Goddess of Spring (34 page)

She gave him a distracted smile, and sat gingerly before she descended hungrily on the laden table. She did not notice how the god flinched in response at her obvious physical discomfort. Hades silently damned himself for an inexperienced fool.

As Lina ate, she felt her energy level return to normal and the aches of her well-used body dissipate. Responding to her revived good humor, Hades' nerves evaporated, and they ate breakfast like lovers, with their knees touching, feeding each other choice tidbits from their own plates. He was just explaining to her how he had fashioned the chandeliers that hung gracefully from the ceiling above them when two firm knocks sounded against the door.

“Yes! Enter,” Hades called.

Iapis entered the room, holding a square, flat box in his hand. He bowed first to Hades and then to Lina.

“Good day, Hades, Persephone.” His eyes danced and he tried unsuccessfully to hide a delighted smile. “I have brought that which you requested, my Lord.” He handed the box to Hades.

“Excellent, thank you, Iapis.”

Seeing the daimon reminded Lina that she had been neglecting Eurydice lately, and she felt a twinge of guilt.

“Iapis, could you take a message to Eurydice for me?” Lina asked.

“Of course, Goddess.”

“Tell her that I would love to see what she has been sketching.”

Iapis smiled. “She will be pleased, Goddess.”

“Good. Have her bring her work to my room later today. And please tell her that I am looking forward to seeing her creations—and her. I've missed her lately.”

Lina thought she saw a telltale flush darken the daimon's cheeks before he nodded, and, still smiling, bowed his way from the room.

“He's certainly in a good mood,” Lina said, drumming her fingers against the table.

“He likes seeing me happy,” Hades said, kissing her hand.

Lina felt herself grinning as foolishly as the daimon had been. Then she mentally shook herself.

“I don't think that's all there is to his jolly expression. I've been meaning to talk to you about that daimon of yours.”

Hades raised an eyebrow at her.

“I think he's interested in Eurydice,” Lina said.

Hades' grin reminded her of a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “I think you are correct.”

“Then I need to know his intentions,” she said firmly.

Hades nodded, his expression instantly sobering. “I see. Of course you would be concerned. I believe I can speak for Iapis. His intentions are honorable. He truly cares for the little spirit.”

“You will see that he is careful with her? She has been through a difficult time. It's hard for a woman to love again after she has been hurt.”

Hades touched her cheek gently, wondering suddenly if the goddess was speaking only about her loyal spirit.

“You may trust me. Always. I will watch out for Eurydice as if she were the Goddess of Spring herself.”

“Thank you. It's not that I don't like Iapis—I do. I just worry about Eurydice.”

“You are a kind goddess who cares for those who love you,” Hades said. Then he looked down at the square box sitting beside his hand. He slid it across the table to Persephone.

“This is something I made the first night you were here. I could not sleep. All I could do was to think about you, about your smile and your eyes.” He gestured for her to open the box.

The little clasp unlatched easily and Lina lifted the lid. Nestled in a bed of black velvet inside the box was a chain made of delicate silver links from the middle of which hung a single amethyst stone that had been carved and polished into the shape of an exquisite narcissus blossom.

Lina felt tears fill her eyes. “Oh, Hades! It's the most beautiful thing I've ever been given.”

Hades stood and moved behind her, taking the necklace from its case so that he could place it around her neck. It hung perfectly, just above the swell of her breasts.

“Thank you. I will always cherish it.”

The god pulled her into his arms. “The night I made it I was filled with emptiness and longing, but now you are here with me and the black hole within me exists no more. The mortals were wise; you are Queen of the Underworld. I cannot imagine my life without you. You have brought eternal Spring to the Underworld, and to the heart of its god. I am in love with you, Persephone.”

The tears that had been pooling in Lina's eyes spilled over and she couldn't speak.

He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs. “Why do you weep, beloved?”

“Things are just so complicated.”

Hades' brow furrowed. “Because you are Goddess of Spring?”

