Chapter Twenty-Eight

Nick reacts immediately, but my Scylla is faster, lashing out with three -

Wait…what?

At first, I'm shocked the notoriously lazy third snakehead is taking action, but then I realize it still slumbers unbothered, as though getting strangled by the Goddess of Spring's vine is a normal occurrence.

No, there actually is a fourth snake now, helping the other two rip the thick vine to shreds so I can breathe.

Persephone doesn't make another move to attack, simply just cocks her head curiously. Nick seethes beside me, and from my periphery I can make out his assessing perusal, looking for any signs of injury on my skin .

"The rumors are true," Persephone says. "Scylla is reborn."

I fight the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm not her."

"No? But you are the spitting image of her. Before she was cursed, of course."

"Coincidence?"

Persephone laughs, and the sound is like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. "There is no such thing." And then she does something so mundane and what I label as out of character for a Goddess: she unhooks the leash from around the beast's neck, gives it a scratch behind each set of ears, and says: "Go see Daddy."

"You took that thing out in public?" Nick asks in disbelief.

The beast pauses mid-step and snarls at Nick. Meanwhile, Persephone eyes him with disdain. "Don't insult Cerberus, or you will find my vines in places you'd never want them." She walks toward us. "Besides, the small-minded humans see only a purebred Doberman."

Persephone pauses in front of me, and the weight of her scrutinizing gaze settles upon my shoulders.

"My love," she addresses Hades while keeping her eyes locked on mine, "would you care to explain what a ferocious sea monster, who hasn't been seen in centuries, and the heir-apparent to Hell are doing in our home?"

Hades materializes by Persephone's side. "I was waiting for you to find out. Nicholas requested this meeting, and in turn, I requested he bring the Scylla, to whom he is eternally bound to."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Persephone slides her attention to her husband. "Bound to in what way?"

Hades drinks from his wine glass, a hint of a coy smile slipping out. "Must I divulge all my secrets?"

She stares up at him with bedroom eyes, her voice dropping to a husky timbre. "If you want to fuck me later, then I would advise you do that, yes."

Hades wastes no time leaning in to whisper in his wife's ear.

Even with our acute hearing, neither Nick nor I can garner a single syllable. Nick's features twist in frustration, and Persephone's gaze swivels between us, her mouth in a wide, mocking smile that can undoubtedly bring a man to his knees.

Gods, even I want to bow before her.

"Well, then," she states and clasps dainty fingers together gleefully, tiny rosebuds sprout from the spaces between her knuckles.

I'd say it's absolutely endearing, except for the vicious thorns that sprout alongside them, bearing no harm to their owner.

Hades fixes Nick with a hard stare. "Why don't you tell us why you've requested this meeting?"

"With your permission, we'd like to enter Tartaros." Nick wastes no time in getting to the point, but the way he entwines his fingers with my own makes it seem like we are requesting Hades' permission to marry.

Persephone's delicate brows crease. "For what reason?"

I squeeze Nick's hand, letting him know I will answer. "We seek a creature said to be omniscient and all powerful. We need its help."

Hades and Persephone share a startled look before Persephone asks, "You wish to enter the Cave of Nyx?"

Nick and I nod.

Hades shakes his head. "Absolutely not. Permission denied."

"Why?" Nick demands.

Hades looks as though he's debating on answering, all the while his wife continues to gaze at the two of us with a peculiar expression. Finally, Hades relents. "So your father and I can have an all-out war of realms when he finds out I sent you to your imminent death? One which you will not return from? No thanks." Hades dismisses us with a turn of his back.

Nick takes a step in the God of the Underworld's direction, only to be halted by Persephone's musical voice.

"Darling," she calls to her husband, who immediately ceases his steps and turns to face her. "Let's not be too hasty. There must be a reason these two are so willing to thrust themselves into Nyx's deadly arms. Aren't you curious?"

Oh, she's good.

Hades returns to her side, his onyx eyes intense as they flit over Nick and I. "Well, let's hear it." He crosses his arms. "What is your purpose in seeking the creature that dwells in the Cave of Nyx?"

Nick and I steal glances at each other before he holds my stare. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze and I reply, "Someone is cloaking my Thread."

Hades' dark brows shoot up to his forehead. "Impossible."

"Interesting," Persephone replies simultaneously, her expression passive.

