Page 30 of Flowers Near Me

“The Fates.”

Hades’ brows shot up. “Really?”

He seemed surprised by that answer which didn’t make sense to Persephone. Who else would a goddess bargain with?

“Our mom pleaded with them for another daughter,” Laura said. “They told her to eat a field of poppies and then she’d become pregnant. That’s what she did, and here’s Sephy.”

Lips pressed tight, Hades nodded, clearly deep in thought. Persephone wondered why the revelation held his mind captive.

Peter sighed. “What do you think? Should we get Helena to bed soon?”

“No! I’m not tired,” shouted Helena from her chair. Mouth full of cookie.

“Oh, yes.” Laura held out her hand to Hades. “Thank you for having us. This was very nice. We’ll host next time.”

Hades shook her hand then Peter’s as he said, “Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you,” replied Peter. He walked over to his daughter and scooped her up from her seat. The definitely-not-tired girl rested her head on her father’s shoulder.

“We had a great time,” added Laura. “Helena’s already calling this the ‘cookie cave.’”

“Itisa cookie cave,” Helena giggled.

Laura pulled Persephone into a hug. “I’ll see you soon.”

As Hades, Peter, and Helena headed for the elevator, Laura whispered, “He’s obsessed with you, Sephy.”

Mumbling low, Persephone said, “He’s good at playing the part.”

“Maybe. But I don’t think it’s an act.”

“He’s a god. They’re the best liars.”

Laura looked over her shoulder at the others, out of earshot. “Just be careful. He’s not bound by the same rules as the rest of us.”

“No shit, Laura. You think this is how I wanted to spend the next six months?”

Laura’s eyes shot up to the high ceiling, then she shrugged. “Could be worse.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

A DANGEROUS GAME OF PRETEND

PERSEPHONE

Monday morning, Persephone woke at 6 a.m. to a quiet apartment. Hades and Cerberus were both gone, leaving her alone with the soft hum of the city above. Sitting on the kitchen counter was a tray of coffee and croissants, along with a handwritten note.

My dearest Sephy,

I’ll be back by 11 a.m. to take you to lunch. Floor B10 has a gym filled with equipment and a 400m track. Text Charon if you need anything.

Your favorite roommate,

Hades

She smiled faintly, sipping the coffee as her phone buzzed with messages. No word from her mom, despite her attempts to reach out. The silence gnawed at her. Demeter had always been there, hovering at the edges of her life, controlling and distant. But this? It was… unusual.

As Persephone scrolled through her inbox, a new String of Pearls succulent caught her eye, its delicate vines spilling over the edge of the table. She frowned. Not only was it toxic to Cerberus, but it also needed far more sunlight than this dim, subterranean apartment could provide. She’d have to move it soon, or it would wither. Hades really needed to stop buying her plants because for all his business know-how, he was clueless when it came to caring for plants.

---