Dusk is stealing across the sky by the time I finish with the various things that needed to be accomplished today and go to find Persephone. Our territory is as prepared as we can possibly be for what’s coming. I’ve had my people put out word that there might be supply disruptions and to plan accordingly. The spies in the upper city are on high alert and ready to slip back across the river to safety. Everyone is watching and waiting to see what Zeus and Demeter will do.
I’m tired. Really fucking tired. The kind of exhaustion that sneaks up and drags a person down between one step and the next.
I don’t quite realize how much I’m looking forward to seeing Persephone until I step into the mini library and find her curled up on the couch. She’s wearing one of the dresses Juliette delivered, a happy bright blue, and reading a book. There’s a small fire crackling in the fireplace, and the sheer normalcy of the scene nearly knocks me on my ass. For a fraction of a moment, I allow myself to imagine that this is a sight that would greet me at the end of every day. Instead of dragging myself to my bedroom and collapsing on my mattress alone, I’d find this woman waiting for me.
I put the fantasy away. I can’t afford to want things like that. Not in general, and not with her. Temporary. This whole thing is temporary.
I brace myself and step farther into the room, letting the door close softly behind me. Persephone looks up, and the haunted expression on her face has me immediately moving to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Besides the obvious?”
I sit on the couch next to her, close enough to be an invitation if she wants it but far enough away to give her space if she needs it. I’ve barely settled when Persephone crawls into my lap and draws her legs up until she’s balanced on my thighs. I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on her head. “What happened?”
“Hermes delivered a message from my sisters.”
I’d known about that, of course. Hermes might have an uncanny ability to slip past my guards, but even she isn’t able to dodge the cameras completely. “You called them and the conversation with your sisters upset you.”
“I guess you could say that.” She relaxes by inches against me. “I’ve just been sitting here, stewing in my self-pity. I’m a selfish asshole who threw this whole mess into motion because I wanted to be free.”
I’ve never heard her sound so bitter. I give her back a tentative stroke and she sighs, so I do it again. “Your mother wasn’t forced to take the position of Demeter. She went after it.”
“I’m aware.” She traces my buttons with a single finger. “Like I said, it’s self-pity, which is nearly unforgivable, but I’m worried about my sisters and afraid that I made the situation worse by taking off instead of just going along with my mother’s plans.”
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say to make her feel better. One of the side effects of being an only child and an orphan is that I don’t have much in the way of social skills. I can intimidate and threaten and rule, but comfort is beyond my expertise. I pull her closer as if that’s enough to gather all her scattered pieces together again. “If your sisters are half as capable as you, they’ll be more than fine.”
She gives a shuddering laugh. “I think they might be more capable than me. At least Callisto and Psyche. Eurydice is still so young. We’ve kept her sheltered over the years, and now I’m wondering if that was a mistake.”
“Because of Orpheus.”
“He’s not a bad guy, I guess. But he loves himself and his music more than he loves my sister. I’ll never be okay with that.” As she speaks, she relaxes, the last of the tension bleeding away. A distraction was all it took. Maybe I’m not nearly as bad at this comforting thing as I thought. I file away the information for later, even as I tell myself that it’s worthless. The clock is already running out on us, for all that we have the rest of the winter. After that, it won’t matter that I know how to comfort Persephone when she’s upset. She’ll be gone.
It’s tempting to use sex to distract her, but I don’t know that it’s what she needs right now. “Would you like to get out of here for a little bit?”
The way she perks up confirms this was the right call. Persephone turns those big hazel eyes on me. “Really?”
“Yeah, really.” I stifle the urge to tell her to dress in warmer clothing. We won’t be going far, and the last thing I want right now is to push her too hard on anything, not when she’s already feeling so fragile. I ease her off my lap and hold her hand while she stands. “Let’s go.”
Persephone beams at me. “Is this another secret like the greenhouse?”
I still can’t believe how intimate it feels to have shared that with her. Like she’s seen a part of me that no one else gets to. Instead of turning away, she seems to understand what that place means to me. I shake my head slowly. “No, this is something else. A little peek behind the curtain of the lower city.”
If anything, her eyes light up even more. “Let’s go.”
Fifteen minutes later, we’re holding hands while walking down the street. Part of me wonders if I should take my hand back, but I don’t fucking want to. I like the feeling of her palm against mine, our fingers linked together. I lead her east away from the house, setting a pace that won’t tax her overmuch. No matter what else is true, Persephone hasn’t fully recovered from the night that brought her to me. Or maybe I’m just looking for an excuse to take care of her.
We walk in easy silence, but I can tell her thoughts are still occupied with her sisters. I have nothing to say that will actually comfort her on that note, so I set myself on providing an experience that will get her out of her head a bit. “We’re almost there.”
She finally looks at me. “Are you going to tell me where there is?”
“No.”
“Such a tease.”
I squeeze her hand. “Maybe I just like the look on your face when you first experience something.”
It’s hard to tell in the shadows of the growing dark, but I think she blushes. “You know, if you wanted to distract me, sex is always a good option.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I turn us down a narrow alley. Persephone follows me without hesitation to the large metal door at the end. I glance at her. “Nervous?”
