A Touch of Malice (Hades x Persephone #3)(46)

Harmonia extended her hand. “A pleasure, Sybil,” she paused. “You are an oracle.”

“Was,” she said, almost breathlessly.

“You will always be an oracle, even if you do not work for the Divine,” Harmonia said. “It is your gift.”

There was a strange tension that filled the space between the three. Perhaps it was because of how Sybil’s job as an oracle had ended. It had been heartbreaking for her, to see something she’d worked so hard for crumble within seconds.

“I was coming to see if you were ready for lunch,” Sybil said.

“Perfect timing,” Harmonia said. “I was just leaving. Persephone, if you need anything, please reach out. Sybil, it was nice meeting you.”

Harmonia left, and Sybil turned to watch her go.

“What was that about?” Persephone asked, once she was out of sight.

“What?” the oracle asked, brows drawing together.

“Something’s off. What did you see when you looked at Harmonia? I saw your expression change.”

“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”



CHAPTER XIII – A PERFECT STORM


Persephone, Sybil, and Zofie walked down the street to Ambrosia & Nectar for lunch, grateful for the warmth once they were inside. Despite not being far from Alexandria Tower, the café had felt miles away as they managed to walk through tall snow drifts, all while being pelted by snow and ice. The snowplows could not keep up—though they were still trying.

They took their seats and Persephone helped Zofie navigate the menu, informing her of her favorite dishes.

“I want to try everything,” the Amazon said. If it were any other person, Persephone would assume she was joking, but she knew if she did not stop the Amazon, she’d try to do exactly that.

“You will have time to try everything eventually,” Persephone promised.

They ordered and while they waited for their food, Zofie instructed Sybil on how to disarm an intruder, specifically, in the event that Ben returned to her apartment.

“If he attacks with a blade catch it in a parry and spin,” she demonstrated the movement with a flick of the wrist, and Persephone was glad that Zofie had not manifest her actual blade. “If he thrusts at you, parry his blade down.”

“Zofie,” Sybil said. “Has anyone told you that people do not fight with swords anymore?”

The Amazon looked affronted. “My sisters and I always fight with a blade!”

Persephone tried not to laugh. “Okay, what if no swords are involved. Just hand to hand combat?”

“Go for the nose,” she said, a malicious glint in her eyes.

Their conversation continued like that even after their food arrived. Persephone sat in relative silence, lost in her own thoughts, trying to piece things together.

One issue was that she didn’t have enough information on Adonis’s death, but perhaps they’d sought to draw Aphrodite out with his murder. One issue was that she didn’t have enough information on Adonis’s death, but perhaps they’d sought to draw Aphrodite out with his murder. But why try to enrage an Olympian other than to create unrest? Wasn’t Demeter’s snowstorm doing that enough? Still, if Harmonia’s assumption was correct, who would Demeter go after next? There were a number of gods and goddesses who supported her—Hecate, Apollo, though arguably reluctant, then there was…

“Hermes,” Sybil said. “What are you doing here?”

Persephone blinked and met the god’s gold gaze. He looked like he’d just come from tennis practice, dressed in white pants and a light blue polo. He slid into the booth beside Persephone, scooting her along the vinyl with little effort.

“Eating lunch with my besties,” he answered. “What does it look like?”

“It looks like you’re crashing our lunch,” Persephone said.

“Well, it’s not like you were chatting it up,” he said, reaching for Persephone’s fork and digging into her untouched food, popping a bite into his mouth. As he chewed, he spoke, looking at Persephone.

“I bet I can guess what you were thinking,” he said. “Reliving a night of mind-blowing sex with Hades.”

“Gross,” Zofie said.

Sybil giggled.

But Persephone wished that was the case. She’d take that over thinking of her mother—or her actual night with Hades which had only been full of blood and tears.

She managed to roll her eyes and lie. “Actually, I’m thinking about the wedding.”

Hermes brightened. “Tell me you’ve picked a date!”

“Well, no,” she said, pursing her lips. “I was actually thinking about…eloping.”

It was an idea that had crossed her mind multiple times since Hades had proposed and given the drama that surrounded their engagement, it was looking like the best option. Did anyone really need to know they were married, anyway?

“Elope?” Hermes repeated, as if he did not know what the word meant. “Why would you elope?”

“I mean, there’s a lot of unrest between mortals and gods right now and a public wedding would just enrage my mother more...”

She was now thinking that if her mother was involved in the attack on Harmonia, things may just escalate with a wedding.