He liked the way she stared at him now. A light burned behind her eyes, and he knew she was aroused. He could sense it in how her body arched to his, the way her magic started to scent. She stared at him, then focused on his mouth and whispered, “Then take me.”
He was not one to deny her command, and as his arm tightened around her waist, intent on lifting her to the desk and calling up his glamour, someone cleared their throat.
Their heads whipped toward the door to find Lexa standing there, smiling.
“Hey, Hades,” she said brightly. “Hope you don’t mind. I brought Persephone for a tour.”
Persephone pushed against him to create distance, and he worked to stifle his disappointment.
“I have to get back to work,” she said, making her way to the door, but before she left, she turned to look back at him.
He realized he saw her nearly every day, had memorized every curve and detail of her body, yet she somehow still managed to arrest him.
“I’ll see you tonight?”
He would never say no, despite all the fires raging around him at the moment, and when he nodded, he knew he had made the right decision because she smiled so bright, it made his heart race.
After she left, Hades remained standing for a few minutes before sinking into the chair behind his desk. His gaze fell to the picture of Persephone, which he straightened, then he leaned back and closed his eyes, waiting for his lust to subside.
“There you are!”
“Go away,” Hades groaned.
“Excuse the interruption, my lord, but you are rarely here,” said Katerina.
Hades opened his eyes and stared at the director. Her eyes were lively, and she seemed far more energetic than usual, which was saying something, because she was always rather enthusiastic. It made her a better leader, as she was able to motivate people to do just about anything.
Even Hades.
“Which is why I have you,” he replied. “Actually, though, I may have something for you.”
He summoned Ariadne’s file, and Katerina approached.
“I need to know if any of these women sought sanctuary at Hemlock Grove,” Hades said, which was a safe house operated by Hecate. Katerina, like many of his staff, volunteered there.
Katerina frowned as she leafed through page after page of missing women. “There are so many,” she said.
“A true tragedy,” Hades said, and he meant it.
Katerina hugged the folder to her chest. “I’ll work on this today,” she said. “While you are here, I need your approval on a few things.”
“Fine,” Hades replied. “As long as it doesn’t take long.”
Chapter VIII
Secrets Unravel
It was two hours before Hades was finished signing off on designs and approving new fundraising opportunities for the Halcyon Project. As he went to leave, he dropped everything by Katerina’s office. She was hard at work, Ariadne’s folder open on her desk.
“That was not a few things,” he said.
“Relative,” she said. “Besides, you’re the one who was explicit about being involved in the project. I am only following your instructions.”
He did not always need to have control, especially if he found people he trusted to see his visions through, and while he did trust Katerina, the Halcyon Project was personal. He wanted it to capture the essence of Persephone, and he felt like the only one qualified to do so.
He nodded to the folder. “Let Ilias know as soon as you find something. He’s on the case too.”
Katerina nodded grimly, and there was a part of him that hated to have given her something so heavy. Katerina was a fierce advocate for women, having her own history with domestic violence.
“Will you be okay?”
“I will,” she promised. “I’d just like to find them.”
Hades agreed and, with that, left to return to the Underworld. Persephone would be off work soon, and he did not wish to break his promise of seeing her tonight. There was an ever-present thought in the back of his mind that at any point, he could be drawn away to deal with some threat. If not ones that already existed—Hera, Leuce, Dionysus—it would be something new.
Because of that, he used this time to unwind, wandering into the fields and summoning Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus, only as the dogs approached, he found they had morphed into their singular form—a single body that shared three similar heads. Despite this, the three always maintained distinct personalities, which were very evident even now. Cerberus, the middle, had a stoic expression. Typhon, on the right, was calm, though his ears were up and alert. Orthrus, on the left, had his tongue lolling out of his mouth, and the right foot of their large body bounced.
Hades raised a brow. “Were you part of Hecate’s punishments today?”
The three Dobermans took whatever form they pleased, but Hecate often used this one—their monstrous form—to chase deserving souls across Tartarus. In some cases, she allowed the three to devour their prey.
In answer, the three barked.
“I see,” Hades replied. “Does that mean you are too tired for a bit of fetch?”
All three perked up, and Hades smiled, manifesting their favorite red ball.
“I thought not,” he said, throwing the ball up and down. Their eyes followed. “Question is, will you three work together or not?”
Hades reared back.
“Not yet,” he ordered and tossed the ball clear across the Underworld. Three pairs of eyes watched him, body wiggling in anticipation of chasing their new target.
He smirked. “Go.”
The three let out a growl as they twisted, kicking up dirt as they took off in the direction he’d thrown the ball, and as he watched them bound across the green fields, dipping into rolling hills and parting tall grass, they broke apart, departing into their three bodies once more.
It looked like it was going to be a competition.
While Hades’s strength meant he could throw far, his dogs were monsters, and they had their own power, strength, and speed, which meant that while it would take a normal animal hours to retrieve the ball he’d thrown, it took seconds for them to return. As he stared across the horizon, he saw Orthrus in the lead, red ball clasped in his jowls, yet neither Typhon nor Cerberus were ready to lose. They kept on Orthrus’s heels, nipping at his feet to trip him up.
Still, Orthrus managed to make it to Hades without sabotage. He sat dutifully and dropped the ball at his feet. Typhon and Cerberus took their places beside him, waiting once more for another round.