Hecate retrieved them from the library and led them to the first-floor entrance of the ballroom. On the other side of the doors, she heard Hermes’ voice.
“Introducing your Lord and Lady of the Underworld, King Hades and Queen Persephone.”
Persephone was certain she would never tire of hearing her name spoken in tandem with Hades’, and as the doors swung open, she was faced with her people—every soul in the Underworld she had grown to love. They clapped and cheered again as they entered the throng, spilling out into the courtyard where they came to a stop and there beneath the Underworld sky and before all the souls—new and old, Hades drew Persephone close.
The music was soft—a beautiful melody that seemed to twine them together.
“What are you thinking?” Persephone asked.
“I am thinking of many things, wife,” he said.
“Like?”
The corners of his lips curled.
“I am thinking of how happy I am,” he answered, the words warming her chest. Still, she arched a brow.
“Is that all?”
“I wasn’t finished,” he said, tightening his hold and bending so that his cheek pressed against hers, his breath brushing her ear. “I am wondering if you are wet for me. If your stomach is wound tight with desire. If you’re fantasizing about tonight as much as I am—and are your thoughts just as vulgar?”
When he pulled away, she was flushed, the heat pooling in the core of her body. Still, she held his stare and as the music came to an end, they halted at the center of the courtyard. Persephone craned her neck; her lips close to his as she answered his questions.
“Yes.”
His eyes darkened, and Persephone grinned just as her attention was taken by a group of children begging for a dance. She broke away from Hades and held hands with the children as they moved around the courtyard, oblivious to rhythm or footwork. Still, Persephone did not care—she laughed and smiled and felt more joy than she had in months.
When the song ended, another began, and the children broke away to play on their own.
“May I have this dance, Queen Persephone?”
She turned to find Hermes, who bowed low in her presence.
“Of course, Lord Hermes,” she countered, taking his outstretched hand.
“I am proud of you, Sephy,” he said.
“Proud? Whatever for?”
“You did well in front of the Olympians tonight,” he said.
“I think I made enemies.”
He shrugged and guided her into a spin. “Having enemies is a universal truth,” he said. “It means you have something worth fighting for.”
“You know,” Persephone said. “For all of your humor, Hermes, you have a lot wisdom.”
The god grinned. “Another universal truth.”
After dancing with Hermes, Persephone was passed to Charon and when she found herself standing face-to-face with Thanatos, her smile faded.
He was pale and handsome and looked a little sad.
The god bowed his head. “Lady Persephone, will you dance with me?”
Thanatos had not approached her since the day he’d told her she could not see Lexa. Facing him now felt awkward.
She hesitated and Thanatos noticed, adding. “I understand if you wish to decline.”
“I do not expect you to be kind because I am your Queen,” she said.
“I did not ask you to dance because you are my Queen,” he said. “I asked you to dance so I could apologize.”
“Apologize then, and we shall dance.”
He frowned; his blue eyes sincere as he spoke, “I am sorry for my actions and my words. I took protecting Lexa to an extreme and I regret how I hurt you.”
“Apology accepted,” she said, and Thanatos offered a sad smile.
“It does not appear my apology has made you feel better,” Persephone said as they danced.
“I think I am appalled by my behavior,” said the god.
“Love does that to the best of us,” she said. Thanatos’s eyes widened and Persephone offered a small laugh. “I know you care for her.”
The God of Death did not speak, so Persephone added something she knew all too well. “Sometimes, it is hard to explain our actions when they are guided by our heart.”
“She will reincarnate one day,” Thanatos said.
“And?”
“She will not remember me.”
“I do not understand what you are trying to say.”
“I am saying that she and I—we cannot be.”
Persephone’s brows knitted together. “You would deprive yourself of a moment of happiness?”
“To escape a lifetime of pain? Yes.”
Persephone did not say anything for a long moment.
“Does she know of the decision you have made?”
Thanatos did not seem to like that question, because he pressed his lips into a hard line.
