he only sound in the room was the soft tap of the water dripping from the ends of her hair as she stood naked and wet beside the bench. A shiver rolled through her, sending goosebumps across her cold, damp skin, but Sakura ignored it and stared down at the folds of fabric laying across the cushion before her. Just like the last time, the clothes intended for her to wear had appeared as soon as she stepped out of the bath.

But unlike the sheer chemise and robe that had been provided for her yesterday, her new garments were quite different. Laying there in the dim light, the fabric at least had some color to it this time and as she passed her hand under a slip of it, she was pleased that it wasn't nearly sheer. Sakura lifted the bundle into her hands and frowned. Though it wasn't translucent, there wasn't much of it and this time, she had no robe to cover herself with.

Sighing, she stepped into the skirt and pushed her arms through the opening on either side, frowning down at her body. Two strips of the sage-colored material were draped down her front, barely wide enough to cover her breasts. Even adjusting it as much as she could, there was still too much of her exposed.

Then again, what did it truly matter? He had already seen her naked, had touched her breast, and stripped her filthy clothes from her body. The thought warmed her more than the bath had and Sakura flattened her palms down her front, smoothing the flowing skirt. It cascaded from just beneath her breasts to the floor, extra fabric pooling around her feet. On both sides of her hips, the skirt was slit high to her hips and she feared one mild gust of wind would be her downfall.

Again, she smoothed the material out, adjusting and shifting it this way and that until she felt comfortable enough to face him once more. She was almost certain he kept her in clothing like this to make her feel vulnerable and she did. She hated that these little things he did were getting to her.

Perhaps the gods were used to draping themselves in loose clothing that left little to a passerby's imagination, but she wasn't. Sakura frowned down at the gown and slid her fingers along the seam at her waist, moving toward the lantern hanging patiently in the center of the room. As the glow from the candles within surrounded her, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The gown was a beautiful color, made of soft hues of green that rivaled the lush moss that lived on the rocks near the river back home. It was the color she longed to see in the underworld, the same green a sprout from a seed would be, the color he was so confident she would never replicate.

He was mocking her with it.

In a flash, Sakura stared at the empty space behind the lantern, knowing someone was there. She didn't bother combing the tangles from her dripping hair, refusing to care about her dappled pink cheeks from the flush of anger and heat. "Take me to him."

Without hesitation, the lantern swung toward the door and Sakura stormed after it. Thankfully, whatever was carrying the source of light sensed her urgency and didn't dawdle through the infinitely dark halls. Even as her heels ground the rubble to dust beneath her, she refused to flinch or wince in pain. There was only one thing on her mind and it was defeating this arrogant god in their game.

Rounding a corner to the right, Sakura recalled what the goddess had said to her earlier that day. He's fair . It was almost enough to make her laugh. Perhaps he was fair to the other gods, the beings he considered his equal, but to a mortal? No. He wasn't fair. He was ruthless and dominant and unforgiving. If he thought Sakura would succumb after just a taste of honey, he was gravely mistaken.

At the end of the hallway, an entry into the dining room was lit with candles sitting in sconces on either side of the doorway. The long table in the center of the room was filled once more with delicious smelling food that ripped through her anger. It nearly made her stumble to a halt behind the lantern and she couldn't stop herself from pressing a hand to her empty belly.

Sitting where he had the day before, the god waited patiently for her to enter the room and though she had planned to hold her chin high in defiance, her gaze instead swept to the buffet laid out. Steam curled in the air above the sterling silver pots of vegetables and perfectly seared meat, drawing her eye and ensnaring her with the promise of a meal. So focused on what to pile onto her plate, she hadn't realized she had even been moving until she lowered into the chair at the opposite end of the table.

Her hands gripped the arms of the chair, nails digging into the wood to keep her from snatching whatever she could dig her fingers into. Moisture filled her mouth and she swallowed it down, finally able to lift her gaze from the banquet to meet the god at the end of the table. The small smile, so knowing and smug, on his lips ignited that anger once more but nowhere near as potent as she needed it to be.

"Please," he said, sweeping his hand elegantly in front of him. "Help yourself."

She only had enough strength for a single second of hesitation before she reached for the dish nearest to her, finding a deliciously roasted hen. The tips of her fingers stung from the heat but she didn't care. Her hunger was nearly unbearable and the longer she waited to eat, the worse the empty ache began to gnaw.

