Page 110 of A Crown of Hopes and Sorrows

Hades raised an eyebrow. “What is your plan? Do you intend to stay here with his corpse for the rest of eternity? That’s dark, even for a god.”

I growled. “Do not call him a corpse.”

Hades’ expression softened, and he bent down beside me, resting his arms on his knees. “He’s dead.”

“No,” I yelled. And tears started again. I licked one off of my lip, and salt filled my mouth. “Please.” I looked up at him. “Tell me there’s something you can do.”

Hades studied me for a long time. “You knew he was mortal.”

“Please.”

Hades sighed. “You need to release his spirit, so he isn’t caught in the in-between, and let his body go, so that his family can lay him to rest. Now that you’ve ascended, your father will look for you.”

I’d ascended.

I’d known it, hadn’t I?

That’s what had happened.

I’d forced so much magic, I’d finally taken my divine form.

And it didn’t help at all.

A shaky breath tumbled out of me. I had forgotten entirely about his siblings and father, about Temi, the world, everything except Hyacinth. “I can’t let him go.”

“I’ll make you a deal.”

I snapped my face up. “Yes, anything.”

Hades cocked his head to the side. “You haven’t even heard the trade yet.”

“Tell me what it is.” The golden glow of my magic hovered around us. “I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“If you promise to spare Persephone in the future, should that moment arise…” I nodded. “I’ll create a new flower in his honor… a Hyacinth flower.”

I gaped, my mouth bobbing open and closed several times before I could produce words. “What kind of fucking deal is that?”

Hades gripped my arm. “It’s a good one. A way to commemorate his memory. You know he would appreciate it.”

I shifted back to Hyacinth.

The beauty of his form, even in death, nearly broke me again, and my powers surged forth.

I remembered how they did that with his touch, the hazel of his eyes turning to honey in the sun, his laughter vibrating through my body, the taste of his lips on mine, the tickle of him whispering into my shoulder, the v-shaped dimple forming on his brow, the way he studied every detail with such carefulness.

How he’d called me ‘golden boy’ as though it was an endearment.

I shuddered.

Hades was right. Hyacinth would want to be well-remembered and honored. And he deserved it. I let more tears fall and they trailed down my neck as I lifted his hand and kissed the tips of each of his fingers, and then traced my palm down his cheek once more.

I turned to Hades and nodded once.

I dropped the shield, the magic flooding back into me.

It was night.

The moon illuminated as a bright crescent against the navy of the sky.