CHAPTER XXVII: TEACHING AN OLD GOD NEW TRICKS

CHAPTER XXVII – TEACHING AN OLD GOD NEW TRICKS

Hades returned Persephone to the Lexus and teleported to the Underworld, appearing in his chambers. He took a moment to down a glass of whiskey. He hated himself for what he was about to do.

“Hermes!”

He summoned the god with a single command, and he appeared, wearing a mesh crop top and tiny leather shorts.

What the fuck had he interrupted?

“Yes, King of Death and Dark…” Hermes’ voice faded away as his eyes swept the room. When he met Hades’ gaze again, he seemed dazed. “Am I dreaming?”

“I need your…help,” Hades said.

“I am dreaming.” Hermes slapped his face.

“Hermes,” Hades gritted out.

“No, no,” he said, putting up his hands as if to silence him. He took a breath. “Don’t ruin this for me. I might be dreaming, but I’m about to live out one of my top five fantasies—”

Hades slapped the god, who looked shocked.

“This isn’t a dream, Hermes.”

They stared at one another, and in the silence, Hades raised a brow. “Top five, huh?”

Hermes lifted his chin and cleared his throat. “What did you need?

“First, I think we can agree that neither one of us will disclose what goes on here tonight?”

The god’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open. “Oh my gods, I really am dreaming.”

“Hermes!” Hades snapped. “I need…fashion advice!”

“Oh.” He blinked and then broke into a grin. “Why didn’t you say so?”

Hades glared at the god. He should have downed a bottle before summoning the god. After a moment, he explained. “Persephone is teaching me to bake. What do I wear?”

“She’s teaching you to bake?” Surprised colored Hermes’ voice. “And you’re participating? Willingly?”

Hades glared.

“You must really love her.”

“Hermes,” Hades warned. If he had to say the god’s name one more time, he’d send him to Tartarus for the night.

He seemed to get the hint and straightened. “Right. Casual, baking date.”

He dashed to Hades’ closet.

“Why do you only wear suits?” Hermes complained. “What do you sleep in?”

“Nothing,” Hades answered. “What’s the point?”

Clothing was hot, and it meant more layers to get to what he wanted, even when Persephone was not sleeping beside him.

Hermes sighed. “You are impossible. Hold on.”

He vanished for a moment and returned with a black shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants.

“What are those?” Hades asked, voice dripping with judgement.

“Clothes,” Hermes said. “Casual clothes. Not that I expect you to know the definition of casual, Mr. Suit and Tie.”

He shoved them at Hades’ chest. “Change.”

He glowered at Hermes as he made his way to the bathroom. When he returned, Hermes clapped his hands.

“Perfect! You’re ready to bake!” Then the god shook his head. “I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.”

Hades pulled at the shirt, and Hermes swatted his hands away. “Stop! You don’t want Sephy to know I dressed you, do you?”

“Sephy?”

“What? It’s her nickname.”

Hades wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that Hermes had a nickname for his lover.

“Go before Persephone thinks you changed your mind!” Hermes said. “Oh, and I’ll take payment in cookies!”

He sung the last word before vanishing, and Hades had never been so glad to be rid of a god in his life.

***

Hades appeared outside Persephone’s apartment door and knocked. It opened immediately, and he wondered if she had been standing on the other side, waiting for his arrival.

She offered him an appraising look, but her eyes quickly narrowed.

“Did you own those before today?” She pointed to the sweatpants.

She knew him well, and he grinned, admitting, “No.”

She stepped aside, and he squeezed through the door. It reminded him of how he was not made for mortal dwellings. The doors were too short, the walkways too narrow, but he didn’t mind the closeness with Persephone so near. She stared up at him, almost like she couldn’t believe he had shown up.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

She gave a quick smile and stepped around him, taking his hand in hers and dragging him into the living room, where her best friend, Lexa, sat on a couch with a man Hades did not know.

“Um, Hades this is Lexa, my best friend, and Jaison, her boyfriend.”

