Hades

Chapter Twenty-Five

No response. I hear a soft exhale, before Calla returns with a dress in her hand and a fake smile on her face.

"Here. This is the one."

I sigh, folding my arms over my chest. "Calla, come on. Don't change the subject. That's not fair."

Calla holds the dress even closer to me. "Go. Get changed. You'll be late for your surprise if you keep bellyaching."

"I'm not bellyaching. I'm trying to be supportive, but nobody is letting me."

"That sounds like bellyaching to me." Calla deadpans. My gaze narrows into slits. She rolls her eyes at me and tosses the dress in my direction. "That look might work on Hades, but it doesn't work on me. Now go and get dressed already, before you pop an eye."

I barely have time to catch the dress before it hits the floor and, throwing a scowl at her retreating back, head into the bathroom with a huff. Great, even Calla knows what's going on, and I still don't. I almost feel like I've been transported back six months. Almost.

"What's this big surprise anyway?" I call out over my shoulder, clicking the door shut behind myself.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, Evie." I can practically hear Calla rolling her eyes as her muffled voice filters through the door. "You just need to trust me; I know this is the dress for it."

"The dress for what?"

"Nice try. Have you got it on?"

"Hold on." Chuckling at her impatience, I step into the dress and pull the pools of the soft chiffon up, my fingers awkwardly scrabbling to zip the back up. Straightening up, I smooth out the skirts and let my eyes run over my reflection. I had to hand it to Calla; she really knew how to pick a dress. Hugging my figure is a sunset-orange dress, with pastel green and blue flowers scrawled all over the flowing skirts and elegant little sleeves adorning the shoulders. The 1950's cut fits me perfectly, with the orange matching the highlights in my strawberry-blonde hair and the flowers bringing out the green of my eyes. I grin at my reflection, unable to resist twirling around and letting the skirts flare out around me like a fan. I feel beautiful in it; I feel like a queen.

A soft knock sounds at my bathroom door, breaking through my trance.

"Evie?"

I freeze, my cheeks flaring up like a firetruck. "Hades? Is that you?"

"Well, for all you know, you could just be engaging in a discussion with a talking door. You will never truly know if I am who you suspect unless you open the door and confirm your suspicions."

I barely manage to cover my mouth before a snort of laughter escapes. Taking a deep breath, I shakily tuck my hair behind my ears and open the door. A smile spreads over my lips.

"Hi."

Hades doesn't respond at first, his gaze slowly washing over my appearance. The smile he finally gives me sends an undeniable warmth effervescing through my entire being.

"You look beautiful, Evie."

"Thank you." I duck my head shyly as my blush deepens. "So what's on the agenda today, my king? Are we going to go and investigate that talking door?"'

Hades chuckles, shaking his head.

"No. We are going to give you a much deserved break." He steps back and offers me his hand. That one, small gesture causes my smile to grow so big that it just about splits my cheeks. "I know how hard you have been working, and I know how hard you have found it keeping your questions restrained, so I have arranged a surprise as a thank you. Close your eyes."