The Iron Queen (Daughters of Zeus) - By Kaitlin Bevis Page 0,66

it, and my thoughts leapt to Persephone, unconscious and soaked in her own blood. Please, please don’t let her be my price.

I must have teleported. Suddenly I was in the Underworld, in Persephone’s room, standing beside her. She lay on top of the covers, arms folded over a bouquet of flowers on her chest like she was laid out in a casket. I made a strangled sound at the sight, startling Cassandra who was curled up in a papasan chair by Persephone’s bed.

“Hades!” She put a hand to her chest, like she could feel her heart beating faster in fear. Ridiculous, of course. Souls are heartless creatures. “Hypnos said it would help. The flowers I mean. Something about the energy?” She motioned around the room, and I noticed flower pots and vases filled with a variety of plant life for the first time. “Hades, what happened? Why isn’t she waking up?”

“Like you don’t know.”

Cassandra flinched at my voice. “I’ll um…just…” She climbed out of the chair and edged toward the door. “I’ll check on you in a bit.”

The door closed with a click. I sank onto the bed, fumbling for Persephone’s hand and knocking aside the flowers. Her hands were cold. I’d broken her. I’d always known I would.

“Please,” I whispered, touching my forehead to hers. “Wake up.” Why was she so cold? I shifted my grip on her hand and touched two fingers to her wrist.

No pulse.

“Oh.” Well, now I felt really stupid. I touched my lips to hers, sending a ping of power through her to start her heart and repair the damage done in its absence. She gasped, eyes fluttering open.

It was a fairy tale moment. My kiss bringing her back to life. Or it would have been had it not been my stupidity that kept her under in the first place. Of course she couldn’t regain consciousness until I restored her heartbeat.

“Hades,” she whispered. A smile touched her lips, and nothing else mattered.

Chapter XLVIII

Aphrodite

I opened my eyes in a panic. Were they stupid? How could they let me wake up? Zeus ordered me to charm them into swearing fealty. That wasn’t going to go away unless…

Unless…

Blinking, I took in my surroundings. I lay on Demeter’s white couch in her cheerful living room with dozens of gods milling around, looking distressed. Craning my neck, I sought out Ares. His grin sent a rush of relief coursing through me. No overwhelming desire to charm him. Zeus must be dead.

I was free.

“Good nap?” Melissa’s sarcastic voice was music to my ears.

“It worked?” I demanded, swinging my legs off the couch and turning to face her.

“More or less. Zeus is dead, but so are Demeter and Triton. Persephone is MIA, and Hades seemed…” Melissa chewed her bottom lip. “Well…”

“Worried?”

“Unhinged.” She looked down. “He was also covered in blood.”

I raised an eyebrow and was about to comment when Persephone and Hades appeared in the middle of the living room. “Speak of the devil.”

Melissa’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, and I motioned behind her. She turned and gasped when she saw Persephone. Everyone else was closer, but Melissa shoved through them to reach Persephone first and yanked her into an embrace.

I studied Persephone, half afraid she would be different. With everything she’d been through, she should have been marked by some kind of a physical change. But she looked exactly the same. Leaning into Hades, she didn’t seem nearly happy enough to finally be done with this whole horrible situation. But in a way, the horror of Zeus’ capture was only just starting. Soon she’d have to deal with the fallout of her victory. Of Demeter’s death. Her eyes were filled with the weight of that sadness and fatigue.

Which was understandable given the circumstances.

Persephone clung to Melissa for a moment then pulled away. Hades stood behind her, hand drifting from her shoulder, to the small of her back, to her hand. He didn’t seem to be able to stop touching her. Happiness would be out of place here, but he looked like the worry and stress had melted away from him.

“It’s nice to see you in person.” Athena smiled at Persephone and held out her hand.

Persephone’s eyes narrowed. “You’re the one who wanted me to die.”

Athena’s smile froze on her face. “It’s nothing personal—”

“Right.” Persephone grabbed Athena’s hand and slammed Athena’s power back into her, breaking the bond of fealty. “Nothing personal.”

Athena stumbled backward, gasping for breath.

I smiled. It was about time Persephone grew a backbone. I watched Athena, speculating on how