“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.