Chapter 1
Persephone
Persephone lay on her side, body twined with a firm pillow. At this point in her pregnancy, it didn’t provide much relief. Everything hurt, even her lungs. She was sure she hadn’t taken a deep breath for six months. Even if she managed to get comfortable enough to sleep, she would likely wake up in a couple of hours to pee.
The babies had rejected every concoction Hecate crafted for sleep, no matter the flavor or form, expressing their dislike by ensuring she had the most awful nightmares when she finally slipped into slumber.
From the time of conception, the twins had demonstrated their power over dreams. When they were upset or uncomfortable, they worked together to pull from her memories and craft the darkest realities. She’d faced Zeus, Theseus, even Demeter, but none of them had instilled fear the way the Fates had.
At least when she woke, she knew the first three were dead, but the Fates…they were very much alive, and despite her elation at discovering she was pregnant, there had also been dread.
Dread for what she would owe the Fates for weaving this blessing into their lives.
Hades tried to act unbothered, but she knew he worried too. He’d sacrificed his ability to have children long ago, granting immortality to Dionysus’s mother in exchange for a favor from the God of Wine.
As much as Persephone wanted to believe the Fates had given them these two souls as some kind of gift for saving humanity, she was not so naive. She knew the Fates. Eventually, they would ask for something in return. The thought turned her stomach.
A sudden, loud snore pulled her from her thoughts. There was something about lying next to her sleeping husband that ignited rage in her blood.
Why should he slumber peacefully when she could not?
She knew that wasn’t exactly fair. Hades had many sleepless nights over the years, even more after he’d met her, constantly on edge and worried. She was glad he slept now, though she couldn’t say she was enthused about the snoring.
That was new.
He’s probably just tired, she thought.
He had spent the day assembling furniture for the nursery the mortal way. They’d both agreed to take a hands-on approach preparing for the arrival of their babies, though that was before she’d ordered all the furniture for the nursery.
Hades had tried to hide his grimace behind a soft smile when he’d seen the boxes stacked outside Nevernight, but it hadn’t escaped her notice.
Persephone pushed her pillow off the bed and sat up. The pressure that had settled in the upper part of her body rushed to the bottom as she rose to her feet. Hecate had spelled some kind of magical band that fit around her belly and relieved some of the pressure on her back and hips, but the closer she got to her due date, the less it seemed to help.
She made her way out of the bedroom and headed for the kitchen. When she couldn’t sleep, she turned her attention to baking and decorating for their annual Christmas Eve celebration which also happened to fall on another Ascension, when souls who were ready to incarnate left the Underworld in an emotional and beautiful display of light.
It felt a little unfair, that the two events would coincide, but they’d had quite a few Ascensions this year. They were always bittersweet. It meant souls were healing, and though their absence would be felt by those who remained for months to come, it was a sign the scales were tipping toward balance—a restoration of lives that had been lost during the Olympian War.
Seeking a reason behind her surprise pregnancy, she’d asked Hades and Hecate if the twins were part of the Fates initiative to repopulate Earth. They’d both agreed it was possible. Many gods and goddesses had died alongside mortals, but like her, they did not trust it was their only motive.
“Fucking Fates,” she found herself muttering as she entered the kitchen, switching on the light. The time on the stove read 4:00 a.m. Christmas was so near and she had a lot to do—sweets to bake, food to make, and trees to decorate.
Like Hades who was assembling the nursery, Persephone also insisted on doing most of the holiday preparation by hand. It kept her focused, distracted from her discomfort, but she had other reasons.
The twins could arrive any day now. She knew they were ready. She was too. As important as it was to prepare for them, it was also important to her that the residents of the Underworld had a magical holiday. Celebrations had always been significant to the souls, but in the aftermath of the war, Persephone cherished times like this even more, seeking ways to make each event extra special.
Her motivations were multifaceted, even before she discovered she was pregnant. More than ever, she valued gathering with those she cared for most, especially after so much loss. Though she was able to see her friends as souls in the Underworld, Lexa and Apollo specifically, it was impossible to interact with them without thinking about how they’d died.
It was a different type of grief, something separate from mourning someone who no longer existed. When she looked at Lexa, she saw the person she knew in her day-to-day life, and yet she were different. Lexa had no memories of their time together, though there were moments when she sounded like the old Lexa. Apollo sounded the same, but he looked different. He was a god, not only stripped of glamour, but walls. He was a soul made of sorrow, thin and broken.
Her heart ached for them both, but it also swelled with hope, knowing they were healing.
Persephone focused on the island in front of her. She’d given Milan a list of ingredients she needed left on the counter for her task. She was going to make gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Today was particularly special because Hades was going to make it snow, and she wanted the children to have activities and something warm when they came in from playing.
“You know I can make it snow without the cold,” Hades had said when she’d told him her plan.
“Don’t be ridiculous. The cold is part of the experience.”
