A Touch of Malice (Hades & Persephone #3)(113)

When the song ended, another began, and the children broke away to play on their own.

“May I have this dance, Queen Persephone?”

She turned to find Hermes, who bowed low in her presence.

“Of course, Lord Hermes,” she countered, taking his outstretched hand.

“I am proud of you, Sephy,” he said.

“Proud? Whatever for?”

“You did well in front of the Olympians tonight,” he said.

“I think I made enemies.”

He shrugged and guided her into a spin. “Having enemies is a universal truth,” he said. “It means you have something worth fighting for.”

“You know,” Persephone said. “For all of your humor, Hermes, you have a lot wisdom.”

The god grinned. “Another universal truth.”

After dancing with Hermes, Persephone was passed to Charon and when she found herself standing face-to-face with Thanatos, her smile faded.

He was pale and handsome and looked a little sad.

The god bowed his head. “Lady Persephone, will you dance with me?”

Thanatos had not approached her since the day he’d told her she could not see Lexa. Facing him now felt awkward.

She hesitated and Thanatos noticed, adding. “I understand if you wish to decline.”

“I do not expect you to be kind because I am your Queen,” she said.

“I did not ask you to dance because you are my Queen,” he said. “I asked you to dance so I could apologize.”

“Apologize then, and we shall dance.”

He frowned; his blue eyes sincere as he spoke, “I am sorry for my actions and my words. I took protecting Lexa to an extreme and I regret how I hurt you.”

“Apology accepted,” she said, and Thanatos offered a sad smile.

“It does not appear my apology has made you feel better,” Persephone said as they danced.

“I think I am appalled by my behavior,” said the god.

“Love does that to the best of us,” she said. Thanatos’s eyes widened and Persephone offered a small laugh. “I know you care for her.”

The God of Death did not speak, so Persephone added something she knew all too well.

“Sometimes, it is hard to explain our actions when they are guided by our heart.”

“She will reincarnate one day,” Thanatos said.

“And?”

“She will not remember me.”

“I do not understand what you are trying to say.”

“I am saying that she and I—we cannot be.”

Persephone’s brows knitted together. “You would deprive yourself of a moment of happiness?”

“To escape a lifetime of pain? Yes.”

Persephone did not say anything for a long moment.

“Does she know of the decision you have made?”

Thanatos did not seem to like that question, because he pressed his lips into a hard line.

“You should at least tell her,” Persephone said. “Because while you are choosing to escape pain, she is living in it.”

Once her dance with Thanatos ended, she wandered beyond the courtyard, needing rest and distance from the crowd, into the garden where large roses bloomed, emitting a sweet scent. Ahead of her, Cerberus, Typhon, and Orthrus wandered, noses to the ground. She was surprised when she noted the familiar silhouette of her husband ahead of her. He stood with his hands in his pockets, staring up at the sky.

After a moment, he turned, his eyes glittering.

“Are you well?” he asked.

“I am,” she replied.

“Are you ready?”

“I am.”

He held out his hand and as she pressed her fingers into his palm, they vanished.



***

Persephone wasn’t sure what to expect when they teleported—a room warmly lit by firelight, perhaps a return to the island of Lampri. Instead, she found herself standing upon a platform with a large bed that was open to the sky. Overhead, were clouds of clustered stars in colors of orange and blue and white. They were also reflected in the pool of dark water that surrounded them. It was as if they were floating in the sky itself.

“Are we…in the middle of a lake?” Persephone asked.

“Yes,” Hades answered.

Persephone stared. “Is this your magic?”

“It is,” he said. “Do you like it?”

“It is beautiful,” she said. “But where are we, really?”

“We are in the Underworld,” he said. “In a space I made.”

“How long have you planned this?”

“I have thought about it for a while,” he replied.

Persephone approached the bed and smoothed her hand over the soft silk sheets before looking at Hades over her shoulder.

“Help me out of my dress,” she said.

Hades approached and drew the zipper of her gown down until it hit her lower back. His hands skimmed along her spine and across her shoulders, dipping beneath the thin straps. The fabric whispered over her skin as it puddled to the floor.

Beneath her dress she wore nothing, and Hades hands went to her breasts, his mouth to hers. He kissed her with a slow hunger that curled into the bottom of her stomach.

When he pulled away, he drew something from his pocket—a small, black box.