Descent into Desire Read Free Page A

with Cerberus. “It is. It may get very cold.”
    Charon nodded. “Could be interesting.”
    Hades looked at Charon, who hadn’t talked this much in the past two hundred years. “Oh it’s going to be interesting. Very interesting indeed.”
    * * * *
    In the morning, Persephone opened her door and looked down the hall. She thought the dining room was to the right. She’d considered staying in her room, but he might think she was pouting or being stubborn. She’d picked out a very modest pink, lacey dress with lots of tiny buttons up the front. She looked pretty instead of sexy. She thought that might be what he wanted. She didn’t want to be punished further. She wasn’t sure why she felt she was being punished, but she couldn’t deny the feeling that all his actions were carefully planned to produce a certain effect.
    Cerberus was in the dining room. She’d never seen the giant hellhound so close before. He stood and walked over to her slowly, then sat and waited to be petted. She rubbed his middle head tentatively. He weighed more than she did, but he was gentler than her mother’s yappy little rat terrier. Cerberus followed her to the dining table and sat on the floor beside her.
    “Where’s your master, Cerberus? Isn’t he here?”
    “Good afternoon, Persephone.”
    She turned, but it wasn’t Hades. Another man had walked into the room, and when she looked at him he bowed to her. He was pale with short white hair and completely black eyes.
    “Afternoon?”
    “Yes, though time matters little down here.”
    Hades had said he would check on her in the morning. Why hadn’t he? “You’re Hypnos, the god of sleep?”
    “Yes.”
    “You look just like your brother Thanatos, except his hair is black.” She felt like she was babbling. Of the two, she’d definitely prefer having a conversation with Hypnos.
    He smiled. “You’ve met the god of death? That’s interesting.”
    She wasn’t completely sure what he meant. Why was it interesting? He seemed so serious, but he was smiling. She cleared her throat. “I’ve seen him. He came to see my godfather once when we were together.”
    Hypnos nodded. “I believe that was how you first drew my master’s attention. Thanatos mentioned your presence, as well as your beauty, and I believe Lord Hades became jealous.”
    She tried to remember. That had been over a year ago. How could he have known anything about her? Had he really been jealous? “You’re both gods. Why is Hades your master?”
    Hypnos stared at her for a long moment.
    “Is that question offensive? I’m sorry if it was.”
    He shook his head. “Just odd. My brother and I are part of the Underworld. Sleep and death are very similar, more so than any mortal could understand. I’m also the god of dreams. The land of dreams is here as well, like the Elysian Fields or Tartarus. Without sleeping or dying, what good would the Underworld be? It would be nothing.”
    “Tartarus is real? I thought Hell was a mortal notion. Hades punishes people?” She didn’t like the sound of that. She couldn’t imagine him torturing anyone.
    Hypnos seemed puzzled. “Has Demeter really kept you so sheltered? Come and walk with me. Nothing can harm you while I am here.”
    “Hades won’t mind?” She stood up and looked at Cerberus.
    “He will not. Cerberus will follow us. Will that make you feel safer?”
    She moved toward him. “I’m not afraid of you. I just don’t understand this place.”
    He offered his arm and she took it. “Or the man you followed down here?”
    She nodded. “I wanted to come though. I wanted the freedom only he could offer.”
    “Others could have given you freedom.”
    She looked at the paintings in the hallway. All of them were beautiful, in their way, but most of the scenes were very dark and grim. “No one ever noticed me before he did.”
    “Every god has noticed you.”
    She turned back to him, her free hand absently stroking one of Cerberus’ heads. “That’s not