'Secrets normally don't stay secret...'

Satin Smooth Sailing

"Conrad is not going to like that I'm skipping so much class..."

Thanatos shook his head and mumbled; "Leave it to Aurora to worry about school when there's a serial killer on the loose..."

I rolled my eyes and playfully slapped his arm; the feel of his hard leather armour sending a shudder down my spine. Thanatos shot me a smirk; "Just be glad you managed to get me out of bed."

I chuckled as he tenderly stroked a hand down my arm; "Well, the fact that Hypnos practically chased us out of our room helped."

I blushed even now as I thought of this morning. Hypnos wasn't in a particularly cheery mood as Thanatos and I overslept. We were meant to meet him downstairs, ready to leave to Hades by eight, but the previous night things had gotten a bit... heated.

Thanatos was taking full advantage of the fact that we were now completely intimate. I couldn't quite remember the last time I'd worn proper clothes; well, other than lingerie he'd so eagerly provided.

At first I was wary- I didn't want to wear anything that had been previously 'used', but much to my surprise, Thanatos had already been 'collecting' lacy pieces of underwear for me ever since we returned back from Caneyville after the holiday.

Forward? Extremely; but I couldn't stay mad at him- especially when he threw the 'I just couldn't help myself; I wanted to spoil you'.

'Spoil me, or you?'- I'd asked, and he'd merely grinned and handed me a red, strappy bra.

What a manipulator, but I loved him for it.

Even now, as we sat in his carriage, I was wearing something he'd specially picked out for me about a week ago- a matching set of teal lingerie, the underwear a little too tight for my taste, but clearly perfect for his. And what expensive taste it was- not that they lasted very long. Thanatos had a tendency to tear and rip things; I felt my tights clench just thinking about it.

I didn't mind wearing these extremely provocative pieces really; it made me feel sexy and if it pleased Thanatos, I'd gladly wear it.

"You two finally ready?" Hypnos stepped into the carriage and seated himself across from us, his grey attire elegant and pressed. His blond locks were pushed back and his clear orange eyes looked much more rested today than they were yesterday. Must be from the sound-proof spell Thanatos finally put up after I yelled at him.

"Always." Thanatos lazily swung his leg onto the other and tugged me closer into his big chest. I cuddle into him and smiled up at Hypnos; "Sleep well?"

"Hmm... Better. How about you?"

"Good." I smiled, but suddenly my thoughts were invaded by a husky voice-

'The little we did...'

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as Thanatos' thoughts occupied mine. We'd decided to open up our minds again so we could telepathically speak to one another while we were at the castle in case we needed to discuss anything we couldn't in front of the others.

Like what Hermes was up to- that traitor- or any clues or suspicions we had. It was hard for Thanatos to keep the information he had about Hermes away from Hypnos; it was eating at him. He felt guilty for keeping his twin out of the loop, but it was for the best. I wanted desperately to trust the god of sleep, but there were no guarantees anymore. No one was clear of any suspicion.

And even if Hypnos was innocent- he might trust someone who wasn't; and secrets normally don't stay secret.

"You look beautiful today, Rora." Hypnos had become accustomed to calling me by my nickname and it had instantly made me feel all the more included, which I suppose was his plan. Hypnos truly was considerate, all around.

Thanatos smiled down at me; "Exquisite..."

I shook my head and thanked Hypnos; he laughed as Thanatos nudged me for a kiss.

"So, excited to see Hades' palace?" Hypnos swung his feet up onto the soft cushions of the bench and leaned back against the railing of the carriage, his hair blowing in the wind.

Thanatos' two black horses, Havoc and Chaos, were speedily racing towards the dark horizon, their long, black manes ripping through the humid air. They were even bigger than I remembered- broad chested and strong muscled limbs; their skeletal faces almost divine in their morbid beauty.

"Can't wait!" I smiled broadly; "Thanatos says it's even bigger than Olympus!"

"It's outrageously massive." Hypnos shook his head, but his smile was full of amusement.

