Chapter 13

Hades

We collapsed on a heap upon the bed, our bodies soaked with sweat and my heart still galloping like the hooves of my Night steads. I expected Calypso to vanish as she often did after sex, but she seemed in no rush to leave this night.

It’d been a week since her visit to Olympus. I’d hoped that at some point she would speak to me about what she’d done there and, more specifically, why she’d gone to Themis, but she never had.

She’d simply taken my body and had her way with me, over and over and over again.

But I had no cause to complain.

Rolling onto my side, I draped a leg over hers. “Now you’re trapped and cannot leave me.”

Luminescent eyes sparkled up at me. Today her form was that of water. I found I enjoyed any form she came in. Trailing a finger down the column of her throat, I smiled as diamond-encrusted clear lashes feathered like a delicate fan upon her cheeks.

“Hades,” she mewled, and my gut clenched.

I was growing positively addicted to this temptress. “Thalassa.”

She pretended to gag, but only briefly, and only in jest. She no longer sassed me for calling her such. In fact, she seemed to brighten whenever I did. In the privacy of our quarters, I found that name was mine alone. Just like this woman was. Only mine, ever.

Unable to resist the touch of her, even though she’d just ridden me a minimum of eight times straight, her perky breasts bouncing prettily for each ride, I cupped one of the overflowing mounds and squeezed.

She groaned. “By Olympus, I love your touch.”

I froze. It was the first time she’d used that word in any context with me. But my little spitfire rarely used words properly, so I was likely overthinking things.

“But, Death Boy,” she grabbed my hand, forcing me to pause in my exploration of her cool nipple, “we should talk.”

Groaning, I released her and tossed myself back on the pillow, folding my arms behind my head. “Your timing, as ever, is impeccable, slave.”

Giggling softly, she wiggled her pliant body atop mine. She weighed practically nothing, but I felt each and every lush curve of her.

“Ply you with sex and then talk your ear off. Yes, I know, my dear, I’m an adept student.”

“Student?” I lifted a brow. “I don’t think you were ever a student.”

Moving an arm, I dropped it onto the curve of her buttocks where hip met thigh and squeezed. I should have been sated, but if she gave me even the slightest indication of willingness, I’d not say no.

However, it seemed she really did wish to talk. With a sigh, I moved my hand up, tracing with my finger the dimples that kissed her back.

Nibbling her bottom lip, she seemed unsure about where to start, but her fingers continued to idly stroke my longest and deepest scar, a horizontal one that ran from one side of my navel to the other.

I’d known for some time that she was curious about them.

“The scars?” I guessed.

She took in a deep breath. “I mean, if you don’t want to talk about them...”

What that pause actually meant was “talk about them.”

Kissing the crown of her forehead, I crossed my ankles, enjoying the feel of her naked body pressed to mine. This almost felt more intimate than the marathon sex sessions we’d been having for the past week in a half.

“When a mortal dies, they come to me, and their soul is weighed. Heavy souls go to Tartarus, light souls to the Elysian Fields.”

Crossing her hands underneath her chin, she nodded. “Proceed.”

My lips twitched. “If your soul is wicked, you remain as you were in death. Your injuries remain your own. But in Elysia, you are healed. Given a clean slate.”

Her touch was delicate as she nuzzled at a scar just beneath my right nipple. It was small and slightly puckered.

“But that does not come without cost to you, does it, sex slave?”

Rubbing an idle hand up and down her spine, I shook my head. “No, it does not. In order for one to be cleansed, another must be defiled.”

“So you don’t have to take on their injuries?”

I stopped moving my hand, lost to her hypnotic eyes. “No. But I would not wish this fate upon others. It is not fair.”

“And yet you would choose to allow your own beautiful body to grow deformed by it. What did this?”

She once more nuzzled the pucker.

“A girl, quite young. Early teens maybe. She’d been shot by a brother.”

Calypso frowned, and I could read the fury igniting through her blood. I smoothed a finger across her furrowed brow.

“It is not what you imagine, Thalassa. The boy was a child, and the wound was little more than accident. A terrible, costly one, but an accident nonetheless.”

Frowning prettily, she pressed a tender kiss to the spot. “Why are you so good?”

I snorted. “I am not always good. Many of the stories you’ve heard of me are true. I have a terrible temper.”

She shrugged. “Nothing wrong with a bad temper.”

“And a surly disposition in the morning if I’ve not been fed immediately.”

“Magic fingers,” she snapped.

I laughed. “You are determined to dress me as something I am not.”

Her smile turned soft. “But maybe...maybe to me you are.”

With those words, my little dove vanished.

But I smiled, because I knew that today, we’d just had another breakthrough. And since tomorrow was my day, I already knew the plans I had in store for my flighty, sharp-tongued shrew.

~*~

Calypso

I couldn’t seem to stop smiling the next morning. It’d felt very wicked to rest in Hades’ arms last night. I’d wanted to stay there forever. It was becoming harder and harder to remember why that was a bad thing.

All this nonsense of not wanting to get attached. Surely there was nothing wrong with a little attachment—if handled properly, that was.

