ONYX

Chapter Twenty Four

“Girl, what are you doing?”

Startled, the teacup slipped from Winnie’s hands and crashed on the floor. She was sitting on the walkway leading to the gardens that Alessa and Hades previously occupied. She’d cleared away their picnic and now she was waiting for them to return. They’d gone down under which meant they were in the Underworld. That was forbidden territory for Winnie so she couldn’t follow. Hades had once told her it was too dangerous to venture into the unknown and he cared enough to lock down the entrances, but today he’d gone down there with Alessa and Winnie was worried.

It was foolish to feel such a way, considering she was with the God of the Underworld, she was in safe hands.

“My Lady Gemma, you frightened me.” Winnie said, kneeling in front of the teacup pieces scattered on the ground.

“Good, now tell me what you’re doing out here. Why does the garden look like this?” Gemma hadn’t seen the garden come alive before, ever. She once tried to build a garden to add a little color to the dark theme of her grandson’s realm, but with no light then the flowers couldn’t flourish.

Now, there was an array of bright and happy colors posted throughout the expanse. The grass was a lively green that’d been a major difference from the desert flatland that was once there.

“Hades did it for Les—I mean the Lady Alessandra.” Winnie replied. She and Gemma didn’t always see eye-to-eye, she had a problem with anyone who wasn’t Hades or Hypnos.

Gemma rolled her eyes. Hades had gone out of his way to please the girl yet again, and he’d still left her in the dark. “Of course he did it forher.”

To talk against her meant that you would face her wrath, but Winnie felt the need to defend the woman she’d grown to favor in the short amount of time she’d spent with Les. She admired her lady and hated to hear someone dislike her in a way that Gemma did for no apparent reason. “She’s not that bad once you get to know her, Gemma.”

“Everyone keeps saying that and yet I still do not seem to care.” She straightened her spine and tucked the book that she was currently reading under her arm. “Clean that mess up, Winfred.”

She turned around and walked away.

Sighing, Winnie carefully picked up the broken pieces of the teacup and put them in the fold of her dress.

“Boo!” Hypnos had appeared out of nowhere. He had the ability to jump through space and reappear anywhere he wanted. In that moment, he decided to show up right when Winnie was busy cleaning.

“Ah!” She jumped and ruffled the fold of her dress, which contained the pieces she’d collected. Now, it was scattered on the floor again and she was right back where she started. “Hypnos!”

“Sorry! Let me help you.”

A second later the mess was gone as was the tea that’d Winnie dreaded to mop up, but Hypnos had taken care of it.

“I hate when you do that. Knock or tap your foot or do something next time to announce your entrance.” Winnie scolded. She brushed off her the skirt of her dress and stood.

Hypnos moved to help, but Winnie waved him off. “What did Gemma want?”

“It was nothing of importance. I was just waiting here for the Lady Alessandra and Lord Hades to return.”

“Relax, Winnie, it’s just me. You don’t have to be so uptight and use titles around me. Did Gemma really get under your skin?” He’d popped in a minute too late. He’d been meaning to check Gemma for the way she behaved around others. She’d come off a little too harsh and mean, but that was only when she wanted attention. Hypnos sighed. He hated being the mediator whenever Gemma was upset with Hades.