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His smile faded, as if it was being wiped away by his dark thoughts. “You were being threatened.”
“I’ve spent endless centuries being threatened by one creature or another. Usually by my older sister who happens to be a bitch with a capital B. One time she—” Bertha bit off her words. She could spend several years describing the torments she endured at the hands of Levet’s mother. The female was a cruel, vindictive gargoyle who took pleasure in causing pain. At the moment, she was more interested in discovering exactly why Hades was there. “Never mind. You’ve never made an appearance before tonight. So why now?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does if you intend to fiddle with my life again.”
“Fiddle?”
Hades arched a brow, obviously caught off guard by her chiding words. He was no doubt used to creatures tumbling to their knees and begging for his mercy, not warning him to stay out of their business.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” There was no apology in her tone. This male was responsible for her months of wandering around stuck in a fragile human form, prodding her to travel from place to place with no memory of where she’d been or where she was going. She’d feared that she would be roaming in confusion for the rest of eternity. “It’s a wonder I didn’t end up dead. Or worse.”
His brow inched higher. “Worse?”
“I might have been enslaved.”
The flames flared in his eyes. “There was never any danger of you being harmed.”
Bertha pursed her lips. “How was I supposed to know that?”
Hades tossed his head, his metallic silver hair shimmering in the moonlight. He looked more like a male who was being unreasonably harassed than a powerful god.
“I do not understand why you continue to dwell on the past,” he chided. “You were an essential tool to prevent utter catastrophe. You saved the world.”
Bertha wasn’t appeased. Unlike Levet, she didn’t want to be a hero. She wanted…
Hmm. Actually, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. At one time she was easily satisfied. She would explore the world, enjoying the sights before finding a comfortable spot to nap for a century or two.
Now she felt an odd niggle of dissatisfaction. At first, she assumed it was hunger. Usually, a platter of Peking duck and Mandarin pancakes would banish any weird pangs. When that didn’t work, she’d tried traveling to Vienna to distract herself with a few nights of culture. Honestly, it was lovely, but it didn’t ease her disgruntlement. It was like having an itch she couldn’t quite scratch.
Bertha clicked her tongue in annoyance. She blamed Hades for her irritable mood. Before he’d crashed into her life everything had been fine. Not exceptional, but fine.
“I’m no fan of catastrophe, but I don’t like being treated as if I’m a puppet on your strings,” she groused.
He held up a hand as if making a pledge. “I don’t have any plans to make you my puppet.”
“Then what are your plans?”
His flawless features twisted into a grimace. “Would you believe me if I say that I’m not sure?”
“No.”
He abruptly laughed. “You’re odd.”
“I’m odd?” She clicked her tongue. “Really, Hades. You are the worst at giving compliments.”
“You didn’t allow me to finish.”
“Fine. Finish.”
He stepped closer, his ruthless heat cloaking her like an embrace. Bertha trembled in pleasure. This was better than any platter of Peking duck.
“I’m a god.”
“That’s it? I’m odd because you’re a god?”
Flames danced over his body. Was he struggling to contain his temper? Probably. She often had that effect on males.
