Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2)(73)

He rubbed his chest automatical y, anticipating the burning, but it didn't come. Even though Persephone made his body ache and his blood pound, she did not make his choler flare. His hand stil ed and he tried to remember the last time he had felt the burning in his chest. Hades blinked in surprise. It had been the night he had offended her and walked out of dinner. Not since then. He smiled. She was not only the breath of spring; she was also balm for a weary soul. Perhaps his loneliness had truly come to an end.

Lina felt his eyes on her and as another narcissus burst into blossom, she looked back to where he waited. He stood at the edge of the meadow, tal and dark and silent, watching her with an intensity that sent a thril through her blood.

But why must he always just watch? Suddenly she wanted more for him. A wonderful thought came to her. She'd been frolicking with maidens and nymphs since she'd arrived. It was definitely Hades' turn. Smiling happily, she danced up to him, trailing a mist of glittering fireflies in her wake. She grabbed his hand.

"Come on! Make flowers with me."

His eyes were shadowed with sadness. "I am the God of the Dead. I cannot create life."

"You can if I help you," she said with more confidence than she felt and tugged at his hand.

"No, I..." He sighed. "Persephone, I can refuse you nothing." Reluctantly, he al owed her to pul him into the meadow.

Surrounded by the sparkling fog of fireflies, Lina led Hades to a clump of not-yet-narcissus. She motioned for Hades to stand behind her, then she reached back and slid her hands down the underside of his arms until his hands enveloped hers and his arms encased her. She splayed her fingers wide, as if she had just thrown a bal .

"Lace your fingers beside mine." His nearness caused her voice to be a husky purr. "And think about how much you would like to make the narcissus blossom."

Lost in her, Hades let her guide his hands. He did wish he could make the narcissus bloom, but even more he wished that he could make this Goddess his own, that she would stay beside him and relieve his loneliness for an eternity.

His fingers began to tingle as the magic within Persephone's body merged with his own. Incredulous, he watched as the bril iant narcissus burst into being beneath their joined hands. Lina shouted with joy and turned, face blazing with joy. "We did it!" Hades' arms wrapped around her and he looked into her glittering eyes. 'Together, Persephone. I could not have done it without the Goddess of Spring. I wish I could find words to tel you what great pleasure it gives me to share my world with you."

His voice was serious, his expression earnest, and she felt completely lost in his eyes. Hades wanted more from her than a quick kiss, or even a quick affair. She knew that she should make a little joke and dance away from him. But she couldn't make herself. She burned to be with him as badly as he ached for her. She kissed him, pressing herself against the hard length of his body. Abruptly Hades ended the kiss. Resting his forehead against hers, he concentrated on control ing his ragged breathing. He would not grope her in the woods again. Persephone deserved more than that. She deserved al that he could give her.

"It is late. We should go back to the palace now," he said, kissing her forehead gently. She looked up at him. "I'm not tired."

"Nor am I."

"And I'm not ready for the day to end."

"Then it shal not." He took a deep breath. "You have not yet seen my private quarters. Would you like to?"

Lina saw how difficult it was for him to ask. She felt her heart pounding - a heart that was not truly her own, inside a body that didn't belong to her. But her soul did, and it wasn't simply her body that desired him. She loved his sweetness and sense of humor. She loved the sound of his laughter. She loved his power and his passion, and the care and wisdom he showed in his dealings with the spirits in his realm. Lina touched his cheek, and admitted the truth to herself. She loved him.

"Yes. I would like to very much."

Joy flashed over his face, fol owed quickly by desire, and he bent and kissed her again, hard and fast. Then he reluctantly released her from his arms, took her hand in his, and began to retrace their steps. Lina heard a high-pitched buzzing behind her, and she and Hades turned. The fireflies were hovering in a huge cluster at the edge of the field. Al of them were turned toward Lina.

The God laughed. "Persephone wil return. She is not leaving the Underworld." Their frantic buzzing eased a little.

"I'd love to come back and make more flowers with you," Lina assured them, and their buzzing changed to happy chirps. Smiling, Lina and Hades continued on then-way. "It's nice that they like me so much."

"Al of my realm adores you, Persephone," Hades said.

Lina glanced up at him. "Just your realm?"

The God's lips tilted up. "No, not just my realm."

She squeezed his hand. "Good."

It was as they stepped from the trees into the ornamental garden that Lina heard the sobbing.

"Someone's crying," Lina said. Peering around in the gentle darkness she tried to discover who it was.

"There," Hades said.

He was pointing ahead of them in the direction of the road that passed in front of the palace and led farther into Elysia. Lina could barely make out a blur of human-sized brightness near the edge of the road.

"I think we should see what's going on." Lina looked up at the God for confirmation. "Don't you?"