“This way! This way!”
Skin.
Alessandra marveled at the contact. Winnie’s hand slid into hers and for the first time she knew what another woman’s touch felt like apart from her mother. Winnie had smooth, delicate hands that were so tiny and yet her grip was fierce.
Alessandra was surprised. She practically dragged her down the luxurious halls of the palace because Alessandra was too busy gawking to keep up with her pace. This place was unreal.
Unlike her former home in Evyon, the ceiling was as high as the sky and not even she could see what was at the very top floor. There were large paintings adored on almost every square inch of the wall that depicted battles and angelic creatures. She hadn’t had time to admire them; she only glanced at the golden figurines painted on the canvas.
The staircase was an endless spiral all the way into the foyer where Alessandra continued to survey the grandeur. Portraits of unknown people decorated the halls, which was different from the art on the other levels of the house. These seemed to be tributes to very prominent people that Alessandra hadn’t heard about. As Winnie continued to haul her to their destination, she caught the names laminated underneath the canvas.
Aphrodite?
Athena?
Apollo?
Poseidon?
Hera?
Zeus?
Such funny names, she thought and each of those names had a face painted above it. They were beautiful and there were more down the line, she just didn’t have the chance to look. The interior design had been gothic and dark with very little lighting to accommodate the mysteriousness surrounding this unknown home. It certainly set a tone that unsettled Alessandra.
Her grip tightened around Winnie’s.
Winnie escorted her towards another staircase, but it was shorter and the descent didn’t last long. It led to a larger and more open foyer where the rooms split. To the left of the stairs was a gigantic dining hall, and to the right was a sitting den.
There was a kitchen entrance at the side of the stairs but it was a small entrance meant for the kitchen staff. And the place was oddly vacant for a palace. Back in Evyon there were nothing but servants and nobles running amuck and it honestly made Alessandra uncomfortable, but here there was no one.
Alessandra didn’t know whether to be relieved or worried. “Why aren’t there more people here?”
“Hades doesn’t like to have visitors. He keeps the doors to his realm closed because he hates entertaining guests.” Winnie answered with a crooked grin. Her footsteps slowed, which means they were close to where they needed to be.
A few more steps and then Winnie turned a corner. They were in the oven room where food that needed to be cooked over the fire was. Standing with her back to them was a petite woman with hair the color of obsidian pulled back into a bun. She stabbed at the fire and wiped away sweat with the back of her hand as she tended to the food being cooked in a pot.
“Winfred, what did I tell you about disturbing me while I am preparing supper? I told you that I like to be alone.” The woman snapped, twisting around to look at her, but she froze when she saw Alessandra. She hadn’t expected to see a new face.
“I am sorry, Lady Ryes, but prior to Lord Hades’ request—”
“Say no more,” Lady Ryes interrupted, stopping Winnie in the middle of her sentence with a lifted hand. “I have been informed of whom she is.”
“You have?” Winnie asked.
“News travels fast whenever Hypnos is involved.” Lady Ryes said. She stared at Alessandra as she abandoned her attention on the food to kneel in front of a bucket filled with water. She dipped her hands inside of it to clean them and when she was done she wiped them dry on her apron.
“Did someone say my name?”
Alessandra yelped in surprise and jumped when she saw a man mysteriously pop up out of nowhere and he was standing right next to her. She lost her balance and was about to land on her butt when Hypnos caught her in time. His warm arms wrapped around her waist and effortlessly placed her back on her feet.
“Hypnos!” Lady Ryes and Winnie scolded at the same time. They turned a hard gaze at the Sleep God in annoyance. He’d had a bad habit of popping in and out of rooms unannounced at the worst times.
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.” Hypnos knew she’s waken up. He’d lifted some of his power from the magic he’d used earlier to help her sleep. He couldn’t wait anymore; he had to meet her. “You are an extraordinary beauty.” He said, curling his hand around Alessandra’s.
Lifting her hand to his lips, he placed a single kiss on her skin causing the little hairs on the back of her neck to rise. She’d never felt a man’s lips before and she certainly never thought she’d feel a pair on her skin. “Hello,” she said. Even she couldn’t recognize her own flustered voice.
