A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone Book 2)

by Scarlett St. Clair

  “And why would I help the journalist who slandered my name?”

  Persephone’s hands shook, and she clenched her fists to keep him from noticing. After a beat of silence, she spoke.

  “Because. I am willing to bargain.”

  That got Apollo’s attention. He sat up in the bath and stood, completely naked.

  “You’re willing to bargain with me?” he asked.

  Persephone turned her head away, swallowing hard. If she were being honest, seeing Apollo naked was no different than seeing the statues in the Garden of the Gods at New Athens University, but there was something different about seeing flesh rather than stone.

  “Yes, Apollo. That’s what I said.”

  Water sloshed and she knew without looking that he had gotten out of the bath.

  “This...friend. She must be very important to you.”

  “She is everything.”

  “Apparently,” Apollo said, amusement in his tone. “Especially if you are so willing to defy Hades and bargain with me.”

  Persephone’s eyes snapped to Apollo. He had done nothing to cover himself.

  “Will you help me or not? I did not come here for polite conversation.”

  “You call this polite?” the god scoffed.

  Persephone’s fists clenched tight and Apollo narrowed his eyes. She wondered if he could sense her losing control of her glamour.

  “Beg,” he said. “On your knees.”

  Persephone was disgusted. “Never.”

  “Then I won't help you.” He started to turn when she called out, “Wait!”

  Apollo paused, lifted a brow, and waited.

  Persephone worked to keep her anger under control as she made her way to the floor, and when she spoke, her voice shook.

  “Please.”

  “No.”

  Apollo started to walk away just as vines erupted from the floor with no warning, trapping him.

  “Well, well, well, you are full of surprises,” the god said.

  “I said please.” Her voice was venom. She would torture him and she would take immense pleasure from the act.

  “You are a goddess. A goddess masquerading as a mortal!” Apollo ignored her plea, his eyes glittered with excitement. “No one knows, do they?”

  That wasn’t exactly true but instead of answering, the vines that held Apollo grew thorns. A sharp splinter exploded near his face and cock, silencing him.

  “I believe we were having a conversation,” she said. “That involved you saving my friend.”

  Apollo narrowed his gaze, then attempted to snap the vines holding him. After a few tries, he gave up, panting. “What are these made of?”

  Persephone blinked—she didn’t know. But she was surprised that Apollo hadn’t been able to break her magic. Maybe her anger and hatred for the god had something to do with their strength.

  He met her gaze, eyes inquisitive. “You are a powerful little creature.”

  “I am not a creature.”

  “Yes, you are. You are a leech, sucking the fun out of my evening.”

  “You’re the one who made this difficult.”

  “I hardly thought you were capable of...” he looked down at himself, narrowly missing having his face impaled by the massive thorn.

  “Defeating you?” Persephone supplied.

  “Restraining me,” he corrected, and that mischievous glint entered his eyes again. “Am I correct in guessing this is one of Hades’ favorite parts?”

  “I’m not here to talk about Hades.”

  “Of course. Because if you were, we’d have to address the elephant in the room. He doesn’t know you are here, does he?”

  “Why does everyone keep asking that?” She complained. “I don’t have to ask for permission to be here.”

  Apollo’s lips curled. “Perhaps not, but I am certain he will feel utterly betrayed when he discovers you came to me for aid. After all, he offered up a favor of his own to save you from me last time.”

  Persephone ignored the guilt. “That was Hades’ choice. I have also made a choice. I propose a bargain, Apollo. You heal my friend and I’ll—I’ll—”

  Well, she wasn’t exactly sure what she would do.

  “You’ll do whatever I want.”

  She hated how interested Apollo appeared at the prospect of an open request.

  “Not whatever you want,” Persephone said. “I won’t do anything that will hurt Hades.”

  “Oh, but you already are, little goddess,” he paused. “Fine. I’ll bargain with you, but only because this will entertain me.”

  She waited. She wanted the terms of their agreement.