Jaison waved. Hades could sense his unease and awkwardness, but he was a good enough man, gentle and unassuming—the opposite of Lexa, who was bold and energetic. She approached him fearlessly and threw her arms around his waist in a hug.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

Hades wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Very few have ever spoken those words.”

But he appreciated them.

“So long as you treat my best friend right, I’ll continue to be happy to see you,” she said with a grin.

“Noted, Lexa Sideris.” He grinned and bowed. “May I say, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

Lexa blushed and cleared her throat, glancing at Persephone before exclaiming, “So! Are you all going to make cookies? That’s not code for something, is it?”

Hades hoped it was code for something.

Like sex.

But Persephone was quick to dash that hope by rolling her eyes. “No, Lexa, it’s not code from something.” She took Hades’ hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. “We better get started!”

It occurred to him that she had gotten more comfortable touching him, and he wasn’t sure at what point that had begun, but he liked it.

Persephone’s kitchen was small and bathed in fluorescent light. She had already prepared a few things—bowls, a set of mismatched measuring cups, and a cookbook. Hades glanced at the page.

“We will be making sugar cookies?” he asked.

“My favorite,” she said, pulling her bottom lip into her mouth. He really wished she wouldn’t do that. It made him hard, and that kept him distracted.

Maybe he should tell her.

Except she was perfectly oblivious and instructed him to retrieve a list of ingredients. Despite the lack of storage, she had everything organized and directed him easily, like she was used to getting her way.

“Why do you put everything up so high?” he asked.

“It’s the only place it will fit. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t live in a palace.”

He was well aware, thinking that he would very much like to see her bake in the Underworld kitchens.

Once she had everything on her list, he grinned proudly.

“What would you do without me?”

“Get it myself.”

Hades snorted. He would like to see that; she would have to climb the countertop, which would give him a great view of her ass.

“Well, get over here. You can’t learn from there.”

He pushed away from the counter where he was leaning and approached, bracing his arms on either side of her body, trapping her against the counter. He didn’t lean into her, but he thought about it. His dick was hard, and it would fit perfectly against that ass he’d just fantasized about. Instead, he pressed his lips to her ear.

“Please, instruct.”

It took her a moment to speak, and Hades smirked. He hoped she was just as distracted as him. What fantasies did she get lost in at night or at work while they were apart?

“The most important thing to remember when baking is that the ingredients have to be measured and mixed right or it could mean disaster.”

He heard what she said, but his mind was on other things, like shoving his hand down her pants to see how wet she was. His grip tightened on the countertop, but that only kept him from acting on his thoughts. It did not prevent him from pressing his lips to her neck and letting his tongue taste her skin.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she glared at him over her shoulder. “Scratch that. The most important thing to remember is to pay attention.”

She shoved a measuring cup into his hand.

“First, flour,” she commanded, and he smirked. She took baking seriously.

He kept his arms around her as he worked. Measuring flour was like walking through ash—it clouded the air and stuck to the skin. When he had it in the bowl, he bent his head to hers, noting her rigid posture. Then he leaned in, and as his full erection pressing into her, and she laid her palms flat on the counter.

He raised a teasing brow. “Next?”

“Baking soda.”

They continued like that until all the ingredients were in the bowl and mixed into a batter. Persephone took that moment to duck under his arm, freeing herself from the human cage he’d created for her. She unstacked a set of sheet pans and gave him a spoon.

“Use this to scoop the batter and make them into one-inch…balls.”

She cleared her throat when she said the word balls.

Andall he could think was how she’d teased his in the back of the limo with his cock in her mouth, and everything tightened.

Fuck.

They worked together, each of them scooping batter into a spoon and transferring it onto the baking sheet. When Hades was finished, he compared the two, and Persephone’s skills were beyond his own. She’d made perfect rounds out of her batter. Hades’ were misshapen and messy, like he’d slung the mixture all over the pan. He was envious of her control.

“Put this on,” Persephone said, handing him a floral mitt.

