Page 59 of Raising Hell
“I want to believe this is true.”
I sighed, and all my frustration and anger left me. Instead, I just felt sorry for Hades.
“Well, itistrue, and I’m sorry that Persephone messed you up so much that you can’t believe it.” I pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. “I’m not her. I think, deep down, you’re starting to see that. Look at all the changes we’ve made. I eat the good foods you provide. I sleep next to you at night. I encouraged you to remove contracts you didn’t like and revert the changes that made you miserable. Does that sound like anything Persephone would do?”
“You would do anything to torment me. Moments of peace only make the betrayals more painful.”
“Moments,” I said. “It’s been days, hasn’t it? Could Persephone be nice to you for as long as I have? I bet she couldn’t. Yet, we’re already on day two officially? Even longer if you count the days before that.”
“I need more proof.” He released me and opened his arms wide as dozens of scripts flared to life on his skin. “You’ve allowed me to break many contracts. Remove them. Prove you’re not her.”
“Remove all the contracts you’ve broken?” I asked.
He nodded, and I bit my lip, thinking of the one we’d made. A kiss in exchange for my safety for ten days while I attempted to prove I was human. The wine had broken that one, and if I removed it, he would have no reason to set me free. No reason other than the payment he’d demanded from the start.
Sex with Hades didn’t sound nearly as frightening as it had a few days ago. But if I gave him what he wanted and he sent me home, would he stay calm alone in the underworld, or would he destroy the world in his loneliness and anger?
“I can’t,” I said. “Not all of them. Let’s start with three more.”
His hands fell to his sides, and he gave me a hard look.
“As I thought.”
“No, not as you thought. I haven’t read all those contracts. I don’t know what removing them all means. As a human who can die in Hell, I’m being cautious, not manipulative. Show me three contracts that you’ve been breaking, and we’ll remove them.”
The glowing script faded in all but three places on his skin, and I moved closer to read them. One was about sleeping next to me. Apparently, that wasn’t allowed. Another stated that there was no throne sharing. He had to allow me a throne of my choosing and never force me to sit on his lap. And the final one said that he could never call me by name or any endearment. It was Goddess or nothing.
“We should absolutely get rid of all of those. You can call me whatever you want, but I won’t answer to Persephone. That’s not my name. And I don’t mind sitting on your lap as long as you respect my request not to turn every touch into a bid for sex. Same with sleeping next to you at night. It actually makes me feel safer. Just don’t steal my clothes.”
“So be it.”
I closed the distance between us and lifted my hand to remove the contracts. At the last second, I hesitated.
“Is there any chance you can make the jewelry really small? This necklace is heavy, and if we keep removing these, I’m not going to be able to walk soon.”
He frowned at me, and another spot flared to life on his skin.
Hades had given up his right to gift Persephone with any trinkets or scented oils in exchange for a hand job. The only exception was what he created when a contract was canceled.
“How do you feel about getting rid of that one too? I don’t mind gifts. You can still make things from the script, but maybe I could just choose one or two things to wear every day instead of all of them. Do you know how to make rings?”
I held up my hand for his inspection. “Rings would be cool.”
Rather than wait for his answer, I traced my finger over that script first. He scowled hard but didn’t catch my hand to stop me. Once that one’s gold floated in the air, I moved to the next. Four contracts made a handful of pretty rings of various sizes. I tried on several, keeping one on my pointer finger, one on my opposite thumb, and another on my second toe. I grinned at that one, forgetting myself. When I looked up, Hades was watching me warily.
“Sometimes, a smile is just a smile. I’ve always wanted to wear a toe ring. It made me happy. Here.”
I took his hand and slid one of the remaining rings onto his pinky. It was too feminine in design for him, and I worked to suppress my grin.
“Maybe something less fancy. Can you change that so it’s a solid band? Maybe a little thicker?”
The ring changed on his finger.
“Better. I don’t think it works on the little finger. Can you make it bigger?” I was already wiggling it off his pinky and moved it to his first finger. It fit perfectly and looked like it belonged there.
“What do you think?” I asked, looking up at him.
“This is the first gift you have given me.”
