My Lord Hades (5 page)

He urged himself to do the right thing and leave, only to step out of the darkness and into the light. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”

She glided closer to him, a curious frown upon her face. “Are you the one who has been

watching me?”

It was his turn to frown. He hadn’t been aware that she was conscious of his presence.

“You are, aren’t you?”

He shifted uncomfortably. What could he say?
Yes, I’ve been lurking in the forest waiting to
ravish you, Persephone. Name’s Hades.
His actions were creepy enough without adding to them.

“Do you live in the forest?” she asked.

“No.”

“Are you a mortal or a god?”

“Immortal.”

“You’re a god then!”

He wasn’t about to correct her misconception. He was a god. But he was also a daemon. And that would scare her.

She stopped before him and pushed back the wealth of golden-red hair. He yearned to brush his fingers through that hair. To hold it in his hands as he kissed those rose-colored lips.

“Do you live on Mount Olympus?”

He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “I have no home yet. But Zeus has promised me my

own kingdom for defeating the Titans.”

Her bold gaze studied him with an open curiosity that should’ve bothered him but didn’t.

There was nothing sexual in her indigo eyes as they traveled the length of him, making him feel naked despite his tunic and heavy ebony cloak. He felt his arousal hardening beneath the

thorough perusal of his body.

He needed to leave now or he would do that which he vowed not to. He would bury himself

in her and damn the consequences. And he refused to destroy her out of a selfish desire to bed a woman. He would leave and think no more of her.

She stood so close to him he could smell the soap she used in her hair. Honey and lavender.

“Did you accomplish your task? Are the Titans finally defeated?”

He cleared his throat so he wouldn’t sound as aroused as he felt. “I did. I hid their weapons.”

“How?”

The question was easy enough, but startling since no one had thought to ask and he really didn’t know how to answer. “Magic,” he said. “Do you know what magic is?”

“Of course, I do. I’m not a child. My mother is one of the Olympian goddesses.”

“Is she?”

“Yes. Her name’s Demeter. Have you met her?”

He shook his head. “I know Zeus and Poseidon. I've met a few of the other gods and two

goddesses. I think I would remember your mother if she were as beautiful as you.”

Her gaze dropped and her dark, long lashes rested on her cheeks. A rosy blush stained her cheeks. “She’s very beautiful. I think I reminded her of my father though.”

“And he is?”

She shrugged. “Unimportant. I’ve never met him. Are you a male god?”

He couldn’t help it. He burst into laughter. “What kind of question is that?”

The infinitesimal tightening of her jaw and rise of her head told him this was no coy game.

She was serious. And he’d offended her.

He sobered immediately. “I’m sorry—”

“I haven’t seen one of your kind before,” she interrupted. “The nymphs often speak of men.”

She looked away, a hint of red in her cheeks. “They tell me stories.”

He grinned at her honest reply. He could imagine the stories the nymphs would tell her. He doubted her mother would approve. Of course, she surely wouldn’t approve of her talking to him.

“Yes, I am a man.”

“What’s your name?”

“Hades.”

The smile lit her entire face. “Hades.” He loved the sound of his name on her lips. “I’ve heard of you.”

He drew back, not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Surely those stories couldn’t be good ones. There was little in his life to be proud of. “Oh?”

“Yes. Zeus and Poseidon went to retrieve you from the Underworld, so you could end the

war.”

He waited for the rest but it never came. “That’s all?”

She shrugged. “People don’t tell me much. What did you do to Coronus?”

It was refreshing for someone to hear his name and not flee, or in the case of the nymphs, try and bed him. Though he was sure, in time, she would come to fear him. Everyone did.

“I defied him in his home.”

“Persephone! Persephone!”

Persephone looked over her shoulder and smiled, “Coming, Aunt Hestia!” She turned back

and handed him a purple sprig of lavender. “Good luck to you, dear Hades.”

He accepted her token, careful not to touch her, and bowed. “Thank you, Persephone.”

She walked away.

“Persephone,” he called out.

She paused and peered over her shoulder. The image flashed before his eyes of her clothed in nothing more than hair. He drew in a sharp breath. She was heavenly, an angel in every sense of the word, and much too trusting of strangers.

