Exposed

Angel's head was remarkably calm when she opened her eyes. The dark room's only light came from the dying fire in the corner. She sat up in bed and wondered how long she'd been asleep. When she shifted, she realized there was an equal weight on the other end. Someone was in bed with her. She looked at the man lying next to her. Completely nude, he slept face down in the dark satin sheets. His pale skin shined against his dark, tousled hair. It was Hades, the king. She studied his face enough in the handful of moments they shared, to know it.

She darted her eyes across the room, trying to remember how she got there. Everything felt like a dream, fuzzy and slightly out of focus. The walls shimmered, the fire made no sound. Nothing made sense. She remembered being sick and she remembered the ice bath. Then nothing. She tried desperately to connect the dots as her hand accidentally brushed against his arm. It was like touching him through a blanket, dulled.

She studied the thick ropes of ink down his arms, the large wings across his back, small marks like stitches, tiny names. She smiled at the intricate way his tattoos fit him perfectly. Most were aggressive or sensual but a few small ones were gentle, sweet even. Under the ink, she couldn't deny the hard muscle or her awareness of his nakedness.

Nothing moved except the heat growing in her palms. She was scared she would wake him. Then she wondered why she would be scared to wake a dream? She couldn't recall ever having a sex dream. She looked down at the sheer night gown she wore. His body aroused her, sure, but was this really the time to give in to lust?

And how could she know what he looked like under his clothes? Was she guessing? Or imagining? The thought of him from the front popped in her mind, his throbbing length. Fuck that was hot, she thought. Was she imagining that too? How could she know what it would look like? Her breathing shallowed as she stared at him.

No one else was in the room, let alone her mind, where she obviously was. Why couldn't she give in? Couldn't she just let go for a moment? There'd be plenty of time to be serious when she woke, to find a way back to her life, whatever that was. But a brief moment of happiness like this would probably be scarce. She couldn't even remember the last time she slept. She couldn't stop herself from touching him, tracing an index finger down his winged tattoos.

In a flash his eyes popped open. He grabbed her wrist and at the same time, pulled her arm under him. He slid on top of her, pinning her to the bed. "How are you here?" He whispered into her neck. How are you in my dream? Why did I bring you here? He thought to himself. She didn't have an answer. What a strange question her mind conjured. Before her mind could run away with all the correct things to do, she responded by running her free hand into his hair. Again, the touch felt stifled but still sent warm pulses through her body. His proximity intoxicated her.

"Fu—Fuck it, I don't care why," he groaned, pressing them closer. Her skin sent sparks across him. She smelled of fresh rain. He was going to lose control, his erection grazed her leg and he grunted a hungry sound into her ear. She made him ravenous, urgent. Had he been starving all this time without her? He looked over into her beautiful gold eyes for some sign of permission. He didn't know what the right thing to do was. He didn't know why he suddenly cared about doing the right thing.

It was a dream, surely there was nothing wrong with indulging in a dream? Angel couldn't understand the shivers he created in her. Agonizing pleasure, as if he ignited every molecule to flames. She didn't want to think about anything in that simple moment. She squeezed herself closer to his lips and licked against the top one. She felt him tighten. He opened his mouth to her as they fell into a heavy rhythm of breath and flesh.

His strong form seemed to swallow her—his body, his mouth, his hands, all pressing and ravaging and kneading her soft flesh. He slid her panties to the side and teased his tip into her dripping entrance. He couldn't bother to undress her nightgown; There was no need to prepare her for his size, the dream would only allow for pleasure. Even with diminished sensation, it felt amazing. The urgency overrode everything. He wanted her more than he wanted anything.

He slid his thumb around her soft lips and into her warm mouth. Angel nibbled and sucked his sweet thumb, making him hum against her chest as he grabbed her hip. Angel dug her nails into his thighs, arching herself further down his tip. He moaned into her mouth as he returned to her kiss. He couldn't contain himself any longer, ripping the thin fabric of her panties and burying his fullness into her. She was so tight he almost lost it.

"Ah...mmm...," she panted, pressing against him as forcefully as he thrust. They were a mass of moans as the wetness and heat consumed their every thought. Her slick walls squeezed against him as they both suddenly climaxed. He felt drunk as he continued to pull and push inside her, unable to release her mouth. Eventually, exhaustion washed over them both and in a matter of moments, they succumbed to sleep.

---

Angel snapped awake in a well-lit bedroom. She confirmed immediately that she'd been dreaming by testing her entrance. Relief washed over her as she found it dry and it didn't seem raw or sensitive at all. She laughed at the ridiculousness. In hell, no memory, and somehow still able to have a sex dream about the king of the underworld. Knowing the tantalizing sex had all been in her head somehow made her feel better. Though she wondered now, what it would really feel like. The thought made her inhale sharply and she shook it off to take in her surroundings.

The room caught her full attention. Everything was made of brilliant white marble. The platform bed, the enormous posts that stretched to the ceiling, the dressing table and stool, the floor. Everything seemed bright, even the lovely blush-colored sheets. It was breathtakingly beautiful. She looked beside her, but she was alone. The bed looked as if only one person had slept in it.

