Grumpy and sleep-deprived, Hades walked up the path to Melinoe's door, determined to confront her about her reckless, self-serving actions. The spirits cooperated once they were loaded onto the boat, except for the man Hades had wrestled out of the chamber rafters. The fellow remained agitated for the entire journey, and Hades guessed he had been an ornery lout before he arrived.

A powerful scent wafted out of an open window of Melinoe's chateau, powerful but not unpleasant, with hints of patchouli and ylang-ylang - his favorites. Good. He had caught her at home, and no amount of patchouli would keep him from speaking his mind.

"Hades, what a pleasant surprise." Melinoe greeted him from her open doorway, dressed only in a black apron that barely concealed her breasts, diverting his attention there first. She had no qualms using her body as a weapon, but today, her attempts were futile.

"No, Melinoe. It isn't pleasant. I am here on serious business. Put some clothes on so we can talk." Hades swept past her, glancing unintentionally at her half-exposed nipples as he headed for the fireplace. He wasn't surprised to see a cauldron hanging above the circular firepit, with a slow billow of vapor cascading over the pot. As soon as he arrived at the hearth, the mist changed course and drifted toward him.

Melinoe closed the door but made no effort to do what he'd asked. She watched him press his palms to the warm stones as he leaned down to stare at the brew, allowing the fragrant concoction to enter his sinuses. It had been a troubling morning, and besides waking up next to his beloved, this was the first pleasant thing to come his way. Finally, he glanced over at Melinoe.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"What has you so riled up, my lord?" she asked.

Hades scowled. He knew she only used his title when she was trying to influence him. "I am not speaking to you until you cover up."

"But I thought you enjoyed seeing me in my brewing apron." Melinoe began a slow trek across the room, and Hades felt compelled to watch. She could move as if her feet never touched the ground. Most times, they didn't. "I remember when you used to visit with bottles of merlot and bags of spices. You would ask me to put on my apron and brew up a batch of mulled wine. Then we would get sloppy drunk and fuck all night." She finally reached the fireplace where Hades stood, untying the straps of her apron and letting it fall to the floor. "Do you remember those days?"

Hades felt momentarily stunned by Melinoe's nudity; the impossible smoothness of her skin, the lean curve of her torso where it connected wide hips to full breasts. How many times had he traced those curves with his fingers, bound them with his sash, explored with his tongue? Of course, he remembered those days.

"That was decades ago. We have both moved on. Well, I have moved on. Get dressed, Melinoe."

Melinoe huffed as she bent forward and picked up the apron. Then she took her time walking across the length of the living room, her long ebony hair brushing the top of her ass as she disappeared down the hallway. Grateful he still had the willpower to resist her, Hades exhaled the breath he'd been holding. Melinoe had been an outlet for him far too long. True, he appreciated her willingness to push the boundaries of passion, using magic to enhance the experience, taking him away from his dark thoughts with unfettered sex. So, he had no one else to blame but himself for her reckless actions.

Melinoe returned wearing a dress Hades had not seen in many turns, although he remembered it well. He bought it for her on a rare trip they made together to Morocco. He had insisted she add color to her monotonous wardrobe, and she chose a full-length gauze dress in plum, orange and gold. The warm colors brought life to her white complexion, and the thin material offered a teasing display of her dark nipples. She looked stunning, and Hades had to put himself in check as the beguiling goddess sauntered toward the divan.

"Is this better?" With an easy sweep of her hand beneath the gauze, Melinoe took a seat and began plaiting her hair into a braid.

Hades watched her movements as she crossed her long legs so the split in the dress exposed her thighs, and he felt his manhood stir when he imagined himself straddling her on the divan. "Much," he said, glancing away from Melinoe's legs to look for a chair.

It had been some time since Hades had invited himself into her home, and he remembered her limited seating options; a leather divan and a rocking chair that Hades referred to as a torture device. Melinoe knew he hated the damned thing, so he sat in it to prove a point. "I came by to talk about an incident that happened at the palace today," he began, leaning forward to avoid the stiff slats of the ladder back.

"What kind of incident?"

"It involved the Bonsai tree you helped Elm make for Lexi's birthday. In the wee hours of the morning, the lanterns exploded and a dozen spirits burst out of the dirt. They entered the palace and upset Juniper terribly. Ink and I spent the better part of the morning rounding them up, and Hecate's help was needed to get them to the Lethe. It was no small feat."

Melinoe frowned. "Poor Juniper. I hope she has recovered."