Hypnos smiled, proud by her reaction to him. It was the same with all women he’d befriended in the human realm. He’d fornicated with them after they’d fall captive to his irrevocable beauty. Alessandra was taken with him immediately. He had platinum blonde and curly hair that framed a perfectly square face. His sea blue eyes dazzled, making the darkness of the palace suddenly appear lighter. He wore black leathers and a white shirt that had open lapels around the collar.
He had to be one of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen.
“How are you feeling?” Hypnos asked next. He hadn’t let go of her hand; he continued to rub tiny circles around her palm that’d distracted Alessandra too much for her to answer the question.
“Enough,” Winnie snapped. She’d stalked forward and forcibly removed Hypnos’s hand from hers. “God of Sleep? More like God of Lust.”
Hypnos rolled his eyes. “Can’t I be concerned for her wellbeing like everyone else?”
Winnie only glared at him.
“Lady Alessandra, I made you broth.” Lady Ryes said, drawing Alessandra’s attention. She scooped a hefty amount in the bowl before passing it to her. “I didn’t want to prepare anything too heavy for your stomach.”
“Thank you,” She accepted the bowl gratefully because she was terribly hungry. She hadn’t noticed until the scent of the broth sloshing in the bowl had finally hit her nose. Her stomach growled achingly for sustenance.
Winnie escorted her out of the oven room and into a more suitable room to sit and eat in. It was formal like a dining hall, but it was a tiny sitting room. Of course, Hypnos and Lady Ryes followed.
“Would you like some ale, Lady Alessandra?” Hypnos asked.
“Ale?” Alessandra questioned. She looked to Winnie for help, but she was already glaring at Hypnos.
“We have water or wine.” Lady Ryes offered.
“Water, please.”
“Allow me,” Hypnos held out his hand.
At first, Alessandra was perplexed by the stance, but she was thankful she didn’t question him because suddenly a cup had appeared in the blink of an eye. Witchcraft!Alessandra didn’t believe it before, but she’d seen it with her own eyes. She shot from her seat and backed away, leaving her bowl of broth on the table. “What are you?” She exclaimed.
“Hypnos, perhaps you should refrain from using your powers so much. She is new to this after all.” Lady Ryes advised. She watched calmly as Alessandra continued to back away until she reached a corner.
“My Lady . . .” Winnie said cautiously approaching her. “It is all right.”
Alessandra shook her head. “How can it be? Did you see what he did?”
“Yes.”
“How can he do that?”
“He is a God,” Winnie backtracked her statement, “well, one of them.”
“What does that mean?” There was only one true God; that was what Alessandra had been taught all of her life. Any other forms was unheard of.
Hypnos sighed. “I did not mean to frighten you.”
He took a step toward her, but Alessandra shrieked in horror. “Do not come near me, Devil!”
She’d cooperated enough. Though this place seemed like a dream, she couldn’t ignore the curiosity surrounding this place. How did she get here? What was this place? The Underworld? Was she in hell? Had her soul been rejected to enter heaven so this had been the alternative?
“Hypnos, maybe you should go.” It was Lady Ryes who said it. She felt bad for the girl particularly because she didn’t know how to console her. She’d only just found out about the girl from Hypnos not too long ago.
Hypnos didn’t speak. He took one last wavering glance at Alessandra before he blinked out of existence, eliciting another started gasp from Alessandra. “What is this place? I want to go home. I want to see my mother and Greer!”
Winnie took a careful step forward, but thought against it. There was only one person who could handle the situation now. She stood at the same time she felt the familiar spark whenever his presence was near. She didn’t have to be told to step aside as a tall figure moved past her to approach Alessandra rocking in the corner of the room with her eyes closed and her hands over her ears.
Lady Ryes made herself scarce and exited the room silently, leaving all three of them to their business. Winnie turned to leave too, but not before she looked at the sight again of her master tending to the frightened woman he’d staked a claim on for many years. She smiled in relief.
Hades arrived just in time.