Page 29 of A Goddess Unraveled (Olympus Rising)

“I’m not dead!”

Lexi tried to explain her situation to the angel of death standing at the iron gates. She’d given him this title based on his scowl and dismal attitude, although he’d introduced himself as Thanatos. She knew him to be a minor god of the underworld, but the guy didn’t appear minor at all.

Muscles bulged beneath the simple gray toga he covered himself with, and he flaunted a large pair of black feathery wings. His face was handsome but his dark, haunting eyes and chilly vibe gave her the creeps. So did all the spooky souls floating around and the drop-to-your-death cliff at her back. This place put Tales from the Crypt to shame. She rallied her courage as she continued to plead her case.

“I’m a goddess. My name is Alexandra Maxwell, daughter of Mnemosyne. Can’t you tell the difference between me and the rest of these mortals? I’m not transparent.”

“No one gets past the gates without payment, or without Hades.” His flat tone had a finality to it that would have discouraged anyone, but she refused to be bullied. She was a goddess, for fuck’s sake.

“But this is Hades’s horse. Don’t you recognize her?” Lexi stroked Misty’s neck, grateful she had at least one friend. Where the hell was Hades? Had Misty taken a wrong turn somewhere?

Thanatos glanced at Misty with disinterest. “She looks like any horse. If you are a guest of Hades, where is he? My lord always tells me when he’s expecting visitors. And he rarely gets visitors.” He raised his brows with a skeptical air, but Lexi ignored his attitude and gestured at the darkness behind her.

“He should be here any minute. He had me fly ahead on his fastest horse. We had to escape from—”

“Then I suggest you wait for him over there.” Thanatos jutted his chin toward the milling throng of ghouls, and Lexi pursed her lips as she eyeballed the rude gatekeeper.

Hades had mentioned some of his fellow gods didn’t have the best skills for guiding souls to their final resting place, but he seriously needed to think about replacing this guy. Once again, she was reminded that good looks didn’t excuse a shitty attitude.

As Misty led Lexi away from the gates, Lexi whispered into her new friend’s ear. “I’m no expert, but I think that guy needs to get laid.”

Misty bobbed her head as if she agreed wholeheartedly, and they stopped to wait for Hades near a glowing torch. Apparently, her arrival was something of a novelty, and several curious souls drifted up to her as if blown by an undetectable wind.

Despite their wispy forms, Lexi could see their lips moving, and their words came to her in vague whispers, as if they spoke in some kind of ghost language. She couldn’t understand a single thing they said but they seemed to be pleading with her, their faces twisted into tortured expressions. Did they think she could help them?

A heavy feeling of grief overcame her as she listened to them lament, triggering a parade of depressing images—experiences she’d had during her life that didn’t end well. She felt as if a blanket of chain mail had been thrown onto her back, and she dropped her head into her hands to cry. It was a loud, sniveling, messy cry, and Misty bent over her shoulder, snorting hot air onto her cheek. But Lexi was too overwhelmed with emotion to acknowledge the horse’s kind gesture.

“What the hell is going on here?!” Hades’s angry shout cut through Lexi’s wailing as his team of horses slid to a stop in front of the gates. “Have you lost all your senses, Thanatos? Why did you let her stay out here?”

Hades hopped off his chariot and sprinted toward Lexi. The moment his arms wrapped around her, she cowered into them like an injured bird. “I’m sorry, Lexi. This is no way to be welcomed home. Please, forgive me.”

Hades’s apology comforted her more than she thought it would, and the heartache left her like a vanquished demon. She offered him a pathetic nod, and, swifter than a team of magical flying horses, he lifted her into his arms and walked to the entrance. The gates opened of their own accord and Thanatos stepped aside, bowing his head as a respectful guard should.

“We will talk later about your recurring lapses in good judgment,” Hades said to him. “See that my chariot and horses are taken care of. Come, Misty.”

The growl of Hades’s commands vibrated against Lexi’s head. She hadn’t seen him truly angry before, but she wasn’t so naive as to think he didn’t have a temper befitting a god.

They entered a forest, and the darkness swiftly gave way to light. It was the kind of light that came with daybreak, and the pastel tones of purple, pink, and salmon made everything look enchanted. Lexi blinked at the landscape as recognition dawned. Her favorite trees grew here—plums and dogwoods and red maples, all decorated for spring.

Misty was already trotting ahead, leading the way down a path lined with thick ivy. Beside them a stream dotted with ferns and mossy rocks bubbled along happily, while the music of birdsong lilted overhead. It might have been Hades’s proximity, but Lexi felt her heart lighten the farther they walked, and she lifted her chin to take in the unexpected view.

Hades smiled down at her. “What do you see, Lexi?”