  “I can’t think with this thorn in my face.”

  She considered telling him to deal with it but decided she should be a little accommodating. She was at his mercy when it came to this bargain.

  She dismissed her magic and Apollo stretched, still naked.

  “Is it too much to ask for you to get dressed?” she asked.

  “Yes. Now, what do I want from you?” he considered the question as he walked to the corner of the room and retrieved a floral robe. His back was to her as he slipped it on. He did nothing to secure it, however, and it hung open, exposing his nakedness. She rolled her eyes.

  “I want you to hang out with me.”

  “What?” Persephone thought he was joking but the look on Apollo’s face said otherwise.

  “You’ll be my...friend. We’ll party together, we’ll attend events together, you’ll come to my penthouse.”

  “You want me to hang out with you?” Something didn’t seem right about this. “For how long?”

  “How much is your friend’s life worth?”

  Persephone wasn’t going to answer that.

  “What if we hate each other?” Because she was sure she would only hate him more by the end of this.

  Apollo shrugged. “You’d be surprised by what I can handle.”

  She had never wanted to roll her eyes so much at one person.

  “What does hanging out with you entail?” She asked.

  “Someone’s taught you well,” he said.

  “I won’t sleep with you. I won’t hurt people for you. I won’t use my powers for you, either.”

  “Anything else?”

  “If your healing fails to work, the deal is off.”

  Apollo seemed to think that was particularly funny. “If my healing works? Little goddess, do you know how many healers I have fathered?”

  “I don’t want to know anything about that part of your life, Apollo.”

  “Is that the end of your requests?”

  “Six months,” Persephone said. “I’ll only do this for six months.”

  The god was silent as he considered her proposal. Finally, he said, “Deal.”

  “Deal?”

  She couldn’t help it, she had to ask. She hadn’t expected him to be so accepting of the timeline.

  Apollo chuckled. “Is it so unbelievable that I would help?”

  “You aren’t helping out of the goodness of your heart,” Persephone countered. “You’re helping because it benefits you. In some weird way.”

  Apollo sulked. “Don’t insult me—I can rescind my offer.”

  “No!” she said quickly, and her face grew hot. Not from embarrassment, but anger. “I’m sorry.”

  The god stared at her. “You really care for your friend. But I must ask—what’s so bad about her death? You are Hades’ lover. It isn’t like you can’t see her in the Underworld.”

  Persephone hesitated to speak, and Apollo started to laugh.

  “Uncertain about your relationships with the Rich One, huh?”

  “I just,” she stammered, uncertain of how to acknowledge what Apollo was saying. She thought of her mother’s words—you should consider, given the circumstances, can a daughter of spring truly be death’s bride? It was a question she couldn’t answer. Could she exist beside Hades, the god who would let her best friend die? Could she rule a world that was r
esponsible for the unbearable pain she felt? “There is no way I can be the goddess he wants.”

  Apollo snorted.

  Persephone glared. “What?”

  The god raised his brows. “It just sounds like you think he wants something other than you, which is not what I witnessed when I came to punish you in the Underworld.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “What would you know about it, Apollo?”

  She didn’t like how serious he suddenly looked. “More than you could ever imagine, little goddess.”

  She felt the truth of those words. She wanted to ask more questions—what exactly did you witness when you came to the Underworld, but she didn’t want Apollo to know she was curious.

  “Just…heal my friend, Apollo.”

  “As you wish, goddess.” He held out his hand. “Where are we going?”

  “Asclepius,” she said. “Second floor, ICU.”

  “Oh, yes—my son’s namesake. Did you know Hades complained of his skill so much my father killed him?”

  “His skill?”

  “He could bring the dead back to life,” Apollo said. “I imagine Hades put him in Tartarus for that.”

  Apollo took her hand, and the pull of his magic made her stomach turn. He smelled like wood and eucalyptus.

