“Hardly.” He leaned a little closer, and she felt his breath on her lips. “Do you really think I would let them see you? I am too selfish. Smoke and mirrors, Persephone.”
She leaned into his heat, “Then take me,” she whispered.
Hades’ growled and snaked an arm around her waist when someone cleared their throat. They turned to find Lexa standing in the doorway.
“Hey, Hades,” she said with a smile on her face. “Hope you don’t mind. I brought Persephone for a tour.”
“Hi Lexa,” he said, smirking. “No, I don’t mind at all.”
Persephone gave a small laugh and stepped away from Hades’ warmth.
“I have to get back to work,” she said, meeting Lexa at the door of Hades’ office. She turned to look at him. He was power, standing behind that desk, silhouetted by that beautiful glass. “I’ll see you tonight?”
He nodded once.
As they returned to the first floor, Lexa said, “I know you’ll go to the Underworld on Friday for the weekend, but don’t forget we’re helping Sybil move Friday.”
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said.
The two hugged at the door.
“Thanks for everything, Lex. I’m sorry you couldn’t give me the tour yourself.”
“I won’t lie. It was weird seeing people fall all over themselves in your presence.”
The two laughed together at that. It was strange, even to Persephone, but then Lexa said something that made Persephone’s blood run cold.
“Imagine when they find out you’re a goddess.”
Persephone walked back to the Acropolis. This time she begrudgingly made her way to the entrance between screaming fans who were kept at bay by a makeshift barrier security had put in place.
“Persephone! Persephone look over here!”
“How long have you been dating Hades?”
“Will you write about other gods?”
She kept her head down and didn’t answer any questions. By the time she made it inside, her body was vibrating, her magic awakened from the surge of anxiety she’d felt being at the center of the crowd. She made a beeline for the elevators, all the while thinking about Lexa’s last words before they’d parted at Alexandria Tower.
Imagine when they find out you’re a goddess.
She knew what that really meant:
Imagine when you can no longer exist as you once did.
Suddenly, the elevator seemed too small and just when she thought she couldn’t take another breath, the doors opened. Helen popped up from behind her desk, smiling, oblivious to Persephone’s internal battle.
“Welcome back, Persephone.”
“Thanks, Helen,” she said without much of a look in her direction. Despite this, Helen followed Persephone to her desk. As she stored her things, she found a white rose sitting on her laptop. Persephone picked it up, careful to avoid the thorns.
“Where did this come from?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Helen said, frowning. “I didn’t accept anything for you this morning.”
Persephone’s brows knitted together. A red ribbon was tied around the stem but there was no card attached. Maybe Hades had left it for her, she reasoned, and set it aside.
“Do I have any messages?”
Persephone assumed that was why Helen had escorted her back to her desk.
“No,” Helen said.
That was unlikely. Persephone waited.
“They can wait,” Helen added. “Besides, they’re all leads for other stories, and I know you’re working on that exclusive—”
Persephone’s eyes must have flashed because Helen stopped speaking.
“How do you know about that?” Persephone’s mood dampened.
“I…”
She’d never seen Helen stumble over her words before, but all of a sudden, the girl couldn’t speak, and she looked close to tears.
“Who else knows?” Persephone asked.
“N-no one,” Helen finally managed. “I overheard. I’m sorry. I thought it was exciting. I didn’t realize—”
“If you overheard, you’d know it wasn’t exciting. Not for me.”
There was silence, and Persephone looked at Helen. “I’m sorry, Persephone.”
She sighed and sat in her chair. “It’s okay, Helen. Just...don’t tell anyone, okay? It...might not happen.”
She hoped.
Helen looked panicked. So she had heard a lot more than she was letting on.
“But...you’ll be fired!” she whispered fiercely.
Persephone sighed. “Helen, I really need to get to work and I think you do, too.”
Helen paled. “Of course. I’m so—”
“Stop apologizing, Helen,” Persephone said, and then added as gently as she could. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
The blonde smiled. “I hope things get better, Persephone. I really do.”
After Helen returned to her desk, Persephone started research on Apollo and his many lovers. She realized she’d promised Hades she wouldn’t write about the God of Music, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t start a file on him and there was no lack of information, especially from antiquity.
Almost all the stories about Apollo and his relationships ended tragically for the other person involved. Of all his lovers, there were a few who stood out and illustrated his heinous behavior, in particular the stories of Daphne and Cassandra.
Daphne was a nymph and swore to remain pure her whole life. Despite this, Apollo pursued her relentlessly, declaring his love for her as if that might sway her to change her mind. Left with no other options, and fearing Apollo, she asked her father, the river god Peneus, to free her from Apollo’s relentless pursuit. Her father granted her request and turned her into a laurel tree.
Laurel was one of Apollo’s symbols and now Persephone realized why.
Gross.
Cassandra, a Princess of Troy, was given the power to see the future by Apollo, who hoped the gift would persuade her to fall in love with him, but Cassandra wasn’t interested. Enraged, Apollo cursed her, allowing her to retain the power to see the future, but making it so that no one would believe her predictions. Later, Cassandra would foresee the fall of her people, but no one would listen.
