‘It’s almost creepy, you know.’ I’m grinning when I join Hades in the library but his eyebrow quirks and he barely looks up from his papers.
On the Styx, him and his papers.
‘You hung the paintingover the bed?’ I ask.
Hades laughs. ‘Tempest’s choice.’
‘Sure it was, Hades, sure it was.’
‘I thought you might like it.’ Now he’s definitely staring at the paper.
‘I do. Thank you.’
He meets my eye and that cocky smirk is back in place. ‘Why, that was almost genuine!’
‘I believe I’ve thanked you plenty, Hades,’ I say. Even when I thought he was an insufferable arse, I was still thankful he wasn’t worse.
‘That’s true. Not that I need your thanks this time – consider the painting a thank you for the asphodel.’
‘Well, it’s nice to have confirmation that you like it.’
‘Of course I like it. I like it less now it’s spread across the realm but it’s still … a very nice flower.’
‘I was wondering how you felt about that,’ I say. ‘When I spread the plant you were still being a prick.’
‘Well, it was hardly a subtle act on your behalf. The floral equivalent of a dog pissing to mark its territory.’
I don’t exactly laugh – more cackle. Hades looks pleased with himself.
‘I want to argue but yeah, actually, I did spread them out of spite.’
‘I know. A nice flower, though, with the spite removed.’
I remove the spite the next day and fill the entire palace with bouquets of asphodel, along with a few other flowers I’ve managed to grow. I’m not sure whether Hades hasseen the styx blossoms yet, so I place a large bouquet in the library.
‘I’m not watering these,’ Tempest grumbles as she reluctantly hands me a vase. I realize that the vases must have been made by Hades. The flowers work well with his intricate designs.
‘More territory marking?’ Hades asks when he joins me in the library. We have yet another day ahead of trawling through scrolls, looking for any clue of how this world works. He moves to stand beside me and examines the flowers. He leans in to smell them with a small smile playing on his lips.
‘No.’ My own smile feels different around him, almost embarrassed. ‘Not this time. A marble palace is all very well and good, but it’s not exactly the most inviting place to live.’
‘Are you critiquing my hospitality now?’
I know he’s teasing and before I know what I’m doing I playfully push him away. I flush and turn from him so he can’t see. I wasn’t expecting such hard muscles beneath that cloak …
‘Of course not.’ I stumble over the words. ‘But you can never have too many flowers.’
‘The lands of Hades might disagree.’
‘Do you?’ I challenge.
‘No,’ he acquiesces. ‘I actually quite like them.’
‘What’s all the fuss about then?’
Hades shrugs. ‘Well, I can’t make it too easy for you.’
Styx can barely understand all this when I tell her – after checking with Hades what she knows. Everything, apparently.
