Page 27 of The Dread Queen's Bargain

“What are you doing here?” Hades asked, not unkindly, conjuring up a second glass and chair. Thanatos nodded his head in appreciation and sat down, accepting the wine.

“I just left Dionysus’s feast on Mt. Olympus.”

“You hardly ever entertain those things.” Hades raised an eyebrow. “Should I be concerned?”

Thanatos shook his head.

“I had my reasons.” He waved his hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it.” There was a small, nearly undetectable smile on Thanatos’s face—or as close as he got to smiling—and he almost blushed like a maiden. Hades pushed his issues to the side momentarily.

“You look giddy,” Hades raised an eyebrow, “which is a cause for concern.”

Thanatos rolled his eyes and laughed loudly, a booming sound that echoed off the walls.

“I’ve never heard you make that noise. Was that a laugh?” Hades looked around, pretending to be panicked, “I’m sorry. Someone, please, call the Fates, call Nyx… Call everybody. Thanatos is in my office, and he’s laughing.”

“Oh, shut up,” Thanatos growled, his good demeanor vanishing quickly. “Fuck, I forgot everyone down here can be such a twat sometimes.”

“You’re like this all the time.” Hades countered, finishing his wine and topping off his glass. “Now, is there a reason that you’re visiting me? Not that I don’t appreciate it.”

“I thought I’d interrupt your brooding,” Thanatos supplied.

“You do understand the unbelievable irony in that statement?” Thanatos shrugged, still smiling and looking as unbothered as Hades had ever seen him.

“Did you find some new company while traversing with our heavenly cohorts?” Hades rolled his eyes, but when Thanatos didn’t respond, he realized he’d guessed correctly. “Oh, do I need to tell Eros to knock it off?”

“No, no,” Thanatos sighed. “There was…someone there. I’d never seen her before—”

“Oh, don’t fucking tell me Zeus has more bastard children running around.”

“Stop.” Thanatos cut off Hades, his eyes flashing angrily. Hades only raised one brow and leveled his stare at Thanatos. The god of death quickly realized who he’d snapped at and had the decency to hold up a hand in surrender. “Apologies, I, uh… I don’t know. Yes, I saw someone new, and she has nothing to do with Zeus.”

“Did you talk to her?” Hades pushed. He’d gotten an earful recently about Nyx’s obsession with finding a consort for Thanatos, and now he could say he’d spoken to Thanatos about it.

“Briefly. She seemed interested, but I had to get Hypnos home. When I returned, she didn’t meet me where we’d arranged.” Thanatos’s tone was measured, and Hades realized he was likely a bit more upset about that than he let on.

“Crazy things happen at Dionysus’s parties,” Hades offered. “You never know. She might have gotten distracted. Or, more accurately, was attempting to run away from Zeus.”

“Regardless,” Thanatos sighed, running a hand through his short hair, “that wasn’t why I came here to talk to you.”

“Oh?” Hades sipped at his wine, suddenly uncomfortable. He didn’t want to hear stories about Persephone returning to her mother’s arms.

Thanatos sat up a little straighter and sighed heavily.

“I don’t want to start gossipping about things that don’t concern me…” Hades waved his hand and encouraged Thanatos to continue.

“Olympus runs on gossip as a currency, and it has its black market in the Underworld too,” Hades sighed as if this was a discussion he’d had many times before. “We’re all worse than mortals when it comes to the topic. It’s been duly noted that it’s rare for Thanatos to participate.” Hades’s tone grew playful, and Thanatos’s lips pulled into a thin line.

“I shouldn’t even tell you what I learned.”

“You will because you came straight here to tell me.” Hades snapped his fingers, and the wine in their cups turned to ambrosia. “There’s a little something headier to help it go down easier.”

Thanatos said nothing but took a hearty sip before continuing.

“Persephone was there tonight.”

Hades’s heart froze in his chest. He didn’t want to hear about it. Thanatos had already interrupted him licking his wounds. She’d returned to the mortal world and Mt. Olympus itself; clearly, Persephone had no interest in the Fates’ declaration over her life. He’d have to talk to them personally to see what could be done about setting her free from those obligations if she didn’t want them. The Underworld would be fine. It hadn’t had a queen since its creation.

Would you be fine? The most treacherous part of Hades’s brain piped up, but he silenced it as Thanatos continued.

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