His fingers began to tingle as the magic within Persephone's body merged with his own. Incredulous, he watched as the brilliant narcissus burst into being beneath their joined hands.
Lina shouted with joy and turned, face blazing with joy. “We did it!”
Hades' arms wrapped around her and he looked into her glittering eyes. “Together, Persephone. I could not have done it without the Goddess of Spring. I wish I could find words to tell you what great pleasure it gives me to share my world with you.”
His voice was serious, his expression earnest, and she felt completely lost in his eyes. Hades wanted more from her than a quick kiss, or even a quick affair. She knew that she should make a little joke and dance away from him. But she couldn't make herself. She burned to be with him as badly as he ached for her. She kissed him, pressing herself against the hard length of his body.
Abruptly Hades ended the kiss. Resting his forehead against hers, he concentrated on controlling his ragged breathing. He would not grope her in the woods again. Persephone deserved more than that. She deserved all that he could give her.
“It is late. We should go back to the palace now,” he said, kissing her forehead gently.
She looked up at him. “I'm not tired.”
“Nor am I.”
“And I'm not ready for the day to end.”
“Then it shall not.” He took a deep breath. “You have not yet seen my private quarters. Would you like to?”
Lina saw how difficult it was for him to ask. She felt her heart poundingâa heart that was not truly her own, inside a body that didn't belong to her. But her soul did, and it wasn't simply her body that desired him. She loved his sweetness and sense of humor. She loved the sound of his laughter. She loved his power and his passion, and the care and wisdom he showed in his dealings with the spirits in his realm. Lina touched his cheek, and admitted the truth to herself. She loved him.
“Yes. I would like to very much.”
Joy flashed over his face, followed quickly by desire, and he bent and kissed her again, hard and fast. Then he reluctantly released her from his arms, took her hand in his, and began to retrace their steps. Lina heard a high-pitched buzzing behind her, and she and Hades turned.
The fireflies were hovering in a huge cluster at the edge of the field. All of them were turned toward Lina.
The god laughed. “Persephone will return. She is not leaving the Underworld.”
Their frantic buzzing eased a little.
“I'd love to come back and make more flowers with you,” Lina assured them, and their buzzing changed to happy chirps. Smiling, Lina and Hades continued on their way. “It's nice that they like me so much.”
“All of my realm adores you, Persephone,” Hades said.
Lina glanced up at him. “Just your realm?”
The god's lips tilted up. “No, not just my realm.”
She squeezed his hand. “Good.”
It was as they stepped from the trees into the ornamental garden that Lina heard the sobbing.
“Someone's crying,” Lina said. Peering around in the gentle darkness she tried to discover who it was.
“There,” Hades said.
He was pointing ahead of them in the direction of the road that passed in front of the palace and led farther into Elysia. Lina could barely make out a blur of human-sized brightness near the edge of the road.
“I think we should see what's going on.” Lina looked up at the god for confirmation. “Don't you?”
“Yes. It is odd that a spirit would cry in Elysia.” He explained as they started toward the blotch of light. “The dead might miss family and loved ones from the Land of the Living, but by the time they are ferried across Styx and enter Elysia, their souls are filled with joy, or at the very least, peace. The ability to cease longing for the livingâor at least the ability to understand that all partings are only temporaryâis built into the mortal spirit. Those who have earned an eternity in Elysia find that they are content.”
As they got closer to the spirit the brightness took shape. Lina could see that she was a pretty young woman with long, upswept dark hair and a plump figure. She was sitting at the edge of the road, face in her hands, weeping with such passion that she did not even notice their approach. Instinctively, Lina motioned for Hades to stay back, and she walked to the woman's side. Just before she touched her shoulder, Lina noticed that the spirit's body looked unusually dense. If she hadn't had the typically pale luminescence of the dead, Lina would have believed that she was a living woman who had somehow gotten lost and stumbled into the Underworld.
“Honey, what's wrong?” Lina asked softly.
The woman jumped, and raised a tear-stained face to peer with frantic brown eyes at Lina. Instantly she recognized the goddess, and began to bow her head. Then she caught sight of Hades, and her hand went to her mouth. She changed the direction of her bow, but ended up bobbing back and forth, not sure which of the immortals to acknowledge first.
“I did not mean to disturb the gods!” she cried, wiping her eyes. Climbing awkwardly to her feet, she began backing hastily away from Lina. “Please forgive me.”
“No.” Lina held out her hand in what she meant as a calming gesture. The woman jerked to a nervous halt, staring at her outstretched arm. Lina thought she looked like a frightened mouse. She sighed and modulated her voice to the tone she used to reassure young animals. “Don't go. You didn't disturb us. Hades and I were taking a walk and we heard you crying. We were concerned, not angry.”
She seemed to relax a little.
“What is your name?” Hades asked in the pleasant, fatherly voice he used with Eurydice.
She glanced nervously at him. “Alcetis.”
“Tell us why you were crying, Alcetis,” Lina said gently.
Alcetis looked down and spoke to her feet. “I am so very lonely. I miss my husband and my family desperately.” She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a sob.
Lina's worried gaze found Hades. She saw that he, too, looked surprised at the spirit's words. Then she saw him tilt his head to the side and his face took on a listening expression. In a moment his eyes seemed to darken and he pressed his lips together before speaking to the spirit.
“It was not your time, Alcetis,” Hades said in a voice shadowed with sadness.
The spirit drew another ragged, sobbing breath. “No, it was not. But I had to come.”
Hades frowned. “You did not have to. It was your choice.”
Alcetis raised her dripping face. “Do you not understand? He asked others. They would not. I had to.”
Completely confused, Lina shook her head. “Wait,
I
don't understand. What are you two talking about? Has some kind of mistake been made?”
“Alcetis, tell Persephone why you have entered the Underworld,” Hades said.