“You shouldn’t make it a habit of talking to men without a guardian.”

“Why?”

Choosing his words carefully, he said, “Because not all of them can be trusted.”

She tilted her head, her brow creasing. “But I trust you.”

He was stunned by her simple declaration.

“Will I see you again, Hades?”

His heart stirred at the hopeful expression on her open face, but he shook his head. “I think it best if we not meet again.”

PERSEPHONE SAT in the shade of the willow tree, flowers strewn across her lap, weaving

the stems into a crown of pink and purple and yellow and blue, her thoughts on her meeting with Hades yesterday.

Male gods were strange looking. They were like, and yet unlike, the goddesses and nymphs

in her life. He was larger, taller than her, and thicker around the arms and legs. She suspected from his size that he was stronger than her too. He had no breasts like her, but his chest was broad. And then there had been the hair on his face, shorter than the hair on his head and hiding his mouth.

She’d wanted to touch him and feel the difference, to know if what she sensed from him was true. But he was so anxious, she’d feared frightening him. One touch and she would have known the depth of his sadness, the balm for his loneliness and the reason behind his aching desire.

She heard the laughing of the nymphs long before they topped the hill. Shading her eyes

against the sun’s bright light, she smiled at the five nymphs battling each other with short sticks.

She wasn’t sure what the purpose of the game was supposed to be. But there was a great deal of giggling and tumbling in the grass.

Julas hollered and swung her stick, forcing Rayes back, who tread on her dress and stumbled.

Julas poked her with the tip of the stick and Rayes grabbed the edge with a mock cry of dismay.

She fell on her side, eyes closed, and her limbs twitching.

“You should have seen him, Persephone!” Tarma sat down in the grass, breathless from

engaging in the mock battle, her eyes shining. “He’s wonderful. So big. So handsome. So

strong.”

“He was magnificent in his black armor!” Rayes gushed from her place on the ground. She

opened her eyes. “And fearless as he met the Titans on the field of battle. It nearly took my breath away.”

Persephone shook her head, laughing at the enthusiastic game still being fought between

three of the nymphs. “Who are you speaking of? I take it another man has caught your

attention?”

Rayes laughed, tossing her blonde hair behind her as she took a seat beside Persephone. “Not a man. A god. And he would catch your attention to, young Persephone. The quiet dignity of his presence, so unlike the other gods empty posturing. The mask of determination on his face, the pride of his stance, the kindness in his touch—”

“She tripped in front of him,” Tarma explained in a whisper, “and he lifted her up as if she weighed naught.”

Rayes glared at her. “He’s a gentle man. Unlike some of the gods, who would have fallen or walked over me!”

“Zeus and Poseidon brought Hades from the Underworld to aid their fight,” Julas interrupted, breaking away from the other two. “‘Twas wonderful to watch ten years of war finished in a day.

He defeated them!”

“Alone?” Persephone asked, leaning forward. Anything to do with Hades interested her.

“No, silly goddess.” Julas smiled and tapped the tip of Persephone’s nose. “The Olympians helped. But it was amazing. He’s six feet tall. Dark complexion, though pale from his time in the Underworld—”

“He hides a deep inner hurt in those blue-black eyes,” Rayes said. “Reminds me of the

injured animals you sometimes tend, Persephone.”

“He’s handsome.”

“With lovely silky hair. Black as coal.”

“Don’t forget that face. He even puts Apollo to shame.”

Persephone sighed. They always spoke in cryptic terms she couldn’t understand. Maybe if

Demeter allowed her to meet this Apollo, or any of the male gods, since the human varieties were forbidden to her, she could understand the attractiveness of Hades. But she doubted it.

Demeter was too protective.

“What face?!” Rayes asked. “Half of it’s covered by a beard longer than my leg. All you can see are those gorgeous eyes.”

So that was what they called the hair on his face.

“Haven’t you seen him of late?” Myena called out, ducking under Kyara’s swinging stick.

“He’s trimmed the beard and cut his hair.”

“I think he has a nice piece of man flesh beneath that tunic,” Tarma said.

