A Touch of Ruin (Hades x Persephone #2)(87)

Hades glared at her, and without warning, snatched her about the waist and shoved her in the elevator. His magic flare, and she knew he was keeping anyone from entering or using the lift.

“Let me go, Hades!” she wiggled against him, and he pressed her harder into the wall. “You’re embarrassing me. Why did you have to do this now?”

“Because I knew you’d jump to conclusions.”

She glared up at him, but his expression was just as fierce.

“I’m not fucking Leuce.”

“There are other ways to cheat, Hades!” she pushed against his chest, but the god didn’t move. He was solid rock, an immovable, frustrating mountain.

“I’m not doing any of them!”

She stared at his chest and tried not to cry.

“Persephone,” Hades said her name and she closed her eyes against the desperation in his voice. “Persephone, please.”

“Let me go, Hades.”

He was quiet for a long moment.

“If you won’t listen now, will you let me explain later?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Please, Persephone. Give me the chance to explain.”

“I’ll let you know,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Persephone,” he reached to brush her cheek, and she retreated from his touch, still not looking at him, which meant she didn’t see the expression on his face before he vanished.

When he was gone, the elevator doors opened, and Persephone found the whole newsroom gathered in front of the doors.

“What the fuck are you all staring at?” she snapped.

“Persephone,” Demetri was at the front of the group and jerked his thumb toward his office. “A moment.”

Grudgingly, she obeyed his direction and followed him. Once the door was closed, her boss took a seat beside her instead of behind his desk.

“You don’t have to tell me what’s really going on,” he said. “But you cannot act this way at work.”

“What way?”

“The elevator, the profanity,” he said.

“The elevator wasn’t my fault—”

She didn’t even want to imagine what people thought about the elevator. It was the dining room all over again.

Demetri held up his hand. “Look, I saw the Divine this morning. I know you’re going through some stuff. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”

“No, I’m fine. I need the distraction,” she said.

“No, Persephone. You need to deal with your problems. Seriously. Leave.”

Persephone obeyed, feeling dazed as she left Demetri’s office, gathered her things, and heading to the first floor. She halted, seeing the crowd waiting outside. She couldn’t face them or rehash what was in the paper today, so she entered the elevator again and chose to go to the basement.

She found Pirithous in the maintenance office. He sat at his desk, distracted by something in front of him.

“Hey,” Persephone said.

Pirithous did a double take. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to see her in the doorway of his office. He rushed to cover what he was working on, and Persephone rose on her tiptoes, curious.

“What are you up to?” she asked.

“Oh, nothing,” he said, and stood awkwardly. “Can I help you?”

He seemed nervous, rubbing his hands on his uniform, so she smiled.

“I need help,” she said. “Can you get me out of here?”

“S-sure,” he said. “You want the get-away vehicle again?”

“It’s not my preferred method of escape, but if it’s the only choice…”

He smiled, more at ease now. She wondered what had him on edge.

“I might have something better.”

Pirithous grabbed his keys, shut off the light, and locked up before leading her to an unmarked door at the end of a hallway.

It was the entrance to an underground tunnel.

She glared at him.

“You made me get into a trash can when you knew this existed?”

Pirithous laughed. “I didn’t have a key then.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, in that case…”

“Come on.” He gestured for her to enter, and Pirithous closed the door behind them. The tunnel was cement, cold, and lit by track lighting that made everything look pale green.

“Where does this lead?”

“Olive & Owl Gastropub in Monastiraki Square.”

Pedestrian tunnels were common in New Athens, but Persephone had never been in one.

“Is there a reason it isn’t open to the public?”

“Probably because the executives of The Acropolis don’t want to share.”

Huh. That made sense.

“You’re leaving work early today,” Pirithous observed.

“I just need a mental health day,” Persephone said. She didn’t want to explain what was in the paper, or that Hades had come to her work and caused a scene. Luckily, Pirithous didn’t press. He just nodded and said, “I understand that.”

They walked in silence for a little while, and then Persephone asked, “What were you working on earlier?”

“A list,” he answered. “Just some...supplies I need.”