Page 106 of Bride of Death
Or, apparently, sometimes Omegas don’t nest at all,I think, a little perplexed by this development.
“Don’t you ever feel proprietary about your personal space?” I ask her, curious. “Specifically, your bed?”
She shrugs. “I’ve never really owned my own space until the hut, and I didn’t get to stay there long.”
“Do you miss it? Do you want to return there? Perhaps to grab your blankets?” Because I noticed Hades left her sheets behind. Maybe it was because they smelled like Serapina and Maliki—a scent that left me more than a little intrigued as to what they did in that bed.
Serapina frowns. “I miss what my home represents—freedom. But I understand now that I’ll never be free. How can I be when my soul is so evil?”
I take a step back, her question seeming to hit me right in the heart. “Your soul is not evil, Serapina Everheart. Do not ever say something like that again.”
Her gaze narrows. “My soul destroyed an entire realm. Wasn’t that the point of yesterday’s lesson?”
“The point was to share our history and teach you more about Mythos Fae,” I reply, moving toward her again. “Not to promote incorrect assessments regarding your soul’s virtue.”
“Okay, then how would you describe her actions?” she counters when I’m only a foot away from her.
I stare down into her pretty eyes, my palm itching to grab her nape.
Evilis such a horrible word. So unfair. Socruel.
But I suppose what little she knows would lead her to that assumption.
“I would describe Persephone’s actions as unknown,” I tell her honestly. “Hades believes she betrayed him. I think she was manipulated by her mother because he didn’t properly guard his mate.”
I don’t tell her this to paint him in a negative light. It’s merely the truth.
“Hades never desired a mate-circle because he refused to share his Persephone. But there’s a reason Mythos Fae Alphas form clusters around their Omegas—to protect them.” I give in to my need to touch her and reach up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
She shivers, the action one that delights me to no end.
So I let my touch linger, the backs of my fingers tracing her soft jawline as I add, “Omegas are our Goddesses. They create life. They bring light to our world. And they are literally the stars of our universe. But not all Alphas believed in worshipping our Goddesses. Some wished to enslave them instead.”
It’s a sad history.
But she needs to know the truth to understand Demeter. And perhaps it will help her understand Perephone, too.
“Come, let’s relax, and I’ll continue our lesson. If you’ll oblige me?”
Serapina’s blue eyes hold me captive as I await her decision. For I will never force this female to do anything she doesn’t desire. But I will absolutely do whatever it takes to win her affection.
“Okay,” she says. “But only because I want to learn more.”
I smile. “Of course.”
My hand drops from her face but reaches for her palm as I gently tug her over to a bench seated in a fake garden. It’s a cruelre-creation of one of Persephone’s favorite places in our home realm. Because instead of life, the plants are all made of rock.
They’re dead.
Cold.
Frozen in place with a moon that bathes them in dull yellow colors instead of vibrant pastels.
Yet Serapina looks upon the creation with wonder, her gaze flitting over the statues of fire lilies with open curiosity.
This is how I know she isn’t connected to Persephone’s memories.
Because if she were, there would be tears in her eyes right now, not stars.