The two nymphs ceased their mock fight and stared at Tarma. Rayes and Jules straightened.

“You’ve seen his man parts?” Rayes asked, envy plain in her voice.

Tarma nodded. “A few hours ago.”

“What did you do, Tarma?” Julas demanded.

“His what?” Persephone interrupted. The group of five nymphs shifted uneasily and grew

quiet. “Come now. Surely I’m old enough to know such things. Please tell me what this ‘man parts’ is.””

Rayes shook her head. “Your mother wouldn’t approve of such talk.”

“Please, I’m old enough to know what this ‘man parts’ is.”

Julas glanced toward the house, plucking a blade of grass and twirling it between her fingers.

A glimmer of determination lit her dark eyes. “Most women are married at her age with a tassel of children following them. Would you rather have her know the truth of her gender or be taken unaware? Would you have her be like Hymenia?”

Two of the nymphs shrugged and stared at the grass with unusual interest. Tarma spoke for them. “We want nothing to do with this, Rh-Julas.”

Julas nodded. “Then go. We’ll speak of Hades later.”

Two of the nymphs giggled, continuing their mock battle as they headed for the beach

followed by the sulky Tarma. Rayes plucked one of the flowers out of Persephone’s lap, biting her lower lip as she looked toward the house again.

Persephone understood her fear. Demeter would never approve of this discussion. She

thought men were dangerous and unworthy of her daughter.

“Mother’s not at home,” Persephone said, hoping to put the nymph at ease. “She was called away to Olympus, again. And Aunt Hestia is napping.”

“I don’t know about this,” Rayes grumbled.

“You don’t have to stay,” Julas said.

Rayes didn’t move. She plucked a few flowers from the basket and began braiding the stems together.

“Men are much like women,” Julas said. “They have a head, two arms, and two legs. But

there are subtle differences. They’re usually taller with bodies of hard muscle. They have no breasts…”

“They grow hair on their chest,” Rayes piped up. “And sometimes hair on the lower half of their faces. The beard is coarse and wiry, not always pleasant.” Rayes took a lock of hair and held it beneath her nose. “Some men just have hair here and shave the rest which grows back and becomes prickly–”

Julas took another pink flower to weave into her crown. “Of course, there are other

differences,” she interrupted with a pointed glare at Rayes. “They have broader shoulders and most of them are stronger than us.”

“Some are rather weak.”

“And bald.”

“And fat.”

They laughed.

Persephone outwardly smiled, but inwardly she mourned her lack of understanding. If she

knew how someone could be weak, or bald, or fat, perhaps she’d understand the humor. Instead, she fingered the soft petals of the flowers in her lap and fumed over her lack of knowledge, the blanks in her memories, and Demeter for not helping her regain what she lost.

Flowers she knew. The fruits and vegetables in her garden she knew. The trees and bushes

and grasses in the grove and in the meadow she knew. The birds, the squirrels and rabbits, the deer, the butterflies and bees, and insects, she also knew. She knew all the animals of the valley, just as she knew the valley. But that was all she knew. Her life previous to three years ago was gone.

“They also have more hair on their arms and legs than we do,” Julas said, bringing her back to the conversation. “Kind of like the grass covering the ground.”

Yes. Yes. She knew most of this just by looking at Hades, though she wasn’t about to tell them that. She wanted to know about this man part and why Julas had reacted the way she had when Tarma said she’d seen it.

“But not so much hair,” Rayes amended.

Julas snorted. “Remember Horutus. He resembled a monkey.”

Rayes chuckled. “He was a fright, but if I recall, he knew some pretty good tricks.”

“That just proves you can’t judge a man on appearance alone.”

They burst into giggles. Again, Persephone didn’t get the humor.

The hairs on her neck prickled and she shifted, glancing toward the forest below them. The niggling feeling of being watched was back. Had Hades returned despite his promise not to?

Julas touched her hand and she turned to the nymph. “We mean no harm. Our lives are

drastically different from yours, Persephone, and we’ve been around for a few hundred years.

You’ll gain knowledge as you get older.”

Rayes sighed. “That leaves us with the initial question.”