Page 192 of A Touch of Chaos

“We’ll talk to Hades when he returns,” said Ilias. “Perhaps if the other temples are destroyed, it will be enough of a distraction to keep Athena’s safe.”

Persephone frowned but agreed, her anxiety returning as she was once again reminded how long Hades had been gone.

She distracted herself with tasks, passing out water and replenishing snacks. Eventually she found herself sitting at the base of the steps, growing wildflowers to make crowns for the children who sat around her, entertained by her magic. Harmonia joined her, and Persephone could tell by the feel of her magic, warm and radiant, that she was using it to maintain peace within the crowded space.

Eventually, everything got quieter as the mortals settled in. One by one, the children left to sleep, and Persephone rose to her feet with Harmonia.

“Are you all right, Persephone?” the goddess asked.

“No,” she said, meeting her soft gaze. “If I don’t distract myself, I think I might break.”

“It’s okay to break,” said Harmonia. “Do it now before tomorrow comes.”

She almost did. The tears were already burning her eyes, but then she felt a rush of Hades’s magic, and her heart rose in her chest only to fall into the bottom of her stomach when he manifested in the middle of the floor with an unconscious woman in his arms.

Persephone ran to him.

“Hecate!” he snapped, lowering the woman to the ground.

“What happened?” the goddess asked, appearing beside him in an instant.

“I don’t know. I found her in the tunnels,” Hades said. “Her name is Naia.”

Naia.

Persephone recognized her from her short visit to Dionysus’s tunnels, though she barely resembled that person now, her face pale and her lips blue. She was nearly drained of life.

Hecate placed a hand to Naia’s forehead and then over her chest. After a few seconds, a trickle of water came out of her mouth but nothing substantial.

“Bring her,” said Hecate, rising to her feet.

Hades glanced at Persephone as he followed, disappearing behind the curtained area Hecate had designated as the infirmary. He placed Naia on one of the pallets while Hecate worked to concoct some kind of bitter medicine.

“Is she the only one who survived?” Persephone asked.

“There are more parts of the tunnel I have not checked,” said Hades. “I will return with help. Hopefully we can cover more ground and find more survivors.”

“Is there no chance others escaped?”

She thought of Ariadne, Phaedra, and the baby. Please say it is possible, she begged.

“It is possible,” he said. “We can try to broadcast within the underground and see if anyone responds, but with communications down, it will be far more difficult.”

Persephone’s gaze fell to the woman. When shelooked at her, it seemed that her soul was almost underwater, like her body had been in the tunnels. She understood what it meant though—that she was in limbo.

Naia had not decided whether to stay or go.

“I will treat what I am able,” said Hecate. “The rest is up to her.”

Persephone stepped out of the curtained room, and Hades followed.

“Are you well?” he asked. Slipping a hand around her waist, he drew her close.

“That has a complicated answer,” she said.

“I am sorry to leave you again,” he said.

“I could help,” she offered.

---