Page 18 of Raising Hell
There was a certain bitter irony to sacrificing myself for a world that had never once concerned itself about me.
“You are not pleased,” Hades said, and I realized I was letting too much of what I was feeling show on my face.
“Yes, I’m upset,” I said honestly. “But it has nothing to do with the pizza. Thank you for asking the fury to get it. Maybe we can try something else tomorrow?”
He considered me for a silent moment.
“Perhaps,” he said. “Tell me what upsets you.”
I didn’t want to lie to him. It felt wrong. But he never seemed to believe the truth either. So I settled for something in the middle.
“It’s homesickness. And you don’t need to remind me. I already know I’m the reason I can’t go home.” I made myself focus on the pizza and took another bite. It didn’t taste as good as it should have.
There was no victory in it. Only defeat.
CHAPTERFOUR
“I thinkI’m more tired than hungry right now.” I pushed aside what remained of my pizza. “Eat as much as you want, Zotera.”
“Thank you, Mother.” With a sad expression, she watched me stand.
Hades mirrored my move and took my hand.
Neither of us spoke as we left the throne room, which suited me fine. My mind was still dwelling on what the note hadn’t said. There’d been nothing about trying to rescue me. I guessed I shouldn’t have been surprised by that. After all, what was one human’s life when the entire world's existence was at stake? Yet, it hurt. Deeply.
The door to our room was already open, and the warm glow from within spilled into the hall. When we entered, I saw the bed had changed a little. Another mattress lay on top of the straw-filled one. I could feel Hades watching me and knew he was expecting some kind of reaction.
“It looks very comfortable,” I said, trying to sound upbeat when nothing about my circumstance was cheery.
He seemed to buy it, though, when I released his hand to test the extra layer. It wasn’t stuffed with straw. It felt like a very thin, feather-filled pillow and provided an extra cushion.
I pulled back the linen cover and slipped underneath it. The lights in the room dimmed slightly, and I exhaled heavily before turning my head to look at Hades. He stood beside the bed, watching me like he always did.
Before reading the note, I’d already guessed that he didn’t sleep. How many times had I woken to his weird rambling about my skin or how I smelled like the sun? Too many. At first, I’d assumed it was because he was dead. The dead didn’t need sleep, right? And once I’d realized who he was, I’d figured the King of Hell didn’t need to sleep either.
But he had been sleeping—sort of—when I’d first found him.
Was sleeping with him the only way to put him back to sleep? My brain tripped on the double meaning. Maybe I didn’t need to have sex with him. Maybe I could just convince him to sleep next to me.
The possibility of that working was weak at best, but I had to try. I wasn’t yet ready to commit myself to Hell forever.
“I know you don’t need sleep, but would you like to try?” I asked.
“Are you inviting me to lie with you?”
“Not sex. Just rest,” I said.
He circled around the bed and reached for the tie holding up his pants.
“Pants on.”
He held my gaze, lifted the cover, and got in with me. Pants and all.
…appease him so he goes back to sleep.
With that bit of the note echoing around in my head, I scooted closer to him and nudged his arm. He lifted it, allowing me to settle against his side and use his shoulder as a pillow. His hand smoothed over my back, the pressure removing any hint of space between us.
When I tipped my head up, his heated gaze locked with mine.
