Page 50 of Queen of Tempests and Sin

‘Mine and my grandma’s, too.’ Sephy smiled sadly. ‘The thorns are what make roses so unforgettable. The softness and beauty of the flower, paired with the pain of the thorns is a sweet contrast. A little like people, sometimes.’ She eyed me with mischief.

‘Are you calling me prickly?’ I raised a brow but grinned in return.

‘She’s really prickly,’ Guinn muttered as she knelt down to smell a flower. Sephy laughed—a musical sound like windchimes stirred by summer air.

‘Let’s go and sit by the pond.’ We followed her across the soft grass until we reached the heart of the garden. A wide circular pond shimmered under the silver light, lily pads and pink-and-white water lilies crowding its surface. In the centre, a sculpted fountain rose from the water—two giant serpents entwined in a hypnotic spiral, their scales carved with eerie precision, water cascading from their open mouths.

We sat on the pond’s edge, the stone warm beneath us. Sephy tilted her head, eyes curious and kind. ‘So… tell me everything. Start from the beginning.’

I opened my mouth, but Guinn beat me to it—launching into a breathless, uninterrupted monologue that covered everything I’d told her plus her own experience, including the botched kidnapping, the beating, the escape, and the anticipated cupcakes. All of it. Like she was trying to win a Guinness World Record for most words in a single breath.

When she finally stopped, the garden fell into stunned silence.

‘Gods,’ Sephy said as she laughed again. ‘She said all of that in under twenty seconds. Her lungs are beyond impressive. And that’s when you got the black eye?’

Guinn nodded and scowled. ‘But my knee is tons better.’

‘Here… Let me heal that eye,’ Sephy said to Guinn as she stood and then knelt in front of her, placing a hand on each cheek. A soft yelp slipped from my lips as golden-amber light bloomed around them, warm and radiant, like sunlight filtering through honey. The bruising around Guinn’s eye slowly faded, the swelling reduced to nothing. Within seconds, she looked completely unmarked.

Guinn’s fingers flew to her face, her eyes ballooning to the size of her open mouth. ‘Brutal,’ she breathed, staring at Sephy like she was a Marvel superhero.

‘What the fuckety?’ I muttered, stunned.

Sephy gave a patient smile and gently patted my hand. ‘My magic embodies everything… light and dark. Death and rebirth. Healing and destruction. I exist to defend both the living and the dead. My gifts are flora magic and shadow magic.’

Her words sank in slowly, weighty and surreal. My thoughts flicked back to that night—when I’d tried to assassinate Si. When Hades had appeared… and the small, blonde woman beside him. It had been her... Persephone had healed him.

I almost reached out to throw my arms around her, in thanks but stopped myself. That would be weird. Probably. Instead, I forced myself to focus on what she was saying.

‘Shadow magic?’ I echoed, my voice barely a whisper.

‘I’m a goddess, Cordie. Apparently, I’m life and death all tied up in one little chaotic package. But I’m still new to this goddess thing… I’m still learning the ropes.’ Her shoulder hiked up, and all words dried up in my throat. If someone had told me a week ago that I’d be lounging in a garden in the Underworld with a literal goddess capable of death and rebirth, I would’ve laughed, called them delusional, and probably asked what they were high on.

‘Tell me why Zeus is such a dickhead?’ Guinn piped up whilst I sat speechless.

I snapped out of my daze, pointing at her with a scowl. ‘Guinn! I will give you another black eye if you keep swearing.’

She blinked innocently. ‘Dickhead isn’t a swear. It’s an adjective.’

I growled at her, but Sephy burst out laughing, clapping her hands like a delighted pixie. ‘She’s got a point,’ she said between giggles.

Guinn shot to her feet. ‘I’m going to play with Cerberus!’ she announced and bolted towards the meadow, Zeus obviously forgotten.

Sephy shot me a glance, and I gave her a nod. ‘Stay close to the garden with him, Guinn!’ she called. ‘He’ll look after you, but don’t wander far.’

Guinn waved a thumbs up as she ran, laughter trailing behind her like sunshine.

Once she was gone, Sephy turned to me with a sly smile. ‘Alright, spill. What’s the deal with you and Poseidon?’

I groaned. ‘Ugh. He’s such an arrogant dick.’

‘Mm.’ Her grin widened. ‘But you didn’t deny anything, and I can’t believe he didn’t kill you after you tried to assassinate him. He’s usually such a bad-tempered git. But with you? I’ve never seen him like this. Which means…’ Her smile turned wicked. ‘He’s definitely into you.’

‘Nope. Nope,’ I interrupted, bristling. ‘He might think he’s got some divine claim or whatever, but no one controls this girl.’ I jabbed my thumb at myself, and Sephy raised a single amused brow.

Could I put myself in the hands of an egotistical, possessive god? Could I live in a gilded cage? The simple answer was: not on your life.

‘Sure, sure.’ Her tone was pure mischief.