Free Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai

sure how I… Have you been able to command plants before?”
    “No.” His mouth was grim. “You gave me your powers.”
    “I—” Panic bloomed. “I’m powerless now?”
    “No. You gave me a shard of them.”
    “How? I didn’t even know that was possible.”
    “What did I say? You make your power your bitch. Anything is possible. Doesn’t mean I’ve ever heard of any gods actually doing it.”
    “Why not?”
    His lips quirked. “Because we’re all suspicious, selfish pricks, bit. We don’t like to share anything.”
    “Oh.” She thought about it. “I guess it doesn’t really matter to me if you have some of my power. I mean, as long as I get to keep mine.”
    He studied her as if she were an odd species. “Yes. Even if you gave bits of your power out to every god, you’d still have an immeasurable amount.”
    “Okay then. Do you…feel any different?” With a part of me inside of you? The thought wasn’t unpleasant.
    “I feel…lighter? No, that’s not the right word. I don’t know if I can describe it.” He stroked his hand over the stone wall of the cliff. Black tendrils sprouted from the harsh rock. Hades made a rough sound of surprise as the plant quickly covered the wall and started slithering to the ground.
    “Controlling it isn’t as easy as it looks, is it?”
    He shot her a mock-dirty look. “I can control it fine.” In a blink, the creeping plant had turned to ash.
    A gasp escaped her lips, and she placed her hands on her hips. “That wasn’t nice. You can’t burn the plants.”
    “Sorry.” He looked anything but repentant, though he finally sighed at her glare. “Okay, I won’t do it again.” A fierce look of concentration crossed his face, and he lifted his hand to the cliff again. This time, a single stalk grew, uncurling into a black rose. He plucked the flower once it was grown and handed it to her.
    Charmed, she brought the unusual bloom to her nose to inhale its sweet fragrance. “Thank you.”
    His gaze was unreadable. “Thank you. Have you seen everything you wanted to see?”
    “For one day, yes.”
    “I told you it wouldn’t all be sunshine and flowers like the Fields.” He opened a portal.
    She stepped through, directly into the palace, and cast him a cool look. “What made you think I expected that? Granted, I’ve been sheltered for most of my life, but I know there’s bad out there. It needs to be dealt with, and it sucks that you’re the one who has to do it, but probably better that you have the power, since you won’t abuse it.” She smiled and held up the flower he’d given her. “Besides, you’re half wrong. You may have flowers in more places than you’d think now.”
    He watched her, his face inscrutable, as she carefully tucked the rose into the pocket of her dress. “I have to go to my office,” he said.
    “Oh.” Did he want to be alone? Had she said something wrong?
    He took a few steps and looked over his shoulder, scowling when she didn’t immediately follow. “Well?”
    “I thought you wanted to work.”
    “Don’t put words in my mouth. I said I wanted to go to my office.” His eyes grew slumberous, red heat sparking. “I didn’t say I wanted to work.”

Chapter Six
    Hades was in a strange mood. He could trace his off-kilter emotions to the moment Persephone had given him that tiny bit of her power. He didn’t know if it was the power or her actions or her words afterwards that made him feel almost…happy.
    He’d understated the matter—deities were virulently opposed to sharing their powers. Hell, he didn’t know if he’d ever give anyone even a smidgen of his hoarded strength. But she did it easily, simply so he could defeat a stupid-ass demon wielding a tiny toothpick of a spear. When she’d discovered exactly what happened, she wasn’t even horrified, but accepted it calmly. And then she went and complimented him, acted like she understood where he was coming from.
    It was enough to make him mad. Mad and