A Touch of Ruin (Hades x Persephone #2)(3)

His smile was slight, but sincere as he said, “We’ve met.”

“Oh.” She cheeks flushed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot.”

As the reaper of souls, Thanatos was the last face mortals saw before they landed on the shores of the Styx.

“I was just about to escort the new souls to the Field of Judgement.”

She noted that Thanatos’ eyes widened slightly, and he looked at Yuri who spoke quickly. “Lady Persephone is needed back at the palace. Could you take them for her, Thanatos?”

“Of course,” he replied, bringing his hand to his chest. “I would be delighted.”

Persephone waived goodbye to the souls as Thanatos turned toward the crowd, stretched his wings wide, and vanished.

Yuri wound her arm through Persephone’s, tugging her away from the banks of the Styx, but Persephone didn’t budge.

“Why did you do that?” she asked.

“Do what?”

“I am not needed at the palace, Yuri. I could have taken the souls to the field.”

“I am sorry, Persephone. I feared they would make requests.”

“Requests?” her brows drew together. “What might they request?”

“Favors,” she explained.

Persephone giggled at the thought. “I am hardly in a position to grant favors.”

“They don’t know that,” she said. “All they see is a goddess who might help them get an audience with Hades or return to the living world.”

Persephone frowned. “Why do you think that?”

“Because I was one of them.”

Yuri tugged on her arm again, and this time, Persephone followed. Strained silence filled the space between them, and Persephone frowned.

“I’m sorry, Yuri. Sometimes I forget—”

“That I’m dead?” She smiled, but Persephone felt small and silly. “It’s okay. That’s one of the reasons I like you so much,” she paused a moment, and added. “Hades chose his consort well.”

“His consort?” Persephone’s brows rose.

“Isn’t it obvious that Hades intends to marry you?”

Persephone laughed. “You are being very presumptive, Yuri.”

Except that Hades had made his intentions clear. You will be my queen. I do not need the Fates to tell me that. Her chest tightened, the words forming knots in her stomach.

Those words should have made her heart melt and the fact that they didn’t disturbed her. Maybe it had something to do with their recent breakup. Why did she feel such apprehension when Hades seemed so certain about their future?

Yuri, oblivious to Persephone’s internal war, said, “Why wouldn’t Lord Hades choose you as queen? You are an unwed goddess and you haven’t taken a vow of chastity.”

The soul gave her a knowing look that made Persephone blush.

“Being a goddess does not qualify me to be Queen of the Underworld.”

“No, but it’s a start. Hades would never choose a mortal or a nymph as his queen. Trust me, he has had plenty of opportunities.”

A shock of jealousy shot down Persephone’s spine. It was like a match landing in a pool of kerosene. Her magic surged, demanding an exit. It was a defense mechanism, and it took her a moment to tamp it down.

Get a hold of yourself, she commanded.

She wasn’t ignorant to the fact that Hades had other lovers throughout his lifetime—one being the red-headed nymph, Minthe who she’d transformed into a mint plant. Still, she had never considered that Hades’ interest in her might be, in part, due to her Divine blood. Something dark wound its way around her heart. How could she let herself think this way about Hades? He encouraged her to embrace her Divinity, worshipped her so that she might claim her freedom and power, and he’d told her he loved her. If he was to make her his queen, it would be because he cared for her, not because she was a goddess.

Right?

Persephone soon distracted from her thoughts as she and Yuri returned to the Asphodel Valley where she was swarmed by children who begged her to play. After a short game of hide-and-seek, she was dragged away by Ophelia, Elara, and Anastasia who wanted her opinion on wines, cakes, and flowers for the upcoming Summer Solstice Celebration.

The solstice marked the beginning of the new year and signified the one-month countdown to the Panhellenic Games—something even death couldn’t quell the souls’ excitement for. With such an important celebration at hand, Persephone had asked Hades if they could host a party at the palace, to which he had agreed. She was looking forward to having the souls in the halls again, just as much as they were looking forward to being there.

By the time Persephone returned to the palace, she still felt unsettled. The darkness of her doubt swelled, pressing against her skull, and her magic pulsed beneath her skin, making her feel achy and exhausted. She rang for tea and wandered into the library, hoping that reading would take her mind off her conversation with Yuri.

Curling into one of the large chairs near the fireplace, Persephone leafed through Hecate’s copy of Witchcraft and Mayhem. It was one of several assignments from the Goddess of Magic, who was helping her learn to control her erratic power.

It wasn’t working as fast as she hoped.

Persephone had waited a long time for her powers to manifest, and when they did, it had been during a heated argument with Hades. Since then, she had managed to make flowers bloom but had trouble channeling the appropriate amount of magic. She had also discovered her ability to teleport was glitchy which meant she didn’t always end up where she intended. Hecate said it was just a matter of practice, but it still made her feel like a failure, and it was for these reasons, she’d decided not to use magic in the Upperworld.