The Colour Of Pomegranates

Chapter 19

Minthe had the inimitable talent to get on Persephone's bad side. She hadn't let on anything about knowing or not knowing what had happened in Hades' bed chamber or the castle gardens. There was something off, however, about the way she treated the goddess after her tour to Tartarus. Persephone was sure Minthe was all sweet smiles and dreamy gazes just to spite her. She coulnd't be bothered though, she was too occupied with whatever happened yesterday.

The tension in the dining room was tangible, almost electric. She was sitting on the far end deliberately, not looking at him. He was all teasing gazes, blue flames in his eye, overhung by dark stormclouds. Now that she knew what these looks meant - wanting to undress her, wanting to kiss her, wanting to make her his - she couldn't look him straight in the eye. Yes, in Tartarus her own needs and feelings clouded her judgment, blinded her even - but in that dining room she was too confident to yield to his gazes.

'Master, is your appointment tonight still standing?' Minthe walked razor blade sharp strides across the rooms, curtly glancing at Persephone. Hades didn't take his eyes off the goddess as he answered the nymph.

'No, cancel it.' She looked at him exasperated.

'Master -'

'I think you heard me just right, Minthe.' She didn't say anything. Persephone looked up to him, a curious gleam in her eye. He smiled faintly. 'Persephone and I made other plans. As the nymph left the room, Hades smiled at Persephone.

'Could you please stop looking at me like that?' A teasing gleam in his eye.

'Like what?'

'Like you're... undressing me with your eyes.'

'O, is that what you think I'm doing? I was actually thinking about something else.'

'Enlighten me,' she growled. He jumped up from his chair.

'Let's go,' he said, grabbing her by the hand. 'I want to show you something.' Her heart beat against her ribs. One hundred thoughts went through her head, most of them not suited for underage mind readers. She followed him outside the castle walls. 

'Where are we going?'

'You'll see.' As they followed the path down the hill his hand brushed hers twice before he got a hold of her hand and their fingers laced together. Butterflies were creating a chaotic mess inside her stomach. After having walked a bit in silence, Hades led her into a cave that was hidden behind some shrubbery. Persephone expected it to be a dark and damp place, but as her eyes grew accustomed to the dark, the more and more lightning bugs and glowing crystals she saw and before long she could even make out Hades' silhouette.

'What is this place?' she whispered in awe.

'There are two places Below where the natural bodies of water are safe. One is the hot springs of Tartarus. I dont recommend anyone to drink it as theres sulfur below ground. It is great for bathing, not so great for your insides. And then there's this one.' As he said it they entered the central part of the cave. From hundreds of feet high a waterfall fell down, through a hole in the ceiling. The noise was all consuming. Around the small water source below the waterfall, grasses and flowers grew unlike anything she had seen below.

'Where does the water come from?' Hades pointed to the sky.

'Above. I must warn you, Persephone. The water here is safe as it is not native to the Underworld. However, as soon as it leaves the Upper Realm, it is in The Underworld.' He took a deep breath, fully aware of what he warned her about.

'I like it,' she said and squeezed his hand encouragingly. 

'Do you want to go down?' She nodded and they started their steep descent into the green meadows. As they reached the bottom Persephone flung herself into the grass and inhaled deeply. It looked like grass. It smelled like grass. The rustling sounded like grass. And yet, she knew it wasn't, something was off. As the goddess of Spring, the goddess of Flowers, the daughter of Summer she knew grass. He couldn't fool her and she knew he didn't try to. She smiled at him.

'Can we go up sometime?' she asked him shyly. He sat behind her, long legs closing her in. His head rested on her shoulder, his warm body enclosed her.

'I can't leave,' he said. 

'Are you a prisoner here?' 

'More like a warden.'

'The Warden-king.' Smiling he tucked her hair behind her ear. 

'You are precious.'

'I'm a snack.' He let out a laugh. He didn't laugh very often and that made her sad. As soon as she noticed his constant state of mind she had sworn an oath to do anything in her power to make him laugh. She knew the unexpected worked best, as his surprise could not be muffled easily. She took his hand and kissed his knuckles. She didn't know why. She did it without thinking, for no reason at all, and it made them both happy - so she decided she would do that more often as well.

She looked over her shoulder and he kissed her. His kiss was warm, his lips were firm. At first she tasted the saltiness of bread and butter but before long his taste was their taste. She loved kissing him. It was the most sincere thing he could do - not that all his other actions and words were dishonest, but because it was so primal. He couldn't rationalise it, or be calm about it, or hide the fact that he wanted her. His body betrayed him. His hands trailed down to her abdomen and he pulled her closer.

'I wasn't undressing you with my eyes this morning,' he whispered against her mouth, 'you were already naked.'

'Why didn't you say so,' she said, laughing as she freed herself, 'I wasn't aware I was lagging behind.' Teasing, she got up and started backing up from him. The first moment he watched her. As he got to his feet, she started running from him, initiating the hunt. 

Before she reached the other side of the cave, he caught her. He scooped her up and she squealed as they landed in the grass. Recovering from her laughter she rolled off him, and he grabbed her by the hand.

'Don't go', he said softly, chest heaving up and down, hair messy, flushed from running. She liked him best when he looked like that. And while he might have meant another run, she knew it meant something else as well. She crept closer and rested her head on his bicep, looking up to him.

'Why do you have this place?' she asked. He kissed her hair.

'Because, as I said, I can't go up. No one else is allowed down here. Not even Hecate. Just you, if you'd like. I know you miss the Upper Realm sometimes.'

'Can you get me a bunny?' He laughed as she sat up, ignoring the more serious turn their conversation took. 'Come on, can you?'

'How many would you like?' As he said it a small white bunny jumped through the grass and Persephone jumped up in order to chase it.

'Come on, god of the Underworld, get to it! On your feet!' She ran off, knowing it wasn't just escaping his embrace, or chasing a bunny. She felt a black longing starting inside her, and she didn't know if she wanted to answer the burning sensation right now.