"You’re being ridiculous," Pan said, looking up into Hades’ face as they walked through the tall, sweet-smelling grasses.
"No, I’m not. It would not be well-done of me to bring a living girl into the realm of Death. It would be selfish and Death is selfish enough."
"If a woman loved you, she would be able to endure the Underworld. She could help to ease this burden from you, Hades, and bring some light into your life. That’s what you need-not these stolen trips into the mortal realm so you can gush and coo over nature."
"Coo?" Hades winced. "I don’t coo."
"Don’t worry, my old friend, I won’t tell anyone," Pan said, letting a mischievous sparkle light up his eyes. "Your reputation would be ruined. Can you imagine? Hades, the implacable; Hades, the immovable; Hades, the terrible god who reaps the grain of life caught cuddling a nest of newborn little ducks like a child with her dolls-"
"That’s enough," Hades interrupted. He tried to assume a stern, grim expression but failed utterly. When Pan burst out laughing, the god joined in. His laughter was somewhat hesitant, as if he’d forgotten how to accomplish such an act, but the echo was pleasant as it rolled over the twinkle of starry anemones sprinkled over the gentle hill.
And not even a moment later, the sound of the laughing gods was superseded by the thoughtless giggling of several girls.
Hades stopped laughing. He slipped into the shadow cast by an ancient oak tree, the woodlands god at his side. Immortals tried not to interact with humans, preferring to leave such intercourse for the temples erected in their honor. Hades was even more sensitive about this because of his dominion. Few humans were happy to see the god of death. Although his brothers romped all over the mortal realm with nymphs and mortal girls alike, Hades preferred to remain undetected. So when the three girls topped a small rise, Hades was able to watch them from the safety of concealment.
Something stung his shoulder; a biting insect, perhaps, or a thorn. But when the god returned his attention to the three young women, everything else in the world stopped.
The girls were beautiful-so lovely it was obvious they were not human, as he had first thought, but immortal. The two blonde girls had all the characteristics of Oceanos’ get; those strange, silvery eyes were only found in the daughters of the sea-like Styx, his friend whose river warded the Underworld.
But the other girl? Who was she?
Her hair was dark and glossy, falling over her shoulders to her waist in a mass of curls. She was small and slender and moved with a grace that was impossible for a mortal to match. Her face was perfect, an exquisite oval frame for her huge green eyes. Hades watched in silent admiration as she sank into a patch of anemones with a delighted cry, gathering the blossoms as if they were old friends. Her friends joined her and the girls began to pick the anemones, weaving them into garlands for their hair.
I must know her name.
"Who is that?" Hades breathed. "The girl in the middle-I feel as if I know her."
"You should. That is Persephone."
"Demeter’s daughter?" Hades couldn’t think straight. The girl’s face-Persephone’s face-had blasted all reason and logic from his mind. She was beautiful beyond measure, and, for the first time since the Titans had fallen, Hades actively craved something for himself.
He wanted her.
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