Queen Of Hell & Paradise (Immortal gods: Book 1)

Chapter 7- Home

Hades

I force my arms to loosen their hold. 

Her neck exudes a fragrance akin to vanilla, her hair emanates a scent unlike any that has ever graced my nose. Their fine, golden threads tease my knuckles when she steps away from my embrace, the dark mist of my power swirling to a cease, vanishing and yielding to our surroundings as the bright, pastel hues of her home's walls greet our vision.

Plush, large upholstered furniture fills the vast space perfectly, complimenting the extensive, rich rugs which lay neatly atop the natural stone tile floors. It seems Samantha is no foreigner to luxury, if the tall, sizable windows characteristic of modern design attest to her parent's affluence. 

Someplace in the spacious chamber, Helios' rays find their path to us and illuminate Samantha's home, dancing on her hair, kissing its strands with a soft glow as they stream in through her window, pleading my fingers to twirl her auriferous locks and relish their texture.

 But I resist.  

It is almost too good to be true when she does not step back right away, inevitably causing traitorous hope to swell beneath my breastbone. Clutching my coat, she opens one eye after the other before finally stepping back upon realizing where we've coalesced. I gaze at her contemplatively for a moment, having expected her to disintegrate since she stepped foot in the Underworld. The Fates had been explicit in their warnings that she was to arrive to my realm willingly-- if she did not, the consequences would be of great measure. 

Anxious anticipation and paranoia consumed me as the hours progressed and I had no knowledge as to how she had arrived atop the underpass overlooking the River Acheron. It further intensified as I realized she had no recollection of her sudden appearance either. Now that we stand inside her home, however, overwhelming relief seizes my gut. She is safe, she is home in the mortal realm, whomever should wish her harm can not reach her here. 

I observe her as she becomes at ease, her shoulders loosening their previous, taut position, her lips softly exhaling a sigh of relief as she moves a step further away from me. Her cerulean irises  flit about the chambers, perhaps in search of something, before they retire their course to me, fixing on my level expression with curious expectation. 

I admire her in return, unable to force my twitching fingertips into submission. Cupping my hands, I nod her farewell --not finding words to utter-- before calling upon my abilities, arranging for the departure and retreat into my realm. 

Just as my power begins to ensconce my clear vision, however, she promptly reaches out an arm to stop me. As soon as her warm hand touches my forearm, I will the dark clouds to recede. 

"Hades?" she asks, her voice a melody to my ears, "Am I going to see you between now and next month?"

I raise my brow in question. She wishes to see me again? 

"If that is what you wish."

My voice vomits past my lips sounding listless, and I feel my mouth become dry as the sun trails favorable caresses on her untainted skin. It was well past midnight in the mortal realm when she crossed over to the Underworld. While time is illusory in my realm, I find it imperative for it to be recorded for the sake of maintaining order over the influx of souls. 

I distinctly remember detecting the warm glow of human life in my realm sometime after midnight, perhaps just before full darkness on the western hemisphere of Earth. Time in Hades progresses much more lethargically than it does atop the surface, Samantha probably spent an entire day in the Underworld, hence why Helios' star is now out. 

"Yeah, I'd like that," she says softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The small movement brings a dull ache to my fingertips, painfully reminding them that it is not their place to graze the lovely outline of her smooth cheek, nor the secret contours of her hidden nape and jaw.