“Are they not all the same?” Persephone challenged.

The god frowned, his face growing stony. “You should be more careful with your words, especially when you are here to ask for help.”

“How do you know I am here to ask for help?”

“Am I wrong?”

She was silent, and the god laughed.

“So tell me, Lady Persephone, what do you want that your lover will not offer freely?”

Life.

All of a sudden, Persephone felt a rush of heat through her body. She hated that she was here, hated that she had come to Apollo for help. Hated that he knew she was here because Hades could not give her what she wanted.

“I need you to heal my friend,” Persephone said. The words felt like thorns on her tongue. She knew she should not say them or ask Apollo to defy Fate...but here she was.

Apollo stared at her for a long moment, and then he threw his head back, laughing. Persephone despised the sound of it. The tone was off, full of false amusement. Except that when the god looked at her again, his eyes sparkled.

“And why would I help the journalist who slandered my name?”

Persephone’s hands shook, and she clenched her fists to keep him from noticing. After a beat of silence, she spoke.

“Because. I am willing to bargain.”

That got Apollo’s attention. He sat up in the bath and stood, completely naked.

“You’re willing to bargain with me?” he asked.

Persephone turned her head away, swallowing hard. If she were being honest, seeing Apollo naked was no different than seeing the statues in the Garden of the Gods at New Athens University, but there was something different about seeing flesh rather than stone.

“Yes, Apollo. That’s what I said.”

Water sloshed and she knew without looking that he had gotten out of the bath.

“This...friend. She must be very important to you.”

“She is everything.”

“Apparently,” Apollo said, amusement in his tone. “Especially if you are so willing to defy Hades and bargain with me.”

Persephone’s eyes snapped to Apollo. He had done nothing to cover himself.

“Will you help me or not? I did not come here for polite conversation.”

“You call this polite?” the god scoffed.

Persephone’s fists clenched tight and Apollo narrowed his eyes. She wondered if he could sense her losing control of her glamour.

“Beg,” he said. “On your knees.”

Persephone was disgusted. “Never.”

“Then I won't help you.” He started to turn when she called out, “Wait!”

Apollo paused, lifted a brow, and waited.

Persephone worked to keep her anger under control as she made her way to the floor, and when she spoke, her voice shook.

“Please.”

“No.”

Apollo started to walk away just as vines erupted from the floor with no warning, trapping him.

“Well, well, well, you are full of surprises,” the god said.