it took a goddess until she birthed a child. Were they like humans? He didn’t know how long they had to wait either. Hades knew next to nothing about babies, other than that it was rare for them to come to the Underworld, but that other spirits took care of them.
But this one, this life beating within his bride, was going to be half of his life force. Half of him.
The child might have his eyes. Although, now that he thought about it, Hades would much prefer the child to have her eyes. He liked looking into Persephone’s gaze. And now he could potentially have two beings where he could do that. Swallowing hard around the sudden knot in his throat, Hades tried to speak.
“A baby?” he asked again.
Persephone grinned. “A baby with ten fingers, ten toes, and hopefully the same kind of power as you and I. Who knows what god or goddess we will have created, my love.”
He pressed both his hands against her belly, as though he could feel the life within it. Even though the child wasn’t moving yet, he swore he could still feel his child in there. The power that was uniquely it and the life that would eventually meld with his own.
Such a wondrous thing they’d done, and he had no idea it had happened.
Tears in his eyes, he leaned forward and gently pressed a kiss against her still flat stomach. “I promise to love this child with all of my being. I will protect it from those who would try to harm our creation, and I dare anyone to stand in my way.”
With fire in his eyes, he looked up to see her own eyes filled with tears.
Persephone reached down and cupped his hands with hers, holding them against her belly. “They will be the most loved babe in all the realms, not just the Underworld. And that is because we will love her more than the very stars in the sky.”
“Her?” he repeated her action, quirking a brow and looking up at her with disbelief. “What makes you so certain it’s a girl?”
“Just a feeling,” she replied with a sparkle in her eyes that made him wonder if it was more than just a feeling. “What would you do if we had a daughter?”
He didn’t know. Destroy the entire world so nothing could ever harm her? Loose the Titans so not a single person would ever think about coming into the Underworld with a dark heart or evil mind?
He looked up and met Persephone’s gaze, confidence radiating in his voice. “Anything. I would do anything if we had a daughter.”
Persephone sank down onto her knees before him, reaching out a hand for his face. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. I thought... well. I didn’t know if you even wanted children.”
He’d never even considered the thought to be in his future. How would he have guessed this woman would come into his life, let alone know that she’d bring with her a child that might have his eyes? His nose? Perhaps even his mouth?
Hades was so stunned, he didn’t know what to say. How to express the emotions running through his head. He was so infinitely in love with her in this moment, all that came out was, “I’m happy. I’m so very, very happy.”
And then he held her against his heart where he hoped she’d stay forever.
Perhaps things might get difficult in their lives again. Certainly a few months apart had helped them become closer when she returned. They hadn’t dealt with any issues of jealousy or her wondering whether he still loved her. All of that was possible to happen again, however. He knew, eventually, he would mess up and they would have a hard conversation once again.
For now, he was happy to hold her. To hold them, he realized with sudden clarity. His wife. His child. All wrapped up in one being that made his heart sing just by looking at her.
“Olympus save me,” he breathed into her heart, then pressed a kiss where his words had touched. “I will worship you until the day you are ripped from my arms into death. And even then, my wife, my queen, I will follow you into whatever end gods have.”
Chapter 40
The longer she was in the Underworld, the more she could feel the mortal prayers. Persephone sat outside the castle on a bench in the gardens, hand against her swollen belly and her eyes closed. She