Free Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis Page B

attention to me. “Without my permission. And that’s a one-way trip. The only gods who can go back and forth are you, me, Thanatos, and Hecate.”
    “I haven’t seen Hecate in years,” Cassandra mused. “She’s still avoiding Moirae. Hermes used to be able to cross realms, but he died.” She returned Hades’ death glare. “Fine, not helping. Got it.”
    “So how could he have spies?”
    Hades sighed. “Anytime I leave the Underworld, it creates an entrance to this realm. Generally only gods or gifted humans can see it. Humans cannot enter except by death, and gods cannot enter except by invitation.”
    “So how—”
    “Demigods.” Cassandra chimed in. “They kind of fall into a gray area.”
    “Which is why all entrances lead to Tartarus,” Hades explained. “That in itself is enough to dissuade most of them. Furthermore, they can’t cross the river if they fall below a certain moral standard. Since Boreas is one of the few gods out there still reproducing, it stands to reason he has some spies among us.”
    “They wouldn’t dare attack you. Hades is a fierce god.” Cassandra rolled her eyes when Hades grinned. “Sort of. No one is going to touch you if they think they would have him to deal with afterward. He does have the unique ability to kill you and then torture you.”
    Hades chuckled, and the sound sent shivers down my spine. “Of course, we’re being excessively cautious. Once Boreas knows you’re spoken for, he should simply move on. However interested he is in you, you’re not worth taking on a god of my caliber.”
    “Uh, thanks.” I grimaced. “I feel safer already. If you’re such a powerful god, why do you let spies in your kingdom?”
    Hades gave me a savage grin. His footsteps echoed in the large room when he walked over to his throne. “I’ve got nothing to hide. Let them see how far they’ve fallen. And in this case it serves our purposes.” He sobered. “Nonetheless, you’ll need a guard. Do we need to add dance lessons into your—” he suppressed a laugh “—combat training?”
    His voice was so smug I was tempted to punch him in the face. I liked him better when he was worried about me and being comforting. Not when he was being an arrogant jerk. “Melissa and I took cotillion classes a couple of years ago.”
    Hades snorted. “Of course you did.”
    “Shut up!”
    His eyebrows shot up. He pushed off the throne and straightened his spine. The air seemed to grow heavy and darken, crackling with an electric charge.
    “Shut up?” he demanded. “Have you forgotten who you are speaking to? I rule a third of creation! I am the most powerful god left in this world, and I will not be ordered about by an infant!”
    I saw Cassandra’s throat bob as she swallowed hard. She stared at the ground fiercely. A part of me felt like diving underneath the throne and hiding like a small child, but something deep within me responded to his show of power.
    I straightened my back, tilted my chin up, and narrowed my eyes at him. “Wow, it is shocking you weren’t already married. Look—” I cut him off before he could speak. “I appreciate your saving me and going through all of this effort to make sure the people I care about are safe, but that doesn’t give you the right to mock me or to yell at me. Got it? I may not rule a third of creation—”
    “Actually—” Cassandra interjected, but a withering glare from Hades cut her off.
    “See to it she’s prepared for the ball. I have much to attend to.”
    “Wait a minute!” I protested. “What the hell is Brumalia?”
    “ Now , Cassandra,” Hades growled.
    “Sure thing. We were just wrapping up our tour.” Cassandra grabbed my hand and hustled me down the hall. “Bye now!”

Chapter IX
    Cassandra led me through the rest of the tour fast, but I didn’t mind. I was too busy seething with rage at Hades. I didn’t know what it was about him that set me off, but something just made me want to wipe the