Page 50 of The Queen & the King

Hades offers me his hand and then helps me up, kissing my temple once I’m standing.

Cerberus barks and shuffles his butt excitedly on the ground. I smile at Berry and move out of Hades’ arms. “You are a big marshmallow, aren’t you?” Cerberus jumps on the spot, clearly happy to be getting attention. I glance at Hades. “Is he always this excitable?” I ask, scratching behind one of his many ears.

Hades smiles knowingly and shakes his head. “No. Only with… special people.”

Thirty-One

Hades

IT MAKES MY CHEST ACHE TO SEE THEM TOGETHER.Cerberus nuzzles his heads against her, trying to imprint his scent on her. He doesn’t understand that all the scents are muted inside the dream, and he can’t mark her as one of his family as he clearly wants to. Like I want to.

“What a mush!” Persephone exclaims, her bright smile almost splitting her cheeks.

Only with those he loves.

“He loves me already?” she asks, glancing at me.

Fuck, I must have said that out loud. “He can tell you’re a good person.” You’re his mother.

Even in the short time we had in the Underworld, she took to him as if they were the ones bonded thousands of years ago. Cerberus doesn’t understand why she’s gone, and I can’t even explain it in terms he’d understand. He’s certainly smarter than a normal dog, much larger than one too, but he can’t communicate like a person. He can project his thoughts, but it’s more impressions of what’s happening.

He plops down and rolls over for her to scratch his stomach, stretching wide for her. Persephone laughs in delight and drops to her knees, obliging him.

“Mommy!”Cerberus mentally shouts to me, wiggling for Persephone.

“You’re spoiling him.” My throat clogs with emotion. This exact moment occurred once before when I thought Persephone and I had an eternity to figure things out. How quickly things changed.

“He’s a good boy!” she insists, kissing his stomach. “Aren’t you? Are you a good boy?”

“Found Mommy! Mommy!”

I hold my hand out to her. “May I show you something else?”

My emotions are already trying to make a fool of me. If Persephone keeps playing with Cerberus like this, I’ll start imagining foolish things likechildren.

She takes my hand and stands. The moment she touches my palm, I can sense the swirling darkness that’s been crawling closer to my neck descending a little.Curious.

Persephone is clearly the key to whatever is affecting my powers. I pull her with me, heading deeper into her dream, striding through the fog. The garden around the palace slowly appears, the black roses dotting the landscape, the single red one struggling to survive. Nothing I’ve tried has helped the plant. The petals began falling yesterday, and with each one lost, a piece of my hope dies. How much longer can we keep this up?

Persephone pulls her hand from mine, heading directly for the red rose, drawn to it. Can she possibly sense the connection to it?

“I can’t seem to keep it thriving,” I admit, following her.

She kneels and cups the flower, and my breath catches. This is just like with Cerberus, a memory brought to life, an eventonly one of us remembers. Cerberus pauses at my side, watching her, too. Does he know how important this moment is?

Persephone’s brows furrow as she focuses on the flower. Slowly, the rose flourishes under her touch, the thorn under her hand turning to solid gold. A tear slides down my cheek. She’s still in there.

How many times can I use those words as comfort? How long until I realize that broken parts are all that’s left?

The slight bit of skin that the darkness had retreated from is stained again. I rubbed the side of my neck, the feeling of the darkness strangling me even inside the dream.

I depended on my glamor to conceal what was happening to me when I was on my date with Persephone, but I’m not sure how much longer I can hide what’s going on. Melinoë is already suspicious.

“You truly are a Goddess of Life,” I whisper solemnly.

Life and death.Perhaps I should have realized it in the beginning. Life and death are opposites. They are never on the same side. Is it a sign that I would never have my Goddess of Life completely? My stomach churns.

She stands and reaches up to wipe the tear off my cheek. I lean into her touch, closing my eyes.

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