I could see the steam on the air, yet I’d never felt any kind of warmth, like my skin was incapable of absorbing the temperature.
I had felt her, however. Her warmth. Softness. It had almost burned me.
When the guards had said they would take her, I’d nearly killed them. Some strange jealous thing had risen in my chest.
Disgusted, I shook the memories from my mind.
I stepped into the water, descending the stairs to the depths. It lapped around me, the same non-existent temperature it had always been.
Nothing.
My jaw tightened. I’d almost hoped I would feel the warmth. It was unacceptable that she might be different.
Special.
I dunked myself under, bathing quickly. No matter how I scrubbed, I couldn’t take the feel of her from my skin. From my memory. It made the beast rise inside me, that strange light that turned my stomach and tortured my mind.
I just wanted it gone. It’s all I’d ever wanted.
Clean, I climbed out of the pool, catching sight of myself in the large mirror on the far wall. The dark tattoos that danced over my skin shifted, symbols that were imbued with my power.
I turned away and dressed. The leather armor smoothed over my skin, familiar. Expected.
It calmed my mind, though the mere idea that my mind might need to be calmed was laughable.
She couldn't possibly have made me feel anything. Little mouse.
I strode toward the mirror, determined to assuage my curiosity. To prove to myself that she was nothing but a pawn. With a flick of my hand and a small burst of magic, an image appeared in the mirror.
The woman.
She lay on the rug in her room, dark hair sprawled around her as she slept. Her long legs were revealed by the strange clothing she wore.
Again, my heart accelerated.
Disgust rocketed though me. Confusion.
I flicked my hand again and drove the image away, until all I could see was my own damned face. Dead eyes, as usual.
When had everything changed?
To go from a world of ice, of feeling nothing, to this strange sensation in my chest?
It had changed the moment I touched her.
How dare she?
I drew a steadying breath and turned from the mirror. Stalking from my chambers, I went deep into the heart of the castle, deep into the heart of my kingdom. Guards and servants disappeared before I saw them, scurrying out of the way.
The depths of the castle were far more austere than the public spaces above. Like my quarters, I preferred it. Smooth, silk-covered walls and wooden floors were replaced with rough stone walls and dirt underfoot. The air grew cooler as I descended the wide spiral staircase, the dark magic soothing me.
I stepped out into the large chamber. Dark magic had hewn it straight from the rock, creeping out of the pit in the center of the room. I strode toward it, my soul quieting as I approached the deep, dark chasm.
At the edge, I stared into the abyss. Stars gleamed in the depths, a trick of the mind.
Or perhaps they were real.
To enter the pit was death. It called to me, a siren song that I easily resisted. There were things to accomplish before I entered that darkness.
I stared into it, drawing strength. I had been born of this darkness and was indebted to it for my very life. I was death, created for a single purpose. I would do as it commanded, for it was the only power greater than I.
But I was running out of time. I could feel it even now, that strange tingle in my hands.
I removed my gloves. My hands were beginning to turn transparent. I clenched them, forming a fist.
Still semi-transparent.
Damn it.
It had been happening more and more lately. Unlike the other gods, I was fated to die again and again, fading away until I re-awoke in the chambers of Tartarus. There, I would spend eons being tortured alongside my father, Chronos. Eventually, I would be reborn in hades once more, expected to pick up the mantle of rule.
I drew in a shuddering breath.
This time, I would defy my fate. And the darkness would help me.
I stepped closer to the pit, staring down into the depths.
Magic wafted up, whooshing over me. It filled my soul, re-solidifying my form until I was no longer transparent. It would hold me for a while—days, maybe weeks—giving me time to end this curse.
It sustained me, and I returned again and again to keep my physical form. Others would