Curse Of The Gods

Chapter 5

I thrashed wildly against the arms that had encircled me and a small part of me feared it would be the green eyed man I didn't wish to see. I had left so abruptly and I didn't consider the fact that he would possibly come after me. This made me more hysterical, and I started to beat upon my captor's chest.

"By the god's women, just stop!"

This was not the familiar cold, deep timbre that I had adjusted too. No. This voice was livelier and very, very annoyed. I peered up at the man in front of me and stopped.

It had never occurred to me that I would be seeing people whose physical appearance matched one of Hades. Being surrounded by mundane people who I had never singled out as alluring, I had just assumed that he was the only person capable of such grace.

I had never been so wrong.

His hair which hung slightly by his shoulders looked as though the sun had come down and kissed each individual strand. There was something about his angular face that me stop in confusion and consider where I had seen it before, but I was quickly distracted as two pale blue orbs confidently stared back at me. His thin, pink lips stretched into a devilish grin and I forgot how to breathe.

Oh damn-

"I never knew my brother was keeping pretty captives."

I was struggling to answer his question, but was reeling from the fact that he thought I was pretty. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water, not quite having an answer on hand. No coherent answers formed in my head and before I knew it, the words just fell out.

"I've lost my dog, you've got to help me!"

I had just about screamed the words at him across the short distance between us. I could slowly feel my face gradually begin to burn and a bewildered expression crossed the man's face. He blinked a few times to properly grasp what I had just said then focused on me solely. His expression was one of understanding, and for some strange reason, that was comforting.

"Then shall we go look for your dog together?" My answer was a sharp nod.

Immediately he twirled us around toward the direction I was running toward and placed one of his arms around my waist to steer me. I jumped at the burning sensation I could feel through my pyjama pants and quickly tried to hide the flush that crept up my neck. The hand on my waist shifted as we walked and my mind churned to a halt.

I'm still in my pyjamas!

I quickly looked down and did a once over, desperately wishing that the floor would swallow me up. Here I was being navigated by the most attractive person I had ever met, and I was wearing my faded dolphin pants and a large baggy top. I was surprised he even wanted to talk to me.

"So this dog of yours," He briefly cast me a glance. "What does he look like?" I was too caught up looking at him, and this time I had a reason. On the side of his left cheek starting from his eye, was a long jagged scar that was shaped like a lightning bolt.  The skin was shiny and slightly pink and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought it had been carved in. A bump to my hip caused me to snap my head forward and glare at the stone floor.

"Well?" His tone was completely playful. "Come on talk to me! I don't...bite." The change of his tone and the feel of his gaze didn't help the flush attacking my face. I cleared my throat a bit too loudly.

"Well," My voice had cracked. "His name is Duke. He has big brown eyes and he's really big."  That was all I said.  Never in my life had I managed to sound so stupid, and judging by the silence between us I had managed to make this awkward.

KillMeNow, KillMeNow, KillMeNo-

"You Know what? I don't believe I got a name," He waited, and I paused.

You can do this. He just wants your name.

"Katheryn. YoucancallmeKate. ButsomethimesIgetcalledKay-"

"Kate is a beautiful name," He glanced at me. "a beautiful, Greek name." His blue eyes. "No, really. It originates from the name Hekaterine, which came from the name hekateros..." His voiced trailed off when he realized I was as confused and I looked.

"What I was meaning to say was, Kate, I also think I know where your dog might be."

We had reached a big looming black door and I looked at my guide in confusion. I didn't get much of answer, only a shrug and a beckoning toward the door. I looked at it hesitantly wondering what was on the other side, because I knew for a fact my furry beast was not.  I pushed through the door and let my eyes rove.

No freaking way.

The throne room, I couldn't possibly be here. Images of a dark swirling mass and a beautiful emerald eyed man pushed forward to the centre of my mind and it made me stop. I looked back at my guide and wonder what had given him the idea to bring me here.

Hurried footsteps on marble the floor attracted my attention. I spun back around and watched three shapes come into view. My heart started beating erratically when I realized who it was. His panther like movements had disappeared but his litheness was unmistakable.

"-Every crack and corner searched for her. She couldn't have gotten far; she has no obvious idea where she is. She has brown hair, she's quite fast when she wants to be. She can't be hard to miss, she's actually alive," He stared at the ground as he was walking. "She's different, you know," The man at his side tried to interrupt him. "She's not like her."

Suddenly he was looking right at me.

His face contorted into one of shock before slowly becoming enraged. He stalked toward me furiously, expressing his anger with each step. However it wasn't me he was angry at.

"I should have known you were behind this! By the god's Zeus, don't you know when to stay out of things?!" Hades' harsh breathing was the only noise that could be heard in the throne room. I was so dumbstruck that I barely registered the colour that had risen to his cheeks.

In that moment Duke, my big furry dog entered into the room and took a seat at the feat of Hades. He surveyed the faces of the- human and not so human- people before him, then let out a loud 'boof'.

Behind me Zeus let out a breathy laugh that rustled my hair.

"Kate," He paused, his voice full of humour. "I think I found your dog."