"Lexi was able to calm her, but that isn't all that happened. Z reported a similar incident in the grove. Lexi's elm caught fire when the lanterns exploded, and an unknown number of spirits escaped into the city. Lexi and I have yet to learn what kind of damage has been done to the tree."

"Oh, my. That's a strange turn of events. I wonder what caused it."

Hades felt his blood pressure spike as he stared at Melinoe, ignoring the fragrant vapor swirling determinedly under his nose. "Don't play simpleton with me, Melinoe. Your cleverness has become legend among the gods, and you have a clear motive for such an act. There is nothing you can say that will convince me you are not guilty."

Melinoe raised her eyebrows and left them there as she finished her braid. Then she stood and walked to the cauldron, grabbing a spoon and stirring the contents gently. "First of all, I don't appreciate your insinuating tone," she said, speaking to the pot rather than to Hades. "The gods have always been eager to point their privileged fingers at me because of my legendary cleverness, as you say. Now, I have become everyone's scapegoat. And secondly, I have been nothing but gracious to Lexi and your darling little family. That should count for something."

As Hades listened to Melinoe make her case, he watched the slow, measured movement of her wrist as she stirred the brew, taking care not to disrupt the contents, coaxing the steam to rise in undulating columns of whorls and loop-de-loops. The effect was mesmerizing, and Hades found himself staring much too long before he responded.

"I am not keeping score, and that is only because you have behaved badly more times than I can remember. Even your motives often elude me. But your involvement in Elm's gift has the guilt pointing at you. Surely, you can agree with me on that count."

Melinoe offered a one-shouldered shrug. "What would I gain from it? I don't see how setting spirits loose in your palace would accomplish anything but piss you off, and I have never raised a magical hand against you, my lord. I suppose Zeus is angry, as well."

She finally put down the spoon and returned to the couch, crossing her legs and attempting to cover them. She failed completely, and Hades ended up distracted by her delicate fingers before he found himself again.

"Yes. Z is understandably annoyed, and he is taking care of the situation in Olympus, but as of yet, he does not suspect you're behind it. Lexi and I plan to tell him this afternoon."

"Tell him what? That you believe I'm responsible? I told you I'm not."

"Actually Melinoe, you have not denied culpability, but I am all ears if you want to swear to me and Gaia that you are not to blame."

With only the slightest hesitation, Melinoe sat up and looked him in the eyes. "I am not to blame."

"Then who do you think has the motive and the skill to pull off something like this? Those spirits were released by magical means, and Hecate would not have done it."

"Oh, sure. You would never suspect Hecate - the perfect one." Melinoe glared at the flames beneath the cauldron, causing the fire to jerk erratically.

"I didn't say Hecate was perfect, but she has no motive. This was an act of malice, which appeared to be directed at Lexi."

"There were a lot of gods at her party last night. Any one of them could have slipped away and conjured the magic without being discovered. What about Odessa? I see how she looks at Lexi whenever the children are around. She is jealous of Lexi's motherhood."

Hades clicked his tongue. "That is ridiculous. Odessa and Lexi are best friends. And Odessa has no interest in magic."

"What about Lisbon? Lexi put an end to her affair with Cole last winter. Maybe Lisbon hasn't forgiven her."

"Lexi didn't put an end to the affair, she suggested Lisbon consider the consequences and Lisbon made her own choice from there."

Hades felt a sting at his spine, and when he turned to locate the source, he realized he was reclined against the sharp slats of the rocker. He pushed to his feet, disrupting the cauldron's vapor, which had gathered around him like a thick fog. "I need to go, but this conversation is not over."

He staggered slightly as he made for the door, and when he reached for the handle, he missed on his first attempt, grabbing the knob firmly on his second try and yanking the door open. Hades sucked in fresh air as he stood on the stoop, shaking away the fuzz that had accumulated in his head. "You consistently underestimate me, Melinoe. And your attempt to anesthetize me with your bewitching concoction only endorses your guilt. I suggest you prepare your alibi if you decide to continue this charade."

Hades managed to walk away without falling on his face, but he knew what Melinoe had done. She had hoped to beguile him with her magic and convince him he was wrong about her guilt, maybe even seduce him. It was no fluke their son, Kade, had inherited the gifts of temptation from their union, but Hades was not interested in dredging up the past. He had found his happily ever after, and he knew Lexi would never allow herself to be seduced by another. She was his guiding light, and Hades let this reassuring thought carry him home.