This is a work of fiction.

References to real people, events, establishments,

organizations, or locales are intended only to provide authenticity, and are used
fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the
author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
Published in the United States by Carly Spade.
HADES
A Contemporary Mythos Novel
Copyright © 2020 by Carly Spade
www.carlyspade.com
Cover and Interior Formatting by We Got You Covered Book Design
 CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Coming Soon
Also by Carly Spade
Apollo Excerpt
Acknowledgements
About the Author
“Hateful in my eyes as the gates of Hades is that man, who,
yielding to stress of poverty, tells a deceitful tale.”
– Homer, Odyssey
Click. Click. Scroll. Scroll. As a digital forensics examiner for
the Illinois State Police, my life was an endless series of
mouse clicks and down arrows on the keyboard. Though a
relatively large portion of my job required in-depth analysis,
an even larger part revolved around merely sifting through a
suspect’s collection of files. Files pulled from devices such as
computers, cell phones, and tablets. All files. Including some
I’d rather not see, but could never seem to avoid. You can tell
a lot about a person from their search history alone.
I peeled the glasses from my nose, rubbing my hands over
my face, and giving my eyes a break from the constant blaring
white light of the computer screen. One of the troopers ducked
in his head. The digital forensics unit had its suite away from
the other investigators. It made it easier to maintain evidence
and to avoid seeing potential mind-bending images that came
up on our screens. I preferred it that way. It was my own little
hole in the universe where I could seclude myself and do my
job.
“You have a visitor downstairs, Costas,” he said, leaning
on the doorknob.
After saving my case file, I grabbed a pen and brushed my
bangs away from my forehead. “How many times do I have to
tell you, Bruce? Call me, Steph. You trooper. Me civilian.”
Chuckling, I pointed between the two of us.
“Just want to make you feel like a part of the team. There
are no first names here. Number one rule.”
 I smiled and moved into the hallway. “Who is it? Please
tell me it’s not Mr. Sanders. My brain is far too fried to deal
with his level of crazy right now.”
“Mrs. Conroy. Sound familiar?”
I pinched my eyes shut. Please tell me it wasn’t the Mrs.
Conroy. “What does she look like?”
“I’d guess early forties? Auburn hair. Sunken eyes. Looks
like she hasn’t slept in weeks.”
Definitely sounded like her. Oh, boy.
After pushing the down button for the elevator, I removed
the pen from my dress pocket. “You mind sticking around
until I give the clear?” The elevator doors opened, and I
clicked the pen several times as I walked in.
“Of course,” he said.
When we stepped out of the elevator, the woman waiting
sprinted toward me. I could picture her plain as day in the
courtroom when I was on the stand, answering questions about
my findings in her husband’s murder case. A case that closed
four years ago.
I waved at Bruce over my shoulder. “We’re good.”
He studied the woman’s face and then looked at me. “You
sure?”
“Yeah. I got it.”
“I’ll be in my office if you need me.” He paused another
beat before turning away.
“Mrs. Conroy, can I help you with something?” I placed a
hand on her shoulder.
She wrung her hands together, her hair in disarray, dark
bags under her eyes. Her clothes were stained with brown
splotches; nails caked with something dark. She gave off a
body odor that smelled like she hadn’t showered in days,
possibly weeks.
My great-grandma used to say I could see a person’s aura.
Throughout my life and in my profession, I stood firm that
seeing was believing. Magic. Mysticism. Gut instinct was my
superpower. Still, it never stopped me from seeing colors.
Colors which made it possible for me to read a person without
an explanation of how. Black mixed with bright yellow floated
over Mrs. Conroy like vapor.
“Henry came to me from the Underworld. He came to me
in a dream. There had to be more evidence, Miss Costas.
There had to be.” Her words came out frantic, rushed, and
loud.
The Underworld? She was worse off than I thought. Her
anxiety was rubbing off on me. It reminded me why I hated
the main floor. There were always too many people. Even in
their cubicles, it suffocated me. “Let’s go talk over here.” We
moved to a quieter corner, as far away from everyone else as I
could manage without leaving the building.
“Henry told me there was financial evidence. That it would
prove, Earnest Fueller bought the hammer. I’m sure the dates,
the times, location…. all of it would match!” She grabbed onto
my shoulders with wild eyes.
I tensed, beads of sweat dripping down my neck. The pen.
I rolled it in my palm to distract myself. It was unlikely any of
what Mrs. Conroy was saying was true. Four years ago, her
husband was one of a string of murders. The suspected
murderer was Earnest Fueller, who’d conveniently committed
suicide after the seventh murder, her husband. Without his
testimony and little evidence found, he was never officially
ruled as guilty. Over the years, it drove Mrs. Conroy to the
brink of insanity.
“Mrs. Conroy, I understand you need closure, but there’s
nothing else we can do. The case was combed over and over
for almost a year. There wasn’t enough evidence. I personally
searched devices for months on end. You know that.”
“Couldn’t you open it again? Take another look?” Her grip
tightened, tears welling in her eyes. “Please.”
With her situation and the pained look in her eyes, I’d have
a hard time saying no. Then again, I couldn’t remember the
last time I turned down anyone’s request. She needed closure.
To know, with the utmost certainty, who killed her husband.
Who could fault her?
“I’ll take another look.” Nausea boiled in my stomach,
knowing it was unlikely I’d find anything. Despite it, I felt
obligated to try it because I didn’t like letting people down if I
could help it.
She let out a breath and wrapped her arms around me.
Given my short stature, my face shoved against her bosom. I
held my glasses to keep them from falling off.
“Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to
me.” A newfound hope flickered in her eyes. A hope I put
there knowing the chances were slim.
Me and my big mouth.
“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try a few things
between my other cases.”
“Absolutely understand! I’ll—I’ll leave you to it. Please
call me as soon as you find anything.” She clapped her hands
over her mouth, tears streaking her cheeks.
If I find anything. “Of course.” I offered a half-smile.
She headed for the door, sniffling and bumping into desk
corners.
I slipped off my glasses and pinched the bridge of my nose
as I walked back to the elevator. My throat burned from the
acid reflux making an unwanted visit. I fished through my
pocket, pulling out a roll of Tums.
“Looks like you need to release a bit of tension there,
Steph,” Leo said from behind me.
After pressing the elevator button, I turned around to see
his snarky grin. Every station had one. The cocky, creepy cop
who loved to hit on the civilians. Was it because they didn’t
think we’d have as much balls as a female officer? I hadn’t
fallen for it yet…and wouldn’t.
“Nothing a bottle of wine and a bubble bath can’t cure,
Leo,” I said, regretting the words as soon as they left my
mouth.
 “You in nothing but suds and water…I can get behind that.
Do you wear your glasses too?” His slimy grin continued as he
leaned against the wall.
“Goodnight, Leo,” I answered, stepping into the elevator.
As the doors closed, I caught him waving at me through the
crack.
I shuffled back into the digital investigation suite, and
grabbed the hard drives for old cases we kept in the closet.
Dragging my finger down the rows of labels on each drive, I
sighed once it landed on the Fueller case. The moment I
opened the file, I knew I risked becoming overly reinvested,
but a promise was a promise.
Chewing another Tums, I flopped back into my desk chair,
hooked up the drive, and transferred the case and evidence
files to the backup drive on my computer. I plucked the
stirring straw from my mug of coffee and slipped it between
my teeth, feverishly chewing on it. Using two of my three
monitors, I kept one case opened on one and pulled up the old
case on the other with different forensic software.
Popping my earbuds in, I skipped to the next track on my
playlist. Familiar images of questionable internet search
histories, shopping lists, and cell phone pictures flooded the
screen. I nodded to the familiar tune of Take On Me by A-Ha.
Eighties music always leveled my head.
Something poked me in the ribs, causing me to jump from
my chair. I turned around, spotting my best friend, Sara,
glaring at me.
I blew my bangs out of my eyes. “You scared the crap out
of me. When did you come in?”
She put her hands on her hips. “You were so focused, you
didn’t hear me. What if I would’ve been a criminal overtaking
the station?”
“And said criminal somehow managed to get past several
floors of armed troopers?” I arched a brow.
Sara and I became friends once I joined the department.
She was a detective, rough on the outside, but an absolute
teddy bear on the inside. Her skin was umber with eyes to
match, and she always kept her hair chin-length to not touch
her collar.
She leaned past me, immediately drawn to the monitor
with the old case pulled up. I attempted to step in front of her.
She grabbed onto the back of my dress and, with little effort,
pulled me away. “Is this the Fueller case? The one we closed
four years ago?”
Licking Tums residue from my teeth and silence was my
answer.
She stared at the roll of antacids in my hand and grabbed
the mouse quicker than I could pull the cable on it. After
spending a few seconds clicking through a couple of the
drives, she sighed. “Why are you working on this, Steph?”
I adjusted my glasses, counting the scuff marks on my
ballet flats. “Mrs. Conroy came in today. She asked me to take
another look.”
“Stephanie…”
Oh, that tone. I wanted to stuff my cheeks full of Tums like
a hamster.
“You should’ve seen her, Sara. I couldn’t in good
conscience tell her no. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
“When’s the last time you’ve told anyone, no?”
I stuck the stirring straw back in my mouth and clicked the
pen that’d never left my hand. “I didn’t have the Blue Satchel
software at the time. I’m going to process it through there and
see if anything new comes up.”
“Uh huh. Did you look at those brochures I gave you three
weeks ago?”
My gaze shifted back to the monitor. “What brochures?”
“The ones of the different resorts?” She groaned. “I asked
you to look through them and give me your top two?”
Sara insisted we went on vacation, especially considering I
hadn’t taken a day off in over two years. Where the brochures
were now would remain a mystery.
A trooper named Evans walked in with a stack of papers,
brushing past Sara. He plopped the documents on my desk,
sending Snickers wrappers flying in every direction.
“I’ve been absolutely swamped today and haven’t had time
to file these. Would you mind? Please?” He asked, giving his
best puppy dog eyes.
“Uh…” I feverishly clicked the pen, spying Sara’s death
dagger stare from the corner of my eye.
“Please? My fiancé will kill me if I’m late for dinner
again,” he added, clutching his hands together in prayer.
I chewed on the end of the pen. “I mean…”
“Costas. Please. I’ll owe you.”
He’d owe me, but would never actually pay me back in
any way.
“Fine. Yes. Say ‘Hi’ to Annie for me.”
He slapped my shoulder, making my glasses slide down
my nose. “You’re a lifesaver.”
I picked up the papers and shuffled them until they were in
a perfect stack.
Sara growled under her breath, yanked the papers from my
grasp, and stormed for the door.
“Evans,” she bellowed. “File your own damn paperwork.
Costas isn’t your secretary.” She threw the papers on the
ground and walked back to my desk with her arms folded.
“It really wasn’t a big deal. I’ve got nothing else going on
tonight. Just waiting on this evidence to process,” I said.
“You do have something going on tonight.”
I stopped clicking the pen. “I do?”
“Friday the thirteenth?”
“And?” I asked, dragging out the “a”.
 Her hand slapped over her face. “You’re already distracted.
Lovely. Patrick Swayze and provocative dance moves?”
My eyes fell shut. “Dirty Dancing.”
“Bingo. And it’s your place this time.”
Dirty Dancing was one of my favorite movies of all time.
Somehow Sara hadn’t seen it when we met and I was quick to
rectify that. It happened to be a Friday the thirteenth, and now
we’d made it some bizarre ritual.
“I’ll head home as soon as this is done processing in—,” I
peeked at the monitor and frowned. “Six hours, no wait eight
hours…seven?” The estimated time for completion kept
fluctuating, as it always did.
“We both know it won’t finish processing until tomorrow.
Come on.” She wheeled my chair backward and shook it until
I was forced to jump off.
“Fine. Fine. I’m going home. But if this freezes overnight
and I have to start it over you’re going to be…Under
Pressure.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Was that you doing your eighties
song thing?”
I had a habit of working the name of an eighty’s song into
everyday conversation as much as possible. Sara was the only
one who often found it amusing. Others looked at me like the
quirky weirdo I am.
“Yes?”
“Grasping at straws with that one, Steph.” She pointed at
me.
“Right.” I snickered. “Home I go. Meet me in thirty?”
My eyes dropped back to the progress bar as soon as Sara
whisked out the door. A gust of wind blew across my desk,
sending my hair into my face. Papers flew everywhere, and
something landed on my keyboard with a loud thwap.
What in the world? Faulty vent?
 Staring back at me was a colorful brochure for a resort in
Corfu, Greece. One of several Sara had given me to look
through. The others scattered across the floor. I shifted my
eyes, shoved the brochure in my dress pocket, and left.

When I entered my apartment, Sammy, my cobalt colored cat,

greeted me by doing figure eights between my calves. I picked
him up, shoving my nose into his fur, relishing the vibrations
from his purrs.
My apartment was a modest studio in the suburbs with the
most spartan furniture known to man. I made up for it with
wall to wall framed posters of some of my favorite movies,
including Disney’s Hercules, Princess Bride, and Dirty
Dancing. My coveted signed poster from the band Apollo’s
Suns hung in all its glory above my TV. It was signed by every
member except Ace, the lead singer. The latest book I’d
finished reading, Korrigan, rested on my coffee table.
Scooping it up, I returned it to my bookshelf. My blessed
fantasy collection. Pitchfork, Rhapsodic, Homer’s Illiad,
Homer’s Odyssey…I yanked the Illiad from the shelf.
A loud knock sounded at the door.
Sara’s eyeball stared back at me through the peephole. Her
pearly whites beamed with an exaggerated grin once I opened
the door. She held up a bottle of white merlot and ducked
under my arm, heading straight for the kitchen. After shutting
the door and securing the deadbolt, I followed her.
She grabbed two wine glasses from my cabinet. “Cue up
your preferred streaming service, my dear. And do you have
any cheese? These eyes are hungry,” she said, somehow
managing not to crack a smile.
I chuckled. “Top shelf in the door, but double-check. It’s
pepper jack.”
“Ah, yes. Your fear that one of the peppers could be mold.
How could I forget?” She snatched the cheese, shut the door
with her hip, and winked. “Why do you have three
pomegranates in your fridge? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one
in someone’s fridge, let alone three.”
“Uh, because I like them?” After looking for the remote
control in every couch cushion crack, I was about to do the
abysmal act of turning the TV on by pressing the button on the
unit itself. “Besides, they have all sorts of benefits. Anti-
inflammatory, natural antioxidants, cancer prevention…”
Sara gasped. “Cinnamon Bun Oreos? I thought they didn’t
sell these anymore.” She eyed the platter of Oreos I purposely
put on display and grabbed a handful.
“Randomly found some when I went to Bullseye the other
day. I cleared their shelves,” I said with a snicker.
I had an epiphany and dropped to the floor, peering under
the couch. There, resting amidst a modest collection of dust
bunnies, stale corn chips, and cat fur, was the remote.
“Doing pushups now? Good for you,” Sara said, making
the couch creak when she flopped onto it.
I snorted. “Me? Pushups? Maybe for my forefinger.” I
mimicked the motion of clicking a mouse.
Sara shook her head with a smile and popped a cube of
cheese in her mouth. As soon as I sat down, Sammy hopped
onto the TV stand, his tail sticking straight into the air. The
opening music started, and he paused right in the middle of the
screen, rubbing his head against the people groping.
“He has three seconds before I start throwing cheese at
him,” Sara mumbled.
She wasn’t kidding. Sara hated cats and never let me forget
it. “Down, Sammy!” He turned and looked at us with pure
boredom before continuing his head rub against the television.
I sighed, stood up, and yanked him into the crook of my arm.
Once he was on the couch, he did several circles and curled up
in a ball next to my leg.
“That cat is so spoiled,” Sara said, sneering at him.
“If you owned more than betta fish, maybe you’d spoil a
pet too.” I grabbed my wine glass and curled my feet
underneath me.
Sara stuck her tongue out, and we watched Dirty Dancing
for the rest of the night. I knew the movie so well I could
quote it word for word. After the second time of me doing this
out loud, she requested I keep my trap shut unless it was a
commentary on Swayze’s glowing posterior. Instead, I resorted
to “mouthing” the dialogue because I just couldn’t help
myself. When I zoned out during Johnny and Baby’s first sex
scene, my thoughts fluttering to the processing case in my
office, I realized my worst fear. I was already invested.
The movie ended, but I stared into oblivion, gripping onto
the remote like I’d fall through an invisible hole if I let go.
Sara reached over me and yanked it from my grasp. The
screen turned black.
“We’re going on vacation,” she blurted.
My eyes fluttered me back to reality. “I’m sorry, what?”
She flipped her phone around. A resort, with mountains in
the background, a pool with crystal blue water, and a swim-up
bar lit up the screen.
“Wow. That’s gorgeous,” I replied. It also looked very
familiar.
She grinned and slipped the phone back in her pocket.
“I’m glad you think so because it’s where we’re going.”
“Sara.” I chuckled, but it faded away when she didn’t join
in. “Are you serious? You know I can’t afford anywhere like
that.”
“It’s already planned and booked. Squared away our
vacation time with the boss. And we leave tomorrow.” She
stared at me with a mischievous smirk.
A breath hitched in my throat, and I stood, pacing the
length of my living room. “Tomorrow? I have so many things
to do. Packing, figuring out someone to watch Sammy, get
shots.”
“All you have to do is pack a few dresses and a swimsuit.”
She gripped my arms. “The bikini. Not the one piece. I already
asked my friend to watch your cat. And we’re going to Greece,
not a country known for malaria, Steph.”
The brochure. Was Sara psychic?
I stared at her blankly. “You knew I’d try to talk you out of
this, didn’t you?”
“I did. Besides, this isn’t out of left field. You’ve known
about this for a month, but have been putting it off.” She
sighed. “You need this. We need this. I need a break from
looking at dead bodies, and I’m sure if you find porn on one
more suspect computer, you’re going to scream.”
Sara knew I was never one for spontaneity. Her act of
prepping everything before telling me made me love her that
much more. How would I ever repay her for this?
“Thank you, Sara. I—I can’t give it all to you right now,
but I will pay you back,” I said, giving her my best pout.
She shook her head. “You put those big blue puppy dog
eyes away. We can argue about you paying me back later.”
“How do you know my passport is current?” I narrowed
my eyes.
She grinned. “Stop trying to weasel your way out of this.
The department requires all employees to maintain current
passports, and you are not the type to be out of compliance.”
Son of a nutcracker. I hated how well she knew me.
I bit down on my lip with such force I tasted blood. “Well,
you better go then. It’ll probably take me all night to pack,
unpack and re-pack again. You know me.”
Her grin widened. “I’ll need to wrap up a few things at
work tomorrow morning. Meet me there, and we’ll take a cab
to the airport. Deal?”
I nodded, already dreading the thought of a crowded
airport.
After she left, I stared into my closet as if it were a
mysterious cave. My wardrobe wasn’t what one would
describe as…eclectic. Dresses with pockets were my go-to
outfit for work. Comfortable and accessible. They were not,
however, the type of attire you’d wear to some swanky resort.
I shoved the work clothes aside, revealing skirts I hadn’t worn
in years and a prom dress from fifteen years ago. Why had I
even kept it? Like I could still fit into it. Not that I tried or
anything.
The dress stuck out like a sore thumb, nestled into a
particular corner of the closet. A simple light pink dress with
an a-line cut and straps. The skirt portion flared out with flowy
material like a cloud when you spun around it. It was the
closest I could find to the dress Baby wore in Dirty Dancing.
Before now, I never had an excuse to wear it.
I carried the dress to my bed like it’d wither away in my
hands if I weren’t careful. Placing it down, I smiled, imagining
myself dancing in it. By myself. Certainly not groping on
some random stranger. Okay, so maybe this vacation wasn’t
such a bad idea after all. I continued to grab items I imagined
one would need for Greece. Holding the bikini in one hand
and the one-piece in the other, an internal battle ensued.
To me, a bikini suggested I was single and ready to mingle.
I was single, but the mingling part? Work took most of my
time. It didn’t seem fair to date anyone. To be with someone
meant they should be a priority. My brain never shuts off when
it came to working, and there wasn’t room for much else.
I groaned, throwing both suits into the bag. I’d figure it out
when I got there. Who knew packing for a time in a paradise
could be so stressful? Me. I knew. Sammy hopped onto my
bed, kneading the top part of my suitcase before curling
himself on top of it.
I slipped into the bathroom and braided my hair. It was a
ritual I’d done nightly as a silent tribute to my mother, who’d
shared the same chocolate hair color. Memories of the house
engulfed with flames infiltrated my thoughts with each
overlapping section of my hair. Holding back tears, I sniffled.
When I returned to my bedroom, Sammy slept on my
suitcase. I ran my hand down the length of his spine.
 “I really do need a vacation.” I furrowed my brow and
fished for the dress I’d worn today from my hamper.
Removing the brochure from my pocket, I stared at it in
awe. Not only did Sara pick Greece, but she chose the same
resort. Coincidence. It had to be a coincidence.
I drummed my fingers against the mousepad on my desk. The
processing was still going, and I wanted to make sure it
finished before we left for the airport. My suitcase rested on
the floor next to me, and I bounced my knee impatiently.
Staring at the screen with dried eyes, I regretted my decision
to wear contacts for travel.
“How long have you been here?” Sara asked from the
doorway. Her hand was on her hip, the other curled around the
handle of her suitcase.
“Only since 5:30. I wanted to make sure the processing
finished so I could save the case file.”
“I know what you’re doing.” She looked down at my
erratic knee.
I slapped my hand over it. “What am I doing?”
“You feel guilty. You promised Mrs. Conroy you’d take
another look at the evidence, and now you’re going on
vacation.”
My eyes narrowed. “I’m simply cellophane to you, aren’t
I?”
“Mrs. Conroy won’t know you’re going on vacation and
even if she did…you’re doing this to clear your head. If
anything, it’ll help you, right? You’ll come back, sit down at
your desk, and have that big eureka moment.” She grabbed my
mouse and pulled up my playlist, using the scrolling button to
search through hundreds of songs.
“You’re right. You’re absolutely right. I can’t remember
the last time I didn’t think about work.” I stared off into space.
Imagine everything I could do non-work related.
“Vacation starts now.” Her full lips spread into a grin, and
she yanked my earbuds cord from the computer.
The song Push It by Salt n Pepa blared through the
speakers. It was our anthem. I couldn’t remember the last time
we’d danced to it. Leaping from my chair, I pumped my hands
near my chest, bumping hips with her. Our dance wasn’t music
video level, but it was ours. She always made exaggerated
“ah” sounds before singing the words “push it”, and it never
failed to make me laugh uncontrollably.
Taking a moment to simply be, was going to be like a
breath of fresh air. I’d have to figure out a way to return the
favor. She’d refuse monetary compensation, so it’d need to
come from the heart. We were so caught up singing the lyrics
at the top of our lungs and bouncing around, we didn’t hear
one of the troopers come in.
“Hey! Before you go, can you push these papers? They’re
for your case that closed last week.” He threw a stack of
papers onto my desk.
We both froze, attempting to hold back our giggles. He
shook his head, snickering as he left.

We took a taxi to O’Hare Airport and arrived three hours

before departure, as I requested. My theory was, the lines
would be shorter, and I could nab a seat facing the windows at
our gate.
The runway bustled with workers carting luggage across
the tarmac outside. I sipped on my iced coffee, enjoying the
aisle seat that Sara graciously allowed me. The straw made
slurping sounds as I drained every last drop from my cup.
 “How are you with airplane bathrooms?” Sara slouched in
her seat to the point where her neck was resting on the back
support.
I plucked the straw with my teeth. “Not a big fan. Why?”
“Just wondering. Remember, we nabbed the non-stop
flight.” Her gaze dropped to my empty cup.
I made a pfft sound. “I’ll go right before we board, and I’ll
be fine.”
“I bet you five dollars you’ll have to go on the plane at
least three times.”
As if this woman had a personal relationship with my
bladder.
“Fine.” I glared at her and wiped my hand on my shirt to
rid it of condensation before jutting it out to shake.
“Oh, my God. Is that who I think it is?” Sara asked, staring
wide-eyed.
Women surrounded a man with long blonde hair. He wore
a tan leather jacket, ripped jeans, and boots. His bright smile
flashed wide.
“Holy crud. Holy crud.” I sunk in my seat like he’d
somehow recognize me if he spotted me. “That’s Ace from
Apollo’s Suns.”
“Steph. Go talk to him. Get his autograph, a selfie,
whatever. You love that band.” She pushed my shoulders,
trying to get me to stand, but I dug my heels into the carpet.
“No. He’s in an airport trying to travel. Who in their right
mind is ever in a good mood traveling? It’d be rude.” I bit on
my thumbnail, watching him drag his hand through his hair,
pausing now and again to throw up the rock horns gesture for
another selfie.
“All those girls don’t seem to care. Judging by that smile
which hasn’t left his face, I’d say he doesn’t either.”
I shook my head, feeling my heartbeat against my chest
like a jackhammer. “I can’t, Sara.” The moment the words left
my mouth, I knew I’d regret not working up the courage to go
and meet him. Mental facepalm.
“Alright, then. I will.” She plucked one of the squared
white napkins from my knee and reached into the front pocket
of my backpack, grabbing one of seven pens I kept there and
then marched over.
“Oh my gosh.” I sunk further in my seat.
She brushed past several women, demanding Ace’s
attention. They exchanged a few words before she held up the
napkin and pointed in my direction. Ace looked over with a
wide grin and waved.
My cheeks flushed, and I slapped my hands over my eyes.
Parting my fingers enough to see Sara, she leaned forward and
hugged him. She hugged Ace. I wouldn’t have gotten out a
coherent sentence, let alone brush my boobs against his chest
in an embrace.
As she walked back, Ace dipped his hand behind his back
for a fraction of a second. A shimmering orange glow flashed
from his palm. He shoved his hand in his pocket and then
removed it, showing one woman a guitar pick. What the—I
stared at the ice cubes in my empty cup. I shouldn’t have
gotten that extra espresso shot.
“Here you go.” She slapped the napkin on my leg.
“Apparently, he’s headed to Buffalo, New York, for a special
gig.”
I picked it up, and my jaw dropped. “To Stephanie. Never
lose your sparkle. Love, Ace,” I read out loud. “You told him
I’m—sparkly?”
“No. He made it up after he looked over at you.” She
shrugged.
“Thanks, Sara. You gotta stop with these favors, though, or
I’ll never be able to make up for it.” I slipped the napkin
behind a cover of one of my notebooks for safekeeping.
The attendant announced our flight was getting ready to
board. After going through the ritualistic process, we nestled
into our seats and geared up for hours and hours of travel. It’d
be worth it once the gorgeous island of Corfu came into view.
I wrapped the u-shaped pillow around my neck, secured
my seat belt, and took out my iPod. After scrolling through my
playlist, I settled on You Spin Me Round by Dead Or Alive and
rested my head against the window. With any luck, I’d sleep
through most of the flight and not have to use the restroom.
That didn’t happen. Four hours in, I’d woken up in a panic,
practically crawling over Sara and some stranger’s lap to get to
the aisle. Squeezing my knees together, I wobbled to the
bathrooms only to find several people waiting in line. I’d
never peed myself as an adult and didn’t want to start now.
I pursed my lips together and tried not to think about it.
Naturally, my mind went straight to thinking about the plane
flying over water.
“Miss?” The older man in front of me said. He was shorter
than me by several inches, with a short gray beard, wide-
rimmed glasses, and a sizeable slanted nose. “Would you like
to cut in front of me? Looks like you need it more than me.”
His colors burst with bright blues and greens.
“Really? Are you sure?” I pursed my lips together, trying
to hide how genuinely uncomfortable I was.
He laughed, watching my feet bounce. “Absolutely. Go for
it.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much,” I said as I moved past
him and into the next available stall. It took all I had not to
moan out loud at the relief I felt.
After washing my hands twice, I came back out and
stopped in front of my hero. “Thank you so much again. What
was your name?”
“Pan,” he answered.
I blinked. “Pan?”
“Stan,” he repeated with a chuckle.
“Sorry. Ears must be clogged.” I smiled. “Stan, I’m
Stephanie, thanks again.”
 I shuffled back to my seat, and the stranger whipped off
her seatbelt to let me in this time with an exasperated stare.
“I’m so sorry about before. It was Mission: Critical.” I
gave a nervous chuckle as I scooted past her and Sara to my
seat.
Sara held up a single finger in my face.
“One what?” I asked, scrunching my nose.
“Two more times and you owe me five bucks.”
Throughout the flight, let’s just say she got her five bucks.

My eyes fluttered open, feeling Sara’s elbow nudging me.

