It was so wrong to think of her as a prize to be won, but I’d been so lonely, and she’d been the only beacon that gave me hope these past few months. It wouldn’t be anything permanent, what I wouldn’t give to spend a day with her—an hour, amoment.
Clenching my jaw, I curtly shook my head despite my heart screaming to tell the sky god to do it. “It wouldn’t be right, Zeus.”
“By whose standards, exactly?” Zeus curled an arm around my shoulders and waved his hand at the mirroring pool, making the image of her crystal clear. “Now is the perfect time, brother. She’s rarely alone. Say the word and it’sdone.”
I’d never experienced my celestial heart beating so profusely that it threatened to plunge through my chest. I couldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be right. When she lifted her gaze, though, her eyes calling to my very soul—she had me then. All of me. For an eternity if she’d haveme.
“Yes,” I let out in a gravelly whisper.
Zeus clapped me on the back and snapped his fingers, a giant narcissus flower growing in the meadow near Persephone’s foot. “Done. You might want to meet her when she falls through. The first time in the Underworld can be a little—” Zeus adjusted his golden crown and chuckled. “—well, terrifying.”
Ash coated my throat, and I scraped my claws down my neck. What had I done?
“And I expect that line of souls to be half that by this time tomorrow. Understand?” Zeus pointed at Styx and stood firm, awaiting my answer.
When I went coldly silent, he cleared his throat and jabbed the butt end of his spear against the cave floor.
“It will be done, myking,” I snarled, squeezing the edge of the stone as I watched Persephone sink to one knee in front of the flower.
“Good. And have fun, Hades,” Zeus started, conjuring a portal to the surface. “If you remember how.” He winked at me and walked through the portal which dematerialized into golden shimmers.
My heart seized as I caught Persephone reaching her fingers for the flower petals, and I ported myself to the Underworld’s hidden entrance—an invisible pocket connecting the surface to below ground. A line of shimmering light formed, opening wider until Persephone’s mortified face appeared. The flower coaxed her forward, pulled her into the Underworld, to my domain, and to my awaiting, outstretched arms.
The deafening shriek of the goddess in my arms would have blown a mortal’s eardrum. Persephone pushed, punched, and clawed at my face and shoulders until I reluctantly rested her bare feet on the cold and wet cave floor. I patiently folded my hands in front of me, rubbing some of my robe’s fabric between two fingers. Persephone hitched her light pink dress, grimacing at the floor as if Cerberus’ feces covered it instead of sulfur and moisture.
“Where am—is this—” Persephone turned to face me, her cheeks flushing pink, blue eyes as wide as harvest moons. “—are you?”
I took a single step forward but halted when she scurried backward. “You are in the Underworld,” I gently announced, my gaze focused on her feet growing ever closer to the river’s edge.
“Does that mean I’m de—” Persephone started, but terror swallowed her words. She pressed a hand to her chest, confusion flooding her expression when she felt a very undead heartbeat thrumming there.
Lightly shaking my head, I used the mist from Styx to float closer to her. “No. You are very much alive.”
She still clutched her bosom for reassurance, her eyes growing glassy with tears, and she took several more steps away from me. Appearing in front of her, I grasped her wrist right as she was about to fall backward into the river. Persephone gasped and stumbled forward, yanking her arm from me and cradling it like I’d burned her.
“Don’t touch me,” she spat, her feet making light pattering sounds against the slick stone floor as she hurried away from me.
“Would you have preferred I let you fall into the river Styx to have dozens of souls climb over your body?” I arched a brow at her.
Persephone whimpered at the dark stains lining the hem of her dress now. “I’dpreferto be back on the surface. If I’m not dead, then why am I here,Hades?”
My name on her lips struck a melodious chord in my heart, I hadn’t known existed until now. “I wished only to speak with you—Persephone.” It came out as a strained whisper.
Persephone gazed up at my throne, gulping when she caught sight of the numerous skulls and bones. “To talk? You lured me down here totalk? Why didn’t you just come to the surface?”
Her haughtiness was unexpected. I hadn’t exactly envisioned her being elated to be here, but given her demeanor I’d witnessed in the meadow amidst other company—so soft and tender—the abrasiveness now took me aback.
“It’s not that easy. I’m only allotted a certain amount of time on the surface, and it’s only available at a specific time. It wasso far away, I couldn’t bear the thought of waiting any longer.” I floated to the mirror pool, resting my hands on the stone edges.
Persephone wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes focusing on the flames within the sconces. “Why me?”
“I’ve—” Hesitating with my following words, I gripped the stones so tightly I broke one off. The meadow appeared within the shimmering water, but instead of her angelic form dancing through the tall grass, it swayed unaccompanied in the wind. “—I’ve been watching you for some time now.”
“Watching me? As in spying on me?” Persephone’s eyes grew as large as the pomegranates resting in the bowl next to her.
Wincing at the accusation because I still couldn’t wholly deny it, I shook my head. “I have no control overwhatthe mirror pool shows me of the surface. For whatever reason, italwaysshowed me you.” I turned to look at her, to gauge her reaction, and tensed.
She stood by the arrays of fruit, awestruck and fixated. A bright green apple was in her grasp, and she started to bring it toward her lips.
