Page 18 of The Dread Queen's Bargain

“We're engaged. Fuck off.”

7

Zeus’s eyes threatened to pop out of his head. Hades had seen the god of lightning look mad, furious, and even apologetic—when he was lying—but he’d never seen Zeus look so utterly shocked. It brightened Hades’s mood to see it. Zeus stumbled to his feet, flipping back and forth between staring at Hades and then Persephone.

“You what?” Zeus gasped. Small bolts of lightning started to gather around his wrists and fingertips, but his powers were muted in the Underworld. Hades raised a satisfied brow as he saw Zeus’s power floundering, and his smile widened.

It had been a total slip of the tongue, but he was sticking with it now. Hades shrugged, his posture relaxed again as he wrapped an arm around Persephone’s waist and pulled her to his side.

“You have to be kidding. The gods are going to go to war for this, Hades.” Zeus looked pale.

“Is it war or Demeter that frightens you?” Hades challenged. “I didn’t think the king of the gods would be afraid of either.”

Zeus’s lip curled, and he looked at Persephone.

“Tell me this isn’t true, Kore.”

Persephone looked down at her clothing, obviously wearing something from Hades’s closet, and brushed a hand through her wild hair.

“I know you’re not the smartest, but you’re smart enough to know that calling me Kore at this point is ridiculous.” Persephone glared at Zeus. “You’ve always rushed to the aid of poor, defenseless virgins.” Her voice dropped in tone. “Do I look like those maids you are ever so fond of?”

I might be in love after all. Hades thought warmly, trying to hide his inappropriate blush of admiration at Persephone’s handling of Zeus. Zeus, still blushing for entirely different reasons, made a rather undignified squawking sound.

“Are you engaged to him? Like the Fates decreed?” Zeus was nearly pleading with Persephone for it to be untrue. Hades held his breath, waiting to see if Persephone would go along with it. If they’d already been discovered, the quickest and safest route was to pretend it was matrimony. Hades didn’t think Persephone knew anything about the prophecy; he’d answer her questions later.

Persephone’s arm went around Hades’s waist, holding him in return. A surge of heat went through Hades at the slightest touch from Persephone. She opened her mouth to speak but not without giving Hades a hard pinch to the thigh. His breath came out in a sharp pant as he struggled to keep a calm face before Zeus.

“Yes,” Persephone giggled, her mood shifting swiftly. “As the Fates ordained. Isn’t that right, my beloved?” Persephone turned to look up at Hades and slapped her hand against his chest in a mocking attempt at a loving embrace. Zeus was too anxious to notice, tugging at his beard as he turned away from the couple and began to pace. Hades coughed to hide his surprise and placed his other hand over hers.

“It is as they foretold.” Hades smiled tightly, leaning down to kiss Persephone’s head. He whispered sharply so only she could hear him. “If Zeus doesn’t believe you, he’ll try to snatch you out of my hands. If you’re going to fake it, do a better job.”

“If I were faking it, you’d never pick up on the difference!” Persephone hissed back.

Hades scoffed, feigning another kiss on her cheek, his breath hot against her neck as he murmured next to her ear. “There’s no way to fake the way you spasmed around my cock.”

Persephone’s eyes widened, and she gasped. Hades nearly growled as her blush traveled down her neck and chest. She opened her mouth to retort, but Zeus stormed back to them, looking like a madman.

“Demeter is going to be furious. She’s spent her whole life trying to make sure—”

“Trying to make sure of what?” Persephone interrupted, standing closer to Hades and glaring at Zeus. Her eyes slowly turned black while petals began falling from her hair, first pink…then red…then black. Zeus’s eyes widened, and the rest of the color drained from his face. He stumbled backward clumsily, falling over and attempting to crawl away from what he was seeing.

He knows. Hades watched Zeus’s horrified expression. He knows the prophecy of everything Persephone is meant to become, how the Fates have prophecied that Persephone would rule here one day.

“Demeter knows.” Hades said calmly.

Zeus didn’t move for a few seconds but slowly nodded. Hades was praying Persephone would wait to start asking questions until Zeus left, and luckily, she did.

“You should leave now, Zeus.” Hades’s voice was quiet, but it reverberated with unspoken authority. “You have no welcome here. We are overjoyed that you will do us the favor of spreading our good news across Olympus.”

Zeus shook his head as he stood to his feet, smoke beginning to gather around his ankles. He took one last look at Hades and Persephone.

“Are you sure you do not want to accompany me, Persephone?” Zeus’s tone was grave. “This is your last chance to avoid a war.”

Persephone looked around the room quickly, trying to invent another reason to get Zeus off their scent. Her eyes went to a banquet laid out for visitors along the far wall.

“Pomegranates!” Persephone blurted out.

Hades looked at her with a raised brow in surprise, as did Zeus.

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