Page 348 of The First Taste

But I can’t let it show. That would be declaring my weakness to the enemy.

Not here, with Hades.

Not ever.

When I finally slow again, my left hand is so tingly that it verges on pain. I halt, squeezing my hands into fists. Dropping my hands to my knees, I suck in breaths and feel sweat slipping down from the sides of my face and my lower back.

I look out over the sea, trying not to glance at Hades. Shaking out both hands at once feels strange but I am at least attempting to mask my discomfort.

Hades clears his throat, which causes me to startle and swing my gaze over to him. As I do, I realize that I’ve been running toward a steeply sloping rock jutting forty or so feet out of the sandy beach. I do a double take, catching sight of a little rocky outcropping on the ground nearby. The sea laps at it gently, gurgling as it washes over the rocks.

I pull in a breath, feeling my chest tightening. For a second, I stare at the rocks on the ground and watch the sea as it recedes gently.

I can smell the thick tang of blood in the air. I can see it, smeared across the rocks in a haphazard manner.

Maddie’s blood.

I can feel myself begin to shake.

Dark water swirls around my knees as I climb to my feet.

It can’t be Maddie’s blood, I tell myself. Maddie is dead.

Remember?

“Persephone.”

I swing my wide eyed gaze over to him, my heart beating a mile a minute.

Hades tilts his head, his gaze calculating. “Lass. Have ye seen a ghost? Ye’ve gone pale.”

I lick my lips, my gaze nervously flitting back to the rocks.

I’m stunned to see that I find just that. Rocks.

There’s no blood.

There’s nothing to be afraid of.

Just the water, gently ebbing and flowing. I wonder if I may have made up the cliff’s edge, even.

But I’m too terrified to look.

I turn my back on the scene, nodding vaguely. “I’m fine.”

He gives me a troubled look. “Ye dinnae look it, lass.”

I summon a glare, shooting it his way. “And how would you know how I’m doing? Hm? You’ve known me for barely a week.”

I’m trying to tamp down my strong emotions here and the last thing I need is for Hades to sniff it out. But as much as I protest that I’m fine, I’m betrayed by my own body. As soon as I try to take a step, I wobble. My hands fly out to try to balance me. I lurch forward, eyes widening, completely off kilter.

Hades steps in smoothly and slips his arm around my waist to steady me. He grabs my right hand, bunching it in his fist. My whole body goes haywire at the brush of his skin against mine.

He is so much bigger than me that he could easily sweep me off my feet again, taking all my autonomy from me. I can’t let that happen even though I might be uncertain on my feet.

I grit my teeth and growl at him. “Don’t touch me!”

Even as I protest, I can feel my body beginning to slump. It’s not the first time I’ve been betrayed by my own body. But this might be the most humiliating time for my body to simply choose not to do what I ask of it.