Chapter 32

(Immediately after Cerberus drops off Mene) Valerie’s p.o.v


“My lady !!” I snapped my head to the door side to see Mene smiling at me as she walked towards me.
“Hi” a familiar face.
“you are well!!” she said taking me in a bone crushing hug.
“I believe I am meant to be?” I said despite the lack of air as she was taking the air out of my lungs.
“I thought I was late. You have to be careful. You can’t leave Hades’ side for a second.” She looked panicked.
“I don’t think I can go anywhere even though I wanted to” I said, giving her a pointed look .
“this is serious!” she looked even more frantic as she spoke. “They are set. They are going to kill you even if they have to put up with Hades for that to happen!”
My eyes widened. “WHAT!! WHY??? WHAT DID I DO!”
Great, just great. Everyone wanted me dead, and I did not even do anything other than exist..
“You poor thing” she said, looking at me. “I promised your mum, and I would not go back on my word, I would keep you safe” she said, pulling me into a hug. I stood frozen.
My mum?’ I almost laughed at the thought. There was no way my mum, the one I had lived with for the last twenty years told her to keep me safe.
If anything, she would have personally made a deal with Hades to make sure my soul was ripped from my body in the most gruesome way and she watched. She hated me that way.
“there is so much I don’t understand” I voiced, burying my head in the croak of her neck as she hugged me.
“I am sorry I can’t explain to you, I am under oath to keep my lips sealed.” I said nothing. There was nothing to say other than to keep quiet and Watch everything make sense.
**
I found myself drifting off into a dreamless sleep, only to wake up to find Hades watching over me.
He looked lost in thought.
“If I did not know any better my lord, I would have thought that you were watching me I my sleep. Or even worse, admiring me in my sleep.” My voice came out groggier than I had expected.
It did not seem to faze him one bit. “you...” he called, looking into my eyes.
“You have pretty eyes.” I felt my breath hitch. Things were starting to get weirder and weirder the longer I I stayed in his presence.
“Sorry?” I said, not believing my ears.
“it’s a good thing. The prettier the eyes, the better the soul” and just like that, the weird moment was replaced with awkwardness. At least from my side.
I stood up from the bed, or at least tried to but it was not possible as he pinned me further into the bed. “I was not done looking at you” he whispered looking at me.
“You want to say it, just say it. I am weird, right?” he said having this sinister look in his eyes. “you irritate me.” He said, closing his eyes and then taking a big whiff of my scent.
“You make me have memories of things I can not explain. You make me question my sanity and now, you have invaded my mind, I am starting to think if your soul is really worth it.”
He was close.
Too close.
I could barely think straight, could barely think.
“My Lord... I need.... I need space... please” I said, panting
*random memory*
“would you ever stop loving me?” He muttered, pinning me to the bed whilst looking at me like I held his world.
“Not until I stop breathing and my soul seizes to exist.” I replied, looking at him with the same amount of passion. ....
**
I shoved him from above me before the memory could go any further. I sat up, catching my breath, hoping that I could at least clear my head a bit.
“I... I would... the gardens...” I stuttered tripping g over my two feet as I made my way out of the room.
He stay where I had shoved him to, still lost in thought....
There was something wrong with him and worse?
There was something even more wrong with me.
**
“Damn it,” I muttered. I needed a distraction but nothing seemed to be working. No matter what I did my thoughts always returned to Hades.

Every time I time i thought of him, a flush of heat spread through me.

Without realizing it, my thoughts began to drift into more dangerous territory. I dared to imagine what happened next.
‘The memories are a figment of your past life’ Mene had explained once. I sighed. ‘ I definitely did not see the reason why I was attracted to him, even in the slightest’ I thought to myself, or at least tried to convince myself. But my stupid mind forced me to complete what could have happened if.....

I closed my eyes, letting the fantasy unfold, my breathing became more shallow as the images grew more vivid.
He would lean in, not daring to break eye contact and...
Suddenly, the air round me seemed to shift, it grew thicker, heavier.
‘something isn’t right’ I thought as I snapped my eyes open to meet Hades beside me.

Panic surged through me as I saw him.
“Why...” I took in a deep breath to even my breath. Trying to steady my racing heart. “Why are you here?” my voice came out in an accusing tone but I did not mind. It was better than him hearing my panicked voice.
“I should be asking you, since you summoned me”
“..” there was nothing I could say..

“You’ve been thinking about me,” Hades said, his voice like velvet, deep and smooth, with just a hint of amusement. It wasn’t a question; he already knew.


“I would rather eat grass” I managed to stammer, but Hades cut me off with a small, knowing smile.

“would you now?” he asked, taking a step closer. “You wanted me here. You know, this part of hell is called alitheia. You cannot hide your truest thoughts from here.” He said, with a wicked smile on his smile

I shook my head, but the words came out was false, even to my own ears. “I didn’t mean to summon you. It must be a mistake, i definitely would never do that”

“really? You did not think of me? Not even a little?”
The little smile on his face told me that if I did accept that I thought of him, he was going to tease me about it, or worse, make me feel .... Good with how he was going to handle it.

I really was crazy.