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Hades brooded, and be couldn&039;t stop staring at the sketch the lit tle spirit had given him

"Do you like it?" Eurydice asked

"How did you know?" Hades&039; voice sounded rough and foreign to his own ears How long had it been since he had carried on a real conversation with anyone? He couldn&039;t re a lot about her I even started drea of her Only, when I see her in my dreams, she does not look like she did when she was here But how she looks - it&039;s hard to describe - how she looks in ht So I drew her that way When I showed Iapis, he toldit to you"

"I hope I did not overstep myself, Lord," Iapis said

Hades could not take his eyes from the sketch "No, old friend, you did not overstep yourself You were right to show me" He made himself take his eyes from the sketch and look at Eurydice

"Thank you May I keep it?"

"Of course, Lord Anything I create is yours"

"No, little one," Hades said sadly "Anything you create stil belongs to her"

"Wil she return to us?" Eurydice asked

Hades looked back at the sketch of Carolina Her mortal features were sweet and kind, her body ful and wo at the likeness of her, and he closed his eyes, blocking her picture froth to trust her, and because of that she had almost lost her soul to Tartarus But she had battled back frohtless words He did not deserve the gift of her love

"No," Hades said "I do not believe she wil return to us" Eurydice made a s the spirit into his arms

"Hush, now," the daiotten you She loved you"

"Please leave me," Hades rasped

Iapis o, but he stayed in his Lord&039;s chanawed at him Hades did not pace back and forth in frustration He did not work out his anger at the forge He refused to eat and he rarely slept He held court, passing judg their ranks and had been condemned to eternal y wander the banks of Cocytus, the River of Lamentation

When Persephone tried to see the God, Iapis had felt a stirring of hope at Hades&039; display of anger But it was shortlived As soon as the Goddess of Spring left the Underworld, Hades had withdraithin hiain The God could not continue as he was, yet Iapis saw no respite ahead Time see him to heal

"Iapis, do you knohat happens when one soul mate is separated fro in front of thethat looked out on the area of his gardens that joined the Elysia forest and eventual y led to the River Lethe

"Soul mates always find each other," Iapis said "You know that already, Lord"

"But what happens if they cannot find each other because one of the inexcusable?" Hades turned his head and looked blankly at Iapis

"Can you not forgive her, Hades?"

Hades blinked and focused on the daiive her? Of course I have She was only keeping her oath to Demeter Carolina&039;s sense of honor would not al ow her to betray her word, not even for love It is ive"

"Yourself? How, Lord?"

"Carolina Francesca Santoro is a oddess, and I hurt her for the ive that in myself How can I expect her to?"

"Perhaps it is ht you insulted her," Iapis said slowly "You have only to ask, and then be wil ing to remain and hear the answer"

Hades shook his head and turned back to the"She bared her soul to me and I betrayed her Now she is beyond ree to see Persephone - "

"No!" Hades snarled "I wil not see a frivolous shel who mocks the soul that once resided within her body"

"Hades, you do not know that the Goddess mocks Carolina"

"Cerberus rejected her Orion loathed her The dead cal ed her a charlatan That is knowledge enough for oddess," Iapis reminded him

"She is not Carolina"

"No, she is not," the daimon said sadly

"Leave me now, Iapis," Hades said

"First let me draw a bath and set out fresh clothes for you" When Hades started to protest, Iapis blurted, "I cannot re! You look worse than the newly dead"

Hades&039; powerful shoulders slu at the dai, wil you leave me in peace?"

"For a time, Lord"

Hades almost smiled "Then so be it,water The blackrooe that had been carved frooblet of red wine and a silver platter fil ed with poranates and cheese had been left within reach of his hand The few candles that were lit glowed softly through the rising steaoblet of wine He had no appetite and he ignored the food, but the wine left a satisfying wooziness in his head Perhaps, for just one night, he would drink hi of her In one gulp he upended the goblet and looked around for h that he did not have to leave the soothing heat of the pool to refil his cup

"That dai," he "

Hades jerked at the sound of her voice, and dropped the goblet It clanged as it bounced against the marble floor

Persephone blew on the steaed on the ledge opposite hied in water up to her shoulders, her naked body was as fully exposed to him as his was to her The Goddess&039;s eyes rounded in surprise Carolina was certainly no fool She had had no idea the dour Lord of the Underworld was so delectable

"Hel o, Hades I do not believe you and I have been for"

He averted his eyes fro hi and when he spoke it sounded like he was forcing his words through gritted teeth

"Leave my presence! I refused to see you"

"I know you did, but I have a probleh Apol o is definitelyto aid ers playful y through the hot water "But after talking to Lina, you appear to be my only recourse"

"Apol o!" Hades said fiercely "What has he to do with Carolina?"

"Nothing, even though he wishes otherwise"

The rest of what she had said broke through his shock "You have spoken to Carolina?"

"Yes, I have Actual y, I just left her bakery," Persephone said sed breath "She is wel ?"

"Her body is in excel ent shape and her business is thriving" Hades studied the drops of wine that had splattered frooblet to the floor "Good I am pleased that she has - "

"I was not finished," Persephone interrupted Flicking her fingers across the top of the pool, she rained water on hilared at her "Then finish"

"What I was going to say is that her body is good, her business is fine, but she is an and then stopped He raked his hand through his damp hair

"I - she - what?" Persephone proet you to relax, but if I was stubborn enough I could get you to talk"