Instead of complaining, as he was obviously waiting for her to do, Kore nodded. “All right. I can wait.”
He walked with her all the way back to the castle in silence. Not awkwardly, as it might have been with her nymph friends. Kore found that silence for Hades was merely a state of being.
When he wasn’t comfortable, he talked. At least, that’s what she’d observed. Every time she caught him blushing or touching the back of his head, it appeared as though he was nervous. An out of sorts Hades was entertaining. But silence appeared to be his default.
Kore paused outside her private chambers and nodded. “Tomorrow then?”
“I’ll come collect you.” He bowed low and then disappeared once again.
She didn’t think she’d ever get used to him blinking in and out of sight like that.
The long wait for the next morning felt like she’d spent an eternity in her room. Kore didn’t even sleep. She just paced back and forth from one wall to the next. What would he show her in the Underworld? Would it be as magical and terrifying as her mother made it seem?
No, magical wasn’t the right word for it. Demeter made it very clear that it was a land for the dead, and Kore was very much a part of the living. What if she wanted to visit the dead, though? Surely they needed gods and goddesses as well.
She’d been ready for hours when Hades knocked on her door. Kore nearly flew out of her room and into the hallway where he waited. And this time, Hades looked very different.
He wore pants, an unusual choice that mortals were still unsure if they liked. Though he still had a loose shirt tied over his shoulder, it was more like a single draped fabric leaving one muscular arm completely bare. And those muscles were rather distracting.
He leaned against the wall, ankles crossed. The fabric of his pants hugged tight to his legs. She hadn’t realized he was quite so muscular.
“Oh,” she whispered. “I—uh—”
He grinned a wolfish smile. “We’re going out into the Underworld today, darling. I don’t think you can go in that.”
Kore looked down at the pale pink chiton she’d put on with the rose colored himation. These were her colors, and they were stunning fabrics. Little roses were embroidered on the edge of the himation because they were her mother’s favorite flower. Frowning, she looked from his clothes back to her own. “Why are you dressed like that?”
“Sometimes it’s better if the spirits don’t know that gods are wandering among them.” He gestured at her clothing. “May I?”
She didn’t know what he meant, but if he thought he could pick out better clothing, he could certainly try. Kore nodded, giving him permission to do whatever he wanted.
Then he grinned, and oh gods, that grin was so lovely it made her entire body ache. She held herself very still, so she didn’t reach out and touch his face. Then maybe slide her hand along that sharp jaw and tug him into herself so she could see if she remembered his taste correctly. Like wine and pomegranates.
Hades lifted his hand and slowly lowered it. His palm faced her the entire time and she could see the air wavering around his fingertips, like heat waves were coming off his body. By the time his hand reached his side once more, she felt the fabric of her clothing completely shift and change.
She looked down to see a black chiton graced her body now. The edges were stitched with silver threads that sparkled in the dim light. No himation wrapped around her shoulders, but she didn’t feel the chill. Silver shoes were on her feet now, their straps criss-crossing up her legs, all the way to her thighs.
“How pretty,” she murmured. “But why would this not make me stand out? I hardly look like a mortal.”
When she met his gaze, all she saw in them was hunger. “No,” he replied. “I think nothing could ever make you look any less of a goddess.”
She’d never had anyone tell her she looked like a goddess. A nymph, yes. Her entire life. But a goddess? He was going to make her glow from all the praise.
Kore reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, fingers touching the petals of a flower that had bloomed there. “Thank you.”
His eyes widened, and it seemed for a moment like he couldn’t pull his gaze away from her. He stared. Frozen. So intensely