone bend to pluck a jeweled flower, lifting it to her nose and

breathing in the gentle floral scent, before looking at him.

She held out her hand to him, her indigo eyes meeting his midnight blue. “Come to me, dear Hades.”

He shook his head. “Are you here to stay?”

She glided over the emerald grass, the hypnotic sway of her hips making him instantly hard.

She held the flower out to him. “For you.”

The petals were a lovely shade of dark purple, the center tiny beads of yellow topaz, while the stem and leaves were jade. The sense of déjà vu struck him as she rested her hand lightly on his shoulder and pressed her body to his as she kissed his lips.

“Good luck to you, dear Hades,” she whispered, sadness tainting the words. “May everything you wish for be yours.”

It seemed a farewell.

His eyes narrowed. “Have you come to say goodbye?”

“I won’t leave you again.”

Overjoyed, he swept her into his embrace, twirling around with her, relishing the swirl of energy engulfing them. He closed his eyes and inhaled the scent of lavender and honey. Two scents he’d come to associate with her. He enjoyed the feel of her in his arms, her heart beating in rhythm with his. She completed him.

And the Underworld was no longer a prison but a paradise he could easily get used to with her at his side. He’d never take it for granted. He’d gone through too much pain and heartache to ever take her love for granted.

“I love you, Persephone,” he whispered.

She drew back and smiled up at him. “You’ve never said the words before.”

“I love you.”

“Are you going to kiss me?”

“Is that what my Queen wants?”

She grinned, her caress dipping lower. “It’ll be a start.”

He pressed his hips to her, his erection hard against her hand.

She peered up at him through her eyelashes. “Two months is a long time.”

“Yes.” He traced his fingers along the middle of her back and over the curve of her round bottom.

“Make love to me.”

He squeezed her soft flesh. “I won’t last long. At least not the first time.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a lingering kiss, fueling the flames

burning through him. Her passion flowed out of her and surrounded him. “Then it’s good that we’ll be making love all day.”

He laughed and laid her in the grass. “Who am I to argue with the Queen of the

Underworld?”

She laughed, her arms wrapping around him. “I love you, my Lord Hades.”

His love had returned. Not by force of will but by free choice, and that made all the

difference in the world. She wanted him. She loved him. And in return, he’d given her first place in his heart and in his life forevermore.

About the Author

Stephannie Beman has been a storyteller since the moment she first learn to speak, an avid reader since before she could really read, a writer since she penned her first story at the age of eight, and a daydreamer on a mission. For her, fables have always been alive, fairy tales have lessons to teach, and myths are survivors of bygone years.

Stephannie, her husband, and two daughters presently live on a small ranch in Southwestern Wyoming in the original homestead cabin, surrounded by a forest, meadow land, mountains, and a river which only fuel her already fertile imagination. In her world legends walk, myths live, and love is eternal.

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Book One of the Forever Loved Trilogy

Paranormal Romance

When Pruðr’s family settles in a human-shifter village, the daughter of Munn and Lyna is not so different from the rest. That is until she meets her mate and the Norns mark her as one of the legendary Valkyrja. Now she is accused of kin-mating with her cousin who may or may not

actually be related to her, and must find a killer stalking the Tribe.

To save the one man Pruðr loves above all others; she must fully embrace the monster

lurking beneath her skin and become the Valkyrja of myth, before the killer claims his next victim.