The Iron Queen (Daughters of Zeus) - By Kaitlin Bevis Page 0,28

the one killing me.”

Shame filled me when I realized she was right. Knowing what I needed to do should it come to it was one thing, but I didn’t want to be the one to do it. All this time I’d been so furious all my choices had been taken from me, and here I was trying to force a kill order out of Persephone so I didn’t have to make the decision. Still, I was glad I’d told her. She didn’t think Hades was going to take the risk, but she hadn’t expressly forbade me from pulling her plug either. I knew what she wanted should Hades go completely off the rails. Maybe that would make it easier.

Somehow I doubted it. “I’m sorry. Persephone, I’m so sorry you’re here right now, and for my part in all this, and—”

She hugged me. “You didn’t have a choice. I’m sorry I ever suspected you were Zeus.”

Suddenly, I felt a pulling sensation and was ripped away from the dream.

Zeus had woken her up.

I bolted upright with a gasp and found myself facing an angry-looking Melissa.

Though let’s face it. It’s not like she ever looked happy.

“What were you doing?” she demanded.

I frowned. “Taking a nap.”

“The truth. Tell me everything.” Her steely gaze made it clear I wasn’t leaving this room until I complied.

So I did.

Chapter XX

Hades

“There?” I pointed to a spot on the map in the middle of nowheresville Alabama. “You’re sure?”

“As sure as I can be,” Apollo replied. “She moves around a lot.” He drummed his fingers against Demeter’s teak dining room table. “You really think she’ll be any help?”

More than you. I smirked, but didn’t allow the thought to pass through my lips.

A knock on the half-open door brought my head up. Melissa peeked into the dining room. “Can I speak with you?” She gave Apollo a pointed look. “Alone.”

Raising an eyebrow, Apollo shot me a questioning look. I inclined my head, granting him permission to leave the room. When he passed Melissa, he turned back, eyes roaming over her in an appreciative once-over.

I caught his eye with my best over my dead body look. Persephone wouldn’t thank me if I let Apollo take advantage of her best friend.

Melissa shut the door on Apollo’s face, hard. “Can you shield us?”

Intrigued, I nodded and dropped a shield around the room so we couldn’t be overheard. “Something wrong?”

“Aphrodite told me what you have planned.”

I sighed and shoved my hair out of my face. “Of course she did. Look, Melissa. I appreciate your concern, but—”

“Don’t talk down to me. I’m every bit as old as your wife and a great deal smarter. Aphrodite said if you screwed up you’d be risking everything. Everyone. Is that true?”

Well…that was to the point. “I don’t intend to mess up.”

“You can promise you won’t?”

I opened my mouth. Closed it. No, I couldn’t. There was always a risk.

Her dark eyes locked to mine. “Yeah, I thought so. Why not give Aphrodite’s plan a shot? Have Persephone kill Zeus.”

“She’s not strong enough.”

Melissa snorted. “Yeah, you’ve known her for like five minutes. I’ve known her my whole life. She’ll kill him if she has to. If for no other reason than to keep us safe. She doesn’t like confrontation, but she’s pretty hardcore if she gets caught in a corner.”

“I know,” I assured her. “Persephone’s stronger than she thinks. But she doesn’t have enough power to defeat Zeus. And if we follow Aphrodite’s plan and convince everyone to swear over to her, she’ll die.”

Melissa chewed on her bottom lip. “She can get out of this. And she doesn’t need anyone else’s powers to do it.”

It was obvious by the troubled look in her eyes that she didn’t believe herself, but I wasn’t going to shatter whatever lies she told herself to sleep at night. “It’s good you have so much faith in her.”

Melissa shrugged. “It’s my job. Look, Hades, I love Persephone. And I love you for caring enough to risk everything to save her. Seriously. But she wouldn’t want you to do this, and you know it.”

I pulled out a chair and motioned for her to sit down. “Did you know Zeus’ realm used to be populated?”

She shook her head. I sat across from her and looked her straight in the eye. “Sentient creatures. As large a population as there ever was in this realm or Poseidon’s.”

“What happened to them?”

“Zeus. You don’t want him to win this, Melissa. He uses people up and then they die. I have entire sub-realms