Frantically, she tore into the meat, wincing from the burn to her tongue, and leaned over the plate as the oil dripped down her chin. She hated that it was delicious. How satisfying it would have been to curl her lip and toss it aside just to spite the god. But now that she had a taste, she couldn't stop.

The need for more was primal, animalistic and that's exactly what she felt like; an animal.

From the opposite side of the banquet, she could feel his gaze on her, hated that it left her flushed and ashamed of her hunger. Ignoring him the best she could, Sakura grabbed the bowl beside the dish she had snatched the hen from and scooped out whatever was inside. There were fresh steamed vegetables, carrots, and squash in a creamy sauce that nearly made her eyes roll back in her head as soon as it touched her tongue.

It didn't take long for her stomach to feel the traces of satisfaction. She was nowhere near finished eating, but for now, she could at least breathe between bites. Three days without a single meal had nearly been too much for her to stand and though she couldn't blame it entirely on the god at the other end of the table, she knew it was mostly due to her own stubbornness.

As the gnaw of hunger started to subside and her belly filled, she sat up straighter and wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, eyes lifting to stare at him from beneath her lashes. He sat on the chair almost sideways, relaxed against one side with his chin resting in his palm while he tapped his fingernail against the bottom of his wine glass. The tink, tink, tink , was the only sound in the room beside her chewing and Sakura swallowed the bite and stilled, folding her hands in her lap to stare at him.

There was amusement in his eyes as if the very sight of her experiencing such a mortal need for food entertained him. Knowing she probably looked every bit like a starved animal, all but licking the crumbs from the plate, sent a rush of embarrassment to her face. It ruined the rest of her appetite and she cut her gaze away from him, suddenly finding the wall to her right far more interesting.

"So," he began, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. "Are you going to enlighten me and challenge my wit with your riddle?"

Just like the color of the dress, he was mocking her with his tone and Sakura quickly turned her glare back to him. All of a sudden, the food she had eaten so quickly threatened to come back up and she squeezed her hands into fists to distract herself. She had thought of her first riddle, one she remembered being proud to stump her father with as a child. Now that it was time to say it out loud, she tried to recall if her father had actually been stumped, or if he had been playing along to humor her.

Across the table, she saw the god lift his eyebrows, impatiently waiting for her answer. She took a deep breath and nodded slowly. Though she opened her mouth, her voice was too cowardly to appear. It was a struggle just to get the words out.

"W-what has a head but no body, a tail but no legs?"

Hearing it out loud, spoken so softly she barely heard it at all, made her wince. She was angry at herself for feeling so confident while lying in bed that morning, devising ways to trick the god and thinking she was capable of it. Ugh, she had been such a fool.

"A head but no body," he repeated quietly, that humor still lingering in his tone. "And a tail but no legs."

Panic was starting to ripple like pinpricks beneath her skin and though the dining room was massive, with ceilings stretching high above her, she felt as if the walls were suddenly pressing on either side of her. She sucked in a trembling breath though it did no good to ease the tightness of her chest and she gripped the arms of the chair until her knuckles turned white.

Her eyes met his gaze and she repeated what the goddess had told her once more time. He's fair …

"I don't think our game is fair." The words rushed from her mouth before she could stop them and the silence that followed was deafening. It filled the room, shoving the pressing walls back until Sakura suddenly felt so small, she could barely see over the stacks of trays and dishes on the table. What had she been thinking?

"Oh?" The god asked, tilting his head to the side. His eyes were narrowed slightly and the light from the candles flickered across the planes of his face. "Why do you think that?"

"Because...it isn't. You gave me an impossible task, designed so that I would fail before I could even attempt it."

"This game is yours, Sakura. You made the rules and agreed to them."

"I agreed to my game. I didn't agree to whatever you're planning with those seeds. You offer no sunlight in your realm, no chance for life to grow! If I were to ask you an impossible riddle that you could not solve, would you admit defeat like you expect me to?" She stood from her chair, knocking it back with her legs, and slammed her hands down on the table. The dishes and candles closest to her trembled from the force, the flames dancing erratically. And while she knew it was best to shut her mouth before he took his wrath out on her, she couldn't stop. The fire and fury licked at her insides, fueling her anger onward. "The goddess-the one from the swamp-she said you were fair. Above all else, you were fair so why are you forcing me to play an unfair game?"

