A Game of Retribution (Hades Saga, #2)

by Scarlett St. Clair

The doors to the throne room slammed open, and Hades’s eyes lifted to Persephone, who stood barely dressed in her black robe. Though her exposed skin meant little to Apollo, Hades would have preferred he not see her at all. Every muscle in his body tightened as the God of Music turned to look at her. “So,” he purred, “the mortal has come to play.” Hades’s body vibrated with frustration, his eyes sliding to Hermes, who had just come to a stop behind Persephone, looking a little too impish to be completely innocent. Hades glared. “What?” Hermes asked, defensive. “She guessed!” “The deal is done. You will not touch her,” Hades said, both as a reminder and as a warning. “What deal?” Persephone asked, taking a few more steps into the room. He had not told her of his plans, and now that they were here in this room, he wished he had, even if there had been no time, and even though she wouldn’t have approved, at least she wouldn’t have had to find out this way. He knew it looked bad. “Your lover has struck a deal,” Apollo said, his disdain for Persephone evident in his tone. It was an insult, and Hades considered challenging the god, but it was a dangerous prospect now that he owed him a favor. “I have agreed not to punish you for your…slanderous article…and in turn, Hades has offered me a favor to be collected at a future time.” Persephone’s eyes widened, which told him she understood perfectly the implications of his deal. “Damn,” Hermes whistled, and Hades’s mood darkened. “He ...