It slowly dawned on her that it wasn't the same room from the dream. Perhaps her mind just conjured something up. She didn't know any rooms that looked like that one. Though, she had to admit she didn't really know what she knew. She remembered the insanity of the sex dream and then of her last memory—vomiting and pain. She moved a large, fur cover to find that she wore the same white nightgown from the dream, a floor length silk dress with a waist high slit. She didn't see her blood soaked clothes anywhere.

"Jesus I need a cold shower," she concluded out loud still flustered from her thoughts. Throwing her legs over the edge of the bed, she headed for the giant bathroom. Everything seemed open concept. The bathroom had no door and neither did the shower. Talk about luxury, she thought as she looked at the open-faced marble shower.

The water sprinkled like rain from the ceiling. As it warmed, she looked around the room for clothes, but she only found another night gown, this time in black. She grabbed it and returned to the bathroom. The warm shower drew her in but she finished in a cold one, needing to seal off the steamy thoughts she kept having.

Angel heard a door open as she dried herself. "You're awake?" a woman yelled from the bedroom door, "I'll wait for you here."

After slipping on the new night gown, Angel stood at in the bathroom entryway. The petite woman with mid-length blonde hair smiled at Angel. Her kind face put Angel slightly more at ease, but she was still wary.

"Oh goodness we haven't actually met. I'm Thia. Short for Pythia. Please don't call me that though. I'm the one who cared for you while you were sick. You were in and out of consciousness for the last week, so I bathed and dressed you a few times. Mostly I just brought the tonics for pain."

"I'm Angel," she replied, "What the hell happened to me? Where am I?" It stumbled out of her at once. Thia laughed a little, surprised at the change from the nearly catatonic girl she'd originally met.

"Okay calm down, I'll explain everything," Thia insisted, trying to corral Angel back into the bedroom but she wouldn't leave the bathroom. "So as far as where you are, you're not going to like it and I want you to try and remain calm when I tell you, it's not as bad as it's going to sound...but...you're in hell."

"Yea I know that part...but like specifically where am I?" Angel replied with an almost breathless shout.

"And you're here because someone put you here...WAIT WHAT? You already know you're in hell? And you're just...showering? I mean...I'm sorry this is very rude of me but what the fuck is wrong with you?," Thia shouted back, "You should be screaming or crying or SOMETHING! I mean, here I am even more hysterical than you!"

Angel didn't really know what to say. Sure, she understood that the whole thing was crazy, but she didn't feel scared or overwhelmed. She felt...tired. Exhausted, more like. She just didn't really care where she was. She had to admit that it would be a strange reaction if she saw it in someone else. Maybe something was wrong with her? "Am I okay?" she whispered.

"I mean you seem fine. Aside from being near the end of your transition, you seem fine."

"My what?"

"I'll explain it later. I don't want to freak you out unnecessarily. Hades would kill me if I told you first."

"Hades...the king right?"

"Yea. Have you seen him before? Aside from that ice bath of course," Thia winked. It occurred to Angel that Thia had no idea how much Angel knew him. But she had felt his body before, pressing her into the cold water. Maybe that's where the dream came from, some subconscious thought?

"Gold eyes? Incredible face? Serious as fuck? Little self-centered?" Angel replied with a small laugh.

"Yup, that's the one! King of the dead," Thia laughed back, "But seriously don't ever let him hear you say anything negative about him...he's very...easily angered."

"Have you seen any of his tattoos?" Angel knew it was a random question but she couldn't stop thinking about the dream and how strange the whole thing felt.

"No way! I mean he'd practically have to be naked to see the ones below his neck anyway. Persephone's probably the only one who has seen them. And speaking of her...steer the fuck clear of that psycho bitch... she's got it in for you."

"Wait, why?"

"She's very jealous and at the moment you're staying right next door to Hades while she's in another wing of the palace. And she considers herself his girlfriend so you could see how she might hate you? A little birdie told me that he wouldn't let her move in here because he preferred to stay isolated while he rested...but now you're here... and it's looking like that may have been a lie." Thia smiled as she gossiped. Angel couldn't care less about the innerworkings of this fucked up place. She just wanted a way out.

Angel's face flashed through emotions without abandon. Listen to yourself! she yelled internally, Entertaining this crazy shit! He's the king of hell who you just had sex with in your mind and he's got a crazy girlfriend...and you're what? Just a measly human?!

It was hard to pin down exactly how she felt but she knew it felt outrageous. None of it could be true. Optical illusions, fear conditioning, delusions, Something. Anything other than what she was being told.

She felt stress eating at her emotions but one thought was clear: Get the fuck away from these crazy people while you can. She eyed the half open bedroom door. There was just enough room to slip through. She bolted to the door before Thia could reach her and ran into the hallway. She was headed wherever that hallway would take her.

"Angel! Wait!"

