A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone 2)

“There you are.” He drew his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. “What are you doing out here?”

“Breathing,” she said.

He chuckled, and the sound sent shivers down her spine. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, squeezing her tight.

“I have something for you,” Hades said, and Persephone turned in his arms.

“What is it?” she asked, a smile on her face. She had never been so happy.

Hades studied her for a moment, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing. Then, he reached into his pocket, and knelt before her.

“Hades—” She wanted to protest. They had already done this. They were engaged—she didn’t need a ring or a formal proposal.

“Just...let me do this,” he said, and the smile on his face made her chest swell. “Please.”

Hades opened a small black box, revealing a gold ring. It was both ridiculous and beautiful, encrusted with diamonds and gold flowers. It matched the crown Ian had made for her.

She gaped at it for a moment before shifting her gaze to Hades’.

“Persephone. I would have chosen you a thousand times over, the Fates be damned,” he said, laughing. “Please...become my wife, rule beside me, let me love you forever.”

Tears sprung to her eyes and she offered a shaky smile.

“Of course,” she whispered. “Forever.”

Hades smile grew, showing his teeth. It was one of her favorite smiles, the one she liked to imagine was only for her. He slipped the ring on her finger, and rose to his feet, capturing her mouth in a kiss that she felt in her soul.

“You wouldn’t have happened to overhear Hermes demand a rock, would you?” she asked when he pulled away.

Hades chuckled. “He might have been talking loud enough for me to hear,” he said. “But if you must know, I have had that ring for a while.”

“How long?” she demanded.

“Embarrassingly long,” he said and then admitted, “Since the night of the Olympian Gala.”

Persephone swallowed a lump that had risen in her throat.

How had she gotten so lucky?

“I love you,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

“I love you, too.”

They kissed again, and when he pulled away, she noticed something white swirling around them. It took her a moment to realize that it was snow.

Despite its beauty, there was something sinister to the way it fell from the sky.

Not to mention, it was August.

Persephone looked at Hades, the happiness that had lit his face a moment before was suddenly gone. Now he looked concerned, his dark brows drew together over severe eyes.

“Hades, why is it snowing?” Persephone whispered.

He looked down at her, his eyes an endless void, and answered in a solemn tone, “It’s the start of a war.”