Chapter XXX

Chapter XXX

The Start of War

Hades’s stomach knotted with anticipation. Tonight, his nonprofit, the Cypress Foundation, was hosting a gala to illustrate the impact of his charity work. Among them was the Halcyon Project, which held a special place in both his and Persephone’s hearts. Without her, it would not exist. Everything he poured into it was inspired by her. It was also a project Lexa had worked on before her death, and he had something planned to honor her legacy.

It was just one reason he was unusually excited about tonight’s event. The second had to do with the black box in his pocket. As he stood outside his bedroom door, he took it from the inside of his jacket and looked at the ring. Nestled in black velvet, it gleamed, and by the end of the night, it would glitter on Persephone’s finger, a symbol of their commitment to each other.

Once more, his chest felt tight with nervous energy. He took a breath. He could do this—she had already said yes.

He closed the box and returned it to his pocket before entering their bedchamber, where he found Persephone already dressed for the evening in a red off-the-shoulder gown. While the top was lace, her skirt was made of layers of tulle, and he could not help thinking that Hecate had chosen it specifically to make things difficult for him.

“You look lovely,” he said.

“Thank you,” she said, a flush creeping over her cheeks. “So do you. I mean…you look handsome.”

He chuckled at her nervousness, though he couldn’t deny he felt the same, and it gave him some comfort that even after everything they had been through, they could still feel this sort of flustered excitement.

“Shall we?” He offered his hand and she accepted, allowing him to pull her close and teleport to the surface, where Antoni waited for them outside Nevernight.

The cyclops smiled when he saw them and opened the door to the limo.

“My lord, my lady,” he said. “Looking divine this evening.”

“Thank you, Antoni,” Persephone said and laughed as she climbed into the back seat.

Hades followed close, inhaling her sweet scent. “And what is so amusing?”

“You know we could just teleport to the Olympian.”

“I thought you wanted to live a mortal existence when in the Upperworld,” Hades said, though to be fair, it had been a while since she’d said anything like that, which made him think she had grown more and more content with the balance of her life.

“Perhaps I am only eager to begin our night together,” she said, and there was a sensual edge to her voice that sent Hades’s blood rushing to his head—both of them.

He raised a brow. “Why wait?”

She shifted, bunching her ridiculous skirt into her hands so she could straddle him, but even as she sank against him, he could barely feel her for all the layers.

“Who chose this dress?” Hades growled as his hands sought her skin.

“You don’t like it?”

Like wasn’t the word he would use.

“I’d really rather have access to your body,” he answered as his palms finally skimmed her bare thighs.

“Are you asking me to dress for sex?”

He smiled and leaned close as he whispered, “It will be our secret.”

He kissed her, and his hands shifted upward toward the apex of her thighs, while hers skimmed down his chest to the button of his trousers.

“Persephone,” he breathed as she freed his sex and took him into her hand. Her palm was warm, and she kept her thumb at his crown, rubbing circles over the come that beaded there.

“I need you,” he growled. “Now.”

He thought she might resist, drag this out until he was feverish and desperate, but she seemed to feel the same because she mounted him, sliding on with a groan that rocked each of their bodies.

“You have ruined me,” Hades said, holding on to her hips, fingers digging into her skin and the gods-damned fabric of her billowing dress. “This is all I ever think about.”

“Sex?” she asked, breathless. She alternated between sliding up and down his shaft and grinding against him. It made his head spin, and he wanted to fuck her harder.

“You,” he said between his teeth. “Being inside you, the feel of you gripping my cock, the way you tighten around me just before you come.”

“You just described sex, Hades.”

He laughed, though he panted too. “I described sex with you. There is a difference.”

They lost themselves at some point, and they came together viciously, kissing and thrusting, and there was nothing to hold on to but each other.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Hades said, and he sought her clit, touching her there until she came apart, and though she had come, she still moved for him, whispering erotic things until his release exploded inside her. In the aftermath, Persephone collapsed against him, and his body sagged with exhaustion and pleasure.

He tangled his hand into her hair and kissed her face, groaning. “Fuck me. I’m like a fucking teenager.”

“Do you even know what it’s like to be a teenager?”

“No,” he said truthfully. He had been swallowed as a baby and born an adult. “But I imagine they are always horny and never quite sated.”

He could take her again if she’d let him.

“Perhaps I can help.” She shimmied off his lap to the floor and wrapped her hand around his cock before he stopped her, hands on her face.

“No, darling.”

“But—” she protested.

“Trust that there is nothing I would love more than for you to go down on me, but for now, we must attend this gods-forsaken dinner.”

“Must we?” she asked, a pretty pout to her mouth that made him want this even more, but they were nearing the hotel where the gala would take place, and this event…it was important.

“Yes. Trust me, you will not want to miss it.”

She held his gaze for a moment, and her hand slipped up and down his cock in defiance, though eventually she rose to sit beside him, and they restored their appearances, which was easier said than done, especially because Persephone kept her eyes on his cock.

