Page 52 of A Touch of Chaos

He reached for his wife and dragged her to her feet.

“Answer the fucking question, Phaedra,” he snarled.

Tears streaked down her face, and snot dripped from her nose. She was disgusting, and he had never resented her more.

“I would never,” she said. “I wouldnever.”

He released her with a push, and she flinched.

He started to pace. He wanted to rage.

“If you wouldnever, then who?” he demanded.

She studied him, her gaze full of horror and shock. There was also an element of hurt, as if she could not believe she was looking into the eyes of the man she loved.

“There was a new maid,” she whispered.

“A new maid?” He halted and moved toward her. “What new maid?”

She stepped away, her back now against the wall.

“What. New. Maid?”

“She arrived this morning,” Phaedra explained. “I assumed you knew. You are responsible for everyone who works at this estate.”

He did not miss her subtle jab.

“Fuck!” The word scratched his throat as he screamed. He swung his gaze back to his wife and pointed a finger in her face. “Neverlet anyone into this house unless Iexplicitlytell you otherwise. Do you understand?”

She nodded, and he heard a distinct trickle. He looked down, finding Phaedra standing in a puddle.

He sneered. “Go clean yourself up,” he said, repulsed, but as he started to turn away, she spoke with more venom than she ever had.

“It’s not piss,” she said. “The baby’s coming.”

CHAPTER XII

PERSEPHONE

Persephone had wandered into the garden and followed the winding stone path until she reached her garden plot—the one Hades had given her when he had challenged her to create life in the Underworld. It was no longer barren but teeming with shoots of green, the leaves real and waxy.

She recalled what Hades had said when she’d first laid eyes on his realm. “If it is a garden you wish to create, then it will truly be the only life here.”

She’d never imagined bearing witness to the truth of those words in this manner, but Hades’s magic was fading around her.

The ache in her chest deepened. It felt wrong to be here, waiting for tomorrow when they knew where Hades was being held today, but they’d needed some time to plan, mostly for the rescue of Phaedra, which only added another complicated layer.

Persephone did not know what to think of Dionysusand Ariadne. She had not expected to arrive and witness the two locked in a passionate embrace while also covered in blood.

Persephone’s knowledge about Dionysus extended to his collection of wines and his club, which was known for its wild sex parties, drugs, and, of course, alcohol. She’d heard rumors about his lust-filled trek across the world, about the bloody horror of it all, and tonight she felt like she’d witnessed a fraction of it when they’d arrived at his house unannounced, though she could not really blame him. Hermes did not often have the best timing, yet they did not have the luxury of time.

Even now, she wondered if tomorrow would be too late.

“You should be resting,” said Hecate. “The labyrinth will require strength.”

Persephone turned to look at the goddess as she approached, cradling a fluffy black cat. Even in the moonlight, its eyes flashed a vibrant green.

“Is that a human, Hecate?” she asked, suspicious, knowing the goddess’s penchant for turning mortals who irritated her into whatever she pleased.

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