Page 89 of Dead End

My mother nodded. “I think I have the energy for that.”

“I was told you were both avatars who escaped The Corporation when you realized you were pregnant. You fled to my grandparents, explained the situation, gave birth to me while there, and then were obliterated by an assassin from The Corporation.” I paused. “Except clearly that part didn’t happen.”

“We knew we had to sacrifice a relationship with you in order to keep you safe,” my mother said. “If we had maintained any connection to you whatsoever, they would’ve found you.”

“And that’s why you asked the Rozhanitsy to put the mark on my forehead to hide me.”

“Yes. They are outside our pantheon, so they could act in ways that the Moirai could not.” My mother frowned at my unblemished skin. “I don’t see it there now. It was…”

“A rose, I know. It was there. They did their job, Mom. I promise.”

My response resulted in a fresh flow of tears.

My chest ached. “Please don’t cry, Mom. You’re already dehydrated.”

A tiny burst of laughter erupted from her. “Then I’ll simply drink them. Fetch me a cup.”

I didn’t want to leave my parents’ side, especially in their current state. This reunion was a longstanding dream, one that, in the past, had been constantly crushed beneath the black boots of a million nightmares.

“When did your grandparents die?” my mother asked.

The framing of her question took me aback, until I remembered they’d been Dana’s parents, not Persephone’s. “My grandmother died first. Pops made it until I was fourteen.”

“Fourteen?” My mother’s voice was pure anguish. “Who raised you after that?”

“I was in foster care until I turned eighteen.”

She gripped my hand in hers. “We are so sorry, my sweet. We never intended that for you.”

“You did the best you could with the information you had. Pops trained me. Everything he taught me… It made a difference.”

“I have so many questions,” my father said.

“So do I. How did you sneak into the underworld without anyone knowing? I had to take the river passages to get here.”

My father’s smile managed to straddle the line between smug and sweet. “I’m Hades, my treasure. This is my domain. If I can’t sneak my way in through a secret entrance in a Sicilian cave, then I don’t deserve to wear the crown.”

“Well, currently you don’t.”

“Fair point.” His chuckle was achingly familiar. How had I ever forgotten that sound?

“We’ll have some decisions to make once you’ve recovered,” I said. “Hestia has been ruling in your places, but she doesn’t want to do it anymore.”

“Is that the reason you came here?” my father asked. “To take the throne?”

“Only because circumstances forced me into it.” I’d explain the situation with The Corporation later, once my parents had time to collect themselves.

“We could rule together,” my father said. “The three of us. Of course, you’d have to be in charge while your mother and I regain our strength. It will be a long time before we’ll have regained our full powers and the underworld needs to be in firm, capable hands.”

Oh, gods. Less than a week with my parents and I was already going to disappoint them. Making up for lost time, I supposed.

“I don’t want to rule,” I said. “I’m only here out of necessity.”

My father sat up straighter. “I don’t understand. You’re Melinoe. Our only heir. Ruling is in your blood.”

“Hades…” A warning tone from my mother. “You’re still too weak to get yourself worked up.”

“I haven’t been here long. Hestia instituted a transition period while I learn the ropes.”

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