This seemed like a strange question to ask. Couldn’t he see for himself? “I see plum and dogwood trees, like at home. They’re covered in spring blooms. Even the sky has color, like the day is just beginning here. I feel like I’m in an enchanted forest. I hate to admit it, but part of me doubted you.”

His eyes twinkled like sunshine glinting off gold, which added to the magic. “You can thank yourself for all of that. You’re seeing aspects of earth that brought you joy when you were experiencing your former life.”

“Former life?” Lexi’s traumatized brain tried to decipher his meaning as it slipped to the dark side. “I’m not dead, am I?”

“No. What I mean is, every soul who takes this path sees it differently, depending on what they’ve carried with them from life. I designed the supernatural elements myself, after much trial and error. Death is merely a transition from one experience to another, and I wanted the path to offer familiarity so the souls could embrace their transition with comfort and peace.”

Lexi definitely felt comforted in the cocoon of Hades’s arms, but she couldn’t help thinking about the tortured souls they’d left behind. “What about those souls waiting outside the gates? They looked like they could use some peace.”

Hades’s pace slowed, and Lexi immediately regretted her comment. It had come across accusatory. Damn .

“They’ll be taken care of as soon as I get you settled. I expect Hecate will be along shortly.”

Lexi reached around Hades’s head and pulled his face toward her, planting a kiss on his lips. He looked pleasantly surprised.

“What was that for?”

“You deserve so much more than you receive. And I plan to do something about that.”

“Well, Alexandra—daughter of Mnemosyne—abductor of my heart—goddess of powers yet to be explored, you, too, deserve more. And I’ll endeavor to do something about that.”

Lexi kissed him again, savoring the sweet, musky scent of his skin. Her body suddenly ached to have him—all of him—and she broke away to whisper in his ear. “How soon can we start exploring?”

~

The path of souls looked different this time. The trees were fuller, the scents sweeter, and Hades’s favorite birdsong filled the air, which he hummed under his breath as he carried Lexi down the path. He knew why the forest had decided to show off for him today. He was holding a beautiful goddess in his arms, a goddess who accepted him despite his grim title and ominous reputation.

His thoughts buoyed his spirits, putting a skip in his step, and Lexi smiled up at him as if she’d noticed this too. “While I do love being in your arms, you can put me down now. If I’m going to be living here for the next century, I’ll need to get my bearings sometime.”

“As you wish.” Hades set Lexi on the path, and she immediately craned her neck back to peer up into the tree branches.

“I’ve never heard that birdsong before. What kind of birds are those? I can’t see them. Oh, right. Maybe I’m the only one who can hear them.”

It took a moment for Lexi’s words to register. Was she hearing his birds? “What does the song sound like?”

Lexi whistled the tune, mimicking his birds perfectly, and he stared at her like a bewildered soul. How had she tapped into his joy so quickly? It had taken Persephone many seasons to do it. Perhaps he and Lexi shared a gift in kind.

“I’ve been seeing these auras, especially around birds,” she explained. “Maybe it’ll be the same here.”

“You won’t see the birds. You’ll only hear them. They’re a manifestation of my own making, birds I enjoyed as a youth in Olympus. Apart from our chariot horses, earthbound animals don’t exist in the underworld, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find plenty of life here. It just won’t come in the forms you’re expecting.”

Hades took her hand and squeezed it, braving a tidal wave of emotion that crashed through him like the Hawaiian surf. Lexi brought out feelings in him that cut like razors, feelings he rarely dared to grant himself. He could easily get lost in her.

As they neared the end of the path, the waters of the Lethe came into view, and Hades could hardly contain his excitement. There was so much to show her, so much he loved about his home, and with Misty to escort them, they might avoid a sermon from Charon, who could talk a buzzard off a fresh kill. But it was not Charon who arrived to delay their exploration.

Hecate bustled up the path, her fiery orange cloak billowing and her sapphire eyes blazing. Hades knew she wouldn’t be pleased that he’d failed to give her notice he was returning with a guest, but Lexi’s situation had taken him by surprise. He prepared himself with a cleansing breath.

“Here you are, Hades. What is this I hear about you bringing a goddess to the underworld?” Hecate’s scrutinizing gaze was on Lexi as she voiced her complaint.

“How did you find out so quickly?” Hades asked, although he knew Z was behind it.

“Don’t play naive. It doesn’t suit the ruler of the underworld.”

Hades surrendered to the accusatory quirk of Hecate’s pale brows, and he argued no further. “Hecate, I would like to introduce Alexandra, daughter of Mnemosyne and Charles Maxwell. Her family calls her Lexi. Lexi, this is Hecate, goddess of many wondrous things, but her specialties are herbalism and sorcery of every variety.”

Hecate waved off Hades’s flowery introduction and continued her appraisal of Lexi, who stood like a marble pillar next to him. “And what skills does Lexi bring with her? How will her presence benefit our efforts here?”

