The Passion of Hades (The Hades Trials, #2)

by Eliza Raine

'But Hecate and Skop saved me too. They care about me.' 'You are naive, little goddess. Hecate is an agent of Hades, and Skoptolis works for Dionysus. Only I work for you alone.' 'Why? Why are you helping me?' 'You were wronged, by my worst enemy, and you paid the highest price. And now only you have the power to make it right.'

'What is it?' asked Skop. 'A sunflower,' I said instantly, then looked sideways at him, drawing my brows together. 'How did I know that?' I asked slowly. 'You're goddess of Spring. You probably should know a few things about flowers,' he answered, then cocked his head at me. 'Can I do some digging too?'

There was definitely something between us, deep and real and damned inconvenient. Corpses. King of the Underworld. Fire and ash and death. You do not fancy Hades! 'Well, I don't think I've got it quite as bad as you,' I said as casually as I could. Fire flashed in his eyes, and I regretted my words immediately. 'Is that right?' he said, his tender, open expression vanishing and a predatory hunger replacing it. He seemed to grow in front of me, his shoulders filling out, his eyes flashing with desire. 'Let's put that to the test, shall we?'

'What test and what ceremony? Can you not answer anything properly?' Hades clenched his jaw. 'I can't see the benefit of telling you.' 'How about because I fucking asked?' I said, the pent-up energy and tension inside me slipping quickly to anger. The corner of Hades’ mouth quirked up into a smile again and I bared my teeth. 'Do I amuse you?' 'You just... Nobody other than you has ever spoken to me like that.' 'I don't care, just tell me about this ceremony.' 'No. Not unless you ask me nicely.' My mouth fell open. Hades, the King of the Underworld, was teasing me. Well, two could play at that game.

'Pretty, pretty please?' I whispered, and flicked my tongue over his ear lobe. I felt him tense against me, then he gave a low chuckle and leaned his head towards mine. 'Oh, Beautiful, until you get your powers back, you'll lose this game every time,' he said, and suddenly that trickle of divine pleasure from earlier rolled over my entire body at once. Slick heat rushed my center, and my legs began to buckle. Hades wrapped one strong arm around my back, and as my hard nipples pressed against his chest I moaned again. 'Please,' I gasped. 'Please what?' His voice was hoarse and low. 'Please, touch me.'

'Oh gods, you must have seen everything?' I whispered, feeling my face heat. 'No, he put me inside a freaking smoke bubble. You look like you had fun though,' he said, and his tail wagged. 'Well, I didn't. And you're a weird little pervert,' I told him, relieved my encounter had been private. 'You've got no idea,'

'Skop, what happens when Olympian gods are married?' 'Mostly they cheat on each other.' 'Do they get divorced?' 'Nope. Never been an Olympian divorce.'

'I told you we should have kept this conversation private.' I stood up straight, and flicked my loose curls dramatically over my shoulder. There was no way he was winning this one. I would give them something to gossip about. 'Yes, Hades, I know being with me blew your mind and I know you cried like a baby afterward, but we're not doing it again. Now, please stop bothering me.' I heard his deep, booming laugh in my head as I spun on my heels and marched away from him. 'Well played, Beautiful. Well played.’

'You're beautiful,' he breathed. 'Erm, I just offended Poseidon, showed everyone I can't control my temper or power, and had some sort of out-of-body experience with a flowerbed. I fail to see the attraction just now,' I said on a long breath. 'When you use your power to grow things, to create life, you... You become practically irresistible.' He ground out the last word, like he really was struggling to resist something. To resist me.

'You smell awesome,' I told him, my vision clouding. He tensed. 'Do you have any idea how hard it is not to rip your clothes off right now?' he hissed. 'I can't be this close to you.' It was the last thing I heard him say, before I passed out.