"You require the sun, is that what you're saying?" His question left her stunned and she blinked. "Would you like the moon and stars as well, Sakura?"

She clenched her jaw tightly and leaned forward, staring through the tall, black candlesticks at the god, hating the relaxed, nonchalance of his body language. "If the sun were to truly make the seeds grow, would you give it to me?"

Slowly, unfurling like a pale mist, the god set his hands down on the table and rose from the chair to his full height. His eyes stayed locked onto her own as he stepped out from behind the table. The nearer he drew to her, the harder it was to breathe and Sakura took a step back on her heels, nearly snagging the loose material of her skirt. She stumbled and clutched the dress around her thighs, shifting it so she could right herself.

"You may have your sunlight," he said quietly, his voice rumbling so deep in his chest that Sakura felt a clench of the muscles between her thighs. "But in return, you must give me something."

There was only the corner of the table separating them and Sakura forgot how to breathe the moment his gaze pierced through her. On the outside, she was frozen, and inside, a flame was pulsing and searing through her. When she found the strength to speak, it was only a whisper. "Why?"

"Because Sakura." The god ducked his head, tipping his horns forward as he searched her eyes. All traces of humor had vanished from his words, leaving only a darkness that sent shivers down her spine. Sakura could only watch as he slowly reached for her, his hand finding her waist. "Fair is fair."

The tips of his fingers pressed into the bare strip of skin on her side, slipping beneath the material of her gown. His touch was cool and yet, it ignited a fire that left her scorched and breathless. He pulled her toward him and Sakura barely felt the floor under her feet as she moved. In an instant, her hands were on his chest, her thumb brushing over the scarred flesh, stealing her breath in a gasp.

Dark eyes searched hers and she hoped he couldn't see the desire in them that she couldn't deny. It lifted through her, unfurled its way to every dark corner in her soul, and her fingers tightened around the thick fabric of his robes. It was the only thing keeping her steady aside from the hand he kept firmly in place on her waist. She blinked, her tongue darting out to wet her suddenly dry lips and she let her gaze fall from his eyes.

The curve of his lips, so pale, the corner nearly touching the scar that ran down the center of his eye, invited her in with the faint trace of a smile. She felt the butterflies return to her belly, fluttering madly against her insides, matching the race of her pulse. With his free hand, the god lifted his fingers to her face and brushed the hair away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. He traced the edge of her jaw with his middle finger all the way to her chin and tilted her head back.

She forgot how to breathe, forgot how to think. There was nothing but his touch and the nearness of his lips. Everything melted away at that moment and as much as she loathed this cursed deity, as much as she wanted to shove him away, slap him, scream at him, she couldn't. More than that, she didn't exactly want him to stop.

He tilted his head to the side, eyes glancing down to her lips before he pressed her even closer. Her chest was flush against him, the length of their bodies nearly merged into one. Just the faintest brush, a nudge of his bottom lip against hers, and she nearly came apart. Her eyes fluttered shut and she held her breath, pushing her tiptoes into the floor for a better taste, a proper kiss.

Her first kiss.

"Although," the soft chuckle, vibrating through the chest pressing into her, snapped her eyes open and she sucked in a breath. "Perhaps I should make you beg for it first."

No…

Sakura stared up at him, finally finding the ability to breathe, and sucked in a lungful of air that trembled as she inhaled. What a monstrous, cruel, infuriating god! He teased her and tormented her for enjoyment and had the gall to think she'd beg for his kiss? She shoved against his chest, struggling to free herself from his grasp, and with another laugh beneath his breath, he pulled her deeper into his embrace.

"You're so easy to anger," he murmured with that wicked curl at the corner of his lips. "I won't make you beg for it, little mortal. Your desperation is obvious."

With her eyes wide and hands pathetically trying to push him away to no avail, the god brought his mouth down onto hers. In an instant, her breath was stolen from her, and all rational thoughts, all warning bells, and voices of reason vanished from her head, leaving nothing else but the spark of desire that had been lingering behind.

She had never kissed anyone before, wasn't sure how to respond if the occasion arose, and now that it was the lips of a highly powerful, horrifyingly dark god that were against her own, Sakura was hopeless. Just like most choices she had in his realm, she could do nothing but give in against her will.