“No,” she answers immediately. “I’m with you, and we both know you won’t let anything happen to me.”
I blink. “You’re that sure of me?”
She smiles, some of the worry in her eyes dissipating. “Of course I am. You’re the fearsome Hades. No one fucks with you, which means no one will fuck with me while I’m with you.” She leans in, her breasts pressing against my arm. “Right?”
“Right,” I say faintly. I can’t even enjoy her teasing because I’m too busy reeling at her casual statement. I’m with you, and we both know you won’t let anything happen to me. As if it’s that simple. As if it’s a truth.
It is. I would commit unforgivable acts to keep Persephone safe. But somehow hearing her say it aloud makes it so much more real.
She trusts me.
I motion to the door simply for something to do. “There’s still enough light to study the columns if you like.”
“I like.” She keeps a hold on my hand as she peers at the white columns on either side of the door. I watch her instead of them, already knowing what she’s seeing. A revel in a magical forest with satyrs and nymphs eating and drinking and enjoying themselves. Persephone finally leans back and grins at me. “Another portal.”
“Portal?”
“Show me what’s behind the door, Hades.”
I push open the door, and Persephone’s gasp is almost lost in the commotion on the other side. She starts to push past me, but I keep my grip on her hand. “No need to rush.”
“Speak for yourself.” Her eyes are even wider than normal as she takes in the scene in front of us.
The indoor market is open most nights of the week during the winter. The ceiling is lost to the darkness above us, the warehouse an echoing space—or it would be if it were empty. This time of year, it’s filled with bustling shoppers and vendors. Semipermanent stalls are set up in narrow rows. They’re all a uniform size, but the owners have made each space their own with brightly colored canopies and signs advertising everything from produce to soap to desserts to trinkets. All of them have shops scattered around the lower city, but they keep a sampling of their products here.
Some of these people have had shops since I was a small child. Some of them stretch back generations. The entire warehouse is filled with the clamor of people buying and selling and a tangled mix of delicious food smells.
I use the noise as an excuse to slip my arm around Persephone’s waist and pull her close to speak directly into her ear. “Hungry?”
“Yes.” She still hasn’t taken her eyes off the market. It’s not as crowded tonight as it will be on the weekends, but there is still a large number of people crammed into the rows between the stalls. “Hades, what is this?”
“Winter market.” I inhale her summery scent. “During the warmer months, this whole setup moves out into a city block that’s specifically designated for this purpose. It’s open every night of the week, though some of the vendors cycle through.”
She turns to look at me. “This is like a secret world. Can we… Can we explore?” Her curiosity and joy are a balm to my soul that I never knew I craved.
“That’s what we’re here for.” Once again, I tug her back when she’d bolt into the crowd. “Food first. That’s my only stipulation.”
Persephone grins. “Yes, Sir.” She bounces onto her toes and kisses my cheek. “Take me to your favorite food place here.”
There it is again, the feeling of sharing parts of me with this woman that no one else gets to see. Of her appreciating and enjoying the bits of me that aren’t strictly Hades, ruler of the lower city, the shadow member of the Thirteen. In moments like this one, it’s as if she really sees me, and that’s intoxicating in the extreme.
We end up at a gyro stall, and I nod at Damien behind the counter. He grins at me. “Long time, no see.”
“Hey.” I nudge Persephone closer to the stall. “Damien, this is Persephone. Persephone, this is Damien. His family has been selling gyros in Olympus for, what is it? Three generations?”
“Five.” He laughs. “Though if you ask my uncle, it’s closer to ten, and on top of that, we can trace our lines back to Greece to some head cook who served Caesar himself.”
“I believe it.” I laugh just like he wants me to. We’ve had this exchange dozens of times, but he enjoys it so I’m more than happy to indulge him. “We’ll have two of the regular.”
“Coming right up.” It takes him a few moments to put the gyros together, and I allow myself to enjoy the way his smooth movements speak of years of practice. I still remember coming here as a teenager and watching Damien’s dad walk him through the process of taking an order and making the gyro, supervising his son with patience and love that I envied. They have a good relationship, and it was something I wanted to soak up peripherally, especially during those angsty teen years.
Damien holds up the gyros. “No charge.”
“You know better.” I pull cash out of my pocket and set it on the counter, ignoring his half-hearted protests. This, too, we do nearly every time I visit. I accept the gyros and hand one to Persephone. “This way.” I lead her around the edge of the warehouse to where a handful of tables and chairs have been set up and tucked back against the wall. There are several similar sitting areas scattered throughout the area so no matter where one buys food, they don’t have to walk far to find a place to sit and eat.
I glance over to find Persephone looking at me with a strange expression on her face. I frown. “What?”
“How often do you come down here?”
My skin prickles and I have the uncomfortable suspicion that I’m blushing. “Usually at least once a week.” When she just keeps staring, I have to fight not to shuffle my feet. “I find the chaos soothing.”
“That’s not the full reason.”
