with spirits whenever they have some kind of complaint.”
Hecate’s reply was sharp and bitter. “Yes, actually. That is your entire life. You have a role here in the Underworld, Minthe. And that role is ensuring the mortals are comfortable in their afterlife.”
“I’d rather die.”
“That can be arranged.” When Kore leaned over and peered through the glowing leaves, she saw Hecate’s mouth had spread into a sharp-toothed grin. “I’d be thrilled to arrange that personally, naiad.”
Minthe sniffed and strode past Hecate with all the grace of a deer. “Sure, Hecate. Tell that to Hades and see what he has to say.”
The two naiads left the area near the tree, and Kore watched as they ascended a set of stairs and disappeared into the mist. They were gone. Finally. But anger still burned in her chest.
“You can come out now,” Hecate called. “I know you’re in there.”
Kore sank deeper into the leaves. There was no way the other goddess knew she was lurking. Perhaps there was yet another person out there watching what was happening with Minthe and her friend.
But if Hecate knew she was there, then Kore had never been more embarrassed.
Until Hecate called out, “My queen.”
Maybe she knew Kore was hiding in the leaves then. Cheeks bright red, she clambered down through the branches and dropped down in front of Hecate. The anger finally melted away, although her fingers still tingled with the force of it. “Hello, Hecate.”
“How much did you hear?”
She didn’t want to say. That would mean her power would spring to life and thunder from her body with the force of a typhoon. Or worse, like the lightning her father unleashed from the sky.
No, she refused to be that person. She couldn’t be that person.
Kore squeezed her lips together and shook her head.
“Kore,” Hecate said, her voice a gentle hum. “You should know, Minthe isn’t—”
She held up her hand and silenced the other goddess. Kore couldn’t hear anything about Minthe, who was once her husband’s lover. The beautiful, curvy, bright ray of sunshine that would have warmed his bed far more effectively than her.
Maybe she believed what the other women had said. How Kore was disappointing and nothing more than a child. That she was viewed as lacking by her own subjects when she hadn’t even been given time to be a queen.
The anger burned inside her again. No, she couldn’t hear any more words about the naiad or she would rip the woman limb from limb.
Jealousy was a dangerous emotion. Especially for a goddess who knew she could trade Minthe’s life so effortlessly and no one would ever know it was her. She could end the naiad while grinning, knowing that it was her own decision to send the woman to her grave.
The thoughts frightened her. Kore’s stomach twisted and turned until she thought she might be sick. Not because she was horrified that such darkness lived inside her.
No.
Because she wanted to feed the raw, wriggling thing that whispered for her to kill.
“I have to go,” she muttered, fleeing toward the stairs and the haven of her own chambers.
Chapter 24
Kore paced from wall to wall inside her room, reminding herself that the conversation she’d overheard wasn’t that big of a deal. So what if a few naiads didn’t like her? They shouldn’t even be in the Underworld, and she should have a conversation with Hades about that.
Of course, it wasn’t that simple. She couldn’t even bring herself to ask him to kiss her again. And from the way Minthe was talking, he would want a lot more than kissing from his wife.
Why hadn’t he asked for more from her? He wasn’t even attempting to kiss her, and thus she had to assume he wasn’t interested in doing so. But that made little sense because he’d been very persistent in ensuring he got to kiss her whenever he wanted.
She couldn’t begin to understand his desires. She was a virgin goddess. He had to know she wasn’t aware of what he’d want. She didn’t even know what she wanted!
Turning around aggressively, she stomped to the other side of the room. There were too many issues. She didn’t know what she wanted. He wasn’t explaining what she might want. And his ex was wandering around telling everyone she was a child like Kore was five years old and wearing flowers in her hair!
She reached up and touched the bloom that had grown over her ear. Tearing it out of her head, she threw it across the room with a