Page 28 of Hades and Persephone: Threads of Fate

“Just thinking about the dig site,” I lie.

Hades casts his gaze out to the darkening stretch of blue. “And?”

I lift a shoulder. I admit, “I’m a little afraid to go back.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want to see people look at me like I’m crazy.” I scoff into the distance, careful not to look at him. Not to even chance a peek. “I see that look enough when I look in the mirror.”

“You are not crazy, Persephone.”

“I’m not sane.”

Hades sighs. After a long moment, he says quietly, “I could keep you here.”

This time, my eyes do swing to him. “You can’t.”

“I can.”

I feel my face screw up into a look of disbelief. “I need to go back or I’ll flunk out of the program.”

“I can call Ralph. He wouldn’t chance losing my funding byflunkingyou.”

“Stop waving around your power. Or money.” I pout. “Or whatever.”

His grin is devilish. He sips his wine. “What is thepoint of having power and money andwhatever, if you can’t throw it around a bit?”

I make a noise of half-incredulity and half-disgust. “You’re impossible.”

His voice turns serious. “Are you ready to go back?”

I’m not ready for the serious questions regarding my mental standing that will follow if I answer honestly, so instead, I tease, “Are you ready to stop keeping me prisoner on your boat?”

His eyes drift between mine. He answers with far more seriousness than I expect when he tells me, “No. I’ll never be ready to let you go.”

“Hades.” Needing something to do with my hands, I trace the rim of my glass with my finger.

He continues, his voice rippling with dark notes. “If it were up to me, I’d steal you away this very moment and never let you go.”

My breath catches. My pulse races. Awareness pebbles my flesh and something quickens in the deep of my belly.

“How isn’t it up to you?”

He studies me for a long time. “I’m not sure that you would forgive me if I did.”

I feel robbed of all air. Still, I manage, “I probably wouldn’t.”

Softer, far softer than I anticipated, he says, “That is why I hesitate to allow my instincts to dictate my actions where you are concerned.”

I inhale sharply, salted air invading my lungs inthe moment before I tear my gaze from his. I laugh, but it’s shallow and nervous. “You’re just playing. You can’t seriously be considering kidnapping me forever.”

“I’ve considered that very thing since the moment I saw you standing in front of my painting in that white dress.”

Breathless. I am breathless. He’s stolen all my air.

“What does that even mean, Hades?”

He casts his eyes to the sea, and my own follow. “The answer will come to you soon enough.”

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