Thanatos chuckled; "Hades loves spending his gold. They don't even use a tenth of the palace."

"That's a bit of a waste?" I furrowed my brows.

"Gods." Hypnos said the word like he wasn't even part of the species. He directed his smirk at his twin. Thanatos returned it with an equally mischievous glint.

"What? I like a good fortress..."

"Such a large palace for only two people and hoards of servants?" Hypnos' smirk depended; "You're just going to have to fill it with little feet..."

I blushed, my eyes widening as Thanatos laughed, the sound merry and relaxed; "Maybe I will."

"Um, excuse me, but don't I have a say in this?"

The brothers glanced at me and quickly fixed their eyes back onto the others. A sly look passed between them before they both dryly replied; "No."

I scoffed; "Guess who's sleeping with his brother tonight..."

"I'd rather share a bed with Cerberus." Thanatos' tone was dry and full of sarcasm. Hypnos kicked his brother's ankle off of his knee and touched his heart; "That hurts!"

"Idiot." Thanatos moved his leg to kick Hypnos' hip, but I quickly pulled him back; "I don't need children when I have the both of you to look after."

"Don't pretend like you don't enjoy it..."

I grinned up at Thanatos as he shot me a flirtatious look, his red eyes full of fire. I hadn't even noticed that we were staring at each other before Hypnos made a gagging noise across from us; "I'm throwing myself out of the carriage if you two don't stop trying to have mind-sex."

He leaned back into the cushions and closed his eyes, his hands folded neatly on his stomach. Thanatos kicked him; "If you don't shut up I'll throw you out myself."

I laughed as Hypnos grabbed his leg and pulled, tugging Thanatos off his seat. The darker twin growled and ripped his leg back as his more relaxed counterpart smiled through slanted eyes; "Ape."

"Worm."

"Psychopath."

"Psychopath-wannabe."

I chuckled as they bickered. They really were adorable together.

Hypnos countered with; "Twat."

"Cun-"

"Okay!" I quickly interrupted Thanatos before I felt obligated to do ten Hail Mary's; "Shut up, both of you."

"You're upsetting Aurora, Hypnos." Thanatos smirked, but Hypnos wasn't having any of it.

"Me? It's not my fault she decided to go for the beastly brother."

"Oh, and like you're any better?"

I sighed and leaned back into the railing as my hair flew around in the breeze. I crossed my arms as they continued to bicker. I wasn't even paying attention anymore as my eyes grazed over the plains. The air was darker as we rode towards the horizon; the light fading and the ground losing its luster.

The green of the grass faded to yellow and eventually the savannahs were replaced with hard stone. The ground was dark, almost coal grey, and the distant red dunes had changed into mountainous hills and spurs.

The sky was filled with rain-bearing clouds and the sun was entirely blocked, the light of day gone and replaced with dusk and dust. I half expected the moon's pale glare to blind us, but just like the sun it was lost behind the abyss of bubbling clouds.

Suddenly, Hypnos' amused voice shook me from my daydream; "Look, she's not even paying attention to you."

I whipped my head back; "What?"

They both chuckled and shared a knowing look. I pretended not to notice as Thanatos winked at his brother. He turned his intense gaze back to me, his arms lazily swung over the seat.

"Do all mortal girls have such a short attention span?"

I knew he was only trying to irritate me; he liked it when I got all riled up. He found it hot. So I tried to keep the polite smile on my face, but the bite in my voice was very clear; "Are all gods so self-absorbed?"

"Ouch." Hypnos chuckled; "Are you going to take that, brother?"

"Oh, I was talking to both of you."

Thanatos laughed as Hypnos shot me a betrayed look, but I merely smirked and turned my head back to the horizon. I heard them mutter something. I knew immediately they were plotting something. I was ready for it.

"Really?" Hypnos' overly surprised voice filled my ears and I causally turned my head to glare at him. "I would never have thought..."

I raised a brow, a small smile playing on my lips as the two gods smirked and glanced at me sideways. I rolled my eyes. "What now?"

