Serena swallowed nervously, the sound faint but unmistakable in the quiet room. A strange mixture of anticipation and dread twisted inside her chest. Part of her felt a thrill at the thought of receiving a gift from someone like the Lord, yet the moment she noticed the velvet box resting on the tray, her excitement faltered.
The box was made of deep, pitch black velvet, its surface so dark it reminded her instantly of Hades's hair. Wrapped around it was a thin purple ribbon, the exact shade of his eyes.
Serena's throat went dry.
For reasons she couldn't fully explain, the room suddenly felt colder. Even though the Lord himself wasn't present, it felt as though he might be standing somewhere just out of sight, watching her from the shadows the same way he had watched the crowd during the night of the ball, how tall and towering his cold presence was.
Her heart began to pound faster.