After checking my face for dried drool, I peered out my
window. She leaned over me, and we gawked at the gorgeous
blue water, mountains, and whitewashed houses. A portion of
my family was Greek, but I never considered visiting the
country itself. Traveling so far as downtown Chicago was a
feat, let alone overseas. Seeing its beauty staring up at me like
a beacon, I regretted never considering it.
“What made you pick this place, Sara?”
“Something just called to me about it. That and I
remember my friend talking about it not too long ago.” She
rested her chin in her palm, still staring out the window.
“Naturally, my mind went straight to Athens, but she told me
if we’re going to go, it should be Corfu. Now I see why.”
“No kidding. Are there temples here?”
“Tons. Byzantine churches and Venetian fortresses too. But
the first thing we’re doing after throwing our suitcases into our
room is changing into our bikinis and hitting the swim-up bar.”
She leaned back into her seat, shutting her eyes with a sigh.
I chuckled, pressing my forehead against the window.
“Sounds like a glorious plan.”
 Besides the fear of our taxi cab driver killing one of
several people in swimsuits swerving through traffic on four-
wheelers, or them killing us, the ride was rather pleasant.
Mostly the scenery. Long winding roads through hills and
mountains. Vibrant green trees and shrubs as far as the eye
could see. And of course, the blue water surrounding the
island.
We arrived at our home away from home for the week. To
say the resort was gorgeous would’ve been a monstrous
understatement. It was two buildings nestled amongst
hundreds of olive trees, seconds away from the beach.
Mountains were off in the distance, and the sand was almost
white.
Sara curled her arm around mine. “Amazing, right? Wait
until you see our room.”
“Sara, seriously, how much did this cost you? And what
did I do to deserve this?”
She clamped a hand over my mouth as she pushed me
toward the hallway. “You work your ass off, and I’ve lost
count of how many favors you’ve done for me. Shut up and
enjoy it, Steph.” She didn’t move her hand, so I nodded
instead.
Marbled floors and Greek statues on Ionic columns lined
the hall. We stepped in front of a room with a gold number
seventeen. She scanned the card over the reader and bit down
on her lower lip. My jaw would’ve hit the floor if I could’ve
unhinged it. The room was a vast open space, with one wall
open to the outside. The wind whipped through, making the
curtains sway. It led to a veranda complete with lounge
couches and direct beach access. We could wake up and walk
right outside to the beach.
“Can I stay here forever?” I mumbled, unable to tear my
eyes away from the sight of sand, water, and mountains.
She hugged my shoulders from behind and let out a squeal
before wheeling away her suitcase.
 There were two queen-sized beds with white and pale blue
striped comforters and enough throw pillows to outfit an army.
Everything looked so pristine, I was afraid to touch it.
“Get that bikini on girly. There’s so much more to see of
this place.” Sara yanked her black and white swimsuit from
her case.
As I neared the beachside window, I closed my eyes,
letting the wind tussle my hair. The sun was warm and
inviting, like a heated blanket. The smell of salt and olives
permeated the air. For the first time in a while, I felt the
tension melt away like a gooey marshmallow.
“You brought the one-piece?” Sara asked.
I turned to see her holding up my swimsuits. She held the
one-piece with two fingers as if it were a slimy piece of
garbage. I reached for it, but she pulled it away.
“I’m not wearing that bikini. It barely covers my…
essentials.”
“That’s kind of the point, Steph. You have a rocking bod,
what are you afraid of?”
I scanned her string bikini. She frequented the gym.
Between that and her profession, everything was toned, tight,
and in top form. On the other hand, I spent most of my time
glued to a desk, and had a bit of pudge I couldn’t get rid of.
Enough that it made me self-conscious.
“I’ll think about wearing the bikini tomorrow. Deal?” I
held my hand out for the one-piece.
She rolled her eyes before slapping it into my hand. “Fine.
At least you brought it. Hurry up.”
Stepping into the bathroom, my feet pressed against the
coolness of white engraved tiles, all fixtures made of gray and
white marble. I slipped into the suit, pausing to look at myself
in the mirror. Turning my back to it, I eyed the white anchor
positioned right above my butt. I didn’t see anything wrong
with this suit. It still clung to every curve and had a cute
nautical theme.
 “Stop judging yourself in the mirror, Steph. Let’s go!” Sara
yelled at me through the door.
The resort had several pools, but only one of them had the
swim-up bar she’d been going on about. In the center was the
bar with a circular white roof that stretched far enough for
shade. There were stools inside the water around the
perimeter, all of them occupied. There were so many people in
the pool, they were bumping elbows. I reached for my dress
pocket and grimaced. No pockets meant no Tums.
“Hey, you go ahead, Sara. I’m going to grab a drink from
the other bar.”
The one with a single customer.
She cocked an eyebrow. “They serve the same stuff, I’m
sure.”
“True. This one has more…breathing room?”
She smiled. “Say no more. Come on in when you’re ready.
I’m sure I’ll have new friends to introduce to you at that
point.”
She wasn’t kidding. The woman’s social skills were like
watching a choreographed dance routine. Mine was more like
a stand-up comedy headed by Ben Stein.
“Will do.” I took a seat at the bar, making sure to keep
several stools between the male patron and me.
“Kalimera,” the bartender greeted.
I smiled. “Hello.”
The bartender slapped a cocktail napkin in front of me.
“What can I get you?” He asked, his voice laced with a Greek
accent.
“I hadn’t gotten that far yet. Hmm. Mai tai?” I tapped my
finger against my lips. “No. Strawberry daiquiri. Or maybe…”
“You look like a piña colada kind of woman,” the tender
said with a sparkling grin that made my cheeks blush.
“Yes. Perfect. Thank you.” I drummed my hands on the
bar top, turning in my stool to take in the scenery.
 A mysterious black cloud of fog-like smoke seeped around
my feet. I furrowed my brow, following its trail. It flowed
from the man sitting near me. Colors of dirty gray and varying
shades of brown skirted over his arms. He had both hands
wrapped around his tumbler of amber-colored liquid. His head
held low, causing his chin-length dirty blonde hair to shield his
face. He was dressed in head-to-toe black in a button-up short-
sleeved shirt and pants, like Johnny Cash going to the beach.
A hint of a tattoo peeked out from his sleeve.
He caught sight of me staring, and the fog sucked in,
disappearing as if it’d never been there at all. Maybe it hadn’t.
“Here you are, miss,” the bartender said, snapping me back
to reality and making me jump. He snickered. “Sorry. Didn’t
mean to startle you.”
I wrapped my hand around the tall glass and pulled it
toward me. Not used to the lack of an eye shield from my
glasses, I almost poked my eye with the straw. “It’s no big
deal. I’m just a skittish ninny.”
The look he gave me was well deserved. I was sure the last
time I’d heard the word “ninny” was from my great-grandma.
Food needed to go in my mouth pronto to shut myself up. The
glass had a decorated stick complete with an orange and
pineapple slice. I opted for the pineapple, brought it to my lips,
and winced when cold liquid pooled in my lap.
Lovely. A piña colada stain. Precisely what my ensemble
was missing.
I stood on the rung of my stool and reached for napkins
near Johnny Cash. Our hands brushed as I pulled the napkin
away. A dozen indecipherable whispers flooded my ears,
blocking out the sounds from the pool, the birds, everything
else around me. I froze mid-sit.
His chin lifted, revealing eyes that matched the color of his
whiskey, squared jawline sprinkled with a light beard, slanted
straight nose, and thin lips.
“Sorry,” I stuttered. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
Okay. I really was a ninny.
 I sat back down and furiously dabbed at the stain.
He didn’t respond and only moved so much as to finish the
contents of his drink.
“Another whiskey?” The tender asked him.
“Mhm,” he said, sliding the glass across the bar.
Convinced the stain would remain a stain, I balled the
napkin in my palm. “So, uh, whiskey your drink of choice?”
Heat flowed up my neck.
He slowly turned to look at me with a cock of his head. He
smirked, and a small dimple formed at the corner of his mouth.
“Listen, darlin’. I want to be left alone.”
A southern accent. I was not expecting that.
“A resort with hundreds of people doesn’t seem quite the
best place to be alone.” I stirred my drink, unable to take my
eyes off him.
The bartender returned with his drink, and Johnny brought
it to his lips, pausing before taking a sip. He peered at me
through the strands of his hair that’d fallen over his gaze.
“This place relaxes me,” he said in a clipped tone.
His hair gave him a further sense of mystery, disguising
the furrow in his brow, and the intent in his eyes.
“I hear the spa is pretty relaxing. Though I wouldn’t know,
considering I’ve never been to one.” I leaned forward, resting
my elbows on the bar top.
His jaw clenched, popping at the corners. “The spa doesn’t
serve whiskey.” He shook the glass in his hand, making the ice
cubes clank, before taking a sip.
My God. Sawyer from the show Lost. He looked. Like.
Sawyer. My stomach tightened. I concentrated my stare on my
drink instead. “For being in paradise, you’re awfully grumpy.”
He turned his chin, dropping his eyes to scan over my bare
legs before catching my gaze unabashedly. “I reckon I’ve got a
lot to be grumpy about.”
“Try me.” I sat up straighter.
 He sighed, setting the glass down on the bar top. “My wife
of over a thousand years left me for another man. A lesser
man.”
“I had a relationship that felt that long once.” I snorted.
“But a thousand years? Wow. Tainted Love?”
He glared at me. “What?”
“Tainted Love.”
Silence.
“It’s a song by Soft Cell?”
His scowl deepened.
I gulped, tapping my finger against my thigh. “Well, I’m
sorry to hear that.” I should’ve stopped at that point, but
something in my gut wouldn’t let me. “What’s your name?”
He took a long swig of his drink. “Hades.” He said it so
simply. Like he told me his name was Bob.
“Hades? You were named after the god of the
Underworld?” I bit my lip to keep from laughing.
“One and only.”
“Wow. Your parents were a little cruel, huh?”
A fire lit in his eyes when he looked at me, the tiniest of
smirks creasing into the corner of his lips. “You have no idea.”
My heart thumped against my chest, his stare turning my
stomach into a series of knots.
“You seem nervous.” The smirk continued as he squinted
at me over the rim of his glass.
I gulped. “Nervous? What reason would I have to be
nervous?”
He dragged a hand through his hair, and I bit back a
whimper. “I don’t know, but your chest is getting all splotchy.”
He pointed.
Slapping my hands over my chest, I hopped off my stool.
“Well, I’ll uh—leave you alone. Enjoy your whiskey.”
 I turned to walk away, but a string from my coverup
caught on the stool, yanking me back.
Hades leaned forward with the ease of a jaguar and
plucked the string free. “I didn’t get your name.”
“Steph. Stephanie.”
He stared at me for a moment before smirking. He tipped
the glass. “I’ll be seein’ ya…Stephanie.” He enunciated the
last part of my name with extra emphasis.
I bunched my coverup near my neck, and after one last
moment of staring at him, I turned away.
The crowd in the swim-up bar had thinned out. Sara’s
infectious laugh echoed through the open space. It never failed
to put a smile on my face. I waded over to her with the
remainder of my drink in hand.
“Well, hey there. Who was that guy you were talking to?”
Sara asked, chewing on her straw.
I risked a glance over my shoulder, looking at the empty
stools of the bar. He was gone. A peculiar disappointment
washed over me. “Oh, just a guy who calls himself Hades.”
“Hades? Is it a nickname, or does he truly think he’s some
kind of Greek god? I’ve met plenty of men with that
complex.”
“Does it matter? I came here to have fun and relax with my
best friend. Not hook up with a random stranger.”
“Oh, yeah?” She asked, right as two men walked up.
“A whiskey Coke and a gin and tonic,” one man ordered.
He had blonde hair cropped short with a thin, but toned
physique. His accent sounded American. Mid-west maybe?
“See something you like?” The blonde man said, making
me choke on my drink.
Every time I was out in public, I tended to people watch,
profile them. It was par for the course with my profession. I
was always trying to figure out people’s dirty laundry. I
scanned his arms, noting a maple leaf tattoo with swirling
patterns intertwined.
“I was just looking at your tattoo. Any symbolic
meaning?” I didn’t move my eyes from his and attempted to
fish for the straw with my mouth, missing it twice.
He looked down at his bicep and patted the tattoo, smiling
brightly. “A patriotic symbol for my country is all.”
Sara snapped her fingers. “Canadian. I thought I
recognized the accent. We’re close to your border. Chicago.”
We lived in a town called Des Plaines, but it was easier to
say Chicago. Close enough and widely known.
Sara leaned past me, extending her hand. “I’m Sara. And
this here is Stephanie.”
There she went being all social.
The blonde chuckled and shook her hand. “I’m Keith, and
this is Guy.” Guy sounded more like ‘Gee’. “We’re from
around Ontario.”
“Chicago, huh? I’ve always wanted to go there,” Guy said,
moving through the water to get closer to Sara. He was the
polar opposite of Keith. Dark hair, dark eyes, and a deeply
tanned complexion. His hair was long but pulled into a tight
bun at the base of his neck.
“Oh? What part of the city interests you the most?” Sara
asked, turning on her stool to face him.
“Are you two here together?” Keith asked.
“Yup.” I took a sip of my drink. “As friends. I mean, we’re
not—not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just didn’t
want you to assume—”
He lifted his aviator sunglasses onto his head, nestling
them within the blonde spikes. “Well, good. I wanted to make
sure I wasn’t stepping on any toes.” He smiled wide. “What
are you drinking?”
“Piña colada.” I rested the empty cup on the bar top while
Keith flagged down the tender. My eyes betrayed me, looking
at the bar for Hades again.
His smile deepened as he handed me another cup of
coconut bliss. “Love the anchor on your suit there.”
“The what?” Right. The anchor. I gave a nervous chuckle.
“Thanks.”
He bit down on his lower lip, letting his gaze rest on my
nether regions longer than necessary. “So, what do you do for
a living?” He breached my invisible shield, shifting himself
closer.
I leaned back. “I’m a digital forensics examiner for the
state police.”
His brows rose. “Can’t say I know what the hell that even
is. Sorry.” He laughed.
“It’s forensics. Just the digital side of it. Computers and
such. No stepping over dead bodies or studying blood spray
patterns.”
He stared at me, nodding.
I smirked. “I hack things.” Hacking was not part of my job
in the least, but the media had glorified it. It was the one area
of cybersecurity I knew people were familiar with.
His eyes widened. “Oh, wow! That’s awesome. What’s
been your biggest case?”
The Fueller case. I’d managed to forget about it. I gulped
down my drink, hoping it would help flee it away from my
thoughts.
“We’re going to be late for scuba diving if we don’t haul
ass, Keith-ster.” Guy slapped Keith on the back.
“Hey, it was great talking to you. We’re only here all week,
so I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” Keith smiled,
slipping his aviators onto his face.
My knee bounced underwater, and I offered a weak grin.
Mrs. Conroy’s sad face loomed over me like a raincloud.
“Guy seemed nice enough,” Sara said, tapping her
fingernail against her cup.
 “Uh, huh,” I muttered.
“Hey.” She turned my chin to look at her. “Time for a
toast.”
She always knew how to snap me out of it.
“What are we toasting?” I asked.
“To meeting the god of the Underworld.”
I burst into laughter. “To Hades.”
We tapped our cups together.
We were up at the crack of dawn the next day because neither
of us could sleep. We could rest when we were dead. Paradise
called. Sara convinced me to wear my cranberry-colored
bikini, but I insisted on a swim coverup for our walk to the
pool. And had every intention of wearing it the entire time.
Like a passing shadow, Hades slipped onto the same stool he
sat on yesterday, at the same bar, dressed in the same clothes. I
couldn’t look away. An older woman dressed in a resort
uniform was talking to him. She flailed her hands around, her
jaw quivering like she was about to cry.
He held his head low, nodding as the woman spoke. If I
had a nickel for every time I wished I could read lips. She
slapped her palm onto the bar top. He slid his hand over hers,
and she closed her eyes. Her body relaxed, and he slipped his
hand away. The woman laughed and kissed his forehead
before walking away.
“Why don’t you meet me by the pool?” Sara asked.
“Hm, what?”
She jutted her chin at Hades. “I’m going to go out on a
limb here and say that’s the guy who calls himself Hades?”
I played with one of the rhinestones on the side of my
sunglasses. “I’ll only be a few minutes.”
“Take as much time as you want. I’ll probably fall asleep
by the pool anyway.” She grinned and patted my shoulder.
 The blackness still loomed over him, but unlike yesterday,
bursts of pastel colors appeared as if trying to break through.
Those bursts are what piqued my interest and wouldn’t let me
turn away.
I leaned next to him. We were the only ones at the bar,
which wasn’t surprising considering how early it was. “I didn’t
peg you for the older woman type.”
He eyed me sidelong. “I wasn’t courtin’ that woman. And
she’s not older. She’s an infant by comparison.”
“Courting? My, my, how formal.” The bartender rested a
tumbler in front of him with the same brown liquid as
yesterday. “An infant through wisdom or something?”
He licked his lips. “Sure.”
I sniffed the tumbler. “It’s five o’clock, somewhere, right?”
“What else would I be doing?” He kept his eyes trained
forward.
“Oh, I don’t know. Soaking up the sun by the pool?
Dragging your toes through the sand on the beach? Falling
into a tourist trap?”
He turned his head, moving his face near mine. “You can’t
drink all day if you don’t start early, sweetheart.” He tipped
the glass.
My stomach flipped. He smelled like burning wood and a
recently extinguished flame. The scent that permeated the air
after blowing out birthday candles. I flagged the bartender.
“Mimosa, please.”
“Mm,” Hades purred. “I didn’t peg you for the type to
indulge in early morning sins.”
“I’m on vacation. I’d never do this normally, so I
figured…when in Rome, right?” I lifted the glass to my lips. “I
mean—I know we’re not in Rome.”
“Why do you insist on doing this?” He asked, turning his
body to face me.
 A dribble of sweet, bubbly juice escaped the corner of my
mouth, and I wiped it away with my finger. “Doing what?”
Noticing his close proximity made my chest tighten.
“Talkin’ to me despite my being explicitly clear, I had no
interest in your company. In fact, I’ve been pretty rude.”
“It’s my job to solve mysteries. I’m drawn to them like a
moth to a flame. And you—” I paused, watching his eyes scan
my face as if I were as big of a mystery to him. “You’re an
absolute enigma.” I curled my hands around my glass to keep
them from shaking. “You say you’re rude, but I don’t think
that’s the normal you.”
“You’re wrong.” His voice dropped an octave, cold, and
clipped. It sent a chill down my spine. He turned away with a
sneer. “Some people are inherently evil.”
Heat traveled up my neck. “Everyone is born good. It’s
what happens through life, which sways them in one direction
or the other. They choose.”
He locked his gaze with mine, his pupils dilating. The
glass squeaked as his hand tightened around it. “You’re.
Wrong. I’ve witnessed it firsthand.”
A fuzziness clouded my brain, but I shook it away. “What
is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re so quick to believe in the morality of humans.” He
shoved his nose in his glass.
“Of course, I am.” My voice was barely above a whisper.
He looked at me with a furrowed brow. The pastel colors
around him pushed further through and were sucked back in
by the darkness. “Then I feel sorry for you.” He slid his empty
tumbler across the bar.
I frowned.
An older man in a pair of tropical board shorts sat at the
bar on the opposite side from us. Despite his fully rounded
beer belly, he wore no shirt. A previous sunburn was evident
in the shape of a tank top on his skin. The only hair he had was
a small grey patch in the center of his head and a bit below his
ears.
“Tell me. What do you think his story is?” Hades shifted
his eyes.
I let my investigative brain take over. “Older. Mid-fifties.
Alone. His company maybe had business here, and he’s taking
some R&R. Confident.” His colors vibrated with deep reds
and oranges.
“Almost.” He leaned over to whisper in my ear. “He’s
currently cheatin’ on his wife for the fifteenth time. He takes
advantage of his company’s frequent travels to go outside of
his marriage. He has another family on an island not far from
here. Neither family knows of the other. And his wife is so
aloof she hasn’t a clue.”
I narrowed my eyes. “How could you possibly know all
that? He’s been at the bar for what, two minutes?”
“Hey, honey,” the man said into his phone. “Yeah, they’re
working me like a horse over here. But I’ll be home in a few
days.” He looked around as he spoke.
I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Hades was
right. But how? My hand hit my glass, sliding it off the bar.
Hades snatched it from mid-air, stopping it from crashing to
the ground.
“Compassion is an admirable quality, Stephanie. But don’t
let it cloud your judgment. Reality is reality.” Like a lunar
eclipse, all other sounds faded away.
I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, he was
gone. As if he’d vanished into thin air. His empty tumbler
stared back at me. I’d been so consumed by being wrong about
the other man I hadn’t heard Hades leave. I headed for the
pool.
Sara lay on one of the lounge chairs, her towel, and bag
piled on the chair next to her, saving it for me. I halfway
hoped she was asleep. Otherwise, she’d ask me a dozen
questions about Hades. With cautious movements, I moved her
bag to the ground beside my chair. I paused, eyeing her still
lying there like a breathing corpse and slowly sank down.
“How’d it go?” She asked.
Fail.
“There’s something about Hades, Sara. A quirk? A secret?
I can’t tell you.”
“Sounds like you two were made for each other.”
Grabbing the towel, I whipped it at her with a laugh. She
blocked it with her forearm.
“This isn’t funny. He’s…odd.”
She lifted her sunglasses to her head. “And that makes you
even more interested, doesn’t it?”
I pulled at the hem of my coverup.
Sitting up on her elbows, she narrowed her eyes. “You
have that look. The one you get when you’re about to pour
your heart and soul into a case. We’re on vacation, Steph. You
want to hang out with this guy, try to make his heart grow
three sizes bigger, fine. But don’t get wrapped up in it.”
“He comes off so confused. One big mess. Like he needs
someone truly willing to listen.” His words replayed in my
head. Compassion is an admiral quality.
“And you’re invested.” She flipped her sunglasses back
onto her nose, nuzzling back into the comfort of her chair.
“He can profile people better than you can.”
She sat straight up, whipping her sunglasses off. “Excuse
me?”
“I’m not kidding. He saw all these subtle clues. I can
usually read people pretty well, but he saw right past the guy’s
façade.”
“Is he a cop?”
“I don’t know. He’s pretty closed off. And why does he
wear so much black?”
 She laughed, curling her arms around her knees. “Maybe
he’s grieving for his love life?”
“You’re such a goober sometimes.” I slunk down in the
chair with a snicker.
She held two fingers up, pressed together, a gesture that
was uniquely hers. “Um, false. I’m a genius all of the time.”
“Forgive me, illustrious one.”
“And you have five minutes before I make you put on
sunscreen.”
“Yes, mother dearest.”
We sunbathed by the pool for almost an hour. Sara set a
repeating alarm on her phone to remind us to flip over. I put on
sunscreen for fear of looking like a lobster for the rest of our
vacation and rolled my cover up just enough to cover my
cleavage and stomach.
“Would you mind if we used this chair?” A female British
voice asked.
I lifted my head, squinting through my sunglasses. All
other lounge chairs were occupied except for the one next to
me. “Knock yourself out.”
The woman laughed. “I bloody well hope not.” She set her
bag and towel down. “I’m Michelle,” she said, extending her
hand.
We shook. She had long, wavy auburn hair, pulled back
into a low ponytail. Her skin was ivory with patches of
freckles on her arms and shoulders. She was thin, tall, and
sporting a vibrant green bikini. Her aura colors were warm and
inviting. There wasn’t an ounce of negativity about her.
“I’m Stephanie, and this is Sara.”
Sara reached over me. “Nice to meet you. England?”
“Ah, yes. Welsh-born, but Windsor implant.” She sat
down, removing a bottle of sunscreen from her bag.
A man walked up with peppered colored hair, toned
physique, oiled up, and sporting a bright red speedo. “Sorry,
darling, it took me a while to find a bar with tea. Fancy that.”
He kissed Michelle on the cheek, making sure to flex every
muscle in his upper body as he leaned in. His aura was
confusing, muddy yellows mixed with brownish forest greens
and strokes of black.
“This is Rupert, my fiancé. We’re actually here celebrating
our engagement,” Michelle said, curling her body toward him.
And now we were to have a conversation. I sat up on my
elbows. “Congrats.”
“Have you set a date yet?” Sara asked, still leaning on my
chair.
“Sometime next fall, I’d imagine. Still working out the
details, right, love?” Rupert smiled, causing the creases in his
cheeks to deepen. He leaned back, his gaze dropping to Sara’s
lap. Or it seemed to. It was hard to tell behind the shadow of
his sunglasses.
Michelle playfully elbowed him in the leg. “Are you two
celebrating anything?”
“Why, yes. We’re celebrating not thinking about work,”
Sara replied.
We fist-bumped, following it with an explosion gesture.
“Well, that’s about as good of a reason as I ever heard.
Have you been here long?” Rupert sat next to Michelle,
accentuating the bulge in his speedo.
I shot my eyes back up to his face. “Just since yesterday.”
“Are you having a good time?” Michelle asked.
“(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life so far,” I said with a grin.
Sara snorted.
Michelle bounced on her seat. “We should get together at
some point. We’re here for the rest of the week.”
“Absolutely! You two can take one of our chairs. We’ve
been lying out here awhile, I need to take a dip to cool off,”
Sara said, gathering up her things.
 “It was great meeting you two. Hopefully, we’ll see you
around,” I added.
“Michelle was nice. Rupert,” Sara said his name with an
exaggerated English accent. “He’s another story.”
“I kinda got that vibe too, especially in that speedo.”
“The speedo, the subtle changes in his gaze. We’ll have to
watch him.” She stopped in front of a bulletin board.
The board had several sign-up sheets for resort activities
and a slew of advertisements for nearby restaurants, clubs, and
tours. Sara grabbed the pen attached to a string and feverishly
scribbled our names on pool volleyball and Greek mythology
trivia.
“Woah there, Speedy Gonzalez. Do I get a say in events
I’m going to embarrass myself at?” I tried to yank the pen
from her grasp, but she recoiled.
“Please. Volleyball is always fun, and between the two of
us, we’ll kick ass at trivia.” She trailed her finger over the
remaining sheets, skipping over snorkeling and booze cruise.
“What? No booze cruise?” I frowned.
“You already get seasick. Can you imagine adding alcohol
to the equation?”
My stomach gurgled at the thought. “Good point.”
“Ooo a masquerade ball. Oh, we’re definitely doing that!”
She wrote our names on the list with an extra flourish.
I poked a line on the description. “It says black tie. Did
you pack a ball gown? Because I certainly didn’t.”
She let the pen drop, and it swung back and forth. “There
are these places called stores. I don’t know for sure, so hear
me out, but I do believe Greece has them.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re hilarious.”
“What’s this all about? Did I hear you two are going to the
ball?” Keith said from behind us.
 He and Guy sauntered over. Keith smiled and let his eyes
roam over my exposed legs. With as much subtlety as I could
manage, I tugged the coverup back down.
“We just signed up.” Sara squared off her shoulders. “You
guys going?”
Guy grinned, brushing past Sara as he grabbed the
dangling pen. “We are now.”
I could hardly contain my enthusiasm…
Sara smiled. “I don’t know. You might have a hard time
finding us with everyone wearing masks.”
“How could I miss that smile of yours, eh?” Guy stepped
closer to her.
“Sorry about him. He can be pretty forthright,” Keith said,
smiling.
I’d give Keith one thing. He did have a sparkling smile.
“Oh, she’ll let him know if she no longer appreciates it. Trust
me.”
He chuckled. “You two playing volleyball tomorrow?”
“Apparently.”
“Good deal. We’ll get there early, make sure we’re all on
the same team.”
“Full disclosure—I’m horrible at it.”
“Noted.” He winked. “I’ll help you out.”
I managed a nervous grin, which probably looked more
like I passed gas.
Guy nudged him in the shoulder. “Come on, Keith. We’re
going to miss the last period of the Winnipeg game.”
Once they were gone, I blew out a breath. I’d socialized
more this week already then in the last few months. It was
exhausting. “So…” I turned to Sara. “Do you like Guy?”
She shrugged, swaying her arms back and forth and
snapping her fingers. “I don’t know yet. He is pretty cute.”
She bit down on her lip.
 “Yeah. You like him.”
She tugged my ponytail. “Come on, let’s get nachos and a
drink at the bar. Maybe the god of the Underworld will honor
us with his presence again.”
It was ironic I had Keith’s full attention, but the one man I
wanted to figure out wouldn’t give me the light of day.
Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose.
Everyone participating in volleyball gathered around the
biggest pool in the center of the resort. A man in a polo shirt,
shoes, and socks pulled up to his knees stood near the bar,
fanning himself with a clipboard. Sara and I stood in the
shade, sipping on hurricane drinks while waiting for them to
get the show on the road. Keith and Guy walked over to the
man with the clipboard, turning to point at us.
“Glad I wore my one piece,” I mumbled to myself.
Sara blew bubbles in her drink. “I’ll get you in that bikini
again.”
“At least I can rest assured I’ll have no nip slips.” I
plucked one of the straps.
She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “I don’t know. You might
have a change of heart with a certain you know who around.”
“He makes me curious. Doesn’t mean I want him to see
me in a bikini.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I was talking about
Keith. Are you talking about—”
“Nope. You’re right. Was talking about Keith.”
“Hades? You said he was odd.”
“He—intrigues me.”
“Like a shiny new jigsaw puzzle?”
 I furrowed my brow at her spot-on analogy. “Something
like that.”
Keith slapped his hands together. “You ladies ready to win
this thing? It’s us four and a group from Michigan.”
Sara scrunched her nose. “Michigan? Please tell me one of
them isn’t sporting Green Bay gear.”
“Is one of them that guy?” I pointed at a man in a Green
Bay trucker hat wearing a tank top and floral red board shorts.
“That’d be the one,” Guy said.
I playfully pinched Sara on the arm. “Play nice.”
“I will, I will. We’re on vacation. I can see past it this one
time.” Sara pretended to gag.
Sara and her dad had been devout Chicago sports fans
since she was a kid. Her hatred for their rival, Green Bay,
covered anything related to Michigan.
Sara cupped a hand over her mouth and yelled, “Bear
down.”
Two of the Michiganites snapped their heads in our
direction, glaring.
I gave Sara a playful shove and laughed. “How is that
playing nice?”
“You know I can’t help myself.”
“Alright, everyone! We’re going to start. If everyone could
get into the pool, we’ll explain the rules,” the man with the
clipboard announced.
The resort kept every pool at the perfect temperature. Not
too cold, but still cool enough to be refreshing, given the
sweltering heat. A dance-y, head bobbing worthy song started
to play over the loudspeaker, and I swayed my arms through
the water in time.
They explained the rules of pool volleyball, but I was only
half-listening, spotting Hades walking to his usual spot at the
bar. He still wore the same funeral-like all-black attire, only
this time, he had a tank top on, revealing his tattoo in its
entirety. His arms were toned and muscular, but from this
distance, the tattoo looked like a black smudge.
I pressed my forearms against the edge of the pool.
“Hades!” Shouting the name of a Greek god across a resort in
Greece didn’t seem strange until several pairs of bewildered
eyes landed on me.
“Stephanie, we’re about to start,” Keith said, his voice
gruff.
I waved him off. “I’ll be over in a minute.”
Hades ran a hand through his semi-long locks and held a
finger up at the bartender. He strolled over, slipping his hands
into his pockets. He glowered down at me. “Yes?”
I kicked my legs behind me, splashing water like I’d done
when I was little. “Why don’t you join the game?”
“Is this your way of gettin’ my shirt off?” Still no smile.
“No! I mean—you can leave all of your clothes on if you
wanted to. Not to say you’d look bad or I wouldn’t—,” I cut
myself off, blowing out a breath, and sunk in the water until
my chin rested on the edge of the pool.
He shook his head, making his hair fall over his eyes.
“Water’s not really my thing. I hate it. It’s more my brother’s
deal.”
“How can water not be your thing? More than half of the
human body is comprised of water.”
He bent forward. “I’m not human.” His eyes darkened.
He was close enough to make out his tattoo. A three-
headed canine creature with swirling smoke, fog, and symbols
I didn’t recognize.
I stared up at him. “Most days, I don’t feel like it either,
but I still have to drink water.”
He stood straight, jutting his head at the game. “I’m gonna
have a drink. A real drink. You have fun beatin’ a ball back
and forth over a net.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing!”
 He tipped his head over his shoulder. “I’ll try not to weep
over it.”
This guy was about as hard to crack as a walnut. I pushed
away from the wall, swimming over to Sara, my gaze glued on
Hades. The volleyball collided into the side of my face,
followed by Keith bashing into me. I was completely
submerged underwater for several seconds before pushing to
the surface, sputtering and fumbling for my sunglasses, which
had gotten knocked off.
Keith gripped my shoulder. “Holy hell! Sorry. I didn’t see
you. You alright?”
“I don’t know. How red is my face?” I laughed. My hair
was in a disarray of dark tendrils over my arms and eyes.
He snickered, moving my hair away with his fingertips.
“Only slightly. Red is a good color on you, though.”
I tensed and looked over at Hades as if he heard Keith—or
cared.
My sunglasses couldn’t get back on my face quick enough,
and I gave his bicep an awkward pat. Usually, I’d take the time
to appreciate a shirtless man in front of me, but for some
reason, Keith’s nipples saluting right near my face made me
uneasy. A voice, like a fainted whisper, passed over my ear.
Hades stared at me from his seat at the bar, sipping from his
glass. I turned my attention back to the game before I got
another ball to the face, making both cheeks match.
Between Keith and Guy, they had the game under control.
One would set it up, and the other would spike. Rinse and
repeat. It shouldn’t have surprised me they’d try to steal the
show. Not that I was complaining, considering I was about as
coordinated as a toddler.
“Stephanie heads up! I’m going to set it for you,” Keith
said.
I shook my head so frantically my bangs fell over my
sunglasses.
“It’ll be fine. Just jump up and hit it as hard as you can,”
Guy added.
 The ball flew over the net, Keith pushed it with both of his
hands, and I shimmied forward, smacking it with my hand. I’d
swatted mosquitos with more force. The ball hit the net on our
side.
Keith’s jaw tightened. “No big deal. It’s only one point.”
“Why did you sign us up for this again?” I tossed a glare at
Sara.
She brought her drink into the water, holding it with one
hand. “Figured it’d be fun. Didn’t think we’d end up with two
jocks on our team who can’t stand losing.”
The other side launched the ball, but not over the net. It
zoomed off to the side, out of the pool, and rolled toward
Hades’ feet. He paused, drinking from his tumbler long
enough to give it a sneer.
“Hey, man! You mind giving the ball a toss?” Keith yelled.
Hades didn’t budge. He didn’t even look in our direction,
turning his body further away. Keith groaned and lifted
himself out of the pool.
“The view is certainly worth it, I’d say,” Sara said, smiling
with her straw between her teeth.
Keith’s wet feet slapped against the concrete, dripping a
water trail, board shorts clinging to his—legs. “Thanks for
helping out,” he said to Hades, scooping the ball up.
Hades tipped an imaginary hat on his head. “You look like
you handled it fine, kid.”
“You weren’t joking. That man is one big bundle of doom
and gloom,” Sara said, momentarily resting her chin on my
shoulder.
“He has a good reason. His wife left him.”
“While it does suck, excuses for behavior are distractions
from facing reality. Remember what I told you my training
officer always said?” She beamed at me with those pretty
brown eyes.
 “Results. Not excuses.” I sighed, watching Hades continue
to ignore everyone around him.
“He needs to suck it up. We only have one life to live.
Move along, cowboy.” She gave me a side hug before backing
away.
Hades set his empty glass down and slid from his stool like
he was leaving.
“You guys keep playing without me,” I said to no one in
particular, making my way to the pool stairs.
“Then we don’t have a full team!” Guy said.
“You two are the team,” Sara countered.
Hades started to walk away, and I ran to catch up with him.
He was within arm’s reach when my feet slid from underneath
me. There was a reason resorts put “No Running” signs up
everywhere around pools. I winced, waiting for the impact of
concrete, but a pair of strong arms caught me.
“You’re extremely clumsy,” he said.
I let my eyes roam over his arms flexing as he held onto
me, supporting my weight. He wore a tank top, but it didn’t
stop my mind from imagining what he looked like underneath
it. Did he have the ‘V’? Those carved tapering abdominal
muscles that led down. My gaze dropped to his cloth-covered
stomach.
I stood, attempting to wipe the water beads from his arms.
“So kind of you to notice.”
He cocked an eyebrow, watching me squeegee his biceps.
Considering my hands were also wet, it wasn’t doing much
good. Once I stopped, he wiped his arms on the side of his
shirt.
“Are you going to the masquerade ball in a of couple
nights?” I interlaced my fingers behind my back.
“Masquerade?”
“Yeah. Everyone wears masks, dresses to the nines—”
 He smirked. “I know what a masquerade is, darlin’. I’m
just surprised they’d have one. It seems old-fashioned.”
“I figured it’d be right up your alley. You can hide your
face from everyone. Pretend you’re something you’re not. You
could even spend the whole night brooding and sulking in a
corner.”
He ran a hand through his hair, briefly exposing his entire
face. “I’ll…consider it.”
“I figured you’d say th—wait, really?” I’d expected him to
say no given the obvious party pooper he was.
“I said I’d consider it. But it could be refreshin’ to pretend
I’m not the divider of souls for a change.” He squinted at me,
canting his head like he was gauging my reaction.
“Are you a therapist or something?
He narrowed his eyes.
When he didn’t answer, I poked a finger against the
elaborate artwork of his tattoo. His scent filled the air. Why
did he always smell like he’d come from a bonfire?
“What’s your tattoo?”
His eyes narrowed further. “Cerberus.” He grabbed my
finger, which hadn’t left his arm.
“Right.” I gulped, feeling the calluses on his palm brushing
against my skin.
He tightened his grip. “I’m not sure whether to take your
persistence as flattering or irritating.”
“If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that one.” A
nervous chuckle escaped my belly, transfixed on his hand
holding my finger prisoner.
“I think you’re being summoned, sweetheart.” His eyes
lifted.
Sara waved her arms back and forth from the pool. After
holding up a single finger to her, I looked back at Hades, but
he was gone. How in the world did he keep doing that?
 When I reached the water, Sara smiled up at me, her eyes
drooping. “I didn’t want you to miss the race. Look!”
They’d lined up several lounge pool floats. Keith, Guy, the
Michigan man and Rupert, the Englishman we’d met earlier,
stood at the edge outside of the water.
“What are they doing? And are you—drunk?” I sat down,
dangling my feet in the water.
“They’re going to race across the floats. Whoever gets the
farthest, wins. It’s Canada vs. America vs. England. Fun, huh?
Oh, and I could possibly, very well be on my way to drunk-y-
ness.”
I laughed. “How much did you drink while I was gone?”
She held up two fingers. “Three shots.”
The men sprinted across the floats. Most of them fell in
after hitting the second one, but Keith managed to make it all
the way across, diving into the water after the last one.
“Is there anything athletic Keith isn’t good at?” I asked.
“I’m starting to think not. It explains a lot about his big—”
She pointed downward, but then moved it to her face. “Head.”
She giggled and burped at the same time.
“Come on, you. I need you sober so we can go shopping
tomorrow.” I coaxed her toward the stairs.
She gasped. “You’re going to let me take you shopping for
dresses? I might cry.”
“As sad as it is, I don’t trust my judgment. I haven’t worn
a gown since senior prom.” I helped her up the stairs, despite
her unwillingness to set her drink down.
She whined, slumping over my shoulder. “Can you carry
me to our room?”
“We’d get about two feet, if that, Sara. Come on.”
“Need some help there?”
A part of me wished it’d been Hades who asked, but I
knew the voice didn’t belong to him. Keith stood there, giving
his blonde hair a toss, the sun sparkling off the water beads
littering his tanned skin.
“Actually, yes. Would you mind?” My feet were slipping,
trying to hold her up.
He laughed and slipped one arm around her waist, securing
the other under her legs. It was an awkward, silent walk to our
room.
“Which room?” He asked.
I contemplated ways around him knowing our room
number, but came up empty. “This one right here.”
I swiped the card through the reader. Would it have been
impolite asking him to drop her on the floor so I could drag
her in? That way, he wouldn’t physically be in our room? Nah.
Sara wouldn’t be happy with rug burn on her back.
“If you can put her on the bed over there. I really
appreciate it.” I tapped the card between two of my fingers,
impatiently waiting, and side shuffling to the phone on the
nightstand.
After setting her down, he walked past me, rubbing the
back of his neck with a snarky grin.
“Thank you! Have a good day!” I nudged him toward the
door.
He chuckled, stumbling forward. “Alright, alright. What
are you two up to tomorrow, though?”
“We’ll be off property.” Thank God.
“You going to be back in time for trivia night? I hear it
gets pretty crazy.”
Did they stalk our names on the sign-up list or something?
“Wouldn’t miss it! See ya then! Bye!” I nudged him the rest of
the way into the hall and slammed the door shut.
After drinking a gallon of water and drowning herself in coffee
last night, Sara started to act more like herself. Filling her
belly with greasy food and carbs was first on today’s agenda.
The buffet was set up in an outside eating area with open
spaces, allowing the wind to blow through, and a breathtaking
view of the horizon. We sat at a table facing the beach,
munching on smoked pork, toast, and brine cheese.
“How did you get me to the room yesterday?” Sara asked.
I choked on my toast and grabbed for my water. “Keith.”
Her forked clanked against her plate. “Keith? He carried
me?”
“You wouldn’t walk on your own, and you’re a foot taller
than me. I didn’t see it going well. Don’t worry. I escorted him
from the premises post-haste after he dropped you off.”
She groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “I’m
never drinking again.”
I cocked an eyebrow.
“Okay. I’m not drinking today.”
The smell of salt, coffee, and breakfast food wafted
through the air with every gust of wind. It was quiet save for
the low murmurs of surrounding conversations and the tide
crashing against the shore. I wondered if this was what the
Elysian Fields would be like.
 Sara flopped her napkin on the table and scooted across the
booth seat. “I’ve drunk so much water I feel like I’m peeing
every two minutes. I’ll be right back.”
I chuckled and ate a piece of pork. Hades walked around a
nearby corner, dressed all in black. Had the guy never heard of
the color grey before? Heaven forbid he switched it up for
something crazy like green or blue. He leaned against a beam,
crossing his arms over his chest. Another man walked up to
him with black cropped hair that transitioned to wavy in the
front. He dressed like he’d gotten out of a business meeting. A
full tan suit, jacket draped over his shoulder, the sleeves of his
white button-down shirt rolled up to his elbows. Aura colors of
brown and dark muddy pink eked from his pores. This guy
was bad news.
I leaped from my seat to eavesdrop. Another pillar stood
adjacent to the one they were by, and I ducked behind it.
“What I don’t understand is how she worked her way
around it,” the dark-haired man said, rubbing a hand over the
light beard on his chin.
“Well, she had a long time to figure it out, didn’t she?”
Hades asked.
“The clause was solid. I made sure of it.”
“Oh, yeah? Tell that to Theseus.”
“If you’d have been patient like I said all those years ago,
maybe you wouldn’t be a depressed fool all over again,” the
dark-haired one scoffed.
“Theseus?” I whispered to myself, so lost in my thoughts, I
didn’t notice their conversation had come to a screeching halt.
“Who’s your friend?” The dark-haired man asked, a light
flashing in his eyes.
A hand gripped my arm, and Hades yanked me from the
confines of my pillar.
“Eavesdropping on me now?” He glowered down at me,
letting go.
 “Pfft. Don’t flatter yourself. I was uh…” I eyed the
smoothness of the pillar next to me and dragged my finger
down it. “Admiring the resort’s infrastructure. Top-notch
craftsmanship.”
The dark-haired man smiled, his pearly whites beaming in
contrast to his olive complexion. He slipped a hand in his
pocket.
“This is my brother,” Hades grumbled.
His brother stepped forward and slapped Hades on the
back several times. “Jesus.” He extended his hand.
Pronounced: Hey-Seuss.
I shifted my eyes, heat rising up my spine. “Nice to meet
you, Jesus. I’m Stephanie.” I managed to introduce myself
with only two stutters.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Stephanie? How interesting.”
“It’s a—pretty common name.” I chuckled, and he
squinted at me. “Is this the one who has a thing for water?”
Hades kept his gaze fixed on Jesus. “No.”
“I’m more of a fan of thunderstorms, to be honest,” Jesus
said, winking.
I put a hand on my hip. “Oh? Are you one of the ‘getting
caught in the rain’ types?”
“Not so much the rain as it is the lightning. The way it
crackles across the sky.” He grinned, shifting his glance to
Hades, who rolled his eyes.
“That’s a nice suit,” I said.
“Why, thank you. I’m in the middle of a big case right
now, actually. I came to check in on my brother. Make sure
he’s relaxing like he said he would.”
Hades’ hands balled into fists.
“Case? Are you a lawyer?” I knew something felt off about
him.
“I am. Criminal defense.”
 Criminal defense lawyers were the absolute, positive scum
of the earth in my profession.
“And somehow, you manage to sleep every night?”
Hades arched a brow in evident surprise.
Jesus’ grin spread wide. “There’s nothing quite like the
challenge of defending someone you know is guilty.”
My jaw dropped.
Hades stepped in front of me, casting a shadow. “Darlin’,
your friend’s back.”
Sara slid back into the booth at our table.
“I’ll uh—I’ll leave you to it.” I took one last look at Jesus,
and he waved with his fingers.
Absolute. Scum.
As I walked back to Sara, I replayed the snippet of
conversation I heard them having in my head. Theseus? Why
did that name sound so familiar? I sat down and dug out my
cell phone from my bag.
“Care to fill me in?” Sara asked.
“Eavesdropping turned into meeting Hades’ brother.”
“Does their entire family look like Greek gods?”
I dropped the phone long enough to give her an
exasperated look.
She laughed and slapped the table. “Oh, right. That was a
joke I didn’t even realize I was making.”
I flicked my thumbs across the screen, searching through
my Google results.
“Why are you on your phone during our vacation?” She
snatched it.
“Hey!” I went to grab it back but returned with nothing but
air.
“Theseus? The Greek hero? Why are you randomly
looking this up?
 My knee bounced underneath the table. “Wanted to be
prepared for trivia later tonight. I know my gods and
goddesses more than heroes, and you know they’ll ask both.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Uh, huh.” She held the phone out
to me, and I yanked it back.
I could never get away with any B.S. with her.
“All I’m seeing are references to him and the minotaur.”
“He was in a lot more stories than that one.” She licked
butter from her thumb. “Like the one about the Underworld?”
I lifted my eyes. “What about it?”
“You don’t remember? Him and Pirithous ventured there
to rescue Persephone. They were captured until Hercules
released him. But Pirithous had to stay. Poor guy.”
Hades and Jesus were finishing up their conversation.
Jesus pointed a finger at Hades before turning to walk away.
Hades dragged a hand over his face, clenched his fist, and
stormed off.
“Let’s get going. For some reason, this resort feels
claustrophobic all of a sudden.” I stood up, tossing my napkin
in a perfect tri-fold on the table.
“You okay? You seem spooked.”
“I’m good.” I gave a reassuring smile. “Great.”

We grabbed a taxi and asked the driver to take us to the nearest

bazaar, or plaza, or mall…whatever they called them here. We
walked through the city center with a dozen businesses. There
were shops for sandals, spices, alcohol, jewelry, leather,
virtually anything imaginable. The buildings were an ancient
Greek style with a modern flair. Patrons of all forms made
their way over the white tile walkways. You could quickly tell
the locals from the tourists by the speed they walked or
whether they stopped to take selfies.
 We found a boutique with gowns in the window. The small
width of the entrance was misleading. The place was massive.
There was a high ceiling with a circular design cut into it.
Wooden planks filled the circle, and every wall had racks of
clothes, shoes, and purses.
A woman walked up to us, greeting us in Greek and
clapping her hands together.
“Hello. We’re here to find a couple of gowns,” I said.
She grinned and clapped her hands again. “Wonderful. Are
you from America?”
Sara gazed around the shop. Her eyes were as wide as
beach balls. “We are.” Even her voice sounded mesmerized.
“Splendid. Welcome, welcome! Let me show you to our
dress section. Do you have any ideas in mind? Neckline?
Color? Length?” She motioned to us with her finger and
walked to the back. Her heels clicked against the wooden
floor.
“Long length. It’s for a masquerade ball,” Sara answered.
The saleswoman’s eyes brightened, and she smiled at us
over her shoulder. “How fun!”
This woman was in full sales mode.
“Here is our selection. As you can see, we’ve got plenty
for you to choose from. The dresses are sorted by color and
vary in style from there. If you don’t see your size, just ask,
and we can check in the back for you. Please don’t hesitate to
come to me with any questions.” She gave a warm smile.
“Dressing room is in the back corner. And mirrors are in the
center.” After giving a firm nod, she walked away,
approaching newly entered customers.
Sara made a beeline for the purple dresses, her favorite
color. White and yellow were mine, but they only managed to
drown out my already pale skin. By the time I settled on the
green and blue racks, Sara had three dresses draped over her
arm. I had no clue what I wanted and grabbed two at random.
Sara dragged me to another stand. She feverishly pushed
hangers aside until she landed on one, which made her gasp.
She held the dress up, biting down on her lower lip, smiling.
It. Was. Gorgeous. A cranberry-colored dress with a
strapless bodice transitioning into a full, flowy skirt. I had no
clue what the pattern was on the front or what fabric the skirt
was made of, but it was perfection. “I’m not sure I’m worthy
of wearing this.”
She tossed it over my arm. “Stop it. It’s going to look killer
with that chocolate hair of yours.”
We tried on all dresses, and Sara ended up going with the
first dress she’d picked out. Her gut instinct dress. Dark
purple, halter top style, form-fitting, and a small amount of
flair at the bottom. My favorite part was the array of sparkles
covering the entire length of it. I insisted on trying the two
random dresses I’d picked out first. The green one made my
boobs bulge out of the top, and the blue one didn’t fit past my
hips.
When I walked out in the cranberry dress, I had my hands
slapped over my eyes. I hoped it looked as good as it did on
the hanger. “How does it look?”
“Oh my God, Steph. You’re—a vision. Take your damn
hands off your face.”
I peeled my fingers away, one by one. The reflection in the
mirror couldn’t have been me. I didn’t recognize myself. An
electric tingle traveled down my spine. The bodice hugged my
curves, and the skirt portion made me want to twirl, but I held
back. Sara stepped up behind me, gazing at the mirror over my
shoulder.
“What did I tell you?” She asked with a grin.
“Care to explain what I’m wearing?”
She pointed at the bodice. “The pattern is called filigree,
and the skirt is of tulle.”
Screw it. I twirled and twirled once more for good
measure, the skirt flowing around me like a lazy cloud. “You
were right. This is perfect.”
 “You’re welcome. Now let’s get the hell out of here.
We’ve got some last-minute quizzing to do before trivia
tonight. The first-place prize is two free spa admissions. Full
body massage included.”

Everyone gathered in the massive atrium with a large screen

and projector at the front. In the middle was a stage with a
podium. Everyone sat in pairs. Predictably, Keith and Guy
were there, and they’d zeroed in on us like two hounds with a
fox. Sara and I did Greek mythology drills for the better part
of two hours before arriving. We felt prepared and ready to
win our free trip to the spa.
“King of the Gods,” Guy said to Keith.
Keith was bent forward, his elbows on his knees, chin
resting in his hands. “Zeus.”
“Goddess of Love.”
“Aphrodite.”
“God of the Forge.”
“Hephaestus.”
Guy flopped a pile of flashcards on the table. “We got
this!”
Keith sat up, and they did some form of a practiced
handshake.
“I certainly hope you don’t think simply knowing the
names of all the gods and what they’re in control of is going to
make you win,” Sara said, her legs crossed, the top one
bouncing.
Keith made a pfft sound. “Of course not. We were running
drills.”
My lips puckered together, holding back a laugh. We had
this in the bag. Hades appeared from the darkness in the corner
of the atrium. He stayed away from everyone, folding his arms
over his chest and leaning against a nearby wall.
I elbowed Sara in the arm. “Wonder why he’s not joining
in. You’d think he’d be great at this game being named after
the god of the Underworld and all.”
“Maybe he’s supervising us mere mortals answering
questions about his family,” she replied with a sidelong grin.
Hades stood motionless, his eyes catching the light like a
cat.
“Well, this should be a lovely time, don’t you agree?”
Michelle asked. She and Rupert walked up to our table dressed
like they’d come from an elegant dinner. At least Rupert had
pants on this time.
“Fan of mythology?” I asked as they sat down at our table.
Rupert leaned back in his chair and draped his arm over
Michelle’s chair before crossing his legs. “Not particularly, but
with that grand prize, I figured we might as well bloody try,
right?” He gave a light smack to Keith’s shoulder.
In. The. Bag.
“Everyone, we are currently passing out buzzers for each
pair. We will begin the game in a few minutes,” a resort
worker announced.
A woman in a white polo rested a red plastic buzzer on the
table between us. Sara couldn’t help but reach forward and
slap her hand on it. It made an obnoxious boing sound. Other
sounds resonated around us: classic buzzers, cuckoo clocks,
and whistles.
“Is everyone ready?” The announcer on stage asked,
scanning the crowd.
I threw my fists into the air, letting out as loud of a “woo”
as I could. Sara followed suit, and we were successfully the
loudest duo in the bunch. Flight of Icarus by Iron Maiden
blasted through the speakers.
“Interesting choice, eh?” Guy said, bumping his shoulder
into Keith’s.
 Once the music died and the crowd was sufficiently
pumped up, the announcer held his hands up for silence.
“We will ask a series of questions regarding Greek
mythology. These questions may include the gods or heroes,
so be prepared for both. I will read the questions, and they will
appear on the screen behind me. Ring your buzzer when
you’re ready to answer. Wrong answers will give you a
negative point, so be sure not to buzz in prematurely.”
“First question: What was the home of the Greek gods?”
I went for the buzzer, but Keith and Guy’s went off first.
“Olympus!” Guy yelled, and they did their stupid hour-
long handshake again.
Sara shrugged. “We thought we’d give you guys that one.”
I narrowed my eyes and scooted forward on my seat,
hovering my hand over the buzzer.
“Correct! Next question: Who gave Pandora her infamous
box?”
I slapped our buzzer and shouted, “Zeus!”
“Correct!”
“Ha!” I pointed at Keith and stuck my tongue out.
Sara chuckled. “You’re really getting into this.”
“What was Achilles’ weak spot?”
Michelle slapped her hand down so quickly she almost
knocked the buzzer off the table. “Oh, heel, heel!” She
bounced in her chair.
“Correct!”
Rupert leaned over, kissing her. “Great job, love.” He
stared at a woman at another table.
“We practiced answering questions, but I think we
should’ve practiced our reflexes,” I said to Sara through a fake
smile.
“Don’t worry. There’s no way they’ll get the harder ones.
They’ve been pretty easy so far,” Sara reassured.
 “The wand of Hermes is called what?”
Crap. I didn’t know this one.
Sara pushed her hand down on top of mine, pressing the
buzzer. “That would be the caduceus.”
“Very good! Correct!”
Guy smiled at her. “Impressive.”
“You have no idea, Canuck.” She shimmied her shoulders.
Both Canadians laughed. Michelle laughed with them, then
looked at Rupert, who had taken out his cell phone and was
mindlessly scrolling through it with his thumb.
“Who is the goddess of vengeance?”
Boing. “Nemesis!” I grinned, knowing I was right.
“Correct! Now…this next question is worth multiple
points, so be prepared to answer in its entirety.”
Sara and I leaned forward, ready to win.
“The story of Hades and Persephone—”
My body tensed, and my throat felt like sandpaper. I
looked over at Hades, and he shifted his stance. Instead of
leaning lazily against the wall, he stood rigid.
“Legend says that Hades planted a certain flower to lure
her away from her guides so he could abduct her and force her
to be his bride of the Underworld. What was that flower, and
who was Persephone’s mother?”
My chest tightened as I pressed the buzzer with less
enthusiasm than before. “Narcissus. Demeter.” I spoke my
answer in Hades’ direction, monotone.
“You have this legend as you call it…wrong,” Hades said
from the shadows.
The announcer shielded his eyes from the spotlight. “I’m
sorry?”
Hades sauntered from his darkened corner, dressed in his
long-sleeve black shirt and pants. “It was Zeus who convinced
Gaia to plant the flower. He wasn’t innocent in this. And you
all keep using words such as kidnapping and abducting. She
was not held prisoner. It was she who ate the food of the
Underworld.”
The way he spoke chilled me to the bone. Hurt and sadness
laced every word.
The announcer laughed nervously. “We have ourselves an
expert here, folks! The myths are, of course, always up for
interpretation, sir.”
Hades’ fists clenched at his sides. “Interp—”
I could see his chest heaving through his shirt from across
the room. A mysterious, dark smoke started to spread across
the ground near him, then disappeared. Did I imagine it?
“What the hell is his problem?” Keith asked.
“Looks like we have our winners, everyone!” The
announcer ignored Hades, pointing at Sara and me.
Claps, whoops, and hollers clouded the room, but I was far
too distracted to care. Hades stormed away, and I stood,
gripping Sara’s shoulder when I passed.
“Don’t you want to at least accept our—” Sara started, but
I’d already trotted off.
I made it as far as the awning-covered walkway where he
stood, gazing up at the moon.
“Hades?” I approached him like one would approach a
Grizzly.
He slipped his hands in his pockets and kept his back
turned. “Go away.”
His words stung, but I knew they came from a place of
hurt. “You should really deal with this, you know? Talk to
someone. I think you might be suffering from post-traumatic
stress?”
He removed one of his hands and opened his fist. “I’m not
—” He turned around to face me. “I’m gonna ask you one last
time to let me be. I’ll bring nothing but bad news your way.
You’re far too vibrant of a being, darlin’.”
 I wrapped my arms around myself, feeling naked even
though I was fully clothed. “I’m only trying to help you.”
“I don’t need, nor did I ask for your help. Walk away. You
can’t win every battle, and you’re most certainly not gonna
win this one.” His jaw tightened, and he shoved his hand back
into his pocket.
Tears welled in my eyes, and I nodded. “Alright. You
win.” I held my tears back until I was a safe distance away
then let them flow like the river Styx.
We spent most of the next day on the beach, killing time until
the masquerade ball. I waded far enough into the water to let it
crash against my hips, welcoming the sun warming my cheeks.
Thoughts of the murder case returned and try as I might, I
couldn’t make it go away. There was only so much distraction
that could fool my brain.
“Stephanie, what the hell is wrong with you?” Sara asked.
I didn’t look at her. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been uncharacteristically quiet since breakfast this
morning.” She counted on her fingers. “I’ve caught you staring
into space several times. Plus, we passed Hades on our way
over here, and you didn’t look at him.”
“Just enjoying myself, Sara. And as far as Hades goes…
some people can’t be helped. He made it abundantly clear.”
She gave me a light shove. “Uh, huh. So, it’s Hades. What
did he say to you? Do I need to strong-arm him?”
“Woah there, hellion.” I chuckled. “No need for violence.
He just told me in a not so pleasant way to stop trying to help
him. And so, I will.”
“Well, forget him. We’re going to have the time of our
lives at the ball tonight.”
“Did you purposely, sort of quote Dirty Dancing?” I
grinned.
 She looked at me, sidelong. “Maybe? Did it cheer you
up?”
“Yes.”
“Then, yes, I did.”
I laughed and splashed her.
She grabbed her head. “What did I tell you about getting
my hair wet!”
“Remind me?” I splashed her again.
She yelped and backed away, pointing at me. “Costas, I
will handcuff you.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” I chuckled and
pretended to splash her.
“I’m glad you’re back to your old self. I was worried
Hades was rubbing off on you with that perpetual pout.”
I wrapped an arm around her waist. “Did you want me to
teach you how to dance before we go to this thing?”
Her jaw dropped. “I know how to dance!”
“Are you serious?” I wanted to laugh, but when she didn’t
crack a smile, I held back. “Sara, come on. You didn’t even
know how to do the chicken dance at Olson’s wedding.”
She rolled her eyes. “What are you going to teach me? The
waltz?”
“Amongst others.”
“Fine. But only because I don’t want to make an ass of
myself.”
As we made our way back to our room, Hades sat at the
same bar, and a woman sat next to him. She smiled, leaning
her face near his. He didn’t move and shook his head.
Something he said made the woman frown and storm off.
Well, at least he’s consistent.
He caught my gaze, and my feet glued to the concrete. His
stare gripped my spine like a vise. He looked—defeated. The
pastel colorings of his aura were fading away.
 Sara snapped her fingers in front of my face. “Hey. None
of that. Come on.”
I blinked myself back to reality.