Alcetis took a deep breath and wiped her face with the sleeve of her burial robe. “I have only been married a short time. My husband's name is Admetus.” The spirit's damp face brightened as she said the name and she almost smiled. “Yesterday at dawn the arguers prophesized the Admetus would die before the sun set. My husband immediately petitioned Apollo, and the God of Light concurred. Indeed, the prophesy was true. The Fates had finished weaving Admetus' life, and at dusk his mortal string would be cut. But my husband has long been a favorite of the God of Light, and Apollo heard my husband's cries. He granted Admetus a new fate. He would be spared if someone would agree to die in his place. First, Admetus went to his parents, who are old and not well, but they refused. Then he went to his brothers. They, too, would not die in his stead. He asked his closest friends, assuring them that he would see their families well cared for, but the answer was always the same. No one was willing to die for him. In despair, he returned home to await his fate.” Alcetis paused, looking searchingly at Lina. “I could not let him die.”
Hades' jaw clenched, but when he spoke his voice betrayed no anger. “And he let you die for him.”
The spirit turned wide, wet eyes to the god. “He wept and rent his garments. His sadness was great.”
“But not great enough to stop you,” Hades said.
“You must see that I had no choice. I had to take his place.” Alcetis began weeping again.
“That is why you feel such loneliness and pain. It is not your time. Your life's thread is still spinning. Your soul knows this and you cannot find peace.” Hades spoke solemnly, as if a great weight pressed down upon his words.
“Well, this can't be right,” Lina said. “Look at herâshe doesn't even have the same kind of body as the rest of the spirits.”
“That is because she is not like the rest of the spirits. She is misplaced, outside of her allotted fate.”
“Then it sounds to me like you need to fix this,” Lina said firmly.
“She is here because a god meddled in a mortal's life, something that happens far too often, and for far too many selfish reasons. I do not believe in interfering with the lives of mortals.”
“But she's a part of your realm now. You're not technically meddling. You're doing your job.”
Hades spoke through gritted teeth. “Persephone, do you not remember what happened the last time you made a judgment about sending a spirit back to the Land of the Living?”
Lina flinched as if he had slapped her. “This is different, and I can't believe that you are heartless enough not to see that.” Her voice was ice.
“Oh, please!” Alcetis threw herself on her knees between the two immortals. “I did not mean to cause strife between the King and Queen of the Underworld.”
“What is it you called Persephone?” Hades said, fast and sharp. “What title did you give her?”
Trembling, the out of place spirit answered the god. “I called her Queen of the Underworld, but I did not give the title to her, Lord. I simply repeat what she has been named in the world above.” She managed to smile shyly at Lina. “It is well known that she is now reigning at your side.”
Lina was struck speechless. Queen of the Underworld? People were really calling her that? She looked at Hades and the dark god captured her gaze. His eyes flamed and his face seemed to burn with transparent joy. As he spoke, Lina could not look away from him, and she forgot to breathe.
“Pronounce your judgment, Persephone. I bow to your will.”
And then he did, almost imperceptibly, bow his head to her.
Lina forced her eyes from him. She smiled shakily at Alcetis. “Then my judgment is that you return to the mortal world and your husband to finish living out your fate. And tell your husband that he can continue following whatever new thread the Fates have woven for him.”
With a happy cry, Alcetis jumped to her feet and took Lina's hand. She kissed it, then held it to her wet cheek. Through shining eyes she beamed at Lina.
“Oh, thank you, Queen of the Underworld. My children and my children's children shall make sacrifices to you every spring until the end of time.”
“That's really nice of you, but you should know that I prefer a little wine and honey scattered around the ground. I don't so much like the blood sacrifices,” Lina said quickly.
Alcetis curtsied deeply. “I will always remember your kindness, Goddess.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
HADES had been very quiet after Alcetis disappeared back down the road that would return her to her mortal life. Lina watched him with little sideways glances. He was holding her hand, but his face was inscrutable. He was definitely making her very nervous. Were they still going to his room? Had she misunderstood his reaction to hearing her called the Queen of the Underworld? Could it have been an emotion other than fierce happiness she had thought she had seen? But then why would he have allowed her to pass a judgment that he was clearly against? Her mind felt like it was filled with fireflies.
They entered the palace through the rear courtyard, and turned to the left away from the direction of Lina's room. They walked past the entry to the dining room. Finally, Hades stopped in front of a huge door into which had been carved the rearing image of Orion and the helmet from the Great Hall.
Feeling nervous, Lina pointed at the door. “It's a good likeness of Orion. He looks very ferocious.”
Hades snorted. “I think a new rendition is neededâone which shows him nickering softly to his goddess.”
Relieved by his banter, Lina gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder. “Oh, he's still thought of as a dread steed. Eurydice certainly avoids him.”
Hades shook his head. “I'm afraid his reputation of being a fierce, solitary creature has been forever shattered.” He turned to her and took Lina's chin in his hand, tilting her face up. “But he does not mind. His gain far exceeds his loss.” He kissed her gently, and murmured against her lips. “Will you join me in my chamber?”
“Yes.” Her stomach tightened.
Hades opened the great door for her and she stepped into the god's private world. The first thing she noticed was the enormous bed that was centered in the room. It was canopied by a gossamer net of sheer silk that hung in luxurious folds all around it. Lina could see that the bed itself was covered with thick white linens so that the whole thing looked like it was a cloud that had lost its place in the sky. It was opulent and sexy and very, very inviting. Lina realized she was staring at the bed, and letting her imagination wander. She felt her cheeks grow warm.
Yanking her eyes away, her attention was drawn to the impressive pair of chandeliers that hung from the domed ceiling. They appeared to have been made from black glass, and flames from hundreds of candles danced and glistened in their unusual surface.