Thanatos shrugged; "Oh, nothing."

I pursed my lips; "What is it?"

"Hypnos was just asking if you knew that you should address Hades as 'my lord'."

I frowned; I couldn't quite make out where this was headed. They looked like they'd just read my diary or something. I felt like I was missing out on an obvious joke.

Hypnos spoke up; "Thanatos told me you were aware of the etiquette- actually; he reassured me that you're rather fond of it."

Suddenly the realisation of what they were talking about dawned on me. They were referring to me calling Thanatos 'my lord' whenever we were intimate. I felt a deep blush creep up onto my face and all over my back. I growled and kicked Thanatos square in the chest, savouring the sound of his pained groan.

Hypnos laughed at my embarrassment, but I quickly shut them both up with a menacing glare; "Shut up, you cunts."

We entered the obscenely large gates of the fortress; the old black metal gleaming menacingly in the fiery light of the hanging torches. It was now completely dark; the sun gone and replaced with night.

The carriage was escorted by two fully armoured guards up to a wide case of black marble stairs. The horses stopped and Thanatos stepped out to help me off the carriage. He picked me up and swung me over onto the steps. Hypnos followed silently.

The guards were deadly silent. They didn't even appear to be human; they seemed to float more than walk. They led the carriage away as another pair of guards at the head of the stairs slowly opened the ungodly high doors of the palace. Thanatos placed a hand on the small of my back and led me up the stairs. Hypnos followed beside me, his hand on my upper back, for reassurance.

I lifted my long black dress as we climbed the wide steps. It was still a time of mourning in the godly world, so it was only appropriate that I wore black upon seeing Zeus' grieving daughter. I could only imagine the pain she was going through...

The ballgown was big; tight around the waist and flowing out by the hips. It dragged on the floor at the back and I had to lift it up in the front to make sure my shoes wouldn't get caught on the soft material. It had no straps, but the front was cut in the shape of sharp points, nearly looking like two devil's horns as they crawled up to my collar bones.

The guards immediately recognised the twins and bowed; their heads low and their spears pointed down in a show of respect. I gulped as the brothers led me inside, the only light from the torches along the broad hallway. We walked on until a vast foyer opened up in front of us and we were greeted by a well-dressed young man.

Thanatos nodded; "Caius."

"My lords, my lady..." He bowed and raised his arm to indicate to us to head down the East passage; "Welcome, my master is waiting for you in his study."

Thanatos led the way; his stance upright and bold. His black cloak blended in perfectly with the dark hallway. My hand looked so small in his. Hypnos trailed behind me, his eyes focused on the path ahead.

I felt like we'd been walking for too long. The rooms couldn't be spaced that far apart, could they? I was wrong.

We continued on, until I felt like we'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, but both Thanatos and Hypnos knew exactly where to go. They knew this place better than Persephone, probably. They practically grew up here.

It was enormous!

'You're cold.'

I was momentarily shocked as Thanatos voice inside my mind broke the eerie silence. I smiled down and pressed his hand in mine.

'I'm alright. I'll ask Persephone for a coat.'

Thanatos suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Hypnos nearly rammed into him; "A little warning would be nice."

Thanatos flicked his tongue at his brother and quickly took off his cloak. I smiled up at him in adoration as he swung the cloak around my shoulders and pinned it together at the front with the garnet gemstone. I wrapped it around my arms and savoured the warmth of he left behind. His musky and minty scent travelled up to my nose and I pulled it around tighter.

The cloak immediately woke up from its slumber and vibrated with joy as it hugged onto me. I laughed softly at its delight while Thanatos gazed down at me with love.

Hypnos smiled and rolled his eyes at his soppy brother. He continued walking, giving us some privacy.

"Better?"

I nodded and hugged him; my face nestled into the crook of his neck. Thanatos hummed in appreciation and squeezed me tightly against him; "I promise we won't stay long. I just need the book and we can leave."

"It's alright; Persephone might need someone to talk to. I'm in no rush."

