“Hades?” she called out as he stepped off the dock and onto the sand.
He could deny her nothing, even when he wanted to run. “What is it, Kore?”
He could hear her padding footsteps as she walked toward him. She’d worn her clothing like a woman going to war. Like a Spartan who knew she was about to battle for hours on end.
The problem with the way she was wearing her clothing was that he could see half of her legs. Hades had seen many a naked woman in his time and he knew what calves looked like. It was just that her ankles were so delicate and fine boned, like a bird. And the muscles of her calves were so pronounced, lovely and rounded like he knew the rest of her body would be.
He’d never thought seeing someone from the knee down would be his undoing, but it was. He was thoroughly, inexplicably uncomfortable just because he’d seen her legs.
Kore stepped around him until her bare feet came into his line of vision. “Hades?” she repeated.
He had to look up. But her heart-shaped face and berry red lips made him feel as though he were starving. “Yes?”
The fans of her eyelashes dusted the soft peaks of her cheekbones. And there he was again, thinking poetry when he should pay attention to her. She was speaking to him, or at least, he could hear her voice but couldn’t quite process the words.
“Come again?” he asked.
She looked up and met his gaze. “I only know rumors of the Underworld. And considering you’ve lived here for a very long time and that you are now my husband, I thought perhaps you would take the time to show me?”
Hades was stuck on her calling him her husband. The word made his heart squeeze in his chest and he couldn’t quite catch his breath. “Show you what?”
Kore laughed, and the sound was like music. “The Underworld, Hades. I want to see everything, but I don’t feel very comfortable wandering around on my own.”
No, she was smarter than that. It was dangerous, just like he’d told Hecate.
Shaking himself out of the strange stupor, he nodded. “Yes, I’d be more than happy to show you around the Underworld. Is there anything in particular you’d like to see?”
Her entire features lit up with happiness. She jerked forward, almost as though she were going to hug him, but then drew back at the last moment. She swallowed hard, shrugged, and then replied, “Everything?”
Perhaps Hecate was right.
Maybe love wasn’t impossible for immortals after all.
Chapter 20
Kore knew it was a risk asking Hades to show her the Underworld. But she wanted to see it. Curiosity was a hunger inside her stomach that she couldn’t feed enough. And it was dangerous for her to wander around with all those souls just waiting to take advantage. Who knew how many other gods lived here, as well.
Those were the reasons she told herself at least. Not that her desires were completely and utterly selfish. She had seen him standing on that dock and her stomach tied into knots.
Or perhaps it was butterflies rattling around in her ribcage. Wasn’t that what the mortals said?
She wanted to be around him, even though he frightened her. But almost because that dark side of her soul wanted to see more than just a dock. More than just a few poor souls who hadn’t made it across. And certainly more than Charon, although the ferryman had seemed kind.
Kore could only hope he would agree to show her around. She clutched her hands at her waist and waited for his response.
Hades cleared his throat. Once, twice, then three times. “Yes, I can show you everything. But you’ll have to understand, that will take some time.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” He blinked at her in that owlish way.
“Yes,” she replied with a giggle. “The Underworld is enormous. And I only know what my mother told me of its vast nature. She said it was almost as large as the mortal realm itself.”
He snorted. “It’s larger than that. All the lives of every single mortal are here. Of course it’s bigger than their realm.” Hades held out his arm for her to take. “I’m afraid I have business to attend to, today. Perhaps I might convince you to wait until tomorrow?”
She tried not to be too disappointed. Tomorrow wasn’t that far away when she’d already survived this long. A few weeks on her own were good practice for waiting a