“What is it?”

“It’s an oven mitt,” she said. “So you don’t get burned when you put the cookies in the oven.”

He considered telling her that he was, essentially, fireproof, but kept quiet, sliding the mitt onto his hand, only to hear Persephone giggle. His gaze snapped to hers.

“Are you…laughing at me?”

She cleared her throat quickly. “No. Of course not.”

His eyes narrowed, an unspoken promise of payment for this humiliation. Once the cookies were in the oven, Hades pulled off the mitt. He had intentions of scooping her into his arms and feasting on her mouth, but she had other plans.

“Now, we make icing.” She smiled, eyes alight.

He’d have liked to lick icing from every part of her body, but she handed him some type of cooking utensil with a narrow handle and wire loops.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” he asked.

“It’s a whisk. You’ll beat the ingredients together,” she said, and poured various ingredients into a bowl, pushing it toward him when she was finished.

“Beat.”

Now that was something he excelled at.

“Happily.”

“That’s good,” Persephone said, practically snatching the bowl from Hades after he’d been whipping the mixture for a few minutes. Perhaps he’s gotten carried away. There were pieces of the mixture all over the counter, his shirt, and her.

She divided the icing into a few waiting bowls and handed him a small tube of green. “Start with a few drops and mix.”

They made colorful icing. Persephone worked on the bright colors—yellow and pink and lavender—while Hades made darker colors—red and green and even black, a color Persephone had helped him make. Toward the end, he caught her licking icing from her fingers.

“How does it taste?” he asked, reaching for her hand. He drew one of her fingers deep into his mouth and groaned. She was sweet and salty, and the way she looked at him while he tasted her made the fire in his stomach deepen. “Delicious.”

She drew her fingers away, and there was a beat of silence. “Now what?”

Their eyes met, and the air in the room was almost unbearable.

Hades planted his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the counter. Persephone laughed and drew her legs around him, pulling him in so his cock was settled against her core. He kissed her mouth, parting her lips. She tasted like the icing she’d sucked from her fingers. He buried one hand in her hair, the other reaching between them to grip her breasts, when someone cleared their throat.

Loudly.

Persephone pulled away from his kiss while Hades’ hands fell to the countertop, his head resting against her shoulder. He needed time to collect himself. If they had been in the Underworld and interrupted by one of his staff, he wouldn’t have stopped.

“Lexa.” Persephone cleared her throat. “What’s up?”

“I was wondering if you guys wanted to watch a movie?”

“Say no,” Hades whispered, teasing her ear.

Persephone slapped playfully at his chest. “What movie?”

“Clash of the Titans?”

Hades snorted and drew away from her, looking at Lexa. “Old or new?”

“Old.”

“Fine,” he agreed, and kissed Persephone on the cheek. “Going to need a minute.”

Hades left the kitchen, disappearing down a hallway until he found the bathroom. He shut himself inside and leaned against the door, reaching into his pants and clasping his cock. He’d have much rather had Persephone’s hand on him, her mouth around him, her sex clenching his own, but this would have to suffice until they were alone. He worked himself until he came.

When the cookies were finished, they took them out and let them cool while they watched Clash of the Titans.

“Gods, I forgot this movie was so slow,” Jaison said, who was the only one paying attention. With Persephone lying on top of him, her body fitting between his thighs, Hades could only think about sex. She was also giggling, and he was certain she wasn’t laughing at the movie.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he whispered, his arm tightening around her, bodies pressing hard together.

“You can’t possibly know.”

“After what I put myself through this evening, I’m sure there are several things you are laughing at.”

At some point, Persephone fell asleep and he carried her to her bedroom.

“Don’t leave,” she said sleepily when he lowered her onto the bed.

“I’m not.” He kissed her forehead. “Sleep.”

