My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Incriminating Evidence (Part 3)

I made my way over to them and dumped my plates on the table. Hades barely spared me a glance. "When you decide to eat, you just go for it, don't you?"

Kai most definitely looked at me. Especially after I slid my arm around his waist and slipped in close to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Appearances," I whispered, seeing the curiosity on his face.

He scanned the room. "Taking your chance with the devil you know?"

I fluttered my lashes. "Something like that." Then, I raised my voice so Hades could hear me. "Don't let me interrupt your conversation."

They both looked at me suspiciously.

I focused on my food. "Mmm. Peking duck," I said, biting into a mini pancake filled with crispy skin and a liberal dose of Hoisin and green onion. Yum yum. See the goddess eat and not care at all about what conspiracies you're hatching.

They resumed their little chat. It wasn't what I expected. The two of them were gossiping like old Italian widows, watching the village go by and giving their unique judgy comments on everyone who passed.

It was harsh. Funny, but whoa. Who would have guessed that the one thing the two of them had in common was utter derision toward pretty much everyone in the Underworld?

The more I listened, the more I realized this wasn't just good old rumor-mongering. In systematically discussing (dissing?) each denizen of the Underworld, Kia and Hades were actually deciding who needed closer watch, or could be useful for something. I frowned.

"What's wrong?"

I shifted in my seat to better face Kai. "I didn't know you were so caught up in the daily dealings here."

Both he and Hades looked at me like I was simple. "He's heir to this realm," Hades said. "Of course he takes an interest in things."

Persephone must never have paid much attention to what exactly Kai did in the Underworld. And I'd assumed that he didn't do anything, since Hades always held his ascension to power out of reach.

Their relationship was a lot more complicated than I'd imagined. Because, if what I was hearing was any indication, Kai was totally up-to-date on Underworld business. Or at least had been, before Persephone's murder seventeen years ago. But more than just having current intel, Kai actively discussed people and events. And on some level, Hades listened.

Hades may have intended to keep Kyrillos dangling for eons. But before Persephone died, there was still some sort of relationship between them. In my current reality, where Kai had stolen Theo's chain and personally gone after Hades seeking revenge, it was pretty clear there was nothing.

All because of Persephone?

Which left me especially astonished. She hadn't troubled herself to learn what exactly her big love did in the Underworld. She'd existed in this narcissistic bubble. Which was fairly typical of all gods, but still. Given how long they'd been together, you'd have thought she'd take an interest. If only, because it was important to Kyrillos.

But she hadn't. I don't think she once asked him if he enjoyed the politics of it. What he saw for the Underworld and his role in shaping that future.

I set down my fork. I hadn't asked either. I could blame that on the fact that we'd only been in a relationship, such as it was, for a couple of months. And that, during that time, there hadn't been a lot of in-depth sharing going on. But, honestly, I wasn't sure it would ever have occurred to me to ask Kai about ruling. Or what kind of ruler he'd be. Or, well, any of it.

Maybe that's why I'd been so surprised when he told Felicia he still wanted the Underworld. I'd never bothered to find out one way or the other. I shifted uncomfortably, faced with the very real awareness that I was possibly as narcissistic and self-absorbed as all the rest of the gods.

"Don't worry your pretty head." Hades lifted his goblet and gulped back some wine.

Now what? "Excuse me?"

"About Kyrillos' involvement. He still has plenty of time for you. Focus on what you do best. Being decorative."

That wasn't even thinly veiled insulting. The insult was right there. My face flushed. I wanted to snap at him. To tell him that Persephone wasn't actually stupid. Just frustratingly pigeonholed. But that would have been way out of character—and I couldn't afford to get him suspicious.

Kai gave me an odd look—like he was still trying to figure me out.

Since there was no way he would come to the correct conclusion—that this was all a giant, magic muck up—and since anything else would fuel his suspicions, I smoothed out my expression, killed all further personal insights, and went back to the last bites of food on my plates.

"Enjoying dinner?"

I gave Hades a vapid smile. "Your chef is a keeper."

"He should be. He cooked for Emperor Wu himself." Hades shrugged. "Before he tried to poison him. He's a deft hand with poison." He looked pointedly at me.

I choked on my duck. Coughed.

Kai pounded my back.

My eyes teared up. "Water," I croaked.

Kai pushed a goblet toward me.

I grabbed it and slugged down half the contents. "Nectar," I sputtered.

"Yeah." His play at innocence didn't fool me for a second.

Nice try. He wasn't going to get me liquored up and spilling secrets. Like Persephone's upcoming betrayal. If I thought he'd believe me about Hekate and the spell, I would have shared that way earlier and saved myself a lot of trouble.

I dabbed my eyes with my napkin. "Great. Thanks."

The nectar flowed through my body, warming my blood. I was a bit light-headed but that was probably because Kai had casually draped his hand on the back of my neck and begun to knead. His fingertips made teasing circles against my skin.

Maybe the conversation wasn't scintillating, but it was all good. My limbs were tingly and I felt warm and full and happy. And ... tipsy, I realized.

"More nectar?" Kai asked, nudging the booze toward me.

Yeah, right. I'd drag you up the stairs and then roll over for you like a cat in heat.

Kai choked on his laughter.

I'd said that out loud. My face flamed. Time to die.

At least Hades hadn't heard.

"So, you did inherit my charm?" he said to Kai, nodding approvingly.

Spoke too soon. Now I could die. I glared down at the ground, willing it to open up and swallow me any old time.

"She can't resist me," Kai answered.

I glowered at him and saw that he was amused. Tipsy was headed downhill toward grumpy. The meal had been swell, but the company gave me indigestion.

I tried to get up, but Kai's grip kept me pinned. "Appearances," he murmured.