We spent the better part of an hour going over the most basic
moves for couples dancing. I sat on a couch in our room,
staring off in the distance while Sara practiced.
“You know what?” Sara blew out a breath. “All I need to
do is sway during the slow songs and shake my tailfeathers
during the faster ones. I’m done.”
“Mmhmm,” I responded.
She dipped her face in mine. “Let me guess. Hades?”
After blowing my bangs away from my eyes, I said, “You
should know I’m incapable of leaving well enough alone.”
“I know, sweetie.” She grabbed the curling iron and sat
behind me, running her fingers through my hair. “You did all
you could do.”
A small part of me hoped he’d inexplicably show up at the
ball. The crowd would part, and he’d be standing there,
beckoning me to dance with him.
Life isn’t a romance novel, Stephanie.
“All done. You ready to do this?” She held up a can of
hairspray. “Close your eyes.” The air filled with mist and
vapor, making me cough.
We slipped into our dresses. Thankfully mine was long
enough; I could wear flats instead of heels. Function over
beauty. Besides, I could barely walk three feet in a pair of
heels without spraining my ankle. The atrium had been
transformed into Mount Olympus itself. Tapestries and
curtains in shades of white and gold were draped over tables
and hung from ceilings. Several layers of fog skirted the floor,
making the walkway a hovering cloud. An array of masks lay
on a front table. I selected a lacey black one with several rows
of beads that hung down over my cheeks.
“This looks like heaven,” Sara stammered, grabbing a
white mask with points on the top like horns. She snatched
two flutes of champagne from a passing tray.
“Tell me about it. The resort pulled out all the stops.”
There were several tables littered with finger foods,
including a gelatin looking dish labeled as ambrosia. I was
busy stuffing my mouth with cheese cubes when Guy walked
up.
“What is this? Only one half of the dynamic duo?” Sarah
asked.
Guy wore a grey suit with a dark blue necktie. “Keith got
food poisoning. Been coming out of both ends since last
night.”
Even though I knew it was highly unlikely he’d been
poisoned from cheese, I spit it out in my napkin.
“That’s awful,” Sara said. “What a way to ruin a vacation.”
Guy nodded before giving an electric grin. “I still showed
up. Specifically, to dance with you.”
“That’s sweet of you, but I can’t leave Steph by herself.”
I sputtered my champagne and shook my head. “By all
means, go dance. Have fun. I’ve got this to keep me
entertained.” I held up my glass.
“You sure?” She asked, her eyes brightening.
After finishing the contents of my glass, I plopped it on a
passing tray and grabbed a full one. “Absolutely. Go.”
Guy took Sara’s hand, and they moved to the dance floor. I
shuffled my way to a table in the corner, dragging my
fingertips over the burnout velvet that made up the design on
my bodice. It was the perfect dress. I flopped onto a chair,
sipping my champagne, and kicking my feet to make the tulle
of my skirt bounce.
 Sara tripped too many times to count. He didn’t seem to
mind, and they both kept laughing. It was a treasure to see her
so carefree. Too many days, she spent physically chasing
down bad guys and stepping around dead bodies. Seeing her
spinning around in her purple gown, you’d have no clue she
was a rough and gruff cop.
The song False Kings by Poets of the Fall blared over the
loudspeakers. I closed my eyes, swaying to the rhythm and
humming the melody. A chill washed over me, compelling me
to open my eyes. A shadowed figure stood across the room,
dressed in all black, dark blonde hair falling past his chin, face
hidden by a simple black mask. Hades. Did I imagine it? I
sniffed my champagne.
He appeared in front of me, his hand outstretched, the
other draped over his back. “No one puts Stephanie in a
corner.”
My jaw dropped. Did he quote one of my favorite movies?
Sure, it was “nobody” not “no one,” but close enough.
Furthermore, did he know it was my favorite?
“Are you going to sit there with your mouth open, or are
you going to dance with me?” He still didn’t crack a smile, but
his dark eyes peered down at me through the holes of his
mask, almost twinkling.
I gulped and set the champagne on the table before
slipping my hand into his. He led me to the dancefloor,
capturing me with his stare. Once we reached the center, he
tugged me to his chest, slipping an arm around my waist. A
whoosh fluttered in my stomach.
“I didn’t think you’d show up. Especially after yesterday,”
I said, unable to tear my eyes away from him.
He moved us around the dancefloor as if he’d practiced for
a hundred years. “I’m sorry for being so brash with you.” His
jaw tightened, and he lowered his voice. “It’s not one of my
more admirable qualities.”
The anguish in his voice pulled at my heart. “Apology
accepted.”
 We continued to float across the floor, weaving through
other couples.
“You’ve done this before,” I said, smiling.
“I reckon I’ve been to a few balls in my time, yes. They’re
normally not so—” He paused, looking around with a grimace.
“Bright.”
“How else would you see your dance partner?”
He kept my gaze. “You’d be surprised what can be
accomplished by candlelight.”
Stomach Whoosh.
He pushed on my hip, spinning me outward, keeping his
grip on my hand. “You really don’t believe I’m who I say I
am, do you?” He twirled me back in, and I tripped on my
dress, falling against him.
“Can you blame me? It’s a pretty outrageous claim.” I
trailed my gaze from his chest up to his face, eyeing the light
beard over his chin.
“Just remember when you reach that epiphany,” he dipped
his face closer to mine. “I told you the truth from the very
beginning.”
My eyes fluttered, lashes hitting the mask. He was serious,
deadly serious.
He tightened his grip around my waist, my chest pressing
into his ribs, and glided across the floor again. “That dress
suits you.”
“Think so? Sara said cranberry is my color.”
“Funny. I would call that color more—” He dipped me, our
eyes locking from behind the shields of our masks.
“Pomegranate.”
My heart thumped against my chest. His face was so close
to mine; I could feel his breath against my lips. He yanked me
back to standing.
“I quite like pomegranates.” I gulped.
 “Do you?” A fire roared in his eyes. “I’ll have to
remember that.”
My lips parted, and I sucked in a breath through my nose.
Persephone.
He dropped his mouth to my ear, whispering. “Don’t
worry. If I ever chose to pursue you, I’d do it the old-fashioned
way, darlin’.”
I couldn’t stop my eyes from widening, my heartbeat
feeling like a jackhammer inside my chest. When he leaned
back, his eyes bore into mine. A swirl of black fog started to
float around us.
“They must’ve really pumped up those machines,” I said.
The fog wrapped itself around my legs, cascading over my
body. No one else on the dance floor batted an eyelash. How
much champagne did I drink?
“What color fog do these machines normally produce?” He
asked.
I furrowed my brow. “Gray-ish?”
“Hm.” He dipped me.
Hm? Hm, what?
He searched my face, his eyes brightening. “You’re not
afraid of me.”
My brow creased. “Afraid of you? No. Why?”
The fog cascaded back down, gradually disappearing.
He stood me upright. “Everyone fears me.”
“Do they have a reason to?” I concentrated on what I could
of his face from behind his mask.
His gaze dropped to the floor, not answering. He took my
hands and draped them on his shoulders. His arms wrapped
around my waist, and we swayed.
“You say we choose our paths toward good and evil. What
do you see when you look at me, Stephanie?”
 I gazed up at him, watching those beautiful pastel shreds of
light trying to squeeze past the shadows. “Hurt. You’ve been
hurt deeply, but yearn to feel free again.”
He pulled me closer, my chest pressing against him. His
cheek rested against the side of my head. “You’re quite
perceptive. But I can’t be free. Not in the way I want.”
I peeled away to look at him. “Why?”
“If I were to explain, it’d be wasted on deaf ears.” His eyes
glinted behind his mask. “For whatever reason, I want nothing
more than for you to believe, and it frustrates me.” His lips
thinned.
My heart fluttered. Was he telling the truth? No. It wasn’t
possible.
The song faded to a close, and we stepped away from each
other, but he didn’t let go of my hand. After bowing, he placed
a kiss against my knuckles. I blinked, and he was gone. The
crowd danced and twirled around me, smiling and laughing.
The urge to find him coursed through my veins. I pushed
myself into the sea of people, forgetting I was claustrophobic.
I needed to see him. Mirages of his face would appear, but
once I thought I’d reached him, he’d fade away. I backed
myself into a corner, wondering if I’d officially gone insane,
chasing after nothing. The feeling of the mysterious smoke fog
coiling around me like a caress burnt itself into my skin.
“Was that Hades you were dancing with?” Sara asked.
Hades. God of the Underworld. How could I believe it? I
couldn’t. Gods didn’t exist, let alone show up at a resort on
vacation and dance at a masquerade ball. He even knew lines
from Dirty Dancing.
“Yes,” I clipped, absently dragging a finger across the
exposed skin of my collar bone.
Her eyes dropped to my hand, practically groping myself,
and I dropped it to my side.
“That good, huh?” She asked.
 Guy walked up with two drinks in hand, looking between
us.
She narrowed her eyes at me, staring into space. “Guy, I’m
going to dance with Steph for a few minutes.”
“And I will gladly watch,” Guy said.
Sara pursed her lips together. “Real mature.”
She tugged my arm, but it took several tries before I let her
pull me to the center of the floor. She gripped my shoulders,
shaking me.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Steph.”
I nodded, swaying back and forth with her, offbeat with the
music. The first encounters with Hades kept replaying in my
head. Wife of a thousand years? A divider of souls?
I locked eyes with her. “Earlier, did you see this swirly
black smoke on the dancefloor?”
“No?” The skin between her eyes creased.
“I think Hades did it.”
“I’ll tell you what’s happening,” she said, poking my
shoulder. “He’s dragging you into his delusions. And you’re
diving right in because you want to help him. What good is it
going to do if you’re both stranded with no life jacket?
Someone needs to stay in the boat.”
I snorted. Hades would most certainly be the one in the
boat. “Quite the analogy.”
“Did you like that?”
“I do want to help him. But I’m just not sure how.”
“I’m going to have to talk with this guy. I’ve interrogated
plenty of people who tried to manipulate me. If he’s trying that
on you—I’ll break one of his ribs.”
“I don’t think he’s trying to manipulate me. Why would he
have tried to push me away?”
A man with dark hair, a dark beard, and a metallic gold
mask stepped up to Sara, tapping her on the shoulder. “Mind if
I cut in?”
Sara folded her arms. “I do, actually. We’re in the middle
of an important conversation.”
“Oh, are you? My mistake.” The man pushed a fingertip
against her forehead.
Her arms fell slack at her sides, and she shrugged. “On
second thought, be my guest.”
My hands went numb, watching Sara walk off like a
zombie. I moved to follow her, but his arm slipped around my
waist, pinning me against him.
“I’ll scream,” I said, trying to pull away, but his grip
tightened, holding me captive.
His pearly grin spread wide, eyes beaming with mischief
even behind the guise of his mask.
He dipped his lips to my ear, and I grimaced. “My brother
has taken quite the liking to you.”
Jesus. I knew I recognized that slimy grin.
“How would you know? Judging from the last time I saw
you two together, he doesn’t seem to like you very much.”
He chuckled, the whiskers from his beard scraping against
my cheek. “I don’t need him to like me.”
“Is there a point to all of this?”
“I need you to make sure he’s happy.”
“I don’t need to do anything.”
He smiled against my chin. “You’ve no idea the forces
you’ve become intertwined with, Stephanie.”
I forced my head back, peering up at him. “Are you
threatening me?”
“That’s for you to decide.”
He backed away, letting the dozens of dancing bodies
swallow him like quicksand until he disappeared. The hair on
my arms stood at attention like after an electric shock. I
wrapped my arms around myself, looking for Hades one last
time amongst the slew of guests. The room was far from
empty, but strangely, without him there, it felt hollow.
Considering the night I’d had, sipping fruity drinks by the pool
was the last thing on my mind. I convinced Sara I felt under
the weather from too much champagne. Between the mind
games of swirling smoke, the disappearing act, and Jesus’
cryptic threat, I needed a distraction. Today was for me.
The resort’s computer lab was a short walk from our room.
I found a station in a hidden corner and patched myself
through to my work computer back home. Forcing my brain
back into work-mode was my only real form of distraction. I
expected Sara to walk around the corner at any given moment,
scolding me. I looked for her so many times one might think I
was hacking the NSA database.
I went to work, scrolling through the gallery of images
with the processing finished with the new software. Satisfied
Sara wasn’t going to sneak up on me I slipped one of my
earbuds in. (I Just) Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew fueled
my endless mouse clicking.
Several hours flew by, and I was unable to find any new
evidence. Backed into a corner—again. I rubbed my eyes. If
there were any hope of continuing my investigation, I’d need
caffeine and vitamin B injected into my veins, stat.
“I may be no expert at relaxin’, but this doesn’t seem like a
good way to go about doing it,” Hades muttered behind me.
I jumped. “How did you find me?”
 “I could tell you, but you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
His tone dropped an octave.
He peered at me like he had last night from across the
room, and my heart raced. “Your brother stopped by to see me
last night.”
“What?” He growled.
“He’s an asshole, by the way.”
“On that, we can agree. What did he say?”
To lie or not to lie. “He said I needed to make you happy.
Almost sounded like a threat.”
He crossed the room. “He won’t hurt you. I won’t let him.”
“Hurt me? Who are you guys? Are you with the mafia or
something? Just tell me. Maybe I can help you.” I stood. The
earbud popped from my ear.
His eyes searched mine, and his lips parted as if to speak.
After a beat, he said, “Will you go somewhere with me?”
“Depends on what you had in mind?”
If he said a guided tour of the Underworld, I was out of
here.
“There’s an old temple not too far from here. I’d like to
show it to ya.”
Considering the beach, pool, and alcohol was all I’d
experienced in Greece thus far, I loved the idea. “Alright.” I
grabbed the mouse. “Let me just finish up here.”
He leaned forward, eyeing the monitor. “What are you
doing?”
“Work I shouldn’t be doing, but can’t seem to stop
thinking about. I’m a digital forensics examiner.”
“Digital forensics? Oh, how times have changed,” he
scratched his chin.
I snickered. “Who are you kidding?”
“Why can’t you stop thinking about it?”
 I sighed, shutting down the computer. “It’s an old murder
case. The suspect committed suicide, which left a lot of things
unanswered. Because there wasn’t enough evidence, he was
never convicted. You can imagine the pain it’s caused the
families of the victims.”
“A murderer who committed suicide? We could—have a
chat with him?” He said it so matter-of-fact I couldn’t help but
laugh.
I slapped his shoulder. “Very funny.”
He stared at me, not finding me funny.
Sara walked past and did a double-take. She marched in,
glaring daggers into Hades’ skull. “What are you doing in
here?”
Lie. You can do this. Just…lie. I opened my mouth to
answer but snapped it shut when no words followed.
Hades stepped forward. “I’m takin’ her on a tour.
Considering I’m horrible with technology, I asked her to help
me book a boat ride online. Ain’t that right, Stephanie?”
When I didn’t answer, he nudged me.
I forced a smile and snapped my attention to Sara. “Yes!
Yes, absolutely. And online, that’s right.”
Sara looked between us before standing toe to toe with
Hades. “Let me make this perfectly clear. That woman is like a
sister to me. If you hurt her, I’ll permanently damage
something of yours and make it look like an accident.” She
poked his chest.
After glaring at her finger, he took her hand, keeping her
gaze, and lowered it. “Noted.”
She stared at him for a moment and shook her head like
clearing cobwebs. “Glad we’re on the same page.” She slid her
sunglasses on.
Hades held out his hand. “Darlin’?”
Sara grabbed my elbow. “Don’t let him take you anywhere
that’s not public and watch for signs like I taught you.”
 “Thank you. I’ll be fine, promise.” I patted her hand.
A part of me, a very small part, wanted to believe I hadn’t
dreamt up everything. I loved Sara, but I couldn’t talk to her
about it. It sounded crazy, even to me. I needed proof.
“So, where are you taking me?” I asked.
“A small island off the coastline.”
Off the coastline? That didn’t sound very public.
“Uh, how far off the coastline?”
He whipped around to face me and folded his arms over
his chest. I tried not to get distracted by the tautness of his
bicep. “Tell me, what do you think the role of the god of the
Underworld is?”
I gulped. “I always assumed he was like the devil.”
He leaned forward, bits of his hair falling over his eyes.
“Not even close. And if you’re worried about something
happenin’ to ya during our little excursion, you can rest
assured there’ll be plenty of tourists on the island.” He turned
back around and continued walking.
How could I be wrong? Hades was in control of the bad
people and chose their punishments accordingly. How was that
not like the job bestowed on Lucifer himself? I trotted to his
side and tugged on his shirt sleeve.
“Are you going to tell me where I’m wrong with that
comparison, or let me guess?”
“When you’re ready, I’ll tell you.”
He led us to a ticket booth. A sign with a cartoon boat and
the words “Roundtrip Rides” in both English and Greek hung
from the window. He dug in his back pocket, removing a black
leather wallet. When he opened it, hundreds of Euros sprouted
out, and I tried not to stare. He slid several to the attendant,
giving an absent nod as he handed him two tickets.
“What makes you think I’m not ready to hear it now?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t believe.”
 “Are you Santa Claus now?”
“Oh? Don’t believe he’s real, either?” He graced me with a
small smirk.
I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t patronize me.”
We walked across a wooden dock, leading to a small white
boat with two levels. The attendant greeted him in Greek, and
the two had a quick conversation I couldn’t understand. Hades
stepped up, holding his hand out to me. I stared, knowing there
was a grand possibility of me getting sick.
“How long is this ride?” I asked.
“Twenty minutes. Why?”
I fidgeted with the hem of my shorts. “I get seasick.”
“I’ll put in a word for calm seas. Will that help?”
“Oh, is one of your supposed powers persuasion?” I
snorted as he helped me into the boat. I waved a hand at the
water like Obi-Wan Kenobi. “You will be calm for the
duration of the trip.”
He looked off in the distance. “Something like that.”
I followed him to the second level; the wind whipping
through my hair. When the boat shoved off, Hades leaned on
the railing, closing his eyes. The sun shone brightly in the sky.
It was hard not to ogle him with how serene he looked.
“You don’t get out much, do you?”
“No. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve
been able to let the sun warm my cheeks. Or smell sea spray.”
He opened his eyes, and his jaw clenched.
Greek mythology rolled through my head. Brothers, Zeus
and Poseidon, gained control of Olympus and the seas while
Hades received the Underworld. I tapped the railing.
“Demanding job?”
The wind tousled his hair in the most majestic of ways.
“Very.”
 He said everything with such conviction. My rational brain
said this was crazy, but he had a way of making crazy sound
convincing.
“You don’t get vacation days?”
He looked at the water. “It’s not that simple.”
“Then how’d you manage this one?”
“Very rarely, with catastrophic occurrences, I’m granted—
a break.”
Blood rushed to my ears. “To keep you—happy.”
I didn’t look at him, my eyes fixed on fish leaping from the
water.
He turned to face me, leaning on the railing with one
elbow. “In a manner of speaking.”
“Do you work for your brother?”
“Partners.”
Why were all his answers cryptic enough to reel me right
back in?
“How’s your stomach?” He asked.
I pressed a hand over my abdomen. “I feel—fine. I haven’t
felt the boat rock at all. How is that possible?”
“The—” A corner of his mouth twitched. “—captain and I
are on good terms.”
“I don’t care how good of a captain he is; it still doesn’t
explain how the water doesn’t make the boat bob up and
down. Even a little.”
“Fine. You want the truth?”
He stared at me, waiting for an answer. A small squeak
escaped my throat, but no words followed. The boat slowed
down, pulling to a rickety dock leading to a tiny island.
“We’re here,” he grumbled.
I guess my silence wasn’t the answer he was looking for.
 Every few planks were missing on the dock, and I took
baby steps across. Hades strode over it without a care in the
world. He didn’t so much as look down. The sight of the boat
pulling away, leaving us stranded on the island, made a knot
form in my stomach. Sara was going to kill me. No, she’d kill
Hades first, then me.
“Are they coming back?” I asked.
“Of course, they are,” he answered, making his way to a
deeply wooded area.
After pushing past several tree branches, palm fronds, and
vines, we reached a clearing with hundreds of squared rocks. It
was remnants of the walls of an old building.
I traced my fingers over the rubble. “Is this a temple?”
“What’s left of it.”
Part of a column still stood. In my opinion, the staple of
ancient Greek architecture. “Was it dedicated to someone?”
He crouched down, pressing his hand against a crumbled
slab. “Artemis.”
“I imagine it was beautiful when it was standing, but I
have to ask, why is this one of significance to you?”
He stood up, looking around at the rubble as if picturing in
his mind what it used to look like. “The Greeks built these
temples to honor their gods. At first, they were made of wood,
but this is the first with stone. It wasn’t an easy task
considering you had to have the proper distribution of weight,
or it’d crumble.”
“Really? And here in Corfu?”
He nodded. “Their dedication to their gods knew no
bounds, includin’ the lengths they went to develop temples in
their honor. Much like these ruins, however, the dedication
crumbled through the ages.”
“I’m sure there are those who still believe in them.”
“Like you?” He peered at me from across the foundation
of the fallen temple.
 A sharp prick of guilt stung me in the chest. I picked up a
rock, rolling it between my fingers. “Was there one for
Hades?”
“They called it Nekromanteion. It’s not so much of a
temple as it is a door, however. It’s in Epirus, once known as
Ephyra. They thought it was the gateway to the Underworld.”
Intrigue traveled down my spine like a burning wick.
“Thought it was?”
“There are only so many ways to get to the Underworld,
and it’s most certainly not through a gateway made of stone.”
“A chariot ride with the King himself?” I wrapped my
hand around the stone, pushing an imprint into my palm.
“That’s one way. Or—” His gaze locked onto my very
soul. “Death.”
We stared at each other.
“There’s another reason I enjoy this particular temple.” He
motioned for me to follow him out of the woods.
Cerulean water and mountains in the distance greeted me.
Several branches from the trees dipped in front of us, framing
the scene like a painting. He leaned forward on the railing and
took a deep breath.
“This is one of my favorite spots in all of Greece,” he said,
sighing.
“I can see why. It’s breathtaking.” I eyed him sidelong.
“Why me?”
“What do you mean?”
“This is your favorite spot, and you’re sharing it with me.
Why?”
His eyes remained on the water. “I’ve never had anyone
invested in me. At first, I thought you just enjoyed pestering
me, or someone was playin’ a cruel joke, but…” He looked at
me. “You’re real.”
How ironic he questioned my reality.
 I frowned and hovered my hand over his forearm. Never in
my life had I as much confidence as I was gradually feeling
around him. I rested my hand on his arm after staring at it for a
second or two. “What’s really going on with you, Hades? You
seem so…”
His eyes focused on my fingers wrapped around his arm.
“…broken,” I finished.
His gaze snapped to mine, and he turned away. “I want to
prove to you who I am, but only if that’s what you want,
Stephanie.”
My heart skipped a beat. “I want to believe you. I do. I just
—need more.”
He faced me and pulled his shoulders back. “Do you want
to see proof? Yes or no.”
I blinked with the speed of a hummingbird and wrung my
hands together.
He slipped a hand on my shoulder and lowered his head,
so we were face-to-face. “I need to hear it, Stephanie. I made
poor decisions in my past, and I’m not doin’ it again.”
“Your decisions couldn’t have been that bad. I’ve seen
some monstrous deeds I would’ve never thought someone was
capable of.”
He leaned back. “In your profession, you mean?”
“Not only my profession. My mom, —there was a house
fire, and she was inside sleeping. We found out later it was
arson. Someone trying to kill my dad, but he was working a
beat. And I was at a sleepover.”
“I’m sorry.” His face softened.
“It was a long time ago, but I guess I shared it with you
because there’s a lot of things I’d have said I wouldn’t believe
were possible—but was proven wrong.”
A gust of wind flew between us, making our hair flutter.
I bit down on my lip. “What would you show me? The
chariot? A three-headed dog?”
 “Definitely not Cerberus. He’s far too big.” A corner of his
lip lifted.
Was I really about to say this?
“Show me,” I whispered.
His eyebrows drew together, staring at me like a
chessboard. He held out his hand. “Have you had anything to
drink today?”
What a peculiar question to ask. “No?” I elongated the ‘o’,
taking his hand.
He led me into the thick of the woods, taking me into his
arms like we’d done the previous night amidst the magic and
glamour of the ball.
“Why did you ask me that?” I asked.
“Because it means you have no excuse to believe it isn’t
real.” His eyebrow quirked and the same tendrils of smoke
from last night swirled around us.
It started at his feet, spreading to mine like dancing on a
rain cloud. It made its way over our bodies, swirling around us
in a spiral. I gasped once it reached my neck, a caress teasing
itself through my hair. His eyes turned white, devoid of an iris
or pupil, and the sight made me recoil.
He held his palms up, facing me, and the smoke faded
away. His eyes morphed back to normal, and I had to blink
several times to make sure my vision hadn’t blurred.
“You—you’re—”
“Hades. Yes, Stephanie.” He didn’t try to approach me.
Dozens of images flew through my mind of fire, death, and
—what if this wasn’t his true form? It couldn’t be. Shivers
consumed me, and I threw a hand out when he got within
arm’s reach.
“Don’t. Please don’t come any further,” I said through a
shaky breath.
He stopped with a heavy sigh. “You told me before you
weren’t afraid of me. God of the Underworld or not, you still
have no reason to fear me.”
Was it the fear of him hurting me? Or was it the fear of
realizing Greek mythology was all true?
Cerberus. The Underworld. It. Was. All. Real.
I slapped my hands on my head. “I don’t know how to
process this.”
“Stephanie, you look like you’re going to—” he started as
he took a step forward.
I dragged my hands down my face, my finger catching on
my bottom lip, staring at him. “I feel like I’m going to pass
out.” The numb feeling traveled down my arms, followed by
the tunnel vision eking its way in.
“Please don’t do—” Was all I heard from him before I did
just that.
The sun peeked through the window. My fingertips grazed
over the smooth stripes of the comforter of my hotel room bed.
I groaned and sat up, shoving a palm in my eye socket.
“What time is it?” I asked, hoping someone was in the
room.
Sara leaned forward. “Almost noon. You passed out and
then didn’t wake up all night. Scared me half to death.”
“I had the strangest dream.” At least I thought it was a
dream. I slid off the bed, the coolness of the wood floor
shocking my bare feet. “Hades conjured this—smoke. It was
like it had a life of its own.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Animated smoke? Like the
smoke monster in Lost? The one that sounded like a
typewriter?”
Was that where I’d seen it before? Was it my
subconscious? But it felt so real. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“Well, there you go. You already said Hades looks a little
like Sawyer. It’s your mind playing tricks on you, associating
things. And he was the last person you saw before clocking
out. He carried you in here.”
I widened my eyes. “Oh, God. Please tell me you didn’t
give him a black eye or something.”
“It was close.” She smirked. “But we had a civilized
conversation, and he explained to me you got seasick and
passed out on the boat.”
No, I didn’t. I specifically remember being in the woods
when it happened.
I dragged my hands over my face and blew out a breath.
“Can we agree on not having to get someone to carry either of
us back to our room for the rest of this trip?”
She laughed, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.
Her hugs were the best in the world, and I’d kick anyone in the
shin who disagreed. She peeled back, still holding my
shoulders. “You’re going to try and avoid him, aren’t you?”
“Pfft, no.” I couldn’t make direct eye contact with her. She
was like a viper with a penetrating gaze. “Why do you say
that?”
She squished my face with one hand, making my lips
pucker like a fish. “Because you’re embarrassed. And a small
part of you is still wondering what the dream was all about.”
“I really need to pick friends with occupations like
veterinarian or ranch worker or something.” The words
distorted, given the situation of my face.
“I’d like to talk to him some more, you know. You should
talk to him about hanging out with us tomorrow. Maybe rope
him into an excursion.” She grinned mischievously.
“I’ll see what I can do, but the man’s insistent on saving
his spot at the bar.” I half-smiled.
“Come on. You could use a Lemondrop.” She grabbed my
hand.
“Shouldn’t I change first?” Considering I was still in the
same clothes as yesterday.
“We’re at a resort. You’re wearing shorts, a tank top, and a
bikini underneath. Standard attire. Let’s go.”
We returned to the swim-up bar. Michelle and Rupert were
there, sipping on drinks with pink and yellow swirly straws. I
slipped into the water, continually glancing at Hades’ usual
spot at the bar. Empty.
 “Well, hello there! We were just saying how strange it was
we hadn’t run into you two again yet,” Michelle said, tossing
her hair over her shoulder.
“Is this your first time at the swim-up bar?” Sara asked,
taking a stool next to Michelle.
Michelle took a sip from her drink, glaring at Rupert
before smiling. “It is.”
“Well, there’s your answer,” Sara replied, grinning and
waving the bartender over.
The bartender was the same one we’d had since the day we
arrived. He smiled wide, patting his hands on the concrete bar
top. “What’ll it be today, Miss Sara?”
“Hugo, what did I tell you, just Sara.” She giggled. “Two
Lemondrops to start, please.”
“Oh, we’re doing shots? We’ll get in on that too, barkeep,”
Rupert said, shoving his sunglasses onto his head.
Michelle placed her hand on his forearm, dipping her
mouth to his ear. “Love, shouldn’t you take it easy after the—
incident yesterday?”
Rupert yanked his arm away. “I’m on bloody holiday,
Shelly.”
She frowned, recoiling her hand.
Sara and I exchanged a quick glance.
Hugo set four shots in front of us with a smile and said,
“Yamas.”
I held mine in the air. Michelle’s frown continued, but she
grabbed her and Rupert’s, hesitantly handing his over. He
grabbed it with such force, he almost knocked it out of her
hand.
“To Greece!” I toasted.
We tapped our plastic cups together and tossed back the
sweet, lemony goodness.
Rupert winced, holding his hand at his side.
 “Love?” Michelle touched his shoulder.
He shook his head, sliding his shot glass across the bar top.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. Just a little heartburn.” He pointed at his
empty glass, getting Hugo’s attention. “Another shot, but
something a little harder, eh, mate?”
Sara nudged my forearm. “Look lively.”
Hades stood between the pool and the outside bar,
scanning the area. I dropped into the water, my sunglasses
floating to the surface as my head submerged. Peeking my
head above the surface just enough to breathe, I sputtered.
Sara made a suitable shield between Hades and me. Once he
walked away, I stood up, plopping my arms on the bar top.
“You’re a nut,” Sara said, taking a sip from her pink drink.
I ran a hand over my face, ridding it of water droplets. “Is
my make-up completely ruined?”
“What make-up?”
I stuck my bottom lip out. “I’m going to go—freshen up.”
“You’re not going back to hide in the room, are you?” She
blocked me with her arm.
With vigor, I shook my head. “Nope.” It was the truth, but
I left out the small detail of where I really planned to go.
She narrowed her eyes before lowering her arm. “Alright.
But don’t make me come looking for you.”
“I’ll be right back,” I said, wading to the stairs.
My wet bathing suit seeped through my clothes as I
whisked off to the nearest gift shop. I plucked a pair of pink
binoculars from a turn style. Halfway to the register, I stopped.
Bright pink probably wasn’t the most inconspicuous color
choice for spying. I traded them out for a black pair, grabbed a
roll of Tums, and hurriedly paid. A fierce need to know if
Hades was the Hades ate at me like a festering wound.
Now to find him. I sniffed the air for the smell of burning
wood like I was a bloodhound. Nothing, but was worth a shot.
After checking every bar on the property and turning up
empty, I started to lose hope. Maybe he went back to his
room? I passed the lobby area and did a double-take. There he
was, plain as day, sitting at the bar inside. A quaint bar
compared to all the others.
I ducked behind a nearby bush, raising the binoculars.
After going cross-eyed several times, I managed to focus
through both eyepieces. Wait. How was I supposed to hear
anything this far away? There was another bush a few feet
closer, and I scampered behind it, sputtering when several of
the leaves slapped me in the face.
“What’ll it be?” The bartender asked.
“A Backdraft.”
The bartender nodded and returned with a shot glass full of
brown liquid, sliding it in front of him.
Hades looked down and then back up at the tender. “Aren’t
ya gonna light it on fire?”
“New liability regulations, I’m afraid. No open flames.”
The bartender shrugged.
Hades sighed, scratching his beard. “Kind of defeats the
purpose of this particular drink, doesn’t it?”
“Rules are rules, sir. Sorry.” The bartender held his hands
up and walked away.
Hades stared at his drink before looking around. Besides
the bartender who’d left and me behind a friggin’ bush, there
was no one in sight. He snapped his fingers over the shot
glass, igniting the contents into a raging flame. My jaw
dropped, and I fumbled with the binoculars, struggling to get
them back to my eyes. Did he have a lighter hidden in his
hand? He blew the flame out and lifted the glass to his lips,
knocking it back.
I lowered the binoculars, blinked, and shoved them back
over my eyes so harshly it gave me a headache. There was
definitely no lighter in his hand or anywhere to be seen. My
heart thudded against my chest.
 More. I needed more. This could not be happening. Maybe
it wasn’t a dream?
He threw some Euros on the bar top and left. He went for
the opposite door from my makeshift coverage. Thank God
because half of my body stuck out from the bush.
He stopped at one of the twenty-four-hour food stands.
There weren’t any nearby bushes, so I made do with a trash
can.
“A gyro, please,” he ordered.
They handed one to him wrapped in parchment paper and
foil.
“Do you have ketchup?” He asked.
Ketchup on a gyro? Gross.
“Sorry, sir, we’re out.”
He was hitting zero for two tonight. As if the guy needed
any other excuse to be depressed.
“That’s fine. I’ll make do,” Hades said, clutching the gyro
in his hand and heading further down the tiled walkway.
The smell of curdled tzatziki sauce made me gag. The
trashcan was a horrible hiding spot, but to move now would be
spying suicide. He shifted his eyes and twirled his free hand in
a circle toward the ground. A small hole with a glowing
orange hue opened in the grass beside the walkway, and a pale
hand holding a bottle of ketchup emerged it. Hades grabbed it,
popped the top off, squirted some ketchup on his gyro, and
handed it back to the—hand. The hand didn’t disappear
immediately, and he batted it a few times before it slipped
away. The hole sealed up as if it were never there in the first
place.
Oh. My. God.
I fell back. Hades really was Hades. How could I possibly
look him in the face, let alone hold a conversation? I danced
with a Greek god. Bile made its way up my throat, and I kept
it back. No. No. I refused to believe it. He was dragging me
straight into his metaphorical Underworld. That or this Greek
vacation had gotten entirely too interactive.
I made my way back to the swim-up bar, munching on
Tums, but couldn’t remember how I got there.
Sara waved her hand in front of my face. “You walked into
the pool like a zombie. Are you okay?”
The image of the hand appearing inexplicably from the
ground played on a constant loop in my head. “Oh, yeah. A
little sleepy is all.”
“You slept for fourteen hours.”
I braided my hair and tossed it over my shoulder. “There is
such a thing as too much sleep.”
Michelle and Rupert were gone.
“You missed a hell of a show. Rupert had six shots before
Michelle asked him to stop. He didn’t take it too lightly, and
they started arguing until it turned into all-out yelling.”
“What’s going on with those two?”
She crossed her legs. “I could guess, but I told you from
the beginning, Rupert was a bad egg.”
“How are the two prettiest women in the resort today?”
Guy asked, wiggling his way in between us, a can of beer in
hand.
Sara snorted. “What do you want?”
“Do I need a reason to dote on beauty?” He grinned.
I held back an eye roll.
Guy snapped his fingers. “Oh, Steph, do I remember
hearing you like Dirty Dancing?”
“The movie, yes. Why?”
“They put up a flyer in the lobby. Looks like some contest
or something.”
I stood straighter. “What? Really?”
 His brow rose over the top of his sunglasses. “Pretty sure I
read it right, but you should go check it out.”
Water splashed as I clamored out of the pool, slipping on
the stairs. I made a beeline for the lobby, not willing to stop for
anything or anyone. The hanging pen on the bulletin board
couldn’t get in my hand fast enough, and I dragged my finger
across the typed-out details.
“Special Valentine’s Day Event: Dirty Dancing contest for
the dance. You know the one. First prize: VIP access to a
special event. Note: For couples only (it is Valentine’s Day
after all),” I read aloud, my excitement deflating with the last
part.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Hades said from behind me.
I turned around, re-positioning the pen in my hand like a
knife, trying to hold it above my head, but the string halted my
effort. “Do not appear out of thin air like that!”
“Actually, I walked around the corner. You were too
preoccupied with readin’ out loud.” His eyes dropped to my
bikini-clad form before dragging their way back to my face.
My cheeks warmed.
“By the way, sweetheart, when you want to spy on
someone, it’s usually best to be further away. That’s the idea
behind binoculars.”
My face fell, arms dropping back to my sides. “You knew I
was there?”
“The entire time. I have to say I was impressed you didn’t
pass out again.” He brushed past me, eyeing the flyer.
I couldn’t form words. He was Hades. Hades.
He flicked a finger at the paper. “Are you entering this?”
I took a step away from him, worried he’d randomly light
something on fire again. “Thinking about it.”
“I’ll enter with you.”
I laughed. “You?”
 “Why not?” He narrowed his eyes.
“You’re—” I referenced him from head to toe. “You.”
“Who else would you enter with? Keith?” The corners of
his jaw popped.
Did I sense jealousy in his tone? “Hades, did you…have
anything to do with Keith’s food poisoning?”
“Did he die from it?”
I shifted my eyes. “No.”
“Then I’d say no. Look—”
He’d say no?
He stepped forward, and I grabbed the dangling pen again.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “You’d be giving
me another opportunity to be human.”
“No. Absolutely not. I can’t enter a contest with the—” I
looked around for anyone else within earshot. “—god of the
Underworld,” I whispered.
He leaned in. “Why not?”
“Because you’re the god of the Underworld!” I clapped my
hands over my mouth.
“You’ve already danced with me once. How is this any
different?”
“It just is.”
He glared. “You think I can’t handle filthy dancing?”
“It’s dirty dancing,” I mumbled, undoing my braid, and re-
doing it. “Fine.”
On the inside, I was jumping up and down like a twelve-
year-old me at a Backstreet Boys concert. I’ve wanted to try
the dance since I was a little girl. Especially the lift.
He cupped a hand over his ear. “What was that?”
“I said fine. I’ll enter with you.”
He picked up the pen and scrolled our names with the
flourish of ancient calligraphy. “I’ll make sure we win.”
 “Wait—what do you mean? You don’t plan on setting
people on fire or trapping them in Tartarus if we’re losing or
something, are you?”
He cocked one eyebrow. “No. I was going to suggest we
practice.” His arms bulged as he folded them over his chest,
glowering down at me. “Seriously, what kind of person do you
think I am?”
Did I risk the possibility of spontaneously combusting by
telling him the truth? “I don’t know. I always pictured Hades
to be like the one in the Hercules cartoon. Ruthless. Erratic.”
And therefore, this guy couldn’t have been him.
He stared at me. “The Disney cartoon?”
“Yes.”
He dragged his hands through his hair. “I can assure you
my true form doesn’t have flamin’ blue hair.”
A true form. Now all I could do was think about what that
might look like. Horns? Pointy teeth?
I undid my braid and did it over again. “You never said
anything about not being ruthless.”
His gaze dropped to the floor, narrowing. “Because I am
when I need to be. I don’t take pleasure in punishing people,
but those who deserve it…I don’t go lightly.” He lifted his
eyes, locking with mine.
I gulped. “I thought I knew you, but now feel like I don’t
know you at all.”
“I’m willing to tell ya anything you wish to know.”
I lifted my chin. “I went somewhere with you yesterday.
Tomorrow, will you go somewhere with me? And Sara?”
He squinted. “Sure. But where are we goin’?”
“You’ll see.” I raised to the balls of my feet and flopped
back onto my heels. “I should get going. I’ll see you
tomorrow.”
“Stephanie,” he beckoned. “I noticed the flyer said couples
only.”
 I cocked an eyebrow.
He nodded once. “How…interesting.”
“Why is that interesting?”
“They take Valentine’s Day pretty seriously around here.”
I’m sorry, what?
Before I had a chance to voice the thought out loud, he
vanished.
“Did you tell Hades what time to meet us out here?” Sara
asked, glancing at the clock hanging in the lobby.
“Did we decide on an actual time? I told him to meet us in
the lobby in the morning.”
She crossed her arms. “Oh, great. Considering his love of
all things dark, he’s probably a night owl and won’t show up
until eleven.”
“Who won’t show up until eleven?” Hades asked after
rounding the corner.
He had his same black ensemble on with the tank top and a
flowy, undone button-up short-sleeved shirt. The sight of him
made my heart race.
“There you are. That’s what you’re wearing? You might
regret that choice. Let me get them to hail us a taxi,” Sara said,
trotting over to the attendant desk.
I started to follow her, but Hades caught me by the crook
of my elbow. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“It might be…” I bit my lip. “Too many clothes for where
we’re going?”
He cocked an eyebrow before narrowing his eyes. “And
you call me cryptic.”
“Come on, you two. Taxi’s here. Steph, you’re in the
middle,” Sara beckoned.
 Hades held his hand out for me to walk in front of him.
“Why do I always get the middle?” I grumbled.
Sara and Hades stood beside each other.
She motioned between the two of them. “You see how tall
we both are, right?”
“Good point,” I responded, blowing out a breath.
We all slid into the back seat. I pressed my knees together
and kept my elbows at my sides.
“You can lean on me, ya know? I promise I won’t break,”
Hades whispered.
No. But I might. Something told me Sara wouldn’t
appreciate us making out in the seat right next to her.
“Sidari Beach, please,” Sara told the driver.
Hades’ eyes narrowed. “Interesting beach choice, Sara.
Any particular reason?” He leaned past me to look at her.
“The Canal d’amour, of course,” she responded with a
grin.
Hades smirked. “I had a feelin’. You know those legends
are a bunch of hogwash, right?”
“Wouldn’t be so sure about that,” our driver piped in,
smiling at us in the rearview mirror.
“What’s the legend?” I asked, trying to ignore the feel of
Hades’ leg brushing against mine.
“When a couple swims the canal they’re destined an
eternity together,” the driver said, raising his eyebrows.
“And for singles, if you hop in when the canal is in the
shade, you’ll always be lucky in love,” Sara added with a grin.
Hades rolled his eyes. “Like I said, hogwash.”
“Bit of a pessimist, are you?” The driver asked.
“I’m just someone who knows.”
I eyed Hades sidelong.
 “Have an in with Aphrodite? If so, please give her my
number,” the driver said, bursting into a fit of husky laughter.
My body tensed. Hades nudged the side of my thigh with
his knuckle. I looked over at him, and he winked.
It didn’t take long to arrive at the beach, and the driver
dropped us off near the canal entrance. He told us it was a
decent walk to reach it, but worth it. We made our way over a
bridge leading to a dusty road framed with foliage. The sun
beamed down on us, the blue of the sky matching the Ionian
Sea water, not a cloud to be seen.
“You have to be sweltering in all that black. How do you
do it?” Sara asked as we made our way down the path.
“I’m hot-natured. It doesn’t bother me at all,” Hades
replied, staying near me while Sara led the pack.
It was so strange hearing his answers now and knowing
there were subtle truths to it all.
“Hades and I are entering that dance contest,” I blurted.
“Really?” She whipped around to face us, walking
backward. “You can dance like that, Hades?”
He shrugged. “Admittedly, I’ve never seen the movie, but I
reckon I can pick it up pretty easily. I wanted Stephanie to
have the chance to do it.”
“Huh. That’s pretty nice of you,” she said with a smile
before turning back around.
At the end of the path, the famous canal came into view. A
rock formation withered away by erosion and time, a slit down
the center creating the canal itself. There were several tourists
scattered across the rocks. Some were at the very top, others
climbed down and sat on the rocks. It was a quaint, quiet cove
with gentle lapping waves at the opening.
“Legend or not. This is gorgeous,” I said, staring at one of
Mother Nature’s masterpieces.
“Yes, it is,” Hades said, his gaze piercing the side of my
face.
 I looked at him and gulped.
Sara stepped up to us, grabbing each of our hands. “Come
on, that water is calling my name.”
“I certainly don’t hear the same callin’,” Hades said,
allowing Sara to lead him to the edge of the rocks.
Sara wasted no time, whipping off her shirt and shorts,
down to her bikini. “You can either jump off from here.” She
leaned over the edge, staring down at the water. “Or there’s a
rope over there. Pretty sure you know what I’m doing.” She
gave a wicked grin, ran forward, and leaped off the rock.
I gasped, running to the edge just in time to see her splash
into the water. “She’s fearless. I’ll give her that.”
“I take it you’d rather use the rope?” Hades asked.
“You’re coming with me, right?”
Hades leaned over the edge, sneering at the water. “Would
you…like me to?”
“I certainly don’t want to climb down there by myself.” I
bit my lip to keep from smiling.
He cleared his throat and dragged a hand over his beard.
“Alright.”
Was it wrong I felt some kind of deep-rooted satisfaction
in watching the god of the Underworld squirm?
“I’m getting pretty lonely down here,” Sara shouted.
We made our way to the rope. I paused with my thumbs in
the tops of my shorts, feeling Hades’ presence behind me.
Taking a deep breath, I whisked the shorts and shirt off before
I could talk myself out of it. I turned to face him in my bikini.
As his eyes roamed my body, he gave a subtle lick of his lip. I
didn’t feel compelled to cross my arms over my chest. It
was…liberating.
“So, are you going to hop in there fully clothed?”
“Well, since someone didn’t tell me I’d need swim attire,
guess I’m improvisin’.” He slipped off the short-sleeved shirt,
and my heart thudded.
 He squinted, watching me watching him as he slid his
hands under his tank top and pulled it over his head. I sucked
my bottom lip and let it snap back out. Hades, shirtless,
standing on a rock in the middle of Greece. And he most
certainly had the ‘V.’ Muscular, tanned, and carved like a
fleshy marble sculpture.
He didn’t take his eyes off me as he slid down his pants,
standing now in only a pair of black silk boxers. As he walked
past me, he held his hand up, and a quick surge of smoke
wafted through my hair, tossing it over my shoulder.
I gasped. “Did you do that?”
“You tell me.” His eyes brightened before he swung his leg
over the edge. “I’ll go first.”
I waited until he was at the bottom before starting my
descent. My coordination wasn’t the best and trying to find
rocks to rest my feet on was more difficult than I’d imagined.
“How much further do I have?” I asked.
“You’re almost there. Put your right foot directly beneath
ya, darlin’.”
I moved my right foot but to the right and down instead of
directly below as instructed. My foot slipped, and I let go in a
bout of panic. Hades caught me, and I lay draped in his arms.
“Have I told you before you’re clumsy?” He arched a
brow.
I nodded, not saying a word, and ignoring the goosebumps
sprouting all over my skin from his touch.
“The water feels amazing,” Sara said, beckoning us with
her hands.
Hades set me down, and I smoothed out a skirt I wasn’t
wearing.
Once in the water, I let out a contented sigh. “It’s the
perfect temperature.”
“Little cold for my taste,” Hades said, grimacing as he
moved into the water inch by inch.
 Sara looked between us with a warm smile before focusing
on Hades, who hadn’t taken his eyes off me since we were at
the top of the rock.
“You two should take a little dip through the canal. I’ve
already done it,” Sara said, swirling her arms through the
water.
“A dip together? What about the legend?” I laughed
nervously.
Hades chuckled. “Darlin’ I promise you won’t want to
inexplicably marry me after some stupid swim in ‘magical’
water.”
“I don’t know…”
He moved further into the water, wincing when it touched
his chest. “I’ll prove it to you. Come on. Swim with me.”
Sara swam backward, canting her head back and forth as
she continued to watch Hades. I knew exactly what she was
doing, profiling him. When she told me she wanted another
chance to talk to him, I knew what she really meant.
“Fine. But if you get all lovey-dovey on me after this, I’ll
have to get a restraining order.” I grinned.
“Not even Aphrodite herself could force this black heart
into love. It’s gotta get there all on its own.”
My throat constricted at his words, and I sidled up beside
him as we began our swim.
“So, does Poseidon lurk in the water here?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “He hasn’t been in Greece for
some time. I have no idea where he is now. I’ve been
otherwise occupied, remember?”
“Right.” I snickered. “I keep forgetting, sorry. Though I’m
not sure how I could forget, given what I’ve seen.”
“You don’t need to apologize. It’s a whole new world for
you.”
And there were undoubtedly a hundred thousand things to
see.
 We reached the end of the canal, where the rocks narrowed
into a gap not big enough to squeeze through.
“There. We swam the canal together. Should I propose
now?” He smirked, gazing at me through the wet strands of his
hair.
I laughed. “Alright. Alright. So, it’s just a legend. Gotta
admit it’s a pretty romantic one though. And in a setting like
this?”
We stared at each other for a beat, swishing our arms
through the clear blue water. Sara swam over and bobbed
beside us.
“So, did you set the date?” She asked.
I widened my eyes and splashed her. She shrieked,
paddling away with one hand while covering her head with the
other.
We spent the rest of the day swimming through the canal,
letting ourselves dry off on the rocks and diving back in when
we got too hot. Several times, Hades remained on the rocks,
just watching us. He wasn’t kidding when he said he despised
the water, but boy did the water not despise him. It left little to
the imagination, clinging the boxers to his legs. And they
could write poems on the way it made his abdominal muscles
sparkle.
The sun started to set, and Hades insisted we stay for
dessert. We found a small café, and Hades ordered something
called Sykomaïtha.
“You’ll both love it. It’s a fig-based cake. Corfu staple,”
Hades said.
I sat next to him with Sara across from us. She had one
elbow propped up and her chin resting in her hand.
“Are you Greek by descent?” Sara asked Hades.
“Yes.”
“How’d you end up with a southern accent?”
 Hades leaned back and rested one arm on the back of his
chair. He pursed his lips, making the dimple in his cheek more
prominent. “Greek descent, American born. Georgia, to be
exact.”
“Uh, huh. And what is it you do in Georgia?”
I dropped my face in my hands. She was interrogating him.
It was more terrifying than watching her interview charged
murderers.
“I don’t live in Georgia anymore. I mostly work from
home.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Doing?”
“Odds and ends. I take the jobs as they come. Sometimes
with either of my brothers.”
“Two brothers? Where do you fall in the order?”
“Oldest.”
She shifted in her seat. “And your middle brother’s
name?”
“We call him Simon.” He narrowed his eyes.
It was like watching a tennis match.
“Dogs or cats?”
“Dogs. Definitely dogs.”
She grinned from ear-to-ear. “Okay, I like him, Steph.”
“Oh, come on, Sammy isn’t that bad,” I quipped.
Hades cocked an eyebrow.
“Her pet cat,” Sara said. “And you’re right, as far as cats
go, he isn’t that bad, but give me a day of playing fetch and
excited jumping when I come home any day of the week.”
The waiter walked up with our order just in the nick of
time.
“Oh, look! Food’s here,” I yelped, grabbing my fork.
The waiter placed a plate lined with large green fig leaves,
and a glazed brown patty between us.
 “This is supposed to be delicious?” Sara asked with a quirk
of a brow.
I dug my fork in. “What happened to your sense of
adventure?”
I glanced at Hades from the corner of my eye. He beamed
at me, showing that dimple again. He watched me as I took the
first bite. It was sweet, nutty, and a tad spicy. Overlapping
flavors I wasn’t expecting.
“Oh, wow. This is different.”
Sara dug in next and ran her pinky under her lower lip,
scraping away the crumbs. “No kidding. It seriously looked
like a cow patty. This is delicious.”
Hades reached past me for his portion. “Told ya.”
We spent the next hour finishing our savory fig cake and
talking. Hades did his quick smoke trick several more times,
mostly because I think he didn’t want me to forget who he was
regardless of how normal the conversation seemed. And…I
liked it. Thankfully, Sara steered away from more questions
about Hades and focused more on telling embarrassing stories
about me. Ironically, those stories were far less stressful than
worrying about how Hades would answer questions like: What
were your parents like growing up? What’s your favorite
pastime? Or, who’s your favorite sports team?
The cab ride back to the resort was different. Sara seemed
more relaxed and didn’t look at Hades like he would flip his
lid at any given moment. We stood in the lobby after the cab
dropped us off. The night sky had rolled in. Except for the
hanging sconces, the only other light source came from the
moon.
Sara yawned as she walked away. “I’ll meet you back at
the room, Steph.”
“Have dinner with me tomorrow,” Hades said, slipping his
hands into his pockets.
“Dinner, huh?” I sheepishly smiled.
 “It’ll give us a chance to talk alone. I’m sure you have a lot
of questions I couldn’t answer fully around your friend.”
“Yeah, about that. You’ve never tried to hide who you are
around me, but you did with Sara. I mean, Simon? Who even
is that?” I laughed.
“Poseidon.” He smirked. “It was the first name I could