  They found themselves in Lexa’s dark room. Her parents were asleep in the corner. The room smelled stale and the air was sticky and hot. Persephone glanced at Apollo, surprised to see his face was drawn and grim.

  “I can see why you were desperate to bargain,” he said. “She’s nearly gone.”

  The comment was an affirmation that Persephone had made the right decision, and as if Apollo heard that thought, he met her gaze.

  “Are you sure you want this?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was a whisper in the dark, and in the next second, the God of Music was holding a bow and arrow. The weapon was ethereal—glowing and shimmering in the shadow of the room. It was bizarre to witness a god dressed in a floral robe, holding such a majestic weapon.

  Apollo strung the arrow, the veins in his arm popping as he pulled it back on the string, releasing soundlessly. The arrow hit the center of Lexa’s chest and vanished into a shower of shimmering magic.

  Silence followed.

  And nothing happened.

  “It’s not working,” Persephone said, already feeling a sense of terror at the thought.

  “It will,” Apollo said. “Tomorrow they’ll take her off the ventilator and she’ll wake up and breath on her own. She’ll be a living, breathing miracle. Exactly what you wanted.”

  For some reason, those words left a horrible taste in Persephone’s mouth. She looked back at Lexa who was as still as a corpse.

  “I’ll be in contact,” he said. “Your duties begin soon.”

  Then he vanished.

  And in the noisy ICU, Persephone wondered what she had done?

  CHAPTER XVIII - THE FURIES

  Persephone arrived at the hospital with Sybil two hours later. She was too anxious to stay away. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Apollo’s healing powers, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. She could feel it—a tangible darkness gathering behind her, gaining speed and depth and weight.

  Would Lexa be healed enough by the time they took her off the ventilator? Would Hades intervene? What would happen once he discovered she’d bargained with Apollo? Would he see her decision as betrayal?

  The guilt made her nauseous and lightheaded and as she headed into the elevator with

  Sybil, she worried she’d have another panic attack. She wondered if the oracle sensed her

  turmoil, especially when she glanced in her direction.

  Instead, Sybil asked, “Did you do it?”

  Persephone didn’t look at the oracle. She kept her gaze on the red number as it changed

  from floor to floor.

  “Yes.”

  “What did you offer in exchange?”

  She’d hoped to keep her bargain secret for as long as possible. She didn’t want to know what her friend actually thought of her choice.

  “Time.”

  Persephone had yet to really understand what she’d agreed to when it came to Apollo’s

  demand for her attention, but the worry was already sinking into her bones. In the hours

  after she’d left the hospital, she’d gone over the terms of their agreement. She was certain she’d missed something, and it was just a matter of time before Apollo asked her to do something she couldn’t refuse.

  If Lexa is alive, it will be worth it, she thought.

  She hoped.

  When they arrived on the second floor, Jaison was already there, sitting in the same wooden chair he’d occupied since Lexa’s accident with his eyes closed. He stirred as they approached and looked at them.

  “Hey,” Persephone said as gently as she could. “How are you?”

  Jaison shrugged. The whites of his eyes were yellow, his skin pallid.

  “How long until we hear something?” Sybil asked.

  “They plan to take her off life support at nine.” His voice was hollow.

  Persephone and Sybil exchanged a glance. Jaison leaned forward and rubbed his face vigorously before standing.

  “I’m going to get some coffee.”

  He walked off, and Persephone watched him until he disappeared. No wonder mortals begged Hades to return their loved ones. The threat of death took more than one life. The thought brought tears to her eyes. How was she supposed to rule a kingdom that caused so much pain? That brought suffering to the living?

  “He doesn’t know, does he?” Sybil asked.

  Persephone shook her head. He still thought he was losing Lexa today.

  “No one needs to know,” she said. “Let them think it was a miracle.”

  The two took a seat and waited. Jaison eventually came back with a steaming cup of coffee and sat beside her. They didn’t speak, which was fine with her. She was lost in thought, unable to focus on any one thing. The longer the silence stretched the more her anxiety grew.

