her in his arms and looked down at Cerberus, who whined at his feet.
“I know, boy,” he said. “Let’s just get her home.”
Chapter 42
Persephone was up too early, and no one else was around when she slipped out of her bed. Hades was still asleep. He’d rolled over with his hand outstretched for her, but hadn’t awoken. She hoped he’d stay that way for a while. The dark circles under his eyes worried her, and he desperately needed his rest.
She couldn’t sleep with the baby rolling in her stomach while the tense skin across her abdomen was so uncomfortable. Months of carrying this child, and she was more than ready for the babe to be in her arms.
Rubbing her belly again, she winced as another sharp pain traveled from between her legs to the base of her spine. She’d been getting a lot of those lately. The only thing that helped was walking.
And she’d done a lot of walking.
Hand pressed against the small of her back, Persephone waddled away from the castle and down to the rivers beyond. She’d taken to following their burbling currents lately and seeing where they brought her. Each river appeared to have their own strange secrets that no one had seen before.
Today, she thought, perhaps the Cocytus would be the most soothing. The wailing river was a place of healing for those who needed to cry, and with the pain rocketing down to her knees now, Persephone needed the comfort.
Each step eased the tension in her back, although it didn’t help with the ache between her legs.
“Come on now,” she muttered, rubbing her other hand over her belly. “You’re not due just yet. Settle into a position that’s more comfortable for your poor mother, would you?”
The baby shifted again, then went utterly still.
Persephone felt as though her very heart had stopped. She hadn’t realized how much the babe moved. It was constantly shifting, twitching, or tapping its fingers within her womb. But now, with the utter stillness, she could only hope that her child was asleep.
Rubbing her protruding belly again, she hummed out a low breath. “Where are you, little flower?” she whispered. “I need to feel you move again.”
Persephone didn’t know how long she was walking up that beach. The Cocytus was a constant reminder that she wasn’t alone. The grief of countless women kept her company until she stepped too close to the waters and was splashed on the banks.
She froze, fear making her heart beat into overdrive. No one was supposed to touch the water. She’d never asked what the Cocytus could do, but considering it was the wailing river, she assumed it was something horrid.
But when she looked down, her feet weren’t anywhere near the waters. Her legs and peplos were covered in liquid, however, just not from the river.
Breathing out a low hum, she nodded. “Ah. So that’s the way of it. You couldn’t wait for your mother to be with your father, could you?”
Another pain shot between her legs, up through her back and into her spine. She grunted, leaned forward, and braced her hands against her knees. This was a different kind of pain, one she could barely breathe through.
Was she going to do this alone? Persephone knew many of the mortal women had done so. They usually ended up here, in the Underworld, though they were proud of what they’d accomplished. They had still brought life into the world, even though it had taken their own.
A goddess like her couldn’t die, however. Not easily.
Another sharp pain sent her down onto a knee. She braced her hand on the ground, then slowly lowered herself onto the sands. The babe wasn’t going to let her walk a single step further until her child saw the light of the Underworld.
Persephone took a deep breath and resolved herself to the knowledge that she’d be alone. She could do it, though. She’d survived worse. Even if she couldn’t think of a time worse than this moment.
The dark thing inside her raised its head and power flooded through her veins. She could almost hear that second self whispering that they would be fine. She wasn’t alone. Why would she ever think she was alone?
And as she watched, glowing spirit women stepped out of the Cocytus. They strode toward her with arms full of blankets and linens. Twinkling lights that should have been impossible, and yet, there they were. The bright spirits laid the blankets down around her and she could feel the softness