The flutter of her eyelids closing shifted them from a chaste, awkward kiss to something else, something deep and wild that electrified her from the inside. His lips parted and she copied his motions, letting him take control. As she stilled, no longer pushing him away, no longer fighting him at all, he was able to slip his arm around to her back. The feel of his palm between her shoulders, warm yet so foreign to her that a shiver cascaded down her spine, arched her chest into his and a quiet moan of approval rumbled from his throat.

Sakura was surprised by her reaction to the sound of it. That familiar ache, the coil of heat and need, tightened in her lower belly and pulled at the back of her navel. She pressed her thighs together, sucking in a breath at the spark of pleasure between them.

So caught in the haze clouding her mind from his kiss, she hadn't realized that the hand he had kept on her waist moved until the slip of fabric brushed across her nipple. Her breath hitched and the god took it as a sign to continue. Had it been? She couldn't tell anymore. Her body was reacting to him though she knew it was wrong, knew she'd hate herself for it later.

A shudder trembled her chest at the touch of his thumb passing over the tightened bud of her nipple and Sakura tightened her fingers around his robes. They had abandoned their attempt to push him away and were now desperate to pull him closer, desperate to drink him in. There was absinthe on his lips, opium on his tongue, and she was intoxicated the moment she tasted both.

All of the fear and anger and hate she had for him shifted into something she couldn't quite describe. It was just as fiery as her anger, just as terrifying and irrational, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she wanted more of him.

His kiss was a drug and she needed more.

The warmth of his palm at her breast coiled the heat tighter and the craving for more sank into the darkest corners of her mind where the primal, animalistic instincts like hunger and thirst dwelled. She kissed him as if she were starving for it, pawing at him like she had the food in dishes, and she was thankful for every taste he gave her.

One hand let go of his robe, moving on its own before she could even decide what to do with it, slipping between their bodies. The thick material around his body at the back of her knuckles and the soft silk against her palm, such a contrast, yet so perfectly fitting. She found the slit in the skirt at her hip and brushed the tips of her fingers over her bare flesh as she pulled it open. It was an invitation, a silent plea for more and he answered by reaching between their bodies and taking her hand to stop her.

Sakura's eyes snapped open to find the god pulling away from their kiss. Just as it had been before he had ever kissed her, that damn smile, the wicked lift of one side of his lips, remained in a knowing smirk. Seeing it there, having him grip her wrist to keep the new, unwanted distance between them, was a splash of cold water on the fires that had been burning inside her. She searched his eyes, finding nothing but the unfathomable darkness he kept there, and her lips quivered.

How foolish she was...every moment in his presence only proved just how much of a fool she truly was. She hadn't begged him with words, but she had in every other way imaginable and he knew he had won this part of the game. That tight press of desire within her quickly turned into nausea and she wrenched her arm out of his grasp.

"You tricked me," she mumbled, trying to recall how it had all happened. "Y-you poisoned the food or-or-"

"Enjoy your sunlight, Sakura. Fair is fair, after all." His voice was low, sinking into her head like warm silk and she hated how it made her body react. Even after having the fire between them extinguished, there were still embers burning within her and they were clinging to any breath of life.

The god took a step back, the black horns parting the silver of his hair nearly disappearing into the shadows behind him and Sakura could only stare. Her thoughts were in a frenzy, furious at him, furious at herself for letting him do this to her. She watched him sweep his hand to the entryway, giving her permission to leave the dining room.

As if she needed it. There was nothing that could stop her from fleeing from him right then.

Tears stung her eyes and her body mourned the loss of his warmth it had already grown to crave. She swiped furiously at the droplet rolling out of the corner of her eye and just as she crossed into the dark hallway, the god spoke again.

"Oh, and Sakura?" She stopped but didn't turn around, keeping her eyes narrowed into slits. "A coin."

What has a head but no body, a tail but no legs?

A sick feeling, like she had swallowed a heavy stone, settled in her stomach and she pressed her hands to her belly. Perhaps she had been wrong before. Perhaps she was the one that underestimated the gods. It was only the first riddle, but something told her he had known the answer as soon as she asked the question.

Fighting the threat of her dinner coming back up, Sakura ignored his answer and hurried down the hall. She didn't need the lantern, didn't want to see any more of this damned palace than she had to. Would her misery ever end? Would she ever see the mortal realm, her friends and parents again? It seemed so far away, so out of reach and the tears flowed freely now. Yes, she had been wrong to underestimate the god before but she had been right about one thing.

She definitely hated herself for giving into him.