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“Realized what?”
“That you’re in love with Hades.”
“I’m not!”
“Are, too,” he said. “And, he loves you.”
“I almost preferred your questions about my sex life,” she muttered.
Hermes laughed. “You walked into this room like you were his queen. You think he would let just anyone do that?”
She honestly didn’t know.
“I think the Lord of the Underworld has found his bride.”
She wanted to argue that Hades hadn’t found her—he’d captured her, but instead of saying that, she raised her brow at the God of Trickery and said, “Hermes, are you drunk?”
“A little,” he admitted sheepishly,
Persephone laughed, but his words worked into her mind. Did she love Hades? She had only let herself think of it briefly after their first night together and then crushed those thoughts altogether.
As Hermes spun her, she glanced around, searching the crowd for Hades. She hadn’t seen him since they had come down the stairs together, and she’d immediately been surrounded by souls. She spotted him sitting in a dark throne. He was reclined, a hand raised to his lips, and he was staring at her. Thanatos stood on one side of the throne, dressed in black, his wings folded neatly like a cape. Minthe loomed on the other looking radiant in a shimmery black. They were like an angel and a devil on the shoulders of the God of the Dead.
Persephone looked away quickly, but Hermes seemed to notice she was distracted and stopped dancing.
“It’s alright, Sephy,” he said, releasing her. “Go to him.”
Persephone hesitated. “It’s okay—”
“Claim him, Persephone.”
She smiled at Hermes, and the crowd parted as she made her way to Hades. He watched her, and she couldn’t quite place the look on his face, but something inside her was drawn to him. As she neared, his hand fell, resting on the arm of his throne. She bowed low, and then rose.
“My lord, will you dance?”
Hades eyes were alight, and his lips twitched. He stood, a towering and commanding figure, and took her hand, leading her to the floor. The souls made room, packing in against the walls to give them space and to watch. Hades drew her against him, his hand firm on her back, the other laced between her fingers.
She had been closer to him than this, but there was something about the way he held her now before all of his subjects that made her skin burn. The air grew thick and charged between them. They didn’t speak for a long moment, just looked at one another.
“Are you displeased?” she asked after some time.
“Am I displeased that you have danced with Charon and Hermes?” he asked.
Is that what she was asking? She started at him and he leaned forward, pressing his lips against her ear.
“I am displeased that I am not inside you.”
She tried not to smile. “My lord, why didn’t you say so?”
His eyes darkened.
“Careful, Goddess, I have no qualms taking you before my whole realm.”
“You wouldn’t.”
His look challenged, “Dare me.”
She didn’t.