Hades lay beside her wide awake. Her bed was small and smelled like her. He closed his eyes, but his body felt hot and his brain was too wired, thinking about their earlier encounter in the kitchen and how he wanted to finish what they started. But Persephone was tired and he didn’t want to wake her, so he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes tight. It felt like forever before he fell asleep, and it only lasted for a few seconds before he was awake again, his body on top of Persephone’s, his mouth devouring her skin. She moaned and reached for him, their kisses urgent, as if they hadn’t been together in weeks, months.

Hades pulled her shirt off and dumped her out of her pants before diving between her thighs. He took her slow, nipping at the inside of her legs, blowing on her hot core, sucking on her clit until she begged for his tongue. He gave her his fingers, inserting them into her heat. She was soaked, and he groaned.

“All of this for me,” he said as he left her body, her come thick and dripping, and drew his fingers into his mouth before covering her body with his own. Her legs fell apart, and she arched her back, breasts filling his vision as he entered her. He paused as he loomed over her, pressing his forehead to hers.

“You are beautiful,” he said.

“You feel good,” she whispered. “You feel…like power.”

He felt controlled at first, like maybe he could make love to her the way he had in front of the fireplace in his office. Except that the more she reacted to the invasion of his cock—gripping his arms and the blankets, and pressing her head into the mattress—he couldn’t control himself. A fierce, claiming growl erupted from his throat, and he kissed her hard, teeth grazing her lips, sucking her neck, and thrusting into her, moving her entire body until they were crammed against the headboard. Hades used his hands to cushion her head while Persephone’s nails scraped down his back. He didn’t even feel the sting, just the ecstasy of their coupling.

The bed shook, their guttural cries filling the room, and when he came, he collapsed upon her, their bodies slick with sweat. It wasn’t until he caught his breath that he realized she was crying.

“Persephone.” He pushed away from her, feeling hysteria build in the bottom of his stomach. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she whispered, covering her eyes, and he felt an immense sense of relief. “No, you didn’t hurt me.”

He stared down at her for a moment as she wept quietly. He knew there could be a number of reasons for her tears, but he would not speculate and he would not ask. If she wished to tell him, she could. Still, he did not wish for her to hide, no matter the reason. He pried her hands from her face, brushed the wetness from her cheeks, and kissed her forehead before moving to his side and tucking her against him. He covered their naked bodies with blankets.

“You are too perfect for me,” he whispered, kissing her hair, and they fell into a peaceful slumber.

***

Hades woke instantly, and this time, it had nothing to do with desire and everything to do with the smell of Demeter’s magic. It curled through the air like a bitter frost.

He rolled into a sitting position but did not manage to manifest clothes before Demeter appeared, eyes like fire, face as cold as ice.

Persephone, oblivious to her mother’s arrival, rolled toward him, her hand reaching out across the sheets.

“Come back to bed.”

His heart squeezed in his chest, and then her mother’s voice filled the room, a sound like thunder and lightning warring in the sky.

“Get away from my daughter!”

“Mother!” Persephone sat up and paled, holding her sheets to her chest. “Get out!”

Demeter’s gaze fell upon Persephone, and it took everything in Hades’ power to remain where he was. He wanted to protect her from her mother, from the promise of revenge he saw written on her face. Even if he had roused Persephone in time to dress, it would have been impossible to hide what they’d been doing. Their scents clung to each other, their bodies still slick with the smell of sex.

Persephone reached for her nightshirt and shoved it over her head, covering herself as quickly as possible.

“How dare you.” Demeter’s voice shook, her mouth quivering with rage.

Hades remained sitting in the bed, body tense, ready to pounce at the barest hint of attack.

“How long?” Demeter demanded.

Months, Hades wanted to say, because he knew it would antagonize the Goddess of Harvest, but it was one thing to receive Demeter’s anger on his own and another thing entirely to watch Persephone suffer beneath it.

“It’s really none of your business, Mother,” Persephone snapped.

“You forget your place, Daughter.”

“And you forget my age. I am not a child!”

“You are my child, and you have betrayed my trust.”

