Hades didn't move for a second. The contrast between the horrors in his head and the ketchup on her face was so ridiculous he felt a bubble of hysterical laughter threaten to rise. He walked over, his eyes scanning her for injuries. She looked exhausted, her hair matted with sweat and ash, but she was whole.
"You're a terrible shadow," Hades said, his voice husky with relief. "I could hear you chewing from the hallway. You sound like a woodchipper."
She nearly choked on the chicken. In no way did she sound like a woodchipper! Her chewing was soft and graceful. But that didn't matter much now.
"I haven't eaten since.... I do not remember," she defended herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, only to smear the ketchup further. "And the world-to-world travel always makes me feel like my stomach is trying to exit through my ears."
