Melinoe was shrouded from head to toe in black, her usual attire. It made her look sinister, like she should be holding a scythe, but Lexi knew Melinoe was beautiful beneath the gothic wardrobe. All gods possessed attractive qualities, and these were apparent even through Melinoe's veil. 

The glow of her ivory skin, her lustrous black hair, the dark eyes heavily lined with kohl. The goddess of nightmares captivated all who looked upon her. Yet, as far as Lexi knew, beauty was the only trait Melinoe shared with her mother, Persephone. While her moodiness had surely come from Zeus, the father who refused to claim her.

"You two seem to be enjoying each other's company," Melinoe said as she stepped onto the bridge. Her veil failed to hide her scowl as she approached, and Lexi felt the air crackle with negative energy, lifting the hairs on her arms. Proof that the goddess had seen what they were up to. "Please, don't let me interrupt."

Making no attempt to slow her pace, Melinoe swept past, treating them like annoying apparitions, and Hades shook his head as if he had expected her bad behavior. Lexi was starting to expect it, too. Even Cerberus offered a look of distaste from one of his heads. Blythe, on the other hand, hurried to greet Melinoe with an animated wave. The nymphs, being perpetually happy, never seemed to notice Melinoe's depressing personality, or at least they never talked about it.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the table had been staged to impress. Lexi knew this was the nymphs' attempt to make her feel at home, and she loved them for it. They had set out a wicker cornucopia spilling over with pomegranates, the wine goblets were diamond cut glass trimmed in silver, and maple leaves decorated the plates.

On both ends of the table, two wrought iron candelabras stood like gnarled trees, topped with black candles across the limbs. They were beautiful in a macabre sort of way, but Lexi blanched when she noticed the red tablecloth, which featured centaurs and minotaurs engaged in a bloodthirsty battle. This was surely done to appease Melinoe's morbid taste, although she seemed unimpressed as she reached, single-mindedly, for a carafe of wine and dropped into her chair.

"I suppose you two are excited about your visit to the land of the mortals," she said as she filled her glass. "Who's invited? I might have to join you if Ares is planning to attend."

"It is not that kind of a visit, Melinoe," Hades said. "Thanksgiving is a family holiday celebrated in a specific region. I doubt Ares would find an interest in it, although I am certain Z will be there. So, if you want to see a fight..."

Lexi slapped Hades's arm playfully, avoiding Blythe as she ladled soup into their bowls.

"I have no interest in family gatherings," Melinoe said. "If anything of importance happens, I will have Kade fill me in." Her black eyes darted across the table, forcing Lexi to quickly recall the information she knew about Kade, the son Hades shared with Melinoe.

Lexi had not been introduced to any of Hades's offspring yet, but she knew Melinoe had given birth to two of them, a boy and a girl. The girl, Kylie, hated her mother and had escaped to Olympus to get away from her. The boy, Kade, was your typical cocky god who moved away to find more goddesses to screw. This was Hecate's rendition of the story, so Lexi took it with a grain of salt.

"Kade will be at my parent's house for Thanksgiving?" Lexi said. "When were you planning to tell me this, Hades?" She attempted to look more inquisitive than accusatory. She knew Hades didn't like sharing his long and polygamous history with her.

"Today?" Hades's golden eyes sparkled as he blinked them innocently. The rogue.

Melinoe abandoned the wine in her goblet to chuckle. "I am sorry if I spoiled the surprise. Hades thought it would be best to introduce you to our delinquent son on your own turf, so to speak."

Lexi bobbed her head as she turned her attention to a bowl of pureed acorn squash. She refused to be angry with Hades in spite of the fact he was giving her one days' notice before meeting the son he was closest to. The one he claimed to be more like him than any of his offspring. Lexi was sure he had a perfectly good reason for waiting until the last friggin' minute.

As the room filled with weighty silence, Lexi felt a heavy paw plop across her shoe. Cerberus had taken his place at her feet, and the breath from all three heads warmed her legs as he waited for her to slip him something. She reached for the basket of bread and broke off three pieces, lifting the tablecloth to look at a trio of begging faces.

"This is going to cost you one extra lap around the west tower." She tossed down the bread, watching Cerberus scramble for it with three mouths, and when she looked up, Hades was grinning at her.

He knew Cerberus had become Lexi's foot warmer. It happened in bed too, and he often mentioned her close relationship with his horses, especially Misty. These conversations usually led to talk about her godly gifts being related to animals. While Lexi loved animals, she couldn't see herself sewing ball gowns and singing songs with mice and birds. What kind of sappy gift was that?

"I see the nymphs have been preparing for Persephone's arrival." As Melinoe refilled her goblet with wine, she gestured to a long strand of paper snowflakes swooping across the crown molding. "Are you anxious to meet the queen of the palace, Lexi?"

The veil may have obscured Melinoe's face, but Lexi knew the smirk was there. Melinoe's hatred for Persephone was no secret, and it came down to one sore subject. Despite Persephone's apparent kindness and grace, she had never forced Melinoe's paternity on Zeus, and that wound had been festering for eons. So, bringing up Persephone at the table must have been for Lexi's benefit, but Lexi was determined to field whatever curveballs Melinoe sent her way.

"Who wouldn't be anxious to meet her?" Lexi said. "I've been listening to the stories of the gods my entire life, and I love the tale of Persephone and Hades. Not many people can say they have met their favorite storybook characters."

The scowl that replaced Melinoe's smirk said plenty. Of course, it didn't last long. "Don't tell me you're not the least bit concerned that you will be tossed aside like road kill when she arrives?"

"Of course, I'm concerned. I'm not a robot," Lexi said plainly. "I'll tackle the situation with my eyes on the horizon and my head in the game, like I do everything else."

Lexi spooned soup into her mouth, keeping her gaze lifted to watch Melinoe. Was it an evil grin or an amused one she wore behind the veil? Why did she always have to wear that damned thing? As for Hades, he observed the conversation in silence. His discomfort around Melinoe was palpable, which didn't surprise Lexi. Still, there was something about Melinoe that Hades found attractive. They had made babies together, for pity's sake. Or maybe the loneliness had simply gotten to him.

"Who's ready for stuffed peppers?" Fiona scurried into the dining room, balancing a full tray on her palm. She was followed by Blythe, who shared a sympathetic smile with Lexi as she picked up the empty soup bowls. Lexi wondered if the nymphs had timed their entrance to interrupt the thorny conversation, after they got an earful listening at the door, of course.

During dinner, Melinoe managed to finish off a bottle of wine by herself, changing the subject to the Archeron River, where a group of young minotaurs were seen bathing outside their territory. Lexi knew the Archeron River was also called The River of Pain, and it made her wonder what kind of karma the minotaurs were bringing on themselves by bathing in it.

When the perpetual dawn started to darken, and the underworld creatures began their mournful cries, Melinoe left the palace, promising to return after Persephone finished her winter visit, although she made it sound like a threat. For his part, Hades remained polite until Melinoe stepped off the bridge, at which point he grabbed Lexi's hand and a full carafe of wine, then he headed for the dome room, the highest point in the palace. It was a favorite hideout of his when he wanted to brood about something. And when he wasn't brooding, he was hauling Lexi up six flights of stairs to screw her brains out on the velvet chaise.

"I hope you have a good reason...for dragging me all the way up here...after that heavy meal," Lexi said between labored breaths. "I might decorate the marble floor in orange and green."

Hades smiled as he filled her glass with wine, waiting until she took her first sip. "I always have a good reason for bringing you up here, my enchanting one. I want to finish what we started on the bridge before we were so rudely interrupted."