There were other ancient lovers—Coronis, Okyrrhoe, Sinope, Amphissa, Koronis, and Sibylla, and newer, modern lovers—Acacia, Chara, Io, Lamia, Tessa, and Zita. The research wasn’t easy. From what Persephone understood, many of these women had tried to speak out against Apollo via social media, blogs, even going so far as to tell their story to journalists. The problem was no one was listening.
She was so consumed by her research, a knock on her desk made her jump. Persephone found Demetri standing in front of her.
“How’s the article coming?” he asked.
She glared and answered in a crisp tone, “Coming.”
Her boss frowned. “You know if I had a choice—”
“You have a choice,” she said, cutting him off. “You just tell him no.”
“Your job isn’t the only one on the line.”
“Then maybe that’s a sign you should quit.”
Demetri shook his head. “You don’t quit New Athens News without consequences, Persephone.”
“I didn’t know you were such a coward.”
“Not everyone has a god to defend them.”
Persephone flinched, but recovered quickly. She was really starting to hate that people assumed she would ask Hades to fight for her.
“I fight my own battles, Demetri. Trust me, this will not end well. People like Kal, they have secrets and I’ll dismantle him from the inside out.”
A glimmer of admiration sparked within Demetri’s eyes, but the words he spoke next were a threat to her foundation.
“I admire your determination, but there are some powers journalism cannot fight and one of those is money.”
CHAPTER VI - LOVER’S QUARREL
On Friday, Persephone and Lexa found themselv
es standing outside an upscale Penthouse in the Crysos District of New Athens. They’d rented a giant moving truck that Lexa had managed to park crookedly on the sidewalk and street.
“This isn’t what I had in mind when I said I wanted to party, Persephone,” Hermes pouted beside them. The god dazzled in gold, looking very much out of place beside Lexa and Persephone who wore yoga pants and sweatshirts.
Persephone had penciled him in for Friday after he’d helped her get into the Acropolis, but that was before Apollo had fired Sybil and took away her powers.
“No one said you had to come,” Persephone countered.
The God of Trickery had shown up at her apartment just as they were heading out to get the moving truck. He tried to argue that they had an agreement—a contract—and she couldn’t back out, but Persephone shut that down.
“One of my best friends was in an abusive relationship. She’s getting out and I’m going to be there for her. Now, you can either come with us or you can leave. Your choice.”
Hermes had chosen to come.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for your brother,” Lexa said. “Blame him.”
“I’m not responsible for Apollo’s choices,” Hermes argued. “And don’t pretend like this wouldn’t be more fun with alcohol.”
“Your right,” Lexa said. “Good thing I brought this.”
She withdrew a bottle of wine from inside a backpack she’d brought.
“Give me that,” Hermes snatched the bottle from her hands.
Persephone’s eyes widened. “Excuse me, aren’t you driving tonight?”
“Well yeah, but that’s for after.”
Except that somehow, Hermes had already managed to open the bottle.
“I hope you have more in that bag,” the god replied. “Because this one’s for the present.”
Lexa snorted, and the door in front of them finally clicked. Sybil’s voice echoed through the intercom.
“It’s open, come on up.”
Hermes started forward, but Persephone put her hand out to stop him. “You can get the dolly.”
“Why do I have to get the dolly? I’m carrying the wine.”
Persephone took the bottle. “Now I’m carrying the wine. Dolly. Now.”
Hermes shoulders slumped as he relented and trudged toward the moving truck. He returned wheeling the dolly.
Lexa giggled. “You look awfully mortal, Hermes.”
The god’s eyes darkened. “Careful, mortal. I’m not above turning you into a goat for my own enjoyment.”
“Your enjoyment?” Lexa cackled. “That would be the best thing that ever happened to me.”
The three went up the elevator and were let out in the middle of Apollo’s living room.
Persephone wasn’t sure how to feel at seeing the luxury Sybil had been living in the last few months since graduation. There was no denying being employed as an oracle was a lucrative job, and the goddess felt that seeing all this made Sybil’s situation even worse. It made it tangible. She would be going from living in a high-rise penthouse with floor to ceiling windows, wood floors, stainless steel appliances, and the fanciest coffee machine Persephone had ever seen, to occupying her and Lexa’s small apartment from now until the foreseeable future.
Despite the extreme change in lifestyle, Sybil seemed in good spirits, almost as if moving out of this space was lifting a burden from her shoulders. She popped her head out of an adjoining room. Her blond hair spilled over her shoulder in loose waves. Her pretty, make-up free face aglow.
“In here, guys.”
They filed into her room. Persephone expected to find that it had more personality than the rest of the house, but she’d been wrong. Sybil’s room was just as colorless.
“Why is everything grey?”
“Oh, well, Apollo doesn’t like color,” she said.
“Who doesn’t like color?” Lexa asked, plopping down on Sybil’s bed.
“Apollo, apparently,” said Hermes, falling on the bed beside Lexa. “We should trash the place before we leave. That would really piss him off.”
Sybil paled, eyed widening.
Persephone placed her hands on her hips. “You’re the only one who would think that was funny and the only one who would survive his wrath.”
