Lexi's Fate (Book 2 of A Goddess Unraveled)

~45~

Hades paced in front of the fireplace, while the three goddesses watched him from their chairs like attendants at a play. Persephone rubbed her temples, attempting to assuage a headache that had come on after the excitement at the stable, most likely a reaction to the smoke. She had always enjoyed vibrant health and stamina, but Hades feared the burdens of helping Demeter maintain the balance of nature had weakened her, as well as her insistence that she continue to produce offspring despite the plethora of goddesses better suited to the task. Females were infuriatingly stubborn.

"Do you have to pace so loudly?" Persephone grumbled as she reached for a cup of chamomile tea on the table next to her.

"It helps me think," he said, repeating the statement he always offered whenever she questioned his methods. "Why don't you lie down, my queen. Let the tea do its work."

"It's not even noon. I'll be fine once we get this settled and you stop your incessant pacing."

Lexi straightened in her chair, assuming the confident demeanor she had maintained since the incident at the stable. "I thought it was settled. Hades and I will take the horses to Hecate's stable, then he will escort me to the gates, while Jocelyn and the nymphs remain here to watch over Persephone. There has been no sign of the minotaurs since we put out the fire, and like Hades said before, the palace is impenetrable. Clearly, this attack was part of their protest against the hunt, and I can use it as justification for putting a stop to the barbaric practice."

Jocelyn nodded her head thoughtfully. "Lexi makes a good point."

"What about my point that the gods could see this as a direct threat to them?" Hades countered. "Z may send Ares down here with his minions to stage a war. You cannot argue the fact that Ares and his staunch followers are just itching for an excuse to do battle, and they do not care who it is with. I suggest we keep this most recent incident quiet and try to handle things ourselves."

His statement was directed at Persephone, and she responded to her lap as she rested her forehead on her outstretched fingers. "You are right, as usual, my dear. And what is your suggestion for keeping it quiet once Hecate finds out? You know she is obliged to share everything with Zeus, as are you."

A rush of air escaped Hades' nostrils as he slid his fingers through his hair.

"According to the nymph who delivered the young minotaur to his herd, the other leaders threatened to continue their retaliation until the hunt is stopped," Lexi said. "Which they have followed through on, so far. Do you believe the minotaurs will stop their attacks if we tell them we're working on it, Hades? Or would it be better to have a signed document I can put in their hands stating this fact?"

Hades stopped pacing to offer Lexi is full attention. Her ability to debate a topic had never ceased to impress him, and he could foresee a long life of entertaining arguments with her. "First of all, you will not be putting any kind of document in their hands because I don't want you within fifty acres of the minotaurs. And secondly, minotaurs cannot read. Therefore, a document would be worthless. We will need to seek advisement from Hecate or the forest nymphs to find out what they would take as proof of our honor."

Lexi crooked her brows, attempting to look defiant, but her eyes told him she appreciated his concern for her safety. "Fine, I don't have to be directly involved with the minotaurs, and I think your idea is sound. We should find out if they'll accept something from the gods as a gesture of goodwill while we work out the details." She stood, taking up her goblet of water and chugging it like she'd been challenged. "If I want to get to the gates when Kade does, I suggest we leave now."

Lexi's unshakable demeanor told him to follow without argument. Stubborn, stubborn females. Hades grabbed his jacket from the coat rack, kissed Persephone and Jocelyn on their respective cheeks, and left the room. He and Lexi agreed to meet at the blackened stable, and while she retrieved her travel bag, Hades readied the horses for their trip to Hecate's home. When Lexi joined him, she mounted Jackie O, and he took to the saddle on Misty's back. They must have looked like a grand sight to anyone lucky enough to observe it, trotting away from the palace in such a large company of horses. He only hoped the minotaurs were not among the witnesses.

Their journey remained mostly silent, as Lexi seemed understandably preoccupied with her thoughts, and Hades could not stop thinking about her sitting around Zeus' table while countless gods lusted after her. Whether she realized it or not, Lexi was a sexually charged goddess, as many of them were, but she had barely tested the waters of restraint. Hades had always given her everything she desired when she desired it, and these gods would use every weapon in their arsenal to test her resolve. Still, he felt secure in her love for him, and even if her resolve faltered, he hoped she would not be overcome with guilt.

When they arrived at Hecate's home, they told her about the minotaur attack on the palace stable, and Hecate graciously obliged to take the horses into her care until the stable was back in order. Hades shared his idea about offering some kind of assurance to the minotaurs while Lexi secured the council's compliance with a cessation of the hunt. Again, Hecate was happy to accommodate them, and she excused herself to the scrying mirror, asking that Hades and Lexi see themselves to the door.

They mounted their horses, and with one eye on Lexi and one eye surveying the landscape for suspicious movement, Hades tried not to succumb to the tremor building inside his chest. He didn't want Lexi to think he was weak, which he certainly was not, at least not when it came to physical strength. If anything, he wanted to prove he was the superior choice among the gods; powerful, attentive, desirable. Regrettably, Hades would have to rely on what had already transpired between them to carry Lexi through the challenges that lay ahead.

Leaving their horses to graze on the sweet grass that flourished near the path of souls, Hades took Lexi's hand as they walked to the gates. That area of the underworld did not succumb to the seasons. Instead, the scenery bent to the will and fondest memories of those who traveled it. Today, the trail reflected the painful stillness Hades felt inside, and he was forced to break the silence as a form of self-preservation.

"You do not have to stay long," he said as he drew his thumb across her hand in lazy circles. "If Z or any of the others pressure you to do something you're not comfortable with, do not hesitate to call for a chariot to bring you home."

Lexi smiled. The smile that told him he was acting foolish. "I seem to recall us having this conversation already, on several occasions. I will be fine, Hades. Zeus and I go way back, remember? And I will have Kade as my ally."

He yielded to her statement with a nod, but the trust he held in his brother, as well as his son, did not allay his anxiety. Both were capable of improprieties. His best hope was that Lexi would not lose herself amid the splendor and decadence of Olympus. As the gates came into view, Hades stopped Lexi under the canopy of an elm, willing his favorite birdsong to serenade them as he prepared his goodbye. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms tightly around her and filling his lungs with her lemon verbena-scented skin. There was a hint of smoke mingled in, but this only reminded him of her heroism.

"I love you, Lexi. Do not forget my proposal."

The words were barely past his lips before Lexi was kissing them, her fingers slipping through the hair at the nape of his neck, drawing him close and sealing their mouths so their tongues could not escape. He quickly became aroused.

"I will carry your kiss with me until we are back in each other's arms,"she whispered as she took his hand and led him to the gates.

Like all obedient goddesses, Lexi's devotion to duty kept her focused on the path ahead. He had often been forced to choose duty over the distraction of his lust-driven hunger. Would Lexi find a way to fulfill her duties as a goddess while satiating her lust with him? Only the heartless bitch of time would tell.