“You should at least tell her,” Persephone said. “Because while you are choosing to escape pain, she is living in it.”
Once her dance with Thanatos ended, she wandered beyond the courtyard, needing rest and distance from the crowd, into the garden where large roses bloomed, emitting a sweet scent. Ahead of her, Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus wandered, noses to the ground. She was surprised when she noted the familiar silhouette of her husband ahead of her. He stood with his hands in his pockets, staring up at the sky.
After a moment, he turned, his eyes glittering.
“Are you well?” he asked.
“I am,” she replied.
“Are you ready?”
“I am.”
He held out his hand and as she pressed her fingers into his palm, they vanished.
***
Persephone wasn’t sure what to expect when they teleported—a room warmly lit by firelight, perhaps a return to the island of Lampri. Instead, she found herself standing upon a platform with a large bed that was open to the sky. Overhead, were clouds of clustered stars in colors of orange and blue and white. They were also reflected in the pool of dark water that surrounded them. It was as if they were floating in the sky itself.
“Are we…in the middle of a lake?” Persephone asked.
“Yes,” Hades answered.
Persephone stared. “Is this your magic?”
“It is,” he said. “Do you like it?”
“It is beautiful,” she said. “But where are we, really?”
“We are in the Underworld,” he said. “In a space I made.”
“How long have you planned this?”
“I have thought about it for a while,” he replied.
Persephone approached the bed and smoothed her hand over the soft silk sheets before looking at Hades over her shoulder.
“Help me out of my dress,” she said.
Hades approached and drew the zipper of her gown down until it hit her lower back. His hands skimmed along her spine and across her shoulders, dipping beneath the thin straps. The fabric whispered over her skin as it puddled to the floor.
Beneath her dress she wore nothing, and Hades hands went to her breasts, his mouth to hers. He kissed her with a slow hunger that curled into the bottom of her stomach.
When he pulled away, he drew something from his pocket—a small, black box.
“These are Chains of Truth,” Hades said. “They are a powerful weapon against any god unless they have the password. I am telling you that password now so that if you begin to feel afraid, you can release yourself from their grasp. Eleftherose ton—say it.”
“Eleftherose ton,” she repeated.
“Perfect.”
“Why are they called Chains of Truth?” she asked because she thought she could guess, and Hades’ smile confirmed her suspicions.
“The only truth they shall draw from your lips is your pleasure. Lie down.”
Persephone did as he instructed. Hades followed, straddling her body, his clothes scraping against her skin, sensitive with need.
“Spread your arms,” he said.
He placed the box above her head and in the next second, her wrists were restrained with heavy chains.
“Forgive me, my darling,” Hades said as he touched each cuff, turning them into soft bindings.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“For you?” she asked. “Always.”
“Always,” Hades repeated.
He sat back on his heels, still straddling her and loosened his tie, then his cufflinks before making his way to the buttons of his shirt.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I want you to move faster.” The words were out of Persephone’s mouth before she even had time to think. Her eyes widened and then she remembered that the restraints around her wrists would pull the truth from her mouth.
She narrowed her eyes. “Is there any chance you get to wear these?”
Hades chuckled. “If that is what you want,” he said as he pulled off his shirt and cast it aside. “But you do not need chains to draw the truth from me, especially when it comes to what I plan to do to you.”
“I’d rather not hear your plans,” Persephone said, her eyes roving hungrily over his muscled chest.
“What do you want, wife?”
“Action,” she said, wiggling beneath him. If she could, she would reach for him, but her wrists strained against the bindings.
Hades chuckled, and then pressed a kiss between her breasts. She rose against his touch, her legs twined around his, she wanted the friction of his body against hers. But Hades continued, trailing his lips down her stomach as he untangled himself from her grasp. She let him go and allowed her legs to fall open, shameless, ready, desperate. Hades stared at her hungrily, before hooking his arms beneath her hips, lifting her ass, and licking her slick folds.
A low growl came from somewhere deep in his chest.
“This. I love this.”