I sigh. "If I had a dime for every time I heard that…"

"What I'm telling you is true," Hades argues. "It's impossible. No god would willingly…" His voice trails before he speaks again. "Is that the only reason? "

I swallow. "No. I made a Bargain with the Moirai." Hades hisses through his teeth. "Find out who cloaked my Thread and remove it."

"In exchange for?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business. You asked for a reason, I provided you with one."

Hades' mouth twists into a sneer. "Clever little beast."

Persephone clears her throat pointedly. "Perhaps, darling, their reason for seeking the Cave of Nyx is valid, after all."

A moment passes between Persephone and her husband before they both fix their attention on Nick and I.

"Nicholas," Hades says, "join me by the fireplace, and let's discuss how to get you and Rhiannon to Tartaros."

Nick's mouth parts, no doubt to ask what will become of me, but Persephone loops her arm through mine and whisks me in the opposite direction. "Come. I want to show you my garden."

I steal one last glance at Nick before Hades pulls him away. A strange ache settles in my bones at being apart from him, different from how I felt when he and I were at each other's throats. Then, it was a simple notion of missing him, missing us . Now, the ache is a tangible presence, sprouting claws and burrowing deep within the recesses of my soul, gnawing its way through my rib cage until the moment we're reunited.

"It hurts being away from him, doesn't it?" Persephone asks in a knowing tone. She grasps the handles of two French doors and pushes them open, leading us onto a beautiful, open terrace with exquisite views of the New York City skyline. The brisk, late October chill wraps around me, and my internal temperature adjusts itself to keep me warm.

"Yes," I reply, following Persephone around a corner and am greeted with an entire garden deck that rivals a display at the New York Botanical Gardens.

I'm immediately engulfed by a shroud of orchids, the vibrant purple color tunneling into lighter shades of lavender, then bursts of blue, followed by scintillating reds and finally, pure ivory. The tunnel opens into a symphony of colors, various flora I don't recognize interspersed with more common ones, like roses and tulips. Vines of ivy drop from an unknown anchor above me, and my eyes finally fall on Persephone, who seats herself on a wicker garden chair next to a small, wooden round table. She gestures for me to have a seat in the chair opposite.

"So," she starts with a proud smile, "what do you think? "

Still in awe of the breathtaking beauty she created on a New York penthouse terrace, I answer truthfully. "It's stunning." A monarch butterfly floats by my face. "It has to be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

"Thank you," Persephone answers, beaming.

"I wish I could create something like this. I wish I had the ability to create anything ."

She glances at me quizzically. "But you do."

"Do you know something I don't?"

Her shoulders lift with her whimsical chuckle. "You're a woman. You have the power of creation as well as destruction." She leans in conspiratorially. "It's why we will always be the more powerful sex."

I smile at Persephone's perspective. "You and Hades seem benevolent as far as Gods and Goddesses are concerned. I thought you despised monsters like Nick and I."

Persephone scoffs, and even a gesture that should sound crude is unfathomably attractive coming from her. "My husband and I distance ourselves as much as possible from the Gods of Olympus. They do nothing but quarrel and create strife. Hades is benevolent. He is much a victim of the pop culture version of himself as you are. "

I raise a skeptical brow. "Didn't he trap you in the Underworld?"

Persephone shrugs, one corner of her mouth curling. "Perhaps I knew exactly what I was doing when I ate that pomegranate."

This time, both of my brows shoot to my hairline. What do you me-"

"Anyway," Persephone cuts me off, and something tells me I should let her. "The real reason I brought you here was for this." Persephone turns her palm upwards, and a single vine creeps towards her outstretched fingers. She plucks a single white flower from its leaves, and it slithers back out of sight.

"Moonflower," she explains. "Nyx is the Goddess of Night, but even she who was born of darkness can't resist moonlight. Present it to her as a gift. It will protect you from her wrath."

I reach for the flower, when something draws me back. "Why are you helping me?"

Her two-toned eyes hold mine hostage. "Perhaps I see myself in you, little monster."

My gaze flits over Persephone's perfect porcelain face. "I doubt that."

She leans in and folds her arm over the table. "Tell me, what would you do for Nicholas? I know of his Fate, of his Prophecy, of what awaits him when it is fulfilled. What would you do to stop it?"

"Anything," I answer without hesitation.

Persephone nods. "So I thought. And," her voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper, "to save him, what would you destroy?"

My answer comes unbidden, within a flicker of a heartbeat, and without remorse. "Everything."

