Page 37 of The Queen & the King

Remember.

“We sat in a meadow just like this,” I whisper, “holding hands.”

She drags her eyes slowly up my arm, but I keep my focus on her palm, drawing a pattern. “Our problems are so similar, aren’t they?”

We’re both missing something we require to live.Figure it out, my spring. Figure it out! I want to scream and beg. I want to grab her face and force back the darkness that has taken her from me. Somehow, I need to unlock the memories in her mind. I refuse to believe they’re completely gone. Irefuseit. They’re locked behind those eyes. I have to believe that.

“Hades?” she whispers, and my eyes snap to hers. “Why did you come to my dream that first night?”

“To see you,” I blurt out.

“Why me?”

Fuck. Does she know how impossible this is for me? I long to just say the truth, spilling the reality that dances on the tip of my tongue. My love for her and our life together, the life we barely got to have.

I lean closer, brushing her lips with mine. “I would never be unfaithful to my queen.”

She kisses me back, but she is frowning.

Melinoë’s voice echoes through the dreamscape, “It’s time.”

I pull back, pressing my forehead to hers. “I have to go.”

“Who is that?”

I push to my feet. “Her name is Melinoë.” I catch the way Persephone’s eyes narrow and add, “She’s my adopted daughter.”

“Hades!” Mellie snaps again. “I will beat your ass.”

My lips twitch. “I really have to go. She will actually do it.”

I kiss her one more time before leaving the dream.

Mellie’s nose is bleeding slightly, and her eyes are slightly crazed as she hovers over me. Unsurprisingly, Morpheus has already left. He avoids time around Melinoë as much as possible. “So? How was it?”

“She remembered something,” I announce softly.

Berry.It’s something so small, but it was enough to tell me she is in there.

“She did?!” Mellie shrieks.

“Berry,” I say. Cerberus lifts his heads at the sound of the nickname Persephone gave him, and the hope in his eyes makes my chest ache. He misses her, too. I’ve caught him rolling in her clothes more than once to get a whisper of her scent, and I can’t even blame him for it. I keep one of her negligees in my pocket at all times.

“Did you hear that, Berry?!” Mellie squeals. “Mama remembers you!”

Cerberus stands from his bed, wagging his tail and barking. Mellie walks over to him, grabbing his middle head. “She remembers you!”

He wiggles in her hold and mentally shouts to me,“MOMMY!”

Helios crosses his ankle over his knee. “So we’re going ahead with the date?”

Mellie’s focus is still on Cerberus, but Helios straightens, walking over to her. For the first time, I can almost see the pull between them. It’s as if she sends out a silent signal she needs him, and Helios is ready with an answer.

He presses his hand to the side of Melinoë’s head, whispering, “Just to take the edge off.”

I blink in surprise. Is he using his powers to cut through some of her insanity? I didn’t know his powers had that capability.

She spins to him and slams her lips to his. I open my mouth in surprise at the sudden shift. Shock freezing me in place when he deepens the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. I expect Mellie to pull back and try to slap him, but instead, she pulls back and presses her forehead to his.

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