Hades didn’t react, and that made her angrier. She felt more of her glamour slipping away. She imagined how ridiculous she looked—a goddess who stood before one so ancient, unable to hold onto her magic.

“I see.”

Persephone’s voice shook as she spoke. “You have seconds to explain before I turn her into a weed.”

She knew Hades would have laughed if he believed she were any less serious.

“Her name is Leuce,” he answered. “She was my lover a long time ago.”

She hated that she was relieved that he hadn’t named someone else.

“What is a long time?”

He stared at her for a moment, and there was something behind his eyes—a living thing full of rage and ruin and strife.

“Centuries, Persephone.”

“Then why did she introduce herself to me as your lover today?”

“Because to her, I was her lover up until Sunday.”

Persephone’s fists clenched, and suddenly, vines erupted from the floor and covered the walls. Hades didn’t even flinch.

“And why is that?”

“Because she’s been a poplar tree for over two thousand years.”

Persephone’s brows rose. She hadn’t expected that.

“Why was she a poplar tree?”

Hades’ hands rested on the tabletop, and they curled into fists as he answered, “She betrayed me.”

“You turned her into a tree?” Persephone asked.

Sometimes she forgot the extent of Hades’ powers. He was one of the Three most powerful gods in existence, and while each of his brothers became king of a respective realm—Zeus the sky, Poseidon the sea and Hades the dead, they shared power over the earthly realm, which meant there was the potential that she and Hades shared powers.

Apparently, one was turning people into plants.

“Why?”

“I caught her fucking someone else. I was blind with anger. I turned her into a poplar tree.”

“She must not remember that, or she wouldn’t introduce herself as your lover.”

Hades stared at her for a moment. He hadn’t moved from his spot at the table.

“It is possible she has repressed the memory.”

Persephone started to pace.

“How many lovers have you taken?”

“Persephone,” Hades voice was gentle, but there was an undercurrent that said that’s not a path you want to go down.

“I just want to be prepared in case they start coming out of the woodwork.”

Hades was silent, staring. After a moment he said, “I won’t apologize for living before you existed.”

“I’m not asking you to, but I’d like to know when I’m about to meet a woman who fucked you.”