A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone 2)

The god pouted. “I brought the dolly, didn’t I?”

“And now you need to use it. Up! Take these boxes down.”

Hermes grumbled, but rolled off the bed and Lexa followed.

They stacked boxes on the dolly, and while Hermes took them down, Persephone and Lexa helped Sybil pack the rest of her life. Persephone enjoyed the task, each box was a new challenge, and she liked to see just how much she could place in one box. When she was finished, she wrote a quick inventory on the side of the box to make unpacking easier.

When Hermes realized what she was doing, he snorted, shaking his head.

“What?” Persephone demanded.

“You’re just as regimented as Apollo.”

Persephone didn’t like being compared to the god. “What do you mean?”

“Haven’t you been paying attention to this place?” he looked around. “Everything in this place is arranged by type and color.”

“I’m organized, Hermes, not neurotic.”

“Apollo is disciplined. Ever since I’ve known him, he’s been that way.”

“If he’s so disciplined, why is he so...emotional?”

“Because Apollo takes pride in his routine—in the things he can create and execute, which means when he loses control, it’s personal.” Apollo glanced at Sybil. “Same goes for how he handles humans.”

Once they were finished, Sybil left her key on the shiny granite countertop in Apollo’s state-of-the-art kitchen, and the four piled into the moving van and left for the apartment.

“You’re not staying in the lines,” Persephone said, holding onto the grab handle as Lexa drove down the street.

“I can’t see,” Lexa complained, sitting up higher in the driver’s seat.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be driving,” Hermes commented.

“Does someone else want to drive?” she asked.

Everyone in the cabin was silent because none of them could drive.

“Just keep a lookout for pedestrians,” Persephone said.

“I’ll give you ten points if you hit someone,” Hermes offered.

“Is that supposed to entice me?” Lexa asked.

“Uh yeah, they’re Divine points.”

“What do Divine points get me?” Lexa asked, as if she were seriously considering his offer.

“A chance to be a goat,” he answered.

Persephone and Sybil exchanged a look. “If you are wondering if I regret introducing them to each other, the answer is yes.”

Unloading Sybil’s things took less than thirty minutes. Finding a place to put it was another story. They lined boxes up in the hallway, part of the living room and Persephone’s room since she would probably spend most of her time in the Underworld.

Once they had everything moved, Hermes opened a bottle of champagne, grinning.

“Time to celebrate!”

“Oops,” Lexa said, snatching up the keys to the moving truck. “Before we start, I have to return this rental.”