Ken didn't move for a good few minutes after Jester left.
His hands were still gripping the couch cushions. He kept looking at the doorway even though there was nothing there anymore. The thing had been standing right there — had bent completely at the waist, all seven feet of it — and said sorry.
He was still trying to figure out how to feel about that when Hades came back in with a tray.
He brought risotto, roasted vegetables, and some kind of purple drink in a glass pitcher.
Hades took one look at his face and put the tray down.
"What happened."
"Jester came by."
The temperature in the room dropped fast — like a window had been thrown open somewhere in winter. The fire went blue.
"If he—"
"He didn't do anything." Ken grabbed his arm, he felt the muscle locked tight underneath. "He apologized. That's it"
Hades took a breath— Long and deliberate. The hearth crept back to orange.
