The Passion of Hades - Eliza Raine Page 0,14

is not to rip your clothes off right now?' he hissed. 'I can't be this close to you.'

It was the last thing I heard him say, before I passed out.

Eight

Persephone

When I woke up I was in my bed, and Hades’ silver eyes were boring into my bleary ones.

'What happened?' I mumbled thickly.

'Your powers are returning. You lost your temper.' The fight with Poseidon came back to me clearly, and anxiety gripped my gut.

'Oh gods, that was in front of the whole room,' I groaned, rubbing my hand across my face.

'Nobody but the gods saw. Remember how I can hide us in smoke?'

'Yeah, the smoke bubble,' I said, remembering the blissful stolen kiss in that haven he had created at the ball.

'Well, Poseidon can make his own. He didn't want anyone but me to see your exchange.'

'You said he fears me. Why?'

Hades blew out a long breath.

'Persephone, your powers and your wrath were... unique.'

A sick feeling crawled through me, and I didn't want to be having this conversation any more.

'Well, I only have a bit of my power now, and I don't intend on getting any more. I'm sure I'll stay perfectly harmless,' I said, pushing myself up to a sitting position. 'Where's Skop?'

'On the floor. This asswipe won't let me on the bed,' I heard his voice say in my head.

'You're not going to eat the other seeds?' Hades stared at me.

'No.' I dropped my gaze to my lap.

I hadn't been sure before, but now I was positive. There was no way I needed this dark, angry kind of power running through me. I knew it was part of a terrible past, and I needed to concentrate on the future.

'Persephone, look at me.' I lifted my head and did as he asked. His skin glowed and his eyes shone bright. He was unfeasibly beautiful. 'You must never be scared of your own strength,' he said quietly.

'I've never had any strength,' I answered him, unable to keep the bitter edge from my voice. 'I've let other people treat me like shit for years, because I've never had any strength.'

His jaw tightened, and fury flashed in his eyes, orange flames leaping then vanishing in his irises.

'They made me take your strength, when I sent you away. You were scared, and I wasn't allowed to fix it. I prayed the fear would leave you when you started again in the mortal world.' His words were hardly more than a whisper, but they carried a sorrow that was unbearable to hear. My hand went to his face automatically, the need to comfort him, to relieve this heart-breaking burden from him, overwhelming me.

'I got there in the end,' I told him. 'I learned, and I started to stand up for myself. In fact, until you lot showed up, I was doing pretty well.'

'There is a Queen inside you, Persephone. My Queen.'

Heat rushed me all at once, and there was nothing in the world that could feel better than hearing this man call me his queen. I sucked in a breath as I felt my cheeks burn.

'Well, I think I was starting to find her,' I said.

'I hope she stays with you when you get back.'

Physical pain seemed to blossom in my chest at his words, and I clawed about in my mind for the cause.

I wanted to leave. I wanted to go home. So why did it feel like he was betraying me by talking about sending me back?

'You still want me to leave?' I asked, before I could stop myself.

'I never wanted you to leave in the first place. But you can't stay here.'

I closed my eyes and flopped back onto the pillows. This was a conversation with no ending, just endless frustration. Move on, Persephone.

'Why did I pass out?' I asked him, opening my eyes.

'The power drained you. You'll need to make sure it doesn't happen in a more dangerous environment.'

'Like in the middle of a Trial?'

'Yes.'

'How?'

'You'll train with me from now on.'

'What?' I sat up again, eyebrows high.

'Every day. In combat and magic.'

I was going to see him every day? It was already getting hard to stop thinking about him all the time, how the hell was I going to stop myself from lusting after him if I spent more time with him? Smoke and death, smoke and death!

'Fine, but no magic sex,' I told him firmly. The corner of his mouth lifted.

'Agreed. No magic sex.' I shoved the disappointment that he'd agreed so readily deep down and nodded. 'Good,' he said.