love it.'
'Well, I love swimming,' I told him.
'That is good. Poseidon will not make this easy for you.'
'Why does he hate me?'
'He does not hate you. He fears you.'
'What?'
'With all your power, you were a formidable goddess.'
Formidable? I would have liked the sound of that, if it didn't come with the knowledge that powerful Persephone had killed someone's wife.
'Well, I'm just little ol' human Persephone now, with only enough power to heal myself and survive your temper,' I shrugged. I got another flash of his face, this time pinched and serious.
'I wish you wouldn't remind me of that,' he said, voice low.
'Well, I wish you hadn't gone all monster and corpses on me, but we don't all get what we wish for.' I wasn't backing down on this. He deserved to feel bad for what he had done. And saying the words reminded me that as intoxicating as he was, I didn't belong here.
'I am a monster. I told you that.'
'Yes you did, but then you kissed me anyway,' I shot back. There was a collective gasp around us, and I scanned the onlookers as my cheeks heated. My eyes fell on one furious face in particular, and my stomach clenched. Minthe. And her glare was so loaded with venom I might have dropped down dead on the spot if looks could kill.
Hades chuckled in my mind.
'I told you we should have kept this conversation private.' I stood up straight, and flicked my loose curls dramatically over my shoulder. There was no way he was winning this one. I would give them something to gossip about.
'Yes, Hades, I know being with me blew your mind and I know you cried like a baby afterward, but we're not doing it again. Now, please stop bothering me.'
I heard his deep, booming laugh in my head as I spun on my heels and marched away from him.
'Well played, Beautiful. Well played.’
Seven
Persephone
If I had thought his voice was sexy, it was nothing compared to his laugh. Desire throbbed through me as I stomped blindly into the crowd. I wanted to listen to that laugh for the rest of my life. Longer, if possible. I wanted to be the cause of his laughter, to light up his face with that exquisite smile...
Gods, this was impossible! I screwed my face up and forced myself to look for someone I knew. Eros caught my eye and I changed direction immediately. The last thing my aching body needed was a conversation with the god of lust. The scent of salty sea air suddenly cascaded over me and my steps faltered as my head filled with images of endless, life-giving ocean. What I wouldn't give to spend the day on the beach right now.
'Hello, Persephone,' said a lyrical voice, and Poseidon shimmered into the space in front of me. I stopped, and bowed.
'Poseidon,' I said, my stomach flipping. How was it that I now found the ocean god more scary than the King of the Underworld? I needed to revisit my priorities. 'I'm very much looking forward to seeing Aquarius. I've heard it's beautiful.'
'You've heard correctly. I want to offer you some advice.'
'Really?'
'Your powers were removed for a good reason. You would be wise to keep it that way. An ability to heal and feed plants is plenty enough. We both know that you will not win this competition.'
'How do you know that's all I can do?'
'Girl, I am one of the three strongest gods in Olympus,' he said, the waves now crashing across the material of his toga, a deep rumble building in his voice. 'There is nothing I don't know.' My heart began pounding in my chest as a primal fear crept over me.
'Right,' I whispered.
'My brother made his mistakes with you once already. I will not allow him to make them a second time.'
At his mention of Hades a defensiveness flashed up inside me out of nowhere, and I felt my face tighten into a scowl.
'Are you telling me you're trying to protect your brother, one of the other three most powerful gods in Olympus, from me? Seriously?'
'Watch your tongue!' he spat, and a gust of damp air lifted my hair from my shoulders. 'I have no personal grudge against you, Persephone, but I will do what needs to be done.'
'I didn't ask to be here!' I'd meant to put force into the words, but I hadn't meant them to come out as the shriek they did. It was like something had finally snapped inside me,