Welcometo our little nest of lies,I think as I pass through the threshold of the cabin.Fuck, how many times have I thought about voicing those exact words aloud?
It was the greeting I intended for Persephone.
But a different version of her joins me now.
A stronger version.
One still holding the fire lily I manifested for her.
The embers flicker and glow, illuminating her fair skin and providing her with a healthy blush.
It’s beautiful.
Fuck,sheis beautiful.
This Omega masquerading as a human. Though, I supposemasqueradingisn’t the right term, as it implies nefarious intentions. Yet nothing about Serapina Everheart appears to be conniving in nature.
Of course, the same could have been said about Persephone, too.
Only Persephone exuded a childlike innocence, one I used to adore. However, I can’t help but be intrigued by Serapina’s boldness. She’s still innocent in a way, but there’s nothing childlike about her.
She’s determined.
Strives for independence.
And isn’t afraid to speak her mind. It’s… refreshing.
It also kind of reminds me of Maliki. He’s always been fearless where I’m concerned, a trait I find exceptionally rare.
Serapina isn’t exactly fearless so much as assertive. She doesn’t shy away from voicing her wants and needs.
Unless she thinks I’m going to “hold it against her.”
My jaw clenches at the reminder of her question. It wasn’t voiced in a sarcastic tone but in an honest one. Because she actually thinks I’m capable of cruelty.
Which makes sense, given everything she’s seen from me.
And now she’s here—in the heart of the underworld that I built for Persephone.
It exists beneath the Netherworld Kingdom. A secret labyrinth of passages meant to entertain and punish my mate.
Now it feels like a prison.
Because I’m trapped here with the darkness of my decisions. Forced to face my sins in the most unanticipated of ways.
“It’s freezing in here,” Serapina says as she enters.
“Yes. It’s as cold as death,” I reply. “This is what happens when life ceases to exist.” I glance at her. “As I said, everything I built here is layered with pain and bitterness.” Perhaps I didn’t explain it quite like that, but the point was clear.
Something flickers in Serapina’s blue eyes, and for a moment, a twisted part of me hopes Persephone can hear me.
But I regret that desire in the next second.
Because I… I don’t know how I would feel about her replacing Serapina.
It’s a jarring realization.
For two thousand years, I’ve searched for my mate. Not to save her, necessarily, but to simply find her. And I was willing to do whatever it took to locate her.
