“I am not afraid to be alone with you, I just didn’t want to be alone with you.”

“Why?”

“Why?” she asked, dumbfounded by the question. “Do you not understand what you put me through the other night? You almost killed a kid!”

“He spoke slander—”

“This isn’t the ancient world, Apollo. People are going to disagree with you and you’re going to have to deal with it. For fucks sake, I don’t even like your music.”

Persephone’s eyes widened. Had she just said that out loud?

Apollo pressed his lips together tightly, and after a moment, he said, “Wanna shot?”

“Are you going to poison it?”

Again, he offered that crooked smile.

They left the dance floor and headed for the bar, ordering a round.

Apollo downed his shot, slamming his glass on the counter and looked at Persephone.

“So, how did your lover take the news of our bargain?”

Persephone stared at the empty glass. “Not well. I guess I can’t blame him.”

She’d promised Hades a lot and had let him down.

“I think he hates me,” she said, so quietly she didn’t think Apollo could hear.

“Hades doesn’t hate you,” Apollo almost scoffed. “He doesn’t have it in him.”

“You didn’t see the way he looked at me.”

“You mean all broken?” Apollo asked. “I think I get it, Persephone.”

She blinked at him.

“He’s just hurt and frustrated. We all have things that are important to us—things we value above others. Hades values trust. He values the process of earning trust. He feels like he failed.”

Persephone frowned. “How do you know that?”

“The Olympians have had a long history. We know each other in ways that would make you cringe—inside and out.”

Persephone shivered.

“Hades doesn’t feel worthy without trust. He needs you to believe in him, to find strength in him.”

Persephone frowned. She knew Hades had a difficult time feeling worthy of his people’s worship, but she never thought he would have the same difficult feeling worthy of her love.

What had happened to him over his many lifetimes?

“What happened to you?” Persephone asked Apollo. “No one does what you do without…some sort of trauma.”

It took Apollo a long time to speak, but he finally answered.

“He was a Spartan Prince. Hyacinth. He was beautiful. Admired and pursued by many gods, but he chose me,” he swallowed. “He chose me.”

Apollo paused and then began again.