way up. And carefully, oh so carefully, he took his time drying his wife. He wiped off any remaining blood or streaks that still clung to her skin. He dug into the muscles of her legs and smoothed down the plains of her back. If she felt any discomfort, he wanted to know so he could pour his magic into her, healing as he went.
And when he was finished, he held out his hand for her to take. “Come, wife. Are you ready for bed?”
“I’ve never been more ready.”
He guided her to the plush blankets and settled her next to their daughter. Then, he rounded the other side and gathered them both close to his heart. He wasn’t tired. How could he be when his life had changed forever?
But he would lie with them and watch over both his girls so they would never have a bad dream again.
Chapter 44
Tears gathered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Two months. That’s all she’d gotten with her baby before she had to leave. And though she had thought Demeter would let her bring her daughter, the answer was no.
Hermes stood on the other side of the bedroom door. He waited for her to say her goodbyes, a stark difference from the first time he’d gathered her. But this time was infinitely harder.
How was she supposed to say goodbye to Melinoë? Her daughter?
How was she supposed to say goodbye to Hades? The mere idea of not seeing him again left her heart blistered and bleeding.
They were everything. Her entire life had become so wrapped around the two of them that the thought of not seeing them even for six months was too much to bear. She couldn’t cry, though. She couldn’t make this harder on him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, still staring at the door. “I thought my mother would be more reasonable. She always said she enjoyed having me around as a babe, and now...”
Hades stepped forward, holding their daughter in the crook of one elbow and drawing her to his heart with the other. “We knew one of us would have to bear this pain, my love. I’m so sorry it has to be you.”
“Maybe we should use the Titans,” she grumbled against his chest. “Then my mother couldn’t say anything at all. She’d have to fight them off and then she would know just how true I am to my own child.”
“You know we cannot do that. Not when there is so much more at stake.”
Yes, of course she knew that. The Titans would destroy the entire mortal realm and remake it in their image. Two sides of her warred within her breast. The first, wanting to protect her child and never leave her side again. The other, knowing that she was born to help the mortals and ensure their lives were smooth and easy.
She leaned back and wiped at the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. “Yes, I know this isn’t the time for me to break down. I need to be strong for the two of you.”
Hades cupped her cheek, swiping away a droplet with his thumb. “My darling, you need to be strong for yourself. I’ll take care of Melinoë, and you’ll be back before you know it.”
She touched her daughter’s cheek, stroking the plush velvet of her skin. “She’ll be so different when I return.”
“And I’ll ensure she knows how beautiful, strong, and wonderful her mother is. That she sacrificed much so her family could be together and the mortals could survive the summer.”
A sob shook her shoulders and made her entire body quake. Why did he have to be so understanding? So supportive? He should have been screaming at her that he was a busy man who couldn’t take care of a baby by himself.
He caught another one of her tears and murmured, “It’s only for six months, my love. You’re going to be coming home.”
“Six months too long.”
Hades shifted his hand to the back of her neck, and Persephone let him tug her close. He pressed her forehead against hers. “I love you, Persephone. Wife of Hades. Mother of Melinoë. Queen of the Underworld. You will return to me and you will be strong while you are gone. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” she replied, her voice a little watery. “I do.”
“Now tell me you love me before you go.”
She let out a sad, thick chuckle. “I do love you. I love you more than life itself, more than breath, more than