think of on short notice. And I played the part with Sara
because I can tell it’s important to ya.”
“I don’t know. It’s also kind of exhilarating hearing you
talk about it so candidly.” I smiled and kicked an imaginary
pebble.
“Stephanie Costas has a courageous side. I’ll remember
that.”
“I’d like to have dinner with you. As long as your offer
includes a glass of wine, I’m in.”
“I’ll make it an entire bottle if it helps you.”
The spark in his gaze made me forget for a brief moment
what he was. Maybe it truly was possible to see past it.
“I should get going. I’m sure Sara’s lurking around the
corner spying on us anyway.”
He nodded. “Good night.”
“Night.”
I may not have felt the urge to marry him after swimming
through the Canal d’amour, but one thing was certain…I felt
something.
I felt a responsibility now to keep his secret. I was Lois Lane,
and he was Superman. And just like Lois, if I were to tell
anyone I knew the god of the Underworld, they wouldn’t
believe me anyway. It killed me inside, not telling Sara. We
told each other everything. Sometimes a little too much. As
much crazy crap as she’d seen, I knew this would be
something beyond her out-of-the-box thinking.
The only other dress I had with me aside from the one I
bought for the ball was reserved for the dancing contest. Sara
let me borrow one of her little black dresses. She laughed,
stating Hades and I would match, guaranteed. She knew about
the contest from yesterday, but I left out the small detail of it
being a Valentine’s Day couples only dance. It was only a
matter of time she’d figure it out on her own once she realized
the date it fell on.
Hades insisted we meet at the Greek restaurant at the
resort. Odd, there was only one considering we were in
Greece. I asked for the farthest table away from everyone else
so we wouldn’t need to have an entire conversation in
whispers. The restaurant bustled with dozens of conversations.
Forks clanked on plates, laughter, and Byzantine ambient
music played over the speakers. The fake candles on every
table provided dim lighting.
It was hard not to notice when Hades walked in. He wore
black dress pants and a long-sleeved button-down shirt with
the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He squinted like Clint
Eastwood when he first entered, peering at the maître d’
through strands of hair. Women turned to stare at him as he
passed, whether they had company or not.
Had they been doing that at the bar and I didn’t notice?
My heart raced the closer he got, and I fidgeted with my
necklace.
He slid into the booth seat across from me, eyes
unabashedly roaming over my attire. “Interesting color
choice.”
“It was Sara’s idea. She thought it was funny. We look like
we’re getting ready to go to a funeral.”
“Well, the night is young.”
I stared at him.
“I’m kiddin’. At least, I hope so.”
“Do you have any idea how frustrating it is when I don’t
know if you’re being serious or not?”
He canted his head from side to side. “Probably about as
frustratin’ as it was convincing you I’m the god of the
Underworld.”
I wanted to retort, but the waiter appeared, displaying a
wine menu to Hades. They both conversed in Greek,
occasionally pointing at the menu before the waiter left.
Women from various tables gazed at Hades like he was the
world’s yummiest chocolate bar.
“Do you have seduction powers or something?”
He sputtered his water. “I’m sorry, seduction powers?”
“You had every woman in here drooling as you passed.”
“Oh, that. I reckon it’s due to being in the presence of a
god. We give off this…aura if you will? They all react
differently to it.”
Was what I felt for Hades—thinking I felt for Hades—real,
or was it this bizarre power?
“Wait, do I react differently?” I frowned.
 He interlaced his fingers atop the table. “It’s one of the
reasons you intrigue me. It doesn’t seem to affect you at all.”
“How would you know?”
“Trust me. I’d know.” He gazed at me, the flicker of the
fake flame glinting in his eyes.
“Sara hasn’t tried to jump your bones or anything. What
about her?”
He smirked. “It’s there, but her mind can suppress it. I’ve
only seen a handful of mortals able to do it. Must be her
profiling abilities. But you…no, you are—” He squinted.
“Different.”
A lump formed in my throat. “If you have that effect on
women, then why did Perseph—” I pinched my eyes shut,
shaking my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
He leaned back in his seat, draping his arms over the back.
“No, no. It’s a fair question. Will you allow me to tell you
what happened? What truly happened?”
“Of course.”
“No interruptions?”
I propped my elbow on the table, holding up my pinkie
finger. “Pinkie swears.”
He looked at my hand before wrapping his pinkie around
mine. His touch sent a chill down my arm, and I slid my hand
away, shoving it into my lap.
“As you can imagine, ruling the Underworld is a lonely
existence. I ruled that throne for thousands of years in solitude.
My brothers both had queens—”
Brothers. Hades. Zeus. Jesus was Zeus.
My eyes bulged from my skull. I leaned forward. “Wait a
minute—”
“Hey,” he said, raising a brow. “You promised.” He held
up his pinky finger.
I made the gesture of zipping my mouth shut and sat back.
 “As I was sayin’, my brothers had their queens, several of
them. And neither of my brothers appreciated the
companionship. I never imagined any woman would ever want
to live in the Underworld, let alone agree to be with someone
like me.” The corners of his jaw popped; his eyes focused on
the table.
The waiter walked up, resting our wine glasses with blood-
red liquid in front of us. I wrapped my fingers around the stem
of the glass as Hades continued.
“When I saw her pickin’ flowers in the field through my
portal to the aboveground, my heart stopped. She was the most
beautiful thing I’d ever seen. So sweet. So innocent.” He
brought the wine glass to his lips, taking a long swig, and
rolling the stem between his fingers afterward. “Loneliness
and desperation drove my actions. I had to have her. So, I went
to Zeus, asked for his blessin’, and he agreed. Even assisted
me with luring her to the Underworld.”
“I sat in my chariot, my heart racing, watchin’ her grow
closer and closer to the flower. There was a moment I even
thought of backing out, but the idea of having someone to
share my eternal life with was too great of an opportunity to
let pass.”
As he told his story, I imagined him painting pictures of
the event in his brain and the pain it must cause to conjure the
memories.
“Hades, you don’t have to—” I started, but clipped my
words when his scowl pierced me.
“I want to finish, so you know the truth.”
I nodded, cupping my glass with both hands, and taking a
long sip.
“Once she was in the Underworld, I made it very clear if
she were to eat anything—anything at all—she’d be stuck. I
only wished for the chance to allow her time to know me, to
find out if she could see a future with me. Lookin’ back, I
know now the methods Zeus and I took to get her down there,
had already damaged any chance of her truly loving me.” His
eyes glazed over, and he downed the rest of his wine.
“After she ate the seeds and I knew she was there forever, I
did everything in my power to make her happy. I made her
Queen and let her rule by my side as an equal. No other god
has done such an act because they’re all too obsessed with
their power to share it.” His hands balled into fists. “She asked
for a realm where all the good-hearted people could live out
their eternal lives. I created the Elysian Fields—for her.
Everything I did was for Persephone.”
I was beside myself. To hear this firsthand was surreal.
Hades’ intentions may have been selfish, but it was clear
Persephone became his whole world.
“How did she escape?” My voice cracked.
“Theseus. He’d always wanted her for himself. And he got
close to it once, but I trapped him. Heracles rescued him. I
assume, given what I know now, that during the six months
Persephone went to the surface, she spent her time with him.
And they hatched a plan. She left her shade in the Underworld
so her physical form could be with him.”
“Shade?”
“You may know of it more as a—soul.”
I frowned. “She left her soul behind?”
He smirked, running a hand over his face. “She was with
me for over a thousand years and yet was so repulsed by me,
she was willin’ to leave it if it meant being rid of me.”
I reached for Hades’ hand. He quirked a brow, but obliged,
resting his hand on the table.
“Trickery and abduction aren’t really taken in the best
light. I understand why you did but—”
His hand stiffened beneath mine. “It was a long time ago.
You don’t need to tell me it was wrong.”
“But,” I continued. “What you did for her when you knew
she couldn’t leave was entirely selfless. And Zeus eventually
let her go to the surface.”
 “Because I talked him into it. She’d been weeping for
days, missin’ her mother and friends. I had to practically
grovel at his feet before he agreed to the deal.”
“He really is an asshole.”
“You have no idea.” His eyes fell to my finger, idly
stroking one of his knuckles.
I hadn’t noticed I was doing it and slid my hand across the
table, back to my lap. “You’re not at all what I imagined you
to be. You walk around with this permanent scowl and act so
stand-offish, but there’s this whole other side to you. Why
don’t you show that part of you more often?”
“It’s tiring trying to convince people I’m not who they
think I am. It’s easier to just—give in.”
His eyes cast downward, and I studied his expression.
He’d spent so long wearing this façade, it was hard to see
himself as anything but darkness and gloom.
“Have you ever tried to—I don’t know, smile? Does
wonders for the spirit.” I grinned.
The left side of his face grimaced, his lip twitching like he
was sneering.
“What are you doing with your face?”
He blew out a breath like the act took a great deal of effort.
“Smiling, I thought.”
“Know what? I’m making it my personal mission to put a
real smile on your face.”
His eyes darted to mine. “I applaud your willingness to
attempt, but you’re gonna be very disappointed. They don’t
come as often as they used to. When you haven’t smiled as
long as I have, you lose the knack.”
“We’ll see.” I took a sip of my wine, peering at him over
the rim.
The waiter showed up, and I fumbled with my menu.
Hades waved his hand. “I got it. Don’t worry.” After
exchanging more conversation in Greek, the waiter took our
menus and left.
My jaw dropped. “Hey, I was looking at that. What if you
ordered something I don’t like? What if I’m allergic to it?
What if—”
“Are you?”
I snapped my mouth shut. “Am I what?
“Allergic to anything?” His eyes brightened.
“Yes.” I folded my arms. “Pollen.”
His dimple deepened, the left side of his lips quirking ever
so slightly. “I promise there isn’t any pollen in what I picked
for you.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“Do you trust me?”
A tiny smile played over my mouth. “Hypothetically.”
He pressed his back to the seat, draping an arm over it.
“Good.”
What was this man doing to me? I played with my
necklace.
He picked up his wine glass, holding it out to me. I
clanked mine against his.
“Yamas,” he said. After taking a sip, he lowered the glass
to the table, keeping his fingers wrapped around the stem.
“Tell me a little bit about yourself.”
“Me?” I chuckled. “My life is pretty boring compared to
yours.”
“I’ve also been around for thousands of years. That’s
hardly a fair comparison.”
“You think the unfair comparison is how long you’ve been
around? Not the whole—god thing? With powers?”
He raised his eyebrows as he tapped his finger.
“Fine. I already told you about my mom. My dad is a
retired cop and lives in Alaska. He didn’t take what happened
to Mom very well and preferred to be away from everyone.
Including me, his only kid.” My grip tightened on the glass. “I
finished at the top of my class. I love knowing I help put bad
guys behind bars even if it’s only from the digital perspective.
And I love Disney movies, comic books, and girly romance
books.” I shrugged, finishing the remainder of my wine.
“And Dirty Dancing.” He tipped his glass.
I smiled, curling my feet underneath my seat. “And Dirty
Dancing. Oh! And eighties music. I can’t get enough of it.”
“Hades music?”
I blinked.
“I’m kiddin’.”
I grinned. “The god of the Underworld makes jokes. That’s
the second one tonight.”
“You have to have more questions rumbling around in that
head of yours. Ask away.” He took a sip of his wine, keeping
my gaze.
I tapped a finger against my lips. What did you ask a
Greek god? “If you’re Hades…and Jesus is your brother…that
means he’s—” I raised my brow, rotating my head in a circle,
begging him to finish my sentence for me.
He arched a brow, cocking his head to the side. “Judgin’
from that strange look on your face, I’d reckon you know
exactly who he is, sweetheart.”
“But he—I mean, why is the King of the flipping Gods
practicing law as a criminal defense lawyer?”
“We’ve already established he can be a dick. Every decade
or so, he’ll come to Earth disguised as someone different. He
thought it’d be amusin’ to help criminals avoid sentencing. I
also think it may be a jab against me.”
“You? Why?”
“I think we both know the likelihood of a criminal
changin’ their ways once they’ve gotten away with it. They
normally end up doing something worse. When they arrive in
the Underworld, it makes their punishment more extreme.
Contrary to how the media and stories have depicted me, I
don’t particularly enjoy torturin’ people. It’s simply a part of
the job.” He took a sip from his glass.
My throat constricted. I tucked a finger underneath my
necklace, working it back and forth over the chain.
He leaned forward. “I’m not scaring you with any of this,
am I?”
“No. I mean maybe. I don’t know. I’ve barely wrapped my
head around the idea of you being real, let alone Zeus. Have I
met any other gods I don’t know about?”
“Not while I’ve been with you. I just resurfaced, so I
couldn’t tell you where most of the others are.”
I gripped my head. “This is so crazy.”
“It’s no less crazy for me. I’ve never been around mortals
this long. Somehow, I find it—comforting. Being amongst life.
Hope.”
“You better stop talking like that, or I’m going to start
falling for you.” Yup. I said that out loud. I instantly clammed
up.
A fire lit behind his eyes. “I’d catch you.”
In any other circumstance, I may have found that line
corny or cliché. The way he said it, though, was like a
masculine Siren’s call. My heartbeat thumped harshly against
my chest. I thought it’d snap a rib. The waiter showed up with
our food, and I jolted back to reality.
The waiter set a bowl with overlapping sliced tomatoes
and melted cheese in front of me. Hades had the same.
“What is this? Looks amazing.” I slid my napkin over my
lap and held the fork up, ready to dig in.
“Moussaka. Minced lamb. Potato. One of my favorites.”
After dipping the fork into the cheesy deliciousness, I
shoveled it in. I moaned from the flavors exploding in my
mouth. Cheese, onion, and, cinnamon. “And here I thought
you ate worms and eyeballs.”
 He stopped his fork halfway to his mouth, frowning. “I am
tryin’ to eat here.”
I’d stuffed another hunk in my mouth and shoved it into
one cheek. “Sorry.”
“Is it strange I enjoy watchin’ you eat?” He watched me,
absently holding his fork.
“If you were anyone else, I’d say it was a bit creepy. But I
can’t imagine you don’t see many mortals eating in the
Underworld. Or that you’d want to, considering they’d be
damning themselves to eternity there.”
“Very intuitive.”
“Par for the course in my profession.”
His eyes flashed. “Mine too.”
“Why were you, in particular, charged with the
Underworld? Did you draw the short straw or something?”
“No. He’d never say it, but Zeus knew I was the only one
capable of handlin’ such a task. Poseidon is far too
adventurous, and Zeus is too frivolous. Neither of them
would’ve lasted a week down there, let alone eons.” He shook
his head, glaring into his glass.
“So, you’re the least crazy out of them all?”
“If you want to put it that way, then yeah. I’ve accepted
what I need to do. It means I can’t be on the surface for a great
amount of time, otherwise, there’d be thousands of souls with
no direction.”
I scraped my fork against the bottom of my plate, eating
every bit of sauce I could. Would it be bad manners to lick it?
Probably. “That is extremely mature of you.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Oh, it is. Trust me. Especially with the way some men are
these days.” I winced. “Not that you’re—a man. I mean you’re
—”
“I know what you meant. Thank you kindly.”
 I bit down on my lip. “Could we maybe take a walk on the
beach?”
His face brightened. “Uh, sure. Let me pay our bill.”
I grinned, scooting out of the booth. “I’ll meet you
outside.”
As I made my way down the wooden ramp leading to the
shoreline, the moon glowed bright, casting a white hue over
anything it touched. The stars, as clear as day, twinkled with
intensity. With all the lights and smog around Chicago, you’d
have to drive hours before seeing a sky like that. His hand
touched the back of my arm, and I gasped.
“Didn’t mean to startle you,” Hades said.
“Did you levitate over here?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Normally, I could, but
figured it might turn too many heads.”
I slid off my flats, letting the sand seep between my toes.
“I’m thankful you asked for a romantic walk along the
beach under the moon. But I can’t help but feel you have an
ulterior motive,” he said, his eyes squinting.
“There goes that intuition again.” I simpered, curling my
hair over my ears. “I wondered if you could—do the smoke
trick again? Now that I know. That I…believe.”
The skin at the corners of his eyes crinkled as he scoped
the deserted beach. The tips of his shoes brushed my toes as he
moved in front of me. The black smoke built up at our feet,
swirling like a pinwheel around us. It traveled over my chest,
then flowed over my neck and cheeks. The eerie calm put me
at ease, and I closed my eyes.
“Where is this coming from?” I asked through a sigh.
It flowed through my hair, shifting some of it to drape over
my shoulder.
“The Underworld. More specifically, the river Styx. It’s the
current that helps the souls travel to their destination.”
 My eyes flew open. “I have dead people caressing me right
now?”
A corner of his mouth quirked. “No. Just smoke.”
“Was that a hint of a sliver of a smile I saw?” I nibbled on
my lip.
“You wish.”
The smoke hovered over my chest. I looked down and shot
him a glare. “Are you copping a feel with your smoke
monster?”
He pressed a hand to his chest. “I think I’m offended.” A
wicked glint formed in his eyes.
“I like this side of you.”
“The side which unabashedly sneaks a feel of you without
usin’ my hands?” His brow raised.
I laughed and swatted his arm, leaving my hand on his
bicep. “The playful side. Makes you seem so—human.”
“It’s a side of me I thought was lost.” He stared at my hand
on his arm before shifting his gaze to my face. “I may have
been wrong.”
The smoke faded away, but my hand remained glued to his
arm. My lashes fluttered as we stared at each other in silence.
“I should probably get back to the room,” I said. “I
appreciate you telling me the real story behind Persephone.
Put a lot of things in perspective.”
“I’m glad.”
“Will you meet me in the pool tomorrow?”
He cocked his head to one side. “The pool?”
“We need to practice the lift.”
“You remember the part about bein’ a god, right? Strength
being a given?”
I batted my lashes. “Please?”
“As you wish.” He bowed his head.
 Princess Bride. How did he keep doing that? Did he even
know he was?
“Well, I’ll see ya,” I said, turning away.
“What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn’t escort you
to your room?”
I turned on my heel, biting back a smile. “Your southern
charm?”
“You don’t seem to mind the accent I chose for my mortal
form, darlin’.” He shook his head.
“Why did you choose that accent? This…look? Do you all
get to choose how you appear at any given time?”
We walked on the tiled pathway to my room. He sunk his
hands in his pants pockets.
“We can appear as anyone or anything we choose. It’d
been so long since I’ve been on the surface, I did some quick
research and chose an accent that seemed comfortin’ to most
mortals. Inviting.”
“And your appearance?”
He smirked. “Random.”
We walked the rest of the way in silence and arrived at my
door. I curled my hair over my ears and rummaged through my
clutch for the key.
“You seem nervous,” his voice rumbled.
I found the key and held it up in the air like a piece of
gold. “Nervous, why would I be nervous?”
He pressed his hand against the doorframe near my head,
leaning forward. His eyes searched my face as if judging my
reaction to his proximity. His gaze dropped to my lips.
Oh, my God. The King of the Underworld was about to
kiss me.
His mouth hovered over mine before moving to my cheek,
giving it a peck. “Goodnight, Stephanie.”
 “Good—” I stood frozen like a statue, still feeling the
brush of his beard on my skin.
He backed away, giving me a mischievous curl of his lip.
“Night,” I finished.
I’d seemingly brought out a new side to Hades. A deeply
buried side. And he liked it.
“How many more times are you going to look for him?” Sara
asked, fishing for her straw with her mouth.
My eyes fixed on her after peering over my shoulder for
the twentieth time since we’d sat down at the swim-up bar.
“What are you talking about?”
She rolled her eyes. “You’ve barely said a word and keep
looking around. Is he supposed to meet you here or
something?”
Her gaze moved over my shoulder, fingertips tracing over
the dip between her breasts.
Behind me, Hades took labored steps into the pool, clad in
a pair of black boardshorts. I kept my fist under my chin to
keep my jaw from dropping. He winced when the water hit his
stomach, making his muscles clench. In turn, it caused
something of my own to clench. It wasn’t an exaggeration of
how close he resembled a Greek statue, right down to the
individually carved abdominal muscles. I’d already seen him
shirtless, but somehow, he managed to look even sexier today.
He waded over to our stools; his hands balled into fists
beneath the water.
“Well, hello again, Hades.” Sara took the opportunity to
scan him.
He nodded. “Sara.”
I gripped my stool to keep from falling off it.
 “Darlin’,” he said to me, with a mischievous glint in his
eyes.
“Hi,” I squeaked.
He put his hands on each side of the bar top, caging me in.
“Did I ever tell you how much I hate the water?”
“Yes.” I gulped.
“And yet you’ve managed to coax me into it for the second
time since we’ve met.”
I chewed on my lip, and my gaze dropped to his chest. “A
sick, sick ploy to continuously get your shirt off.”
“How naughty.” His lips brushed my ear, and he
whispered, “Careful. I may need to punish you in Tartarus.”
Goosebumps littered my skin, and I tried not to squeak
again.
“Umm, should I leave you two alone?” Sara asked.
He stepped back, and I quickly stuck my tongue out at
Sara.
Hades leaned on the bar beside me and jutted his chin at
the bartender. “Whiskey. Neat.”
“Well, look who decided to join the crowd,” Rupert said.
“Oh, boy,” Sara mumbled, pulling on the brim of her
floppy hat.
Hades cocked an eyebrow. “Something I should know?”
“Rupert’s been a bit of a pill lately. He insists on drinking
like a fish and doesn’t like it when Michelle tells him he
shouldn’t,” I whispered.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at Rupert over the rim of his
glass.
“I thought they were going to bloody well carve your name
into that stool at the other bar,” Rupert said to Hades,
chuckling.
Michelle batted his shoulder. “Be nice.”
 “Well, I’m surprised they haven’t etched your name into
every bottle across the resort,” Hades retorted, casually
sipping his drink.
Rupert slipped his sunglasses onto his head with a glare.
“What did you just say?”
Michelle grabbed Rupert’s shoulder. “He’s just a bit antsy
about the dance contest is all.” She patted him.
“Oh? Did you two enter?” I asked, scooting back on my
stool. I would’ve fallen off if it weren’t for Hades’ hand
pressing against my lower back, steadying me.
“We did! It’s a shame it’s for Valentine’s Day, being
couples only and all. You love that movie, don’t you?”
Michelle asked.
Hades’ arm slipped around my waist, his hand resting on
the top of my thigh. If I’d been capable of melting into a
puddle, I might have. “She is here with someone as luck would
have it. Just established last night. Isn’t that right, darlin’?”
I leaned into him and awkwardly patted his very bare
shoulder. “That’s right!”
Sara gave me a look over the top of her sunglasses. I
wanted to kick her in the shin.
“How bloody convenient,” Rupert muttered, leaning on the
bar near Hades.
I forced a laugh and tugged on Hades’ arm. “Can I talk to
you for a second?
Once we were out of earshot from everyone else, I swatted
his arm. “What are you doing?”
He eyed me sidelong. “What do you mean?”
“You just told everyone we’re together.”
He squinted. “How else would we enter the contest?”
“I figured they just meant two people.”
“For Valentine’s Day? A holiday that’s known across the
globe for its romanticism?” He raised a brow.
 He had me there.
“Would you be more comfortable entering the contest with
someone else?” He asked.
No, I really wouldn’t. I wanted it to be him more than
anything.
I shook my head.
“Good.” He took my hand and led me back to the bar,
slipping his arm around my waist. Hades cocked his head to
the side until Rupert looked at him. Neither man said a word,
but Rupert’s eyes widened, and his bottom lip quivered.
“You’re looking a little pale there, Rupe,” Hades said, still
staring him down.
I lifted my sunglasses. Rupert was more than pale. Talk
about downright terrified.
Rupert reached behind him for Michelle, grasping at
nothing but air the first several tries before latching onto her
arm. “Let’s uh—let’s go to the other side of the bar, eh?”
“What? Why?” She asked as he pulled her away.
I narrowed my eyes at Hades. “What did you do to him?”
He finished his drink. “Nothing he didn’t deserve.”
“Hades…”
He planted a quick kiss at the corner of my brow and
moved to the open space of the pool. “You ready to try this
lift?”
It happened so quickly, so naturally, I was at a loss for
words. I traced my finger over the spot he kissed, staring down
at my legs.
“Hey, space cadet. Hades is calling for you,” Sara said,
nudging me with her elbow.
I tossed her a glare and hopped off my stool. She forced
her grin so wide it made her look like a crazed clown. Hades
stood in the middle of the pool, his arms stiff at his sides.
 “You should probably make this look somewhat difficult
for yourself,” I said.
His brow furrowed. “By doing what?”
“I don’t know. Drop me a few times?”
“You want me to drop you? On purpose?”
“Yeah. It’s a pool. That’s why the creators used a lake in
the movie. So no one would get hurt.”
He dragged a hand through his hair, slicking it back with
water. “Whatever you say, darlin’. Am I just liftin’ ya over my
head and holding you there?”
“Right. You haven’t seen the movie. Yes. Lift me over
your head by my hips. That’s it.”
“I can handle that.”
My heart raced with excitement as I moved to stand in
front of him. “Ready?”
He lifted his hands out of the water, making come hither
gestures. I took a step forward. He used both hands, gripped
my hips, and hoisted me up over his head. I sported my best
superman pose, ready to balance, and he let go. I belly-flopped
into the water with a loud clap. The gasps and laughter from
people sitting at the bar were so audible I could hear them
underwater. Mortified couldn’t begin to describe it.
I sputtered water and parted my wet hair away from my
face. “Why did you do that?”
“You told me to drop you.” His eyes shifted.
“Yes. Yes, I did. But that doesn’t mean to simply…let go.”
I flicked my wrist, spraying water.
“So, you want me to drop you, but not by letting go of
you?” One of his eyes squinted.
“No! Well, yes—in a manner of speaking?”
He continued to one eye squint.
“You know what? Forget it. Just lift me.”
 He didn’t give me time to prepare myself. His hands
gripped my hips, and he lifted me over his head. His arms
weren’t even shaking. I was so giddy, I forgot to strike the
pose, but didn’t care. He let go, while simultaneously turning
my body. I fell into his arms and let out the girliest squeal.
Biting my lip, I draped an arm around the back of his neck.
“Was that about right?” He asked, tantalizing me with his
gaze.
I nodded.
He let go of my legs, and I quieted a whimper, already
missing the feeling of being cradled in his arms for the second
time. Michelle abandoned Rupert on the other side of the bar.
She stared at Hades, biting the plastic straw in her drink.
Rupert hid as far away as possible.
“Tell me, Hades, what do you do for work?” Michelle
asked, turning her body to face him.
He leaned on the bar. “Odds and ends. I work from home
now, but before that, I was mostly the carrier and divider of
souls.”
I laughed uncontrollably, stepping between him and
Michelle. “He’s a—funeral director. So, in a way, he assists in
carrying their uh—souls to the afterlife.”
Hades smirked at me.
“Interesting. How does someone direct funerals remotely?”
Sara cocked an eyebrow.
Amidst the lying, I’d forgotten Hades’ lie from yesterday.
“Uhhh—well,” I started while twirling my hair.
“The bodies aren’t part of my jurisdiction. For the final…
arrangements is where I come in,” Hades said with the
coolness of a cucumber. “But recently, I’ve had more of a hand
with the bodies themselves due to a coworker up and…
quitting.”
Sara narrowed her eyes with a smirk.
 Guy walked up in the middle of the enthralling
conversation. “Did I hear you’re a funeral director? Must be a
pretty grim job, eh?” He asked, claiming a stool.
“Grim doesn’t begin to scratch the surface,” Hades
responded.
Sara narrowed her eyes. “You failed to mention the funeral
director part yesterday. Must get pretty lonely. Hanging out
with dead bodies all day who don’t uphold their side of the
conversation?”
“If anything, it’s usually begging and pleading, so I tune
them out,” Hades said, sipping from his glass.
Everyone froze.
I forced another bout of nervous chuckles. “He’s kidding.
This guy is a regular jokester, aren’t you Had?”
His eyes gleamed. “I’m a comedian.”
“Well, you two have something in common, Sara. Only
you see fresh dead bodies.” When everyone remained frozen
on their stools, I quickly followed up with, “She’s a detective.”
Guy grinned. “You are? You haven’t said anything. That’s
pretty cool.”
Sara’s lips pursed together. I could feel her glare, even
though her sunglasses masked it. Michelle scooted closer to
Hades.
“I have to admit I’ve never seen a funeral director who
looks,” she paused, motioning with her hand over his
physique. “Like you.”
What was with her sudden fascination with him?
“Oh? What should I look like?” He asked, leaning on the
bar with one elbow. He reached his other arm out and guided
me to his hip.
Michelle laughed, draping a hand over her mouth. “The
polar opposite, I suppose.”
“Shelly, let’s get some bloody food. I’m starving,” Rupert
said from afar. He didn’t look in Hades’ direction, beckoning
Michelle with an outstretched hand.
She sighed and slid off her stool. “Until next time.” She
flashed a smile at Hades.
A strange pit formed in my stomach. “Would you mind
toning down the aura?”
He moved his hand to my hip, curling one finger over it at
a time. “Not the way it works, sweetheart. Is it makin’ you
jealous?”
A little? “No. Also, you can’t—” I lowered my voice.
“You can’t tell people you divide souls for a living.”
He released his grip and pressed his back against the bar.
“Whatever happened to my candidness being exhilarating?”
“Are you screwing with me?”
“Yes.” He stared down at me, the dimple in his cheek
deepening. “I haven’t had this much fun in—ever.”
I gave a lopsided grin and folded my arms. “If you’ve
never seen Dirty Dancing, how did you know the corner
quote?”
“Swayze mentioned it.”
He’s must’ve said “lazy.” Most certainly, he didn’t say,
Swayze. “Did you say, Swayze?”
His eyes shifted. “Yeah. Patrick Swayze.”
“I know—” I grabbed his arm. “I know who Patrick
Swayze is, but how is that possible considering he’s d—” How
I’d forgotten who I was talking to was a mystery, but the idea
of him chatting it up with Swayze in the Underworld chilled
me to the bone.
“Dead? Yes. We briefly talked when I escorted him to the
Fields.”
I gripped his shoulders, shaking him. “How can you talk
about this so nonchalantly?”
“Stephanie, I talk to thousands of people every day. He
was just another kind soul.”
 My eyes blinked so rapidly it blurred my vision. “Well, tell
me everything. You can’t tell a girl you spoke with Patrick
Swayze and not elaborate.”
“Hey, you two are being incredibly anti-social,” Sara said,
pulling on my arm.
I ground my teeth together. If she only knew she
interrupted the story of a lifetime.
He dropped his lips to my ear. “I’ll relay the entire
conversation to you later. In private.”
The word “private” made my stomach tighten. I rolled my
shoulders and turned my attention on Guy. “Is Keith still
sick?”
“He said he’d come down if he could manage to stand up
without feeling like hurling,” he said, chuckling. “Poor
bastard.”
“Speak of the devil,” Sara said.
Keith entered the pool, with skin a full shade lighter than
when I’d last seen him. He gave us an awkward wave. “Hey.
Surprised to see me alive?”
“Yes,” Hades clipped.
I tossed him a glare.
Keith squinted at Hades. “What the hell are you doing in
the pool? Shouldn’t you be crying into your whiskey glass or
something?”
“I decided the view in here is decidedly much better.”
Hades looked at me, and my cheeks flushed.
Keith looked between us. “Seems I missed a lot.”
“Good to see you out and about, man,” Guy said, patting
his back.
“Do you want water or something?” Sara asked.
“Are you kidding? Now more than ever, I need a damn
beer,” Keith said with a snicker.
“He’s back!” Guy threw his fists in the air.
 Hades glared off in the distance. I followed his gaze,
seeing an older man sitting at a table, staring back at him.
“Do you know that guy?” I asked.
Hades didn’t budge. If anything, his eyes narrowed more.
“No.”
“Then why are you looking at him like that?”
The older man stood from the table and, like a zombie,
walked to the pool’s edge. Without hesitation, he hopped in,
fully clothed. He didn’t blink, and his arms stayed stiff at his
sides. I’d seen some bizarre things in my time, but this took
the cake.
“Can you tell me what it’s like?” The man asked Hades.
Hades’ face softened, and he canted his head to the side.
“The greenest grass you’ve ever seen. Never a cloud in the
sky. Any food your heart desires.”
What the hell?
The man smiled. A tear streaked down his face. “Will I see
Louise again?”
Hades gave a single nod. “Yes.”
The man broke into a sob, patting Hades’ hand.
“Don’t be afraid, Markos. You’re a good man who’s lived
a good life. You deserve to live your eternal life in happiness,”
Hades said.
He continued to sob as he nodded at Hades.
He turned away and walked back the way he came, but this
time he didn’t look so much like a zombie.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
Hades rubbed a hand over his chin. “He’s dying.”
“Dying?”
The man hoisted himself from the pool.
“How can you tell?”
Hades arched a brow.
 “Right. I keep forgetting.”
He scratched his beard. “I’ve never been approached by
them on the surface.”
“Them?”
“Those close to death. It’s not my job to send them to the
Underworld.”
“Then whose is it?”
The corners of his jaw tightened. “Thanatos.”
Sara begged me to go snorkeling despite my known fear of
underwater life. Specifically, the kind with pointy, sharp teeth.
Hades said he’d put in a good word with his brother and
promised I wouldn’t get eaten by a shark, so I eventually
agreed to go. Far too caught up in his brooding, Hades had no
desire to come, so it was the perfect opportunity for some girl
time.
“At least you didn’t try and get me to go scuba diving,” I
mumbled, twirling the snorkel mask around my finger by its
strap.
“I knew I didn’t stand a chance with that one,” Sara said
with a snicker.
“Beautiful day for a swim, ain’t it?” Rupert asked.
I put a hand over my eyes to block the sun. Rupert and
Michelle walked up, snorkel masks in their hands.
Sara rolled her eyes. “Great.”
“Rupert saw you two walk past with your masks and
thought it sounded fun. I’m just glad to do something other
than drinking like a fish at the bar, frankly,” Michelle said,
giggling.
“How convenient,” I responded with Rupert’s words from
yesterday, narrowing my eyes.
Several other people arrived in spurts. The resort host was
the last to arrive, standing at the front of the group.
 “A few ground rules before we embark. First, we are to
stay as a group. There are things in the water that could harm
you, and if you stray from the group, it’s harder for us to help
you. Second, if you see a shark, we’ll use the universal
symbol,” he put a hand over his head like a fin, “to let
everyone know there’s been one spotted. At this time of day,
I’ve only ever seen one while doing these snorkeling
excursions, and I’ve been doing this for years. Don’t worry.”
I made a ‘pfft’ sound, haughtily crossing my arms over my
chest.
“The most important rule is everyone has fun and enjoys
peering down into the mysteries of the sea. Make sure the
mask is tight and secure over your eyes, so no water seeps in
and keep that tube above the surface. Unless you have a set of
gills, human lungs aren’t a big fan of water.”
He smiled, and a couple of people chuckled at his corny
joke.
“If any should get in, simply blow out.” He winked and
slipped the mask over his face. “Let’s go!” He shoved the tube
into his mouth and hopped off the dock.
I barely had my flippers on when everyone jumped in. Sara
and Michelle hopped off the dock. I was about to follow when
Rupert’s hand gripped my arm.
I squinted behind my mask. “What are you doing?”
“What does Hades really do for a living? We both know
he’s not a bloody funeral director,” he said, his grip tightening
on my bicep.
“I have no idea what you’re getting at.”
His nostrils flared. The skin under his right eye twitched.
“Bloody level with me here. Is he in the mafia? Some kind of
organized crime unit?”
“You’re hurting me,” I growled.
His chest heaved, and he let go, running the back of his
hand under his nose. “I’ll figure it out.” He slipped the mask
over his head, the flippers making flapping sounds as he
walked past me and jumped in.
I rubbed my arm, staring down at him in the water as he
swam to catch Michelle. After jumping in and swimming so
fast it made my arms and legs burn from the strain, I clung to
Sara’s side. Sharks were nothing compared to the dark, killer
instinct that reflected in Rupert’s eyes. I’d seen that look far
too many times through my career.
Sara yanked the tube from her mouth. “What’s wrong with
you?”
I swam in circles. “Rupert.” It sounded more like roo-purr
from the tube still in place.
“What’d he do?”
I plucked the tube from my mouth, sputtering saltwater.
“He asked me the strangest questions about Hades, had this
crazed look in his eye, and gripped my arm so tight it’ll
probably leave a bruise.”
“He did what?” She’d raised her voice, the familiar flames
igniting in her gaze when she was about to release the inner
tigress.
I grabbed her shoulders, my head dipping underwater
several times due to my frantic brain forgetting to tread water.
“Don’t say anything. Not right now. Let me talk to Hades
first.”
“What’s he going to do that I can’t?”
Oh, if she only knew. “There’s no reason to potentially
ruin our vacation with things getting blown out of proportion.”
She stared at me. The corners of her jaw popped. “Fine.
But don’t get caught alone with Rupert. I knew he was going
to be trouble the moment I laid eyes on him.”
“Trust me. He’s the last person I want to be alone with.”
The rest of the excursion went off without a hitch. We saw
fish of all shapes and colors and a couple of sea turtles. Even a
dolphin stopped by to swim through our group. I wondered
how much of the experience was due to Hades putting in his
supposed word with his brother. Was Poseidon possibly one of
the people in our group? Or was he a person at all? Maybe he
was the dolphin. It all made my head ache.
Sara helped me out of the water, glaring daggers at Rupert
from across the way. “Come on, Steph. Let’s get a head start,
so he doesn’t have an excuse.”
Rupert pulled himself onto the deck, wincing and holding
his side. When Michelle reached out to help him, he slapped
her hands away. I picked up my pace.
“Aside from creepy Rupert, that was pretty fun,” I said,
smiling at Sara.
“Good. Figured we needed to see a little more of this
gorgeous island, you know?”
“I can’t believe I never thought about coming here. Not
that I inherited much of the Greek part of my genes.” I
referenced my body with a chuckle.
“Face it, Steph, you’ve been slacking on going anywhere
or doing anything other than working.”
The word “slacking” gave me pause, and I grabbed Sara’s
arm. “Slack. File slack. Oh my—Sara, I never thought about
checking the file slack.”
Her eyes shifted. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“The hard drive. There could be residual data from
anything deleted in the file slack.” I grinned and jumped up
and down.
“Great. You’ll have a lead when we get back. See?
Vacation worked.”
“Oh, no. I can’t wait until we get back. Are you crazy?”
She pointed a finger in my face. “Stephanie. You
promised. The case has waited all these years; it can wait a
little longer for us to get back.”
I pouted. “Please?”
She raised a brow.
 With a groan, I kicked an imaginary pebble on the ground.
“Fine. I’ll wait until we get back.”
“Good. Let’s get back to our room. I say today, we order
room service and enjoy that veranda we’ve been neglecting.
There’s even a TV out there.” She draped an arm over my
shoulders with a wide grin.
“Is this your way of avoiding Rupert?”
She tapped my nose. “That too.”
I popped out my contacts and slipped my black-rimmed
glasses on, given her intent on barricading us inside for the
rest of the day. If only my eyes could sigh in relief. I changed
into a pair of lounge shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top,
devoid of a bra. The beach view from the veranda and the
wind whipping through the trees sent a wave of calm over me.
We’d been channel surfing for the past hour, nothing
jumping out at us. Trays littered with dirtied plates and glasses
rested on the table in front of us. There was a knock at the
door. Considering we’d ordered another round of drinks, and I
was in a drowsy stupor, I didn’t think to look through the
peephole before opening the door.
“Am I interrupting something?” Hades asked, pressing his
forearm against the doorframe above my head.
I froze. “What are you doing here?”
“I haven’t seen you all day. Figured I’d stop by to see if
you wanted to practice this dance,” his eyes dropped to my
chest.
The A/C mixed with the sight of him casually standing
there in the hallway had my nipples at full salute. I slapped an
arm over my chest with a nervous bout of chuckles. “Practice?
Right now?”
“All we’ve done is the lift. The contest is tomorrow night.
You need to teach me the rest of it.”
“Oh, of course. Pfft.” I adjusted my glasses. “What was I
thinking?”
 “Have you always worn those?” He tapped my glasses
with a twinkle in his eye.
I gave a sheepish smile and slid them off. “During the day
I usually wear contacts.”
“Don’t take them off on my account, darlin’. I like ‘em.”
He lifted my hand toward my face, urging me to put them back
on.
Sara brushed past me. “Feel free to practice in our room. I
was going to hang out by the pool anyway.” She smiled at me,
despite my unspoken pleas for her not to leave me braless.
After she left, I stepped aside to let him in. When I shut the
door, the clicking noise it made sounded more ominous than
usual. I contemplated bringing up the Rupert situation right
out the gate. Chances were, he’d whisk off to give Rupert a
piece of his mind, and we’d get no practice.
“Let me change first,” I said, power walking past him.
“If you insist,” he said, wickedness lacing his tone.
I ducked into the bathroom and changed into a bra, shirt
and, shorts. When I walked back into the room, he sat on the
armrest of the couch, watching Dirty Dancing. My heart raced
at the mere sight of it.
“What are you doing?” I asked, marching over to him like
he’d done something wrong.
He arched a brow and turned the volume up. “This is the
movie, correct? I figured it’d be easier if I just watched it.”
“Are you like Neo and kung fu? You spend five minutes
watching something, and inexplicably know it?”
He folded his arms and furrowed his brow. “I’m a fast
learner.”
Of course, he was. The all too familiar music blared from
the TV speakers as Swayze walked on stage, beckoning
Jennifer Grey with his finger. I couldn’t watch him, watching
my favorite movie of all time. Why was this making me so
nervous? I bit my thumbnail and started to pace the room’s
length, occasionally glancing over at the TV and gauging his
expression. As always, the man’s face was stone cold the
entire time even when Swayze did his slow-motion leap off
the stage.
Once the scene finished, he turned the TV off and stood
up, crossing the room with three powerful strides.
“Before we get into this, you owe me.” I held my hands in
front of me like their presence would stop him.
“Owe you?”
“Relay your conversation with Swayze.”
He squinted. “Alright. He arrived in the Underworld, and it
took me only a moment to know he led his best life. I asked
him what he felt he gave most to society.”
I clasped my hands under my chin. “And what’d he say?”
“He said, entertainment, but mostly acting, and forever
givin’ the world the line, ‘Nobody puts Baby in a corner.’”
“He seriously said that?”
He held up a finger, signaling for me to be quiet. “He
quickly followed up with that last bit being a joke, and I didn’t
need to ask any more questions. I was more than prepared to
guide him to the Fields.”
I didn’t say anything for a beat, staring at him wide-eyed
before motioning with my hand to continue.
“That was it,” he said, shifting his eyes.
“What do you mean, that was it? I’d hardly consider that a
conversation.”
“I’m not sure what you think it’s like in the Underworld,
but normally the last thing most of the newly departed feel like
doing is chattin’.”
To say my curiosity piqued at seeing the Underworld
would’ve been a gross understatement. I imagined it would be
breath-taking or downright terrifying. Probably both. “Fair
enough. Well, thank you. I’m glad to know his sense of humor
continued despite his untimely demise.”
 His eyes morphed into that sexy, narrowed thing he often
did. He didn’t say a word, closed the space between us, and
slid his arms around my waist. I tensed. He took my right hand
into his left and, without warning, dipped me. I backpedaled
away, pushing my glasses further up my nose.
“We don’t need to practice that whole beginning part.
Maybe we should concentrate on the trickier coordinated
pieces.”
He retook my hand, leading me to him until he was behind
me. “Dancing is like a symphony.” He lifted my arm to drape
it over the back of his neck. “One melody flows into the other
with intricate moving parts. If you were to rearrange them or
only play one part, it ruins the entire composition.” He
dragged his fingertips down the underside of my arm.
I tried to suppress a shiver. It didn’t work.
I crossed an arm over my stomach, slipping my hand into
his. He gripped my hip with his other hand but failed to
perform one of the smallest of gestures. In the movie, Swayze
kissed her on the nose before going into the first move. It was
subtle but adorable. Oh, well. He spun me, and we delved into
the dance I’ve known since I was a kid. He didn’t miss a beat
even with the absence of music, but I could hear the
instruments and lyrics in my head. I started to mouth the
lyrics.
We performed every step without error until he spun me
several times in a row. I forgot to spot something in the room
to focus on and got dizzy. My feet tripped over each other, and
he gripped my hand to keep me from falling. I stared up at
him.
“How are you so normal?” I asked.
“Normal? Not sure anyone’s called me that before.” He
lifted my arms above my head, moving his hands to my
ribcage, and I swayed from side to side.
“You rule a kingdom of ash and bone, and yet here you are
rehearsing dance moves with a mortal woman who annoys
you.”
 We shimmied to and fro, our elbows parallel to one
another. “First of all, you’ve never annoyed me. Perplexed me,
maybe but never annoyed.”
I glared up at him, my lips curling into a sly grin. I draped
an arm behind his neck as he spun us in circles.
“Second of all, rehearsing dance moves as if I wasn’t the
god of the Underworld is exactly what I need.” He pulled
away from me, our fingers interlaced until he slid his hand
away. “I get to pretend I don’t have the responsibilities.” He
walked backward. “Pretend as if I’m simply a mortal man
spending time with a mortal woman.”
He motioned with his hand, beckoning me. I bit my lip and
ran forward. He wrapped his hands around my hips and
hoisted me above his head. This time I didn’t forget to pose.
The room fell silent. The only sound was my steady breathing
while suspended in the air. He lowered me, letting our bodies
slide against each other until the tips of my toes touched the
floor. I stared up at him, my gaze dropping to the thin shape of
his lips. I couldn’t be sure if it were the dancing or the
intensity in his stare, but with shaky hands, I touched my lips
to his. He tensed before reciprocating, sliding his lips against
mine. He tasted like charcoal.
I gasped and pulled away. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He licked his lips.
I forgot who he was. What he was. He seemed so human.
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Kiss me, you mean?”
“I mean—we can’t.”
He glared. “Why? Because I’m a god or specifically
because I’m the King of Ash and Bone?”
His words felt like lemon juice in a papercut. “That’s not
what I meant, I—”
“It is. I knew this was too good to be true. Who put you up
to this?” He snarled. “Zeus?”
 My sinuses stung. “What? No. I—” I couldn’t get the
words out. A tear rolled down my cheek.
“I’ll do the contest with you because I already promised,
but rest assured, once it’s over, you never have to see me
again.” The skin above his nose creased, and his jaw tightened.
When he turned for the door, I took a step forward.
“Hades.”
His forearm tensed, holding the door open, and he tossed a
scowl over his shoulder. “What?”
“Rupert’s acting strange. I’m worried that—”
His grip tightened on the door, and he interrupted me to
say, “I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay—” The door slammed. “Bye.”
I flopped onto the couch and sobbed.
If there was one thing I knew about myself, it was the inability
to leave work at work. I snuck out of our hotel room first thing
in the morning in my PJs and went to the computer lab. That
and I could hardly sleep given the way things ended with
Hades. The disappointed look on his face haunted me. A face
I’d put there.
Sara had a knack for making me feel guilty, and if she
caught me, it’d be like I stole her last Cinnamon Bun Oreo. I
secured myself in the corner of the lab, making sure to keep
my head low. The light from the monitor glinted in my glasses.
The file slack. I can’t believe I didn’t think to check it
before. Or I’d gotten so burnt out with the case it slipped my
mind. Wouldn’t be the first time it happened nor the last.
Examiners were human beings as much as we’d like to think
of ourselves as robots. Essentially, files are never entirely
deleted. Instead, their data is moved around the hard drive as it
makes space for other files. It could get tricky when less and
less of the file was available, or if it became so fragmented,
piecing it all together from varying points on the drive. For
anyone trying to hide something, deleting a lot of data was
usually a first step in covering their digital tracks.
Making sure to keep my head level with the monitor, I
started processing. The sound of the door opening made my
head dip lower.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sara said, standing at the
end of the row with her arms crossed.
 I chuckled, sitting straight up. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Stephanie Rose Costas. You. Promised.”
“Sara, I know, but we only have two more days here, and I
didn’t want to waste them wracking my brain over this
working or not.”
She stomped over, glaring down at the screen. “You know
this is confidential evidence. Sifting through it on a public
domain could get you in some deep shit.”
I drummed my fingers against the desk. “Not if I’m logged
into a virtual private network.”
“Stephanie.” She loomed over me. “You would’ve had to
set that up at work.”
“Look at you, knowing how VPNs work.”
“Which means you knowingly set it up before we left. You
had every intention of logging in before our plane left the
tarmac, didn’t you?”
I blinked. “I may have a serious problem.”
“I know you’re passionate about your job and want to help
people, but you need to start putting yourself first, Steph.” She
stood up with a sigh.
I traced a fingertip over my lip, remembering the kiss with
Hades. The scowl that creased into his brow when I’d stupidly
said it shouldn’t have happened.
“Did you at least find something?”
I jolted in my chair. “Hm, what?”
“The process is finished.” The word “complete” flashed on
the screen.
“Right.”
After scrolling through the broken data, it wasn’t looking
good. I sighed, leaning back in my chair with a humph.
“From the way this data is patterned, it’s as if he knew the
possibility and added meaningless files to override the data
continuously,” I said.
 “Is that why I keep seeing the filename: catmeme.jpg
repeatedly?”
“Exactly. And I already checked. That file is an actual cat
meme. Son-of-a-bitch.” Swearing meant I was on a whole new
level of frustration. There was always a shred of evidence.
Something. I pressed my face into my palms and started
crying.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not as if the physical
side of things was any better. He knew what he was doing. He
didn’t get messy, as so many other serial killers do.
Committing suicide was probably the smartest thing he
could’ve done.”
It wasn’t about the case. The crying turned into full-on
sobbing.
“Steph, my God. What’s the matter?” Sara said, taking a
seat next to me and rubbing my back.
“Hades.”
“Did he do something? Say something?”
I sniffled. “No. It was me. Me.”
“Sweetie, you’re going to have to give me a little more
here.”
“I kissed him.”
She stopped rubbing and dipped her face into mine. “Was
it bad?”
“No.” I started sobbing again. “It was perfect. Beyond
perfect.”
“Stephanie.” She turned my chin to look at her. “Are you
going to tell me or what?”
“It was a great kiss that shouldn’t have happened.”
“Why?”
“Because we can’t be together, and it’d just hurt more in
the end.”
“Why can’t you be together?”
 I rubbed the back of my hand across each cheek, wiping
away tears. “Do you remember the movie Labyrinth?”
She narrowed her eyes. “I remember David Bowie’s
codpiece and her name being Sarah mostly, but yes.”
“Sarah is pulled into the Goblin King’s spell. Like it starts
as a wicked ploy on Jareth’s part at first, but then Sarah really
does start feeling something for him.” I pinched my eyes shut,
remembering Hades call me “real.” “He’d been known for
wicked deeds and ill intents but went through everything to
lure her into the labyrinth. Seduce her, to make her his.”
All Hades wanted was to feel normal for a short time while
he was on the surface. With one action and few words, I ripped
that way from him.
“You’re starting to lose me here, Steph.”
I sighed. “Do you think under different circumstances,
Sarah would’ve become the Goblin Queen?”
I looked at Sara pleadingly, as if I needed to hear her say it.
To tell me what I was feeling was alright.
“What if he hadn’t kidnapped Toby, but rather approached
her in the normal sense?”
Or knew what he’d done in the past was wrong and vowed
never to do it again…
“But then…” I pursed my lips. “She wouldn’t have been
able to be with him anyway. He was a being from another
realm.”
An immortal god with a kingdom to rule.
Sara cleared her throat and wrapped her hands around
mine. “I’m not sure why you’re using analogies to get to your
point, but I’ll humor you. She could’ve been with him if she
agreed to become immortal. But you’re right. He didn’t
deserve her after all the shit he pulled. I don’t care how much
he claimed to love her.”
Become immortal. My heart sunk to my feet.
 “You need to talk to him, Steph. Clearly, you both like
each other, and he seems pretty understanding, so talk to him.”
I wanted nothing more than to tell her everything. Get her
opinion on everything. But I couldn’t.
“Come on.” She grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back.
“Shut all of this down. We have a contest to primp you for.”
“Primp?” I asked.
“We still haven’t used our free spa passes, remember?”
Who could think of relaxing at a time like this?
“Go change. I’ll meet you there,” she said, shoving me
toward the door and slipping our passes into my pocket.

