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Helena’s friends wished her well as she took her leave. Once she had made it safely into the hallway, Helena all but broke into a run up the stairs. She had known all along that the letter had not come from the stationery store.

In the privacy of her bed chambers, Helena opened the letter, and, as she suspected, saw Morgan’s handwriting.

Persephone,

It is time to begin your lessons in sin.

In two nights’ time one should know,

To follow the path through the wood and stone,

Then come to a gate where the garden stands alone.

Knock twice at midnight to gain entrance to your hell,

And there you will find your paradise as well.

X

Hades

“Clever,” Helena murmured as a smile grew on her face.

It would be vague to anyone who did not know about the small path that led between the Colborne and Grandhill Estates. To get there without taking the main road, all one had to do was exit through the back garden, walk straight into the woods and over a small, stone bridge. If one kept walking, one would find themself at the back garden gate of Morgan’s London house.

She read over it again, feeling a tingle of excitement as she mouthedPersephone.She decided then that she preferred that nickname far more than ‘little princess’. And ‘Hades’… well, although she would not have initially chosen that moniker for him, the more she learned about Morgan, the more she agreed that it suited him perfectly.

“Very well, Hades,” she murmured, tossing the envelope and letter into the fire roaring in her quarters. “I shall see you in two days.”

CHAPTER SIX

“Morgan get up here,” Ambrose called, waving a gloved hand to join him in the ring.

“I cannot,” Morgan slurred, holding up both hands in surrender; a cup in one of them.

“And why not?” Ambrose sighed.

Before Morgan could answer, Ezra rose and swatted the back of his head.

“Because the fool is foxed,” Ezra muttered, moving to take Morgan’s place.

“Guilty,” Morgan admitted, picking up the whiskey bottle to refill his glass.

Duncan swiped it from him before a single drop could flow, and the two exchanged heated glares as Ambrose and Ezra started their row.

“You are nowhere near drunk,” Duncan whispered, setting the bottle down in front of him as he took a seat across from Morgan.

“No,” Morgan admitted, swiping the bottle with a speed that surprised his friend, “but I plan to be very soon.”

“Why do you not just show them how good you are?” Duncan sighed, shaking his head at him.

“What would be the fun in that?” Morgan quipped with a lopsided grin.

Through his mask, Duncan gave him a look that pleaded for him to be serious, but Morgan only smirked and raised his glass to his lips. From the ring there came a suddenoomphfollowed by a heavy thud. Morgan and Duncan looked up to see Ezra grinning devilishly down at Ambrose, who lay askew on his back.

“Wanker,” Ambrose wheezed, holding his ribs.

“Dandy,” Ezra scoffed before reaching a helping a hand to his fallen brother.