“ Goddess ,” he warned.

She offered a sheepish smile before her attention turned to the window, and he noted how she stiffened at the sight of the crowd that had gathered outside. Though they were still a few miles from the hotel, the sidewalks were packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of divinity. He reached for her hand, offering a reassuring squeeze. He did not blame her for being nervous at the sight of so many people—so many strangers—and when the limo stopped and the door opened to a blinding wall of flashing lights, he felt her anxiety spike even more.

He exited the car and turned to her, reaching for her hand. He would not let her go through this alone.

“Darling?”

She latched onto his fingers and allowed him to help her from the car, and together they walked down a red carpet that led to the front of the Olympian Grand Hotel. As they walked, people shouted their names and demanded pictures, even reached across the barriers erected on either side of the walkway in hopes that they might brush their skin.

Hades kept Persephone close, and when the carpet widened and gave them more distance from the crowd, they both felt at ease.

“Zofie!” Persephone cried, and Hades turned his attention to the Amazon who approached, looking very uncomfortable in her blue gown and with the hug Persephone pulled her in to. Hades had requested Zofie join them tonight, both as Persephone’s aegis and her friend.

“Persephone, are you well?” she asked, frowning a little, perhaps confused by Persephone’s excitement. The Amazon was not used to being valued beyond her skills as a warrior, so it was likely she did not understand what friendship really meant.

Though Hades knew Persephone would teach her.

“Yes,” Persephone answered. “Just happy to see you.”

The Amazon smiled.

They continued on, and Hades kept a firm hand on Persephone at all times, though the goddess was handling every request with grace. They stopped for a million photos, and by the time they came to the end of the media circuit and were led into a large reception hall, all Hades could see was flashing lights. The hall was less crowded, but there was a roar to the room that was somehow worse inside. Perhaps that was because the noise was contained. Still, people gathered into small groups to chat, while servers darted around carrying trays of drinks.

Hades noted that Persephone kept her gaze on the ceiling, which was, essentially, an art piece—a field of glass-blown flowers in an array of striking, bright colors. She did not get to enjoy the view long because they were approached by people who wished to make Persephone’s acquaintance. Luckily, they were people Hades liked, mostly donors, some who ran within the circles of Iniquity and some not.

“Sybil!” he heard Persephone shout, and she left his side to embrace the oracle.

Hades hung back, watching her as she spoke animatedly with the mortal. He braced himself for Hermes’s arrival, which, true to his nature, was dramatic. He appeared behind her and gathered her into a tight hug, swinging her around, coming to a stop before Apollo.

Hades looked away when he noticed the God of Music, gritting his teeth. He had yet to forgive the god for the bargain he’d struck with Persephone.

As much as Hades hated that he could not prevent what had happened to Lexa, Apollo had a role in the game too.

When dinner arrived, the nervousness Hades had felt before they left the Underworld returned, simmering in the bottom of his stomach as he tried to focus on eating. The only thing that kept him grounded was Persephone, who sat beside him, laughing and talking to everyone near. She was charming and beautiful, but the longer dinner went on, the quieter she became, and he got the sense she was thinking about Lexa.

He placed a hand on her thigh and felt an immense amount of relief as Katerina took the stage to begin the event’s program. She welcomed everyone and offered an overview of the Halcyon Project, touching on how it had begun and its purpose. Then it was Sybil’s turn, and as she took the stage, Hades moved his hand from Persephone’s leg, lacing his fingers through hers.

“I am new to the Cypress Foundation, but I fill a very special position. One that was once occupied by my friend, Lexa Sideris. Lexa was a beautiful person, a bright spirit, a light to all. She lived the values of the Halcyon Project, which is why we at the Cypress Foundation have decided to immortalize her. Introducing…the Lexa Sideris Memorial Garden.”

Behind Sybil, a screen showed pictures of Lexa and illustrated images of the garden. Persephone’s fingers squeezed his as Sybil continued.

“The Lexa Sideris Memorial Garden will be a therapy garden for residents of Halcyon and will include a magnificent glass-like sculpture at the garden’s center, representing Lexa’s soul—a bright and burning torch that kept everyone going.”

He leaned toward her and whispered against her ear, “Are you well?”

“Yes,” she said, looking over her shoulder at him with tears in her eyes. “Perfect.”

He kissed her, and when they finished dinner, they left the dining hall to dance. Hades was not ready to release Persephone just yet and drew her onto the floor, his hands pressing into her body as he held her close.

“When did you plan the garden?” she asked.

“The night Lexa died,” he admitted. He’d thought of it the moment there was a possibility she might not make it, as morbid as it seemed, but he had always liked the idea of offering people peaceful spaces to mourn and remember.

Persephone was silent.

“What are you thinking?” Hades asked, suddenly anxious that he had somehow made her sad.

