removing the gem from the chain. She knelt and pressed it into the open gap.
At first, nothing happened.
I frowned and knelt, running a fingertip over the stone. It fit perfectly into the gap, and the colors matched the pattern around it.
“Why isn’t it working?” Seraphia crouched next to me, inspecting it.
“Perhaps it needs something more.”
“Yes. Maybe it does.” She pulled a small silver dagger from her bag, and I recognized it as the same one she’d used at the cauldron.
She made a small nick at her fingertip and let a droplet of blood fall on the stone. It glowed briefly, then returned to normal.
“Damn it.” Disappointment echoed in her voice.
“It worked, though. Partially. Otherwise it would not have glowed.” But why not entirely? Her blood had worked to return the city to life, so why not here?
Two halves of a whole.
Lachesis’s words echoed in my mind.
Was that it? Did it need my blood as well? Was I here as more than an escort?
I drew my own blade from my pocket.
“What are you doing?” Seraphia asked.
“Fate says that we are two halves of a whole, light and dark. Two different types of magic and yet bound together. Perhaps I must do the same.”
I drew the dagger over my fingertip and let the blood drip onto the stone. Breath held, I watched it soak into the gem. The blue glowed brightly, and magic sparked. A roaring wind filled the room, and I gripped Seraphia’s hand, drawing her to her feet and stepping back from the center of the mosaic.
My cloak whipped around us as I drew her against my side, protecting her from the gale that circled around us. Glittering lights swirled within the wind, and the scent of a fresh field filled my nose.
“It’s her!” Excitement echoed in Seraphia’s voice, and I couldn't help but feel it for her.
For my entire life, the concept of family had eluded me. I’d understood the theory, but not the emotion. To this day, I couldn't understand the obsession people had with their parents or children.
But recently, I’d learned of another type of obsession.
Seraphia.
If being with her—that strange comfort and warmth—was what it meant to have family, then I understood her desire to find her mother.
As the wind died down, a figure appeared in front of us. Tall and slender, she was dressed in the ancient white robes of a god. Her golden hair fell around her shoulders, and her green eyes warmed as she saw Seraphia.
Then her eyes landed on me.
I’d never seen Demeter before, but if the anger in her eyes was any indication, she recognized me.
She thrust out a hand, and her magic gripped me tight. She swept her hand to the right, and I was torn away from Seraphia, my body flying across the room to slam into the wall.
Pain flared, followed by anger, and I tore myself from the grip of her magic and whirled toward her. She glared at me, her face set in lines of anger. Next to her, Seraphia looked at me, horrified. Worried.
Understanding dawned.
She didn’t want me to hurt her mother.
I drew in a shuddering breath and stared at them, mind whirring. I’d never let another commit such an assault against me without punishment.
But this was…different.
I ground my teeth and nodded. “I will wait here.”
Relief flashed in Seraphia’s eyes, and I was satisfied that I’d done the correct thing.
Demeter waved a hand, and everything went silent.
Seraphia
I stared at my mother, my heart pounding so loudly I thought I might go deaf.
She looked like me. Fairer, but just like me. I hadn’t expected that. I should have. But I hadn’t. I’d meant it when I’d told Hades that I didn’t have expectations of this. It was a survival mechanism, and it had gotten me a long way. Anyway, I had Nana. She’d provided all the love and warmth I needed growing up.
This would just be a bonus.
Still, I was nervous as hell and wanted her to like me.
When she didn’t speak, I spit out the words, “So, you are Demeter, and I am your daughter.”
Demeter nodded. “I am. Your father was a supernatural from a line of seers.”
That would explain my grandmother. “Is he still alive?”
“He is not. He died before you were born.”
“Damn.”
“He watches over you, as I do.” A smile cracked her face. “You are beautiful, Persephone. And powerful. I am pleased.”
Her words warmed me. I’d come here expecting little, but I did like that she approved of me. I liked it a whole hell