  At some point, Lexa’s family began to arrive. Soon, they were led to a larger room where Lexa had been moved. Lexa’s parents were nearest to her, then Jaison, several aunts and uncles and friends from her hometown of Ionia. Each person in the room approached her and said their goodbyes, touching her, holding her hand or kissing her face.

  When it was Persephone’s turn, she scooped up Lexa’s hand, and pressed a kiss to her cold skin.

  “Please, please wake up,” she prayed to no one but Apollo’s magic and to Persephone’s

  surprise, Lexa squeezed her hand. She looked up and met Jaison’s gaze, but she could tell by his expression that he had seen what happened.

  “She squeezed my hand.” Persephone’s voice was high-pitched, unfamiliar to her ears, but she was experiencing a rush of adrenaline.

  “What?” Jaison looked down at Lexa and clasped her other hand.

  “Lexa, Lexa, babe. If you can hear me, squeeze my hand!”

  There was a flurry of activity after that. Everyone but Lexa’s parents were ushered out of the room and the doctors were called in to check her vitals. Sometime later, Lexa’s father came to the waiting room to let everyone know that her body had healed enough in the last twelve hours to support life-sustaining activity.

  “It’s a miracle,” he said, eyes watery. “A miracle.”

  Persephone’s eyes watered, too, and her body trembled. Her sacrifice had been worth it! Lexa was back.

  “You did it,” Sybil whispered, and the two hugged. It was then she noticed Jaison standing apart from them. She approached, hesitant.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” Jaison said, he sniffed, wiping his eyes. After a moment, he embraced her, his breath releasing in a harsh gasp. “Thank you, Persephone.”

  His expression of gratitude seemed misplaced given what Persephone had done, so instead of speaking, she re
mained quiet, hugging him tighter.

  They lingered in the waiting room for a little while, talking and laughing. Everything felt strange but hopeful, like the sun was still managing to shine through thick, black clouds. At some point, Persephone decided it was time to sneak away. She needed a shower and a few hours of sleep. She said goodbye to Jaison, Sybil, and Lexa’s family and left.

  She made it outside before the hair on the back of her neck stood up and a terrifying hiss drew her attention skyward where three women hovered, black, leathery wings spread wide. Their limbs were pale white, and black snakes twined around their bodies. Their hair was inky and seemed to float around them as if they were underwater. Each wore a crown of thick spires, resembling black blades.

  They were Furies—goddesses of vengeance, and they only popped up when someone broke Divine Law.

  “Persephone, daughter of Demeter.”

  They spoke in unison, their voices echoing in her mind like the hiss of a snake.

  “Fuck.”

  “You have broken a sacred law of the Underworld and therefore, must be punished.”

  A shiver of fear shook her spine. She had not considered that her decision to help Lexa would be punishable by the three goddesses.

  Suddenly, serpents slithered around her feet. Persephone jumped.

  “Oh, no! Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

  She tried to jump from the middle of the pool of snakes, but they were quick to surround her, slithering up her legs, torso, and shoulders. Their scales were slippery and rough and tightened around her like rope. A faint whisper reached her ears—punish, punish, punish. Then one of the serpents sunk its fangs into her shoulder.

  Persephone screamed. The pain was sharp, and the venom burned. Suddenly, she was frozen—her scream dried up in her throat and her legs wouldn’t work. She tried to move but fell, striking the cement hard. Her body felt like it was being torn apart, and all of a sudden everything was dark, and she was falling.

  She appeared on the floor of Nevernight.

  She was surprised when Apollo landed on his face beside her. The god groaned, rolling onto his back. Persephone regained movement in her limbs and started to get to her feet when she saw Hades standing over her like a dark cloud. There was an acute fury in his eyes, and she felt like he was skinning her alive with that stare. She had never experienced fear standing opposite him, even after she had published her story on Apollo, but right now, it settled heavy and cold in her stomach.