“That's part of it.”

“Tell me truly, Persephone. Do you weep because you cannot imagine remaining in the Underworld?”

The god tried to keep his voice neutral, but Lina could see the pain reflected in his eyes.

“I want to be with you,” she said, trying not to sound too evasive.

“Then I cannot conceive of any difficulty that we cannot overcome together.” He hugged her fiercely.

Resting within the strength of his arms, Lina squeezed her eyes closed, willing her tears to stop. Crying wouldn't help.

She did love him, but that was only a small piece of the truth he needed to know. She wanted to tell him everything. She had to.

But she had given her word, and first she must talk to Demeter.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“YOU say she is not in her chamber?” Hades snapped at the daimon.

“No, Lord. The goddess is gone.”

“And Eurydice does not know where she is?”

“No, Lord. Eurydice has been busy with the paintings she is to show her goddess later today.”

Hades paced. Persephone had told him that she needed to soak in a hot bath and then take a nap. Yes, she had appeared distracted, but he had told himself that the goddess was just tired. He had given her time to herself while he had presided, in an unusually distracted manner, over that day's petitions of the dead. Most of them had come to see Persephone, and were visibly disappointed that the goddess did not appear. His jaw tightened. He did not blame them; he wanted nothing more than to see her as well. He could still smell her scent on his skin, and when his mind wandered, he could feel her soft heat against him.

Where had she gone? And why hadn't she told him? What was she thinking? He raked his hand through his hair. After eons of solitary existence, his desire had been too fierce; he had been too rough with her. Perhaps he had hurt her. Or perhaps his lovemaking had not satisfied her. Had she compared him to her other immortal lovers and found him wanting? He clenched his fists. Just the thought of another god touching her caused him to feel ill.

“Find her, Iapis,” Hades growled.

The daimon bowed and disappeared.

 

OKAY, Lina admitted to herself, she was worried. She chewed her bottom lip.

“Merda!
Why does it have to be so complicated?” Orion's ears tilted back to catch her words and he whickered in soft response.

“I do love him,” she said aloud. “So now what are we going to do?”

She knew what
she
had to do, which was why she'd evaded Hades and sneaked off with Orion.

“I think my cover story was excellent, though,” she told Orion. “And I'm sure Iapis will only be a little annoyed when he finds out that the huge wineskin of ambrosia that Eurydice insisted he fill to the brim was for Cerberus.”

At the mention of the three-headed dog, Orion snorted in disgust.

“Oh, he's not that bad. Perhaps a closet alcoholic, but at least he's loveable. Anyway, you know I like you best.” She patted the horse's glistening coat. Orion arched his neck and shifted from a trot into a rolling canter. The dark road passed quickly beneath them. Lina's faithful ball of light hovered over her right shoulder, keeping pace with the stallion. In the distance, she could see the milky outline of the grove of ghost trees.

She wondered if Hades had noticed her absence yet. She hoped not, but if he looked for her, Eurydice would tell him that Persephone had wanted to bring Cerberus the treat she had promised, and the stablemen would report that she had taken Orion for a ride. Hades shouldn't worry. She didn't want him to. She didn't want to cause him any pain.

Their night together had been a new experience for her. Hades had awakened feelings in her that had, until then, just been wisps of dreams and fantasies. And it wasn't just about the sex. Lina sighed. That would have been easy to deal with. She could have a torrid, steamy affair with him, and then be satiated and pleased with herself when it was time for her to leave.

No, it hadn't just been the sex.

The memory of the soul mates haunted her, as did the look on Hades' face when he had declared his love for her. She had wanted to respond with the same words, but she wasn't free to pledge herself to him—not yet—not until she dealt with Demeter. And it had broken her heart.

Lina hadn't meant to love him. She had gone to the Underworld with the best intentions; she'd had a job to do. Period. She hadn't been interested in romance or love or sex. And, quite frankly, the Underworld was the last place she had expected to find any of those things.
Merda!
Demeter had described Hades as an asexual bore. Lina had been totally unprepared for the truth.

