Page 54 of The Queen & the King

Persephone kisses me back, but she presses harder into me, trying to make up for the lack of feeling in the dream. She’s had a taste of what it’s like to kiss me in reality, and she is no longer satisfied with the lack in the dreams.

“I know,” I soothe.

“Next week?” she confirms, no doubt feeling the need to have the kisses we shared on our date again. Nothing can take the place of reality.

I sigh. “Feels like years.”

Her brows furrow, her hands digging into my shoulder. “Oh… I think I’m waking up…”

I frown, kissing her again. This is longer than we’ve ever spent together in a dream, yet it still is not enough. It will never be enough.

“Call for me if you need me.” I touch her forehead. “Here.”

She nods, leaning over to kiss all of Cerberus’s noses before we both leave the dream.

Thirty-Four

Hades

MY EYES OPEN IN REALITY. I BLINK, TRYING TO EASE THE GRIP OF THE LINGERING DREAM.

Melinoë leans over me. She is slightly sweaty, but she looks to be in control. “How’d it go?”

I gently push her away and sit up. “She said she loved me.”

“She remembers?” Mellie squeals excitedly.

“She doesn’t, but she knows. There was something in her eyes when she almost said she loves me,” I say, dashing her hopes.

I wipe my brow with the cloth I’d left on the bedside table. That is the thing about dreamwalking every time I sleep. I never trulyrest. I tense when I glimpse myself in the mirror. The swirling black tattoos are just under my chin now. I can’t hide them from Melinoë.

“Well, shit, you made her fall for you again?” She whistles. “Impressive, my dude. I think you’re boring as fuck.”

I use my glamor to cover the creeping darkness and shoot her a droll look. It doesn’t phase her.

“Do you even stab her?” Mellie continues.

My eyes lock with hers. “Stab her?! Who does that?”

Helios whistles from the corner, drawing my attention. “No one here, obviously.”

Mellie flips off the Titan. “You can go. Literally, no one wants you here, sunboy.”

I toss the cloth to the side.

“Tell that to your nipples about to cut a hole through your shirt,” Helios volleys back.

I freeze, wincing. “Please. I cannot hear this.”

I already miss the days when Helios maintained a healthy fear of me.

Mellie crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m cold, asshole.”

“You’re so not.”

I groan and walk into the small closet to change my clothes. Every time I leave the dream, there is lingering sweat and sleep dust on me. I almost always change immediately upon waking. It’s not like the clothes even smelled like her.

“How was it having Berry there?” Mellie asks as I come out of the closet.

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