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Chapter 8
" Damnit! Damnit! Damnit!" Lina yel ed, too shocked to remem ber to switch to Italian as the earth at her feet opened. She windmil ed her arms to keep from tumbling forward, then hastily grabbed Eurydice by one cool, transparent hand and began to scramble back, pulling the girl with her. She'd only retreated a couple feet when four ebony-colored stal ions surged from the opening. Snorting fire in an awesome display of power they converged on Lina and Eurydice.
"Goddess, help me!" Eurydice shrieked.
The girl's terrified voice snapped Lina out of her slack-jawed stupor. She dropped Eurydice's smal , pale hand and stepped forward to meet the horses. The lead stal ion chal enged her with a piercing squeal, his ears turned flat against his massive skul . He was the first horse she approached. Mental y crossing her fingers that her gift hadn't been left behind in her body, Lina dropped her voice to a playful level and held her hand out to his dangerous looking muzzle.
"Wel , hel o there you handsome boy."
The horse faltered, mid-fiery snort. His ears pricked forward so that he could be certain to catch every sound she uttered.
Lina smiled. Obviously, her gift belonged to her soul and not to her body. She breathed a sigh of relief. No matter how large or fierce, they were just horses, and like al animals, horses adored her. Lina made soothing clucking sounds with her tongue against her teeth as she caressed the magnificent animal's velvet muzzle.
"You certainly are a big boy," Lina cooed.
"Who dares to disturb the souls of the dead and to touch the dread steeds of Hades!" The voice broke like a whip over her, and Lina jerked her hands away from the smooth muzzle, glancing guiltily up in the direction from which the deep voice originated. Lina swal owed hard. She was such an idiot! She'd been so entranced by the horses that she hadn't even thought to look behind them.
The man stood in a bril iant silver chariot the color of moonbeams, holding a large, two-pronged spear in one hand and thick leather reins in his other hand. His massive body was swathed from neck to ankle in night-colored robes. A cloak rippled around him and Lina's little light il uminated its folds so that it shone with shades of deep purple and royal blue. His long hair was tied back in a thick queue. It, too, was black and the light showed its slick sheen. Lina's eyes moved to his face. His coloring was dark and exotic; his skin was a mixture of gold and bronze that gave him the intimidating look of a statue that had come alive. He was staring at her with eyes that blazed above high cheekbones and a strong, wel -defined chin. His nose was hawkish. He was stern and angry and... magnificent.
God, she thought numbly, he's like an ancient Batman - minus the mask and the Batmobile.
"I'm sorry," Lina said nervously. "I-I didn't mean to disturb anything. The dead were just, wel , glad to see me and - "
One of the "dread steeds," obviously annoyed at the lack of attention, blew in her face, obscuring her view of the man. Automatical y, Lina clucked reassuringly to him and stroked the muzzle he offered.
"Again, you dare to touch a dread steed." This time the deep voice sounded more confused than angry.
Lina had to shove the stal ion's head aside so that she could peer at him from under the horse's neck. "Apparently, he doesn't realize he's a dread steed." She smiled fondly at the horse and it lipped her shoulder. The other three animals had begun to stretch their heads toward her, too, eager for their share of the attention. "Wel , that's not total y true. It's just that I have this thing with animals. They like me. A lot." She reached another muzzle and gave it a quick caress. "So I'm sure that they're stil dread steeds, just not at this particular moment." And then the man's words real y registered in her mind. He'd said "the dread steeds of Hades." Lina ducked her head behind the nearest horse. Merda! That meant that Batman was real y Hades. She closed her eyes and counted to three, took a deep breath and stepped back from the knot of horsy affection.
"I'm sorry, it's rude of me not to introduce myself. I'm Persephone, Demeter's daughter. I think she sent word that I was coming for a visit." The man's eyes widened, but he didn't respond. Lina barreled on. "I real y didn't mean to disturb the dead. I apologize if I've done something I shouldn't have." Stil the God remained silent. Lina's stomach fluttered. "You must be Hades. I hope I haven't come at an inconvenient time."
"I recognize you now, Goddess," Hades said. "And I did receive word of your coming." Lina felt a little start of surprise. He recognized her? She hadn't expected Hades to know Persephone. Demeter certainly hadn't mentioned anything about the two of them knowing each other.
"You did no harm. It is just that the Underworld is not usual y visited by immortals. The dead are not used to the presence of other gods," he said stonily.
Lina tried to smile. His hard gaze made her want to squirm uncomfortably.
"It was my mother's idea," Lina said, and was instantly sorry. She sounded like an insecure teenager. Quickly, she added, "And I thought it would be nice to get away." Hades raised one dark brow, just as Lina imagined Batman would have done.
"Demeter told me that the Underworld is fil ed with magic and beauty," Lina repeated truthfully.
"I'd like to see for myself."
"There are many wonders in my realm that go unnoticed by the immortals above," Hades said slowly.
"Then you don't mind if I visit?"
Hades studied her with dark, unreadable eyes. But before he could answer the stal ion nearest to Lina suddenly laid his ears flat against his head, and with a squeal he bared his teeth dangerously at the smal , pale form that had been silently approaching Lina.
