Page 73 of A Touch of Chaos

“They’re just curious,” Persephone said and then added with a bit of scorn, “They want to see Hades’s wife.”

“Oh, they’re not interested in Hades,” said Amphion. “Their interest is inyou.”

“Whatever,” Persephone said with a dismissive laugh.

They were always interested in Hades because they wanted what he offered.

“It’s true,” said Amphion. “What you did, exposing Kal Stavros…it was a big deal.”

Persephone didn’t know what to say, but Amphion’s words made her chest feel tight. She wasn’t sure why it was hard to imagine, but it just seemed that the world did not value women standing up to men.

“What are everyone’s plans this weekend?” Persephone asked, wishing to change the subject.

“I hope we’re all still getting hammered at Hades’s surprise birthday party,” said Hermes, and suddenly Persephone remembered. She’d wanted to do something to celebrate Hades given the terror of his birth. Since there had been no system to organize days at the time he was born, she decided to choose his birth date for him, November first.

“You don’t think he knows, do you?” asked Lexa.

“If he did, he would never tell me,” said Persephone.

He would let her have her fun, even if he dreaded its coming.

She wondered how he would react when he walked into Nevernight to find their friends had gathered to celebrate him or what he would do later when they made their descent to the Underworld where the souls waited to do the very same.

She could not imagine that he would look surprised, but she knew he would be grateful even if being the center of attention made him uncomfortable.

“Hades should challenge someone to a duel,” said Zofie. “It is how we would celebrate birthdays in Terme.”

Lexa looked at Persephone and then at Zofie. “I don’t think…”

“It was a joke. Did you get it?” Zofie asked, and she smiled, hopeful.

“Ohh,” everyone said and exchanged a look, dissolving into an awkward laughter that soon turned genuine, and by the time they left, Persephone’s heart had never been so full.

When the day was done, Persephone returned to the Underworld. There was an element of excitement that buzzed beneath her skin. She was happy to be home and excited to see Hades, though he would not return until late in the evening, so she changed and went to Asphodel to have dinner with the souls. When she appeared at the center of their village, she faced Tartarus.

It was the first time she’d felt dread all day, and it was so acute, it stopped her in her tracks. As she faced the far-off horizon, she found that it was…warped. It was the only way to describe it—the color of the sky and the mountains seemed twisted and out of shape, like the edges of a dream.

“Persephone!”

She turned to see Yuri, who waved. She smiled at the soul but looked back toward the horizon, only this time, the mountains had regained their jagged shape, and the horizon cut along its edge like sharp steel.

Strange, she thought.

“What are you staring at?” Yuri asked, coming to stand beside Persephone.

“I thought…I saw something, but I must have been mistaken,” she said, though her stomach twisted uneasily.

“The souls are waiting for you,” Yuri said and took her hand, pulling her to the field beyond their village where blankets were spread across the lawn. A set of tables had been placed end to end and were laden with food and drink from different times and cultures.

They ate as if they were celebrating, which was the usual way of the souls in Asphodel. Persephone sat with them and talked and laughed, and when they brought out their instruments and began to strum, they danced.

She only stopped when she went to spin and came face-to-face with Hades—well, his chest, really. She tilted her head back to meet his dark gaze.

“Hi,” she whispered breathlessly, overwhelmed as a sense of comfort washed over her.

“Hi,” he said, grinning. He touched her chin with the tip of his finger and kissed her. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yes,” she said when he pulled away. “And you?”

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