A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone 1)

/> “Oh, it’s a little too late to be modest, don’t you think?” Hades said, piercing her with those beautiful dark eyes.

He tugged his tie free and she watched it slip from his neck before lifting her eyes to his. He wasn’t smirking like she expected. He looked...primal. Like a starved animal who had finally cornered his prey. She swallowed and hurriedly said, “Did I interrupt something?”

She wasn’t sure she wanted an answer.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “I was just about to go to bed when I heard you demanding entrance to my club.”

Bed? It was well past noon.

“Imagine my surprise when I find the goddess from last night on my doorstep.”

“Did the gorgon tell you?”

She stepped further into the room, angry. Hades was amused.

“No. Euryale did not. I recognized your magic as Demeter’s, but you are not Demeter.” Then he tilted his head like he had earlier. “When you left, I consulted a few texts. I had forgotten Demeter had a daughter. I assumed you were Persephone. Question is, why aren’t you using your own magic?”

“Is that why you did this?” she demanded, removing the bracelet she’d used to cover the mark on her skin, and holding up her arm.

Hades smirked.

Actually smirked.

Persephone wanted to attack him. She clenched her hands at her sides to keep from vaulting across the room.

“No,” he said. “That is the result of losing against me.”

“You were teaching me to play,” she argued.

“Semantics,” he said with a shrug. “The rules of Nevernight are very clear, Goddess.”

“They are anything but clear, and you are an asshole!”

Hades eyes darkened. Apparently, he didn’t like being called names any more than the ogre did. He pushed away from the desk, striding toward her. Persephone took a step back.

“Don’t call me names, Persephone,” he said, and then reached for her wrist. He traced the bracelet all around, making her shiver. “When you invited me to your table, you entered into an agreement. If you had won, you could have left Nevernight with no demands on your time. But you didn’t, and now, we have a contract.”

She swallowed, considering every horrible thing she’d heard about Hades’ contracts and his impossible terms. What darkness would he pull from deep inside her?

“And what does that mean?” Her voice was still biting.

“It means I must choose terms,” he said.

“I don’t want to be in a contract with you,” she said between her teeth. “Take it off!”

“I can’t.”

“You put it there, you can remove it.”

His lips twitched.

“You think this is funny?”

“Oh, darling, you have no idea.”

The word darling slid across her skin and she shivered again. He seemed to notice because he smiled a little bit more.

“I am a goddess,” she tried again. “We are equals.”