“If you don’t want him, can I have him?” Jinx asked mischievously from the bottom of the bed.

Zerina ignored her, keeping her eyes on Hades to see if he could see Jinx.

He gently removed the binding from her mouth, brushing his thumb against the curve of her cheek.

“Don’t touch me!” she spat, scooting away from his touch.

The touch of his skin on hers was electrifying, making her eyes nearly roll back in her head. Her iron control had her stumbling from the bed, her hand going to her waist, trying to calm the rioting nerve endings that had sent a jolt directly between her thighs.

Dark eyes looked at her with amusement. “Why so skittish? I was just checking to make sure your skin wasn’t marked from your binding.”

“Don’t play games with me. You know what a touch from you does.”

His lower lip curled sensuously as he studied her heaving breasts. “Ah, beautiful Zerina, am I too much for you to handle?”

“Yes,” she admitted honestly. “Take me home, Hades. You have the power to return me. If my father and mother find out where I am, it will start a war with the Moirai.”

“That they will not win. Mother will not interfere, so they would be on their own. If they start a war, it will be at their own doing, which is how you ended up down here in the first place.”

“I ended up here because Grimm found me searching for Cara and took me.”

“Cara took a soul that wasn’t meant for her. Grimm hates to leave empty-handed.”

Zerina ground her teeth. “Grimm thought you would do the right thing and return me home.”

Hades shook his head. “My servant knows me well enough to know I don’t let anyone leave my domain once they enter.”

“I know what you’re about to say,” Jinx broke into her thoughts. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”

Recklessly, Zerina didn’t heed her warning.

“You allowed Persephone to leave.”

“That’s true. Demeter was always butting her nose into our business. Your mother, on the other hand, I could get used to seeing on a regular basis.”

Fate and Demeter couldn’t be compared. Both Fate and her sister Destiny made all the goddesses envious. The only goddess who was just as beautiful was Persephone. Her mother had told her once that Hades had fallen in love with her on sight.

If she was still the queen of the Underworld, Zerina might have been able to convince her to persuade Hades to return her home. But Persephone was no longer there. When she had returned to the Underworld after staying with Demeter for the six months that Hades had promised, she had returned carrying Zeus’s child … twice. Hades had divorced her with the spoken words that had dissolved their marriage, denying her entry back into the Underworld where he ruled.

“You think so? My mother would make Demeter seem like a saint.”

“Then it’s a good thing she has no idea where you are.” Hades waved his hand toward the doorway. “Are you ready to return to your room?”

“If you’re refusing to listen to reason, yes!” Zerina swept her long gown out of her way as she stormed toward the door.

In the short time she had been in the Underworld, every time she had argued with Hades, he would send her back to her room.

“Take your company with you.”

Zerina turned back in shock, seeing Jinx was just as startled.

“You see me?”

Hades sat down on the bed, leaning on his elbow as he stared at the small woman. “I can see anyone who enters my domain, even if they are just projecting their image. You’re a cute little thing.”

Zerina crossed her arms when Jinx impishly smiled at Hades.

“Are you flirting with me?”

Hades laughed. “A little.”

“I may be small, but I have all the right parts in the right places,” she flirted back.

“Jinx!” If she could have jerked the woman off the bed, Zerina would have.

Jinx lowered her voice, as if Zerina couldn’t hear every word the fairy said. “She’s a stick in the mud like her mother,” she whispered conspiratorially.

“We’ll have to see what we can do about that,” Hades whispered back.

Fed up with the two, she went through the door, seeing Grimm waiting. Giving her cousin the cold shoulder, she followed him down the long, black marble hallway to the door of her room. He held the door for her, giving her a mocking smile. She wanted to smack his smug face. If she had the opportunity to make him pay for bringing her to the Underworld, she would. When she returned home, apprising her mother of his betrayal would be her first priority.

“You left me?” Jinx asked as her image appeared on her bed.

“I didn’t think you would care.” Zerina huffily sat down on the bed, seeing Grimm close the door.

“Can you blame me?” Jinx fanned her face. “He’s hot as hell.” She threw herself down on the soft bed.

Zerina ignored her, trying to think of a way to escape. Her eyes went around the large room. The bed was huge, sitting next to a window that gave the appearance of the sun and trees outside. There was a table with two chairs and another chair that sat beside the window. The rug that covered the floor was thick and warm, unlike the cold marble of the floors in the rest of Hades’ castle. On the walls were pictures of women during time periods. Each so beautiful she could understand why the artist had decided to capture their beauty on canvas. Being a Moirai, she knew who each of the women were.

The Countess of Báthory that had been rumored to bathe in the blood of virgins. Zerina knew that rumor was true. Shivering, she looked at the next picture. Martha Needle, who, growing bored with her husband and three children, decided to poison them and her brother-in-law. Her eyes traveled to another wall, where a picture of an Egyptian queen was placed.

There were also pictures of women that weren’t human. Empousa was a goddess whom everyone hated enough to spread the rumor that she had lost her power and had one leg of bronze and another one like a donkey. In her portrait, she was lying nude on a lavish bed, both shapely legs visible.

Jinx saw where she was staring and asked, “Do you think they are down here?”

“Yes.” Zerina lay back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling morosely.

She missed her mother, father, and sisters. Having never been separated from them, Hades’ castle seemed more cold and quiet. She was used to Broni and Cara bantering back and forth. Her mother’s stories of gods, goddesses, and immortals. Her father’s quiet presence as they strolled through his gardens. No wonder Hades looked for diversions, being removed from the beauty of the heavens and the distractions at Mother’s court. Her only hope was that he would become bored with her and give her freedom back.

Jinx settled down next to her as the scene outside the window grew into one of darkness with a bright moon and stars shining.

“He doesn’t seem so bad,” she tried to console her.

“He isn’t nice, either,” Zerina warned. “He doesn’t contain the souls that are doomed to stay here forever by being nice.”

“I don’t think most of the women complain about being here if they can see him every day,” she mused.

“You have a one-track mind.”

“Yes, I do.” Jinx sighed. “He’s sexy as—”

“Will you stop saying that?”

“Well, he is,” she muttered in a staccato voice.

“Go away, Jinx. I’m going to sleep.” Zerina rolled to her side, away from the irritating woman.

“Are you mad at me?” Zerina could hear the subtle hint of hurt in her voice.

Sighing, Zerina rolled back over. “You can stay if you let me go to sleep.”

Obediently, Jinx closed her eyes. Zerina closed hers also, comforted that the other woman was next to her, even though she was an apparition.

Drowsily, she raised her lashes. “If you find the entrance, don’t come inside. I don’t want you to become trapped.”

Jinx didn’t open her eyes when she replied, “I’m not making any promises until I see the size of his dick.”

Zerina pulled her pillow out from under her head, tempted to smother her. Instead, she used it to cover her eyes from the glow of the moonlight.

“You know what your problem is, Zerina?”

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”

“You’re too prissy. You should learn to relax more.”

“You know what your problem is?”

“No. What?”

“You won’t shut up.”