Page 102 of The Queen & the King

Kronos stretches his arms out on either side, and I curse when I see him tear open a timeline at his feet.

“No!” I shout, trying to reach out and stop him.

My father vanishes through the rift in time, and the remains of Zeus’s lightning soar across the battlefield, hitting a mountain and exploding.

He escaped.Again.Fuck.

Poseidon stands, the poison slowly weeping from his wounds, being ferried out of his blood by his control over water.

“We’ll find him,” my brother assures me. “But we need to finish the battle here first.”

I nod, struggling to stand and preparing to fight. Yet when I look out to the rest of the battlefield, shock suffuses me.

Persephone rides Cerberus, her armor stained with Titan blood, and the remaining Titans, who didn’t side with us, are down for the count. She’s wrapped them in her black vines and is riding around the battlefield, sending them one by one to the cells.

I lean down, touching the soaked ground, tugging on my bond to the Underworld and my new bond to the Void. While Persephone sends Titans to their cells, I focus on closing those pockets to the abyss, knitting the wounds of the worlds closed.

As if she feels my gaze, Persephone looks at me, her eyes clear even from a distance.

We survived.1

1 The Nightmare & The Daydream Chapter 42

Sixty

Persephone

ILAND IN THE PALACE GARDENS, GROANING A LITTLE AS MY FEETcollide with the solid ground of the Underworld. Mud and blood coat my skin, and my chest heaves as I pant, but I can feel myself healing along with the Underworld.

A moment later, Hades lands beside me, and my gaze immediately goes to his. He cups my cheeks in his hands, and his eyes roam over my filthy face, checking me for injuries. I lean into him, understanding. I feel the same need to know that he’s okay, that he’s safe. My hands rest on his chest, and even through the metal of his armor, I feel his heartbeat. It centers me.

“Are you all right?” Hades asks breathlessly.

I nod, and my gaze falls to his lips. How have we not kissed since I returned home?

“Kiss me.” I don’t wait for his reply before standing on my tiptoes and slamming my lips to his. The instant euphoria makes my head spin. Hades slides his fingers into my hair, holding me to him and deepening the kiss. It is fucking perfect.

I pull back before I get too lost in him for any coherent thought. “Your father…” I silently curse that the slimy bastard slid through our defenses.

Hades looks less than bothered,his dark eyes fixed on my face. “We’ll find him.” He presses his lips to mine again, captivating me with the most incredible kiss. Every kiss is better than the last.

I moan into the kiss, letting him taste my pleasure. His tongue flicks against mine, and I move my hands to his arms, digging my nails into his armor.

Hades pulls back too soon, and his eyes stray to the palace doors. “My brothers are summoning me to the throne room.” He looks back at me, carefully brushing his thumb along my cheek. “They will want to start the hunt again. I’ll meet up with you.”

Part of me longs to stay with him, to glue myself to him, and never be separated. Part of me feels like I should go, if not to keep stupid Zeus in line, but also to stay in the loop of their plans. A louder part of me longs to be clean. More than anything, I want to go back to our room, feel the plush rug beneath my feet, luxuriate in my own shower, and then change into my own clothes. I want to slip into the most form -fitting, shortest nightdress I own, just because I fucking can.

I slide my hand into his and walk through the palace with him until we get to the grand staircase that leads up to the bedrooms. We stop at the bottom of the stairs, and I can tell Hades is as reluctant to leave me as I am to stay. I can still see a glimmer of fear in his eyes that I’m not truly here. I lean up and brush my lips over his softly.

“I’ll be inourroom,” I murmur into his lips before pulling back. Hades’ eyes darken, and he looks more comfortable.

I feel him watching me as I walk up the stairs, his gaze a warm caress until I turn the corner and am out of sight.

I navigate the corridors expertly as I meander to our room, but when I reach the door, I hesitate, just standing and looking at it. What if it isn’t as I remember?

I close my hand on the doorknob and take a deep breath before opening the door. Hades’ scent hits me like a wall, and while it’s potent, I can tell he’s not been sleeping in here. The room looks untouched.

My eyes are drawn to the spot where I fell when my mother snapped our bond and ripped me from Hades’ arms. The pain echoes within me, but I know that in time it will disappear. It only needs to be replaced with the new memories I will make with Hades.

---