Page 20 of The Queen & the King

“You don’t dream of your home,” I answer. “You escape.”

Before dreams were my prison, they were once an escape. Now they’re the only bridge to the woman I love, and she doesn’t know who I am.

“Doesn’t everyone dream of something else? Something more?”

My lips twitch. “Only those hoping to see more, to do more. To be more.”

She focuses on me, tilting her head, her dark hair laced with flame sliding over her shoulder.

“And what do you dream of? When you’re not loitering in mine?”

My eyes remain locked on hers. “My queen.”

I dream ofyou.

She tilts her head, and for a moment, I remember how her crown glittered as she said her vows as the Queen of the Underworld.

“You have a queen?”

I shake my head. The hope of seeing some glimmer of recognition in her eyes vanishes. “Hada queen. I’m trying to get her back.”

Her lips twitch, and the movement is soPersephoneit breaks me a little.

“Can I make a suggestion?” she asks, smirking a bit more. “Maybe don’t go around kissing strangers and hanging out in their dreams. She’ll probably get jealous.”

I toss my head back, laughing deeply. No one can ever make me laugh like Persephone. She laughs with me, taking another bite of her apple.

I smile as I look up at the sky. “Again, you’re assuming you’re not her.”

She shoots me a look as I turn to smirk at her.

You’re still in there, my spring, still sassing me even now.

Mellie’s voice echoes through the dream, “Hades.”

I sigh heavily.

“What was that?” Persephone frowns, looking around.

I lean closer, pressing my forehead to hers. “I have to go,” I whisper. “Be careful. If you see my father again, do not mention me.”

She searches my eyes. “I won’t.”

I keep my voice low, hoping she can sense the importance of my words. “You can be anything you wish, Persephone. Do anything. Spring is so much more than just growing pretty flowers.”

She glances at my lips, and I lick them, luring her to me.

Kiss me, my spring. Remember me.

The ground shakes, and I’m yanked from the dream. I snarl as I sit up in bed in the palace. “We were getting somewhere!”

Melinoë hits the wall, sinking to the floor. She mutters to herself madly, her dual-colored hair plastered to her head from the sweat.

I lunge out of bed and kneel in front of her, grabbing her arms. “Melinoë!”

Melinoë doesn’t even hear me, her body twitching violently as she laughs maniacally. I shake her, but it does nothing. She disappears from my arms, vanishing in a puff of smoke, that eerie laughter remaining.

I curse as I hit the wall, slamming it with my fist. When did I become so fucking selfish? I threw Melinoë to the madness inside her for a moment longer with Persephone.1

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