Page 86 of Raising Hell
“I remember.”
“Do you remember when I freed one of your children from his chains? He was in a room with a table full of food.”
He started shaking even harder.
“Ashlyn,” Megan said softly.
I ignored her warning and pulled back to look Hades in the eyes.
“I hadn’t eaten anything in what felt like days and was so hungry. I freed him so he could try the food before I did. But then you came in and chained him back to the wall. After that, you fed me a piece of bread. I was so grateful.” I stroked my fingers along his jaw, trying to pull him from whatever emotion was tearing at him.
“Is this real?” Hades rasped.
“It is. This is real. Do you remember what happened before I freed him? Do you remember your children gathering in the hall and asking for help? Do you remember the room where I found you?”
“I will be worthy!” he roared, standing.
I tumbled from his lap and would have hit the ground if not for Zotera. She moved wickedly fast and cushioned my head with her hand. It was still a jarring connection but much better than if she hadn’t acted.
I looked up at Hades and saw he was in full-blown devil mode again. His eyes were glowing red and wildly scanning the room as the floor and ceiling shook. Grit and pebbles rained down.
“Mother?” Zotera said, her face twisted with concern.
“I’m okay,” I said, jumping to my feet.
I threw myself at Hades, wrapping my arms around his torso and running a palm over his back.
He looked down at me, surprise lifting his brows before wonder replaced it.
“She holds me.”
“No, she doesn’t,” I said. “Ashlyn does. You’re breaking your word and making things shake again. Time to calm down. Pick me up and kiss me.”
I didn’t have to ask him twice. He lifted me off my feet and claimed my lips in a kiss that melted away all my worry about Earth and finding whoever was after me. There was just Hades and his hunger for me and my all-consuming need for him.
His tongue teased mine, building my craving for more. More touching. More tasting. More everything. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pressed myself against him, desperate for contact. I felt his skin move under my hands and, on some level, knew he was shrinking into his more human form.
He eased his lips from mine to kiss the corner of my mouth and the tip of my nose.
I tried claiming his lips again.
It wasn’t until he said, “The furies are waiting,” that I remembered why I’d started kissing him in the first place.
My face heated, and, breathing hard, I untangled my legs from around him. He eased me down, maximizing contact and nuzzling my neck until my feet were on the ground.
He stepped back and smoothed away a stray strand of my hair.
“Forgive me, my beloved. I was angry.”
“Why?”
He slowly shook his head. “I can’t remember.”
“Don’t try,” I said quickly. “Everything is fine now.”
But it wasn’t. Hades had forgotten everything—including me—for a second there in an attempt to remember how we’d begun. And that wasn’t good. What would he do when he finally discovered the truth?
I made sure my skirt was in place before turning toward the furies. None of them looked amused by the display I’d just put on.