“You would too, Sephy. Hades would cut off Apollo’s balls before he got within an inch of you. I’m tempted to do it just so I can watch.”
“Hermes,” Persephone said pointedly. “You are really not being helpful.”
The god pouted. “I brought the dolly, didn’t I?”
“And now you need to use it. Up! Take these boxes down.”
Hermes grumbled, but rolled off the bed and Lexa followed.
They stacked boxes on the dolly, and while Hermes took them down, Persephone and Lexa helped Sybil pack the rest of her life. Persephone enjoyed the task, each box was a new challenge, and she liked to see just how much she could place in one box. When she was finished, she wrote a quick inventory on the side of the box to make unpacking easier.
When Hermes realized what she was doing, he snorted, shaking his head.
“What?” Persephone demanded.
“You’re just as regimented as Apollo.”
Persephone didn’t like being compared to the god. “What do you mean?”
“Haven’t you been paying attention to this place?” he looked around. “Everything in this place is arranged by type and color.”
“I’m organized, Hermes, not neurotic.”
“Apollo is disciplined. Ever since I’ve known him, he’s been that way.”
“If he’s so disciplined, why is he so...emotional?”
“Because Apollo takes pride in his routine—in the things he can create and execute, which means when he loses control, it’s personal.” Apollo glanced at Sybil. “Same goes for how he handles humans.”
Once they were finished, Sybil left her key on the shiny granite countertop in Apollo’s state-of-the-art kitchen, and the four piled into the moving van and left for the apartment.
“You’re not staying in the lines,” Persephone said, holding onto the grab handle as Lexa drove down the street.
“I can’t see,” Lexa complained, sitting up higher in the driver’s seat.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be driving,” Hermes commented.
“Does someone else want to drive?” she asked.
Everyone in the cabin was silent because none of them could drive.
“Just keep a lookout for pedestrians,” Persephone said.
“I’ll give you ten points if you hit someone,” Hermes offered.
“Is that supposed to entice me?” Lexa asked.
“Uh yeah, they’re Divine points.”
“What do Divine points get me?” Lexa asked, as if she were seriously considering his offer.
“A chance to be a goat,” he answered.
Persephone and Sybil exchanged a look. “If you are wondering if I regret introducing them to each other, the answer is yes.”
Unloading Sybil’s things took less than thirty minutes. Finding a place to put it was another story. They lined boxes up in the hallway, part of the living room and Persephone’s room since she would probably spend most of her time in the Underworld.
Once they had everything moved, Hermes opened a bottle of champagne, grinning.
“Time to celebrate!”
“Oops,” Lexa said, snatching up the keys to the moving truck. “Before we start, I have to return this rental.”
“I’ll come with you,” Persephone said.
“You just want me to drop you off at Nevernight.”
Persephone’s cheeks turned crimson.
“You’re leaving us?” Hermes asked. “What happened to sisters before misters?”
Persephone rolled her eyes. “Hermes, in case you haven’t noticed, you’re a mister.”
“I can be a sister!” he argued, more vehemently than she expected. “If you don’t come back, can I sleep in your bed?” He cal
led as she and Lexa left the apartment.
Sybil’s voice followed quickly. “No, you don’t! It’s mine!”
“I’ll share.”
“Sorry, Hermes, but I’ve had one too many gods try to sleep with me.”
Lexa’s driving was a little smoother on the way the Nevernight until she parked, pressing on the break so hard, Persephone’s body strained against the seatbelt. Outside, Persephone saw Mekonnen, an ogre Hades kept employed as a bouncer for Nevernight, engaged in an argument with a woman, which was nothing out of the ordinary. People often argued with Mekonnen and the other bouncers hoping for a chance to enter the club.
“That doesn’t look good,” Sybil commented, nodding toward the two.
“No, it doesn’t.”
The girl had her finger pointed at the creature’s chest. That was one of Mekonnen’s biggest pet peeves and a good way to get banned from the club forever.
Persephone sighed and reached over the console of the truck to hug Lexa. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks for the ride.”
She climbed out of the moving van. As soon as her feet touched the sidewalk, a chorus of voices called her name and a couple of people broke from the line, ducking under red velvet ropes to approach her. Two ogres appeared from the shadowy entrance of Nevernight, flanking Persephone and creating a barrier between her and the crowd, and she smiled at them.
“Hi Adrian, Ezio.”
Their expressions were serious as they peered down at her and said, “Good evening, my lady.”
She realized she should have thought this through better, or at least called ahead to notify Hades’ staff that she would be arriving soon. She could just see tomorrow’s headline: Hades’ Lover Arrives at Nevernight in Rental Truck Dressed in Sweats!
As she approached the entrance of the club, she overheard the woman.
“I demand to see him this instance!”
Persephone remembered saying something very similar to another ogre when she’d first come to Nevernight. It did not go well—for the ogre, mostly. He’d put his hands on Persephone, an offense Hades could not overlook, and she never saw him again.
“My lady,” Mekonnen said, moving forward to block the woman arguing with him, but she pushed her way around him.
“My lady?” She demanded with her hands on her hips.
A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone Book 2) Page 8