I pressed my hand into my face in bewilderment. No pain, no tenderness. It was as if nothing had happened at all. “Whatisthat?” I breathed.
He shrugged, and his grin turned a bit naughty. “Hades has many things which he will not miss.”
My mind was reeling. He’d brought memagic? That stuff was probably meant for a demigod’s remarkable adventure, not to wipe a bruise off some mortal girl’s face! Tears welled in my eyes, but I blinked them away as I looked up at him. I couldn’t cry now. Right now, there was only one thing to be done.
My heartbeat raced as I reached for him. Days of letting him touch me softly had done nothing to lessen the fear, or the temptation, of touching him back—but now there could be no more restraint. Thanatos leaned toward me in the slightest invitation, and I slid my hands over his shoulders, up his neck, until I held his face. Color warmed his pale cheeks. His eyes searched my own, burning with a question I intended to answer immediately.
I pressed my lips to his, and all the world went still. And lovely Thanatos kissed me back.
His arms closed around me, capturing me in his embrace. His kiss was warm, the caress of his lips soft but deliberate. I melted against him, feeling him, tasting him, not entirely certain of what I was doing but emboldened by the sheer joy of it. Something this wonderful, this maddening, should have been a dream. But here we were, and all I wanted was to explore this irresistible sensation with him.
I stroked my fingers gently through his hair, hardly restraining happy whimpers. My breath came raggedly as I eagerly returned each of his sweet kisses. He’d never stopped kissing me. Gods,yes, he’d never stopped kissing me. He teased my lips with his tongue, and I let slip an involuntary moan.
Thanatos smiled against my lips. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I breathed, blushing harder. So much feeling, I could burst.
“Then let me hold you.” He released me just long enough to hook his forearm behind my knees. He scooped me into his lap with fluidity that belied the strength it required, then claimed my lips again, now closer to me than ever before.
I swooned. To be pressed against him like this was everything I wanted, and yet somehow I felt hopelessly desperate instead of fulfilled. My skin was so sensitive, and my breasts ached for attention, and I felt empty and needy between my thighs. Was I losing my mind? I was dizzy,melting, and all I cared for in the world was that I never wanted him to stop touching me.
“You’re shaking,” he noticed. It was an understatement. I was downright trembling in his arms.
“It is not fear,” I replied smartly, mustering my last mote of wit.
He chuckled and squeezed me reassuringly. Then he eased his tongue into my mouth again while bringing his hand to the small patch of skin that lay exposed between the nape of my neck and the top of my dressy chiton. He dipped his fingers beneath the linen, tracing my spine until he could go no further without tearing the cloth away. I wished to do the same to him, to explore his skin and his feathers, but I was not brave enough. I only had courage enough to kiss him and hold him and watch him.
Thanatos looked truly heavenly in the lamplight. Shadows danced with the flickering flame across the planes of his face. His hair fell smoothly over his shoulders in a pale, glossy river. He blushed softly across his cheeks and wet lips, his lashes fluttering with every kiss I gave. He ought to be worshiped with my kisses. I wanted to make him feel worshiped.
He tipped my chin sweetly to kiss beneath my ear, and I shivered as goosebumps spread down my neck. “Please be careful,” I whispered. “They can’t find out.”
“I will be gentle,” he promised.
He was. His lips ghosted over my skin to press softly against my rapid pulse. He kissed lightly down my neck, drifting lazily to the hollow of my throat. He licked me there sensually, then kissed his way back until his breath tickled my ear. He gave it a delicate bite.
“Mmmh,” I sighed. I nuzzled against him as he stroked my face.
“No one ever asks me to come back,” he murmured.
When I understood his meaning, my heart melted. Of course no one did. So I would simply have to make up for all of them. “I will ask you every day,” I whispered. “I will.” I tried to convey my adoration with soft caresses.
“Mmm.” I felt him smile against my neck, and he rubbed my back affectionately. He lingered there, drawing out the moment, before sighing sadly into my shoulder.
“Oh. You have to go, don’t you?” I realized.
“Yes,” he confessed, pulling back reluctantly to meet my eyes again. “But…I can come back afterward, if you wait for me.” He was hesitant. Shooing away his hope, perhaps? That was something I definitely understood.
I kissed his pretty lips. “Of course I’ll wait for you.”
“Alright.” We begrudgingly disentangled from each other, and I smoothed out his hair as we stood.
“I’ll just be here,” I assured.
“Hmm. Actually, do you want to see?” He offered me his hand and a flirty grin. “It takes a bit of momentum to reach the Underworld. It is probably pretty.”
I had no idea what that meant, but I said yes anyway and took his hand. The next thing I knew, we were standing on top of a high tower, surrounded by stars, with the wind blowing recklessly in our hair. I looked out over the railing and recognized the temple courtyard. We were at the top ofmytower, standing over the high ceiling of my room, above mysleeping sisters. From here we could see all of the temple, and most of the city, stretching out to the farmland on the horizon.
Thanatos pointed out to the fields beyond the city wall. “Watch there. I will try to be quick.” He kissed me again and fluttered his wings, setting dancing violet souls alight. There were so many today, each a tiny piece of a divine glow.