She twirled a strand of Orion's satiny mane around her finger as the stallion navigated quickly through the grove of ghost trees. She was definitely in the middle of a mess. She loved him—that Lina was sure of—but a nagging thought wouldn't leave her alone. While she was with him, while she could touch him and look into his eyes, it was easy to believe that he loved her, too.
Her
—Carolina Francesca Santoro—and not some flighty young goddess. And hadn't he been the one to point out that true love had more to do with the soul than the body? So why should it make any difference to him that her real body was that of a forty-three-year-old mortal? In theory it shouldn't.

Orion shot through the dark tunnel toward the broadening speck of light spilling from the world above.

It was undeniable that she had been lying to Hades. Even though she hadn't meant to deceive him into loving her, would he believe that when he learned the truth? Would he understand?

And, most importantly, would he still love her?

Orion galloped out of the tunnel and into the soft light of a cool early morning. She pulled the stallion to a halt, got her bearings and then guided him toward the marble basin which held Demeter's ball-shaped oracle. She slid from his back.

“Just hang around and be good. Hopefully, this won't take too long.”

 

 

“SHE has ridden Orion to feed a treat to Cerberus?”

The daimon nodded, looking slightly annoyed. “I filled the wineskin myself. She brought that great brute ambrosia!”

At any other time that would have made Hades laugh. Now doubts stabbed him in the heart. “But she told me she was exhausted. She was going to bathe and rest. Why would she go for a ride instead?”

“Only Persephone can answer that, Lord.”

The growing sense of unease that had been gnawing at him since that morning blossomed. He must have hurt her. Had he frightened her? Or had he declared his love for her too soon? His chest tightened. She had not proclaimed her love in return. He remembered her tears. Silently cursing himself for his inexperience, he turned to the daimon.

“Bring me the Helmet of Invisibility!” he commanded.

 

 

LINA studied the oracle. It rested, still and benign, a simple milky-colored glass ball. But it was a conduit to a goddess who had the power to shape her future. Lina closed her eyes, admitting to herself that she wasn't just worried, she was scared. How could it work? She was a mortal, from another time and place. He was an ancient god. She felt tears of frustration well in her closed eyes.

Stop it! Pull yourself together! She had to tell Demeter everything. She couldn't avoid it any longer.

 

 

PERSEPHONE wasn't with the dog, although Cerberus had been happily licking at the well-mauled wineskin she'd fed him. She hadn't passed him returning to the palace, so Hades continued down the road. When he reached the boatman, Charon reported that he had ferried the goddess and her steed across Styx.

Hades admitted the worst to himself. Persephone was definitely returning to the Land of the Living. Hades felt a familiar burning begin in his chest. She was leaving him without saying good-bye? He did not want to believe it. He wouldn't believe it until he confronted her and she told him herself. With the speed of a god, Hades followed the dark path that would lead him to the world above and the Goddess of Spring.

 

 

LINA took a deep breath, and opened her eyes. Concentrating on the goddess, she passed her hands three times over the oracle.

“Demeter, we need to talk,” she said.

The orb began to swirl and almost instantly Demeter's handsome features swam into focus.

“When a daughter calls upon her mother, the tone of her voice should be more welcoming than grim,” Demeter said, softening the reprimand with a small, motherly smile.

“I didn't mean any disrespect, but I do feel rather grim,” Lina said.

Demeter frowned. “What is troubling you, Daughter? I have heard only positive reports about your work. The spirits are pleased that the Goddess of Spring is sojourning in the Underworld.” And that was quite true. Since the arrival of the goddess everyone believed to be Persephone in the Underworld, the unceasing, annoying petitions to Demeter from relatives of the dead had ended. Instead, sacrifices of thanksgiving had increased. The mortal must be making her presence known and doing an excellent job of impersonating a goddess. Demeter couldn't imagine what could be bothering her.