“You cannot just remove me from the Upperworld when you please!” she shouted at him.

“You are lucky I removed you and not the Furies.”

The tone of his voice deepened and put her on edge. Still, she wanted to fight.

“Send me back, Hades!”

“No.”

A searing pain erupted from Persephone’s shoulder, her side, and her calves as thorns sprouted from her skin. It brought her to her knees before Hades. The god rose from his throne, ignited completely by the red light. He looked horrified and deadly and moved toward her with predatory grace.

“Stop!” she commanded as he approached. “Don’t come any closer!”

She didn’t want him to see how bad her wounds really were.

Hades didn’t obey.

He knelt beside her.

“Fuck, Persephone. How long has your magic been manifesting like this?”

Persephone didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, “Don’t you ever listen?”

He gave a humorless laugh. “I could ask the same of you.”

She ignored his comment, focusing on breathing through the pain of her injuries. Her magic had manifested like this on several occasions, but this was probably the worst case. Hades placed his hands on her shoulder, then her side, then her calves, healing the wounds. When he was finished, he sat back on his heels, blood covering his hands.

“How long have you kept this from me?”

“I’ve been a little distracted in case you haven’t noticed,” she said. “What do you want, Hades?”

Hades eyes flashed, and his concern for her quickly dissolved into anger.

“Your behavior toward Thanatos was atrocious. You will apologize.”

“Why should I?” she snapped. “He was going to take Lexa! Worse, he tried to hide it from me.”

“He was doing his job, Persephone.”

“Killing my friend isn’t a job! It’s murder!”

“You know it isn’t murder!” His voice was harsh. “Keeping her alive for your own benefit isn’t a kindness. She is in pain and you are prolonging it.”

She flinched but recovered. “No, you are prolonging it. You could heal her, but you have chosen not to help me.”

“You want me to bargain with the Fates so that she might survive? So you can have the death of another on your conscious? Murderer doesn’t suit you, goddess.”

She slapped him—or tried to, but Hades caught her wrist and pulled her against him, kissing her until she was subdued in his arms, until all she could do was cry.

“I don’t know how to lose someone, Hades,” she sobbed into his chest.

He took her face between his hands, attempting to brush her tears away.

“I know,” he answered. “But running from it won’t help, Persephone. You are just delaying the inevitable.”

“Hades, please. What if it were me?”

He released her so quickly, she almost lost her composure.

“I refuse to entertain such a thought.”