Page 93 of Seph

Persephone hugged her children. “I will be squeezing both of you for hundreds of years to come. I have much time to make up for. But, I’m proud that you have matured into such thoughtful,kind people who understand how to give a thoughtful gift, like a little time alone.”

“Speaking of gifts,” Hades stepped forward, bringing Seph with him. “Whatever your heart desires, Simeon.”

“Emily first, please.”

Emily looked at him. “You had the sword dangling over your head.”

“Do it,” Simeon said and closed his mouth.

Emily rocked from foot to foot. “I don’t know what you can give me.”

Hades smiled. “Try me. I possess all material wealth—and yes, I will need my credit card back, Simeon.”

“I don’t want to feel guilty about loving Simeon.”

Simeon twisted around to face her so fast he left a divot in the lawn of the motel. “What?”

“Oh, my dear. That’s something I could give you—but it’s better if you get it for yourself. To choose to love someone in spite of old prejudices, to see him as the exception, rather than the rule... That’s a gift you can give yourself. If I give it to you, you’ll always wonder if your feelings are real. No. Don’t ask for that, my dear,” Hades shook his head.

“Hey, listen. Emily, listen. I got a soul. I have a soul. I’m not pure and perfect, but I do have a soul. You know I can love you now that I’m closer to human. You don’t have to feel guilty. I would have asked for that—so you could have a soulmate. A soul for yours, see?” Simeon took her hands.

Emily frowned and brought her hands slowly up to cup his face, staring at him in the purple-black night that would usher in the last day of October. “I loved you without that—even though I believed I shouldn’t. I would love you anyway, you idiot. I don’t even know if I could stop myself. I’m in love with you. Guh!” Emily threw her hands down, frowned, and lightly kicked his shin. “You win.”

“I do win. I have you! The greatest treasure and prize in my life, Huntress! If you’re the only thing I want, the thing I would live and die for, doesn’t that meanyouwin? You were told you had to get Simeon Crow and end his reign of terror. Well, I’m perfectly willing to follow you around like a lovesick puppy and never even show my fangs again. I’m vanquished, Van Helsing!” He lightly slugged her arm. “Youwin.”

“Oh, these two are charming! Hades, we will have them over for dinner, won’t we?”

“Of course! Although I might suggest we pick a restaurant, dear. Dining in the Underworld can be tricky for mortals.” Hades gave his wife a smile, then turned to her rescuers with a slightly impatient look. “Should I come back to the gift portion of our arrangement later?”

“I want a car! A plain, ordinary car! Not one that pops to Bermuda or China at the touch of a button.” Emily blurted.

“Car.” Hades snapped his fingers, and a shining red sedan appeared. “2030 Jaguar.”

“But... It’s not 2030.”

Hades hemmed and hawed for a moment. “Noooo, but this is going to be a very good model, and it won’t start accumulating miles until then. So, it’s a particularly good gift,” Hades said, patting the hood with a fond smile.

“Thank you! I love it!” Emily actually hopped in place.

Simeon beamed.Nice to see her act joyful. Excited. Like a little kid. Wish she could have that childhood back.

But she can’t. And she wouldn’t be the person I fell in love with without all the things that made her who she is. Even the gods of life and death didn’t try to rewind time to help Seph deal with what she went through.

I guess all he can try to do is help her work through it, and love her as she does. Try to give her the best rest of immortality ever.

“Can you give me a beautiful diamond ring in Emily’s size, but make it especially sturdy? No, more than sturdy,unbreakable? She gets into all sorts of scrapes fighting, and not to mention all the heavy lifting she does at the market.”

“Simeon!” Emily hissed.

Hades snapped his fingers. “Done.”

Simeon felt a cold, smooth band of gold drop into his hand, a blindingly bright star-cut diamond dominating the circlet. “Put this on, Huntress.”

“Simeon, I—”

“You love me. I love you. I know you had a rotten childhood, and I had a rotten... well, pretty much everything. If we failed, I wouldn’t be here. Now, we have time left. Years, I hope. Decades! I want to spend all the time I have left giving you the best life a person could ever have. The best way I know how to do that is to make sure you know how much I love and want you. How much I’ll be there for you when you need me. Sickness and health, richer or poorer, apocalypse and demons or peace and happiness.” Simeon got down on one knee and glared up at her defiantly. “How else can you keep me in line without constantdirectsupervision?”

“But... Wejust... We just got to befriends!”

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