A Touch of Darkness (Hades & Persephone 1)

“And that you’re attracted to him?”

Persephone’s mouth snapped shut, and she crossed her arms over her chest, withdrawing her gaze from Lexa to the window. She didn’t want to talk about this.

“What are you afraid of, Persephone?”

Persephone closed her eyes against that question. Lexa wouldn’t understand. It didn’t matter if she liked Hades or not, if she found him attractive or not, if she wanted him or not. He was not for her. He was forbidden. Maybe the contract was a blessing—it was a way to think of Hades as a temporary thing in her life.

“Persephone?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Lexa,” she said tightly, hating the direction this conversation had gone.

They didn’t speak, even after they arrived at La Rose. When Persephone left the cab, the distinct smell of rain hit her nose, and when she looked up, lightening illuminated the sky. She shivered, wishing she had chosen a different outfit. She wore a slippery, shimmery teal dress that reached mid-thigh. It hugged the curve of her breasts and hips, and the deep V-neck left little to the imagination. She had chosen the dress to spite Hades—it was silly. She’d wanted to look like power, like temptation, like sin?

?all for him.

She wanted to dangle herself in front of him, and then draw back at the last moment when he was close enough to taste her.

She wanted him to want her.

It was all pointless, of course. La Rose was another god’s territory, and it was unlikely that Hades would see her tonight.

La Rose was a beautiful building that looked like several crystals jutting from the earth. They were made of mirrored glass, so that at night, they reflected the light of the city. Like Nevernight, there was a huge line to get inside.

A sudden chill of unease spread over Persephone and she glanced around, unsure of where it was coming from, when her eyes landed on Adonis.

He was grinning ear to ear, striding toward her and Lexa dressed in a black shirt and jeans. He looked comfortable, confident, and smug. She was about to ask what he was doing here when Lexa called out to him.

“Adonis!” She hugged him around the middle, and he returned the embrace.

“Hey, babe.”

“Babe?” Persephone asked flatly. “Lexa...what’s going on?”

She pulled away from Adonis. “Adonis wanted to celebrate you, so he reached out to me. We thought it would be fun to surprise you!”

“Oh, I am surprised,” Persephone said, glaring at Adonis.

“Come, I have a suite,” Adonis said. He took Lexa’s hand and looped it through his arm, and when he offered the same to Persephone, she declined.

Adonis’s smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered, looking down at Lexa to grin as if nothing was amiss.

The goddess considered leaving, but she had come with Lexa, and she really didn’t feel comfortable leaving her with Adonis. At some point tonight, she was going to have to tell her best friend about what her crush had done.

Adonis led them past the line and inside the club.

Music vibrated through Persephone’s body as she entered, and there was a misty, pink hue to the air from laser lights. The ground floor had room for dancing, and places to sit that were curtained in crystals. The upper tiers of the club were suites and overlooked a stage and the dance floor.

Adonis led them up a set of stairs to a suite on the second floor. It was luxurious. A curtain of crystals created a barrier from the outside world. Soft pink couches sat on either side of a fire pit, which offered warmth and a place for drinks.

“This is my personal suite,” Adonis said.

“This is amazing,” Lexa said, walking straight to the balcony overlooking the dance floor.

“You like?” Adonis asked, still standing near the entrance.

“Of course,” Lexa responded. “You’d have to be crazy not to.”

“What about you, Persephone?” Adonis looked at her expectantly. Why was he seeking praise from her?