But then her eyes met his and she answered, “I am thinking about how much I love you.”

Hades smiled, drew her close, and whispered in her ear, “I love you too.”

When the music shifted to something more electronic, Hades took his leave so she could spend time with her friends. He snatched a glass of whiskey from a tray as he retreated to the shadows, keeping her within sight, mistrusting of anyone but those closest to them.

He was not there long when he saw Ilias enter the ballroom, and he stiffened. The satyr was supposed to be at Nevernight, and for him to have come all this way—and in person—something had to be dreadfully wrong.

“Hades,” he said.

“Ilias,” he replied with a nod. “What is it?”

“Normally I wouldn’t give much weight to rumors, but this one you need to hear. The market’s saying the ophiotaurus has been…resurrected.”

Hades’s first reaction was shock. A sudden heaviness descended on his whole body. The ophiotaurus was a monster, part bull, part serpent. It was said that whoever slew the creature and burned its entrails would obtain the power to defeat the gods. During the Titanomachy, the creature was killed by the Titans, but before they could burn its entrails, they were captured by one of Zeus’s eagles, thwarting their plan.

If it was alive once more, it would likely be a target for Triad—for Theseus—and it was the perfect weapon to use to overthrow the gods.

And Hades knew exactly how it had come to be.

“ Fucking Fates .”

He’d expected the murder of Briareus to haunt him, but not like this. He remembered their words to him.

“ Do not fret, Good Counselor. ”

“ Your bargain with Briareus… ”

“ Will only ruin your life. ”

Just when everything was within his grasp, he thought, the Fates did this. He wondered at their decision to resurrect the ophiotaurus. Did they want the Olympian reign to end? Had they woven a future where the demigods ruled a new era? Or were they merely entertaining themselves? He would not be surprised if it were the latter, though their fun would end in bloodshed. Everyone would look for the ophiotaurus because everyone wanted the chance to kill divinity, even gods themselves.

“Sorry to ruin your evening,” Ilias said.

Hades focused on the satyr once more. “No, thank you, Ilias. We’ll begin searching tonight.”

The satyr nodded, and as he departed, Hades slipped his hand into his pocket, clutching Persephone’s ring as he searched for her on the floor, noting that she was gone, and he went in search of her. In the face of Ilias’s news, she was even more important. He had not fought so hard to have her, to love her, only to have her taken away.

He found her on the balcony overlooking New Athens.

“There you are,” he said and drew his arms around her, sealing her back to his chest. Her warmth was a comfort to his chaotic mind, and he took a deep breath, inhaling her scent once more. “What are you doing out here?”

“Breathing,” she said with a laugh, though he could feel how hot her skin was and knew she needed a break from the crowd.

He chuckled and they fell silent, content for the moment to stand in each other’s energy.

“I have something for you,” he said, kissing her hair.

Persephone turned in his arms, her hands pressing firmly to his chest. “What is it?”

He studied her for a moment, like he did when he wanted to memorize her face. This time, he wanted to memorize this moment before everything changed. Then he shifted, reaching into his pocket for the box.

He knelt before her.

“Hades—”

“Just…let me do this. Please.”

She closed her mouth and smiled. Then he opened the box, revealing the ring he had Hephaestus forge so long ago. She brought her hands up to cover her mouth as her breath caught in her throat.

“Persephone,” he said. “I would have chosen you a thousand times over, the Fates be damned. Please…become my wife, rule beside me, let me love you forever.”

Her eyes glistened and she swallowed as she whispered her answer.

“Of course. Forever .”

Hades grinned, and for a moment, he forgot to put the ring on her finger. He fumbled as his large fingers clasped the small piece of metal. Once it was in place, he rose to his feet and took her into his arms, kissing her until she was breathless.

“You wouldn’t have happened to overhear Hermes demand a rock, would you?” she asked once they parted.

“He might have been talking loud enough for me to hear,” he said, amused. “But if you must know, I have had that ring for a while.”

“How long?”

“Embarrassingly long,” he admitted. “Since the night of the Olympian Gala.”

But he had known then that she was his forever. Fuck, he had known before that, from the moment he had laid eyes on her on the floor of Nevernight.

“I love you,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.

“I love you too,” she said, and this time, her lips pressed to his.

He drew her close, wishing to become completely lost in this moment, to forget what lay on the horizon, but there was a sudden chill on the wind that made his blood run cold. When he pulled away, he saw snow.

Snow in the middle of summer.

There was only one god who might be responsible, one god who used weather to torture the world into submission—and that was Demeter.

“Hades,” Persephone whispered, drawing closer to him. “Why is it snowing?”

He did not look at her as he spoke, staring angrily at the flurries whirling over New Athens.

“It’s the start of a war,” he said.

And you—you’re at the center of it.

What in Hades’s name happens next?

A Game of Gods , the next installment in the breath-stopping Hades Saga.