"You're perfect." I giggled as he kissed me; his desperation to be alone abundantly clear.

I bit his bottom lip and licked it, showing him I was equally eager to get home. Thanatos growled softly; "Are you wearing the teal set?"

I bit my lip and carefully dipped the neckline of my dress down to reveal the lacy, teal-coloured bra underneath; "What else?"

He scanned the empty hallway; Hypnos was far ahead and out of range. Thanatos dipped his head down to my chest and licked a sensual trail from the swell of my breast down to the edge of the lace. I held in a moan.

He traced a hot path up to my earlobe and hoarsely whispered; "Good girl."

"Hurry up!" Hypnos shouted from the end of the passage. Thanatos grumbled and pulled up my neckline to cover my cleavage; "Yes, yes!"

He shot me a lusty look and pushed me forward towards his brother; "Later..."

I grinned and blushed slightly at the thought, but it wasn't from feeling bashful. Oh no... It was from excitement.

We neared the door- finally- a bright light screaming out onto the stone of the dark hallway. Hypnos waited impatiently at the door. I grinned as he shot Thanatos a look of boredom. We all entered the room simultaneously.

I was stunned by the vastness of the place! All the walls were covered in endless shelves filled with books- even more than what Thanatos had, and that's saying a lot. The room had no windows and the fireplace was large and packed with piles of burning wood, filling the big room with a smouldering smell.

A large figure in the corner stood up and placed a thick book down onto a dark brown table. Hades' expression was dull, his voice even more uninterested; "Aurora."

He greeted me first, I suddenly felt like a large spotlight was shining right onto me; "My lord..." I bowed and ignored the blush racing up to me face as Thanatos and Hypnos exchanged a devious grin.

Bastards.

They made me feel completely self-conscious about those two words.

'I'll get you both back.'

Thanatos chuckled in my head- 'I can't wait...'

"Hades." Thanatos said as he and Hypnos both bowed slightly and walked up towards the older god. Hades sighed and pointed to a pile of books on the table next him; "These are all the books I have on Apalole. It must be in here somewhere."

And just like that, all the formalities were done with. The two young men thanked Hades and began to rummage through the pile as Hades leaned against the desk and asked them if they wanted to have a drink with him. They agreed. Hades called for his servant; "Wine, Casius."

The young man bowed and left. I felt completely out of place. Hades didn't even think to ask me, but then I realised why. He looked up to meet my cautious eyes; "Aurora, Keros will show you to where my wife is."

Suddenly, someone behind me spoke; "Follow me, my lady."

I shot around, to find an elderly man with sunken eyes indicating for me to follow him. I turned my head back to the older god; "Thank you."

Hades nodded, not a glimmer of a smile on his face. He joined Hypnos next to the fireplace as they scanned through an old tome. Thanatos looked up to me and smiled reassuringly. In my head he said; 'Go, it's alright. It's safe. I'll come fetch you as soon as I have what we're looking for.'

'I love you.'

'I love you so much more.'

I rolled my eyes and smiled at him while Keros led me out into the hallway, away from the men.

I felt suddenly fearful. Being without Thanatos like this, in such a foreign place was frightening, but I stood up straight and followed the old man down a long hallway and up a couple of flight of stairs. This palace really was massive- and dimly lit.

Thanatos cloak around my shoulders hugged me closer and I smiled down at it. It could feel I was nervous.

Keros stopped in front of a large door. He opened it and indicated for me to step inside. I did as he instructed.

My eyes widened at what I saw.

The room was unlike anything I'd expected to find in this palace- it was filled with plants and flowers, some even reaching up as high as the ceiling. The light was bright and the air was humid. The vibrant colour was unexpected; especially after seeing only shades of gray and black.

It was beautiful, but that wasn't the reason behind my sudden shock...

Across the room, seated on a large bed, sat Persephone, her hair a mess and her black dress wrinkled. In her hand she held a dagger- pointed at her heart.

Some pictures on Hades' Palace. He's known as the wealthiest god in the myths, since he has all the mineral ore at his disposal.