AllFreeNovel
Share Us
And still…
Standing up on wobbly legs, I head to my room to start making my list.
Chapter14
Hades
As I step off the plane onto the tarmac at a private airport, I stretch. The Valencia sun beams brightly, drenching the entire world in light. It’s less hot here than it was in Turks and Caicos, thank god. As a Scot who wears black suits almost without exception, I was definitely ready to get the fuck out of the tropics.
It’s warm here, but it’s a sultry Mediterranean heat. I glance toward the little airport, fishing a pair of sunglasses out of my pocket.
The tiny building reflects the city; white sandstone walls, neat shadowy portcullis style windows, red clay tiles on the roof. It feels so distinctly European that I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding in for the last few weeks.
Persephone descends the staircase just behind me, shading her eyes. She points to the outcropping of the city only a few miles away, sitting high on a cliff overlooking a truly spectacular aqua ocean.
“That is just…” She shakes her head, something like awe in her eyes. “Stunning. When I was in art school, I wanted to study abroad in Barcelona. But my parents said it was too expensive.”
She wrinkles her nose delicately.
My lips twitch. “Well, now yer here. Maybe we can see art while we are here.”
She looks at me, her eyebrows rising. “Really?”
I want to roll my eyes at her eager enthusiasm, but I don’t. Offering her an elbow, I jerk my head toward the city. “We’ll see. Come on.”
She gives me a cool little smile and takes my arm, allowing me to guide her to a waiting limo. As we drive into Valencia, I watch her as she presses against her window, trying to take in every sight.
Her straight, dark hair is tied up in a loose bun, stray hairs beginning to fall out around the nape of her neck. She wears a long black dress with a strappy top. It is made of some lightweight knit material and my fingers itch to touch it. My eyes fix on a spot just where the fabric pools in the middle of her back, the material dark against her tanned skin.
But for so many reasons, I don’t. Not only do we not have that sort of relationship, but I feel like touching her so casually would be opening a door to something else entirely.
Besides, watching Persephone as she gawks at the architecture is enough for right now. Soon we get into the city though, turning down roads with clusters of white buildings on each side of the car and people crossing the streets.
Persephone seems to withdraw, looking vaguely nervous and chewing on her lower lip. She glances at me, her cheeks heating, and her fingers trace the lines of her collarbones.
“What happened?” I ask, scrutinizing her. “Did ye see something ye didn’t like?”
“No.” She shakes her head. Her cheeks darken and she frowns slightly. “I’m just tired.”
I narrow my eyes, but she looks away, clearing her throat. Sitting back in my seat, I look on as she grows more and more agitated. First, she picks at an invisible thread on her dress. Then she starts bouncing her knee, seeming jittery.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. A text from Ares, updating me on their latest exploits.
Heading to meet a contact in Cairo. Are we on track with getting our documents as planned?
I think for a moment before texting back.I’m on top of it.
When we get to downtown Valencia, I tell the driver to stop. “Just let us out here. And make sure the bags get to the villa.”
Persephone looks at me with those wide hazel eyes, swallowing. “Hades…”
I open the door and jerk my chin toward outside. “Come on. You need some fresh air.”
Climbing out of the backseat of the limo, I help Persephone out. She shades her eyes again, glancing around with an anxious expression. I bang on the roof of the car and it pulls away, leaving us on a cobblestone street. To our right, there are shops in neat little rows of white sandstone. To our left, the land starts to gradually give way to the sea.
I start to head down the street and Persephone hurries after me, tossing a glance at the crowded street just behind her. After a few moments, I have to ask.
“Are ye looking for someone?”