Once again, she’s entirely too perceptive. Strangely enough, I don’t mind elaborating. “This is just a small portion of the population in the lower city, but I like seeing people here going about their business. It’s normal.”
She unwraps her gyro. “Because they’re safe.”
“Yes.”
“Because you make them safe.” She takes a bite before I can respond and gives a downright sexual moan. “Gods, Hades. This is amazing.”
We eat in silence, and the sheer normality of this moment hits me right in the chest. For just a little while, Persephone and I could be two normal people moving through the world without the entirety of Olympus threatening to topple if we make a wrong move. This might be a first date or a third or one ten years down the road. I close my eyes and push that thought away. We aren’t normal and this isn’t a date, and at the end of our time together, Persephone will leave Olympus. In ten years, I might be in this very spot enjoying a gyro alone just like I have countless times in the past, but she’ll be somewhere far away, living the life she was always meant to.
One spent in the sunlight.
Her empty wrapper crinkles as she wads it up. She leans forward, expression intent. “Show me everything.”
“There’s no way we can see the whole thing tonight.” Before she can wilt, I press on. “But you can explore a little bit tonight and come back again every few days until you see everything you want to.”
The smile she gives me is so pure, it feels like she cracked open my sternum and wrapped her fist around my heart. “Promise?”
As if I’d deny her this simple pleasure. As if I’d deny her any pleasure. “I promise.”
We spend an hour wandering the stalls before I herd Persephone back to the entrance. During that time, she’s managed to charm every single person she meets, and we end up with an armful of bags filled with candy, a dress that caught her eye, and a trio of glass figurines for her sisters. I almost feel guilty for cutting her time short, but the wisdom of it becomes readily apparent as we walk back home. By the time we reach our block, Persephone is leaning on me.
“I’m not tired.”
I fight down a smile. “Sure.”
“I’m not. I’m just conserving energy.”
“Mm-hmm.” I lock the door behind us and consider her. “Then I suppose I should resist carrying you upstairs and putting you to bed.”
Persephone nibbles on her bottom lip. “I mean, if you want to carry me, I suppose I can keep my protests to a minimum.”
That feeling of her squeezing my heart only gets stronger. “In that case…” I scoop her up, bags and all, enjoying her little shriek. Enjoying the way she lays her head against my chest so trustingly. Just flat-out enjoying her.
I hesitate on the landing of the second floor, but she leans up and presses a kiss to my neck. “Take me to bed, Hades.” Not hers. Mine.
I give a short nod and continue up the stairs to my room. I set Persephone on the bed and step back. “Do you want me to have your stuff brought up here?”
She does that adorable lip nibbling thing again. “Is that presumptuous? I know last night was one thing, but I’m being pushy about this, aren’t I?”
Maybe, but I like the way she carves out a space for herself in my home, in my life. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want you here.”
“Then yes, please.” She reaches for me. “Come to bed.”
I catch her hands before she can start unbuttoning my shirt. “Put your things away. I need to do my rounds before anything else happens.”
“Your rounds.” She stares up at me, seeing too much, just like she always seems to. I tense, waiting for her to question, to ask why I feel the need to check the locks when I have one of the best security systems money can buy and a staff of security people. Instead, she just nods. “Do what you need to do. I’ll be waiting.”
Even though I want to rush, I know I won’t be able to sleep until I’ve checked all the entrances and exits on the ground floor properly. Especially now that Persephone is here, trusting me to keep her safe. By all rights, the knowledge should add weight to my shoulders, but it just feels strangely comfortable. As if things were meant to be this way. It doesn’t make any sense to me, so I put it from my mind.
I pause in the security room to check in with my people, but as expected, there’s nothing new to report. Whatever move Zeus makes is yet to be seen, but it’s unlikely he’ll do it tonight.
There will be a time for me to make another move, but I’m hesitant to do so. Not yet, not when things are going so well with Persephone. Better to let things simmer a bit and see what Zeus does before we do anything else.
The excuse feels flimsy as fuck, likely because it is. I don’t care. I push the thoughts away and head back up to my room. I’m not sure what I expect, but it isn’t to find Persephone in my bed, sound asleep.
I stand there and stare, letting the scene wash over me in waves. The way she’s curled on her side, the blankets clutched to her chest with a loose fist. Her hair already a tangled mass over her pillow. How she has her back to what was my side of the bed last night, as if she’s just waiting for me to join her and curl my body around her.
I rub my thumb against my sternum, as if that will ease the ache there. It’s tempting to join her in bed right now, but I make myself go to my closet, strip, and head into the bathroom to go through my nightly ritual.
She’s exactly where I left her when I return, and I shut off the lights and ease between the covers. Maybe I’m reading too much into this. She’s fallen asleep, but she already said she’s not a big cuddler. Just because she’s here doesn’t mean it’s an invitation…
Persephone reaches back and grabs my hand. She scoots back toward me as she tugs me closer, only stopping when we’re sealed together from torso to thigh. She pulls my arm up to curl around her chest with the blanket and gives a sleepy sigh. “Night, Hades.”
I blink into the darkness, no longer able to deny the fact that this woman has irreversibly changed my life. “Good night, Persephone.”
