“Persephone?” Hades spoke, the scuff of his beard tickling her ear.

“Hmm?” She was too tired to use words, eyes heavy with sleep.

“Speak another’s name in this bed again and know you have assigned their soul to Tartarus.”

She opened her eyes. She wanted to look at him, to see the violence in his gaze and chase it—why had this upset him so much? Did the God of the Underworld, Rich One, Receiver of Many, fear Apollo?

After his warning, Hades relaxed, his breath grew even and calm. Reluctant to disturb his peace, she snuggled close and fell asleep.

CHAPTER V - ROYAL TREATMENT

CHAPTER V - ROYAL TREATMENT

Persephone relayed the disastrous conversation she’d had with Hades to Lexa at lunch the next day. They’d chosen a booth at the back of their favorite cafe, The Yellow Daffodil, that gave them relative privacy. Despite the roar of the restaurant, Persephone felt paranoid talking about Hades in public. She leaned over the table toward Lexa, whispering.

“I’ve never seen him so…”

Unyielding. So obstinate. He was usually willing to at least hear her out, but from the moment Apollo’s name had left her mouth, Hades had been finished with the conversation.

“Hades has a point,” Lexa said, leaning back in her chair, crossing her legs.

Persephone looked at her best friend, surprised she would side with the God of the Dead.

“I mean, do you really think you can touch Apollo’s reputation? He’s the Golden Boy of New Athens.”

“An honor he doesn’t deserve considering how he treats the men and women he ‘loves.’”

“But...what if people don’t believe you, Persephone?”

“I can’t worry about whether or not people will believe me, Lex.”

The thought that Apollo’s victims would be ignored because of his popularity infuriated her, but what enraged her more was that she knew Lexa was right, there was a chance no one would believe her.

“I know. I’m just saying...it might not play out like you think.”

Persephone frowned, confused by her friend’s words. “And what do I think?”

Lexa twisted her fingers together on the table in front of her and shrugged, finally lifting her gaze to Persephone’s. Her eyes looked more vivid today, probably due to the smokey shadow she wore.

“I don’t know. I mean, you are literally hoping for reason from a god who can’t take rejection. It’s like you think you can magically change Apollo’s behavior with some words.”

Persephone flinched, and noticed that Lexa’s eyes shifted to Persephone’s shoulder. In her peripheral, she saw green, and when she looked, a thread of vines had sprouted out of her skin. Persephone clapped a hand over them. Of all the times her magic had responded to her emotions, it had never manifested liked this. She pulled the vines free and blood spilled down her arm.