“Yes. Now, what do I want from you?” he considered the question as he walked to the corner of the room and retrieved a floral robe. His back was to her as he slipped it on. He did nothing to secure it, however, and it hung open, exposing his nakedness. She rolled her eyes.

“I want you to hang out with me.”

“What?” Persephone thought he was joking but the look on Apollo’s face said otherwise.

“You’ll be my...friend. We’ll party together, we’ll attend events together, you’ll come to my penthouse.”

“You want me to hang out with you?” Something didn’t seem right about this. “For how long?”

“How much is your friend’s life worth?”

Persephone wasn’t going to answer that.

“What if we hate each other?” Because she was sure she would only hate him more by the end of this.

Apollo shrugged. “You’d be surprised by what I can handle.”

She had never wanted to roll her eyes so much at one person.

“What does hanging out with you entail?” She asked.

“Someone’s taught you well,” he said.

“I won’t sleep with you. I won’t hurt people for you. I won’t use my powers for you, either.”

“Anything else?”

“If your healing fails to work, the deal is off.”

Apollo seemed to think that was particularly funny. “If my healing works? Little goddess, do you know how many healers I have fathered?”

“I don’t want to know anything about that part of your life, Apollo.”

“Is that the end of your requests?”

“Six months,” Persephone said. “I’ll only do this for six months.”

The god was silent as he considered her proposal. Finally, he said, “Deal.”

“Deal?”

She couldn’t help it, she had to ask. She hadn’t expected him to be so accepting of the timeline.

Apollo chuckled. “Is it so unbelievable that I would help?”

“You aren’t helping out of the goodness of your heart,” Persephone countered. “You’re helping because it benefits you. In some weird way.”

Apollo sulked. “Don’t insult me—I can rescind my offer.”

“No!” she said quickly, and her face grew hot. Not from embarrassment, but anger. “I’m sorry.”

The god stared at her. “You really care for your friend. But I must ask—what’s so bad about her death? You are Hades’ lover. It isn’t like you can’t see her in the Underworld.”

Persephone hesitated to speak, and Apollo started to laugh.

“Uncertain about your relationships with the Rich One, huh?”