She could hear Thia behind her, running, but Angel had a head start. She picked up speed, her hair bouncing around her like a wild halo. Suddenly she saw people and barreled toward them. The closer she got the more they seemed off. It wasn't until she was right up on them that she saw their sunken, dead faces like Zero. She screeched and looked back to see Thia closing their distance. The men began walking towards her, arms open and outstretched as if to calm her. But she shifted her body weight and ran full speed down a different hallway.

"Angel don't go that way!" Thia yelled but she sounded farther and farther away.

After several turns she stopped hearing the stampede of feet behind her. She took the chance to slow down, her breathing labored and uneven. The hall felt like a five star hotel, marble walls with silver doors and sconces with pale blush drapes on either side. The opulence astounded her but she couldn't get distracted. What the fuck am I gonna do? She thought. There's got to be a way out. The hallway abruptly ended ahead of her, nothing but large black doors before her. They hadn't been closed all the way. A cacophony of voices leaked through the small crack.

"Who has the balls to trap a human in hell? I mean talk about a death wish."

"Do you know who she is?"

"Just a first name, Angel," Hades replied. Angel only recognized his voice.

"Ha! An Angel in hell huh?"

"Give her to me, I'll get the answers out of her."

"Why does anyone give a flying fuck about a human suddenly? Just kill her and be done with it."

"No, I need to know who did this...who had the balls to interfere in my domain..."

"Yes, this is true brother. It's quite a mark against your reign."

"Still, no reason to get bent out of shape over a human."

"Unless you're planning to turn her like Persephone...?"

"Please don't be ridiculous! I can't be replaced. Hades loves me unconditionally, right my love?"

"She's already in transition...Thia said she's nearing the end and it should coincide with the next involution."

There was a clear uproar. Angel started pushing the door a little, just so she could see who was inside. Was there an exit? She wondered. She pushed a little harder, but it swung wide and she stumbled into the room. It seemed to be a throne room, nothing in it except for a beautiful marble throne and a group of people standing around it. Hades sat on the throne, his head stiffly resting on his hand. He looked up as she tumbled in. She could hear the audible gasp.

She suddenly became aware of herself. She was barefoot, in a sheer black nightgown whose straps had slid off her shoulders, and whose slit exposed her entire thigh. Her wild curly hair draped across her face as she met the eyes of everyone in the room. Their faces held a mix of emotions. The women looked disgusted, the men looked intrigued. She felt the heat of embarrassment everywhere.

"Is this her?" a man asked, his voice clearly smiling. Angel quickly scanned the walls for a door but there wasn't one. She'd run right into a dead end. Her heart sank. She returned her eyes to the man speaking. His sun-kissed olive skin and stunning face made her stare, "Brother why didn't you tell us she was so lovely? Perhaps I can see why you're so worked up."

His eyes bewitched her, begging her to step forward until they practically touched. His hand reached for hers but something in her hesitated, "Don't you want to come with me, away from this place?" he asked gently. As soon as he said it, her trance broke, "I'm not going anywhere with you! Get away from me!" she shouted, jumping a few steps backwards.

"Oh she's fiesty! I like it!" another man exclaimed.

"How interesting, brother...She resisted me. I wonder what your natural ability will be my darling?"

"Stop toying with her, Zeus, don't degrade yourself," a statuesque woman draped along Hades' throne said, "Hmm, has she no decency? A nightgown?" The glare she gave Angel didn't diminish her beauty at all. Her small features and delicate lips paired perfectly to her honey blonde hair. Her anger meant she must have been the Persephone thia warned Angel about. Her look sent daggers into Angel.

They were all so beautiful. No one seemed moved in the least at her venomous outburst. Angel looked toward the golden eyes that gave her some comfort. Hades was already off the throne and striding toward her, his eyes agonizing over her body. The memory of him ravaging her in the dream made her throat dry and started shivers just under her skin. Just then, Thia and the handful of men came bursting through the doors.

Breathless, she yelled, "Sorry my king, I lost her in the halls!"

His face turned cold as soon as he saw them, like he was suppressing the lust she'd seen a moment ago. Angel watched his eyes turn dark. She swore she could see flames in them. This was his power, his anger.

"Can't do a simple fucking job and keep the human in her room!" His dismissal of her as the human wounded Angel. She had felt some connection between them, but he obviously did not.

"Escort her back," he said through clenched teeth. Then he turned back to make eye contact with Angel as he rejoined the others around the throne. The cold stare broke momentarily and it leaked a bit of regret. But he regained his composure quickly.

"So much for making her your new pet Hades" Persephone cooed from near the throne. She was pleased as punch, "She's hardly more than an inconvenience."

Hades' shoulders tensed but he didn't look back to Angel, "Thia, you're all dismissed."

Whatever feeling there had been in her was gone. Angel sobered to the idea that she'd imagined their connection. His cold eyes bore into her. She'd been so stupid. Thia slapped Angel's arm as they stormed off toward the bedroom.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" she growled, "He's like a fucking bomb waiting to explode. You want him to blow up on us?!"