Page 69 of The Queen & the King

“Well, I hadn’t thought of him as such, but…”

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Think P.

My lips twitch, and I know how to dissuade my mother from Kronos. “He reminds me of someone…” I pretend to ponder as if I’m trying to remember something, allowing some of the true longing I feel for Hades to seep through.

“Perhaps it’s meant to be. However, he did kill his last wife…”

“He really reminds me of someone,” I push, furrowing my brow and rubbing my temples.

I feel my mother’s gaze on me. “Don’t think of him. I will find another suitor.”

I internally exhale a breath of relief. Externally, I blink, letting my face fall back into the easy smile I usually force myself to wear.

“It’s still early, sweetling. You should go back to sleep.”

I nod, straightening from the wall. “Yes, Mother.”

I hurry back to my room. Closing the door behind me, I start to pace. The memories hurt my head. She stole them from me. She ripped me from my home, from my husband, and then took everything that makes meme.How could she? She will pay for this. I continue to pace, the vines slowly retreating as if they’re satisfied now that I remember.

Even my bones feel tired when I settle back into bed. Having years of memories flooding back into my mind has taken it out of me. I collapse completely, burying my face into the pillow that Hades lies on. His scent is long gone, but the memory of him is imprinted into it. It doesn’t take long until sleep takes me, dropping me right into… our meadow.1

1 The Nightmare & The Daydream Chapter 36

Forty-Three

Hades

WE HAVEN’T MADE ANY PROGRESS WITH THE DREAMWALKING, AND WE’VE STOPPED TRYING TO PUSH IT.There is no point when we can’t find Persephone’s dream, no matter how much we search. She is gone, at least from dreams. Helios assures me she is still alive and well on Olympus. She is just missing from the dreamworld. What happened? Did she change her mind? Does she not love me anymore? Did she ban me from her dreams?

I’ve barely done anything but prepare for the war and try to track down my father. I’ve been scouring through social media, news articles, and even CCTV footage, hoping to come across even a trace of him. But I’ve found nothing, not of my father nor any of the Titans. It is like the world is suddenly wiped clean of them.

I collapse into bed, weariness tugging at my bones. Maybe tonight I’d truly sleep. I’d sparred with the heroes of old in the Isle of the Blessed, hoping to at least exhaust myself enough to allow me to sleep. My head hits the pillow, and I’m immediately in the meadow from her dreams, but clearly, it’s my dream,not hers. The meadow itself is darker, the colors paler than they were in hers. Everything is significantly less vibrant. I sigh, looking around, but my heart stops when I see I’m not alone. She’s here.

“I’m not dreamwalking,” I blurt out. How can Persephone be inmydream? I want to run to her, but something keeps me rooted.

It takes a moment for me to realize why. It’s her eyes. There’s something different in her eyes, and it makes my heart leap in my chest.

“Demon?” she asks, and my heart slams again in response.

“My spring?” I whisper, not daring to hope.

Persephone springs into motion, sprinting toward me, and my feet move on their own. I meet her halfway, needing to see for myself if this is just another hope to be dashed. She jumps on me, wrapping her legs around my waist, clinging to me. She slams her lips to mine, and the second our lips connect, I know.

She remembers.

I dig my fingers into her hair, deepening the kiss.

She remembers.

The memory of her touch inside the dream is enough in this single moment because she remembers.

A tear slides down my cheek, and I don’t even try to brush it away. She presses her forehead to mine and whispers against my lips, “Fuck. Are you okay? Is Berry okay? You healed, right?”

“You remember.” I kiss her again, our lips salty.

She nods, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I remember. Gods… I missed you so fucking much.”

“You remember,” I repeat.. She brushes away my tears and cups my cheeks. “I swore I would find a way back to you.”

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