Page 74 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
Ipracticed with Hades every day for the following week.
He’d switched up my training regimen and was almost killing me. I was exhausted. But he seemed distant… colder. I tried not to dwell on it, but it stung. Perhaps my blowjob had been too amateurish? Maybe he would turn to Minthe instead?
I needed to get a grip on myselfbecauseI was a horny abyss of sexual tension whenever I was in his proximity—my bond was a whiny, sexed-up little bitch. But the adjoining suite doors remained closed, and I was too stubborn to show I was bothered.
The clusterfuck of my life showed no signs of slowing down. I still had to choose a husband, and the thought alone scared the crap out of me. Hecate and I had sketched out a plan: marry Hades, but only in name, keeping my freedom as long as I agreed to spend six months of the year in the Underworld. It was a gamble, but it was all I had. We’d tell Hades when I was ready.
One small silver lining? The longer I stayed in the Underworld, the more my powers thrummed beneath my skin—growing stronger, hungrier—and that felt intoxicating.
That afternoon, we were off to Ares’ court in Thrace. He was hosting some kind of trials, and I was the so-called guest of honour.
Kill me now.
As Hecate brushed colour across my cheeks, she launched into a crash course on Olympus politics. ‘The big three have their kingdoms, while the others rule courts. Zeus’s kingdom, Naxos, and Poseidon’s, Genesion, are the largest—though neither compares to the Underworld. The rest of the gods have smaller courts, though “smaller” still means vast—think North America-sized. You know, like Aphrodite’s andApollo’s.’
She glanced at me in the mirror, but I refused to bite. ‘Wow, okay,’ I muttered.
‘Most of the lesser gods have much smaller courts?—’
‘Like Adonis? His court is called Phoenicia.’
‘Yeah, that douchebag has a smaller court. Probably about the size of Ireland, I’d say.’
‘How does it work? I mean, where are these courts?’
‘They all collectively form Olympus, Sephy. Olympus is as big as the Earth.’
‘Oh.’ I squinted at her. ‘So, which places am I meant to visit?’
‘Thrace, Ares; Naxos, Zeus; Cyclades, Apollo, and, unfortunately, Phoenicia, Adonis.’
‘Gods, I need a way out soon, Tee. I can’t face going to Phoenicia.’ I gulped a mouthful of nectar.
‘The asshole told you, didn’t he?’ she fumed.
I nodded at her. ‘Why would I do that? Why would I be… unfaithful? That’s so not me.’ I sniffed and wiped a hand under my eyes. Tee suddenly became enraptured by her nail polish asshe dropped my gaze. ‘Please, Tee. Tell me. Did Hades know? And wasn’t Aphrodite also in love with him?’
Her eyes rose to mine again, and she gave a half-shrug. ‘Aphrodite used Adonis for a while, but she didn’t love him. She was… well, a bit of a whore back then.’ A startled laugh escaped me. ‘Then, out of nowhere, you became besotted with him for a spell. None of us could figure out why. But, I had a feeling that Eros had something to do with it. He was a mischievous little bastard when he was younger, plus he’d had a run-in with Hades. Whether Adonis prompted him or someone else?—’
She gave her head a slight shake and grimaced at the memory. ‘But the truth is, we’ll never know. Anyway, stop freaking crying; you’re ruining your makeup.’ She scowled, and I let out a shaky little laugh, noticing she hadn’t answered my question about Hades. Guilt wrapped its smoky tendrils around me, making the lump in my throat grow larger. I took another sip of nectar.
Tee started piling my hair atop my head into something called a ‘heavenly high bun’. A loose updo secured with a pearl hair accessory, while strands hung from the sides and nape, leaving me looking a little boho chic.
‘Nice.’ I grinned at my reflection as Hedone appeared, giving Tee a long, slow kiss, and then brandished a beautiful lilac dress.
‘I love it!’ I beamed as I ran my fingers over the material. ‘It’s lush.’
‘Are you bringing your goat friend with you this time?’ Tee said, sneering.
‘Hey. Don’t be a bitch. He’s my friend. But no, apparently, he’s already busy this afternoon. I don’t think he fancies Ares’ trials for some reason. He wouldn’t tell me why, though.’ I frowned. I’d seen Simmy almost every day when I sought refuge in the library, but he’d been a little cagey about Ares’ court.
‘Anyway.’ Hedone interrupted my musings as Tee cleared her throat. ‘Let’s get you into this dress.’
‘I’ll be back shortly. Gotta get spruced up and all.’ Tee winked at me, kissed Hedone, and flashed from the room.
The dress was more of a cocktail-style, crafted from sheer fabric, and skilfully adorned with glistening beadwork, appliqués, and embroidery. The long, slim sleeves clung to my arms, and the dress ended midthigh, with the hem trimmed with zigzag edging. Paired with silver sandals and a clutch, it looked elegant. The plunging V-neckline showcased my breasts, which I wasn’t sure was a good thing if I was meeting Ares.
‘Is it a bit too revealing?’ I asked, running a hand over my abdomen.