I stood outside of the spa, chewing my thumbnail. When she

said to meet her here, I didn’t realize she meant in twenty
minutes, which is how long I’d been standing here. I was sure
of it.
“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say this isn’t a whiskey
tastin’, is it?” Hades said from behind me.
I spun around to face him, and my heart raced. “Hades?”
He dipped his chin down. “Hey, darlin’.”
“Sara, she must’ve—” Tears threatened my eyes, but I held
them back.
“She did.” He smirked. “Rather clever, I gotta say.”
I stepped forward. “About yesterday, I’m sorry. I didn’t
mean to hurt you.”
He held up a hand. “You don’t have to explain.”
“No, I do. I said that we can’t because I didn’t know if we
could.”
His face fell blank.
It was better than that scowl of his.
 “So, you don’t regret kissing me?” His brow raised.
Gulping, I shook my head. We stood in awkward silence,
staring at each other.
I glanced behind me at the spa. “I probably know the
answer, but have you ever been to one of these before?”
He smirked. “No.”
“Me either. I can give these passes to another couple,” I
said with a shrug.
He walked up to me and slipped his hand into mine. “Or
we can experience it for the first time together. I can power
through it if you can.”
My throat constricted, and I tightened my grip on his hand,
letting him lead me into the spa.
The attendant, a young man, greeted us with a warm smile.
“Kalimera.”
Hades bowed his head.
“Eísai mazí?” the attendant asked, cocking an eyebrow at
Hades.
“Naí,” Hades replied with a nod, pressing a hand against
my lower back. “Passes, sweetheart?”
“Oh, right.” I dug into my pocket and held them out.
The attendant motioned with his hand for us to follow him.
As he led us to the back, I leaned toward Hades. “What did
he ask?”
“If we had passes.” His lips thinned.
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you screwing with me again?”
He gazed down at me with brightened eyes but said
nothing.
“This is what I get for letting that Greek Rosetta Stone
collect dust.”
The back area of the spa had several doors leading to
changing rooms.
 The attendant pointed to the left. “Gynaíkes.”
“Women,” Hades translated.
I locked eyes with him as I slipped into the changing room.
We gazed at each other until the door closed, breaking our
trance. Several white robes hung from silk-lined hangers, and
there were cubbies to store personal items. I removed my
shorts and shirt, standing in only my bikini.
I had a choice. Keep the bikini on or not. A simple choice,
but it made my mind reel. A week ago, the version of me that
arrived in Greece wouldn’t have stewed on it for long. She’d
have kept the swimsuit on. The one-piece.
I pulled on the strings and let the suit fall to the ground.
The robe caressed my bare skin when I slipped it over my
naked form. It was soft and fluffy terry cloth. When I returned
to the hallway, Hades walked out of his room at the same time.
I clenched the neckline of my robe and stared at his bare chest
peeking out.
His eyes roamed down my body. When he reached my
feet, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head.
“You ready?”
I nodded. In truth, I wasn’t even sure what I should be
ready for. Were we getting massages? Facials? I bit back a
laugh at the thought of Hades with a clay-based mask on his
face.
The attendant held his hand out toward another room. Two
tables situated side by side with face pillows and white sheets
draped over them. He rattled something off in Greek with a
wide grin and left. I shuffled into the room, playing with the
ties of my robe. Hades walked in behind me, shutting the door
with a light click.
“He said they’d be with us in a moment and to get
comfortable under the sheets,” Hades said.
My stomach clenched when he said “under the sheets” and
thoughts nowhere else but in the filthy, filthy gutter invaded
my head.
 I moved to one table, undoing the ties of the robe.
Glancing over my shoulder, I caught him staring. He shot his
gaze skyward, rubbing the back of his head again.
“I can turn around,” he said.
I should’ve been lady-like and asked him to, but
surprisingly I wanted him to watch. Instead, I let him make up
his own mind, kept my back to him, and slipped the robe over
my shoulders. As bold as I felt, I couldn’t bring myself to take
a peek at him. But the sound of a husky breath letting out of
him as I crawled under the sheet told me he hadn’t bothered
turning around.
I shoved my face into the pillow and turned my head when
I heard his own robe’s sound coming off. My cheeks warmed
when his perfectly rounded and muscular butt stared at me. He
slipped under the sheet, and I turned my face away with a grin.
“I saw that,” he mumbled.
We spent the next hour being massaged by Georgios and
Alexandra. Hades asked for Georgios, claiming he’d have the
stronger hands to handle his extremely tight muscles. A small
part of me hoped he asked because he knew Alexandra had a
good possibility of trying to take the massage to a whole other
level once the aura kicked in. Involuntary groans escaped my
throat when she’d worked my lower and upper back. Sitting at
a computer desk all day had been taking its toll. They rubbed
large chunks of salt against our skin, wiped it off with hot
towels, and instructed us in Greek before leaving us to slip on
our robes.
Hades lay on his back, staring at the ceiling with heavy
eyes. “I never thought in a million years I’d do something like
this. Have to say, I’ve been missin’ out.” His dimple made an
appearance as he looked over at me with a smirk.
I laughed. “Me too. Sara will never let me hear the end of
it.” Sitting up, I wrapped the sheet around me.
He leaned on one elbow and watched me.
“Did they say what’s next?” I asked.
 He gave a subtle nibble on his lower lip. “Soakin’ in the
mineral bath.”
“Guess I better get my bikini back on, huh?”
He nodded.
We slipped back into our robes without any attempts to
disguise our ogling of each other.
After slipping into my bikini, I followed the attendant to
the bath where Hades already was. Scented candles
surrounded a square-shaped tub, a colossal tub that could have
fit a dozen people. Vanilla, lilac, and cinnamon permeated the
air. Steam floated over the water, and there sitting at one end
was the god of the Underworld himself. One knee poked out
of the water, propped on the bench seat. He swirled his finger,
watching the ripples with squinted eyes.
My feet made light flapping noises as I walked toward the
edge of the tub. He lifted his chin and pierced me with his
gaze. I kept eye contact as I dipped a foot in the water.
“Warm enough for you?” He asked.
I sat on the bench seat across from him and closed my eyes
with a contented sigh. “It’s perfect.”
“I took the liberty of making it a tad more…inviting.”
My eyes fluttered open. He had that wicked glint in his eye
and continued to circle his finger in the water.
“What’s the Underworld like?” I asked with a voice barely
above a whisper.
He stopped twirling his hand. “What do you wish to
know?”
I pushed from my seat and waded through the water until I
was on his side. Shimmying across the bench, I scooted until I
felt his thigh brushing mine. “Everything.”
He glanced down at our legs touching before waving his
hand in front of us. The black smoke fog swirled over the
water. “The river Styx,” he started, and the smog morphed into
a projection of a river. Bodies poked out from the water as a
boat sailed past them.
“Who are those people?”
“Souls on their way to judgment.”
I looked at him. “To you?”
“To me, yes.” He wiggled his fingers, and the fog morphed
into a tall throne with spires. “The river leads to my throne
room. It’s where I spend most of my time.” Cave-like walls
and a high stone ceiling surrounded the throne. The boat
pushed into the sand of the river’s shoreline. “The sand is
black. My throne is black. Everything about the Underworld,
Stephanie is dark and dreary.”
I slipped a hand over his knee. At first, he tensed but then
relaxed against my touch. “Tell me more, Hades.”
He stared at me before waving his hand again. A dog with
three heads snapped its jaws at a faceless figure. “My guard
dog, Cerberus. It doesn’t happen often, but when a soul
escapes or wanders away from Tartarus, Cerberus is duty-
bound to bring them back.”
“Tartarus. Is it all fire and brimstone like I imagined it to
be?”
He pursed his lips. “I’d rather not get into details about
Tartarus. If you’ve ever pictured what hell would be like, then
it’s truly all you need to know.”
I made absent circles with my fingertip over his knee.
“And the Elysian Fields?”
“My powers couldn’t show the true brightness and colors
of the Fields. It’s paradise.”
My heart fluttered. “Sounds amazing. Are people happy
when they see it? Does it help them not be so afraid?”
He turned to face me, draping one arm on the edge of the
tub. “It does. So curious, you’d think to ask such a question.”
“Have you thought about it? Taking on another Queen?” It
left my lips before I had a chance to think about his reaction.
 His jaw tightened, and he looked away. “I have. But I’d
never feel right askin’. Since last time, it’d have to be a choice.
An eternity in the Underworld isn’t exactly an easy sell.”
He forgot it was a package deal, a package that included
him.
“Anything else your smoke monster can do?” I gave a coy
grin.
His tongue grazed his lip, and he whispered into my ear,
“Shut your eyes.”
I kept my grip on his leg and closed my eyes. A touch like
a rose petal caressed my arm. It lit every nerve on one side of
my body on fire, liquid fire coursing through my veins. The
sensation traveled up my neck, and I moaned. My hand
clenched his knee, and he slipped a hand over mine, clenching
it back. It skirted over the back of my head, dipping over my
shoulder to my breasts. I gasped, and my lip trembled. The
sensation dripped to my core, tantalizing me, and tightening.
My head flew back. I grabbed for him for fear I was falling.
My eyes flew open, and I couldn’t catch my breath. The
fog was wrapped around us, curling over our limbs and
breezing through our hair. I stared up at his ravenous gaze. His
nostrils flared. He dipped his chin, kissing me with the same
fiery intensity I’d felt across my skin. The fog swirled around
us, and I fought back a groan.
A throat cleared nearby that didn’t belong to Hades or me.
A low growl vibrated in Hades’ chest, and he slipped away.
The attendant gave us an awkward wave and rattled off words
in Greek. I pressed a hand to my chest, ensuring my heart still
beat.
“He said our time is up,” Hades said with a frown.
Ironically, our time really was up. Hades would have to
return to the Underworld, leaving me with nothing but
memories of his molten touch.
“I still don’t regret kissing you,” I said for me as much as I
said it for him.
 He traced his knuckles down my cheek. “I only regret I
can’t stay.”
“We still have tonight.” I forced a smile.
As Hades walked me back to my room, the older woman
from the resort I’d seen him talk to days before ran up to him.
She looked pain-stricken, grasping his hands within her
gnarled ones.
“Fovámai,” she kept saying over and over.
Hades glanced at me before wrapping an arm around the
woman’s shoulders and leading her to a bench. Her hands
trembled, and tears streaked down her face. A butterfly
appeared in his hand, and he held it out to her. It was beautiful
in shades of purple, delicately flapping its wings, allowing the
woman to hold it. The woman smiled. Smoke swirled in
patterns around her body, emanating from the butterfly. She
didn’t seem to notice, staring down at the insect, grinning,
until she slumped over motionless.
I walked over. “Is she…”
His face hardened. “Yes. Her time had come to an end.”
I gasped, tears threatening. “I thought you said you guided
the souls once they’re in the Underworld, not here.”
“I did say that, and it still holds. Something’s not right. I
have to go back soon.”
I stared at the woman in horror. It was a natural process of
life, but being so close to it sent a chill down my spine. The
only sense of comfort was seeing her serene face when he’d
calmed her.
“Stephanie,” Hades said, gently touching my elbow.
I jumped and peered down at the man who had shared such
intimacy only moments ago. It felt bizarrely normal despite
conversations of the Underworld and animated fog. I
should’ve been scared of him after witnessing what I just had,
but couldn’t bring myself to be.
“Yes?” I asked through a cracked voice.
 “Can you please go get someone? Tell them what
happened to her.”
“What about you?”
His brow creased. “What about me?”
“What if they…” I lowered my voice. “What if they think
you killed her?”
“They won’t. Trust me.”
He kept my gaze and waited for his words to sink in.
I gave a firm nod and turned away. His hand caught mine.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said.
Tonight. The dance.

I sat on the couch in my pink chiffon dress and nude-colored

flats, waiting for Hades. Sara had been rather proud of herself
when I got back to our room. When she asked how it went, I
left out all of the steamy details. He wasn’t going to be around
forever. It was just as unfair to her to make it seem otherwise.
She helped me with my hair and hurried off to claim her front-
row seat in the atrium. Thoughts of the older woman
consumed me. It was a grim realization of who he was.
A light knock sounded at the door. I stared at the peephole
before opening it to reveal Hades leaning against the frame
with his hands in his pockets. He wore a black silk collared
short-sleeve shirt with several buttons undone and black pants.
I sucked on my lower lip. “You’re going all out. Same
outfit and everything.”
“Figured you would appreciate it.” His eyes dropped to my
dress.
My body hummed. “Oh, I do. Very much.”
“You look beautiful.”
 “Thank you.” Heat flushed over my cheeks. “Is everything
alright? With the woman, I mean?”
“Yes, but you shouldn’t have to think about that right now.
Tonight is for you.” He reached for my hand and curled it
around his arm, escorting us to the atrium.
“What happens to all the souls when you’re not in the
Underworld?”
“They remain in the river Styx until I’m there to guide
them in the right direction.”
My grip tightened on his bicep. “That’s awful. It’s like a
sort of limbo?”
“Time works differently down there. They don’t know how
long they’ve been there. But, it’s also why I can never be on
the surface for a prolonged time. They might not know, but I
do.” He squeezed my hand.
“That’s quite the burden you have on your shoulders.”
He shrugged. “You get used to it. I was never meant to
lead a normal life. No waking up, brushing my teeth, and
brewing a pot of coffee.”
“You’d take your coffee black, I assume?”
“Naturally. And I’d guess you have a little coffee with
your sugar?”
I laughed. “And two creams.”
His eyes twinkled, peering down at me. My breath hitched.
The murmurs from the inside crowd muffled through the
atrium doors once we reached them.
“Ready to win this thing?” he asked, pulling the door open
for me.
“I have full confidence in you. I just hope I don’t trip and
fall flat on my face.” Nerves prickled my skin.
“You know I wouldn’t let that happen, darlin’.” He pressed
his hand against my lower back, steering me toward the table
with sign-in sheets.
 The woman looked up at us unenthused. Her gaze landed
on Hades, and she smiled wide. “You look amazing.”
Hades was a juicy steak, and I was a window.
My hands trembled as I picked up the pen. Hades touched
his fingertips to my arm, gently taking the pen from my grasp.
He nodded at the woman. “Thank you kindly.”
After he signed our names in that gorgeous scroll of his, he
led me past signs reading “Contestants This Way.” We went
backstage where a man stood, holding square pieces of paper
with numbers on them. He handed us a number six and
pointed to a far corner. I shuffled my feet forward, Hades still
leading me.
“Are you okay? We got this. Not sure why you’re so
nervous,” he said, massaging my shoulders.
My eyes closed, remembering the feel of the fog pooling
over my chest.
“I’m fine. I’ve only wanted to do this pretty much my
entire life. I have the perfect partner, the perfect scenery.
Hardly seems real.”
“Perfect partner?” His breath breezed against my ear.
I tensed and turned around to face him. (I’ve Had) The
Time of My Life blasted through the speakers as the first couple
took the stage. “Guess we should watch our competition?” I
moved to the wings.
Several couples went before us, most of them messing up
one move or the other, and none of them were able to
complete the ending lift. Rupert and Michelle were next. I
secretly hoped Rupert broke a leg.
Okay, not really. But still.
Hades stepped behind me, gripping each of my hips. I
watched them go through the routine flawlessly, and my heart
raced.
“They won’t be able to do the lift,” Hades whispered.
“How can you be so sure?”
 “Trust me.”
Rupert trotted to one end of the stage, motioning for
Michelle. He planted his hands around her hips and hoisted her
straight into the air. She remained suspended until Rupert
winced, clutched his stomach, and she landed flat on her butt.
She was lucky she didn’t land on her head.
Several resort workers ran on stage, helping Michelle to
her feet. One bent over to help Rupert, but he slapped their
hand away. Michelle cried as they led her off stage, Rupert
following behind, still clutching his side. Hades’ expression
turned predatory as Rupert passed us. When he spotted Hades,
that same look of pure terror engulfed Rupert.
Hades’ expression softened. “We’re up darlin’.” He took
my hand and led us to the dancefloor, but I couldn’t help look
over my shoulder at Rupert.
Why was he so scared of Hades if he didn’t know who he
was? And what was he hiding? Or was Hades the one hiding
something?
The song started up, and as we practiced, he wrapped a
hand around my back, dipping me. Sara gave an enthusiastic
“woo” from the front row. I turned my back to him, draping
my arm around his neck, and right before he gripped my hip to
spin me, he kissed the tip of my nose. It threw me so off guard
I almost didn’t move my feet with the turn.
As we went through the cha-cha moves, spins, and dips,
we made eye contact whenever we faced one another. I got
lost in his gaze several times, staring at amber-colored eyes.
Did his true form have the same color? He wrapped a hand
around my waist, lifting me, and spinning several times. It was
the first of two times I’d be entirely at his mercy during the
dance.
When we neared the end, ready to perform the final move,
he squeezed my hand, backing up to the edge of the stage. Was
he going to—? His eyes flashed before turning as he leaped off
stage. I stared dumbstruck, pressing a hand to my chest. Sara
sat between Keith and Guy, and she elbowed them both,
motioning toward me. Begrudgingly, they both got up to help
me down from the stage. I thought I was about to cry.
I ran at Hades, his hands wrapped around my waist, and
with no effort in the slightest, I was up in the air, doing the
best Baby pose I could. The crowd went wild, but I was far too
preoccupied with Hades lowering me back down. I gulped,
staring at him as I slid to the ground. He searched my face,
looking about as confused as I felt. At some point between the
feel of my chiffon skirt floating like a cloud around me and the
longing in Hades’ eyes every time we drew close, a realization
crept over me like a flame on a lit match. Whether we won the
contest or not, I couldn’t be sure because my mind caught on
the fact that I’d fallen for the god of the Underworld.
We stood still staring at each other while everyone else around
us cheered. Hades brushed a strand of hair from my face. The
subtle touch of his fingertips grazing my cheek made me
shudder.
“Oh, my God! That. Was. Amazing. I felt like I was
watching the movie all over again,” Sara said, grabbing my
shoulders.
I gulped and slipped away from him.
“You two, okay?” Sara asked with a crinkled brow.
Hades’ eyes glinted. “Never better.”
“Well, come accept your award.” She grabbed our hands
and dragged us toward the stage.
“They haven’t announced the winners yet,” I said,
laughing.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, please. You guys were
smoking. And the only couple who did the lift.”
A resort worker walked out on stage with a microphone
and envelope. “I’m sure I know whose names are in this
envelope, but may I announce the winners?
The crowd cheered, pointing at Hades and me. I turned to
face him, shoving my forehead into his shoulder. My inner
introvert screamed. Being the center of attention made me
want to crawl in a hole. Hades’ body tensed.
 “And the winners are…” He opened the envelope, paused,
and smiled. “Stephanie and Ha—des. Hades? Did I read that
right?”
Heat sprung up the back of my neck as Hades led me to the
stage. The resort worker handed us an envelope. “Tomorrow
evening, we’re having a special guest. And you two have been
given VIP access.”
“A band?” I asked, peeking into the envelope. Inside were
two badges, and once I read the name Apollo’s Suns, I almost
lost it. “Apollo’s Suns?”
Hades rolled his eyes.
“That’s right! Not only will you watch the entire concert
from the wings, but you’ll also get the opportunity to meet the
band itself.”
“I’m overjoyed,” Hades said monotone.
I slapped him on the shoulder with the envelope. “They’re
one of my favorite bands.”
“Of course, they are.”
As we walked off stage, I grabbed his arm, turning him to
face me. “Can you stay through tomorrow?”
He licked his lips, holding his head low. “Does the concert
mean that much to you?”
“Well, I hoped to watch it with you, but I also can’t be so
selfish as to keep you from wandering souls.” It alarmed me
how normal that sounded.
“I doubt one more day will hurt. I’ll stay for the concert
and then I have to go back.” His jaw tightened. “In the
meantime, I have a few things I must do. I’ll meet you back
here tomorrow night.”
I frowned. “You’re not sticking around?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He curled his hand around the
back of my neck and kissed my forehead.
He turned away and walked off before I had another
chance to protest.
It was our last day in paradise, and I was depressed for more
reasons than one. Admittedly, the thought of never seeing
Hades again was at the top of the list. I sat on the stool of the
swim-up bar next to Sara, who was with Guy. Sara leaned into
Guy, and they couldn’t stop smiling at each other. The ice had
melted long ago in my hurricane drink, diluting the color to
pale orange. I stared into my glass, stirring its contents.
“We’re going to have to go on vacation more often,” Sara
said.
I took a sip. It tasted so watered down it made my nose
scrunch. “Why?”
“Look how depressed you are.”
Not over what she thought. “Yeah. More brain breaks
couldn’t hurt honestly.”
“That’s what I’m talking about.” She shook my shoulders.
“Too bad you girls aren’t sticking around for one more
day,” Guy said, tossing his hair from his face.
“Why’s that?” Sara asked.
He grinned and moved his face closer to hers. “Because
we’re here one more day.”
I bit down on my straw with such force it cracked. “I think
the concert is a perfect end to our vacation.”
“Oh man, Apollo’s Suns? Their singer is steaming,” Sara
said, fanning herself. “And you finally get to meet him,
Steph.”
Guy smirked, taking a long guzzle of his drink. “If you like
the blonde pretty boy look.”
“Methinks someone is jealous,” I said, elbowing Sara.
She elbowed me back. “Methinks you’re right.”
“I can hear you. You know that, right?” Guy asked.
 Sara grabbed a cocktail napkin. “Can I borrow a pen?” She
asked the bartender. After scribbling a series of numbers, she
slid the napkin to Guy. “Tell you what, Canuck. You ever want
a tour of Chicago, you let me know.”
Guy’s eyes sparkled. “Chicago isn’t too far away.”
“Not at all,” she responded, popping the cherry from her
drink into her mouth.
Seeing them so happy made me nauseous. I’d grown
feelings for Hades, and here he was about to crawl back
underground to play soul keeper. “I’m going to get a refill.”
“Why don’t you get it from this bar?” Sara asked, but I
didn’t look back.
I slurped down the rest of my drink and waded through the
pool. Once I reached the bar Hades frequented, I plopped my
empty glass down and pointed at it. “Another hurricane,
please.”
Michelle emerged from a corner of the walkway. I
crouched my head down, as if I were a turtle with a shell,
hoping Rupert didn’t follow her. Much to my dismay, he did. I
tensed, moving to the opposite side of the bar. Michelle’s face
looked pain-stricken, and she wrapped Rupert’s arm around
her shoulders. Most of the color had drained from his face, and
he clutched his side like he had a stab wound.
They passed by the bar, Michelle dropping him several
times as she dragged him along. I ran over to them. “Michelle,
do you need help? What’s going on?”
She shook her head frantically. Rupert groaned. “He has a
stomach bug or something. I’m taking him to the infirmary.
I’m fine. Thank you.”
Stomach bug? I had my fair share and didn’t remember
looking that bad. I stepped away, feeling guilty for not being
able to help.
“Why the frown?” Keith asked, appearing beside me.
Rupert’s business was his business.
“Last day,” I said.
 “Ah. Yeah, that’s always a bit of a downer.” He patted his
hips, looking around.
We stood there for a few awkward moments.
“Everything good with, uh, Hades?” He scratched the back
of his head.
“Hm?” Between Hades and the enigma that was Rupert,
my mind couldn’t concentrate on the present moment. “Yeah.
He had some business stuff to take care of, but he’ll be at the
concert tonight.”
“Cool.” He nodded. “Well, it was good talking to you.”
“You too.”
He brushed past me, and I slapped a hand over my face.
Tonight couldn’t get here fast enough.