Knowing Hecate the way he did, Hades should have warned Lexi in advance. While he’d long counted on Hecate’s counsel and friendship, her pointed and often unfiltered opinions rivaled those of any god in Olympus.

“I’ve just come into my powers,” Lexi said, startling Hades with her ready answer, although it shouldn’t have. “So far, I’ve been able to manipulate all the elements, but I’ve learned that’s pretty standard for gods. I took my horse for a flight on the beach today, which I’ll admit happened by accident. As far as human skills, I co-captained the lacrosse team two years in a row and led the senior debate team. I’m not sure how useful those skills will be here. Maybe I could help at the gates once I learn how to read lips.”

While Hades schooled a grin, Hecate regarded Lexi keenly. The intuitive sorceress could read others with swift ferocity, often seeing things they themselves could not.

“You speak confidently and without reservation. A worthy trait for both gods and mortals. And your posture is sure and straight, allowing energy to flow through you unhindered. I have no doubt you are competent in many activities. Tell me, Lexi, why have you chosen the underworld rather than Mount Olympus? Is there some special interest that attracted you here?”

Lexi glanced sidelong at Hades, offering him a quick smile. “A number of circumstances led to the decision. First, it seemed insane, and incredibly rude, that I be asked to serve the gods when I’m a god myself. Zeus didn’t agree, and the option of Olympus was used only as a threat. Hades, on the other hand, behaved like a rational god at a time when I was realizing my family wasn’t capable of rationality. That’s the condensed version of the story. We’ll need wine for the longer version.”

Hecate cocked her head, a sign she was fully intrigued by Lexi’s answer, and likely surprised by it.

“I also consider Hades to be a friend,” Lexi went on. “He’s honest, humble, compassionate. And he plays a mean game of croquet. It’s hard to find those qualities regardless of someone’s mortality.”

The corners of Hecate’s lips lifted and she eyed Hades carefully. She was the only goddess who could make him feel both strong and weak at the same time. “When you said you were taking a detour before visiting Asia, I never anticipated you’d find a goddess. And certainly not one who was willing to follow you home. It would be wise for you to discuss certain details with Lexi before the winter months are upon us, to avoid any awkward situations or damaged feelings.”

Hades felt Lexi stiffen again, and he didn’t blame her. Hecate tended to leave subtlety out of conversations.

“I hope you find peace here, Lexi. Please, come see me as soon as you have a free moment. I expect Hades has a lot of work to catch up on.”

Hecate gathered a handful of her cloak and swept between them, her dauntless bearing carrying her toward the gates. Hades knew they had escaped the encounter mostly unscathed, and it would be wise to leave the path before Melinoe found them and had her say.

“Misty will fly us to your new home.” He tugged on Lexi’s hand, and she allowed him to guide her to the stream where Misty was enjoying a drink. When they arrived, she absently stroked the horse’s mane as she stared at the water tumbling over the rocks.

She hadn’t said a word since Hecate’s departure, and the longer the silence grew, the more Hades’s pulse quickened. What worries clouded her mind? Was she thinking about Persephone? Did he dare put voice to the words he’d been refusing to speak?

“I’ve been so focused on myself, I didn’t think about the impact my presence would have on the gods here,” she said softly. “I should have asked more questions.”

Hades heaved out a sigh, which he hoped she wouldn’t misinterpret. “Please try not to torture yourself with regrets. You were attempting to escape a situation you didn’t want to be in, and you listened to your heart, which can be a very useful gauge. If we don’t learn to trust our own feelings, it’s easier for outside influences to control us.”

He watched Lexi continue her study of the water, clearly lost in thought. If only he knew her better—knew the worries and doubts that plagued her—he could soothe her like a friend might. Like the friend she claimed he was. But they were at the genesis of their relationship. A pair of untried lovers eloping on a whim. He’d have to wing it.

“Despite what you may think, I haven’t asked many goddesses to join me here. It’s certainly something I’d never do if my feelings weren’t genuine. Or if I doubted the tenacity of the goddess’s spirit. I believe the confidence you have in yourself will help you succeed in your new position here.”

She turned away from the stream to look at him. “What is my position here? Will I follow your direction or Hecate’s? Where will I live?”

He reached for her hand, cradling it in his and sending her warmth. Lexi’s passion for understanding the world around her assured him there would be challenges ahead, but it also gave him hope. She didn’t do things in half measure.

“You’ll live with me in the palace. And once we arrive, I’ll answer all your questions ad infinitum.”

She relaxed into a smile, giving Hades a much-needed boost, like that first buzz of alcohol. He intended to give Lexi everything she asked for, and his godly compass told him she’d do the same in return. Theirs was a match born of fire and rebellion, a fitting combination for two gods fulfilling destinies that were written for them. And, with the grace of Gaia, they would find their happily-ever-after despite it.