Page 39 of Hades

“Stay. I’m sorry. Just… cut me some slack.” His eyes gained a wealth of hurt as he looked into hers and her features softened, the hardness leaving her gaze as she curled her fingers around his. Daimon swallowed thickly. “You know what this is like for me. You know how scared I am. I can’t lose you, Cass. This… I want to be excited… I want to be happy… but I just keep thinking—”

Cassandra pressed her finger to his lips and stepped closer to him. “I know. Baby is strong. I am strong. Nothing bad will happen to us.”

Daimon forced a nod, but didn’t look convinced.

Hades had the feeling he was missing something, and a look at his other sons confirmed he wasn’t alone.

Daimon placed his hand over Cassandra’s on her stomach, his blue gaze falling there, pain dancing across it. “I wish Mother was here.”

Hades did too. He longed for her to be here now more than ever, because he knew how excited she would be. She twirled into his mind, her green dress flowing around her, cinched with gold beneath her breasts, and her emerald eyes bright. She beamed at him, a ray of light in his dark world, and her rosy lips moved.

Telling him she was pregnant.

She had been so radiant, and so afraid, as she had announced that.

The moment she had seen how happy she had made him, that fear had disappeared, replaced with excitement.

She had been so worried that he wouldn’t want a child. He smiled slightly. Foolish, beautiful woman. He had never dared to dream they would have a family, and that day she had given him the best gift—Keras.

And she had followed it with seven more.

And he felt blessed to have every one of them in his life.

The hollow in his chest burned, raw and painful, as he watched Keras and Enyo congratulate Cassandra, and Megan and Ares followed suit, and then Thanatos ushered a nervous Calindria towards them, murmuring reassuring words that she wouldn’t harm the witch or her unborn child.

“Congratulations,” Hades muttered, only half-aware of those gathered before him as his thoughts shifted back to Persephone.

She would have loved to be here for this moment of family, and by the gods, the fact that she was missing this destroyed him. He couldn’t wait another second. He needed her back in his arms now, back with her family. He couldn’t live with himself knowing she was out there, waiting for him. He wanted to listen to his head and not his heart, wanted to be calm and collected, and in control.

But he couldn’t.

Persephone needed him and he had never failed her before.

And he wouldn’t fail her now.

Keras went back to discussing potential memories, leads that would take days to follow up.

Too long.

His love hadn’t been gone long, but it had been far too long for him. A few days had felt like an eternity. He couldn’t survive another without her. He couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t breathe. His heart ached constantly, shredding his patience, and his mood was blacker than the River Styx.

Keras’s gaze landed on him.

Hades muttered, “I need air. I will not stray far.”

Before his son could respond, he swept from the room and teleported as soon as he was out of sight. He landed at the yawning dark entrance of the cave and stormed inside, summoning the gate as soon as he was close enough. It opened just as he reached it and he strode through it without slowing.

Cerberus was in his paddock and immediately perked up, his three heads swinging towards Hades. When he saw Hades was alone, he whined.

“I know.” Hades went to the beast and reached a hand up, and Cerberus lowered his heads. Hades stroked the muzzle of the middle one. “I will get her back. Let us walk.”

Because he needed to burn off some energy or he would do something reckless—like disobeying Keras and using Cerberus to track Persephone.

Hades unlatched the gate that Cerberus could step over if he wanted and the black wolf-like beast walked out. When Persephone had remarked that Cerberus could quite easily leave the paddock if he wished, Hades had countered that he wouldn’t. Cerberus was obedient, and loyal. Hades had told him that he was to remain in the paddock whenever he shut him in it, and Cerberus had done just that.

Now, the great three-headed dog bounded ahead of him, making a beeline for the forest.

A forest that reminded Hades painfully of the one where he had met Persephone.

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