Being mortal had its limitations; one of them being distance. If Broni was on earth, the distance might be too far to travel on foot. Jinx might be able to help on earth, but she wouldn’t be able to help her return home. Only Hades or another god could.
A thought occurred to her, one that she tried to push back, trying to block Hades from reading her mind.
When he sent her a sardonic look as he made himself a plate from the serving dishes, she knew he already had.
“You wouldn’t want me and Thor to get in a battle over you.” Hades placed a waffle on her plate, covering it with syrup, before serving himself. Waving his hand over the food that was left, it disappeared, and so did Jinx.
“Where did she go?” Zerina asked, worried about her safety.
“Eating. It was rude to eat it in front of her without letting her join us.”
“Let me go. I won’t tell Fate or Mother you kept me imprisoned.”
“You don’t really believe Mother doesn’t know where you are, do you?” Hades took a bite of his food, chewing it thoughtfully as he waited for her answer.
“She doesn’t know. Mother doesn’t have the power to see inside your castle.”
“No, but she does have the power to have seen that you were taken by Grimm, and she knows that you haven’t left.”
Zerina didn’t try to eat the food that Hades had placed before her. She had hoped Mother would intervene.
“She won’t.”
“Quit reading my mind,” she snapped. “You’re just as irritating as Jinx.” Looking up from her plate, she saw that Jinx had reappeared, her face filled with hurt. She disappeared again as Zerina glared at Hades.
“Don’t blame me. You’re the one who said it.” He finished his food without sympathy.
“She won’t come back.” She rose from the table, going to the window and giving Hades her back.
“She’ll get over it and come back. She’s used to being hurt by those she cares about.”
He made her feel even worse.
Refusing to beg him to let her leave, she then realized she just had when she had thought of it. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to block her thoughts from him.
She then felt him behind her before he touched her, taking her wrists and pulling her hands away from her hair.
“There is no way to block your thoughts from me.”
Being so close to him, and his touch on her wrists, had her biting back a moan.
Jerking away, she went to sit on her bed, then decided that was the last place she wanted to be with Hades so close. She went back to the table, placing it between them. “If you’re not going to let me go, then you can go.”
She didn’t have time to react before he transported himself to her side, jerking her to him.
The heat of his body had her nipples pebbling under her sweater as her breasts were crushed against his chest. She refused to look away from his furious expression.
“I can bring you to your knees with a single thought. Don’t tempt me to prove it to you by allowing yourself to continue your charade that I don’t affect you. I can make you do anything I want. Things your virgin body hasn’t even dreamed are possible.”
“You can force me to do many things.” She made herself stand still, ignoring the growing wetness between her thighs. “But even a god can be hurt,” she cooed, licking her bottom lip suggestively as she jerked her knee upward, forcing Hades to release her as he doubled over in pain.
She didn’t run, knowing her door was locked. Bravely, she simply waited for Hades to straighten, staring at him defiantly as he took a limping step toward her.
“You just made a mistake you’re going to regret.” With a wave of his hand, Zerina found herself being transported. She closed her eyes to combat the feeling of vertigo as his power surrounded her. When she felt ground under her once again, she opened her eyes.
Even Mother heard the screams that came from the bowels of the earth, causing the heavens to weep along with her.
Chapter 3
From upon a small ledge, the sound of her scream reverberated around the large pit that she was looking down at. Staring down at the fire below her, she felt the heat that was rising toward her. Her fingernails dug into the rock wall behind her as a rock fell into the pit, making the flames flare.
Maintaining her balance, she looked upward, seeing if there was a way out. Then she gingerly turned to face the rock wall, nearly falling backward before she could find a grip to stabilize herself.
She bit down on her lips to prevent herself from sobbing. She was determined not to give Hades the satisfaction of making her cry.
“You bastard! When Mother finds out what you are doing, she will condemn you to your own hell!” Zerina yelled out, resting her cheek on the rock wall.
“You struck a god; it is within my rights to punish you.”
Looking upward at the sound of Hades’ voice, she wished he was closer so she could hit him again.
“When I get home, my family will make the poor souls you watch over dance on your mangled body.”
“Where’s the sweet, loving woman your mother told me about?” He sat down on the edge of the cliff over her, dangling his legs. Zerina raised a hand, trying to reach his feet. Hades laughed when she discovered he was out of her reach. “I’m immortal; there won’t be a body,” he told her sardonically.
“My sisters were made mortal, so you can be, too, with the right spell.”
“You threatening me with Jinx or Merlin? Neither one of them could turn me mortal. Merlin would be too afraid, and Jinx can’t even find a way inside my domain. Morgana is one of my guests; maybe you could convince her,” he taunted.
She carefully bent her knees, searching along the ledge with her hands for something. When she found one, she gripped it in her hand and stood up again.
“What are you doing?” His face was shrouded in darkness, occasionally illuminated by the fire as he leaned over, trying to see what she was doing.
She didn’t answer.
When he tried to lean over farther, she threw the small rock she had managed to find at his smirking face.
He shook his head down at her, tsking. “I’ve been very gentle with you, and how do repay my generosity? By throwing stones at me.” Hades scooted to the edge then effortlessly lowered himself to stand next to her. “Do you know where we are?”
“I’m not an idiot. You put me in Tartarus.”
“My dungeon.”
Giving her a hard push, she went flying backward, screaming all the way down and seeing him watch her as she fell.
Expecting to feel the scorching heat of the fire, she found herself sprawled on the dirt floor of his dungeon.
She jumped to her feet, looking for a way out, as he effortlessly lowered himself to stand in front of her.
“Save yourself the trouble. There is no escape.”
Defiantly, she turned around to face him when she found no door. He had cast her in a dirt pit. There wasn’
t even a place to sit, other than the dirt floor. With the fire gone, she no longer heard crackling and popping. Instead, there were moans of pain and suffering from the neighboring cells.
She held her fear at bay, knowing that was what he wanted. She was a Moirai; they didn’t fear. Others feared them.
“Let me go. So far, you haven’t done anything that you won’t have to ask forgiveness for.”
“Then I need to rectify that oversight.” With a wave of his hand, she felt her clothes disappear.
It took sheer determination and stubbornness not to cover her body with her hands, standing proudly before him.
“You looked hot. Do you feel more comfortable now?”
“You know I don’t,” she said from between clenched teeth.
He took a step nearer, brushing his knuckles against the creamy skin on her cheek. “Beautiful Zerina, I am not a cruel master. Apologize to me, and I will return you to your room.”
“I will not apologize.”
At her answer, he dropped his hand to his side as she felt heat erupted in her loins. The passion was so sudden she dropped to her knees.
“When you’re ready to apologize, call out. I will hear.”
“Can you hear me say I hate you!” She glanced away regally, unable to bear the sight of him while her body begged her to crawl toward him, beg him to assuage the lust that was making her squirm to alleviate the desire he had created as her punishment.
Hades went to his haunches as he studied her. “Do you smell that?”
Zerina knew the sweet fragrance was coming from between her thighs. Tensing, she squeezed her thighs together tighter, embarrassed when his nostrils flared and he caught another whiff of her arousal.
When he stood, she could see the huge outline of his cock behind his black trousers that was level with her mouth. She clenched her fingers to keep herself from reaching out and unbuttoning his slacks, from lowering the zipper to get to what she instinctively knew was the only thing that would relieve the ache that was escalating to a fever pitch.