She yanked him down to her and kissed him, wiping that smile from his face as she claimed his lips.
Claimed all of him.
Chapter 32
“Thanatos.”
Thanatos lifted his gaze from the worn black stone floor of the towering entrance corridor of Tartarus, his mind clearing as that feminine voice reached his ears. Not the voice he wanted to hear. He had been away from Calindria for five achingly long days, assisting the sons of Hades in their search for Mnemosyne. Six weeks had passed and still they had not uncovered a single clue regarding her whereabouts. Her servants had not seen her in many months and none of her court had seen her for longer than that.
Hades was growing impatient, visited Tartarus daily to interrogate Eris and Harleena, was becoming darker and darker by the day. Even Persephone was having trouble calming him according to their oldest son, Keras, who was understandably worried about his father’s state of mind.
Thanatos was too.
Now more than ever, Hades needed to keep his head, to seek patience and deny any reckless urges that might come over him. Thanatos feared it wouldn’t be long before the darker side of Hades’s blood made that impossible though. Reports from the palace were not good. Hades was restless, hungry to bathe his claws in the blood of Mnemosyne, and constantly on edge, awaiting her appearance.
Fearing his family would be placed in danger.
Thanatos feared that too.
His thoughts drifted to Calindria and his castle as he approached his mother where she stood with her back to the tall black fluted columns that framed the entrance to the main prison of Tartarus. The silver stars delicately stitched on the fine dark blue fabric of her dress shimmered in the torchlight, bringing to mind his conversation with Calindria all those weeks ago when she had spoken of the lonely light of the stars.
Worsening the ache in his chest.
He needed to see her.
Nyx lifted a pale hand and held it out to him, and he took it and pressed a kiss to the back of it, part of him marvelling at how he could touch her now without memories surfacing and making him want to lash out at her because of her sex.
“And how is my most beautiful son?”
He almost snorted at that. “Do you ask the same thing of Hypnos?”
They were identical twins after all, but only he had wings. Perhaps that made him more beautiful in their mother’s eyes.
Those navy-to-aqua eyes shone brightly with amusement today. His mother’s mood had been steadily lightening over the past few weeks and Thanatos suspected it had to do with him and Calindria. She was pleased he had found someone to love, and someone who loved him.
“Come, Thanatos.” She looped her arm around his and gazed up at him, a wicked edge to her smile. “Do not be so quick to bear your fangs.”
She patted his arm.
He huffed. She was teasing him now.
He gently extricated himself and looked at the entrance of the prison. “Is Hades here?”
She was quick to shake her head, her glossy black hair shifting ethereally against her bare shoulders. “Hades grew bored and returned to the palace, leaving me to continue questioning my loathsome spawn. I think perhaps he wished to see Persephone. He was eager to leave.”
“I had wished to give him my report here, but now it appears I must go to the palace.” Thanatos sighed as the path of his thoughts shifted from his business back to his female.
“You seem as eager to return to your love as your god-king was.” Nyx’s smile took on a teasing edge as she stepped in front of him, her eyes locking with his. He felt as if she was trying to peer right down to his soul as she stared into them and he didn’t like it. Her smile widened further. “You did not visit your castle before you came to see your god-king? Come, Thanatos. That is no way to treat your lady. I am sure she will be missing you as sorely as you are her, awaiting your return. I remember when Erebus would go—”
Thanatos growled and rolled his eyes. “Gods, please… not with the talk of Father.”
Her smile only grew wider still, her navy-to-aqua eyes glittering with it, and he realised with a grimace what he had said.
“You called Erebus your father. My, how he will be delighted to know you have acknowledged him as such.” Nyx went to stroke his arm and he moved it back and scowled at