of his dining table, her head thrown back, leaving her neck taut and exposed. He kissed her there, sucking the skin until it was purple in color, and when she came, he withdrew his fingers and brought them to his mouth.
Hades groaned. “You taste like you belong to me.”
A smile tipped the corners of her lips, but she lowered her head and looked away.
“Do not be embarrassed,” he said, guiding her chin up so she would meet his gaze. “We will speak as lovers speak.”
Her eyes grew dark. “And how do lovers speak?”
He paused a moment and then answered, “Honestly.”
She gazed at him, her legs still spread as if inviting him. She looked sweet and feverish.
“You want honesty?” she whispered, voice husky, shivering down his spine. “You once said you would erase the memory of Adonis from my skin. You swore it, seared your own name upon my lips. Now I will do the same. I will erase the memory of every woman from your mind.”
Darling, he wanted to say. You are the only woman in my mind. But he kept quiet as she swore her oath, his heart and cock swelling with every single fucking word. She drew her legs around his waist, heels digging into his ass.
“I want you inside me,” she said. “Fuck me, say my name as you come. Dream of me, and only me, for the rest of eternity.”
“Yes,” he hissed, as his hips surged forward. It was everything he’d wanted, a prayer answered by the Fates, and as he gave her exactly what she asked for, he prayed to them and threatened them.
Take her, and I will destroy this world. Take her, and I will destroy you. Take her, and I will end us all.
When they left the dining hall, he did so with a smile on his face, and his thoughts on her article aggravated him less, so he felt like that was some sort of victory. He led Persephone outside, their fingers laced, and called for Thanatos.
The God of Death appeared instantly, his pale features glared against his black robes. When he manifested, his expression was severe, and Hades imagined it was because the god had assumed he was being summoned to discuss Sisyphus. The mortal had weighed heavily on both of their minds.
But then his eyes settled on Persephone and softened.
“My lord, my lady.” He bowed.
“Thanatos, Lady Persephone has a list of souls she’d like to meet. Would you mind escorting her?”
“I would be honored, my lord.”
Hades used their entwined hands to draw her toward him. “I will leave you in Thanatos’ care.”
“Will I see you later?” she asked, and her blatant hope made him smile.
“If you wish.” He brushed his lips over her knuckles, and her cheeks reddened. He chuckled quietly, thinking she had not been so quick to blush when he had lain between her thighs and drank her sweet passion.
Then, he vanished.
CHAPTER XXII – A BITTER BARGAIN
Leaving Persephone was the last thing Hades wanted to do. If Sisyphus did not still roam free, threatening his future with the beautiful Goddess of Spring, he wouldn’t have, but the fact remained that the mortal was still on the run, and holding the organization’s Magi prisoner had not lured Triad like he thought it might. Hades was unsure of their motives, but he did not feel good about their involvement.
It was inevitable that forces would rise to oppose the gods. They had come in all forms throughout history—scholars and naysayers and atheists and the Impious.
Hades understood the Impious’ resentment of the gods. They resented them for their distance and rejected their rule when they came to Earth, and they had reason to. Very few of the gods had done their job, never offering words of prophecy or importance. Hades himself had never encouraged mortals to believe in a blissful eternity in the Underworld. Instead, they spent their time toying with mortals for their entertainment, pitting them against each other in battle.
Still, Triad was different. Triad was organized and their tactics hurt innocent people. In their early life, they had set off bombs in public places, and in the aftermath, demanded to know why the gods had not stopped them if they were all-powerful. Their goal seemed to be to continue to illustrate how the Olympians remained detached and uninterested in mortal society, and while that was true for some, it was not true for all. Something Triad was about to discover.
Hades appeared on the floor of Nevernight. His intention was to