I waited outside of the atrium, bouncing around on my heels.

Hades was running late. It was like first date jitters. Only this
wasn’t a date and not the first time I’d hung around Hades. I
wanted to make the most of it. The final night together. I
wrung my hands together before clasping them around the
lanyard on my neck. Maybe he had to go back and didn’t have
time to tell me?
“Think I wouldn’t show up, darlin’?”
My breath caught in my throat as I felt his presence at my
back. The smell of ash and burning firewood hit my nose, and
I turned to face him. “I would’ve understood if you had to go
back unexpectedly.”
“And that’s precisely why I made it a point to show.” He
dipped his chin, those sexy strands of hair falling over his
cheeks.
With a stiff arm, I shoved another lanyard at him. “Here
you go.”
 “Ah, yes. How fortunate we’re VIPs.” He plucked the
badge from my hand and slipped it over his neck with a
grimace.
“What do you have against Apollo’s Suns?”
He led us toward the entrance. “Their singer is my
egocentric nephew.”
Hades walked forward, but my feet froze to the ground. He
opened the door, waiting for me, and did a double-take when
he saw I was several feet away.
“The frontman of Apollo’s Suns is the actual Apollo?”
“As I said—egocentric.”
I shuffled forward, but my arms remained stiff. “I’ve been
a fan of them so long. I’m not sure how I’m going to look him
in the face.”
He slipped his arm around my waist. “You look me in the
face without issue. Just try not to get blinded by his sunshine
smile.” Sarcasm laced his words like venom.
A resort worker spotted our badges and motioned for us to
follow him. Without knowing, I gripped onto Hades’ shirt, my
heart racing as we got closer and closer to the stage.
“You have no reason to be nervous. He has half the power
I do. Maybe even less.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Did you ever stop to think I’m
nervous about meeting a rockstar, not the fact he’s a Greek
flipping god?”
He frowned. “Sorry.”
Now I was double nervous. I often heard rockstars referred
to as “gods” in their own right, but never in the literal sense. It
was ingenious. His cover—was essentially himself. Ingenious
or extremely arrogant. The resort worker led us to the wings.
We were so close you’d be able to see the sweat rolling down
their faces.
“Here we are. The show should be starting in a few
minutes. You’ll be able to meet the band after the first act.
Enjoy!”
Hades folded his arms over his chest, a scowl distorting his
features. The lights dimmed, and I clapped. The band entered
the stage from the opposite side, the drummer taking his
position first, followed by the bassist and guitarist. The crowd
roared, waiting for that pivotal moment when Apollo made his
grand entrance. A burst of flames ignited in the middle of the
stage. Ace or rather, Apollo stood with his iconic silver and
ivory guitar with glowing orange suns down the neck.
“Oh, brother,” Hades mumbled.
I stopped clapping. “That wasn’t pyrotechnics, was it?”
“No. It wasn’t.”
Apollo stepped up to the mic stand, throwing the rock
symbol into the air. “How are we tonight, Corfu?”
He wore skintight metallic gold pants and a leather vest
with no shirt underneath. His bleach blonde hair hung to the
nape of his neck, draping over his perfectly sun-kissed skin.
Every time he ran his fingers through, it only made him more
attractive as it fell in a perfect frame around his chiseled facial
features. He had the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen, a broad
jawline, and just as Hades described—an electric smile.
The drummer began their first song. Apollo strummed his
hand over the strings of his guitar, sun rays blazing from it
toward the audience. I’d seen the effects before, but it was
crazy to know they weren’t parlor tricks. Every time he did
something, Hades’ eyes would fall shut and he’d shake his
head. Considering he was stuck underground every waking
day of his life, it must’ve been annoying to watch another god
flaunt their powers so openly.
The songs I knew had a different meaning now. The lyrics
centered around Apollo’s life. Lyrics I previously thought were
a complete myth. I curled my hands around the strings of my
lanyard. Apollo moved to the front of the stage, swinging the
guitar on its strap behind him. He grabbed the mic stand and
leaned forward, reaching out to various women screaming and
clawing over each other to get to him.
 I elbowed Hades. “Aura?”
“Aura and an ego the size of Olympus,” he mumbled.
“We can’t help who our family is.”
“Very, very true, darlin’.”
Apollo worked the crowd, especially the ladies,
occasionally hopping down to roam the aisles. Fire, sunbursts,
and blinding flashes of light went off throughout the
performance. When they played the final song of the first act,
he turned in our direction, and my heart quickened.
Oh, my God. He was coming over here. My inner fangirl
went into overdrive. This was my chance to redeem myself
from the airport.
He dragged a hand through his hair, grinning wide when
he spotted Hades. The guitar slung over his shoulder, and he
rested one of his hands on the neck of it. “Uncle. Long time no
see.”
“You’re hilarious,” Hades replied, narrowing his eyes.
Apollo bit his lip, letting his steely blue gaze drop to me.
“You look familiar.”
I snorted, feeling my cheeks warm. “Stephanie. Steph.”
Keeping one hand on my lanyard, I stuck the other one out to
him.
He snapped his fingers. “The airport. You were that shy
little mouse who couldn’t bring herself to talk to me.” He gave
a snarky grin and shook my hand.
Why in the world did he have to remember? The heat from
my face traveled down the back of my neck. Hades stepped
between us, breaking Apollo’s hold on my hand.
“So, this is what you do with your time? Pretend to be a
rockstar? Exhibit your powers openly?” Hades asked as he
slipped an arm around my waist.
Apollo looked at me with a cocked eyebrow.
“She knows,” Hades said.
 “She knows? Well then, that changes things entirely,
doesn’t it?” He grinned at me. “And I’m not pretending to be a
rockstar. I am one. Are you able to subscribe to Spotify in the
Underworld?”
Hades sighed. “Considerin’ none of us are ever in the same
place by coincidence—why are you here?”
He pointed at Hades and spoke to me. “This is why my dad
gave him the Underworld. He’s a smart cookie.”
His dad. Zeus. Uncle Hades. Underworld. Apollo. I’d
warped into the Twilight Zone.
“My visit comes with bad news, I’m afraid,” Apollo
started, draping both hands over his guitar.
Hades rolled his shoulders. “I’m listening.”
“Thanatos has abandoned his duties.”
“What?” It came out more like a growl.
Apollo held up his hands. “I’ve no idea how or why. But
something tells me you’ve noticed.”
Hades dragged a hand over his face.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means, my dear Stephanie, Hades here is in charge of
souls both on the surface and below.” Apollo pointed at the
ground with a smirk.
His smile annoyed me. “This doesn’t sound like a funny
situation.”
“Maybe not for my uncle. He’ll be a very busy man.” He
slapped his shoulder.
Hades growled again, balling his hands into fists. “I’m
powerful, but even I can’t be in two places at once.”
“Sounds like you need to have a little talk with Thanatos.”
Apollo shrugged.
It unnerved me he didn’t offer to help, and on top of that,
he acted like this was all no big deal.
 Apollo rubbed his chin. “I’m curious. How did you go
about telling her about, you know?”
Hades cocked an eyebrow. “I showed her.”
“You just—” Apollo’s eyes widened. “You took her to the
Underworld?”
My body stiffened.
“No, you idiot. I showed her power. The fog from Styx.”
“And that was it? Just like that, she was cool with it?”
“More or less.”
Apollo frowned.
“Is there a particular reason you’re asking?” Hades said.
“No. Nope. Just curious,” Apollo replied, looking away.
The lights faded on the stage before brightening again.
Apollo raised a single finger. “That’s my cue. It was a
pleasure meeting you, Stephanie. And Uncle, charming as
always.” He flashed a smile before returning to his waiting
audience.
Hades paced like a caged lion. “I’m sorry. I wish nothin’
more than to spend time with you, but I’ve got to take care of
this.”
“I understand.” Tears built up in my eyes, but I fought
them back. “Will I ever see you again?”
He frowned. The deepest frown I’d seen on him yet. “I’ve
never lied to you, and I won’t start now. I don’t know.”
There was no stopping them now. Several tears rolled
down my cheeks.
His face fell, and he cupped his hands around my face,
wiping the tears away with his thumbs. “This may sound
strange to you, but mortal tears over me is one of the most
beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
I gulped, staring up at him, wishing with every fiber I
could go with him. Before, the thought of the Underworld
terrified me, but now facing the harsh reality of never seeing
him again terrified me more. He dipped his head down and
kissed me. A kiss so tender no one would have ever believed it
came from a man who tortured the evil in Tartarus. And then
he vanished. The faint smell of fire hung in the air, the taste of
ash on my lips.
For the rest of the concert, I felt numb. Gone were the excited
jitters. I didn’t even bother sticking around for the encore,
yanking off my lanyard, and tossing it in the closest garbage
can. I texted Sara to tell her I was going back to the room and
not to worry about me as I didn’t feel right. In reality, I wanted
to be alone, go for a walk, and try to forget Hades.
After half an hour of wandering the resort grounds, it was
proving impossible. How did he know I couldn’t go to the
Underworld with him? He didn’t even try. Maybe he toyed
with me like all the other gods. My insides twisted. The night
grew chilly, and I rubbed my arms. I passed by a series of
rooms.
Clank.
I stopped.
What was that?
Following the direction of the sound, I heard it again. It
sounded like chains rattling against each other. I pressed my
ear to a door, hearing a man’s pained moans. Either someone
was into some severe kink, or they were in trouble. This was
one of those moments I should’ve stepped away, but my
conscience wouldn’t allow it. I pushed my ear harder, and the
door creaked open.
My heart raced as I pushed my fingertips against it. The
room was pitch black save for a sliver of moonlight sneaking
through the curtains. Against my better judgment, I stepped
inside, a chill running down my spine. I held my breath, taking
cautious steps forward.
“Don’t come any closer,” a voice said from the darkness.
The clanking sound happened again, followed by him
grunting.
The voice sounded like several voices speaking at once.
One was no louder than a whisper, and the other two were in
different pitches. But the tone was deep and husky.
“Who’s there?” I stopped, squinting into the darkness.
“It’s me, darlin’. Don’t come any closer, please.”
The southern accent was too recognizable.
“Hades?” Ignoring his plea, I continued forward. “Why?
You sound like you’re—are you chained up?” My heart
thudded so quickly I thought it’d burst through my ribcage.
“Stephanie, please. I don’t want you to see me like this.”
He spoke low, with a gravelly voice.
I rounded the corner and gasped. The moonlight spilled
over Hades, illuminating his half-naked body. He was barefoot
and shirtless, wearing only his black pants, chained shackles
around his wrists.
“Oh my God,” I stammered, running to him and dropping
to my knees.
He lifted his head when my hands clamped around the
chains, and I gasped again. His hair was white, flowing down
to his stomach. It floated around him as if in water. He had no
facial hair, and his irises were a vibrant white. His skin looked
inhuman in a pearl-like sheen, and ears that came to a point
like an elf.
I cupped his face with my hands, a tear rolling down my
cheek. “Is this the real you?”
“Yes.” Those white eyes gleamed up at me, his brow
crinkling, and with the staggering whispers of his real voice.
I thinned my lips, staring down at the true him. Should I
have been afraid? Aghast from his appearance? Because I
wasn’t. In a warped way, I preferred this side of him. “Why
are you chained up? Who did this to you?” I pulled on the
chains, eyeing the connection to the shackles.
“You’re not afraid of me?” He dipped his head down to
look at my face, his hair floating behind him.
“I haven’t been afraid of you since the day we met. Why
would this change anything?”
His nostrils flared as he stared at me. His lips parted
several times, but in the end, he pursed them together, saying
nothing. I opened the drawers of a nearby desk. What did I
expect to find? It’s not as if hotels stored toolboxes in each
room.
“You won’t be able to remove the chains. They’re cursed.”
I slammed the last drawer shut, fishing through my hair for
a bobby pin. I squatted on the floor next to him. “Like hell, I
can’t.”
The chains clattered together as Hades’ arms tensed, hands
balling into fists. The faint sound of a revolver’s hammer
pulling back filled my ears, followed by cold metal pressing
into my head’s side.
“Step away, love. No sense in you getting tangled up in all
this,” Rupert’s voice said in a hushed tone.
Hades growled, trying to stand up, only to be brought back
to his knees. “When you arrive in the Underworld, I will not
be merciful. Mark my words, mortal.”
My hands trembled as I held them up and rose to my feet.
Rupert pressed the gun harder against my skin, and I pinched
my eyes shut.
“As long as I keep you chained, no one has to die. And
I’ve got far too many things left to do with my life.”
I grunted. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, come now, love. What kind of a Greek myth trivia
winner are you? The story of King Sisyphus and the god of
death?”
 It wasn’t easy drumming up Greek myths with a loaded
gun to your head.
“He tricked Thanatos and chained him with the same
chains the gods were going to use to punish him. Without the
god of death roaming free, no mortal could die or go to the
Underworld.” He chuckled.
And with Thanatos relinquishing his duties…
“Rupert, can’t we talk about this?” I asked, gulping.
He pushed on the barrel. “Sorry, love. There’s nothing left
to talk about. I knew as soon as Hades showed me his true
face, I was dying. Bloody bleeding ulcers. I didn’t expect this
to work, honestly. But a little voice in my head told me
otherwise.”
Think. Think. In the story, Ares freed Thanatos. But Ares
was a god, capable of bypassing the curse.
“Did you stop to think what happens when you don’t get
away with this?” I asked, trying to keep my voice from
shaking.
He poked my head with the gun. “The only thing keeping
me from getting away with this right now—is you.” He
pressed his lips to my ear. “Don’t worry. You won’t die
completely. Remember?”
I never thought I feared death until now. The thought of
my life being ripped away by someone else felt unfair. The
same way my mother’s life was torn away by a stranger. Was
it fate to be killed? Shouldn’t we all die of natural causes?
The faint sound of the revolver clicking filled my ears.
“No!” Hades bellowed. He let out a ferocious yell, wings
sprouting from his back. The arches of the wings glowed with
fiery embers, morphing into smoke and ash. Remnants of
singed feathers floated around him. “These chains may make
me weak, but it doesn’t mean I can’t hurt you.”
Rupert shoved me in front of him, his free arm draping
over my chest. His body trembled, and he pushed the barrel
into my head with such force it made me wince. “You come
any closer, and I will pull this trigger.”
Hades’ chest heaved, the ash from his wings suspended in
the air, floating around him. He wrapped his hands around the
chain, pulling it taut. He snarled, revealing teeth shaped like a
wolf. Sharp and deadly. His hand splayed, and the black fog
swirled up my leg before passing over Rupert. It curled around
his neck. Hades closed his hand into a fist, and his eyes
glowed with a white intensity.
The pressure of the gun against my head fell away. Rupert
gurgled and gagged behind me. I launched my elbow into the
side I’d seen him clutching. He let out a strangled cry of pain
and pulled the trigger. A stinging pain blasted over my
shoulder, my blood spraying me in the face.
“No!” Hades roared.
I yelped but caught the revolver when Rupert dropped it.
The fog loosened its grip from him, floating back to
Hades. I winced as I lifted the gun, aiming it at Rupert.
Rupert laughed as he rubbed his neck. “It’s no use, love.
As long as Hades is in those chains, I can’t die. And none of
us can break them. Not even me.”
“How did you even get magical chains?” I said through
gritted teeth.
Rupert snickered like a hyena. “They fell into my hands in
the right place at the right time.”
“You have a gun pointed at your head. Do you really think
now is the time for riddles?”
“I’m already dead, darling. Makes no difference to me.”
Darling wasn’t his word to call me. I growled under my
breath and pulled back the hammer, holding the hilt with both
hands.
“Stephanie.” Hades’ shades of voices passed over me like
liquid silk.
 I gazed over my shoulder at the beautiful image of him
standing in his true form. Embers, smoke, and singed feathers
floated around him.
“Killing him will do nothing but damper the light inside
you. He’s not worth it.” The chains rattled as he tensed his
arms.
“Now I see why it was so easy to get you into those chains,
mate. Threaten to kill your dearly beloved, and bring the god
of the Underworld to his knees. Literally. It’s embarrassing.”
Rupert shook his head.
I was dearly beloved. My chest tightened, and I released
the hammer, lowering the weapon but not letting go.
Hades growled, vibrating the paintings hanging on the
walls. “Keep. Talking. I dare you.”
The chains. Break them.
A distant whisper fluttered over my ear. Using only my
eyes, I looked around. No one and nothing else were in the
room. Where did it come from?
The chains.
I ran over to Hades, clamping my hands around the chain.
He looked down at me with a quirked brow.
“What in Tartarus are you doing, Stephanie?”
“Something crazy.” I kept his gaze as I yanked the chain
with ease.
Blue sparks flew as each link broke. It turned into dust and
fell to the ground in a pile.
I blew out a breath, staring at my palms. There was no
rationalizing this one.
“What? How? They’re cursed. It’s not possible,” Rupert
stammered, backing away toward the window.
Hades’ wings flapped once, and he stood toe-to-toe with
Rupert. Hades puffed his chest and clenched and unclenched
his fists. Rupert’s entire body shook as he looked up at his
fate.
 “You have no idea the torturous eternity you’ve
condemned yourself to,” he said, his wings starting to wrap
around Rupert. “And your time expired hours ago.”
I looked away, shoving my face into my palms.
A hand touched my shoulder, sending me writhing back on
my heels.
“It’s only me,” Hades cooed.
I blinked up at him, in awe at the sight of his hair floating
around him and the brightness of burning embers at the arch of
his wings. “Where’s Rupert?”
“The Underworld. I’ll deal with him soon enough.” The
staggered whispers of his voice were deep. Masculine.
Commanding.
“What are you going to do with him?”
“You don’t want to know, Stephanie.” His gaze turned
sinister.
I gulped. “Do people try that with Thanatos often? Try to
bargain with him for their lives?”
“Everyone wants to go to an afterlife in paradise, but no
one wants to die.” He said, shaking his head.
Rupert most certainly wasn’t going to the Fields.
I stood up, groaning from the pain shooting down my arm.
He turned my shoulder. “The bullet only grazed you.”
I stared up at the menacing, yet angelic form of the real
Hades. If he would’ve appeared in front of me this way only
weeks ago, I may have passed out…again. His appearance was
intimidating, but he still had an ethereal quality to him, a
gentleness that gripped my very soul.
“I can help you with this, I need to—” he started, but was
cut off by a gust of wind.
A figure loomed in the corner, blocking the moonlight
from illuminating the room. Hades turned around and moved
me to stand behind him, his wings wrapping around me like a
cocoon. His nails were black, thick, and pointed.
“Thanatos. You’ve made quite the mess,” Hades said.
I leaned around him, attempting to see into the darkness.
Thanatos himself was the night. His tattered black cloak
draped to the ground, and he floated forward on a bed of fog.
All he was missing was a scythe, and he’d be the grim reaper
himself.
“I will not go back. Too long have I been feared when it is
you who guides my hand. I am nothing but a pawn.” A hand
slipped from his sleeve, pointing at Hades. I half expected it to
be skeletal, but it was a pale, human hand.
“I may be your King, Thanatos, but Zeus is king over us
all. He gave you your reign. You uphold it.”
“We, who are all descendants of Titans, reduced to
following an arrogant man with a lust for power. You are
almost as bad as he is, Hades.” It was pure macabre the way he
stood motionless, fog wafting around him.
Hades wrapped his wings around me tighter, pieces of ash
fluttering against my eyelashes. “We both have our roles. I’ve
never marveled in the cards I’ve been dealt, but we do what
we must because it’s our responsibility.”
“Says the man with near the power of Zeus.” Thanatos
snarled.
“Says the man who can never remain on the surface. I’m
not going to discuss whose existence is more pitiful over the
others. You are a god! Act like one!” The embers on the top of
his wings glowed brighter.
The sound of a sword blade sliding against stone
reverberated in my chest. “I will not go back. Even if it means
killing you in the process, my lord.”
His wings shifted, spreading wide, but his hand still held
me behind him. “Don’t be foolish. You know you can’t win.”
“Has anyone ever tried?”
 Thanatos launched forward. The ground beneath me
disappeared, replaced by a hole glowing orange and billowing
smoke. I started to fall, but Hades wrapped one arm around
me, suspending us in the air with his wings. As soon as
Thanatos floated through the hole, it sealed up, and my throat
tightened. Dark water flowed below us. The surrounding
torches reflected flames on the surface, illuminating the
wailing ghosts who swam within it.
The animated fog Hades used to show me the Underworld
in the spa paled compared to its real appearance.
Thanatos raised a large sword above his head, its blade the
length of his body. He propelled forward. Hades growled,
diving us toward the water. I pinched my eyes shut, and my
back collided with wood.
I expected to feel cold and wet in the river, but instead, I
was nestled within a boat, floating on its own toward a cave
entrance. Thanatos and Hades fought in the air. Thanatos
swung his sword while Hades used his smoke power as a
guiding force against him.
A pair of ghostly hands gripped onto the edge of the boat,
a gangly head following. The only hair it had was a few
strands sprouting from the top of its head, darkened cavities in
its skull where eyes used to be. When it wailed, holes formed
in its cheek, showing teeth. I gasped, scooting back to the
other side of the boat. Would it have been disrespectful to
stomp its hands away with my feet? As it pulled itself out of
the water, I didn’t care and stomped my feet at it until it fell
away, re-joining the other lost souls.
The river Styx. I was in the Underworld. Panic tugged at
my insides, but there wasn’t time for it. I needed to focus.
As the cave entrance grew closer and closer, panic tugged
at my spine. According to Hades’ explanation, the river was
about to end in his throne room. Above me, Thanatos reached
for Hades’ wings, but only managed to grab bits of feather and
embers. Hades grabbed him, plunging him into the water. The
souls crawled over Thanatos, crying in agony, but he shrugged
them away, floating back into the air.
 Darkness flooded over the boat as it made its way through
the tunnel. I gripped onto the edge of the vessel. Just ahead, an
enormous throne stood, made of burnt bone. Pillars
surrounded the throne with a moat of fire. Sconces hung from
the ceilings by chains, blue flames flickering within them.
The boat stopped when it beached itself on a sanded
shoreline, black sand. I hoisted myself onto the bank, gripping
my arm. I backed away from the water, watching as the souls
climbed into the abandoned boat, crying when they found no
one inside. All these poor people stuck in limbo with no
direction on where to spend their eternal lives.
I walked toward the throne, a chill traveling down my
back, trying to imagine what Hades looked like seated on it.
All imposing and merciless when he needed to be. Hades came
crashing through the cave entrance, his arm clipping the edge
of a stone pillar. Rocks flew into the surrounding walls and
plunged into the water. I pressed my back against the side of
his throne.
“We could do this until the end of time, Hades. Why can
you not simply let me be?” Thanatos roared. The sound of his
sword slicing echoed through the cavern.
“I need someone on the surface. I can’t do both,” Hades
snarled. “And you call Zeus selfish.”
“Very well. You leave me no choice but to persuade you.”
Thanatos appeared in front of me. Red fog eked over my
hands, working its way up to my face. When I looked up, the
hood of his cloak draped over his head, and his face was
nothing but a hollow shadow.
Hades made a shrill whistle. A canine growl followed by
several snapping jaws sounded. Three pairs of glowing red
eyes emerged from a darkened corner of the throne room. A
massive creature with three heads loomed over Thanatos,
drool dripping down its jaws. Cerberus.
Hades pointed at his guard dog. “Watch her.”
Cerberus slid in front of me, his claws scraping across the
stone floor. In the fog scape Hades showed me, Cerberus was
as big as my forearm. In reality, he was as tall as a skyscraper.
There was something oddly comforting about having such a
large creature defending you. It didn’t keep my knees from
shaking at the sight of him, however.
“You think your pet can stop me?” Thanatos asked, the fog
under his feet carrying him backward.
Hades glared, still suspended in the air. His flapping wings
sounded like a flickering flame. “His bite is far worse than my
bark. Do you want to continue with this charade?”
“Like all the other gods, here you are underestimating me,”
Thanatos growled. He slammed the blade of his sword into a
nearby pillar, sending rocks into one of Cerberus’ heads.
The other two heads snapped at Thanatos, but Cerberus
kept his ground in front of me as his master ordered. The head
the rocks pummeled blinked one of its eyes, and snarled, claws
digging into the ground.
Hades flew down like Superman and collided into
Thanatos’s chest. The impact sent both gods in a violent
tumble of fog and smoke.
Cerberus’ feet twitched. Hades threw punch after punch at
Thanatos’ face before being tossed away, slamming into the
side of his throne. Cerberus slid forward but stopped again.
I gulped, reaching a hand out to touch the fur on the
canine’s leg. The nearest head dipped down, eyeing my
fingers. It sniffed me and let out a huff, sending my hair flying
backward. Suppose I should’ve been glad there wasn’t snot to
accompany it. “I think it makes more sense for you to help him
defeat Thanatos rather than be stuck in this corner by me,
wouldn’t you say?”
His head shook before he snorted and nudged me with his
forehead. I stumbled, my heart racing. Cerberus charged
forward, capturing Thanatos in one of his massive jaws,
tossing him back and forth like a rag doll.
Thanatos cackled. “Does this ignorant canine think it can
snap me like a twig?”
“He’s distracting you,” Hades boomed, his eyes bursting
with white, wings glowing a furious orange. He threw his
hands forward, arms shaking, as a blue swirl eked from
Thanatos’ chest.
My stomach growled. The kind of hunger pains that make
you feel nauseated. How could I be thinking about food at a
time like this? It was so excruciating it made me grip my
stomach in agony.
“What have you done?” Thanatos cried.
The blue swirls wrapped around Hades’ forearms. “I’ve
removed your essence. What gives you your power. If you
leave the Underworld without it, you will become nothing but
mist in the air.”
Thanatos growled, trying to reach for him, but Cerberus
kept his hold. “You’re as cruel as they say, Hades.”
A pain formed in my chest hearing Hades be called cruel.
It had been almost distracting enough until my stomach
twisted harder.
“You left me no choice. I’m going to ask you one final
time. An opportunity to live on the surface.” Hades flew
higher in the air, spreading his wings. “Will. You. Perform.
Your Duties?” His voice boomed, commanding attention and
respect. The bass from his menacing tone echoed in my skull.
I sniffed the air. The smell was impossible to ignore. A
small table, decorated with a scarlet ornate table cloth, sat in
the corner. And resting on top, displayed on a silver platter,
was a pile of Cinnamon Bun Oreos. My stomach growled like
Godzilla.
Thanatos snarled. “Yes,” he muttered.
“Louder!” Hades demanded.
“Yes! I will return to my duties.”
Thanatos’ essence flowed back into him, billowing in a
cascade from Hades’ arms. I eyed the delectable plate of
Oreos, biting my lip.
“Go, now,” Hades growled. “You have an extreme amount
of work to catch up on.”
Cerberus released his hold, and Thanatos floated into the
air with his shoulders hunched forward.
“You are one to talk, Lord of the Underworld,” Thanatos
said, pointing at the overflowing river of souls before
vanishing.
I reached out for the plate of Oreos. Just one tiny nibble.
So hungry. So very, very hungry. The textured surface of the
delicious cookie brushed my fingertip, and I picked it up. My
mouth salivated as I brought it to my lips.
A hand grasped my wrist, stopping me.
“Stephanie, no,” Hades said, glowering down at me.
I blinked, staring down at the Oreo inches from my lips,
and dropped it. “I don’t—I don’t know what came over me. I
would’ve been—”
“Stuck here.” He frowned.
I gazed down at his hand wrapped around my wrist. “But
you didn’t let me.”
 “I told you before I would never let that happen again. She
deserved a choice.”
My heart hummed. I let pieces of his floating hair slide
through my fingers.
He peered down at me, caressing his cheek against my
hand, and closing his eyes.
“I really must get you back to the surface. The Underworld
is no place for a mortal. It’s already starting to affect you,” he
said, his chin dropping.
“Am I really never going to see you again?”
The tips of his pointed ears drooped. “It’s better that way.”
My sinuses stung, and I bit the inside of my mouth to keep
from crying.
“There is one last thing I wish to do for you, however, if
you are willing.”
My throat clenched. “Oh? What is it?”
“Your suicide murderer. Remember when I told you I
could allow you to interrogate him here in Tartarus? The offer
is still on the table.”
My eyes widened. Interview a dead serial killer? This took
the idea of Interview With The Vampire and put it on an
entirely different playing field. “I don’t see how I could pass
that up.”
He gripped my shoulders. “I must warn you—he is a slime
of a human being.”
“I wouldn’t expect much less. Will you help me?”
“Help you?” He quirked a brow.
I traced a fingertip over the tip of his ear. “It’s called
‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’.”
“I assume I’m to play the role of Bad Cop?”
“Please? As you can imagine, I’ve never been any good at
it.”
He dipped his head. “Very well.”
 He gave one extravagant flourish with his arm, kicking up
swirls of smoke. An irradiating heat slapped me in the face.
We stood in the middle of a charcoaled entrance where lava
flowed through the cracks. Hundreds of screams, wails, and
crying poured into my ears. It was so deafening, I had to clap
my hands over my ears. Hades touched my shoulder, and the
world silenced.
“I apologize. It’s been a long time since I’ve escorted a
mortal in the Underworld,” he said, his tone hushed and
soothing.
“Are we—” I slipped my hands from my head. “Are we in
Tartarus?”
“Yes. It’s the only area he can roam. We have to conduct
the interrogation here. Did you still want to continue?” He
delicately turned me to face him.
My teeth chattered, despite the increasing temperature. “I
don’t have a choice. I can help so many families knowing this
information. I’ll have to get over the fact that probably three
feet away someone is getting tortured.”
“I promise you won’t see or hear any of it.”
I nodded, staring up at his stoic expression, a serene
glimmer in his gaze. “Let’s get this over with.”
He bowed his head before passing his hand over his face
and body. As his hand progressed, he transformed into his
mortal guise. The “Sawyer” guise. I cocked an eyebrow.
“They get a false sense of security when I appear like
this.”
Well, this was going to be interesting.
In another whoosh of smoke, we were in a room
surrounded with sleek black walls. Low lighting pointed at a
man with a ball and chain attached to each of his limbs. My
heart raced. Earnest Fueller. Across from me at arms-length
was the man I’d made eye contact with years ago in the
interrogation room. A man I knew was guilty with every fiber
of my being. Here he was in the deadly flesh. He looked the
same: Balding, average size build, scruff over his chin, broad
nose, and bushy caterpillar eyebrows.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of my torture break?” He
grunted, the chains rattling together.
Hades remained in the shadows, leaning on the wall with
his arms folded. “We need to ask you a few questions.”
It was one thing to be behind the safety of a two-way
mirror when looking at a person you hoped to convict. This
was another matter entirely. “I only need to ask you a few
questions about the murders, and then you’re free to go.”
He snorted, spitting on the ground. “Yeah, because I’m in a
hurry.”
Hades pushed off the wall. He stood in front of him and
leaned forward until their noses almost brushed. “The longer
this takes, the more excruciating your torture becomes.
Permanently.”
Earnest gulped.
So far, so good. I expected Hades to start ripping off
fingernails already. “How many victims were there?” We
knew of seven, but I wanted to be sure.
“Seven. My lucky number,” he said with a smirk.
The tip of Hades’ finger glowed orange, and he poked
Earnest’s shoulder with a sizzle. Earnest yelped.
I grabbed Hades by the elbow and pulled him over. “What
are you doing?”
His brow furrowed. “He’s a smart ass.”
“But he’s still giving information. The idea is to be the
‘bad’ in ‘bad cop’ when he refuses.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Fine.”
“Your first three victims were inconclusive due to no
physical evidence, but witnesses were saying they saw
someone who matched your description. Was it you?
Alleyways? Rainy nights?”
 “Yes,” he clipped, glaring at Hades from across the room.
My nerves dissipated, and I took a step closer. “After the
fourth victim, you were pulled in for a field line up. Why was
the witness not able to identify you?”
“They needed glasses?”
Hades swiped his hand in the air, and Earnest arched from
his chair, gurgling and shaking. I widened my eyes at Hades,
and he dropped his hand with a shrug.
“Earnest, you’re dead and have already been judged. What
good does it do you to lie?” I asked, trying to keep my tone
sympathetic.
He groaned. “It was dark, and I always wore a baseball
cap.”
And that explained why there were rarely any witnesses
who could confirm his face.
“Your fifth victim. I found evidence on your phone, which
clearly showed you setting up a time to meet with an unknown
number an hour before they were found dead. Was that the
victim?”
“Yeah. But they didn’t show up. I even let the cops into my
apartment to do their little search. Did they find anything?” He
chuckled. “Who the hell are you anyway? Snooping on my
phone?”
Hades stormed in front of me, the arches of his wings
peeking from his back. Earnest leaned back, shaking. He tried
to lift his hands to his face, but the chains prevented it.
“She is asking the questions. You’ve just escalated your
punishment.” The wings slipped away, and he stepped aside.
Earnest whimpered.
He was right. They didn’t find anything in his apartment,
not a single piece of evidence. Irritation boiled in my core all
over again.
“The sixth victim. I found your name in police logs, which
I later found out officers forgot to document. They stated they
found you loitering near Lincoln Park. You had a hammer on
you. They said you stated you were going to help a friend
repair a leaky roof. Another rainy day. Tell me the true story.”
My body tensed.
“People can’t repair roofs on rainy days?”
Hades didn’t bat an eyelash and launched forward,
morphing into his Underworld form with a flash of fire and
ash. He raised his arms above his head and roared in Earnest’s
face. “Answer the questions you insolent toad!”
He was going to make this guy pee his pants and go mute
before I had a chance to finish. I yanked on Hades’ arm. He
whipped his head over his shoulder, chest heaving as he
looked down at me.
“A word?” I asked, motioning with my finger.
The wings folded behind his back, and he followed me to
the corner.
“You’ve been torturing him for how many years now? I
think all you need to do is glare or pretend you’re going to
swat him to get him to cooperate.”
“You said,” he pointed at me. “I was bad cop.”
“Yes. Bad cop. Not terrifying cop. He has to be able to
speak.”
Hades blinked. “I think you underestimate my level of
intimidation.”
“I’m almost done. Can you keep it to a bare minimum?
Please?”
The corners of his jaw popped. “As you wish.” He stepped
aside, displaying his hand toward a fidgeting Earnest.
I cleared my throat and flattened out my shirt. After
clasping my hands in front of me to assure Earnest I intended
to do nothing with them, I lowered my voice to barely above a
whisper. “Earnest?”
His bottom lip trembled, and he stared at me wide-eyed.
“A few more questions and we’re done. Good?”
 He nodded, not blinking.
“The last victim is where things got especially confusing.
The cops found the victim with a hammer near the body. They
went to your house from prior suspicions. Your arm was
bandaged up.”
Earnest shifted in his seat, digging his heels into the
ground as if he were trying to back away.
“The suspect’s blood more than likely got washed away
from the rain, but that particular victim fought back more than
the others, didn’t he?”
“He damn near broke my arm,” he mumbled.
Confirmation. My heartbeat quickened.
“Did you use a hammer?” I asked, biting down on my lip.
“Yes.”
“The hammer inexplicably disappeared from the evidence
locker. Did you have something to do with that?”
“I had someone on the inside.”
My throat constricted. “Who?”
“Never got his real name. Called himself Bulldog. But he
was a cop. I can tell you that much.”
And another can of worms opened. I’d file that one for
later.
“Where’s the hammer now?”
He smirked. “Oh, you have no shot at finding it. Threw it
into Lake Michigan.”
Tears stung at my sinuses. Here I was interviewing a dead
murderer, and even getting all the answers out of him led
nowhere.
“Give me something, Earnest. There has to be something,
anything that could tie you to these murders. To prove it.” I
lurched forward, pointing a finger in his face. “You owe the
families that much.”
 “You know, when I was a kid, my mom used to take me to
Lincoln Park every Sunday. We’d walk on the path, and I’d
point at every damn animal I saw. It was a time just for us,”
Earnest said, gaze dropping to his feet.
I leaned back, thrown off guard. The darkness of his aura
sputtered with fractals of white.
“My mom died when I was eight.”
And now we had something in common.
“A burglar. She’d been taking a nap on the couch. I was
downstairs playing video games. I heard a gunshot, ran
upstairs, and caught sight of the guy running out of the house
with our VCR. Mom’s blood stained the area rug in the living
room.” His face contorted into pure fury, his wrists pulling at
his chains. “She died over a fucking VCR.”
I gulped, thinking back to the night I found out about the
fire. It was unsettling, realizing our pasts were so similar. Who
wanted to share a similar backstory with a serial killer?
“I’m sure they noticed all the men I killed had a similar
look. I found people who reminded me of him, and beat their
skulls in with a hammer because it made me feel better. But
then I’d get angry soon after and have to do it again.”
Hades pressed his hand into the small of my back.
Earnest studied my face and smirked. “You’ll want to go to
Lincoln Park. There’s a huge willow tree that droops due east.
At its base, buried several feet down—you’ll find what you
need.” His shoulders hunched forward. “Do you know why I
committed suicide?”
“To avoid paying for your crimes?” Hades mumbled.
Earnest stared at the floor, tears welling in his eyes.
“Because I knew I was going to hell, but I wanted to be damn
sure about it.”
Dizziness washed over me, and I staggered backward,
grasping my head.
Hades caught me.
 “Thank—” I started to say to Earnest, but he disappeared
in a puff of smoke.
“We need to get you back to the surface, Stephanie.”
Hades kept me standing upright and turned me to face him.
I fought back the tears as he traced his fingertips over the side
of my forehead.
“Both of our mothers died tragically. He wound up a serial
killer. What if I have that inside of me?”
“You’re not him,” Hades said. He pulled me flush with his
chest, wrapping his arms around me. He stroked the back of
my head. “People respond to tragedy in different ways. You
went a different path. You sought the passion in humanity
versus giving up on it altogether. One of the many reasons
you’re a remarkable human being.”
I shoved my face into his shoulder, memorizing the scent
of burning wood. “High praise from a god.”
He peeled back, peering down at me. “High praise from
me.”
My eyelids grew heavy. “I’ve never felt this tired.”
Exhaustion was more like it. So much so, I started to sway.
“You need to go. Solve the case. Give those families a gift
only you can bestow.” He kissed my lips with such delicacy; it
felt like a passing feather. His hand grazed over my shoulder,
making it tingle. “I’ll always be watching over you.” He
winced.
His words disappeared like a whisper caught by the wind.
Before I could say anything else, I was back in my hotel room.
The next day was a blur. Sara drilled me for an hour on where
I was during the time I was in the Underworld. Telling her I
was hanging out with Hades didn’t seem to satisfy her. I
remembered shoving clothes into my suitcase and saying final
farewells to Keith and Guy because Sara insisted. The next
thing I knew, I was sitting on the plane. I had no recollection
of the cab ride, going through security, claiming my boarding
pass, none of it. My time with Hades engraved itself into my
brain. Him. The Underworld. I’d never forget any of it.
“Stephanie,” Sara beckoned.
I snapped to attention, sucking air through my nostrils.
She’d walked me up to my apartment after our cab ride from
the airport, but I’d been standing in the middle of my living
room, purse still resting on my shoulder. I trailed a hand over
my arm, the bullet graze wound no longer there.
“What the ever-loving hell is wrong with you? Are you on
drugs?” She glared at me.
“What? No. I’d never do that.” I tossed my purse on the
nearest surface.
She crossed her arms. “Don’t pretend like you haven’t
been an absolute zombie since we left Greece. What aren’t you
telling me?” She dropped her hands, balling them into fists.
“Did Hades hurt you?”
“No. No, I just—I’m going to miss him.” The words stung
to say out loud.
 She frowned. In two quick strides, she crossed the room
and wrapped her arms around me in one of her trademark
hugs. It was enough to make me melt, and I rested my head on
her shoulder with a disgruntled sigh.
“He didn’t say anything about meeting up with you
again?”
“His job. He can’t.” I slipped away, sniffling and rubbing
the back of my hand over my nose.
“I thought he worked from home mostly?”
It killed me inside I couldn’t explain any of it to her.
“It’s complicated, and I don’t want to get into it. Please.
Thanks for walking me upstairs. I think I’m going to get some
rest.”
She narrowed her eyes, studying me. The human lie
detector at work. “Alright. I’ll see you at work tomorrow. I’ll
make sure to get extra shots of espresso in our coffees. We’re
gonna need it.” She chuckled and slipped out the door.
I spent the next ten minutes standing in the middle of my
living room, unable to function like a normal human being. All
things Hades aside, there was still the matter of Earnest
Fueller. The reason, “it came to me in a dream,” wasn’t going
to cut it. I’d have no choice but to get Sara involved and beg
her to say the tip came from an anonymous call. She was a
sworn-in officer. Her word meant gold compared to mine.
Being able to look Mrs. Conroy in the face, and tell her with
absolute certainty who killed her husband would hopefully
ease the pain I felt. After popping a couple of Tums in my
mouth, I readied myself for a restless night’s sleep.

