A Touch of Ruin (Hades & Persephone Book 2)
Page 35
“Of course,” she whispered. “Forever.”
Hades smile grew, showing his teeth. It was one of her favorite smiles, the one she liked to imagine was only for her. He slipped the ring on her finger, and rose to his feet, capturing her mouth in a kiss that she felt in her soul.
“You wouldn’t have happened to overhear Hermes demand a rock, would you?” she asked when he pulled away.
Hades chuckled. “He might have been talking loud enough for me to hear,” he said. “But if you must know, I have had that ring for a while.”
“How long?” she demanded.
“Embarrassingly long,” he said and then admitted, “Since the night of the Olympian Gala.”
Persephone swallowed a lump that had risen in her throat.
How had she gotten so lucky?
“I love you,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.
“I love you, too.”
They kissed again, and when he pulled away, she noticed something white swirling around them. It took her a moment to realize that it was snow.
Despite its beauty, there was something sinister to the way it fell from the sky.
Not to mention, it was August.
Persephone looked at Hades, the happiness that had lit his face a moment before was suddenly gone. Now he looked concerned, his dark brows drew together over severe eyes.
“Hades, why is it snowing?” Persephone whispered.
He looked down at her, his eyes an endless void, and answered in a solemn tone, “It’s the start of a war.”
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
First, THANK YOU to all my wonderful readers. I am so thankful for each and every one of you.
When I wrote A Touch of Darkness, I wrote the book of my heart. A Touch of Ruin is no different. Writing this sequel was just as difficult as writing the first book, but I knew there were a few things I wanted to touch on in ATOR, namely myths surrounding Apollo and his lovers.
I looked at several myths, but settled on highlighting Apollo x Daphne, Apollo x Cassandra, and Apollo x Hyacinth. Obviously these are the most well-known and two really illustrate Apollo’s horrible treatment of his lovers. He relentlessly pursued Daphne until she begged to be turned into a tree, and cursed Cassandra when she wouldn’t sleep with him. This is a modern problem and so I wanted to challenge Persephone to handle it.
The other myth I knew I wanted to use was the myth of Apollo and Marsyas (another common and similar myth is Apollo and Pan). Marsyas was a satyr who challenged Apollo to a musical competition. There are several versions of this myth that have Marsyas and Apollo winning, however, it ends in the satyrs death. I thought this was important because it shows just how unstable Apollo can be—how he is tied to antiquity and how it conflicts with the modern world.
Now I’ll touch on the myth of Pirithous.
I know in mythology, Pirithous and Theseus are bros (trust me, Theseus is coming *eyeroll*). The two decide they will wed Daughters of Zeus. Theseus steals Helen of Troy (yes, Helen the assistant is Helen of Troy). Well, Pirithous decides he wants Persephone. Together, the two head to the Underworld in an attempt to abduct her. Exhausted, they sit for a while to rest and are unable to get back up. Later, Hercules will rescue Theseus, but Pirithous will remain. I wanted to include this myth because, to me, Pirithous is just a really creepy fan and so, in the modern world, that’s exactly what he is.
Maybe I watch too much true crime. Ha!
Last, I’ll touch on the most heartbreaking part of the book—Lexa.
When I start writing a character, I make a list of “the worst things that can happen.”
Well, number one for Persephone was losing Lexa, but I couldn’t imagine Persephone understanding the mortal condition of grief unless she lost someone close to her. She’d also need to lose Lexa in the worst possible way (aka, bringing Lexa back, seeing her suffer, then having her return to the Underworld with no memory of her) in order to understand why Hades cannot help everyone. It’s a huge part of Persephone’s growth, because up until this point, she takes Hades at face-value. By the end of ATOR, she can speak from experience as much as that sucks.
Finally, I got to highlight the thing that sparked this whole idea in the first place: Hades’ club, Iniquity.
From the very beginning, I wrote these notes: Gods in Modern Society,
Hades rules the ‘underworld’ - gambling dens, mafia, and while I only scratched the surface of the world Hades rules in the Upperworld, I know it will be influential in A Touch of Malice.
Love,
Scarlett
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Scarlett St. Clair lives in Oklahoma. She has a Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Studies. She is obsessed with Greek Mythology, murder mysteries, love, and the afterlife. If you are obsessed with these things, then you’ll like her books.
For information on books, tour dates, and content, please visit www.ScarlettStClair.com