"Gods, what did you eat?" I asked, squinting my eyes.
"You don't wanna know, babe," he answered.
He was probably right.
He grabbed my hand and yanked me harshly up to my feet so that I fell against him. I shook loose of his grip and sneered, brushing off my dress. "Watch it. You're going to get evil all over me."
He wiggled his eyebrows mischeviously. "That's what I'm hoping for."
"Ugh. Can't a girl get some privacy in her own room? In her own home, even?"
"Meg, Meg, Meg. You work for me now. You work on my clock, or you don't work at all," he said.
"Thanks for the reminder, but I don't really see how I have much of a choice," I replied, crossing my arms in frustration.
He shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, not my fault you're easily convinced."
I glared at him angrily. "You tricked me."
"Yeah, like I said before. Not my fault," he challenged. "You know that today is--"
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Nine months ago today I signed that horrid contract that put me in your invisible smoky handcuffs," I finished.
He grinned. "Precisely."
My blood boiled. "If you weren't immortal and I wasn't so puny, I would knock you out right now."
He grinned, clearly amused. "There's no doubt in my mind, Nutmeg. Now. C'mon," he waved his hand at me. "We have a big day ahead of us."
"Can you at least give me a little time to fix myself?" I asked.
His shoulders sagged. "Do you have to? You look fine."
"Seriously? I cater to your every whim. I think the least you could do is let me freshen up a little."
"Ya got ten minutes."
"Okay, Hothead. You have yet to tell me what today's plan is, though."
"I got one word for ya, babe. Baboom." He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. I shooed the smoke away, coughing.
I rolled my eyes in disgust. That was Hades for you. Even after this short of time I could read him like a book... For the most part. Sometimes I wondered why I even bothered asking him questions.
I sighed and folded my arms together, glancing out my window. A few streaks of sunlight lit the sky to the north, reminding me that it was not yet sunrise. I yawned and walked to the mirror, examining myself like I did every morning.
My white nightgown was a bit faded from lack of cleanliness. My hair, long and wavy, was a blanket that caressed my shoulders and arms, and I noticed a few light streaks woven in from being in the sun so much. I had hideous dark circles under my eyes; proof that I had not been sleeping well for the past few nights. I could thank Hades for that later.
I grabbed my purple hairbrush from my vanity and sat down, stroking my hair gently. I thought about the trials and tribulations I had endured in the past nine months. Every time I thought about it, I wanted to kick myself in the head or drop off the face of the earth, just to save myself from further heartache... If that was possible. I thought I was a girl that could fix her own problems in life without the help of anybody... But apparently, I could screw everything up just as easily. This was a mistake I just couldn't turn around, and I'd been angry with myself for it ever since.
Before I knew it, Hades was standing outside my window. He knocked, startling me. He mouthed the words 'are you ready' and I nodded, quickly putting my hair in a ponytail. I opened my window quietly and slipped outside. Hades offered his hand to help me, but I didn't even acknowledge it. Once I was out the window and both my feet were on the grass, I brushed off my dress daintily and crossed my arms to look at him. "Baboom," I said sarcastically.
He wrinkled his face in annoyance. "That's my line."
"You think I don't know that?"
He rubbed his temples. "Oy. Alright babe, here's the deal." He snapped his fingers and suddenly, we were in the middle of a dark, eerie forest. As soon as he discovered Pain and Panic bathing in the lake nearby, he yelled their names in anger. They both looked at him, their eyes big as saucers, and slowly got out of the lake and sprinted to him. They stopped before him, their hands to their heads in a salute.
He flicked his wrist at them with one hand, using the other to rub the bridge of his nose. "Anyway." He turned to look at me once again. "See, I need some more recruits for my little uprising." He walked in circles around me, his hands behind his back.
"Hey, I already got my boob squished by the minotaur. I am not--"
"Oh, don't worry, it's not a minotaur this time, I assure you."
I groaned. "Then what is it?"
"The river guardian."
"What river guardian? I've never seen a river guardian around here..."
"Good, then you'll both be fresh and ready to negotiate." He grinned in delight.
I scoffed. "Can't you do it yourself?"
"Meg, Meg, Meg." He stood in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders, examining my body. "I don't have these torturous curves." He moved his hands in the shape of my body, barely touching me. "And I don't have these gorgeous, chocolate brown locks." He twirled his fingers through my hair. "And I don't have those deep, purple eyes."
I rolled my eyes. "I see your point."
He nodded in satisfaction. "So, get to it."
"Is there anything in it for me?"
"Why would there be?" he asked defiantly.
"Well, a woman like me with these curves, this hair and these eyes should get a reward for doing what you say, shouldn't she?" I batted my eyelashes at him.
He squinted his eyes. "Yeah. Your reward for doing what I say is your freedom."
I threw my hands out on either side of me. "What a perfect idea. If I do this exactly how you want," I pointed my finger at him, "You subtract some time from my sentence."
He stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger again, pondering my offer. "Alright, Nutmeg, you've got yourself a deal. How does a year sound?"
I raised my eyebrow. "Two."
"Half a year."
"Two."
"No, one!"
"Two!"
"Alright, alright, fine. Two years off your sentence. Are we clear?" He stuck out his hand and I shook it.
"When do I start?"
Hades pointed to a gargantuan half horse, half man bathing in the creek nearby. He grabbed my hand and twirled me around until my body was against his tightly. He looked into my eyes.
"Right now."