“Can you tell me what we’re doing roaming tree after tree in
Lincoln Park, please?” Sara asked, rubbing her arms over her
leather jacket.
I squinted behind my glasses as I turned several times.
“Which way is East again? Never.” I turned. “Eat.”
 “Soggy Waffles? You still use that third-grade trick to
figure out your directions?” Sara asked with a raised brow.
“It’s as solid of a method as any.” I frowned, facing what I
thought was East, but seeing no trace of a willow tree.
She grabbed my shoulders. “Or, you can use the sun.” She
turned me to the right, and there in the corner beckoning me
like a rainbow sprinkle cupcake was the tree.
I ran over and dropped to the ground, not caring about
grass stains on my knees.
“Sara, come help me,” I yelled over my shoulder.
The ground was harder than I thought, and I broke a nail
the moment I tried to dig.
Sara crouched down. “What are you doing, Steph?”
“This might sound crazy, but—” I adjusted my glasses. “I
had a dream that evidence for the case is buried here.”
“A dream?”
I nodded.
She looked around the park, which was conveniently far
less crowded than it usually was. “If you knew you were going
to dig a hole, why didn’t you bring a shovel, you silly goose?”
“Wouldn’t it look a bit suspicious walking through Lincoln
Park with a shovel?”
She shrugged. “If anyone asked, I’d have said we were
planting a tree.”
“It annoys me at times how much sense you tend to make
at every turn,” I said.
“We’ll improvise. Here.” She handed me a flattened rock.
We both went to work, slamming our rocks in the ground
and breaking off bits of hardened dirt little by little. Every few
thwacks, Sara would lift her head, making sure no one was
watching us. A corner of a bag sprung out. The once clear
plastic had turned cloudy from the years spent underground. I
reached forward, and Sara slapped my hand. She dug into her
pocket and handed me a rubber glove.
“Do you always have rubber gloves on you?” I asked,
slipping it on with a snap.
“Of course I do.”
I held the bag up, and it unrolled. Inside was a stained
hammer. “That son-of-a-bitch lied,” I whispered.
Sara leaned around the bag, staring at me. “Who lied?”
“Uh.” Quickly. Think faster. “The guy in my dream.
Funny, huh?” I forced a chuckle. Earnest lied even after Hades
upped his torture sentence. Being one of the world’s most
putrid worms was ingrained into his very soul.
She narrowed her eyes but then cocked her head to the
side, examining the bag. She removed another glove, slipped it
on, and yanked the bag out of my hand. “This is one of our
evidence bags. How did he get it out of the locker?”
“Inside job?” I tried to sound as cavalier as possible.
She handed it back to me, glaring at the ground. “It had to
be. Now I need to figure out who.”
“That was years ago. They might not even work there
anymore. If they were smart, they would’ve quit after the
trial.” I rolled the bag back up and filled the hole.
She dusted off her hands. “If they were smart, they
wouldn’t have ever knowingly assisted a serial killer. Which
leads me to believe they still work for us.”
I bit my lip. “Sara, I know you’ve done a ton of favors for
me lately, but I need to ask for one more.”
Sara gently took the bag from my hands. “I received an
anonymous tip on where to find evidence proving Fueller’s
guilt.”
There were times I questioned whether I deserved such a
profound friendship. Sisterhood.
“I know it’s lying, but—” My brow creased.
 She shook her head and interrupted me with, “Come on,
let’s get it back to the station before someone sees us.”

