Page 45 of Raising Hell
“Will you rest with me?” I asked, not forgetting the fury’s warning.
“For as long as you allow.”
I settled into bed and watched him prowl to his side. He joined me under the cover and pulled me close to his heat. I wondered if I would ever be able to sleep like this. Snuggled against his side, I placed my hand on his chest and tried not to move it.
To distract us both, I asked, “When was the last time you slept?”
He frowned slightly.
“It was—” His frown deepened. “Why does it matter?”
“I guess it doesn’t. You just seem so restless all the time. And upset. Sometimes sleep helps things look better in the morning.”
His fingers smoothed down my back.
“I am not restless now.”
He wasn’t wrong. He was usually pretty peaceful whenever he was holding or touching me.
“You’re not always peaceful when you’re holding me, though. Telling me you wanted to push me off your lap wasn’t very nice.”
“Forgive me.”
“I’m just glad you didn’t do it.”
“I would never harm you, no matter how your games torment me.”
I lifted my head to look down at him.
“This isn’t a game. I’m not trying to torment you.”
“I know. You are a human trapped in Hell, trying to convince its king that you are not the queen he has wanted for an eternity even though you look like her, smell like her, and sound like her.”
“When you put it like that, I can see why you’re having a hard time believing me.”
Sighing, I rested my head on his chest again.
“I grew up watching the world around me but not being a part of it,” I said. “The first child of the gods I ever saw was Oanen, a griffin. Well, he’s the first one I remember, anyway.
“I’d begged my uncle to let me go with him to one of his meetings with the Council members. I’d been seven, maybe, and lonely. Oanen had taken one look at me and handed me the book he’d been reading. His family history. I’d learned a lot about griffins that day before the grownups saw what I was reading and took it away. Mostly, I learned that Oanen was serious and not much fun.
“He was always nice to me, though, whenever I saw him after that.”
“Did you see him often?” Hades asked.
“No. I didn’t see much of anyone often.”
“Did you wish to see him often?” he asked with an edge to his voice.
I lifted my head to arch a brow at him.
“I’m telling you about my life, not past boyfriends. There aren’t any. Not living in Uttira. I didn’t have a death wish.”
I relaxed again and thought back to all the close calls.
“The children of the gods never stopped trying to make me their puppet, though. Incubi. Succubi. Sirens. Those were the ones that I really had to watch out for. Well, in terms of unwanted sexual encounters, anyway. Mermaids are worse in terms of general encounters. Vicious finned-folk that hold grudges.
“My first kiss was with an incubus at a club in Uttira. The Roost.” A low rumble echoed in the room, and I smoothed my hand over Hades’ chest to quiet it. “When the Council decided I was old enough to go, my uncle made me practice for days before my first shift there. We went over the rules so much that I dreamt about them. And what did I do? Forgot just about everything the second I walked through those red doors.
