“The Underworld was smaller back then, with less uncharted territory to spare beyond the borders of my kingdom.” Hades pursed his lips, leaned back into his throne and then looked at Keras. “After the rebellion ended in our victory, I gifted Thanatos, Nyx and Hypnos with a realm as promised, since they were the strongest and led the other gods and goddesses.”
Gods and goddesses who Enyo suspected were in the room right now judging by how Eris paused halfway through saying something to her brother, Moros, and shot a black look in her family’s direction.
Enyo frowned at her and she went back to speaking with her siblings in the far corner of the room, near an open window that allowed cooler air to flow in and entice Enyo with thoughts of stepping outside, where she could be alone with Keras.
Eris had caught her attention in the battle, her bloodthirstiness and skill with her daggers impressing Enyo as it always did whenever the goddess and her siblings rode into battle with her and her brother Ares.
Had Eris, Apate, Moros and Oizys expected to receive a realm from Hades as payment for the participation in the battle to crush the first rebellion?
Maybe she would ask Eris about it and hear her side of the story too.
She wanted to speak with her before the banquet was over, to talk about old times and catch up with her anyway since it had been decades since Eris and her siblings had fought beside Enyo and Ares.
But first she wanted to learn more about Hades’s history with Nyx’s family, and then she wanted to lure Keras outside for some air.
“The second rebellion was far more exciting though. Who among us expected the fiends to attack when Keras was newly born?” Thanatos boxed Keras on his left arm and grinned at him. “You were a squalling, whining little thing when you were born. Never a day’s peace for your parents. Your mother thought you ill. Your father wanted rid of you.”
“I did not.” Hades’s words were lost as Thanatos continued, speaking over him.
“You are grown into a powerful male now though. The Nereids will sing of your victory in this battle.”
Keras’s brother Ares, who had been diligently standing guard over his wife, protecting her as a hydra would defend its hoard, huffed. “His victory?”
Thanatos arched an eyebrow at him. “I did not see you there.”
Enyo wasn’t sure whether the god of death was bringing up the fact that Ares had been absent, or whether he was trying to rile him by saying that he hadn’t noticed Ares looming over Megan, the only male in a throng of females.
Ares scowled at him, fire flickering in his dark eyes. “Someone needs to cut you off.”
Nyx leaned across the table, snatched the cup of ambrosia from her son’s hand and drank the contents in one go. She sighed and smacked her lips together, and slammed the goblet down. “There. Now there is no excuse to argue. Thanatos is just moody. You must excuse him.”
“I am not moody,” he grumbled, his expression souring as he glanced at his mother.
“Is this because your father summoned me?”
He shuddered, his feathered wings quivering as disgust rolled across his features. “I do not even want to think about that, let alone speak of it.”
Nyx leaned back in her onyx chair and smiled wistfully. “Ah, it was like old times. Remember how I missed the second rebellion because of him? Hades has never forgiven me, even though it was not my fault that I was busy and could not attend.”
Thanatos curled his lip and grunted, “Busy being disgusting with Erebus.”
Nyx waggled a blue-painted fingertip at him. “Your father gives me little choice and invokes his contract at his own will.”
Thanatos looked even more disgusted.
Nyx looked deeply satisfied with the arrangement rather than irritated by it.
She sighed softly and twined a ribbon of her black hair around her finger, causing the silver strands in it to spiral around the onyx. “I paid my dues for being absent during that rebellion. A century banished to the mortal world. You must know how that feels.”
She tilted her cup towards Keras.
He nodded. “I do.”
“I was so relieved when I could return to my realm to resume rule of it.” She lifted the goblet to her lips.
Thanatos jerked his head towards the far corner. “Eris wasn’t so relieved. She wanted your head there for a time.”
Nyx glanced at her daughter.
Enyo did too.
Eris was deep in conversation with her siblings, but Enyo had the feeling she was aware of her mother and brother talking about her, had tuned into them when her name had been mentioned.
Having lived under her brother’s rule for centuries, Enyo could sympathise. For a moment, a brief time given the lifespan of a goddess, Eris had been in control of her own life and ruling her own kingdom. Enyo could well imagine how she must have felt when her mother had returned and taken that control and realm away from her.
Now that Enyo was free of her brother, she never wanted to go back.
The heat of Keras’s gaze on her had a shiver traipsing down her spine, had warmth curling through her together with a sense of anticipation.
He slipped his arm around her waist, the brush of his body against hers almost too much to bear as he leaned in close.
He murmured into her ear. “Walk with me?”
She was quick to nod, barely waited for him to make their excuses to his father and Thanatos and Nyx before she was striding across the mosaic floor, heading for the twin doors that led out into the garden.
Eager to be alone with him.
Chapter 29
The stifling heat of the room gave way to cool air and Enyo breathed deep of it as she stepped out onto the terrace that ran along the side of the palace. She walked to the onyx balustrade that lined the edge of the paved area, separating it from the garden below, and gazed at the flowers and trees that filled the formal grounds.
“Something is wrong.” Keras stepped up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and locked his hands over her stomach. He settled his chin on her shoulder. “Talk to me.”
She smiled, loving how attuned to her he was. Her mood had barely begun to slip before he had noticed it and whisked her away. She was just as attuned to him, could feel that he needed this moment alone together as much as she did. He was still struggling against the darkness Thanatos had provoked in him. It was right there in his feelings and in the tight way he held her to him, clutching her against his body.
That possessive hold thrilled her.
“I am disappointed that my brother did not come to the battle.” She leaned her back against his front, her focus shifting away from the garden and settling on him and how good it felt to be held like this by him.
Warmth flowed through her as he pulled her closer.
“Would you like me to hunt him down and punish him?” He nuzzled her neck and dropped a kiss on it. “Or cheer you up?”
She smiled. She knew which he would prefer. It wasn’t the first time he had made it clear that he wanted to fight her brother, and it wasn’t the first time he had offered to take her mind off him rather than going to mete out justice on her behalf.
Only this time she had the feeling that his way of cheering her up would be far more wicked, and far more satisfying, than it had been in the past.
Keras released her, placed his hands on her hips and turned her around to face him.