Greek mythology rolled through my head. Brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, gained control of Olympus and the seas while Hades received the Underworld. I tapped the railing. “Demanding job?”
The wind tousled his hair in the most majestic of ways. “Very.”
He said everything with such conviction. My rational brain said this was crazy, but he had a way of making crazy sound convincing.
“You don’t get vacation days?”
He looked at the water. “It’s not that simple.”
“Then how’d you manage this one?”
“Very rarely, with catastrophic occurrences, I’m granted—a break.”
Blood rushed to my ears. “To keep you—happy.”
I didn’t look at him, my eyes fixed on fish leaping from the water.
He turned to face me, leaning on the railing with one elbow. “In a manner of speaking.”
“Do you work for your brother?”
“Partners.”
Why were all his answers cryptic enough to reel me right back in?
“How’s your stomach?” He asked.
I pressed a hand over my abdomen. “I feel—fine. I haven’t felt the boat rock at all. How is that possible?”
“The—” A corner of his mouth twitched. “—captain and I are on good terms.”
“I don’t care how good of a captain he is; it still doesn’t explain how the water doesn’t make the boat bob up and down. Even a little.”
“Fine. You want the truth?”
He stared at me, waiting for an answer. A small squeak escaped my throat, but no words followed. The boat slowed down, pulling to a rickety dock leading to a tiny island.
“We’re here,” he grumbled.
I guess my silence wasn’t the answer he was looking for.
Every few planks were missing on the dock, and I took baby steps across. Hades strode over it without a care in the world. He didn’t so much as look down. The sight of the boat pulling away, leaving us stranded on the island, made a knot form in my stomach. Sara was going to kill me. No, she’d kill Hades first, then me.
“Are they coming back?” I asked.
“Of course, they are,” he answered, making his way to a deeply wooded area.
After pushing past several tree branches, palm fronds, and vines, we reached a clearing with hundreds of squared rocks. It was remnants of the walls of an old building.
I traced my fingers over the rubble. “Is this a temple?”
“What’s left of it.”
Part of a column still stood. In my opinion, the staple of ancient Greek architecture. “Was it dedicated to someone?”
He crouched down, pressing his hand against a crumbled slab. “Artemis.”
“I imagine it was beautiful when it was standing, but I have to ask, why is this one of significance to you?”
He stood up, looking around at the rubble as if picturing in his mind what it used to look like. “The Greeks built these temples to honor their gods. At first, they were made of wood, but this is the first with stone. It wasn’t an easy task considering you had to have the proper distribution of weight, or it’d crumble.”
“Really? And here in Corfu?”
He nodded. “Their dedication to their gods knew no bounds, includin’ the lengths they went to develop temples in their honor. Much like these ruins, however, the dedication crumbled through the ages.”
“I’m sure there are those who still believe in them.”
“Like you?” He peered at me from across the foundation of the fallen temple.
A sharp prick of guilt stung me in the chest. I picked up a rock, rolling it between my fingers. “Was there one for Hades?”
“They called it Nekromanteion. It’s not so much of a temple as it is a door, however. It’s in Epirus, once known as Ephyra. They thought it was the gateway to the Underworld.”
Intrigue traveled down my spine like a burning wick. “Thought it was?”
“There are only so many ways to get to the Underworld, and it’s most certainly not through a gateway made of stone.”
“A chariot ride with the King himself?” I wrapped my hand around the stone, pushing an imprint into my palm.
“That’s one way. Or—” His gaze locked onto my very soul. “Death.”
We stared at each other.
“There’s another reason I enjoy this particular temple.” He motioned for me to follow him out of the woods.
Cerulean water and mountains in the distance greeted me. Several branches from the trees dipped in front of us, framing the scene like a painting. He leaned forward on the railing and took a deep breath.
“This is one of my favorite spots in all of Greece,” he said, sighing.
“I can see why. It’s breathtaking.” I eyed him sidelong. “Why me?”
“What do you mean?”
“This is your favorite spot, and you’re sharing it with me. Why?”
His eyes remained on the water. “I’ve never had anyone invested in me. At first, I thought you just enjoyed pestering me, or someone was playin’ a cruel joke, but…” He looked at me. “You’re real.”
How ironic he questioned my reality.
I frowned and hovered my hand over his forearm. Never in my life had I as much confidence as I was gradually feeling around him. I rested my hand on his arm after staring at it for a second or two. “What’s really going on with you, Hades? You seem so…”
His eyes focused on my fingers wrapped around his arm.
“…broken,” I finished.
His gaze snapped to mine, and he turned away. “I want to prove to you who I am, but only if that’s what you want, Stephanie.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I want to believe you. I do. I just—need more.”
He faced me and pulled his shoulders back. “Do you want to see proof? Yes or no.”
I blinked with the speed of a hummingbird and wrung my hands together.
He slipped a hand on my shoulder and lowered his head, so we were face-to-face. “I need to hear it, Stephanie. I made poor decisions in my past, and I’m not doin’ it again.”
“Your decisions couldn’t have been that bad. I’ve seen some monstrous deeds I would’ve never thought someone was capable of.”
He leaned back. “In your profession, you mean?”
“Not only my profession. My mom, —there was a house fire, and she was inside sleeping. We found out later it was arson. Someone trying to kill my dad, but he was working a beat. And I was at a sleepover.”
“I’m sorry.” His face softened.
“It was a long time ago, but I guess I shared it with you because there’s a lot of things I’d have said I wouldn’t believe were possible—but was proven wrong.”
A gust of wind flew between us, making our hair flutter.
I bit down on my lip. “What would you show me? The chariot? A three-headed dog?”
“Definitely not Cerberus. He’s far too big.” A corner of his lip lifted.
Was I really about to say this?
“Show me,” I whispered.
His eyebrows drew together, staring at me like a chessboard. He held out his hand. “Have you had anything to drink today?”