Beneath

Chapter Eight:

"I'm sending you to Portland," Hades said, setting his fork aside as I glowered into my wine cup.

Six days of awkward silence, coupled with his renewed attempts at getting Persephone back, meant that I spent more time than usual sulking around my room, something I knew he hadn't failed to notice.

"Not that it matters what I think," I said carefully, playing with the end of my fork, "but I would prefer to stay and work from here for now."

He laughed, folding his hands together on the table. "Oh, please, Emma. You've been itching to get away from this place, and me, for a few days now, admit it. And besides, I need you to do some reconnaissance work for me."

I can't fight with him. Not here. "I know you think it makes sense for me to get closer to her, since right now, she's not exactly fond of you, but I'd rather not."

He leaned back in his chair. "You're not the only one who needs space to think."

Ouch.

"What is there to think about? I'll work for you until the book is finished, and then you'll never see or hear from me again. That's what I call a win-win." I attempted a smile, though my heart definitely wasn't in it.

"Emma." He ran a weary hand across his face. "I didn't say what I did to hurt you. I don't feel the same way about you as you do me, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I just need Persephone here, and everything will go back to the way it was before."

"So, you want me to do what, exactly? Convince her that you're a good person? That she should trust you? Just admit it - your entire relationship was built around this idea that if you didn't have something, but wanted it, you could just take it. She's content in Portland, alright? She doesn't need you for that anymore. So please, leave her alone."

"I need her here, by my side, where she belongs."

"Oh my gods, Hades," I groaned, gripping the fork tighter. "If you're going to be so goddamned stubborn about this, fine, but I can't help you anymore. I had ten souls find me yesterday, and eight the day prior, and I'm exhausted. I'm returning to Portland because I want to, not because you're trying to order me into it. Plus, being here with you right now is a serious mood kill. It's taking a toll on my wildly optimistic outlook on life."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"Since when...what?"

"Come on, Emma. I'm not the one who's had food delivered to my room because I was afraid of a face-to-face encounter."

"I had work to do."

"Every meal? Every single day this week?" He pressed, smiling, ever so slightly.

"Fine! I didn't want to see you. Are you happy now?"

"Not even a little bit, but I understand."

"Hades, why is there a pint-sized mutt running from Brom? I thought it was an oversized rat and - oh, hello." A man skid to a halt just inside the dining room, limpid blue eyes scanning me curiously.

"Poseidon, this is Emma," Hades said, snapping his fingers as Bailey appeared in my lap, trembling and wet, crazy cow-licks sticking up all over her body and in the distance, a pathetic, frustrated howl shook dust from the rafters.

"Oh right, your human. You never said how pretty she was, though," he said, leaning casually against the back of a nearby chair as I rolled my eyes, taking a bite of chicken. He smiled, toying with the beads woven into his long blonde dreadlocks. "I don't suppose you wanna come back to my place and check out my aquariums?"