Persephone leans back in her chair with a satisfied smile. "We understand each other, then." She holds out the moonflower, but before I can grab it, she snatches it back. "I have a better idea," she says before I protest. "You don't want it to get crushed, do you?"

I shake my head as Persephone motions for me to come closer. I lean over the table, and the Queen of the Underworld simply tucks the flower behind my left ear. Something cold and hard loops itself around the rest of my ear and anchors itself to my earlobe. I touch the flower gingerly, shooting Persephone a questioning glance.

"An ear cuff," she explains, eyes twinkling with playful mischief. "It will stay secured to your ear until you are ready to present it to Nyx."

"Thank you," I tell her.

"Don't thank me just yet, little monster." And with that cryptic statement, she regally rises from her seat and beckons for me to follow.

When Persephone and I return inside, Nick and Hades await by the elevator. Nick wears a stoic expression, betraying nothing of the conversation he and Hades had. I, however, feel lighter. The open admission that I would destroy everything to save the man I love felt like a declaration of war against Fate itself, and while that should terrify me, I instead feel a renewed sense of strength and purpose.

I spent too long trying to control Fate by staying apart from Nick, and in turn, it only served to destroy us . It's about time I set my monstrous sights on destroying that which dares to keep us apart in the first place.

Persephone sidles into Hades' open arms, and I place my hand into Nick's outstretched one.

"As I explained to Nicholas," Hades says, "I have granted permission for you to enter Tartaros. However, once you arrive, you are on your own. No help will be granted to you by anyone who resides within my realm. As for the Cave of Nyx…" He stops and shrugs. "It's your funeral."

"Wow," I say dryly. "What a motivating speech."

Nick stifles a laugh beside me.

Hades' onyx eyes narrow. "It wasn't meant to be motivating. Now, you'll have to change your attire. Party wear is hardly appropriate for where you're headed."

A wave of his finger, and Nick and I are in matching black leathers. While his pants are loose, mine cling to my thighs like a second skin, earning an appreciative glance from Nick. My shirt is more forgiving, and the material is spandex in nature, allowing me to bend and move freely. Nick's shirt hugs his muscular chest and arms, so I return his appreciative sentiment. Both have hoods that hang past our shoulder blades.

Hades left nothing untouched. Both of our shoes morph into black boots, and even my hair has been pulled from my face in a tight braid. Nick's playful smile fades as the cuff adorning my ear is revealed.

"What is that?"

"It's a gift from Persephone so-"

" You accepted a gift?" The ire in his voice nearly singes my ears.

"I…" My attention slides to Persephone, who looks ne ither reproachful nor malicious. "She's not Hades. She's-"

"The Queen of the Underworld," Nick interrupts, and my mouth parts at the realization of my damning fuck-up. "What game are you playing?" The look he gives the King and Queen of the Underworld could wither a tornado.

"No games, Nicholas," Persephone says gently. "It was indeed a gift. It will protect the both of you against Nyx. You cannot get past her without it."

A small moment of reprieve settles upon us as Nick seems to calm down, but then Hades opens his mouth.

"Be that as it may, you accepted a gift from the Queen of the Underworld, Rhiannon. You are now tied to my realm inexplicably." Hades' nefarious grin nearly turns my stomach.

Fuck. What did I do?

"Don't forget the deal you made with me , Hades. That will be null and void if you think you can lay claim to her. She is mine. " I expect Nick to spit fire at any moment, that's how much volatile heat emanates from him. Nonetheless, my own ire ignites as I stare back at him in disbelief.

Another fucking deal?

"Now, now," Persephone soothes and holds up her palms. "I think there's been a misunderstanding. My darling husband loves to stir the pot, as I'm sure you realized." She inclines her head at Nick and I. "While it is true that accepting a gift from either the King or Queen of the Underworld ties you to our realm, it is also true that Hades cannot touch what is already forged by Fate."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"However," she continues, again bulldozing past my question, laying her jewel-toned eyes on me, "you may find you can use this to your advantage one day. I hope you remember us as friends when you do."

"Come on, Rhi." Nick tugs me back, but I can't tear my gaze from Persephone, whose parting words seem weighted with a hidden meaning. She stares after me knowingly, a small friendly smile on her rosebud mouth.

"Good luck, Nicholas. It was a pleasure doing business with you." Hades waves his hand, and the elevator doors slide open.

Nick pulls me inside, and the last thing I see before the doors slide shut is Persephone whisper something to her husband, mouth curved in a smirk.