Lexi had to admit, Jackie O looked a lot better. Her skin had plumped up, and her coat glistened like she had been spit shined. But, more importantly, she seemed happy, and Lexi was hesitant to leave her alone in the stable.
"Why don't you bring Jackie O up to the estate?" Hades suggested as he nibbled from the fruit platter. "If you don't think she'll wander off, I don't see why we can't all sit on the back patio and visit."
"Mom will freak out if she finds horse crap on the Spanish tile. But, given the circumstances, I think she'll make an exception. It's either that or set up the wet bar in the stable."
"Your compassion knows no bounds, my sweet." Hades scooped up the remaining food trays and headed out of the stable. Jackie O seemed to agree with Hades's suggestion and followed him without waiting for Lexi. When they reached the patio, Hades deposited the trays and disappeared into the house, promising to return with drinks.
Lexi offered Jackie O a few apple slices from the fruit tray as she inspected her horse under the warmth of the sun. Her shoulders no longer protruded from her coat, and muscle seemed to be growing right before Lexi's eyes. "You look amazing, my friend. How did you recover so quickly?"
"Love is stronger than any medicinal." A man's sultry voice carried over the hedge. A familiar voice, and Lexi turned around, expecting to see Hades, but it was Kade striding up the steps from the deck of the swimming pool. She quickly shook off the disturbing thought of mistaking the two.
"I won't argue against love being powerful medicine. Jackie O could barely stand when I arrived this morning. But I can't credit love for her miraculous recovery. She has finally been eating. Or, maybe she's actually a god and nobody thought to mention it." Lexi chuckled. There had been times when Jackie O galloped fast enough to mimic the feeling of flight.
Kade approached and ruffled Jackie O's mane affectionately, to which the horse offered an obliging snort. "You are forgetting that a goddess has been tending her. From what I've heard, you have a unique connection with animals. Some even suspect it is your gift."
"Would that someone be Hades?"
"Correct. He also says you possess another gift that makes him grateful he has the stamina of a god."
A flood of heat swept over Lexi's face, and she had to suppress the desire to slap the wicked grin off Kade's mouth. He may have inherited his father's good looks, but he did not appear to have the same thoughtful manner. Lexi quickly reminded herself who Kade's mother was. Melinoe's eccentricities must have rubbed off on him.
As she attempted to compose herself, Kade frowned. "I'm sorry, Lexi. That was inappropriate. Hades said very little about your intimate life. I simply inferred based on his enthusiasm regarding your courtship. He cares very much for you."
Kade appeared genuinely remorseful for acting like a pig, and Lexi decided to give him a chance to redeem himself. She gestured to the table, waiting for him to take his seat before choosing the one opposite him. She always found it easier to read a person when she faced them directly. "Hades has told me a few things about you as well, but I am still unclear on what it is you do as a god. Do you have an official title?"
"My official title, if you want to call it that, is god of temptation. I assist Melinoe in her dealings with mortals. She imposes nightmares and illicit thoughts, while I tempt them into doing things against their better judgment. We both incite the dark and let the mortals find the light. It is all done to help them evolve. We are quite useful when you look closely at it."
Lexi was curious to know what gifts Kade possessed to help him tempt mortals, but she didn't want to instigate a potentially embarrassing conversation. She knew, firsthand, about temptations and how easily they derailed a person's better judgment. Were gods more susceptible to temptation than mortals?
"Do you like your job?" she asked. "I'm sure there are times when mortals don't find the light."
"I do like my job. I see myself as an actor playing a part. And, yes, some mortals have very weak spirits, or they are doomed to experience bad karma lifetime after lifetime. Hades usually blames me or Melinoe whenever he finds a particularly fucked up soul wailing at the gates."
"Isn't it Melinoe's job to help the most tortured souls?"
