He turned to the God of Mischief. “I have a job for you, messenger.”
Hades snapped his fingers and sent Persephone to the Underworld. Hermes raised a brow, looking particularly judgmental.
“What?” Hades snapped.
“You could have handled that better.”
“I did not ask for your opinion.”
“It isn’t opinion, it’s fact. Even Hecate would agree with me.”
“Hermes—” Hades warned.
“I can summon her to make my point.”
“You are in my territory, Hermes, lest you forget.”
“And I am your messenger, lest you forget.”
They glared at one another. Taking relationship advice from Hermes was like asking Zeus for the same—pointless.
“Lucky for me, it isn’t your messenger skills I am after, God of Thieves.”
CHAPTER XIV – A BATTLE OF WILLS
As Hades made his way to the Underworld, guilt pressed in on his chest. It was akin to having stones stacked upon his body, and he thought of Hermes’ words. You could have handled that better. But as he considered his actions, he saw no other way. He was asking Hermes to steal, and he would rather not explain himself to Persephone, even if he felt he had good reasons.
But he agonized. Was this a time when he should have communicated? Should he have told her the whole history behind the mission he had assigned Hermes? That he wanted the God of Mischief to intercept all of Sisyphus’ shipments? In effect, Hades was dismantling his empire. Or would it have merely sufficed to ask her to give them a moment of privacy?
And at that thought, he suddenly understood why he had not extended such an offer—she had essentially spied on him, and he had reacted with anger instead of calm rational.
He groaned.
He was a fucking disaster at this.
Still, he went in search of her and found her in the library. She stood on the tips of her toes, hands braced on the side of a basin in which was contained a map of the Underworld. She bent closer and closer to the watery surface, and the movement made Hades anxious because the basin doubled as a portal. One touch, and she would be transported to another location in the Underworld. Normally, it would not worry him so much because he could quickly retrieve her, except he knew how her mind worked and chances were that she would end up dropping herself into the flaming waters of the Phlegethon.
He chose that moment to make himself known.
“Curiosity is a dangerous quality, my lady.”
Dangerous. Infuriating. Exciting. It was multifaceted and had its place, but he’d rather she was curious about other things, like him.
She whirled to face him, her pretty, green eyes growing wide. Her hand went to her heart, and Hades’ eyes dropped to her perfect breasts. For a moment, all he could focus on was the hardening of her nipples, straining against her white top.
“Don’t call me my lady,” she snapped, and then glanced back at the basin. “I… This map of your world is not complete.”
Hades advanced. He liked the way she had to tip her head back just to keep his gaze. He paused inches from her, wishing to close the distance even more, wishing to lift her into his arms and make love to her against this basin. Perhaps they would fall in and find themselves among the flora of the Underworld. Gods, how he ached to take her beneath his sky.
Her sharp breath drew him from his carnal thoughts, and his gaze moved to the water. She turned to face it, her back to him now. This position was no better. From here, he could draw his arm around her waist and seal her back to his chest, press kisses to her neck while his other hand explored, roving her breasts, down her stomach, and between her thighs.
He shook those thoughts from his head.
“What do you see?”
“Your palace, Asphodel, the River Styx and the Lethe… That’s it. Where is Elysium? Tartarus?”
He smiled at her eagerness to understand the Underworld, even if a part of him felt uneasy. If he had it his way, she would never explore the mountains and caverns of Tartarus. That part of his realm was a manifestation of his soul—dark and harrowing.
“The map will reveal them when you’ve earned the right to know.”
“What do you mean earned?”
“Only those I trust most may view this map in its entirety.” The map was a true weapon, and Hades let few have access to it, among them, Thanatos and Hecate.
“Who can see the whole map?” Then her voice tightened, and