Hades’s smile turned wicked, and she turned back to the couple playing at the pond. They were gone.
“Zeus gave me consent,” Hades spat, “and if Zeus gives his consent, there is no other consent one needs. He rules everything. Even me.”
A stocky, wizened man flashed in Cyane’s head. Long white hair with crows feet framing the side of his eyes. His leering gaze was ancient and full of lightning. The image disappeared, and she realized she was thankful to be sitting next to Hades. How was that possible?
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered. “I didn’t come here willingly.”
“Yet you carried my note for twenty-four years.”
Her stomach sickened.What?
Hades continued speaking.
“You read it nearly every day once your young mortal mind could comprehend words. You, Cyane, were the most eager of all to be here. Even I could feel your desire from so far below.”
The air stole away from her lungs. “No.” Shock dominated her mind, and her hands untangled from each other. “You lie,” she stammered.
“If only life could be that easy for you.”
“No,” she said again, heart thumping painfully in her chest. Maybe if she said it enough times, it would be real. But Hades reached out and touched a tendril of her hair, petting it with fingers that were now so familiar. It made her want to vomit.No, please. Please, god no.
“Yes,” he said softly, terribly. “You turned out perfect. Persephone will be pleased.”
Cyane jerked back with a cry. “Don’t touch me!” She moved to stand, but Hades clamped his hand on her shoulder. Her struggles were nothing against his strength.
He forced her back down. “You will sit, and you will listen. That’s why you’re here, aren’t you? To watch others fuck with the man who is the closest thing you have to a father?”
She cried out again, shaking now, trying not to hear what he was saying. She didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to know anymore. If the note came from Hades…
My whole life...
“We don’t have much time before my Queen arrives, and once that happens, we’ll both be too busy to even look at each other, let alone speak. You’re going to help me, Cyane, because you exist for no other reason, and you will serve obediently, because I know of your treachery to escape this place, and I know what Cerberus would do for you.” Hades chuckled. “He’s committing even more treason as we speak!”
Cerberus.She couldn’t find him among the trees, the orgy. His hounds walked in and out of the treeline shadows. She caught the gaze of one and held it, finding a modicum of courage. She swallowed down the bile in her throat.
She didn’t want to believe Hades. It wrenched her mind, but if what he said was true, then…
Her fingers twitched to claw out her eyes.
“If you want to ensure Cerberus’s safety, you will listen and you will obey. Understood?” Hades’s voice slithered into her.
Cyane nodded.
The moans and guttural grunts of countless orgasms filled her ears, but none were enough to eclipse Hades’s voice.
“Good.” He released her shoulder.
Cyane slumped as though all her strength had been drained. Her skin was frozen where he’d touched her.
“It was no small feat to bring you back to life, so you owe me a great debt. Not only did I have to collect your soul from the world above because, well, you’d never truly died, but Charon was also not thrilled to leave his ferry to travel inland.”
“My—soul?”
“It matters not. You were dying, and I’ve waited a long time for it to happen, but it still wasn’t fast enough. The mortals above honor you to this day, and their worship was enough to make you linger.
“You see, I’m an incredibly patient god, one of the most patient of my family, but after hundreds of years waiting for you to die so I can bring you back to life in your former form, well, I grew restless.”
She didn’t understand what he was telling her. The possibility of leaving this place and returning to her life before was crashing and burning with each word he spoke. She desperately needed to believe this was all tricks and lies—even when something deep inside told her it wasn’t.
