Hades grabbed her hand, locking their fingers together, and the golden ichor spilling from their veins dripped as one over the altar.

Thanatos sheathed his blade and wrapped a cord over and across their interlocked hands. Hades’ grip did not lessen even as the cord ensured that Persephone could not have freed herself. Her palm stung, but that was nothing compared to the way that Hades’ gaze seemed to pierce right through her, despite the veil.

“This is not how we do things on the surface,” Persephone said.

“There will be time enough for you to learn all our customs,” Hades said.

“Is it your custom to abduct brides without a blessing?” She had raised her voice, but she didn’t care who heard her. Hades seemed immune to censure, in any case.

“This wedding was blessed,” Hades said.

“By whom? Not Demeter!”

“By your father.”

Persephone’s breath caught in her throat. She wanted to deny it, to call Hades a liar, but she could feel deep in her bones that she was telling the truth.

“What I have joined here today, let no god nor goddess tear apart,” Thanatos said. He unbound the cord joining them, but Hades did not release her straight away.

“I assure you that you will be well loved here, by my subjects, and most of all, by me.”

Persephone wrenched her hand away. Already, the gash was closing, but the cut stung worse than a superficial wound.

“I present to you my wife,” Hades said and lifted Persephone’s veil, draping it back so that it covered her stephane and the crown of her head. Stripped of her meager defense, Persephone flinched to feel the night air against her bare skin and glanced away as Hades studied her.

“Dearest,” Hades said. “You are a vision, but something is missing.” Hades unclasped the necklace she was wearing and placed it on Persephone. The metal was warm from Hades’ skin, and it sat like a noose above her collarbone.

Hades’ subjects crowded around them, offering their congratulations. Persephone was forced to stand beside Hades, blank-faced and unsmiling, as she went over things in her head. Had Demeter known of this? Surely not. But why had she counseled Persephone to stay away from Hades? Was it just a mother’s instinct?

And if Zeus had blessed this union, would anyone come for her? Would they dare? To do so was to risk his wrath, and few gods were willing to chance that. Not for Persephone’s sake, in any case.

Thanatos requested all guests to take their seats, many spilling out into the courtyards, then he departed with some final, private words to Hades. Persephone supposed this meant that mortals would begin dying again, their brief reprieve over.