She twisted to face him in the plush chair.

“Hades,” his name was a shaky breath. “Please.”

He looked away, his jaw working to quell his frustration.

“Persephone, I can’t,” his tone was harder this time. She stood, needing distance. The god remained seated.

“I won’t lose her.”

“You haven’t,” Hades pointed out. “Lexa still lives.”

She wanted to argue, but Hades didn’t let her.

“You must give her soul time to decide.”

“Decide? What do you mean?”

Hades sighed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose, as if he dreaded the coming conversation.

“Lexa’s in limbo.”

“Then you can bring her back.”

Persephone had heard of limbo before. Hades had brought a soul back from there for a grieving mother. Hope blossomed in her chest, and it was like Hades could sense it because he dashed it quickly.

“I can’t.”

“You did it before. You said when a soul is in limbo, you can bargain with the Fates to bring them back.”

“In exchange for the life of another,” Hades reminded. “A soul for a soul, Persephone.”

“You can’t say you won’t save her, Hades.”

“I’m not saying I don’t want to, Persephone. It is best that I do not interfere with this. Trust me. If you care for Lexa at all—if you care for me at all—you will drop this.”

“I’m doing this because I care!” she argued.

Hades scoffed. “That’s what all mortals think—but who are you really trying to save? Lexa or yourself?”

“I don’t need a philosophy lesson, Hades,” she gritted out.

“No, but apparently you need a reality check.”

He stood, shoving off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.

Persephone scowled.

“I’m not having sex with you right now.”

Hades glared at her but continued to unbutton his shirt. Then she saw black markings surfacing on his skin—they were all fine lines, tattoos that wrapped around his body like a delicate thread.

“What are they?” She started to reach out, but Hades’ stopped her with a firm hand clamped around her wrist. She met his gaze.

“It’s the price I pay for every life I’ve taken by bargaining with the Fates,” he said. “I carry them with me. These are their life-threads, burned into my skin. Is this what you want on your conscious, Persephone?”

Slowly, she pried her hand from his and brought it back to her chest, eyes following the lines on his golden skin. She remembered wondering how many bargains he’d made when they’d entered their own. She had no idea they were written into his skin. Still, she found this frustrating. Hades had spoken of balance before, but this had him chained. He was one of the most powerful Olympian Gods, and yet his power was limited.