“No,” Hades said, dead serious.
“Gods,” she said, rubbing her temple. “Men.”
“If I had known you wanted details, I would have asked,” he offered.
“Hades, darling,” she said, straightening the lapels of his jacket, “I will always want details.”
His brows rose in amusement.
“Noted,” he said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead.
As the celebration continued, the time between Persephone’s contractions shortened and grew in intensity. She distracted herself by making rounds through the ballroom and checking on her guests, enjoying the time she spent eavesdropping on a game of most like to which Hecate had organized.
“Who is most likely to get caught by a giant and end up in a jar?” Aphrodite asked, reading from a notecard.
“Ares,” everyone said in unison.
The only one who did not seem bored with the questions was Hecate, who chuckled quietly at the end of the table. She had also brought a guest, a fluffy, white cat she was calling Snowball.
“That isn’t a human, is it, Hecate?” Persephone had asked, suspicious.
She’d laughed, which had not exactly made Persephone feel better. “No, not this one,” she said. “He is a rescue.”
“Aren’t these questions supposed to be hypothetical?” Ares asked, arms crossed over his large chest.
“Where’s the fun in that?” asked Hecate.
“The fun is that it didn’t actually happen,” said Ares.
“What would you prefer to be asked?” Hecate countered.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe…who is more likely to fuck a shovel or fall in an endless pit?”
“Those are obvious too,” Hecate huffed. “Hermes and Hermes.”
“Hey!” Hermes said, offended. “I would not fall in a pit. I have wings. Duh.”
As the Ascension approached, the ballroom began to clear with the souls and gods gathering outside. Hades and Persephone joined them in the courtyard. She had hoped the biting cold would provide a distraction from the contractions, but they had moved higher. She blew out a breath, hands smoothing over her stomach. Her head was starting to hurt, and her mouth was a little dry.
“Are you well?” Hades asked, looking down at her. She couldn’t place his expression, though she could feel his anxiety.
“Yeah,” she said. “Though I think I will be unwell soon.”
He pulled her close, and it grew quiet and dark, the glow of Christmas lights dimming to almost nothing when Apollo’s choir began to sing.
The first few notes were haunting and ethereal, very different from what they’d heard before the Christmas tree lighting in the Upperworld. Persephone struggled to hold back tears, but so did everyone else, the transition between each song filled with the sound of sniffling.
At the conclusion, Apollo turned from his choir and went to Hyacinth. Locked in each other’s embrace, the soul began to glow. When he grew too bright, Apollo pulled back, watching as Hyacinth became light. He held on until he was nothing more than a shower of sparks, rising into the night air.
Persephone wanted to go to Apollo and provide comfort, but that wasn’t possible because at that very moment, she felt a warm gush between her legs.
“Hades,” she said. “It’s time.”
Chapter 13
Hades
“She keeps doing that,” Hades said, looking at Hecate for answers.