When Sara announced the anonymous call to the department,

most of the troopers hadn’t believed her. Until they took a look
at the evidence bag and realized it was an older version they
no longer used. They questioned several times why someone
was only coming forward now with the information. Slick
Sara shrugged and told them fear could make people do all
sorts of things. A trial was set for a month later to close the
case for good.
Sara was on the stand to testify her finding the hammer
and presenting the DNA lab results. I curled my hands in my
lap after swallowing a Tums, waiting for the judge to start his
questioning.
“For the record, Detective Hickman can you state your
involvement in the Fueller case?” The judge asked, his
squared reading glasses resting on the tip of his nose as he
shuffled papers.
The witness stand. A necessary evil in my profession. I’d
always hated it, but Sara was a natural with it.
“I was the lead detective,” Sara answered.
“How did you come across the murder weapon as evidence
in the Fueller case?” He tapped a pen against his gavel.
“I received an anonymous phone call. The voice was
distorted, but they were explicitly clear of the location under
the willow tree in Lincoln Park.” Her eyes surveyed the few
people in the courtroom. Me, Mrs. Conroy, a few of the
troopers from the department, and several others. “They stated
they’d seen Fueller bury it there, but feared connections to
Fueller might have come after them or their family.”
The judge nodded slowly, scribbling something down on a
piece of paper in front of him.
 The room was silent as the grave. Images of Earnest’s
snarky face as he told me the hammer was at the bottom of
Lake Michigan poked at me. I held my breath.
The judge rubbed his hands together. Mrs. Conroy was in
the first row, tears rolling down her cheeks. She clasped her
hands together in silent prayer.
“Given the evidence presented to me today and Earnest
Fueller’s DNA found on said evidence, I find the defendant
guilty. If he were alive, I’d have sentenced him to two life
sentences in prison. I’m sure wherever he is, he’s receiving a
far worse punishment. Case closed.” The sound of wood
hitting against wood vibrated in my ears as he brought the
gavel down.
If the judge only knew how right he was.
I pinched my eyes shut, relief washing over me. Mrs.
Conroy leaped from her seat, bawling her eyes out. Once Sara
stepped down from the stand, she ran over to her and hugged
her so tightly it made Sara blow out a breath.
“Thank you so much, Sara. You have no idea how amazing
it is to feel this sense of closure,” Mrs. Conroy said through
several sniffles.
“Thank the anonymous tipper.” Sara gave me a knowing
smile over Mrs. Conroy’s shoulder.
Mrs. Conroy wiped the tears from her cheeks and turned
around to see me. She wailed again and wrapped her arms
around me.
“Thank you so much for your help, Miss Costas.” She
squeezed my shoulders and ran out of the courtroom.
If only I could thank Hades. He was the only reason any of
this was possible. I sighed, slipping my hands into the pockets
of my dress.
“We just won a cold case. Why do you look like someone
pissed in your Cheerios?” Sara asked.
“No reason. I mean now, what am I going to obsess over,
right?” I grinned.
 She draped an arm over my shoulders. “We’re celebrating
at your place tonight. I’ll bring champagne. Got some more
news too.”
“Oh?”
She nodded with a huge smile. “I’ll tell you tonight.”
Later that night, I curled up on the couch with Sammy,
stroking his fur. When a knock sounded on the door, I was
relieved to have a distraction from my thoughts.
Thoughts about you know who.
I whipped open the door. “Thank God, you’re here.” She
held two giant bottles of champagne, and I snatched one.
“Wow. Miss me that much, huh?” She smirked and closed
the door behind her with a bump of her hip.
“Always,” I said, resting two flute glasses on the
countertop.
Sammy jumped up, curling himself around the champagne
bottle. Sara hissed at him. He gave her a disapproving stare
before walking off with a flick of his tail. She took out her cell
phone, scanning her thumb over the screen. I held the bottle
away from me, turned my head, held my breath, and pulled on
the cork. Pop. Fizzy alcohol sprouted from the bottle, and I
squealed, holding it over the sink.
“So, are you going to tell me what else we’re celebrating
tonight?” I asked, pouring us two glasses.
She grabbed one and rested her phone on the counter. “I
found our sneaky cop accomplice.”
“Seriously? Who was it?”
“Leonardo Michaels.” She shook her head.
I blinked. Leo, the creep-o. “Why doesn’t that surprise
me?”
“Because he’s a sleazeball who’s going to get what he
deserves. You should’ve seen his face when we arrested him. I
thought he was going to bawl.”
 “Wait. Why Leo? I know he’s a perv but doesn’t explain
why he’d knowingly assist a criminal. Especially a murderer.”
Sara nodded. “Valid question. I looked into all connections
to Fueller and cross-referenced them with past and current
employees. It turns out, Fueller and Leo lived in the same
neighborhood as kids. Fueller served a year in juvie for a
grand theft auto conviction.”
“Was Leo involved too?”
“Yup. Charged, but Fueller confessed to doing it himself,
and Leo tried to stop him, which is the only reason he was
there.”
I narrowed my eyes. “But we both know he lied for
Fueller.”
“Exactly. So, when Fueller approached him about the
hammer, I think Leo felt he owed him. And when I asked why
he didn’t quit and leave town, know what he said?”
I raised my brow.
“He thought it’d have looked too obvious.” Sara smirked.
“I’ll tell you this much, if it weren’t for me being an officer of
the law, I’d have kneed him straight in the balls.”
“Should’ve let me tag along, then.” I pointed to myself.
“Civilian.”
Sara laughed and held up her glass for a toast.
“To the Fueller case,” I said.
“And here’s to hopeful promotions for both of us.” She
tapped her phone and Push It played.
Without bothering to set our glasses down, we danced in
my kitchen. As the night wore on, we drank both bottles,
danced to our song a total of thirteen times, and I didn’t think
about three-headed dogs, floating smoke, or the King of Ash
and Bone. It wasn’t until I went to bed with a fuzzy head from
copious amounts of alcohol my mind betrayed me. I had
feelings for Hades, feelings I never had the chance to voice to
him. The way he looked at me, he had to feel something for
me too. Lust? Admiration? Mrs. Conroy wasn’t the only one
who needed closure.
I wanted to see Hades in the Underworld. We deserved a
proper goodbye. I refused to let things end the way they had.
Hades said the only way to the Underworld was either by him
or death. Thanatos himself was death. It was worth a shot. I
found an empty area in Lincoln Park far enough from prying
eyes.
After taking a deep breath, I clenched my fists at my side.
“Thanatos?”
The wind rustled through the trees. Fall had come and
gone, and the once vibrant leaves colored orange and yellow
were turning brown and snapping away from the branches. I
wasn’t sure how one communicated with a Greek god, not to
mention one who only showed up when it was time to meet
your demise.
“Thanatos! Please! I need your help,” I implored, turning
circles, my feet brushing against the grass.
In a burst of smoky red fog, he appeared, his head held
low. The hood of the cloak draped over his eyes. “I do not
normally appear simply because someone calls out my name.”
My hands wrung together behind my back. “I should feel
so lucky then.”
“What do you want, mortal?”
“I need you to take me to the Underworld.”
The hood of the cloak lifted. “That is an impossibility.”
 “Why? I’ve been there before.”
“Why do you seek this?”
Tears welled in my eyes. “I want to say a proper goodbye
to Hades. Our last meeting was—cut short.”
“Why do you not call on him to take you?”
“He has my best interests at heart.”
He cocked his faceless head to the side.
“Please,” I said, damn near to the point of begging on my
knees.
The red fog swirled under his feet. “You realize no living
mortal can remain there? Only immortals? Gods?”
Only immortals. Was it possible for a mortal to become
immortal?
“Yes. And I know Hades won’t let me stay long enough for
it to hurt me.”
“Very well.” He flung his robe around me in a foggy
flourish, and we stood on the banks of the river Styx.
An empty boat waited. Thanatos held out his hand. After
positioning my hair over my ears, I climbed in. He waved his
hand, and the boat floated downstream.
“Are you not ferrying me?” I remembered the countless
lost souls attempting to climb on board. The thought made my
skin crawl.
“This is between you and Hades. I must return to my
duties.” He disappeared in a puff of smoke.
I opened my mouth and snapped it shut before shuffling to
the center of the boat. The water was dark, bleak, and not
overrun with souls like before. Occasionally, one would
appear on the surface like a gray mirage. It hadn’t taken Hades
long to catch up with his job. I wrapped my arms around
myself, going over the first words I intended to say to him.
It would depend on his reaction. If everything went the
way it did in my deepest fantasy, he’d greet me with the one
thing I never got to see on him—a genuine smile. Then he’d
wrap his arms around me in a warm embrace, make us float
using his ember wings, and we’d make love on his throne. I
scrunched my nose. Maybe not the throne. The river flowed
right past it. There’d be too many witnesses.
As the boat grew closer and closer to the throne room, my
heart rate skyrocketed. What if it was a bad idea? He could
chastise me for foolishly coming back and send me right back
to the surface. I dragged a hand over my face with a groan.
The boat turned the corner, the familiar pillars of Hades’
throne room blazing into view.
My breath hitched. There Hades was in his true form,
slumped against his throne. One leg was draped over an
armrest, his long white hair partially falling over his face. A
crown of floating flames circled his head, and he had a scowl
that could’ve made Cerberus whimper away. I wrung my
hands together as the boat drifted to the bank. Hades’ head
lifted, and the frown melted away, replaced by surprise.
He stood and squinted. “Stephanie?”
“The one and only.” I stepped out of the boat, the black
sand shifting beneath my shoes. “Well, not the only Stephanie
in existence but the only—” I cut myself short when I noticed
the scowl was back on his face.
“What are you doing here?” He snarled, still standing in
front of his throne. His face softened, and his eyes bulged.
“No. You’re not—” He stormed forward and grabbed one of
my shoulders. He stared at me, shaking his head. “Your soul is
still intact. How did you get down here?”
I looked up at him, taking a moment to stare at how
ethereal he looked. His fiery crown flickered, his hair floating
around him like a wispy frame. “Thanatos.”
“How?” He dropped his hand.
I shifted my eyes. “I…asked.”
“And he brought you here?” His brow furrowed.
“Uncharacteristic of him.”
 “You know, I didn’t expect you to run up to me and whisk
me off my feet at the sight of me or anything, but I thought
you’d at least be happy?”
“I’m elated to see you.” His tone took on a whole new
form of gruffness.
“Really? Because normally frowns, growls, and standing
there like a statue suggests quite the opposite.” I slid an inch
forward.
His hands relaxed at his sides. “I’m still trying to make
sense of a mortal woman purposely making her way into the
Underworld.”
“It doesn’t take much thought, Hades.” I continued with
cautious steps until we stood toe-to-toe.
He cocked a brow.
“You.” I raised to the balls of my feet, craning my neck
back. “I came for you.” I planted my lips against his. My
eyelashes fluttered, waiting for him to reciprocate.
His arms slid around my waist, and he kissed me. It started
tender but soon turned ravenous. Deep. Like the weeks we
spent apart compared to living without a part of your soul. The
taste of fire and ash exploded in my mouth. I missed it. I
missed him. He pulled away, staggering backward. I stood
there, blinking and tracing a finger over my lonely lips.
“This isn’t fair to you.” His words were pain-stricken. He
growled and cast a hand through the flames of his crown,
making it disappear.
“Fair for me? Don’t I get to have a say?” My chest heaved.
“You can’t stay here. What kind of man would I be if I
were to bed you, only to send you back to the surface straight
after?” His rigid stance overtook him again.
I sighed. “I knew full well before I decided to see you that
I couldn’t stay here. But I wanted that one final chance to be
with you.” I interlaced our fingers. “I’ve never felt this way
about anyone.”
 He lifted our hands and ran his thumb over my knuckle.
“Neither have I.”
He cocked his head to the side, running one of his hands
through my hair. He pulled me to him, wrapping his arms
around me. I pressed my ear to his chest and closed my eyes.
When I opened them, we stood in the middle of a vast room.
There were Victorian gothic-styled bookshelves, a round
table with half-melted black candles, dressers, and lounge
chairs in each corner. Darkened ionic columns bordered the
bookshelves, leading into ornate designs carved in mahogany,
traveling to the ceiling. A large, unlit fireplace framed by
Corinthian columns settled against the back wall. The mantle
had spires like medieval castles.
It was a room fit for a king.
He walked past me and threw his hand toward the
fireplace. It roared to life in a blaze of blue, morphing into
orange and white flickers. “Did you find the evidence you
needed for your case?” He continued to stalk around me, like a
wildcat on the hunt.
In the center was a bed that could fit my entire apartment
with black sheets, black marble headboard with meander
scrollwork, and an equally as dark frame. Cranberry-colored
and black silk pillows rested at the head. A cranberry curtain
draped on the wall above it.
A lump formed in my throat. “Yes.”
He wriggled his fingers at the table with lit candles. The
lighted intensity dimmed until the room felt eerie yet inviting.
“Was he found guilty?”
“Yes.” Every breath escaping my nostrils and pulling into
my lungs made me acutely aware of what was about to
happen.
He crossed the room, his glowing white eyes brightening
from the darkness. “And, are you absolutely certain you wish
to lay with me, knowing what I am and that I’m incapable of
giving you what a mortal man could?” His long white hair
floated around him, and he peered down at me, patiently
waiting for my answer.
A relationship. The god of the Underworld being
someone’s boyfriend? It sounded absurd. Was I crazy for
doing this? Probably. But I didn’t care. My heart punched
against my ribcage. “Yes.”
He morphed into the Sawyer look-a-like I met at the resort
and dipped his mouth to mine.
I pushed a hand against his chest. “No.”
He leaned back, raising an eyebrow. His lips thinned.
“I want the real you.” My heart raced so fiercely it felt like
a caged bird yearning to free itself.
A tiny smile tugged at his lips. “As long as I’ve been alive
and yet I can still somehow be surprised.” He nodded and
transformed into the god of the Underworld.
My eyes fell on the points of his ears sticking out from his
hair. I traced a finger over one. He closed his eyes before
sliding his lips over mine. He cradled the back of my head,
kissing with such fervor it bent me backward. His other hand
curled around my lower back, supporting me. I reached my
hands into the folds of his robes, but only managed to get lost
in the never-ending fabric. He took my hands into his and
leaned back.
The robe began to disintegrate into embers, floating away
like flying pieces of burning paper. He stood naked and
motionless. His mortal guise looked like a Greek statue, but
somehow his godly form was even more muscular, hard, and
toned. The fire-lit room created the perfect shadows over his
muscles. Each stood out as if carved from marble.
I clutched my shirt, bunching it at my neck. We’d been
naked in front of each other at the spa, but this was different.
So very different. I was about to give myself to him
completely. It was the epitome of vulnerable.
“If only I had the power to read your mind.” He took a
tentative step forward, the muscles in his legs flexing.
 Suppressing a whimper, I turned my back to him.
His hand cupped my elbow, and the other shifted the hair
from my neck. He lowered his nose to my nape, his breath
prickling my skin. “Stephanie, we don’t have to do this.”
He’d seen the back of me already, and the newfound
confidence within me returned with one touch from him. I slid
my hands underneath my shirt and peeled it away. Once I
stood in my bra and pants, I turned to face him. He clasped the
back of my neck and kissed me so deeply I felt weightless. I
had to open one eye to be sure we weren’t floating on smoke
again. He pulled away only to trail his lips across my chin and
peck his way to my neck. His tongue lapped against my skin
as he kissed it, finishing with a light nip.
We locked gazes as I undid the clasp of my bra. His
knuckles grazed my shoulders as he slipped one strap down,
followed by the other. It fell to the floor, and my chest swelled,
watching his lips curl into a grin.
He pulled me against him, dragging his knuckles down the
side of my face. “You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful
mortal I’ve ever seen.” He trailed his fingers across my pants,
making them crumble into embers.
I nibbled my lip. “I’m going to need those.”
“Later,” he whispered.
He backed me to the bed until I felt my calves hit up
against the coolness of the frame. It was so high off the ground
I’d have to take a running leap to get on it. He curled a hand
around each of my hips and hoisted me up. The soft comforter
soothed against my skin once he laid me down. It was like new
towels, freshly cleaned and warm from the dryer. I rested my
head on one of the many cranberry throw pillows, and he
stared down at me, letting my hair fall through his fingertips.
“Pomegranate. Definitely your color,” he said, his eyes
ablaze.
His lips pressed against the valley between my breasts, and
I gasped. The fog floated over my hair, traveling across my
chest and hovering over my stomach. He took one breast into
his mouth and circled his tongue around my nipple. The
tingling sensation from the fog mixed with his mouth was
damn near enough to drive me insane.
My back arched as he pulled his mouth away, grazing my
breast with his wolf-like teeth. His nose dragged over my ribs,
making his way further down my body. As he traced the tip of
his tongue over my abdomen, I forgot entirely about who and
what he was. It wasn’t until his fingertips brushed the insides
of my knees, coaxing them apart, I became lost in his glowing
white eyes.
I’d been with other men before. Seen the carnal look in
their eyes, knowing what they were about to receive. His gaze
was different. Predatory, yet anticipatory. Like eyeing baked
goods behind the glass, wishing you could devour each one. I
opened myself to him, and he lowered his hips. The white hair
floated as he peered down at me. I traced my hands over his
shoulder blades, expecting to feel slits where his wings
sprouted. It’d be surreal to see them in a moment like this.
A masculine purr vibrated from his throat. “You want to
see my wings again, don’t you?”
“I thought you couldn’t read minds.” I played a wicked
grin, one to rival his own.
“I don’t have to.” He lowered himself further. His hardness
pressed against me, and it made every muscle in my lower half
clench. “You’ve played with their sheath repeatedly.”
My hands ran absent circles over his shoulder blades in an
unspoken plea to see them come out to play.
“I rather like you’ve such a fascination with them,” he
said.
The wings peeled out from his back, their span nearly the
entire width of the bed until he folded them back. Smoke
tendrils wafted through the air. Sparkling orange embers fell,
and ash trickled down my skin before disappearing.
“Will it burn me if I touch them?” I lingered my fingers
over the glowing orange feathers.
“Only if I wanted it to.”
 I smoothed my hand over the fiery arch on his left wing.
He groaned, his length pushing harder against me. They felt
like any other feather I’d touched. But these were composed
mostly of fire and smoke. His lips crashed against mine,
conquering me with a kiss. He pushed at my entrance, and I
gasped when he thrust himself forward. He situated his
forearms on each side of my head and began slow rhythmic
motions. Smoke tendrils swirled around my arms, cascading
over my breasts like silk. His nose brushed against my chin as
he kissed my neck. The smoke intensified, playing through my
hair and over my cheeks.
“Eímai dikós sou,” he whispered into my hair.
The words flowed from his tongue like a rolling tide. I had
no clue what he said, but the way he said it sounded like a
carnal declaration. His hand dragged down my ribs and curled
under my backside. While supporting himself on his other
arm, his thrusts quickened. The smoke traveled over my hips
and caressed my inner thighs. Between his practiced motions
within me and the feel of warm silk against my skin, it was
enough to send me straight over the edge.
My back arched, head pressing into the pillows. I gripped
the sheets as every muscle within me tightened, and I quaked
and quivered. When my eyes managed to flutter open, Hades
gazed down at me. A smirk creased the corner of his lips. He
sat up straight, resting on his haunches. His fingers curled
around the back of my knees, and he gave one quick tug. My
back slid forward until our hips met.
The smoke spiraled around him. His wings stretched wide,
and he paused, peering into my very being. The fireplace
crackled and popped. Seeing him surrounded by animated
smoke was like being transfixed by a painting.
“Would you be offended if I said you were beautiful?” I
asked.
He cocked his head to the side. “No. You’d be the first to
say it.”
He really was a thing of beauty. Not in the sense a woman
or a flower is, but in an ethereal way. His body. That chiseled
face. And the wings, as menacing as they were, still managed
to take my breath away. The wings flapped, the glowing parts
striking orange sparks, and he curled them behind him. He
grabbed each of my hips and began that slow rhythm again. I
gazed up at the perfect view of him in all his King of the
Underworld glory.
I sat up, grabbing onto one of his shoulders. Matching his
movements, I rolled my hips against him. He pressed his
cheek against the side of my head. I traced my fingers over the
bits of black feathers in his wings that weren’t on fire or
singed. He moaned. With our chests pressed together, the
sound vibrated against me. He peeled back, blue flickers of
flame igniting in his eyes. He pushed into me, and my head
flew back from the furthered intrusion.
I gripped onto his arms as his hips bucked, picking up
momentum. When the glorious ache pooled between my hips,
I grabbed the back of his neck. My insides erupted, and this
time I couldn’t hold back my cry of pleasure. He soon
followed, his muscles tensing, and he groaned against my
neck. The fireplace roared, the flames lashing out like an
explosion before pulling back in. His wings wrapped around
us like a cocoon. I caught one of the burnt feathers on my
fingertip, but it turned into ash as soon as it touched my skin.
His finger curled under my chin, lifting my gaze to his.
“Are you alright?”
“More than alright.” The heat from the fire on his wings
warmed my face.
The dimple in his cheek deepened with a smirk, and his
wings folded back until they disappeared completely. “I’ve
never had anyone ask me to be me during the act.”
Our bodies pressed together, and I let locks of his white
hair fall through my fingers. “No one? Not even Per—”
“She was frightened by it,” he interrupted. “Or so she
said.”
I pinched my eyes shut. “I didn’t mean to bring it up.”
 He cupped my face with his palm. “A very persistent
brunette in glasses helped me flow that water right under the
bridge.”
“Persistent, huh?” I smiled.
He traced his thumb over my cheek before laying down on
his side. He rested his head on his hand, his eyes roaming over
my naked satiated body. I too laid on my side, resting my head
on my forearm.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I sucked on my lower lip.
He traced one of his black nails down the side of my
breast, my ribs, and made lazy circles when he reached my
hips. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t still expecting to wake up
tomorrow only to realize this was all a dream.”
I rolled onto my stomach, making our faces inches apart.
Pressing my elbows into the silken sheets of the bed, I tilted
my chin up and kissed him. “Did you feel that?”
His eyelashes fluttered against mine. “Yes.”
“Not a dream.” I smiled against his lips.
“I’m never going to forget you. Realize that. Thousands of
years can pass, and I will never forget the mortal who
brightened my heart.” He pressed his hand to my cheek.
The taste of salt coated my lips from several tears rolling
down my cheeks. I pressed my hand over his. “I could never
forget you.”
He glanced over his shoulder and kissed my forehead
before slipping from the bed. His naked form moved across
the room with grace, and I cocked my head from side to side,
admiring his perfect backside. He grinned at me. The wings
shot out. I traced my finger between my breasts, aching for
him all over again.
“That has to be one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen,” I
stammered.
He chuckled. Deep and gravelly. He removed a black box
from one of the bookshelves and walked back over, the wings
disappearing again. He sat on the edge of the bed and opened
the box. Removing a necklace from it, he held it up to the light
blazing from the fireplace.
“I want you to have this,” he said, resting the charm in my
hand.
It was a shiny black charm with a serpent wrapped around
a cypress tree.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, running my thumb over the
branches’ detailed grooves.
“May I?” He motioned at the chain.
I nodded, turned my back to him, and lifted my hair from
my neck. His fingertips grazed my shoulders as he positioned
the necklace and secured its clasp.
“I may not be able to be on the surface, but it doesn’t mean
we can’t at least talk from time to time.”
I let my hair fall and looked down at the charm before
whipping around to face him. “Are you saying what I think
you’re saying?”
“You can call on me through the charm. But please don’t
use it as a paging service.” He smirked.
“Paging?” I laughed. “I haven’t heard anyone use that
word in—no, scratch that. I’ve only heard it in movies.” I felt
dizzy, and my eyes fell shut for a moment before I forced them
back open.
He frowned. “I need to take you back.”
“I know.” A deep sigh escaped my lungs.
He touched a fingertip on the charm. “I can’t make
promises of when, but I will be on the surface again.”
“I’m unsure which is worse…never seeing you again, or
living with the hope I will, but never knowing when.”
“I hate putting that burden on you.” He stood up with a
sigh and waved his hands over his body, his gothic, kingly
robes, draping over his form.
“It’s not a burden. I’m glad I came here, Hades.”
 He offered a weak grin and splayed his hand over my
body. My clothes materialized, and I frowned before sliding
off the bed.
“I have to admit, dressing and undressing was not a power
I thought the god of the Underworld would possess.”
“I’m glad to hear you, too, can still be surprised.” He
slipped his hand into mine and raised his other hand to the
ceiling.
I grabbed his forearm, stopping him. “Before I go, can I
ask you something?”
“Anything.” He lowered his arm.
“Where in the world did you come up with the name
Cerberus?” Random. Even for me. But I’d been dying to
know.
He rubbed his chin. “Truth be told, it wasn’t his original
name. Initially, I named him Spot.”
I did a slow blink. “Spot?”
“Yes. He has this white spot on the back of his left leg.
Sticks out profusely, considering the rest of him is black.” He
smirked.
“How in the world did it end up as Cerberus in all the
stories?”
“Translations throughout the ages. One being Kerberos,
which means spotted.”
“Huh. You learn something every day.”
“You’re stalling, Stephanie.” His face softened, and his lip
twitched.
“I know,” I said with a sigh.
He waved his hand. A portal opened, revealing the green
grass and maple trees in a park near my apartment building. I
winced and tightened my grip on his hand.
“This isn’t goodbye,” he said, his tone solemn.
“It could be a decade before I see you again.”
 He pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around my
shoulders. “I wish I could answer you, but know I appreciate
all the time you’ve given me.”
My sinuses stung. I kissed him on the cheek before taking
a step back. “I’m ready.”
Only I wasn’t ready. I wanted to be with him. Cure his
loneliness. Who would have the power to make mortals into
gods? Instinct told me my answer, but I didn’t want to believe
it.
His brow furrowed, and he nodded before swirling his arm.
I appeared in the park, and the Underworld was but a fleeting
memory.
“Stephanie,” Sara said with a clipped tone.
I jolted in my chair, smacking my hand into my glasses
and making them crooked on my nose. “What?”
“You’ve been staring out the window. Did you hear
anything I said?” She tapped her fingers against her paper
coffee cup.
We were on our weekly Sunday morning caffeine date. A
month had passed since I was with Hades. I’d tried calling him
through the charm, but it didn’t work. Ironically, I was
somewhat glad for it. Part of me felt like if I heard his voice,
it’d make everything that much more difficult. It was bad
enough I couldn’t talk to anyone about it.
“I didn’t.” I frowned. “I’m sorry. Repeat it.” After jostling
on my seat, I leaned forward and clasped my hands around my
cup. “I’m all ears.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Talk to me, Costas. You haven’t
been the same since Greece, and you’ve been walking around
like a lost puppy for weeks.”
I leaned back and played with the charm on my necklace.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.” She crossed her arms.
“What if I told you—” I shifted my eyes. “Hades really
was Hades.”
 “You mean as a metaphor?”
“No. The Hades.”
She half-smiled. “The god of the Underworld?”
“Yes.”
“He tells souls where they’re to spend their eternal
afterlife? Sits on a throne?”
I shrugged. “Yes. All of it.”
“Next, you’re going to tell me he has wings or something.”
She snickered and sipped from her cup.
“He does.” I adjusted in my seat and moved my hands
around with such enthusiasm I almost knocked over my
coffee. “But they’re not wing wings. They’re fiery and morph
into smoke and embers and—” I shut my trap once I saw one
of her eyebrows raise so high, she looked like The Rock.
“Steph, do I need to make you an appointment with our
department shrink? I’m sure they’d see a civilian too.”
I rolled my eyes. “This is why I couldn’t talk to you about
it.”
“You believe he’s Hades.” She hunched forward.
I bit down on my lip, memories of peering up at him
scorched into my brain like a brand. “It’s not about believing. I
know he is.”
“Do you have proof?”
“How could—” The necklace. I wrapped my hand around
it. “All I have is this necklace. He gave it to me the last time I
saw him.”
She slapped her hands on the table. “You saw him?
When?”
“A month ago.”
“Wow. You don’t tell me everything anymore, do you?”
“It sounds pretty crazy, Sara.” I clenched the charm tighter.
 She clucked her tongue against the inside of her cheek.
“Okay, so it’s a necklace. Big deal. That doesn’t prove
anything.”
“I can talk to him with it.”
“Do it then.”
I looked around at the filled coffee house. “Here? Now? I
don’t even know if it works. I tried it a couple of weeks ago,
and nothing happened.”
“Let’s go back to your apartment then.” She stood and
swung her purse onto her shoulder.
I froze in my seat and shook my head like I’d forgotten
how to speak.
She picked up my coffee cup and nudged me in the arm.
“Come on. You want me to believe you, right?”
I blinked. “Yes.”
I felt numb the entire walk back to my apartment building.
Sara leaned on the back of my sofa with such nonchalance,
there was no indication we were about to summon a Greek
god. Would he appear out of thin air? Would it be just his
voice like Mufasa in The Lion King? Would it still refuse to
work?
“Ready?” I asked.
Sara shook her head. “That’s the fifth time you’ve asked.
Still ready.”
I closed my eyes, rubbed my fingers over the charm, and
thought of him. There wasn’t anything of note to indicate the
necklace worked, no gust of wind or burst of light.
Disappointment washed over me. Not again.
“I wasn’t expecting an audience,” Hades said.
My eyes flew open. He stood in front of me, but as a
smokey mirage versus his physical form. I could make out his
facial features, white hair, and pointed ears.
Was I the only one who could see him?
 Sara’s eyes bulged out of her skull, and she gripped onto
the couch with both hands.
Clearly not.
“Sorry, she didn’t believe me, so I wanted to—by the way,
I tried to contact you weeks ago. It didn’t work.”
“Ah, yes. Sorry. I was in Tartarus at the time. Figured
you’d rather save the conversation for…later.”
My jaw dropped. “You’re absolutely right. Forgiven.”
“I’ll be sure to keep the conversation…PG,” he said, his
mirage floating closer.
My cheeks warmed as my brain dipped into thoughts of
our time together.
“How have you been?” He asked.
“Fine. Fine. And you?”
It was awkward personified.
“Lonely,” he answered.
Sara appeared beside us and held up two fingers. “Can we
pause a moment here? There is a—” She flailed her hand
around, speechless.
“Floating smoke monster?” I sidelong grinned at Hades.
“Yes. A floating smoke monster in your apartment.”
“It’s Hades, Sara,” I replied.
He turned to face her, and she stumbled backward,
knocking into the end table. “We’ve met before.”
She shook her head. “Not like this, we haven’t. How is this
possible?”
“He is a Greek god,” I said.
“Don’t Fear the Reaper,” Hades said with a smirk, eyeing
me.
I smiled wide. “That song’s from the seventies, but I’ll
take it.”
 She bit down on her lip. “Uh, huh. Uh, huh. I’ll uh—let
you two have a moment alone while I go and process—” She
made circling motions with her hands. “—this.” She
scampered off, holding her head.
“How are you really doing?” He asked.
I picked at the hem of my dress. “This is harder than I
thought it’d be.”
“I have a family member who can remove memories if
that’d make it easier for you. You shouldn’t need to suffer like
this, Stephanie.” He held his head low.
“No. Absolutely not. I didn’t risk my life getting to the
Underworld only to have the memory of it ripped away.”
He nodded, the smoke of the mirage shifting around his
head.
“I’ll be fine, Hades. It’s hard not to miss you.” I gave a
weak smile, a single tear rolling down my cheek.
He reached out, his palm cupping my cheek. “I don’t
deserve your tears.”
“Yes, you do.” I sniffled and wiped the tear away. “Let
someone miss you, Hades. Truly miss you.”
“You’re an amazing woman. I count the days until I can
return to the surface. To see you again, if you wish to see me.”
“I might be an old, silver-haired, wrinkly woman by then,
but if you don’t stop by when you’re in town, I’ll never
forgive you.” I smiled.
“You can count on it.” He floated backward. “I’m afraid I
must return.” He pointed at the charm around my neck.
“Please don’t hesitate to call on me again.”
I bit my cheek to keep from crying and gave a vigorous
nod. “I’ll be seeing you,” I managed to choke out.
His shoulders hunched forward, and then he was gone.
“Okay, okay. I think I can handle this,” Sara said, power
walking into the room.
 I slipped my glasses off and rubbed my eyes.
“I—” She frowned, doing several circles, searching.
“Where’d he go?”
“Back to the Underworld,” I mumbled.
She flopped into a nearby chair. “Thank God because I
honestly didn’t know how to handle it.”
“You get used to it.” I fished in my pocket for Tums, but
only found an empty wrapper.
She crossed the room and hugged me. “I’m sorry I didn’t
believe you.”
“It’s okay, Sara.” She’d pinned my arms at my sides, so I
patted her shoulder with my forehead.
She pulled away but kept her grip on my shoulders. “It’s
not okay. What kind of friend am I?”
“Sara, if it would’ve been reversed, I wouldn’t have
believed you either. It’s a crazier concept to me than
leprechauns guarding pots of gold at the end of a rainbow.” I
snickered, but then my stomach gurgled. Were leprechauns
real too?
She playfully punched my shoulder. “So, the god of the
Underworld, huh?”
“I’m an idiot.”
She led me over to the couch. I sat on the edge and slipped
my glasses back on, staring at the paisley patterns of the area
rug.
“You’re not an idiot. Okay, except for that one guy during
your biker phase. What was his name?” She asked.
“Snake?”
“Yes, him.” She scrunched her nose. “You binge-watched
Sons of Anarchy, and instead of finding Jax Teller you found—
that guy. I’m still in shock.”
I smirked and shook my head. “It lasted a week. The
moment that fight broke out in the bar, and he smashed a beer
bottle over someone’s head, I was done.”
She sighed and stroked her fingers through the waves in
my hair. “How can I help you?”
“You can’t. But I appreciate it. I’ll be fine. Wounds heal all
time, right?” I laid my head on her shoulder.
She chuckled. “Something like that.”
She continued to run her fingers through my hair, and I fell
asleep.
I gasped, waking up in my bed in the middle of the night in
a cold sweat. Pajamas replaced my dress, glasses resting on
the nightstand. I didn’t remember changing my clothes, let
alone crawling into bed. With a groan, I slapped my hand over
my face. The universe played a cruel joke bringing a man into
my life, a man who called to every fiber of my being. And I
had no humanly way possible of being with him.
Human.
Thanatos said only immortals and…gods could survive the
Underworld.
The back of my neck tingled, and I sat up,
hyperventilating. Could it be possible? Would he accept me?
Was I willing to go to those lengths?
I kicked at the blankets, tripping out of bed as I grabbed
my glasses. There wasn’t enough room to properly pace in my
bedroom, so I headed for the living room. Sammy was curled
up in his favorite cat bed, and his head shot up like a rocket.
My bare feet slapped against the wooden floor as I walked
back and forth, chewing at my nails.
“You’ve done a lot of crazy things in your time, Costas,
but this would surpass them all,” I said to myself.
Sammy followed on my heels, making me stumble several
times when he decided to do random figure eights through my
legs.
“Just admit it. And stop stalling,” I ordered myself.
 I’d been mulling it over long enough. I knew what I
needed to do to be with Hades, what I wanted to do. And who
likely I needed to make it happen.
“Zeus,” I yelled in my apartment at three o’clock in the
morning. The neighbors would get over it.
Silence.
“Zeus, Zeus, Zeus,” I repeated over and over like a toddler
having a tantrum in a toy store.
A flash of clouds and lightning sent Sammy running and
sliding across the floor, hiding behind a planter.
“What?” Zeus roared, standing in a suit, his hands balled
into fists, chest pulsing. “Do you have any idea of the heated
meeting I had to leave because you won’t shut up?” He
pointed at me and then dropped his eyes to my—attire.
I crossed my arms over my chest, covered only in a tank
top with no bra. He squinted, looking around my apartment,
lingering on the doorway to my bedroom.
“I like where you’re going with this.” A sly grin slid over
his lips.
“Do you have the power to turn mortals into gods?” I
sputtered.
He put his hands on his hips. “Come again?”
“Can you—” I played with the lace trim of my pajama
shorts. “Turn me into a goddess?”
He squinted at me, walking forward. “Are you saying you
want to be Queen of the Underworld?”
I gulped. Queen of the Underworld. Yes, yes, that’s exactly
what I wanted.
“Yes, but—” I started.
“That’s all I needed to hear.” He snapped his fingers with a
malicious grin. “Done.”
My heart fell to my feet. “Wait. What? What do you mean
‘done’? I wanted to talk to Hades first. To tell Sara…”
 “Not my problem. I’m an impatient god who’s been
nothing but patient with you. Believe me.” His hand clasped
my shoulder, and we stood in Hades’ throne room. Hades
sulked on his throne and shot to his feet when he noticed us.
“Why did you bring her down here?” Hades boomed.
Zeus pinched the bridge of his nose. “For the love of me.
You two are the most difficult project I’ve had in eons.”
My throat tightened. “What are you talking about?”
Hades’ wings flapped, and he floated down with a scowl.
“What did you do, Zeus?”
Zeus slipped his hands in his pockets with the smugness of
the Chesire Cat. “What I do best, brother. Meddle.”
Hades’ hands clenched, and the embers on his wings
brightened.
“When I found her, I knew she’d be the perfect distraction
for you, the easiest to get down here. I put the thought of
Corfu into Sara’s head because I knew Hades would be there,”
Zeus said, narrowing his eyes.
“What?” I asked through a shaky breath.
“All it took was a little mental push to get you to talk to
him, and remarkably, you did the rest. And then it was a matter
of getting you to the Underworld.”
My lips parted. “The chains. It was you.”
“Smart too.” Zeus smirked. “Yes. Rupert was so bent on
not dying he didn’t even question how magical chains
appeared in his room. I cast them with magic that would only
break in the hands of dear Stephanie here. Did you think you
suddenly became Heracles or something?”
I wanted to crawl into a corner and cry.
“I created the perfect opportunity, but Hades sent you right
back to the surface.” Zeus shook his head. “You’ve changed,
bro. You’ve changed.”
Hades growled, the embers on his wings glowing even
brighter.
 “Watch it. Or I’ll fry those wings so profusely you’ll only
have two stubs on your back,” Zeus said with a snarl.
Everything that happened with Hades was a…lie?
“And then Stephanie called for Thanatos. That was me, by
the way. Thanatos is about as social as a doornail. He
would’ve never answered you.”
“Oh, my God.” I slapped a hand over my face.
“Hades had you again. Even jumped in the sack with you,
and yet, he still sent you back. Remarkable. You two weren’t
supposed to fall in love or anything. Quite frankly, I find it
disgusting. Who do I look like? Eros?” He shuddered.
I sighed with relief. What I felt for Hades was real. At least
I had that much despite Zeus’ crazy involvement.
“Anyway, you should thank me. You’ve got your Queen. A
willing queen.” He snapped his fingers. “Here. You’ll need to
give her this. Can’t be Queen of the Underworld for an eternity
as a mortal, can she?” Zeus plopped something orange and
glowing into Hades’ limp hand. “Do whatever you want for
her coronation. I got to bolt.”
Hades clenched his hand around so tightly it shook.
Zeus played with the gold pinky ring on his right hand.
“By the way, the word in the clouds is that you did Dirty
Dancing, brother. Is that true?”
Hades glared. “I thought you were in a hurry,” he growled.
“We’ll circle back to it,” he winked with a grin and
disappeared in a flash of blinding white light.
Hades blew out a breath. “Stephanie, I’ll talk to him. Get
him to reverse this. He can do it. He’s just an arrogant prick.
He tricked you, he—”
The skin between my eyes wrinkled, and I placed a hand
on his forearm. “Hades, he didn’t trick me.”
He squinted. “What?”
“It caught me off guard happening so quickly because I
wanted to talk to you first, to say my goodbyes to Sara, but I
chose this. Me.” I pointed at my chest.
“Really?” His eyes quivered like he was about to cry.
I nodded.
“I…don’t know what to say.” His gaze dropped to his feet.
I slipped a finger under his chin and met his eyes. “You
don’t have to say anything, but I’d love to see a smile.”
His lips curled back, revealing his pointed teeth and a wide
grin spread across his face. The pastel colors of his aura burst
through the darkness. A single shimmering tear rolled down
his cheek. He pressed his hands on my cheeks and kissed me.
Salt from our tears mixed with the taste of smoke and ash.
He peeled away, keeping his hands on my face. “I’m going
to spend the rest of eternity showing you how much I
appreciate this, but you need to go back to the surface first.
You should’ve had the chance to say goodbye.”
“I can go back? I thought we had to stay here?”
“We do. Zeus seems rather preoccupied at the moment. If
he catches wind of where you are, I’ll distract him to give you
time. You’ll have to be quick about it.”
My heart thudded against my chest. I cried and wrapped
my arms around his neck. “Thank you,” I whispered into his
ear.
He blew out a breath into my hair. “You do not need to
thank me.”
“I know you gave it to me as a gift.” I stepped back,
wiping my tears away, and clutching the charm necklace in my
hand. “But, would you mind if I gave this to Sara? So I can
still talk to her?”
He grinned again. His wings were beautiful, but it didn’t
compare to the brightness of his smile. “That’s a great idea.
Yes. By all means.” He brushed my cheek with his knuckle.
“We don’t need it anymore.”
I beamed up at him.
He waved his hand, producing a portal.
 “How do I get back?”
“Simply think about the Underworld and a way will
present itself. Make sure you’re in an isolated area.”
I started to back away.
“Go and say your goodbyes, Stephanie. When you come
back, I’ll give you the ceremony you deserve.”
“I’ll be quick. Say my goodbyes and return to you.” I
smiled.
He grinned back. “Return to you. Those are probably the
three most precious words I’ve ever heard.”
“More than the words—I love you?”
He stepped forward, his wings peeking out. “Are you
saying you love me?”
“Hades, I wouldn’t have done this if I didn’t.”
He smiled and yanked me forward, kissing me. “I love you
too,” he responded in a whisper. “Truly.”
Was it possible for your heart to grow so large it sprung
from your ribcage?
“Go,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
The portal swallowed me up, and I appeared back in my
apartment.
It was strange how familiar surroundings now felt foreign.
Sammy scampered over, meowing and flicking his tail.
Sammy. What was I going to do about him? I picked him up
and nuzzled my nose into his fur. Cradling him in the crook of
my arm, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and dialed
Sara.
“Stephanie?” Her voice answered in a panic.
A lump formed in my throat. “Hey, Sara. Can you come
over? Like, now?”
“Sure, but is everything okay?”
“Yeah, but I’d rather tell you what I need to tell you in
person.”
“I haven’t heard from you in days, and when I do, you get
all cryptic on me?”
I pinched my eyes shut. “Please, Sara.”
“Be there soon.”
I took a tour of my apartment, putting it to memory. What
a stark contrast it was to a kingdom under the ground.
Explaining all this to Sara was going to be like a trip to the
dentist. Never look forward to it, but necessary to avoid pain
later. I hoped she’d understand. A knock sounded at the door,
and Sara barged in as soon as I opened it.
 “What the hell is going on, Steph?” Dark circles were
under her eyes. It looked like she hadn’t slept.
I set Sammy on the floor and smoothed out my dress as I
stood up. “I’m marrying Hades.”
“My ears must be playing tricks on me,” she said,
chuckling. “Because I could’ve sworn, I just heard you say
you were going to marry the god of the Underworld.”
“You heard right.”
Her jaw dropped. “Why would you do that? Are you out of
your mind?”
“I love him, Sara. From the moment we met at the resort, I
had this feeling. I can’t explain it.” I stood still when she
started to pace the length of my living room.
She stopped and pointed. “Wait a minute. If he’s King, that
will make you—”
“Queen. I’m going to be Queen of the Underworld.”
“You know how crazy this all sounds, right?”
“I do. But I wanted to tell you, Sara. To say bye. I can’t
stay here. Being up here now is defying Zeus.”
“Wait. You said you were going to be Queen. You’re
making it sound like you already are.”
I clenched my jaw. “Zeus kind of jumped the gun. I only
wanted to ask him if he could do it. He took my ‘yes’ as a
concrete answer and literally snapped his fingers. I planned to
talk to you first and Hades. Everything’s happened so fast.”
She grabbed my arms. “And you can never come back?”
“I don’t know.”
She started to cry, which was a rarity for Sara, and it
tugged at my heart.
Removing the necklace, I held it out her. “Sara. We can
still talk. Whenever we want or need to.”
She took it with a sniffle. “It won’t be the same, but this
helps.”
 I fought back the waterworks, not knowing what else to
say.
“He cares about you. A lot. It was written all over his face.
His actions,” she said with a weak smile.
“He does. This feels right, Sara. I’m so sorry.” I hugged
her.
She wrapped her arms around me. “Don’t apologize. This
is your life, and I want you to be happy.”
Tears burst out.
“If you can ever come back, you better find me.” She
peeled back and shoved a finger in my face. “Promise me.”
“You know, I will.”
She stared at me, her bottom lip trembling before she
hugged me again. “You’re so crazy, but I can’t stop you from
doing what you feel is right. God of the Underworld or not, if
he hurts you, I will figure out a way to smoke his ass.”
I laughed. “Listen, I know you hate cats, but would you
please take Sammy?”
Sara narrowed her eyes, looking down at the furball
strutting between the two of us. “Fine.”
“Thank you. It makes me feel better knowing he’ll be with
someone he’s familiar with.” I glanced at the time. “I need to
go.”
“Already? Is there some midnight clause or something?”
“I have no idea, but I also know that Zeus can be a real ass
when he wants to be.” I hugged her again, sighing.
She shoved her face into my shoulder. Given our height
differences, she had to bend halfway from the waist. “I can’t
believe this is happening.”
Who was she telling? “Trust me. I’m waiting for the
morning I wake up next to a man with ember wings and have
the worst case of impostor syndrome known to man.”
 She lifted her head, pieces of her black hair falling over
her eyes. “Ember wings?”
“It’s probably best not to get into it,” I said, squeezing her
shoulder. “I’ve got to go turn in my apartment key and talk to
work, still.”
“What about your dad?” She asked.
It felt like a knife to the gut.
“I haven’t seen him in years. He was pretty clear he
wanted to be left alone.”
She nodded and crossed her arms. “You better get out of
here before I hogtie you to the banister.”
“Call me on that thing whenever you want. Except if
you’re in the bathroom. That could be awkward.” I grinned.
She laughed. “Go on. Get.” She jutted her head, her eyes
glistening with tears.
After giving Sammy one last scratch of his head, I slipped
out the door before Sara held me to her word. Making up lies
to my landlord and job came easier than they ever had. Part of
me wondered if the moment Zeus snapped his fingers, I
became a different person. Given I still played scenes to Dirty
Dancing in my head and thought of song lyrics to replace
sentences, I wasn’t completely gone. I hoped I would never be.
My boss at the state police teared up a little. I couldn’t be
sure if it were because he genuinely would miss me or miss
one of the best civilian examiners they’ve had. His words. Not
mine. A part of me would miss working cases, but considering
where I’d be for the rest of my life, there’d be no shortage of
mystery. I got to leave with the knowledge of knowing Earnest
Fueller after years of searching, of wondering, was officially
guilty. It was more than enough to put me at ease.
Standing in a desolate area of Lincoln Park in the middle
of the night, trying to figure out a way to ‘think’ myself back
to the Underworld, was new for me. I pinched my eyes shut,
touched the side of my head like Professor Xavier, nothing
worked.
 Underworld.
Underworld go, I need.
Okay, thinking like Yoda didn’t work either. I blew out a
breath. What if I imagined a way to the Underworld? I closed
my eyes and thought of the first thing that came to mind. A
golden escalator appeared leading underground. The stairs
made the familiar clicking vibration sounds of any run of the
mill escalator. I tested it with the tip of my toe before stepping
on. Step-by-step, it took me down to the Underworld to an
awaiting Hades.
He leaned on a nearby column, a small smirk on his face.
“An escalator? Interesting choice.”
“It was the first thing that came to mind,” I said with a
shrug.
“You could’ve picked a cloud, a Pegasus, a—”
After hopping from the last step, I stood in front of him
and tore my glasses away. “I could’ve come down here on a
Pegasus? You’ve got so much to tell me, buster.”
“In due time,” he said with a half-smile. “First, I believe a
ceremony is in order.”
My chest tightened. This was it.
He led us over to his throne, taking both my hands. We
faced each other, and I shivered. I stared up at the god I’d
grown to love and regretted nothing. Still didn’t mean I wasn’t
nervous about becoming Queen of the Underworld.
Swirls of smoke, fog, and embers encircled us. We lifted
from the ground, floating so high up, we almost touched the
cave ceiling. He showed me the glowing orange substance
Zeus gave him. It looked like a sugared crystal.
“Ambrosia,” he whispered.
He broke a piece off, placing it in his mouth and dipped his
head down. His lips smoothed against mine, transitioning the
bite of ambrosia. It melted as soon as it hit my tongue. He
kissed me, holding me against his chest. A blast of white light
burst from my chest, a cascading tingle starting from the top of
my skull, traveling down to my toes. I didn’t dare open my
eyes, trusting him, giving into it.
He broke away from the kiss, pressing his lips against my
ear. “You need to say it out loud, Stephanie. Zeus made you
Queen, but to receive the power that goes with it, you need to
claim it.”
My eyes fluttered open. “What do I say?”
“I claim the Underworld and its King, as he claims me.” A
fire roared in his gaze, making my stomach clench.
“I claim the Underworld and its King, as he claims me.”
The words flowed from my tongue like a practiced melody.
He graced me with another smile, his wings sprouting
from his back. He kissed me again with a ferocity that tugged
at my inner tigress. I wrapped my arms around his neck. The
smoke and fog grew denser. The feel of cloth skirted down my
legs, and I broke from the kiss, looking down. A flowy
cranberry-colored dress replaced my clothes. I held my left
hand up, watching an intricate piece of gold jewelry start as a
ring on my finger, attaching to a bracelet, and stopping at an
armband.
“What’s happening?” I asked through a husky breathy.
He nuzzled his nose against my jaw. “You’re becoming the
Queen.”
My hair stayed its same chocolate tone but grew down to
my hips in shimmering waves. My ears itched, and when I
pressed my fingertips against them, they came to a point. He
turned us so I could look down at his throne. Another raised
beside it, white and shimmering in stark contrast to his dark,
ghostly one. He lowered us to the ground, leading me over to
the throne, my throne.
He moved his hand through the air, and my own reflection
stared back at me. He slipped the glasses from my nose. My
eyes were glowing and cranberry-colored. He swirled his hand
around my head and a crown of two feathers wrapped around
my forehead. They sparkled and glowed bright white.
I gasped. “I half expected a flower crown.”
 “Flowers don’t suit you.” He places his hands on my
shoulders from behind me. “I can’t give you wings, but you
have such a fascination for them, this was the best I could do.”
I beamed.
“Besides, you’re allergic to pollen.” He winked.
I laughed and stared at my reflection. It was me. I knew it
was, but I wanted to cry over how beautiful the image was.
“Do you like it?” He asked.
I turned and cupped his face in my hands. “The word like
doesn’t begin to justify how elated I feel.”
He pressed a hand against my back, guiding me to my
throne and motioned for me to sit. The armrests felt cool and
smooth against my fingers. Carved into the white marble were
cypress trees, flowers, and a singular serpent.
He smiled down at me. “Welcome to your Kingdom, my
Queen.”
I sat on my new throne, in my new world, pieces of my
hair floating in my peripheral vision. The reality of it all hit me
like a backdraft. My heartbeat quickened, and the pace of my
breathing followed.
“Stephanie,” Hades said, placing a hand on my shoulder.
His white eyes gazed down at me, begging me to confide
in him.
“I thought this through, I did, but now that it’s real, my
brain is trying to catch up. I’m a goddess now. A queen. With
responsibilities I’m completely unaware of.” I looked up at
him, vision blurring with tears.
He frowned and knelt in front of me, taking my trembling
hands into his. “Did you think I wouldn’t guide you? We’ll
work through this. Together. You’re married to the second
most powerful god of Olympus. You’re right. Responsibilities
come with it. But I promise you. I won’t rush you into
anything.”
I scooted forward, pressing my forehead against his.
 “I’d done my duties alone for eons until—” He paused, a
crinkle in his brow. “I won’t mention her again. The point is, I
can handle anything you feel you cannot.”
“Like torturing bad guys?”
He looked taken aback. “I would never have thought of
putting that burden on you.” He stood, pulling me up with
him. “I wish to give you the Fields if you’d have them.”
“What would I do?”
He slipped his arm through mine, patting my hand that
rested on his bicep. He led me to an entry in the cave I had yet
to see. “You’d guide souls to their eternal paradise. Something
tells me they’d be more at ease seeing your face over mine.”
He half-smiled.
We stopped at a black entrance covered with fog.
I closed my eyes, imagining the serene looks on their faces
when they realized death might not have been so bad after all.
“I’d be honored to have the Fields.”
He waved his hand over the entrance. Bright blue skies,
lush green fields, flowers, waterfalls. Pure paradise. My heart
soared.
He dipped his lips to my ear. “You have the power to visit
someone here if you wish. But only once.”
I turned to face him and my throat constricted. Mom.
“How do I change myself to look normal? She hasn’t seen me
since I was a kid. She’d barely recognize me as an adult, let
alone like this.”
He caressed my temple. “Simply think it, and it will be.”
I closed my eyes, a tingle starting from my hairline
traveled down to my toes.
Hades smiled down at me and slipped my glasses on. “You
don’t need them anymore, but they suit you.”
Out of habit, I adjusted them and then did a turn for his
perusal. “How do I look?”
 “Like a goddess.” He brushed my bangs away from my
eyes and gestured at the Fields. “Go take a look at your new
realm. And talk to her. She’ll be pleased to see you.”
I bit down on my lip with a nod, feeling those excited
jitters I felt when I was about to do public speaking. The grass
felt soft under the weight of my ballet flats, hugging my feet
like a cloud with each step. Birds chirped from tree branches,
and bubbling brooks streamed over rocks in a nearby river.
Where was everyone?
A couple trotted out from a thicket, dressed in white linen,
holding hands. A young couple. They couldn’t have been any
older than early twenties. They looked as carefree as children.
Before the world influences you and the harsh realities settle
in. A calm pooled in my abdomen that I couldn’t remember
the last time I’d felt. The Fields were mine to oversee now.
Further in, houses sat on hills overlooking the water.
Dozens of more people crossed my path of all ages, genders,
and races. No one frowned, or cried, or yelled. It was never-
ending; the edges of the horizon blurring against the sky. How
was I supposed to find her? Hades said to think it, and it will
be. Worth a shot. I closed my eyes and imagined my mother’s
face. When I opened them, she sat on a bench underneath a
tree. A cypress tree. How ironic.
I knew she wouldn’t recognize me right away, but hoped
deep down she’d know it was me. I clasped my hands behind
my back and walked up to her.
“Marianne?” I asked, dipping my head to meet her gaze.
She looked over her shoulder, squinting at me. She rose to
her feet, eyes narrowing to slits.
I stepped closer and took a deep breath. “It’s me.
Stephanie.”
She searched my face and, gradually, the widest smile I’d
ever seen on her brightened her eyes. She leaped from the
bench, hugging me tightly and weeping. “Stephanie? Is it
really you?”
 I suppressed tears, hugging her back. The smell of her
shampoo still clung to her brown hair, and hundreds of
memories flooded my thoughts. “Yes, Mom. It’s me. I can’t
believe you recognized me.”
She peeled back, pressing her hands to my cheeks. “It took
me a moment, but I can see that little girl in your eyes. You’ve
grown into such a beautiful woman, Steph, my word.” She
played with my hair that matched hers and ran a finger down
my nose that resembled Dad’s.
“Are you happy here, Mom?”
“How could I not be?” She smiled, but then it morphed
into a frown. “Wait—if you’re here that means you’re—”
I grabbed her hands. “No. I’m not.”
“Then, how?” Her eyes blinked with the speed of a
hummingbird.
I took a deep breath. “Let’s go for a walk.” After slipping
my arm through hers, I walked her to the lakeshore. She’d
always had a deep love for life on the water. Part of me
wondered if it was why Dad ended up in a lake house in
Alaska. To be reminded of her.
“After the fire, I struggled for years, not blaming myself.
The arsonist. It was his fault, but I kept circling back to: if I’d
only been there.” I stared at the small fish bobbing underwater
for the tiny gnats floating on the surface.
“Oh, Stephanie,” she said, resting a hand on my face. “You
couldn’t have done anything. You were a child. I’m glad you
weren’t there.”
“Do you remember Grandma saying she thought I could
see people’s auras?”
She nodded. “I loved my mother and always thought she
said such absurd things. And now here I am in the
Underworld.” She chuckled, picking up a rock and throwing it
in the water.
“She may have been right.” I couldn’t blink, watching the
ripples from the rock cascade in expanding circles.
 “What do you mean?”
“The colors I see in most people have some form of
vibrance yearning to push through, but the arsonist…pure
black.” I took my glasses off, letting the stem roll between my
fingers. “It’s something I’ve always been able to do. Search
for that good in humanity. He was the only one I couldn’t see
it. It drove me to keep that hope alive. It’s what led me to
my…husband.” One step at a time. Telling her flat out, I was
Queen of the Underworld, might have been a bit jarring.
Her eyes teared up, and she pulled me into a side hug.
“Who is he? What’s his name? Where’d you meet?”
“A few months ago, I went on vacation to Greece. We met
at the resort.”
“Greece. How romantic,” the beaming in her brown eyes
made my heart melt. It’d been so long seeing the expression of
a proud parent.
I licked my lips. “His name is Hades.”
“Hades? The same as—” She looked off into the distance.
I couldn’t drag it on any longer. “Mom, I married the god
of the Underworld. This Underworld.”
She made a small ‘o’ shape with her mouth, staring at the
water before smiling. “My daughter is Queen of the
Underworld?”
I leaned back. “How are you taking this so well?”
“Come here,” she said, leading me to the water’s edge.
She slipped off her sandals and rolled her pant legs,
dipping her bare feet in the lake. I did the same and sat next to
her.
“I know all of this exists because I’m here. You were
always so special. Your grandma’s intuitions frightened me.
She always told me you were destined for great things. Things
beyond this known world. And here I thought she meant you’d
travel the universe as an astronaut or something.” She half
smiled, swirling her toes. “So, it doesn’t surprise me that my
daughter, the little girl who once gave a cookie to a man
yelling at a waiter because she could tell he was having a bad
day, would end up in such a position.”
“The position of a fated eternity in the Underworld?”
She shook her head, resting her hand on my shoulder. “You
spent your life always seeing the good in people, only to now
be the first thing a good soul sees when being led to their
afterlife.”
Mom had a way of putting things into perspective. “I
missed you.”
She hugged me, stroking her hand over my hair. “And I,
you. But I’m so glad to hear you did alright without me. I
knew you’d be fine. Hades. He treats you well?”
“He goes above and beyond. Better than any human guy
I’ve ever dated.” I bit my lower lip. “I feel calm when I’m
with him. Like I finally have nothing to worry about it.”
She continued to smooth my hair as we both stared at the
still water. I knew our time together needed to wrap up.
“I have to go, Mama.” I hadn’t called her that since I was
four, but sitting here with her as she played with my hair made
me revert to my youth.
“I know. I’m glad we got to see each other one last time.”
I leaned back, sniffling. “You know this could only happen
once?”
She nodded, brushing her fingers through my bangs. “We
all know. The departed must move on.”
The departed. A fate I no longer had.
“You’ll be good for this place. Far better than the other
woman.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Other woman? You mean
Persephone?”
“Yes. She grew to be a tyrant. Rushing people here. Not
giving them time to let the idea of them being dead sink in.
She didn’t care.”
 I frowned. Hades failed to mention that detail. “I’ll be
different.”
“I know. And you willingly married Hades. For love. You
are special, Stephanie. Don’t ever forget it.” She kissed my
forehead.
“Goodbye,” I said, barely above a whisper.
She disappeared into golden shimmers, the wind carrying
it away. I sat motionless with my hands in my lap before
closing my eyes. When I opened them, I was back in the
throne room. Hades sat up when I appeared. The sight of his
face warmed me. Like he’d been holding his breath the mere
minutes I was gone, unsure if I’d return.
“Did it go well?” He asked.
I nodded. “I missed her. It was nice to be able to say
goodbye. Thank you.”
“Steph, again, there’s absolutely no need for you to thank
me.”
He spoke the truth, as he always had, and it made my
stomach flutter. I pushed my glasses further up my nose and
realized I’d forgotten to transform myself back.
He patted my throne, motioning for me to sit. “I have some
news for you.”
His robes shifted, falling over his form in perfect folds as
he turned to face me. “While you were gone, I had a talk with
Zeus—and Thanatos.”
I crossed my legs, leaning in. “Oh?”
“We made a deal, that once a year, you and I will be
allowed time on the surface for no longer than two weeks.”
His glowing eyes pierced mine.
“We can—we can go to the surface? I’ll be able to see
friends? Family?” I tried to hold it back. I really did. The
excitement was too much to contain, and I let out a high-
pitched shriek, leaping over the armrest of my throne to hug
him.
 He grunted as my shoulder shoved into his chest, and he
slipped an arm around me. “I knew you’d be pleased…” He let
his last word trail off.
I peeled back. “There’s a catch, isn’t there?”
“I’ll be duty-bound to uphold Thanatos’ role while on the
surface. So he too can take a break. Only me, though. Not you.
Not ever you.”
I kissed him with the tenderness of a fresh strawberry.
Every minute spent with him reminded me why I chose to do
it all in the first place.
He pulled away. “There’s one more thing.”
“Let me guess,” I slumped back. “Zeus?”
“You know him so well already.”
I flicked the air. “I knew one like him in high school.”
“He requested a yearly performance from us. The dance. In
front of—the entire family.” Hades pinched the bridge of his
nose with a grimace.
“Is this his way of trying to humiliate you?”
He dragged his hand down his face. “At every turn.”
“Doesn’t seem so bad—the entire family? How many gods
and goddesses is that?” My heart leaped to my throat, choking
me.
He blinked. “I’ve lost count.”
I went silent.
“Steph? Are you okay? You have that same look on your
face right before you passed out.”
I slunk further into the throne, dreading the thought of
thousands of people watching me.
He kneeled in front of me, resting his hands on my knees.
His touch sent a wave of calm like a gust of wind at the beach.
“You’ll be fine. If the god of the Underworld, known for
his brood and menace, can find his inner Patrick Swayze, you
should have no problem dancing the dance with him.”
 I smiled, morphing myself into my Underworld form. His
face brightened, a harsh breath escaping his nostrils. “You’re
right. A small price to pay to be able to go to the surface.
Besides, I can’t wait to see the look on Zeus’ face when we
own that shit.”
He chuckled, running his finger over the point of my ear.
The touch made my toes curl. “Are you certain you can be
happy down here? Truly happy? With me?”
I moved forward until my knees brushed against his ribs.
“Low self-esteem doesn’t suit you, Hades. I hope to change
that. See the version of you before you became battered and
torn.”
He gripped the back of my neck and kissed me,
swallowing any other words I might’ve said.
Once we came up for air, I narrowed my eyes. “Cerberus
doesn’t sleep in the bedroom, does he?”
Hades stared at me wide-eyed before letting out a hearty
chuckle. “The Underworld has become much more
interesting.”
“And I’m Hungry Like the Wolf,” I said, giving a wicked
grin and running my hand over one of his shoulder blades.
He smiled back. Smoke, embers, and burnt feathers
flittered the air as his wings escaped.
 One year later…
My eyes fluttered open, and I turned on my side. It shouldn’t
have surprised me. The bed was empty except for me, but it
didn’t disappoint me any less. I smoothed my hand over the
black silk sheets where Hades’ imprint was with a sigh. There
was a devastating volcanic eruption in Indonesia, which meant
he and I worked overtime.
I slipped from the bed, swirling my hand around myself.
The satin nightgown clinging to my body morphed into the
Queenly attire.
I tried to convince Hades to let me pick up some of the
slack when the Underworld got overly busy such as it was
now. He insisted he’d rather be the one losing sleep, not me.
The man could be so sweet sometimes it made my teeth ache.
I took a seat at my desk, smiling to myself as I grabbed a
piece of parchment. Hades had taught me how to write in
calligraphy. Though I could communicate to him in any way I
chose, old-fashioned note passing continued to be my favorite.
After scrolling what I wanted to say, I held it up. The paper
burnt away in floating bits of embers and smoke before
disappearing entirely.
My pet scurried from the other room, slipping on the floor
several times as it tried to gain traction. Pluto looked like a
mix between a Pomeranian and the Chesire Cat. Wide mouth,
with an elongated tongue. Poofy blue striped fur. It was the
kind of ugly you couldn’t help but find adorable. Hades
created him for me when he realized how much I missed
Sammy.
“Good morning, boy. Ready for breakfast?” I scratched the
top of his head.
His tongue fell out onto the floor, caking it with drool, and
his forked tail whipped back and forth. I conjured a bowl of
kibble, and he shoved his entire head in it.
I made my way to the hallway, scooping my steaming
coffee cup from the maker I’d created for myself. The smell of
vanilla and cinnamon wafted through the air. The caffeine in
coffee would do nothing for me anymore, but it was simplistic
normalcy I wanted to keep around. I made a bone the size of
my arm appear in my hand, and whistled down the hall, the
high-pitched sound echoing off the walls. Cerberus came
barreling around the corner, and I tossed the bone. He charged
past me, all three of his heads snapping excitedly.
A tingle traveled down my spine, and I closed my eyes.
The sensation meant another soul required guidance to the
Fields. I swirled my hand around my head, producing my
winged crown. When I appeared at the hidden entrance to the
Fields, a young woman with auburn hair stood there shivering.
I touched her shoulder with the gentleness of a passing cloud.
She gasped and turned around. Her widened eyes and
trembling lips melted from her expression upon seeing me. I
smiled and waved my hand, producing a portal window. The
woman’s lips parted, the sun from the Fields illuminating her
face.
“It’s so beautiful I almost forgot I died,” the woman
muttered.
I held my hand out, beckoning her to follow me. “Death
only of the mortal sense. This is your new home. Your new
life.”
She let me lead her onto the green grass. It didn’t take long
for me to sense her comfort, her contentment. My job was
done. They weren’t all as easy. Sometimes I’d spend hours
soothing them before I felt confident enough to leave them
alone. The woman ran to a nearby stream, dipping her hands
into the sparkling water. I backed away, slipping back through
the portal.
Hades and I spent most of the day apart taking care of our
realms, but would always come together at the same time to
spend the rest of the evening together. And that time was right
about—
His presence loomed behind me with the scent of burning
wood. He traced his fingers down my neck, and I purred.
His lips brushed my ear, making my heart race. “I got your
note,” he said, making the note appear in a burst of flame.
“Florida,” Hades said monotone. “Our first time back on
the surface. You could choose anywhere in the known world,
and you choose…Florida?”
I held my cup of cold coffee out to him with a wide grin,
wiggling it back and forth.
He touched the side of it with a single orange glowing
finger and the cup steamed back to life. “And you do realize
we still have months before we get to go back?”
I waved my hand through the note, making it disappear.
“I’m a planner. You know that.” Was it insane how much I
missed him even though it’d only been hours apart? I beamed
up at him and said, “Besides, what’s wrong with Florida? It’s
sunny, has Disney—”
“Surrounded on nearly all sides by water,” Hades
mumbled.
I grinned and sauntered forward, curling his hair around
my finger. “And then after that, I was thinking—Alaska.”
His eyes narrowed. “Water and cold,” he grumbled. “I
think there are souls who need torturing,” he joked, pretending
to turn away.
I laughed and yanked on his arm. He looked down at me
with a smile.
 “Lucky for me, you’re excellent at putting on a brave
face,” I teased, running my finger over the part of his chest
that poked out from his robes.
He wrapped his arm around me, pushing his palm into my
lower back. “Mm and lucky for me darlin’, I married an
enchantress.”
Normally, he saved the southern drawl for his mortal guise,
but he surprised me with it every once and awhile because he
knew it drove me wild.
“Has Tartarus slowed down at all?”
“I’ve spent this time away to ensure it wouldn’t become
overrun in my absence. Though the volcano was an unwanted
surprise.” His finger drew absent circles over my exposed
back. “But now you get me all to yourself for the rest of the
night.” His voice grew husky.
I grinned. “And what should we do with our night?”
“Do you remember what you said when I asked what you
missed most about life on Earth?”
I squinted and tapped my finger against my lip. “Me and
Sara’s Friday the thirteenth movie ritual?”
He nodded. “Not sure if you’ve been keeping track of
Earth calendar days, but today…is Friday the thirteenth.”
“What are you saying?”
He waved his arm, and we appeared in a small room with a
red love seat and big screen TV. He transformed himself into
his mortal self and touched a hand to my shoulder, changing
me as well.
His dimple deepened as he gave a lopsided grin, staring
down at me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
“The Underworld version of you is my Queen and
beautiful beyond what I could imagine, but this you,” he
traced the back of his hand down my arm. “Was my
salvation.” Those wisps of hair fell over his eyes as he dipped
his chin, and my stomach flipped.
I leaped up, wrapping my arms around his neck. He caught
me, his forearms supporting under my rump. I kissed his lips
and then pecked all over his cheeks and nose. He laughed,
wincing like one of my kisses would take an eye out.
He lowered me to the ground. “Tonight, let’s simply be a
normal couple, having a normal movie night.” He slipped my
glasses on my nose with a snarky grin.
I bit down on my lower lip. “I wasn’t sure if it was
possible to love you anymore. I was wrong.”
He conjured a pan of Jiffy pop and held his hand under it.
A burst of flame popped the corn in an instant.
I folded my arms. “What happened to normal?”
“Except for that. It takes too long, and I don’t feel like
creatin’ a stove.” He winked and flopped onto the couch.
“Pick whatever you want, sweetheart.”
I sat down and patted my thighs. “Well, I think we start a
new tradition. Instead of Dirty Dancing like Sara and I
watched, we’ll watch…eighties horror movies.” I grinned.
He paused with popcorn in his mouth, turning to cock an
eyebrow at me. Pluto trotted past us, sliding on the floor
before leaping up to my lap. He panted and looked between us,
one of his eyes squinting.
“I still can’t believe you named your pet after me,” Hades
said with a snicker.
“Hey, I can’t help your Roman name also happens to be a
beloved Disney dog.”
I scratched Pluto’s ears, and his back leg bounced.
“Alright, first up.” I waved my hand at the TV. “Evil Dead.”
“Sounds like somethin’ I’m not going to like,” he
grumbled.
“No brooding on movie night.” I nuzzled against him and
threw some popcorn in my mouth.
 Pluto did several circles before nuzzling into my lap and
shutting his eyes.
Hades was reasonably quiet for the entire movie, only
making the occasional scowl. It was after the third deadite soul
took over a living mortal he felt compelled to express his
opinion.
“Okay, this is ridiculous. Are they trying to say the evil
dead can escape Tartarus and take over a living mortal just
because some words were spoken in a made-up language?
They’d never make it past Cerberus, let alone up to the
surface.”
I slipped a hand over his mouth. “You’re missing all the
best Ash one-liners.”
“Ash?” he asked into my palm.
I laughed and pulled my hand away. “Bruce Campbell.
Ash. The guy in the blue shirt with the chain saw? The main
guy?”
“Right,” he clipped.
We spent the rest of the movie eating endless popcorn and
cuddling. He even chuckled a time or two.
When it was over, I turned to face him. “Was it as
torturous as Tartarus?”
“Not at all. I quite enjoyed it after I stopped comparin’ it to
the true way death works.” He smiled.
I threw popcorn at him. Pluto yipped and jumped to the
floor.
His smile faded, and he narrowed his eyes before throwing
some back. Several pieces landed in my hair. My jaw dropped.
A sly grin slowly spread across his lips.
“Hey!” I protested through a giggle.
He tackled me onto the couch, hovering above me on his
forearms. He rolled his hips against me. “Are you happy,
Steph?”
“Very,” I cooed.
 “Did this night of normalcy help your homesickness?”
I smiled. “Very. But I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything.” He lowered his head and brushed his lips over
my nose.
“Next time, use your wings to heat the popcorn. Because
let’s face it, sweetie, this is my new normal.”
He kissed me and grinned against my mouth. “As you
wish, darlin’.”
Be sure to check out the first in Carly’s paranormal romance series: After Midnight.
Vampires, shifters, Aztec mythology, and enemies to lovers.
Irresistible Demise
Buy it on Amazon
 Excerpt from APOLLO, next in the Contemporary Mythos
series:
The lights dimmed, and I sat up straight. Kate wasn’t back yet.
Fog flowed over the stage, and the audience went wild.
Whistles, whoops, and screams flooded my ears. Everyone
around me stood up, but I remained in my seat, slouching
down as far as possible. The drummer appeared first, starting a
steady rhythm that reminded me of wrestling entrance music.
The crowd’s rowdiness increased.
Where was Kate? She was going to kill me. Stupid
nachos.
The lead guitarist walked on stage next. He had black hair
down to his hips, a black t-shirt with a Punisher skull, and a
baggy pair of shorts. He stuck his tongue out and raised his
fists in two rock symbols. The crowd answered him by
throwing their fists in the air. I wanted to curl the jacket over
my head.
The bassist did a front flip onto the stage, with the bass
guitar strapped to his chest. He had spiky short brown hair and
enough charcoal around his eyes to put Jack Sparrow to
shame. The drummer picked up speed, his arms flailing from
one side to the other. A sun appeared on the farthest left jumbo
screen behind the stage and transitioned to the middle one. The
crowd screamed so loudly, I winced.
Ace appeared in the middle of the stage within a burst of
flames. His guitar was strapped to his back, and he kept his
head held low. A retro unidirectional microphone on a stand
rose from the floor. He wrapped a tanned hand around it. The
drums came to a stop, and the lights went out.
I gripped my armrests, not being able to see my hand in
front of my face. A shimmery orange bow and arrow floated
on stage. The arrow pulled back and shot into the audience,
before exploding in a spray of orange glitter. I held my hand
out, expecting it to collect in my hand, but instead, it
disappeared as if it never existed. The lights blared back on,
and I squinted my eyes as they adjusted.
 Ace lifted his head and threw a fist into the air. “How are
we doing tonight, Buffalo?”
Why did he have to be so disgustingly attractive?
He had pale blonde hair that fell just past his collar bone,
bright blue eyes, and an insanely strong clean-shaven jawline.
He wore golden skintight pants and a golden vest, giving a
clear view of his upper half. Tanned. Muscular. Cut.
He smiled. I could’ve sworn the stage lights glinted off his
teeth they were so white. And then his gaze dropped—to me. I
shifted my eyes. How the hell did he even see me within my
hole of standing fans? He kept his electric grin but squinted his
eyes as if taken aback at my lack of enthusiasm for being in
the first row.
“The line was insane. Oh my—how much did I miss?”
Kate said, scooting past several people and thankfully—
blocking my view.
“Not much. He just appeared in a burst of flames after
shooting a glittery bow and arrow into the audience,” I said
monotone.
She shoved the nachos in my face. The smell of liquid
cheese and jalapenos wafted through the air.
“He did what? Oh, man,” she pouted, but quickly
recovered when Ace started to sing.
I remained seated, eating as many nachos that I figured
would appease Kate before shoving the remainder under my
chair.
Ace swung the guitar from his back to his front, sliding his
left hand down the neck of it like caressing an arm. It was
white pearlescent with chrome accents and down the length of
the neck, underneath the strings, were glowing orange suns.
He dragged a hand through his hair, which had just enough
greasiness to maintain sexy versus gross. He stood in front of
the mic, strumming the guitar as he sang. His eyes never left
the audience, moving from one person to the next.
He sang about being born from the sun and something
about sharing the warmth. It should’ve come as no surprise the
lyrics were as if he thought he truly was a god. Kate grabbed
my arm and hoisted me up.
“At least pretend like you’re having a good time,” she said
with a snicker.
Ace swung the guitar to his back and removed the mic
from the stand. He started at the end of the stage farthest from
us, holding his hand out for anyone who wanted the privilege
of touching his clammy fingers. Kate leaned forward, her chin
barely above the stage. She waved her arms, stretching her
fingers as far as they’d go. I folded my arms.
When he got to us, he brushed Kate’s fingers, and I
thought she’d pass out on the spot. He continued to sing,
squinting at me again as he passed. Why did he keep looking
at me? Move along rockstar. He moved back to the stand,
repositioning the mic on it. He took his guitar off, resting it on
the floor and stepped to the edge of the stage.
Kate had the hand he touched up in the air like she was a
prepping surgeon.
“Please tell me you intend on washing that hand again,” I
yelled over the music.
She shrugged. “I honestly couldn’t tell you.”
Ace pumped his leg in beat with the music, biting down on
his lower lip. He grabbed both sides of his vest and raised his
brows.
Women in the crowd yelled with such high-pitched shrills
it could shatter glass. One woman next to us shouted, “Take it
off!”
Ace slid one side of the vest over his shoulder, followed by
the other, and let it slide down his forearms until it was in his
hand. He swung it around several times before throwing it into
the audience. One woman caught it, but another near her
latched onto it, and a catfight ensued.
My God. Was I even on planet Earth anymore?
He stood in all his bronzed skin, shirtless glory, the lights
casting the perfect shadows over every piece of taut muscle.
Did he plan it that way?
He scooped the guitar up, throwing the strap over his head.
Not missing a beat, he played with the interlude, and my head
started to nod. I couldn’t help it. The song had a nice beat to it,
and rhythm was ingrained in my very soul. The nod turned
into a full-on head bob.
Ace walked in front of us and dropped to his knees. He
held the guitar vertical, and his fingers flew feverishly over the
strings. His muscles twitched and flexed, and veins popped out
over his forearms. I gulped.
“Oh my, God!” Kate squealed, jumping up and down, and
clamping her hands over her mouth.
The concert went on for another hour, and the audience
persuaded them to play not only one, but two encores.
Something told me Ace had no issue with it. He didn’t even
seem out of breath. He made eye contact with me five more
times throughout the performance and did his shirtless guitar
playing in front of us another three times. No exaggeration. I
counted.
Once they said their goodbyes and the clapping and
screaming finally started to die down, they walked off stage,
and a security guard appeared in front of us.
“You two ready?” He asked.
“For what?” I asked back.
He cocked a bushy eyebrow. “You have backstage
passes.”
“Don’t mind her,” Kate said, shoving me to the aisle.
“We’re so ready.”
The closer we got to the stairs leading backstage, my heart
beat faster. Sweat soaked the back of my neck, and I wanted to
turn away, but Kate had me trapped in her damn arm curl. Ace
stood in the distance, chatting it up and laughing with the
bassist. A female fan with a bosom twice the size of her head
bounced in front of them. She handed Ace a sharpie, and he
gave a lopsided grin. Without batting an eyelash, he signed her
cleavage. He was still very shirtless.
 “These are the two backstage pass winners, guys,” the
security guard said, holding his hand out for us to approach
them. He motioned for the buxom woman. She frowned, and
he led her off stage.
I dug my heels into the ground, but Kate pulled me right
along. For such a tiny woman, she had the strength of a rhino.
Ace glanced at Kate, but concentrated on me, flashing one
of his trademark grins. “Ah, the two beauties from the front
row.”
I looked at the rafters, the ground, the roadie bent over and
showing his butt crack, anywhere but at him.
Kate giggled, draping a hand over her mouth. “You all put
on an amazing show. And those pyrotechnics? They
looked so real.”
“We have an amazing crew,” Ace said.
Kate gasped. “Oh my God, the drummer. I’ll be right back,
Laurel.” She ran off, the little traitor.
The bassist looked between us and then snapped his
fingers. “I’m going to go—over here,” he mumbled before
walking away.
“Your name is Laurel?” He asked with a twinkle in his
eye.
“Yes. Do you have a problem with that name?” I finally
found the will to look at him, but tried not to stare at his
nipples.
He smirked, and his pecs bounced. “Not at all. Did you
enjoy the show?”
“It was alright,” I lied.
He laughed, and his damn pecs danced again. “I saw your
head bobbing. You were into it.”
“Music is music.” I turned my head away.
He dropped his face to look at mine. “Why can’t you look
at me?”
 “You’re standing here half-naked.”
He dragged his hands over his chest and abdomen.
My stomach flipped.
“Does this bother you?”
I didn’t answer.
“Wait. Are you a lesbian? Not that there’s anything—”
“No. I’m not a lesbian. You’re so arrogant. It truly
astounds me.” I crossed my arms in a huff.
He put one hand on his hip and pointed at me with the
other. “And you’re snooty.”
My jaw dropped. “Why? Because I didn’t drop my pants at
first sight of you?”
“Amongst other things.” He rubbed his hand over his chin,
eyeing me like one would eye up pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
“Not used to having your ego bruised, are you?”
He chuckled. “You think you’re bruising my ego?” His
golden hair fell in a perfect frame over his face.
“Definitely.” I pulled my shoulders back.
He pointed at my shirt. “What’s the cartoon supposed to
be?”
“Hades.”
He narrowed his eyes and smirked. “Real cute.”
“I thought so.”
Kate, my unsung hero, appeared beside me. “They’re
saying we have to go,” she groaned.
“Have to go already?” He leaned toward me. “Such a
shame,” he said, sarcasm lacing his tone.
Was it horrible I felt the urge to stick my tongue out at
him? Instead, I lifted my chin in the air and grabbed the crook
of Kate’s elbow.
 “Come on, Kate. It’s getting stuffy in here.” I glared at him
over my shoulder.
She whined. “But I don’t want to go.”
“Would ice cream help?” I asked.
She perked up. “Soft serve?”
“Is there any other kind?”
Her pace quickened, and I stopped at the stairs to risk a
look back. Ace stood in the same spot we’d left him, rubbing
his smooth chin. He stared at the ground before catching my
gaze. He made a ‘shoo’ gesture with his hands. It took every
ounce of my willpower to not throw one of the nearby stage
lights at him. Not that I could throw it that far anyway. I blew
air out of my nostrils like a bull and clamored down the stairs.
“So, you and Ace were alone,” Kate said, nudging me in
the rib with her elbow.
“I don’t like him. He doesn’t like me. So, stop whatever
fantasy is rolling around in that crazy brain of yours pronto.”
Her grin widened into a maniacal one.
“Why do you have that look on your face?” I asked,
leaning away.
“Because all the best romances start that way.” She raised
on the balls of her feet and skipped toward the parking lot.
STAY TUNED!
www.carlyspade.com
First, to my husband, you gave me so many unique ideas to
flesh out Hades’ character, and as always, I appreciate your
support and continued willingness to hear my thoughts.
To my critique partner: Sarah. I can’t thank you enough for
the honesty you always give, and with this book in particular,
it needed those harsh truths. Thank you for making it better.
To my beta readers, your feedback made this story bigger,
better, and totally badass. I can’t thank you all enough for
taking the time to read and comment, all the while being
honest and enthusiastic.
Meghan and Brittany AKA “Miss Poopy Pants”, you both
read Hades not once, but twice as I made revisions. You’re
both my heroes, and I couldn’t ask for better cheerleaders in
my corner.
Matt, thank you for being my go-to with anything law
enforcement related. I couldn’t have come up with such a
plausible case and I appreciated your help and input.
A special thanks to the creators of the nineties
shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior
Princess. Those shows shaped my childhood and made me the
Greek mythology fiend I am today.
To the readers, I know there are so many Greek myth
retellings out there, and I thank you for taking the chance on
yet another series. Greek mythology has been a passion of
mine for over twenty years, and it was only a matter of time
before it seeped into my writing. I hope this series will remain
unique from what you’ve read and continue to feed into your
hunger for more Greek god and goddess goodies!
 CARLY SPADE is an adult romance writer
who has been writing since she could pick up
a pencil. After the insanity of obtaining a
bachelor’s and master’s degree in
cybersecurity, creating worlds to escape to
still ate at her very soul. She started writing
FanFiction (which can still be found if you
scour the internet), and soon felt the need to
get her original ideas on paper. And so the
adventure began.
She lives in Colorado with her husband
and two fur babies, and revels in an enemies
to lovers trope with a slow burn.
Find her online:
www.carlyspade.com