The sound of chirping crickets filled the air, mingling with the soft rustle of leaves. Hades set Lilith down gently on her feet, his hands lingering at her waist as she steadied herself. She looked up at him with mock annoyance, though the faint blush dusting her cheeks betrayed her amusement.
"You could've warned me before throwing me over your shoulder like that," she scolded lightly, brushing her hair from her face.
Hades grinned, that infuriatingly charming grin that made her heart skip. "If I had warned you, my love, you would've run back to the castle before I had the chance to catch you."
Lilith laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."
"And yet you love me," he teased.
She rolled her eyes and dipped her toes into the water only to yelp softly, jerking her foot back. "Hades, it's freezing!"
He chuckled, the deep rumble of his laughter echoed around them. "Come now, it's not that bad."
