He tore his gaze from her, but not before he’d noticed how her eyes tilted slightly or that her upper lip was kissed by a perfectly round mark, inviting him to look his fill at the plump lips beneath. His voice, when he spoke, was soft, distracted. “He was a leader of men. He led his men to victory.”
“Then you were wise to return him. Mother worries over this war for the battles will be long and costly. Greece has seen enough wars, she says.” She watched him, an unsteady smile upon her mouth as she added, “He will help Athens?”
“One man cannot fight an army, but he can lead one to victory.” Hades cleared his throat. His tone was too soft for his liking. He spoke again, lacing each word with an abrasive edge. “And his skill is surpassed by few, so yes, he will help Athens.”
It was true. He’d discovered all he could about this Ariston, to know more about the man he’d freed. He was a worthy soldier, commander to the Ekdromoi, the most skilled of Athena’s warriors. And while that should have warranted Hades’ consideration, it had not been what decided matters for him.
But he would not share that with her. Or Olympus.
“You will be praised for such an act.”
It took an effort to keep his face calm, for a bitter sneer longed to surface. “You have never visited Olympus?”
Her brow furrowed. “No, though I would make the trek if mother permitted it. I long to learn more of the world and its happenings.”
“While I long to escape it,” he murmured.
She paused, pushing her long braid from her shoulder. He could not help but notice the golden curve of her shoulder, exposed now, as she did so. The sun had kissed her, gilding her a most enticing color. Her neck, long and slim, was the same color, as was the slope of her jaw…
“Perhaps you are right.”
“Am I?” he asked unsteadily. About what? What had he said?
“Perhaps being there is not necessary. For it’s not the being there that excites me, it’s the stories. I am fond of a good story.” She walked towards his chariot, her hand resting upon the blackened edge.
He swallowed, fighting the urge to push her hand away. She was too close to him. His nerves were frayed enough without her standing so near him. “I must go. The sooner I arrive, the sooner I may leave.”
“It will be a short visit then?” Her finger trailed over the engraved demons on the chariot?
??s basket, her eyes narrowing as she studied their faces.
“Too short to be called a visit, if I have my way. I would not make the trek if my brother had not demanded my presence.” He watched her curiously, aware he said too much.
“Then I will wait.” Her eyes found his.
“Why?”
“To hear what they say. I would hear of Ares’ battles. What Apollo has spied from his place with the sun. Is Athena pleased or quarreling with her uncle? Is Aphrodite present? Mother suspects something is afoot with the Goddess of Love as she’s been absent of late. Is Zeus ready to intervene on the mortals’ behalf? I would know these things, and anything else you learn, trivial as they may seem to you. Will you tell me?” She paused, blinking at him. “Please?”
He shook his head, entranced by the shift of expressions that crossed her beautiful features as she spoke. She was truly a sight to behold.
“No?” She considered his face, her smile dampening somewhat. “If you return, we can exchange stories. I am a master storyteller, it’s true. Even Mother is enthralled by my talent.”
She had enthralled him without the use of a story. He could imagine her, absorbed in her tales, animated and lively as she wove a spell with the husky timber of her voice.
His thoughts troubled him, greatly. He should have ridden past her. He should never have stopped.
“What makes you think your tales would be of interest to me?” He did nothing to hide his irritability from her. His words dripped with forceful sarcasm. That he was irritated with himself, and not her, seemed irrelevant.
She sighed, clasping her hands in front of her and stepping away from the chariot. “As I said, I’ve a gift. I believe one should share their gifts. Don’t you? I vow, even you in your concentrated solemnity will be diverted.” She paused, smoothing a wayward curl from her forehead absently. The smile she sent him was warm as the sun. “I’ve kept you too long already. I will wait for you here.”
It took great effort to breathe normally. It took a greater effort not to beg her to leave him be, to let him return to his life without wanting...
Or was it too late already?
He did not look at her as he flipped the reins against his team’s flanks. He did not turn when they climbed the base of the mountain.
It was only after he’d settled the chariot onto the flat of the road that he glanced back. She grinned at him, waving happily from her perch in the tree.