A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone 2)

“What you want,” he said.

“That’s not true,” she said. “I want you. I love—”

“Don’t say you love me,” he interrupted her again. “I can’t...hear that right now.”

The silence that followed made her feel even more hopeless. Her face felt wet, and she touched her cheek, wiping away the tears.

“I thought you loved me,” she whispered.

“I do,” he said, staring at the floor. “But I think I may have misunderstood.”

“Misunderstood what?”

“The Fates,” he said bitterly. “I have waited for you so long, I ignored the fact that they rarely weave happy endings.”

“You cannot mean that,” she said.

“I mean it. You’ll find out why soon enough.”

Hades restored his glamour and straightened his tie; his eyes void of emotion. How could he recover so quickly when she felt like her insides were destroyed? Then, as if he hadn’t already torn a hole through her heart, his parting words reached her—ice cold and haunting.

“You should know that your actions have condemned Lexa to a fate worse than death.”

CHAPTER XIX - GODDESS OF SPRING

Alone, Persephone collapsed in tears. As she hit the floor, the thorns bursting from her skin were jarred and she cried out in pain.

“Oh, my love,” Persephone felt Hecate’s hand on her back. She didn’t look at the goddess, sobbing into her blood-covered hands.

“I messed up, Hecate.”

“Shh,” the goddess soothed. “Come, on your feet.”

Hecate lifted Persephone, careful to avoid touching the thorns sprouting from her body and teleported to her cabin. She sat Persephone down, placed her hands over the thorns that had broken her skin, and began to chant. Warmth emanated from her palms. Persephone watched as the barbs began to grow smaller until nothing of the malady was visible. When the wounds were healed, Hecate cleaned the blood away and sat down opposite Persephone.

“What happened?”

Persephone burst into tears again, guilt and agony warring in her mind. She told Hecate everything—the conversation she’d overheard about taking Lexa off life support, her mother’s visit, and her trek to the Pleasure District.

“When it came down to losing her...I couldn’t.” She choked on a sob. Hecate reached out and covered Persephone’s hand with hers. “And my mother just made it all worse. There may not be consequences for gods but there are consequences for me.”

“There are always consequences. The difference between you and other gods, is that you care about them.”

Persephone was silent for a moment and then repeated what Hades had told her. “I have condemned Lexa to a fate worse than death," she paused. "I just wanted her with me.”

“Why do you hold onto the mortal realm?”

Persephone looked at Hecate. "Because it is where I belong.”

“Is it?" she asked. "What about the Underworld?”

When Persephone didn’t respond, Hecate shook her head.

“My dear, you are trying to be someone you’re not.”

“What do you mean? All I have been trying to do is be myself.”

And that had been more difficult than she could ever imagine.