A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone 2)

She smiled at the cyclops. Once he was gone, Sybil sat beside Persephone.

“What did Apollo make you do?”

Persephone told Sybil and Zofie what had happened, leaving out how she managed to freeze everyone in the whole room and that she’d cut someone’s fingers off. She decided she did want them to know she had kicked Apollo in the balls, though. Sybil laughed. Zofie tried to hide her amusement, probably because she feared retaliation.

“I don’t think he’ll force me to judge another competition any time soon,” she said. “Or abduct me from the street.”

There was silence for a long moment.

“Any updates on Lexa?” Persephone asked Sybil.

The oracle shook her head. “She was still asleep when I visited.”

More silence. There was a strange kind of exhaustion that seemed to settle upon them all at once and Persephone sighed.

“I’m going to bed. See you guys tomorrow.”

They said goodnight, and Persephone made her way to her room. She paused as she opened the door, overwhelmed by Hades’ scent. Her heart beat faster in her chest and her skin was hot. She felt silly, both excited and anxious at the possibility of seeing and speaking to him.

She closed the door and said, “How long have you been here?”

“Not long.” His voice came from the darkness. There was a rough undercurrent to his tone. She knew he was trying to keep a cap on his emotions. She could feel them raging around her, anger and fear and lust and longing.

She would take them all if it meant being

close to him.

“You know what happened?” she asked.

“I overheard, yes.”

“Are you angry?” She whispered the words and found that she feared his response.

“Yes,” he said. “But not with you.”

He had kept his distance until that point, and then she felt him, his energy reached for hers. His hands found her arms, her shoulders, and then her face. She inhaled sharply at his touch.

“I couldn’t sense you,” he said. “I couldn’t find you.”

Persephone placed her hands over his. “I’m here, Hades. I’m fine.”

She thought he might kiss her, but instead he let go and turned on her light. It burned her eyes.

“You will never know how difficult this is for me.”

“I imagine as difficult as it’s been for me to deal with Minthe and Leuce.” Hades eyes darkened. “Except that Apollo has never been my lover.”

He scowled. She was provoking him, but she needed to see his emotion, to see that he cared.

“You have not been to the Underworld.”

Persephone folded her arms over her chest.

“I’ve been busy,” she said—and angry and afraid.

“The souls miss you, Persephone,” Hades said at last. She looked at him, unsure where he was going with this. Did he miss her? “Do not punish them because you are angry with me.”

“Don’t lecture me, Hades. You have no idea what I’ve been dealing with.”