With a terrified cry, Eurydice leapt back. Instantly, Lina stepped into the stal ion's path, causing the huge animal to pull up short in his attack.
Hands on hips she scolded the massive beast. "That was a very mean thing to do! Eurydice was just coming to me. She wasn't doing anything wrong. I'm ashamed of you. You four have already scared away the rest of the souls. I'd think you'd know better."
Chagrined, the horse hung his head and blinked at Lina with the sad, calf eyes. Incredulous, Hades watched as the young goddess chastised his steed. What had she done to the horse? Had she cast a spel over him? Hades' gaze took in the other three stal ions, each of whom was hanging his head and looking lovingly at Persephone. What kind of magic did the Goddess of Spring possess? He had glimpsed her only a few times in his infrequent forays to the surface. What he had observed was a beautiful, but frivolous, fun-loving young goddess, and he had given her as little thought as he gave the rest of the immortals. Yet the woman before him appeared calm and carried herself with a definite air of maturity. And she had enchanted his steeds. Hades shook his head in disbelief. What was this feeling she had awakened within him? Curiosity? It had been eons since he had felt even mildly curious about another living being. How intriguing... the very thought of him finding the Goddess of Spring interesting made him want to laugh aloud. He abruptly made his decision and forced himself to speak before he could change his mind.
"You are welcome in the Underworld, Persephone," Hades said. Lina looked up in surprise. The God's voice had changed, as had his somber expression. He was looking at her with an intensity that made his gaze feel almost tangible. His eyes were no longer remote and unreadable, they glistened with what she would almost swear was curiosity and, if she hadn't known he was God of the Underworld, something she recognized as good humor. Batman - sexy, sexy Batman - on a good day when the Joker wasn't bugging him, and so damn male that he radiated power. Demeter's hasty description of Hades had definitely not prepared her for the reality of the God's presence.
"Wel , thank you, Hades. I appreciate your hospitality," she said a little breathlessly.
"Come, then. I wil show you to my palace." Hades gestured magnanimously to the open space next to him in the chariot.
Lina glanced back at the silent horses. "First, I better make things right with them." Hades watched as without any hesitation or sign of fear, the Goddess stepped into the middle of the massive stal ions so that she was surrounded by living horseflesh. An odd little bal of light fol owed her, causing the animals' slick, black coats to glisten and shine while encasing the Goddess in an il uminated globe so that her face was clearly visible and Hades could see her grinning girlishly as she patted each horse in turn. Where was the flighty, self-absorbed Goddess of Spring? This wel -composed, horse-loving Persephone was not what he had expected.
"Oh, you're al good boys. Don't be sad. I'm not mad at you." Hades stil found it hard to believe, but his dread steeds nuzzled her and whickered softly. Like they were tame ponies.
Final y, laughing, she emerged from the nest of horseflesh. She felt his eyes on her again, and smiled up at him. "I love horses, don't you?"
The radiant expression on her face caused his stomach to tighten. Had a goddess ever looked at him like that before? His mouth felt dry. He swal owed hard.
"Yes."
Lina thought she could get lost in that one simple word spoken in Hades' rich, deep voice. For some ridiculous reason, she felt her cheeks warm with a blush, and she turned hastily back to stroke the stal ion's slick neck. What the hel was wrong with her? She seriously needed to get a grip on herself. She was a grown woman. There was no reason for her to get al limp-kneed and goo-goo eyed just because Hades hadn't turned out to be a bore or a trol . She glanced at him. Jeesh, he made her nervous. "Reclusive and somber," merda! Demeter had failed to add gorgeous. She needed to start thinking of him as nothing more than an upper-level executive. An incredibly powerful upper-level executive. Business - this trip was meant to be business. Remember that, she told herself firmly.
"I'm ready now." She straightened her shoulders, gave the stal ion a final pat, started to join Hades and then stopped. She had just been scolding the horses for their bad behavior, and here she was, reacting to the presence of a handsome man like a sil y schoolgirl and forgetting al of her own manners.
"Eurydice," she cal ed, stepping away from the chariot so that she could see the spirit who was standing nervously a little way down the path. "Come on. Hades is going to give us a ride." Eurydice's eyes were wide and frightened. "Oh, no, Goddess. I could not go with..." The young spirit's words ran out, leaving her silent and helpless.
Lina thought she looked like a pale, frightened little fawn.
"Honey, I wouldn't think of going on without you. You've been a wonderful guide and a good friend." Lina turned to Hades. "Isn't your palace on the way to the Elysian Fields?'
Hades nodded.
"So it would be fine for Eurydice to ride there with us?" She asked the God. Instead of answering her, Hades shifted his attention to the little spirit and spoke directly to Eurydice.
"Do not fear, child. You may join your Goddess."
His voice had changed again. Lina thought that now he sounded like a father coaxing a shy child to his side. His expression had softened, too, and gone was the intense look with which he had been studying her. In exchange his face was kind, and he looked suddenly approachable and understanding - and somehow older than he had original y appeared.
"As you wish, my Lord." Eurydice's sweet voice answered Hades. She even managed the shadow of a smile as she skirted around the four stal ions to join Lina. "You don't have to worry about them now," Lina told her, forcing her eyes from Hades' shifting face and nodding her head at the horses.
"They'l behave."
