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My mouth opens but not a single word escapes my lips. All I can think about is that I will see Hades within the hour.
And in turn, he will finally see my pronounced baby bump. My hands flutter up to lie protectively on my belly.
If he knows that I am pregnant, why would he drug my food? He can’t know.
Or maybe he knows but doesn’t care. That bit of news would be the hardest for me to swallow. Still, it’s worth considering the possibility.
Marta squeezes my hand, drawing me from my thoughts. “Penny. Ester bien.”
I nod. “Muchas gracias, Marta.”
Then she turns toward the door, slipping out without another word.
I sprint through a shower and then put on a knee length black knit dress. There is no use in hiding my baby bump, so I guess I will just go the other way with it. But the entire time I am getting myself dressed and presentable, I can’t stop myself from trembling.
What will Hades have to say about my pregnancy? After all this time he had held me captive, I can’t quite imagine what his response will be. Nor can I form any train of logic on his end that ended with me on this island prison.
I’m all nerves when I head downstairs. Does Hades know about my state? Why am I being kept here?
Those two questions and variations thereof play in my head on repeat as I take a seat next to the windows in the massive white living room.
When I first see movement out of the leftmost corner of my eye, my heart rate speeds up so much that I start sweating. Three figures materialize in the pale moonlight, the central figure dark and lean. My whole body tingles at the sight of him.
His head is down as he approaches, but all the details are right. He’s dressed impeccably in a dark shirt and black slacks. His hair is the right color, glinting black, although he’s had it cut so that it’s now clipped close to his scalp rather than chin length. He approaches the mansion so swiftly that my heart squeezes.
Could it be that Hades wants to see me too?
My mind whirls, going down a rabbit hole of my own devising. If he’s excited to see me, maybe there was a good reason why I’ve been held here for so long. But why would he not just tell me?
Why leave me here to languish without so much as an explanation?
In the next moment, he raises his head, glowering at the house. And I have my answer.
Because the man approaching is not Hades, but his brother Ares.
My jaw drops. What in the world?
Ares storms in the house. I hear him bellowing in the entryway. “Where is Persephone?”
I get up off of the couch, swallowing, and raise my chin defiantly. He enters the room I am in, glaring at me as he approaches.
His footsteps falter when he takes in my entire shape. His eyebrows rise and he slows to a stop twenty feet from me.
“You’re…” He starts, then stops, scowling. Ares lifts his eyes to mine, sneery slightly. “Jaysus, Persephone.”
I cross my arms, trying to determine whether or not Hades actually knows that I’m here or not. Tilting my head, I make an effort to appear calm.
Inside though, I’m a seething mess.
“And where is the father of my baby?” I ask coolly.
Ares paces around me, looking me up and down. “How should I know?”
I cut my eyes at him and put a hand to my belly. “You don’t know where your own damn brother is?”
“Don’t worry about Hades.” He gives me a funny look. “I’m here to resolve things amicably. Sit down.”
“I don’t obey commands,” I spit at him. “If you want that, consider getting a dog.”
