Page 46 of The Queen & the King

Instead of dying, Oceanus merely separates into two identical beings, shorter and smaller than the original Titan. I wonder if each of them is less powerful now.

“Little Goddess of Spring, so far from home,” Oceanus mocks, sounding like a crashing wave.

Persephone shifts slightly on her feet, putting one foot back. Her eyes, I know those eyes. I saw them on the battlefield after Tartarus was torn open. My queen is not fragile. She’s iron.

The Iron Queen.

I cough up more blood, shuddering as my healing kicks in, my ribs cracking as they repair themselves.Hurry up. Hurry up, heal faster.

She smirks at the Titan. It is too late, but Oceanus finally notices the seaweed that has crawled up his body, wrapping like two nooses around his neck. The Titan struggles against the hold, but seaweed is made from the same components as him, so he is essentially battling himself. My fucking clever wife.

I spit blood onto the sand and stand, healed just enough to walk to her. I touch her shoulder. “Hold him tight. If even a drop of water escapes, so will he.”

She nods, and I summon my powers, preparing the cell for him in Tartarus, one with no moisture and no escape. That swirling darkness crawls up more of my skin. The small amount that vanished in Persephone’s presence reappears with force.

Persephone silently slides her hand into mine as I plunge the Titan into his prison, sealing the gate shut. I exhale, turning to look at her, gazing at her profile.

She turns toward me, and I lean down to press a gentle kiss to her lips. “We have to go.”

I pull back, and she keeps her eyes on mine as I wipe my blood from her lower lip. I whistle sharply, and the pegasus responds to my call. When it lands, I put her on his back before swinging up behind her. I kick him, holding her close as he launches into the sky. Persephone is tense against me, silent as the grave as we soar through the night.

My unease ratchets higher. “What is it?”

Instead of answering, she holds up her palm, and I hold my breath, watching her. The flower that grows in her palm isblack, with golden veins. The petals are sharp but appear soft, luring you in with beauty only to find a snake poised beneath. Persephone slides her other finger over the edge of the flower, blood welling from the cut.

I don’t speak, not wanting to disturb this moment. Instead, I hover my hand above hers, letting my shadows drip from my fingers. They wind around her flower, almost dancing around it. The flower arches into my shadows as if seeking the darkness.

“Life and Death in an eternal dance,” I whisper.

She leans back against me, closing her palm as we approach Olympus. I curse under my breath when I see the clear sky. “No clouds. Not a good sign.”

I might have sent my younger brother to get his ass kicked in order to take my wife on a date. I suppose I should feel remorseful about that. Yet it isZeus.

“Land in the woods. I can sneak back in,” Persephone says as I steer the pegasus to the woods, landing without a misstep.

I dismount first and grip her waist, lifting her down.

“I’ll… see you later?” she asks, her eyelids lowered coquettishly.

“Yes.” I smirk. “The more you wish for me in your dreams, the easier it is for me to be there.”

She glances up at me, and I kiss her hard, unable to hold back. I pull away to stop myself from getting carried away. “Hurry.”

She nods before sprinting back to her mother’s house, leaving me alone in the forest.

Twenty-Nine

Persephone

SOMETHING TUGS AT MY CHEST, URGING ME TO GO BACK TO HIM,but I force my feet forward, back to my prison. My fingers tingle with the phantom feeling of the Titan’s blood. I expect to feel guilt or remorse that I so brutally hurt another being, but all I feel is relief that I was able to use my power to save Hades. I shake my head, unable to think about this right now, needing to concentrate on getting home.

The skies above are inky black but clear of any clouds, yet there is still the sound of thunder. It’s much more muted, and I notice the closer I get to my house, the louder it is. No longer is the storm above the house, but it is raging from within. Bright white light flashes through the windows, accompanied by a deep rumble of angry thunder.

I grimace when the gate squeaks as I open it. It is an irrational fear. No one will have heard it over the racket that is currently going on inside the house. I quickly close the gate and keep my back against the hedge surrounding the garden’s perimeter, staying in the warm embrace of the shadows.

A loud crash sounds from inside the house, and I still. Everything goes eerily quiet,and my instincts flare. I know I onlyhave another few moments before the window to get back inside and up to my room closes.

My heart races when I see the door, everything in me urging me to go back to Hades, to run away with him, and never look back. But what would my mother do if I went missing? If she found out I was with him?

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