Chapter 5

Okay, so you know how someone says "I"m in hell" when they"re in a tough spot? Well, they have no idea what they"re talking about. Hell is hot, there is crying, screaming, growling and crackling from hellfire I know this because I really am in hell at the moment.

It"s been weeks since Hades kidnapped me and put me in this room. I have thought of so many ways on how to escape from the window but when I saw the endless pit of orange and yellow flames below I back out of the idea.

Then there was the idea that I gain his trust and run the first chance I get but I can"t even go out of this room because he looked me in after I had tried to run for the large door in the main lobby. Yes, I had asked his permission to explore the house but it was just to familiarise myself with all the possible escape routes.

I found none.

So, here I am now, lying on my back in the soft plump bed in my too-big-for-one-person-bedroom with the lights off allowing the hellfire from the window outside cast tall shadows along the walls of the room, staring up at the tall ceiling trying to think of a way that will allow me to escape and keep my life at the same time. I do want to see Danny and Mum again.

The door to the room creaks open and the light from the hallway shines onto the bed where I am lying on.

"Misstress?" The soft squeaky voice of the sand doll called Masha calls to me from the door. "Will Misstress be eating with Master tonight or should I tell Master he will not be seeing you again?"

Masha is the original form of mankind. In legend, the gods made mankind from sand, mud and stuff right? Masha is a failed experiment of that, in fact, there are quite a few of them here working for Hades but so far I"ve only met the ones that work in the kitchens and clean my room.

I raise a hand and wave at her. I haven"t eaten much since I got here, I can"t. Masha does, however, force me once in a while to eat. The food here is the same as the ones above but I can"t stomach it for some reason. I just can"t.

"No thanks Masha," I sigh, resting my hand back on my thinning stomach. "I"m not hungry."

The truth? I don"t want to see him. I"ll admit that much.

"So, you"re not hungry again?" the deep unsettling voice of Hades" reaches me, from my position on the bed I spring up and turn to look at the door, Masha is hiding behind Hades" leg murmuring apologies to me. "When was the last time you ate?"

"And you care because?" I ask back, glaring at him. "You know for a kidnapper, I don"t think you"re supposed to care for the kidnapped."

A heavy sigh escapes his lips as he walks over to me, his shoes clicking ominously on the cold marble floor. Masha"s little "yip, yip" sounds that she makes as she moves fade into the hallway as she closes the door to my room. Hades" large frame towers over me as I look at my knotted hands on my lap.

"Look at me," he growls deeply, the vibration of his chest reaching me, shivering I comply and look up to him. His eyes are pools of brown with specks of red a beautiful yet dangerous combination, the heat of his gaze is hotter than the flames outside and I want to look away but like a moth attracted to a flame, I don"t.

"You need to eat," He says, his large warm hand reaching out to pull me to my feet. Dragging me out of my room by my forearm, I stumble behind him unable to keep up with his long strides. In the end, he gives up and slings me over his shoulder like a rag doll.

"I don"t want to eat," I protest weakly, as I sway from side to side on his shoulder. "I"m not hungry."

Even as I say this my stomach gives out a loud growl. I blush.

"I"m not hungry," He mimics me in a high pitched tone. "You will eat tonight. I got your favourite."

Hold on. Is he talking what I"m thinking about?

He opens the doors to the dining hall with his free hand and the cheesy, tomato smell of my all time favourite food fills my senses and I nearly cry. Lasagna. Thick, creamy, cheesy, melt in your mouth lasagna.

"Am I right?" He asks me, placing me down on a chair and dragging a plate with a slice of heaven on it. "I love lasagna. So, I guess that you might like it as well."

I frown. Great, we have something in common.

"Like I said before," Hades continues, sitting in the seat next to mine but at the head of the table. "My grandmother made you compatible with me so we are bound to have some similarities."

Forking some of the delicious cheesy goodness, I metally moan at how good it is. I can officially say I can die in peace right here right now. Continuing to eat, I find I"m actually famished from not eating a proper meal for so long.

Finding that it"s oddly quiet, I look to Hades and find him staring at me in amusement, frowning with my mouth full, I forcefully swallow whatever I have in my mouth and look at him watching me. He raises a napkin to my mouth and gently wipes away whatever it is I have on my mouth.

"Can we make a deal?" He asks, placing some of the food in his mouth. "If I can make you fall in love with me by the end of this week. You stay."

I watch him as he chews the food thoughtfully as if he"s thinking through what he just said.

"You must, however, try," he adds as an afterthought.

"And say I don"t love you by the end of the week," I challenge, staring directly at him, the food giving me some strength. "Then what?"

"Your choice," He answers, putting down his fork." However, you must take into consideration of your feelings."

I consider this for a while as I stick another bite of lasagna. "If I fall in love, I stay. If I don"t it"s up to me what I want?"

He gives a nod, "Yes."

"If I say I want to leave," I pause, hesitating due to his last reaction when I said I wanted to go home. "You"ll let me?"

The silence is deafening but he nods.

"It"s a deal," I say, looking over at him. "Today is day one."