She nodded. “Better.”
Then he drew his finger along her cheek, leaving a trail of heat. “Trust that I am devastated that you were hurt in my realm.”
She swallowed and managed to say, “I am okay.”
He kept looking at her, and then his gentle eyes hardened. “It will never happen again. Come.”
He led her onto the balcony outside his room—and the view was breathtaking. The colors of the Underworld were muted, and though not as bright as those above, still beautiful. The sky was grey and provided a backdrop for the black mountains, which melded with a forest of deep green trees. To the right, the trees thinned, and she could see the Styx’s black water snaking through the tall grass.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
“It is beautiful,” she answered, and she thought he looked pleased. “You created all of this?”
He nodded only once. “The Underworld evolves just as the world above.”
Her fingers were still laced with his, and he tugged, leading her off the balcony, down a set of stairs that emptied into one of the most beautiful gardens she had ever seen. Lavender wisteria created a canopy over a dark stone path, and clusters of purple and red flowers grew wildly on either side of the trail.
The garden awed her and angered her.
She turned on Hades, pulling her hand from his. “You bastard!”
“Names, Persephone,” he warned.
“Don’t you dare. This—this is beautiful!”
It made her heart ache, and was something she longed to create. She stared longer, finding new flowers—roses in an inky blue, peonies in pink, willows and trees with dark purple leaves.
“It is,” he agreed.
“Why would you ask me to create life here?” She tried to keep her voice from sounding so despondent, but she couldn’t manage it, standing at the center of her dream manifested outside of her head. He stared at her for a moment, and then, with a wave of his hand, the roses and peonies and willows were gone. In their place was nothing but desolate land. She looked at Hades.
“It is illusion,” he said. “If it is a garden you wish to create, then it will truly be the only life here.”
She stared half in awe, half in disgust at the land before her. So all this beauty was Hades’ magic? And he maintained it effortlessly? He was truly a powerful god.
He called the illusion back, and they continued walking through the garden. As she followed Hades, she was reminded of the time she spent in the glass greenhouse where her mother’s flowers bloomed so easily and the promise she’d made never to return. Now she realized she would just trade one prison for another if she failed to fulfill the terms of their contract.
Finally, they came to a low, stone wall where a plot of land remained barren, and the soil at their feet was the color of ash.
“You may work here,” he said.
“I still don’t understand,” Persephone said, and Hades looked at her. “Illusion or not, you have all of this beauty. Why demand this of me?”
“If you do not wish to fulfill the terms of our contract, you have only to say so, Lady Persephone,” Hades said. “I can have a suite prepared for you in less than an hour.”
“We do not get along well enough to be housemates, Hades.” He looked amused, and she lifted her chin. “How often am I allowed to come here and work?”
“As often as you want,” he said. “I know you are eager to complete your task.”
She looked away, and then bent to scoop up a handful of the sand. It was silky and fell through her fingers like water. She considered how she would plant the garden. Her mother could create seeds and sprout them out of nothing. Persephone couldn’t touch a plant without it wilting. Perhaps she could convince Demeter to give her a few of her own seedlings. Divine magic would have a better chance in this dirt than anything a mortal might offer.
She thought through her plan, and when she rose to her feet, she found Hades watching her again. She was getting used to his gaze, but it still made her feel exposed. It didn’t help that she only wore Hades’ black robe.
“And…how shall I enter the Underworld?” she asked. “I’m assuming you don’t wish me to return the way I came.”
“Hmm,” he said, tilting his head to the side, as if considering something. She had only known him for three days, but had seen him do this before when he was particularly amused. It was a move he made when he already knew how he was going to act.
Even with that knowledge, she was surprised when he took her by the shoulders and pulled her flush against him. Her arms shot out, fitting against his chest. When his lips met hers, she lost her grip on reality. Her legs gave out, and Hades arms slipped around her, holding her tighter. His mouth was hot and consuming. He kissed her with everything—his lips and teeth and tongue—and she reciprocated with just as much passion, and though she knew she should not encourage him, her body had a mind of its own.