I jerked.
Where had that last thought come from? He couldn’t be saved. Why the hell would I even try?
Because I wanted to. Fates, how I wanted to. I’d seen the conflict in him. The faint flashes of goodness—very faint, but there.
A knock sounded on the door.
Thank fates, a distraction. “Food!” I sat upright.
Echo rustled on my shoulder and made an annoyed chattering noise.
“Oh, don’t complain,” I said. “I’m sure there’s something tasty there for you.”
I could feel his interest like it was my own, and the connection between us was a comforting blanket wrapped around my soul. As long as Echo was here, I wasn’t alone.
Quickly, I went to the door and opened it. Kerala, the maid who’d helped me last time I’d been here, stood with a tray in her hands. Her eyes flared wide. “Seraphia. I knew you were back, but I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“No?” I took the heavy tray from her.
“Not in his quarters.” Surprise flickered in her eyes. “No one is ever in here but him.”
Of course they weren’t. The mere concept of friends confused him. “Well, I won’t be here for long.”
“Going to try to escape again?”
“You know me too well, Kerala.” I nodded to the food piled high on the tray. “Thank you for this.”
She nodded, then disappeared. I carried the tray to the table and looked at it, debating. There were steamed, colorful vegetables piled next to grilled meat and crusty bread. Fruits and cakes, wine and water.
I sighed, debating.
Then my stomach grumbled so loudly I should have been embarrassed.
Screw it.
I reached for a piece of bread and held it up. “Is this going to do me in, Echo?”
I tilted my head to look at him out of the corner of my eye, and he shook his little head.
“Good.” I took a huge bite and watched Echo while I chewed. He darted toward the fruit basket, grabbed a grape, and flew off.
I kept chewing the bread. It was good, but not great. Probably because it was from the underworld, where everything kind of sucked by its very nature.
Except Hades.
Ugh.
Stupid thought.
Of course he sucked. It was hard to imagine such a boring, modern word being applied to him.
Where was he, anyway?
I strolled toward the bedroom, curiosity dragging me forward. It was probably stupid to corner the lion in his den, but I was determined not to be afraid.
I was no dummy, though. Of course I was afraid.
Still, I’d try.
Fake it ’til you make it.
Silently, I slipped into the massive space. He wasn’t in the huge bed, which was made with military precision. I looked away from it, unwilling to imagine him sleeping, then turned toward another door.
It was open, revealing a large bathroom. In the center, a sunken tub was built right into the stone floor. It was more like a pool, ten feet by ten feet and full of steaming water.
Hades stood in the middle of it, broad shoulders and lean waist rising above the surface. Steam curled around his damp hair and drifted over muscles hewn by war.
My breath caught in my throat at that sight of his smooth skin, beaded with water. I stared at him dumbly for a moment, blinking as I took it all in. I’d seen him without a shirt before, and the sight had been just as stunning then. But I’d never seen his back. Not from this angle.
Beneath his dark tattoos, scars striped across his skin, looking like someone had taken a dull knife to him and then poured salt on the wound.
I bit my lip, clenching my fists to keep from reaching out to him.
It was none of my business.
But I hadn’t seen them before, even though I’d kissed his back so briefly. Had he hidden them with magic?
Now they were revealed. He didn’t want me to see them.
I stepped backward, desperate to escape. I couldn’t take the pounding of the blood through my veins. Didn’t want him to turn and find me staring at him.
Silently, I hurried back to the living room and stared at the bookshelf.
What had happened to him?
Torture.
The word echoed in my head, but it was ridiculous. He was one of the top three gods of Greek myth. No one was higher than him. Some of the myths said Zeus was at the top, but I’d seen them fight. They were equals.
It should be impossible to wound a god like that. He should have healed.
Why hadn’t he?
I rubbed my arms, my mind racing. There was so much more to him than met the eye. So much more than I knew. It made me want to know him better.
To help him.
No.
I was being a damned ninny.
No matter what had happened to him, he’d proved how dangerous he was. And I’d seen what he was after. It was deadly.
The minutes ticked by, and I felt the bedroom door close more than heard it. I turned to it, confirming my suspicions.
He wasn’t coming out for food. It was time to go to sleep. I didn’t know what was coming tomorrow, but I’d need my strength for it, I was sure.
Slowly, I turned back to the couch. My gaze snagged on the section of bookshelf that contained The Oresteia.
His favorite book.
I’d taken a copy but hadn’t had time to read it.
Lie.
I’d had time. Sort of. I just hadn’t wanted to. I was already too drawn to the deadly, evil god. The last thing I needed was to get to know him better.
I climbed onto the couch. There was no blanket, of course. Little things like throw blankets and decorative pillows were not Hades’ style.
Still, it was warm enough as I slowly drifted off to sleep, memories of Hades dancing in my mind.
6
Seraphia
The next morning, I woke with a blanket thrown over me.
I frowned.
Hades?
It was too big for Echo to have carried.
But Hades was nowhere to be seen. His quarters were completely empty—I could feel his absence.
I rose, pulling on my boots and vowing to get a bath after this first training session was done. Echo was gone as well, but a tray of breakfast sat on the table. I ate quickly, fueling up for whatever was to come. Again, I tried to reach into the ether to retrieve the bag that Eve had given me.
It didn’t work.
Damn.
At least I still had the sprigs of plants in my pocket. They were useful for a lot.
I turned toward the door just as it opened. Hades stood on the other side, dressed in the sturdier dark metal armor that he’d worn last time we’d left his city.
His dark eyes met mine. “Are you ready?”
I nodded. “How far are we going?”
“Not far. An hour on Horse.”
“We need to take Horse?” I frowned, not liking the idea of being pressed up against him. It’d been bad enough the first time. and that had been before we’d really kissed. Now that I had that memory in my head, I couldn’t handle the idea. “I want my own horse.”
“You’re joking.”
“I’m not.”
“Can you ride?”
Not really. “Yes.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Get me my own horse. I’ll be fine. I’m a damned goddess, for fates’ sake.”
“You embrace it now?”