But then I remembered the whole problem with Persephone, and my smile turned upside down. Themis hadn’t gotten in touch with me since that day, and even Dite had stopped visiting.

The old adage that no news was good news was bulldung.

By the time I got to Nim’s kitchen, I was positively cross. Jeffery came in at a certain point, took one look at me, tucked legs, and ran.

That almost made me laugh.

By the time Nimue came to find me for lunch, I was surly, no bones about it.

“This salad is wonderful, Janita. Sea kelp and sesame seeds. You’re such a clever cook.”

Even her words failed to bring a smile to my lips, a sight she immediately noted.

“Okay, spit it.”

I opened my mouth wide. “I’ve got nothing in there.”

“That’s not what I mean.” She drummed her coral-pink-lacquered nails on the tabletop. “I mean you’re acting strange, and I know something’s wrong, so tell me.”

I shrugged. “It’s Harold.”

She squinted. “Who? Do you have another lover?”

“What?” I asked in a daze. “Of course I don’t have another lover. What would give you such an odd idea?”

“Gee, I don’t know.” She lifted her brows, gave me a crooked smile, and then patted my hand. “What’s wrong with... Harold, was it?”

“Of course it’s Harold. Nimue, are you ill?”

She patted her belly. “Pregnancy fog. Don’t mind me.”

“Anyway,” I batted my wrist, “I want him.”

“Last I heard, you had him.”

“I know. I can hardly understand meself right now. ’Tis maddening.” I looked to her. Nim was always so wise, giving me great advice. Advice I hadn’t heeded much lately, to be sure, but solid advice nonetheless.

She turned her palm over, asking me to proceed.

“He’s leaving soon. I thought I would be okay with this.”

“I take it you are not.”

I crossed my arms. “No. I isn’t.”

Bloody poop, I wished I hadn’t adopted this goddessawful accent for Janita. I was having a helluva time remembering how she spoke today. I was a mess. My head was a swirl of questions.

I wanted to storm Olympus and demand Themis give me answers now.

The water at my tail frothed. Realizing I was about to lose control, I took several swallowing breaths. I would not level my daughter-in-law’s home.

“Last we spoke about this, Harold had done something to land himself into trouble. Has it not worked itself out yet?”

“Obviously not, or I’d not be grumping.” Remembering my manners, I hurriedly cleared my throat. “Pardoning my manners, miss.”

“Always forgiven, Janita.” She smiled.

She looked like one of my beloved sea roses today, dressed all in shades of pink, red, white, and green as she was. With her dark curls piled high upon her head, she appeared so young and yet so wise.

When it came to matters of sea and home, I felt wise. But with this, this all-consuming obsession with Hades, I felt wildly out of my depths and unsure. I wanted to keep him with me forever and toss him far from my shores for turning my life upside down as he had.

And then I’d want to kiss him better if he landed too hard.

I was a wreck.

Sighing, I planted my chin on my hand. “There was a...erm, lawyer as such, who were supposed to get back to me about Harold’s crime. But she’s not gotten in touch wi’ me yet, and I canna seem to stop the shakes from worrying.”

“You’re in love. It’s sweet.”

“Love.” I scoffed. “This is lust, lass, plain and simple it is.”

“I often find them to be one and the same.” She shrugged a dainty shoulder. “First comes lust, then comes love, and before you know it, there’s a wee babe in the belly and you’ve suddenly become a beached whale with sausage toes and terrible cravings for the oddest food combinations.”

I laughed. Considering I’d had all the children I cared to have, I needn’t worry about that particular problem.

“I don’t know, Consort, mayhap it is the beginnings of love. I crave him. And not just his cock.”

“Well, that’s a start.”

“His arms feel so nice. I laid in them last night, rested my head upon his chest, and listened to him talk of his past. He’s remarkable, really.”

“Mm. Yes, that’s always my favorite part, too.” A dreamy look flitted across her face. “Especially when they whisper their undying love to you when they think you’re asleep. That tickles me every time.”

Oh. Interesting. I stored that idea away in the vault.

“But what if he doesn’t feel that way back? I mean, I’ve kept our relationship purely carnal.”

She giggled, covering her mouth with a napkin. “I’m sure it seems that way to you, Janita, but you remember once that I told you how a first time marks your soul?”

I nodded.

“I can almost guarantee that you’ve been more unguarded than you imagined. If he feels the same way for you, believe me, you’ll know it soon enough. It is an emotion far too powerful to hide for long.”

I felt better, but only marginally. I still wondered what Themis was thinking. It was weird that I suddenly felt this stake in what happened to Hades. But now that I’d found my sex slave, I had no wish to release him for the next thousand years to the tender mercies of the vultures.

It seemed most unfair.

“Janita,” Nim tapped my fingers, “If you want to know what that lawyer thinks, go ask her.”

I felt the loss of time with Hades keenly. I had no wish to leave him for that long. In fact, I almost hadn’t come this morning. Were it not for the burgeoning beans in Nimue’s belly, I’d not have come at all, but I came daily to check in on my little buns and make sure they were as well as their mama.

“I should go to him,” I finally said. “Tell Cook to clean these dishes today, Consort, I’ve got a man to go see.”

Her laughter followed me down the hall.