Chapter 9: Hades tries to impress
Aria POV.
“What..what was that?” I say nervously but before we can question it, the lights come back on
“You should eat and sleep” He says nervously and I quickly let go of him. “Your powers are still adjusting so that could happen at any time.”
I nod nervously, truly feeling dizzy but at this point I don't know if it's because of the magic that keeps knocking me out or if it's just the intense shockwaves that I feel whenever Hades touches me.
We eat breakfast quietly and I immediately run to my bedroom for a nap to avoid him and his electrifying touch.
I wake up to knocking. Very loud knocking. I groan lifting my head from the bed, the magic truly knocked me out, but now it feels like I've been rested for an entire year.
I hear the loud knocking again and I can tell the person on the other side doesn't understand boundaries or privacy.
The doors swing open before I can even yell out for him to come inside.
Hades walks in like he owns not only the room but the oxygen I’m breathing as well.
He stops right in front of my bed and just stares at me.
“We need to talk,” he says
“I literally just woke up,” I mutter looking outside the balcony but I can't even tell what time of the day it freaking is now, “Can’t this dramatic conversation happen over lunch or dinner? Or mental stability?”
He ignores all of that and stands up straighter like a kid caught in headlights, “You need comfort.”
I blink. “What?”
“You’re overwhelmed, and last I read, mortals require comfort.”
I sit up from the bed, yawning slightly, “You say mortals like you've never met one in your entire immortal life before.”
His eyes rake my body, my bare neck, my cleavage and then back on my face, “I haven't met one like you.”
I don't know what it means but my brain is not ready to unpack it right now. Before I can respond he steps aside and suddenly there are three servants walking into my room, each carrying something different.
I lift a brow at this, still watching from the bed, “What is this?”
Hades clears his throat like he had to speak to himself in a mirror and practiced this before coming to me, “Gifts” he lifts his chest, filled with pride.
I groan internally.
The first servant steps forward and opens a long velvet case revealing a golden lyre. It looks obviously ancient and priceless, carved with ruby swirling patterns that glows when the light hits it
“This belonged to Orpheus,” Hades says, sounding very pleased with himself. “His music used to calm the hearts of mortals, I thought it would help you”
Yes because I'm such a stubborn bitch frustrating him for the last 24..what 48 hours?
I look down at the lyre and then back at him. I sigh, “Hades…do I look like I play the lyre? That thing is older than oxygen.”
His jaw twitches at that. “Mortals enjoy music” he loons at the lyre and then back at me.
“Yes. On Spotify.” I say with a deadpan look
His brows pull together at my words. “What is a Spoti–” he starts
“Never mind” I shake my head not having the heart to explain it to his ancient mind.
The second servant steps forward holding a pile of Jewel's. Rubies, sapphires, diamonds, each one is enough to blind me.
“These were worn by queens,” Hades says, “Some were human and some were divine.”
“They are beautiful,” I admit softly because I don't think there's a need to lie about something so obvious.
But I gently push them away, “I don’t want jewelry Hades, especially one worn by dead women”
He blinks at me like what I just said was Forbidden. “But Mortals always want jewelry.”
“Not this one I guess” I shrug
Before he can argue, the last servant steps forward and gently places something by the foot of my bed.
Something that wiggles. I spot the fur and it pops out from beneath the sheets. It has three tiny heads that all sneeze at once
“Oh my gosh,” I breathe out, “What is that?”
“A Cerberus pup.” Hades answers proudly, “He is still young.”
The three headed puppy in question wobbles on its tiny paws, trios a few times but lands straight in my lap like he has been waiting for me all day.
With it thinking I press my hand to all three heads and the tail wags wildly behind it.
I feel my heart melt like warm wax at the action.
“No,” I say quickly, standing up, leaving the dog on the bed. “Nope, I'm not getting attached. Take your..three headed chaos sweet muffin back.” I turn away
The puppy whines and I stare at the ceiling because if I look back at them, it might just ruin me.
“They chose you Aria” Hades says from behind me, his voice convincing
“It’s a dog with three heads, Hades, in sure they choose just about everyone”
“No.just you” he says softly
The pup jumps down from the bed and bumps his head against my ankle again but I refuse to look at him.
I can feel Hades stares burning into the side of my face, “I don't want anything from you” I say quietly and the servants disappear at that.
His expression shifts, an obvious tick of frustration on his jaw, “I’m trying here Aria”
His words shift something in me unexpectedly that I actually pause.
He inhales slowly, my attention finally on him, “Come with me.”
“I don't want to go anywhere with you” I lift a brow at him
“You're still going to come,” he says annoyed but still weirdly gentle, “You can't stay locked in this room forever.”
He's right, annoyingly right. I've been avoiding him, but for how long?. So I follow him into the hallway, the Cerberus pup training behind us, tripping as he goes.
We walk through a long torch corridor until we reach a quiet courtyard. There's a river nearby in pale silver.
Hades stops by the edge and gestures for me to seat on a large stone but I don’t move.
He sighs then seats first like he's showing me it’s safe. Slowly I sit beside him.
“This is the River Lethe,” he starts. “It washes away memory.”
I tense up at that. “And we are sitting next to a memory wiping river, isn't that dangerous?”
“I won't bring you here if it was Aria.” he says, his vice steady and cool, enough to send those stupid shivers down my spine.
We sit quietly for a few seconds as we watch the water together. “Souls come here when they are ready to forget pain, grief, fear and sometimes even love.”
I swallow hard at his words, I don't know why but hearing him say the word love, it twists something inside of me.
I glance at his side profile, and for once realise the shadows from the very first day no longer follow us. He doesn't look as intimidating as he was the very first day. He just looks like a man with a lot of weight to carry.
“You care about them?” I ask softly, “The dead I mean.”
He doesn't turn to look at me, his eyes still on the water, “Someone has to.”
I hesitate. “In the legends and myths, they didn't make it seem like gods like you cared about anything”
He stiffens, his shoulders going rigid, “I do” he says quietly and he sounds almost human.
I turn around, his words are messing with me, messing with every single wall that I'm trying to build and keep up.
Before I can say anything, a servant appears beside Hades and bows.
I stand up like I was caught doing something bad and Cerebrus growls all heads snapping into alertness
“My lord, you have a guest” he says and looks up at Hades, tension in his voice.