Lexi's Fate

~72~

The morning dawned in a kaleidoscope of pinks, blues and purples, filling the bedroom with soft light. Lexi stretched her arm over Hades' back as he lay on his stomach, the cadence of his breathing lulling her like white noise. He looked so content. Was his mind replaying the memory of their reunion and the sexual exploits that occurred after they dined on the decadent feast prepared by the nymphs? Dinner tasted divine but dessert was so much better. He took her in front of the fireplace, on the snow-covered balcony, under the canopy of his four poster bed. She never wanted it to end, and her hunger lingered as she greeted the day.

A bath was definitely on the agenda, followed by breakfast to replace the lost carbs. She also wanted to visit the minotaurs and share the news about the temporary cessation of the hunt. At least they could breathe easy over the winter until she figured out how to convince the council what a bunch of narrow-minded stuffed shirts they were. Okay, maybe she would take a different approach. She still had to figure out what the hell to do about the council's proposal. No way was she spending half the year in Olympus, and she didn't even want to entertain the thought of being Poseidon's consort. Sure, he had tried to redeem himself by begging for her mercy, but she was not some piece of fucking flesh to barter with. How Neanderthal.

Slipping out of bed, Lexi padded to the bathroom, grabbing the bottle of lemon verbena oil from the shelf as she made her way to the tub. She tugged on a chain hanging against the wall and the tub began filling with water, heated instantly by the furnace beneath it. A stack of fluffy towels sat nearby, as well as plush slippers in case her feet got cold, but she never felt cold inside the castle. Maybe it was Hades' presence that kept her warm, or maybe she had her own internal furnace to pull from. That would explain the lightning bolts.

Lexi emptied a few drops of flowery oil into the bath and stepped in, letting the fragrant water cover her. As she slowly submerged, a knock came at the door.

"Enter," she called out.

Sella slipped into the room, her arms balancing a full tray of what looked like breakfast. "I heard the water running and thought you might enjoy having breakfast while you bathed, my lady."

"You are a saint, Sella. I was just thinking about breakfast."

The smell of cinnamon apple oatmeal competed with the lemon verbena as Sella set up a small table next to the tub. She poured a glass of orange juice from a carafe and handed it to Lexi, peeking into the bath with curiosity. Lexi never minded when the nymphs looked at her nude body. She knew they were just admiring her.

"Will Lord Hades be joining you?" Sella asked. "I will bring up a tray for him as well."

"I think he's still asleep, but if that changes I will call from the speaker tube."

"Very good, my lady. Is your bath warm enough? I noticed the fires were not burning as hot while you were gone. I think it had something to do with the mood his lordship was in." Sella bent over the furnace and something pinged against the side of the tub. "Ouch!"

"Sella! What happened?" Lexi lifted out of the water as Sella shook her hand wildly.

"I burnt my hand. Ooh, it really stings."

"Give me your hand quickly." Lexi reached out and Sella laid her hand on Lexi's palm. The burn site was already fiery red. "I'm going to try to heal it. If it doesn't work, we need to put ointment on it straight away."

Sella nodded mutely as Lexi closed her hands over Sella's injured one. If she really did have the power to heal wounds, this would be the time to test it. She felt a buzz as her powers kicked in, but she certainly didn't want to use electricity. Wind probably wouldn't do much good either. The best she could do was imagine Sella's hand healed and send her thoughts of love. Love seemed to be the common thread that connected all her amazing feats. It sounded so cliché - love heals all, but it was the easiest emotion for her to conjure.