“Of course,” he said. “Take all the time you need.”

The sympathy in his voice made her grind her teeth. This man gave her whiplash. He could be considerate when he wanted to, and vengeful when he had to.

“I’m going to need an extension on the exclusive,” she said. She held her breath as she waited for him to speak. Finally, he said, “I’ll see what I can do, but Persephone...I can’t make any promises.”

That wasn’t the response she was looking for, and there was an unsettling twist in her stomach.

“If you want me as your employee, Demetri, then you won’t push me on this.”

He sighed, and she imagined him rubbing his fingers between his brows as if he had a headache. She’d seen him do it on multiple occasions, especially when he’d been looking at his computer screen too long.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said. “Just...take care of your friend...and yourself.”

She hung up without saying thank you.

When she arrived on the second floor of the hospital, she learned from Lexa’s mother that the doctor had visited this morning. He said Lexa’s vital signs were improving. Persephone felt her chest swell with hope.

“That’s good news, right?”

“It’s positive,” she responded, “Their real worry is her brain.”

Eliska went on to explain that Lexa had brain contusions and that the extent of her injuries was unknown, but it could range from minor to severe.

Persephone didn’t like those odds.

The hope she’d felt a moment ago, shattered.

There wasn’t much to do at the hospital, so Persephone perched in a window and pulled out her laptop. She intended to catch up on the news, but her mind got tangled up in Hermes words.

You’re going to have to start acting like a goddess.

What does that even mean? She mumbled to herself. Was he trying to tell her she needed to be like Aphrodite or Hera? Persephone wasn’t interested in giving up the things that tied her to the mortal world. They were what she’d formed her identity around when she’d come to New Athens and now it seemed like all of that was being taken away.

Everyone wanted her to be someone she wasn’t.

Persephone distracted herself by reading up on Apollo.

As it turned out, others were now coming forward with stories like the ones Persephone had published in New Athens News—instances where Apollo had threatened to dismantle the careers of his lovers if they left him.

She wondered if that was why she had yet to hear from Apollo.

“These new allegations emerged just days after Hades’ lover, Persephone Rosi, published a scathing article about the god.”