"Yes, but Hades plays a role too. He uses his godly gifts to calm the souls before Melinoe gets her hands on them. I'm surprised Hades hasn't told you more about his job. Or, maybe you're not interested in hearing about the morbid side of his life. I wouldn't blame you." Kade shrugged, but the smile that followed made it difficult to tell if he was being sarcastic or sympathetic.
"I've asked him plenty of questions about his job, but I think he's trying to give me the answers in small doses. I've actually offered to assist him."
"Really? That's very brave of you. Some of the souls that pass through the gates are deeply disturbed."
"Oh, I've experienced that already. I had to enter the underworld alone, and Thanatos made me wait at the gates. The pain I felt was so awful, like my heart was being ripped out of my chest."
"Thanatos." Kade snorted as he shook his head. "He takes his job very seriously. If a soul can't pay the toll, it is up to Hades or Hecate to escort them through."
"Is the toll really a coin, like the stories say?"
"It could be a coin, flowers, a pin on a lapel. Anything of significance that might have been placed with the deceased by a loved one. There are a lot of earthly traditions that translate into the world of the gods."
"What if a person is cremated? They wouldn't have anything to offer."
"Those who are cremated are almost always let through without payment, as their souls have no attachment to their earthly bodies like those who have been buried."
"Hmm. That's very interesting." Lexi tried to remember if anyone had placed a coin with her Grandma Maxwell before they buried her, and she tasked herself with asking her dad later. "So, you live in Olympus?"
"Yes. I have a home and several offspring who also have offspring. The place has grown a lot since I moved there. We have managed to avoid major wars, and most of the gods get along with each other, which is why I spend a lot of time here. There's more for me to do, if you get my meaning."
Lexi nodded. "Unfortunately, I get your meaning perfectly. So, how long has it been since you've visited the underworld?"
Kade's forehead creased and he tapped his fingers on the table. "I try to visit during the hunting season, but Hades would probably know the specifics. He's much better at remembering dates."
Lexi could definitely believe that. Hades's mind worked like a steel trap. He probably remembered the day he met Persephone. As if her thoughts had lured him to her, Hades opened the back door and walked outside carrying a tray loaded with drinks. To be precise, a bottle of white wine, a bottle of champagne, and a cocktail shaker, along with several empty glasses and a small plate of limes. After depositing the tray on the table, he set the shaker and a lowball glass in front of Kade.
"Gin and soda, three cubes of ice, two limes. I assume your tastes haven't changed." Hades exchanged a friendly glance with Kade before placing a wine glass in front of Lexi. "Are you in the mood for wine or champagne, my lady? Or, perhaps, you have a taste for something else."
"Wine would be lovely, thank you." Lexi caught Kade biting his lip to suppress some kind of smirk. He was reminding her less and less of Hades. "Where are the others?"
"Your mother is in the kitchen hovering over Chef Pastille. Charles is chatting with Z and Mnemosyne. And Dion has Clary cornered next to the fireplace regaling her with his exploits as the youngest member of the board of directors."
Kade let go of his lip to chuckle openly. "Is he still going on about that? I had to excuse myself when I decided that a meeting of Introverts Anonymous could hold my attention better."
Hades offered an amused smile as he slipped into the seat next to Lexi, bringing with him the scents of fireplace and musk. "You know Clary. She is unfailingly patient and considerate. I invited them all outside just the same."
As Hades sipped from his champagne flute, he slid his hand under the table and wedged it between Lexi's thighs, covering his covert maneuver with conversation. "Don't let me interrupt whatever you two were discussing."
Lexi made an effort not to react to Hades's intimate gesture, speaking over the squeak that almost escaped her. "We were talking about Kade's job as the god of temptation."
Hades raised his eyebrows as he stared across the table at Kade. "Oh? How much did Kade divulge about his job?"
"I withheld the details and just covered the basics." Kade spoke quickly as he poured his drink, while Hades bobbed his head mutely. The subject appeared to be closed, giving Lexi the impression she had made the right choice not to ask about Kade's gifts. Although, now she was even more curious about them.