you intervened. All because you are afraid of pain.”

“I am afraid of pain,” she snapped. “Will you mock me for that as you mock all mortals?”

“There is no comparison. At least mortals are brave enough to face it.”

She flinched, and her anger ignited, a searing pain erupted from all over as thorns sprouted from her skin.

“Persephone.”

He reached for her, but she stepped away, the movement was painful, and she inhaled between her teeth.

“If you cared, you would have been there!”

“I was there!”

“You never once came with me to the hospital when I had to watch my best friend lie unresponsive. You never once stood by me while I held her hand. You could have told me when Thanatos would start showing up. You could have let me know she was...choosing to die. But you didn’t. You hide all of that, like it was some fucking secret. You weren’t there.”

For the first time since she was dumped in front of him by the Furies, he looked shocked and sounded a little lost when he said, “I didn’t know you wanted me there.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked, and there was a twist in her voice, a note of her sadness she couldn’t hide.

“I’m not the most welcomed sight at a hospital, Persephone.”

“That’s your excuse?”

“And what’s yours?” he asked. “You never told me—”

“I shouldn’t have to tell you to be there for me when my friend is dying. Instead, you act like it’s as...normal as breathing.”

“Because death has forever been my existence,” he snapped, growing more and more frustrated.

“That’s your problem. You’ve been the God of the Underworld so long, you’ve forgotten what it is really like to be on the brink of losing someone. Instead you spend all your time judging mortals for their fear of your realm, for their fear of death, for their fear of losing who they love!”

She was a little shocked by the words coming out of her mouth. To be truthful, she hadn’t realized how angry she’d been until this very moment.

“So you were angry with me,” he said. “And once again, instead of coming to me, you decided to punish me by seeking Apollo’s help.” He spat the god’s name; his hatred evident.

“I wasn’t trying to punish you. When I decided to go to Apollo, I no longer felt like you were an option.”

Hades eyes narrowed. “After everything I did to protect you from him—”

“I didn’t ask that of you,” she snapped.

“No, I suppose you didn’t. You have never welcomed my aid, especially when it wasn’t what you wanted to hear.” He sounded so bitter, she flinched.

“That’s not fair.”