Demeter’s magic was gathering around her like a vortex. Hades knew the goddess was preparing to teleport her daughter, and while he remained on edge, he was not afraid. Demeter couldn’t take Persephone from him while she was indebted to him. Still, seeing Persephone look frantically from him to her mother broke his heart.

“No, Mother!”

“You will no longer live this disgraceful, mortal life!”

Persephone closed her eyes, and he found himself torn between intervening and wishing to see how Persephone would react. Embrace your power, he thought. It was the perfect time, as she was protected by his mark. I know it is fighting inside you.

But she didn’t.

Demeter’s magic had culminated, and Persephone remained still, eyes closed, accepting of her mother’s punishment like a pawn in a game.

Except that as Demeter snapped her fingers, nothing happened. Her face fell, wavering between shock and anger, eyes finally falling to the gold cuff Persephone wore to cover the evidence of their bargain.

Demeter snatched the bracelet from her wrist, gripping her arm. Hades felt his magic pool. He would fight the goddess for his lover. He would kill her if she left a mark.

“What did you do?” Demeter demanded, turning her fierce and hateful gaze upon him.

“Don’t touch me!” Persephone tried to pull free of her mother’s grip, but Demeter’s nails bit into her skin and she cried out.

“Release her, Demeter.” Hades spoke quietly, but his rage was acute.

“Don’t you dare tell me what to do with my daughter!”

Hades snapped his fingers, and he was suddenly dressed, rising to his full height. His power gathered around him, an invisible but tangible weight he knew Demeter could sense. She released her hold on Persephone, who retreated to the other side of the room.

“Your daughter and I have a contract. She will stay until she fulfills it.”

“No.” Demeter looked at Persephone. “You will remove your mark. Remove it, Hades!”

“The contract must be fulfilled, Demeter. The Fates command it.”

She had tried to deceive the Fates once; she could not do it again.

The Goddess of Harvest glared at Persephone. “How could you?”

“How could I? It’s not like I wanted this to happen, Mother!”

He flinched, unable to hide the impact of her words. He was well-aware that she was just speaking the truth, one he already knew well. Persephone had not wanted the bargain, and while it did not mean that she did not want him, he could not help thinking that with the end of their contract, came the end of them.

“Didn’t you? I warned you about him! I warned you to stay away from the gods!”

“And in doing so, you left me to this fate.”

Warnings only planted the seed of intrigue, something Demeter should have learned after existing for so many years, but she, like many gods, fell victim to mortal assumptions. One of those being, she could be the exception.

“So, you blame me? When all I did was try to protect you? Well, you will see the truth very soon, Daughter.”

If Demeter had been trying to protect Persephone, she wouldn’t have kept her powers from manifesting. Demeter had made her daughter codependent, ensuring she would always need her—need someone—to survive. Hades hated that, and he hoped by the end of this, before their contract was said and done, her powers would manifest.

That desire intensified as he watched Demeter strip Persephone of her favor, exposing her Divine form. The goddess was not gentle, tearing the power away with such force, Persephone fell to her knees, gasping for breath.

“When the contract is fulfilled, you will come home with me,” Demeter said. “You will never return to this mortal life, and you will never see Hades again.”

Demeter glared at him before vanishing, and Hades swore in that moment, the Goddess of Harvest would regret her actions.

He scooped Persephone up from the floor, cradling her against him as he sat on the edge of the bed. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

“Shh,” Hades crooned. “Everything will be okay. I promise.”

She burst into tears.

“I don’t regret you. I didn’t mean that I regretted you.”

He was glad she said it, even though he had known she hadn’t meant the words.

“I know.” Hades kissed her tears away.

There was a knock at the door, but before Hades or Persephone could speak, Lexa entered and halted, eyes wide as she took in Persephone’s appearance.

“What the fuck?”

There was no hiding her Divinity—Persephone was the Goddess of Spring. Hades half-expected her to beg him to erase Lexa’s memory, but instead, she pulled away and stood, appearing tall and regal as she spoke.

“Lexa,” he heard her say. “I have something to tell you.”