Page 52 of Devils and the Dead
“Babylon Perkins, witch of Accident, you are the one I love and cherish most among the living and the dead. I am yours. I will always be yours until you wish otherwise. As I place this ring upon your finger, I give you a sliver of myself to carry with you always so that you know my thoughts, my heart, my very soul are in your hands.”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes at his vow. As he slid the band on my left-hand ring finger I felt a wave of warmth roll through me, lighting me up from inside.
“Hades, architect of The Underworld, creator of afterlife, you are first in my thoughts and in my heart. I vow to walk with you in this life and in the next, to be your partner in all things. I promise to always be honest with you, to honor you, to treat you with loving kindness. With this ring, I give you a piece of myself, so that I am always by your side.”
I slid the ring on his finger and he curled his hands around mind. Our eyes met, and he leaned forward to kiss me.
It was a soft gentle kiss, but so full of promise. His lips brushed mine, lingering for a brief second for us to share a breath. As he started to pull back, he stopped then kissed me again, this one with barely restrained passion.
We broke apart, still holding hands.
“I want to take you into your bedroom and do far more than just kiss you,” he said, his voice husky. “But I don’t want to rush things between us. Rushing in the past has always led to heartbreak and disaster.”
I nodded. “For me, too. I’ll wait—although it won’t be easy. Hopefully taking it slow means a few days? Weeks? A month? Because I don’t think I can wait for years.”
He laughed. “Me either. We’ll move forward at our own pace. If that’s a day or two weeks or a month, then I’m okay with that. I’m going to admit I’m hoping it’s a day. Maybe a week at most.”
I wanted him now, but I knew making love with Hades would be even better if I let our love grow first. Hopefully our love grew fast.
“Time to eat the pomegranate.” He picked up the fruit and handed it to me. “These seeds strengthen our bond. As you eat them, we will be as one. Inseparable until the bond is broken by one of us. No being among the living or the dead can ever keep us from each other. Forever we will be joined.”
I picked up a decorative athame from a display on my coffee table and carefully cut the fruit in half. Red juice ran down my fingers and hands, dripping onto my pants. Scooping the seeds out of the pomegranate, I ate them. By the time I’d finished half the fruit, I had juice staining my mouth and chin, my hands, my shirt and my pants. I was a sticky mess, and didn’t care one bit about it.
“Forever we will be joined,” I told Hades as I handed him the other half of the fruit.
It might not be traditional, but what was good for the goose was good for the gander.
“Now I can summon you to my side whenever I want as well,” I teased as he ate the seeds.
He smiled, his shirt and hands equally covered in red juice. “I don’t know if it works that way. I hope so. It would be nice if anytime you needed me, you could call and I would arrive. I’d like that.”
It was sad that Persephone had never thought to do this in their ceremony. Had she not cared about wanting to call Hades to her? Had she seen this as a shackle, as a lack of trust, rather than the symbol of partnership and oneness that I saw?
Hades chuckled and held out the pomegranate rind, looking down at his sticky, stained hands. “We are a mess. Do you have a wet towel in the kitchen? If we knew each other for longer than a few days, I’d suggest a shower together, but I think a towel will have to do.”
Why did he have to mention showering together? Now I was stirred up, thinking of the two of us naked with hot water hitting our skin. Soaping each other up. Making love as the spray beat down upon us.
Towel. Wet towel.
“Yes.” I jumped up, flustered. “In the kitchen.”
He followed me in. We threw away the empty pomegranate rinds. Then we washed our hands and dried them. I held out my red-splotched shirt, thinking I should change.
“Leave it.” He leaned in and kissed me again. “I like seeing the stains on your shirt and pants.”
Suddenly this sticky mess was sexy. As were the rings on our fingers.
“Wait. I almost forgot something.” Hades took my hand and waved his over the ring. “Now they’re invisible to everyone but us.”
It was a good idea. My sisters would definitely spot the rings tomorrow, and there would be questions. Better to keep this whole thing secret for now. Plus I liked the idea of having this just between the two of us. It felt special and intimate that we were the only ones who could see the rings.
“Do you want to try to resurrect Maude again tonight?” he asked. “Or maybe wait until you get back.”
“I want to do it now.” I was still worried that somehow I wouldn’t make it back from the elven lands. It was the right thing to try one more time before I left, just in case I didn’t return.
Hades nodded. “I’ll go get her. You gather whatever supplies you need and I’ll meet you in the living room. Unless you want to do it somewhere else?”
“It’s a small house. I tend to do most of my magic at the dining room table.” I chuckled. “Much to Maude’s dismay. Even covering the table, she always pitches a fit. Seems that it’s not sanitary to perform magic the same place you sit down for dinner.”
