Ever’s eyes flew up to Hades in horror. “Let me go—-”
Arisa stopped dead at the kitchen’s doorway upon seeing her niece locked in a stranger’s possessive embrace.
A stranger who was quite positively the most handsome man she had ever seen, and that he would belong to her poor idiot of a niece—-
“Leave this place at once if you don’t want me calling for the police.” Arisa’s voice shook with a mixture of anger and jealousy.
“Aunt, it’s not—-”
“It’s exactly what you think,” Hades cut her off with a drawl. Tightening his arms around Ever, he bent his head down and licked the trail of tears on her face.
Ever’s body quivered, and she said weakly, “Hades.” She knew she should try to move away, but she couldn’t.
Arisa let out a bellow of outrage. “I am going to call—-”
Hades’ lips moved to the corner of her mouth. “Your tears taste beautiful. I think I should make you cry more.”
“What?” But even at his sadistic threat, all she could do was stare up at him with eyes that were ready to spill more tears any moment. “Are you really here, Hades?” she whispered.
“Yes, my queen.”
She stiffened.
“And yes, you did hear me say that twice. You are my queen.”
She slowly shook her head. “Please.” Her voice was paper-thin. “Let’s not—-”
“The lord would fall because of her, and I did, did I not?”
Ever shook her head. “No, you—-”
As if he didn’t hear her speaking, the god of the Underworld continued, “The lady would disappear because of him.”
Oh.
“And you did, did you not?”
Her fingers clutched his shirt. “Hades.” Ever’s head started to reel, and her heart slammed hard against her chest. She had disappeared through the door – and by doing so, she had fulfilled the second condition of the prophecy without planning it.
“Tell me what the next line is,” Hades said softly.
Swallowing, she said unevenly, “And when these two came to be—-”
And it had.
“The Underworld would have made its choice.”
As she spoke, Hades’ hands began to move in the air, and her heart started beating faster and faster as she recognized what he was doing.
Oh, please, God.
“When I realized you were gone, I tried using this same method to find you and bring you back, but it didn’t work. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t have a crystal key to find you or if it was the work of fate, but it simply didn’t work.”
His hands paused mid-air.
“Just thinking of you trapped in this world, knowing that anything could happen to you—-” His lips twisted. “I can do a lot of things with my powers, but one thing I can’t ever do is bring someone back from the dead.” His jaw clenched. “The thought made me frantic. Desperate. I knew I had to do everything I could to bring you back—-”
Arisa had no mouth, and it was the ghastliest sight she had ever seen.
Ever turned to the god in horror. “You took away her mouth!”
“Do you wish for me to take anything else?” he asked seriously.
“What? No!” And then she realized that this was eerily like déjà vu as well, and a choked laugh escaped her. “Oh Hades.” Life was really going to be strange and fun with the god of the Underworld.
He tugged her to him, saying impatiently, “I want you crowned now so I can marry you.”