He descended, tongue parting her and teasing her clit. He spread her wider so he could go deeper, and soon his fingers were inside her, curling. Persephone’s heels dug into the bed, her fingers twined around the chains, her head pressed hard into the pillow beneath her. She felt so wound up, so tight, so flushed, then Hades warm mouth closed over her clit and he sucked—it was gentle and followed by slow circling. Her breath caught on a loud moan and Hades pulled away, his fingers still working inside her.
“That’s it, darling. Tell me how it feels.”
“It’s good. So good.”
She managed to look at him, perspiration building across his forehead, eyes lustful and gleaming. Then his mouth closed over her clit again, tongue vibrating against it. Her head fell back as she moaned. His pace was consistent, and the pressure built and twisted until her limbs shook with release.
Hades pressed kisses to the inside of her thighs, back up her stomach, her breasts, her neck before finding his way to her lips. He kissed her before standing.
“Where are you going?”
“Not far, wife,” Hades promised as he stepped out of his slacks. Her eyes scanned every part of his body. He was huge and imposing, the muscles of his arms, abs, and legs were cut and conditioned—his body a tool and weapon. Her gaze caught on his swollen cock and heavy balls.
“Tell me your thoughts,” he said.
Persephone shuddered as the words came from her mouth. “It doesn’t matter how often you are inside me. I can’t…it’s not enough.”
Hades chuckled and climbed on top of her again, settling between her legs, he pressed his body flush against hers.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you.”
She’d said the words so often, and meant them deeply, but this time, they brought tears to her eyes. Tonight, they hit differently. Tonight, she felt as though she understood love in a way she never had never before—it was wild and free, passionate and desperate. It encompassed every emotion in its attempt to make sense of a world that challenged it.
“Are you well?” Hades asked, his voice a rough whisper.
Persephone nodded. “Yes. I am just thinking of how much I truly love you.”
Hades’ expression intensified, his gaze stripping away every layer of her soul and then he kissed her before lifting himself and guiding his head against her opening. She pressed her heels into his ass in an attempt to push him inside, but he resisted, chuckling, only to lift her legs so that they were propped against his shoulders, sliding inside her as his eyes held hers, hungry and carnal.
Persephone gasped—a guttural sound that scraped against her throat. Her fingers curled into fists, the bindings cutting into her wrists. The pleasure of his thrusts were deep and lush, each stroke unearthing a moan, a sigh, a wave of pleasure.
“You feel so good,” Hades said through his teeth, his face glistening, his long hair coming loose from its binds as he moved. “So tight, so wet. Eleftherose ton!” he commanded, and her restraints were suddenly gone. He released her legs and let them fall around him. Their mouths collided in a hot kiss, and Persephone’s hands combed through his hair until it fell down around his shoulders.
“Fuck!”
His curse shivered through her, and then he left her body completely and she made an animalistic sound. She reached for him as he sat back and pulled her into his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. Then he was inside her again and she moved against him. Every sensation was delicious—the way her muscles gripped him, the way her nipples grazed his chest, the light scrape of his hair on her clit. Their lips collided awkwardly as Hades began to help her along his length, moving faster the closer he came to release until he emptied himself inside her.
After, their breaths were heavy, their bodies slick. Hades fell back against the bed with Persephone in his arms. She felt dazed and boneless and so happy, she began to laugh.
“I will refrain from thinking you are laughing at my performance, wife,” Hades said.
That made her laugh harder.
“No,” she said, lifting herself so she could look at him.
His face was free of tension and his smile seemed so easy, a lazy curve of his lips that was only for her. She reached to brush her fingers along his brow and cheek. Then she rested her head against his chest and said, “You were everything.”
Hades rolled so that they were on their sides, facing each other, their legs tangled.
“You are my everything,” he said. “My first love, my wife, the first and last Queen of the Underworld.”
The words struck her, each one a part of her identity—an identity she had created from the ashes of her past. It was beautiful and breathtaking.
Her heavy eyes closed with those words on repeat: Goddess. Wife. Queen.
