Page 69 of Hell On Earth
Hades held my hand as we walked the rest of the way toward Nicolette’s door. I wanted to believe that Hades wouldn’t flip out when he found out Thanatos was Persephone’s lover, but I wasn’t so sure. He was a jealous and possessive god when it came to me, her replacement. I felt a little sick with the realization that this news would test my place in Hades’ heart. How would I stand compared to Persephone?
Eliana entered the code at the door and let us in. Oanen and Jason, who stood in the living room area with their backs toward us, glanced over their shoulders at the sound of the door.
“Good. You’re here,” Megan said from beyond them. “Father, this is Zayn.”
Oanen and Jason stepped aside, giving us a clear view of Megan and the man next to her. His hazel eyes shifted from me to Hades.
The recently promised calm god went from hot guy in jeans to sexy demon with horns in less than a second.
“You will not take her from me. She is mine!” Hades roared.
Zayn snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Hades bellowed and vanished too.
“Hades!” I yelled.
He reappeared in front of me, a picture of pure rage, snarled—at me—and vanished again.
“Hades,” I said, getting angry myself.
Red skin, black horns, and spread wings appeared…anddisappeared.
“Hades-hades-hades-hades-hades!”
He finally stayed put when he saw me angrily yelling his name. The building shook around us.
“Do promises mean nothing to you?” I demanded. “Youwilllearn some control.” I poked him in his chiseled, red abs. “And you will not” – poke – “intimidate, scare, or try to hurt the people who are attempting to save my life.” I crossed my arms. “Unless this is your way of telling me that my life isn’t nearly as important to you as you’ve led me to believe.”
Chest rising and falling with each angry breath, Hades leaned down until we were eye to eye.
“You aremine, Ashlyn,” he snarled. “By Zeus’ decree, you are mine. It cannot be undone.”
“You’re making it really hard not to want to hit you right now. Zeus’ decree was for Persephone, not me. Now, please stop yelling at me and treat me with the respect you demanded Megan treat me.”
His seething gaze remained locked with mine as he took one breath then another.
Slowly, he returned to normal size with clothes. The suit this time. It didn’t help him look any calmer. More like barely contained savagery.
And gods, seeing him like that did things to my insides. I wanted him, and it broke me a little to know he was still so caught in the past.
Patience,I reminded myself.Persephone broke him with centuries of torture. A few weeks of kindness won’t heal that.
“I don’t know how to help you with whatever you’re feeling because I don’t understand what’s wrong,” I said gently. “And yelling at each other and losing our tempers isn’t going to change that. Talking will. Please. Talk to me, Hades.”
No one moved or made a sound as he hung his head for a moment.
“You are correct,” he said softly. “My memoryisfaulty. I don’t remember Thanatos or know why he wants to hurt you. I don’t know what happened to the other gods. You say the past shouldn’t matter, but I think it’s influencing our present.”
He lifted his head, and I saw the rage-filled fire banked in his gaze.
“I first saw Persephone in a field of flowers near Olympus. I hadn’t yet been tethered to Hell then. She was light and beauty and everything good. Her laughter touched me in a way that nothing else ever had. Zeus saw my interest and whispered his encouragement.
“In a time when we immortals fought amongst ourselves for power, I should have safeguarded my heart. Instead, I allowed Persephone’s mere presence to capture it completely. Zeus gave her to me in exchange for the shackles I once willingly wore.”
That rage in his eyes burned brighter as he roughly ran his hands through his hair and gripped it by the roots.
“He said she was willing. He said that she loved me.”
