AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You take a vacation?”
“It’s more like a temporary hibernation.”
“Oh.” Bertha released a small, longing sigh. She’d spent several lovely centuries napping in the Alps. And once she’d been buried beneath an erupting volcano and managed to sleep in peace for nearly a millennium. “There is nothing better than a nice long hibernation.”
“I can think of a few things that are better.”
Hades stepped closer, stroking his hand down the curve of her wing. A shockingly intense sensation blasted through her at his touch. His flames were seductive. The heat brushed over her, teasing her with its light stroke. His actual touch was like a thunderclap, ricocheting through her with enough force to send her to her knees.
Bertha jerked away before she could make a fool of herself. “Stop that.”
He frowned, appearing genuinely concerned by her reprimand. “You don’t like it?”
“Too much,” Bertha admitted without hesitation. “I can’t concentrate.”
Hades’s smile returned. “I like the sound of that.”
So did Bertha. She could use a few mindless hours of pleasure. Maybe a few mindless years. Decades. Centuries.
It’d been a while for her. Unfortunately, she had other matters to deal with first.
“I intend to focus on Levet until he is safely retrieved from the minotaurs,” she warned in stern tones.
“Stubborn,” Hades muttered.
“Excuse me?” Bertha widened her eyes. This male had ruthlessly used her to achieve his goals. He’d even sucked her into the underworld without asking if she wanted to go. So rude. Now he had the audacity to claim that she was the obstinate one. “Did you just callmestubborn?”
He folded his arms over his chest, staring at her in disbelief. Clearly, he wasn’t accustomed to creatures daring to talk back to him. Probably because most creatures had enough brains to avoid offending a god.
But thankfully, there wasn’t any anger in his amazing eyes as he stared at her. Instead, there was a sparkle of something that might have been fascination as he accepted she wasn’t going to leave Levet’s fate in the hands of an unknown thief.
“I might be able to help,” he offered reluctantly.
“How?”
“I can contact Gaia.”
“Even if she’s hibernating?”
His lips twisted, an unreadable expression on his flawless features. “She’ll answer if I call.”
Chapter 11
Ryshi placed one heavy foot in front of the other, trying to ignore the fear that they were trapped in the bleak maze. He’d found the exit before. Granted, he’d stumbled on it by accident. But it was proof that it was there.
Somewhere…
Reaching an intersection, he turned to the left and led them down the endless pathway. It was exactly the same as the hundreds of pathways they’d already traveled down, and while they hadn’t been whisked back to the entrance, they were no closer to getting out.
Ryshi grimaced, trying to concentrate on the icy power that swirled around him and the sweet smell of chamomile that scented the air. It was the only thing keeping him from dropping to his knees and conceding defeat. Unfortunately, it couldn’t entirely ease the heavy sense of doom that pressed against him like a shroud.
“I hate this place,” he muttered. It was that or scream at the top of his lungs.
Sofie closed the distance between them. “Is it the silence?”
He tilted back his head, glancing toward the sky where the clouds hung so low he could almost reach up and touch them. They added to the oppressive atmosphere that threatened to choke him.
“It’s the sense of being trapped,” he said, glancing toward his companion. “Don’t you feel it?”
