Page 111 of A Touch of Chaos

His expression darkened. His anger slammed into her, a quick and violent thing.

“I haven’t lied to you,” he said.

“You don’t have to lie to not tell the truth,” she said and then shook her head. She almost felt unable to communicate how this had made her feel, but she needed to say it all the same. “I recognized it when I found out about Theseus’s favor,” she said, noting how Hades’s body seemed to grow rigid. “And in the moment, it was shocking but nothing compared to what followed, so I didn’t think long on it. But then there was Zofie and the belt. Zofie who worked as my aegis. Zofie was my companion, and I knew nothing about how she came to be in your care, but I told myself to honor her privacy. Then I watched you argue with Ariadne, which made me realize that you have been involved in this fight with Theseus far longer than I ever knew. And now you pretend you aren’t in pain from a wound that has become infected overnight. If you were concerned about my feelings at all, you would have told me. Everything. Because this…finding out like this, hurts worse than any of those things would have.”

Once the words were out, she felt less burdened. She had not realized how heavily they had been sitting on her heart until now, just building while she tried to survive. She was supposed to be his equal, his queen, butinstead, he coddled her. And he didn’t seem to understand that his choices left her vulnerable.

Hades looked…haunted.

The silence between them was loud, almost unbearable. She felt as if a chasm separated them, and it was full of all his secrets, which honestly felt like lies, and Hades had to cross it or they would not survive.

“The wound hurts like a motherfucker,” he said at last. “And I haven’t looked at it because I don’t want to know the truth.”

Persephone just stared.

“I don’t know why I didn’t tell you any of those things,” he said. “Maybe I thought none of this would bleed into your life, that I could prevent it before it becameourlife, and then you would never have to know the horror of what is coming.”

Persephone took a step toward him. “When I chose you, I chose everything, Hades—your people, your realm, your enemies,” she said. “The only thing I fear is not having you at my side.”

Hades took her face between his hands and leaned closer.

“I am at your side,” he said. “I will never leave again.”

“Is that a promise?” she whispered. She knew it couldn’t be, not really, yet she wanted him to say it all the same.

“It is an oath,” he said and brought his lips to hers.

Before they left for Ares’s island, Persephone visited Harmonia. As soon as she walked into the room, she knew something was wrong. The air was stifling, thickwith sickness, and she was immediately reminded of visits to Lexa in the hospital.

It reminded her of death.

Dread built in the back of her throat, and then she saw Harmonia and went cold.

The goddess was pale, her lips colorless, and she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Sybil lay beside her, and Aphrodite sat on the other side, while Opal was whimpering at her feet. They were both crying.

Hecate stood near, her expression sorrowful.

“No,” Persephone whispered.

“She is not yet gone,” said Hecate. “But it won’t be long. I have done everything I can.”

“We’ll get the fleece in time,” Persephone said.

I promise, she wanted to add but could not bring herself to speak the words aloud.

Aphrodite shifted to face her, vigorously wiping tears from her swollen face.

“Be careful, Persephone,” she said. “Ares is a cruel god.”

Any hope Persephone had had that she might sway Ares with Aphrodite’s suffering suddenly vanished at her warning.

“I thought he was your friend,” she said.

Aphrodite’s gaze shifted to Harmonia as she answered in a whisper.

“Perhaps he isn’t anymore.”

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