The ogre tore the door open again and snarled at her, blowing his stinking rot-breath in her face. He probably thought it would scare her away—and it had probably worked on others in the past, but not on Persephone. The mark on her wrist drove her. Her freedom was at stake.
“I demand you let me in!” She stomped her foot, and her fingers curled into her palms. She considered how much space was left in the doorway. Could she get past the huge creature? If she moved quick enough, his girth would probably throw him off balance.
“Who are you, mortal, to demand an audience with the God of the Dead?” The creature asked.
“Your lord has placed a mark upon me, and I will have words with him.”
The creature laughed, beady eyes shining with amusement.
“You would have words with him?”
“Yes, me. Let me in!”
She was growing angrier by the second.
“We are not open,” the creature responded. “You will have to come back.”
“I will not come back, you will let me in now you big, ugly ogre!”
Persephone realized her mistake as soon as the words were out of her mouth. The creature’s face changed. He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground.
“What are you?” he demanded. “A tricky little nymph?”
She clawed at the ogre’s steel skin, but he only pressed his meaty fingers deeper into her skin. She couldn’t breath and her eyes watered, and the only thing she could do was drop her glamour. As her horns became visible, the creature released her as if she burned.
Persephone staggered, and inhaled deeply. She pressed a hand to her tender throat, but managed to stay on her feet and glare at the ogre in her true form. He lowered his gaze, unable to look upon her or meet her bright, eerie eyes.
“I am Persephone, Goddess of Spring, and if you would like to keep your fleeting life, then you will obey me.”
Her voice shook. She was still rattled from being handled by the ogre. The words she had spoken were her mother’s, used at a time when she’d made threats against a Siren who refused to help her search for Persephone when she wandered away. In reality, Persephone was only a few feet away, hiding behind a nearby shrub. She overheard her mother’s crude words, and filed them away, knowing that without powers, words would be her only weapon.
The door opened behind the ogre, and he stepped aside, lowering to his knees as Hades came into view. Persephone couldn’t breathe. She’d spent all day remembering what he looked like, recalling his elegant but dark features, and yet, her memory was nothing compared to the real thing. She was pretty sure he was wearing the suit from last night, but the tie around his neck was loose, and the buttons of his shirt fell open at the neck, exposing his chest. It was like he’d been interrupted in the middle of undressing.
Then she remembered the woman who had wrapped her arms around his waist—Minthe. Perhaps she had interrupt them. She took great satisfaction from that thought, even though she knew she shouldn’t care.
“Lady Persephone,” he said, his voice was heavy and seductive and she shivered.
She forced her eyes level with his—they were equals, after all, and she wanted him to know it because she was about to make demands. She found him studying her, his head tilted to the side. Being under his gaze in her true form felt strangely intimate and she wanted to call up her glamour again. She had made a mistake, been so angry and so desperate, she’d exposed herself.
“Lord Hades,” she managed with a curt nod. She was proud that her voice did not shake, though her insides did.
“My lord,” the ogre said, hanging his head. “I did not know she was a goddess. I accept punishment for my actions.”
“Punishment?” Persephone questioned, feeling increasingly exposed in the daylight outside the club. It took Hades a moment to peel his gaze from Persephone and look upon the ogre.
“I laid my hands upon a goddess,” the monster said.
“And a woman at that,” Hades added, unhappily. “I will deal with you later.”
Then Hades stepped aside.
“Lady Persephone,” he said and let her enter Nevernight. She was left in the dark as the door closed behind her. The air was heavy, charged with an intensity she felt deep in her belly, and thick with his scent. She wanted to inhale and fill her lungs with it. Instead, she held her breath.
Then he spoke against her ear, his lips brushed feather-light over her skin. “You are full of surprises, darling.”
She inhaled sharply, and twisted to face him, but when she did, Hades was no longer near her. He had opened the door and was waiting for her to enter the club.