A Touch of Darkness (Hades x Persephone #1)(20)

“What are you doing here?” Persephone asked.

“Where were you yesterday?” Demeter’s voice was curt.

“It sounds like you already think you know the answer,” she replied. “So why don’t you tell me?”

“Do not treat this with sarcasm, my dear. This is very serious—why were you at Nevernight?”

Persephone tried to keep her heart from racing.

“How do you know I was at Nevernight?”

Did a nymph see her?

“Never mind how I knew. I asked you a question.”

“I went for work, mother. I must return today, too.”

“Absolutely not,” she said. “Need I remind you a condition of your time here was that you stay away from the gods. Especially Hades.”

She said his name like a curse and Persephone flinched.

“Mother, I have to do this. It’s my job.”

“Then you will quit.”

“No.”

Demeter looked stunned, and Persephone was sure that in all her twenty-four years she’d never told her mother no.

“What did you say?”

“I like my life, mother. I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”

“Persephone, you do not need to live this mortal life. It is...changing you.”

“Good. That’s what I want. I want to be me, whatever that is and you are going to have to accept that.”

Demeter’s face was stone cold, and Persephone knew what she was thinking—I do not have to accept anything but what I want.

“I have heeded your warnings about the gods, especially Hades. What are you afraid of? That I will allow him to seduce me? Have more faith in me.”

Demeter paled and hissed, “This is serious, Persephone.”

“I am being serious, mother.” She checked her watch. “I have go. I will be late for class.”

Persephone sidestepped her mother and left the garden. She could feel Demeter’s gaze burning her back as she went.

She would regret standing up for herself, she was sure of it.

Question was, what punishment would the Goddess of Harvest choose?

***

Class went by in a blur of furious notes and droning lectures. Normally Persephone was attentive, but she had a lot on her mind. Her conversation with her mother was gnawing away at her insides. Though Persephone was proud she stood up for herself, she knew Demeter could whisk her away with a snap of her fingers, back to the glass greenhouse. She was also thinking about her conversation with Lexa, and how she could start research for her article. She knew an interview would be essential, but she wasn’t eager to be in an enclosed space with him again.

She was still feeling off at lunch, and Lexa noticed.

“What’s wrong?”

She considered how to tell her friend her mother was spying on her. Finally, she said, “I found out my mom’s been tracking me,” she said. “She...sorta found out about Nevernight.”

Lexa rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t she realize you’re an adult?”

“I don’t think my mother has ever seen me as an adult.”

And she didn’t think her mother ever would, evident by her use of the nickname Kore.

“Don’t let her make you feel bad for having fun, Persephone. Definitely don’t let her keep you from doing what you want.”

But it was harder than that. Obeying meant she could stay in the mortal world and that’s what Persephone wanted, even if it wasn’t as fun.

After lunch, Lexa came with Persephone to the Acropolis. She claimed it was to see where she worked, but Persephone suspected she wanted a glimpse of Adonis and she got one, because he intercepted them as they passed the front desk.

“Hey,” he said, smiling. “Lexa, right? It’s good to see you again.”

Gods. She couldn’t blame Lexa one bit for falling under Adonis’ spell. This man was charming, and it helped that he was remarkably handsome.

Lexa grinned. “I couldn’t believe it when Persephone told me she worked with you. What a coincidence.”

He looked at Persephone. “It was definitely a pleasant surprise. You know what they say, small world, huh?”

“Adonis, a moment?” Demetri called from his doorway. They all looked in his direction.

“Coming!” Adonis called, and looked back at Lexa. “Good to see you. Let’s all go out sometime.”

“Careful, we’ll hold you to that,” she warned.

“I hope you do.”

Adonis left then, and Lexa looked at Persephone. “Tell me—is he as handsome as Hades?”

Persephone didn’t mean to scoff, but there was no comparison. She also didn’t mean to offer a resounding, “No.”

But she did.

Lexa raised a brow and smiled. She leaned forward and pecked Persephone on the cheek. “I’ll see you tonight. Oh, and make sure you follow up with Adonis. He’s right—we should go out together.”

As Lexa left, Persephone deposited her belongs at her desk and went to make coffee. Post lunch, she was feeling tired, and she needed all her energy for what she was about to do.

When she returned to her desk, Adonis stepped out of Demetri’s office.

“So, about this weekend,” he said.

“This weekend?” She questioned.