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His stomach twisted, but it was made worse by her wide-eyed and horrified expression.

She was fully awake now, fully aware of what she’d done, and she broke, sobs racking her body.

“Look at me,” Hades ordered. He had not meant to snap at her, and he hated that she had flinched at the sound of his voice, but he was almost hysterical, and it was all he could do to stay calm.

He reached for the thorns protruding from her skin, and as he touched each one, they vanished in a cloud ofdark dust. Once they were gone, he focused on healing her gaping wounds, a slow and agonizing process. His body was on fire and his ears rang so loud, he could not hear a thing. He wasn’t even sure if Persephone was still crying. The only thing he could do to keep from breaking down himself was grind his teeth until his jaw ached, until the burn in the back of his throat and eyes ceased.

Except it didn’t, and even when he was finished, he felt like all he could see was the trauma to her skin. Maybe it was because she was covered in her own blood.

“I will take you to the baths,” he said instantly, and then he stood, rubbing his palms on his thighs, thinking at first he would dry them but remembered he was naked and his skin was just as damp. He summoned his robes, hoping it would make him less slippery. “Can I…hold you?”

He felt like he had to ask. He should have been more discerning before and not touched her while she slept. Was he the reason this time was so bad?

Persephone nodded, and as he went to gather her into his arms, he felt like he didn’t know how to hold her anymore. Which way would hurt her less, scar her less? But taking her to the baths was better than letting her sit here in a pool of her own blood.

He carried her down the hall and took her to one of the smaller pools where he set her on her feet. He thought she would hurry into the pool, but she did nothing. She just stood there, staring at him. He wanted the blood off her body.

“Can I undress you?”

She nodded numbly, and it made him hesitate totouch her, but he did, helping her out of her nightgown. He pulled his robes off next.

There was nothing sexual about this. His desire was solely to know that she was well.

Carefully, he brushed a strand of her golden hair over her shoulder, and she closed her eyes as she shivered deep.

He dropped his hand.

“Do you know the difference between my touch and his?”

“When I am awake,” she whispered.

So he had made it worse. He felt like his throat might close up, his breath freezing in his lungs.

“Can I touch you now?”

“You don’t have to ask,” she said.

“I wish to,” he said and took her into his arms again. “In case you aren’t ready.”

This time, it felt a little easier.

He ascended the steps into the pool, and as she moved through the warm water, the blood slowly washed away. She didn’t push away from him, so he didn’t let her go.

“I don’t understand why I dream about him,” she said after some time. “Sometimes I think back to that day and remember how afraid I was, and other times I think I should not be so affected. Others—”

“You cannot compare trauma, Persephone,” he said, interrupting her, knowing what she would say next—others have had it worse. There was no man in the world who would claim such a thing; only women were taught their pain was never enough.

“I just feel like I should have known. I should have never—”

“Persephone.”

He couldn’t hear her say what she should have known or done. She should have never been put in that situation to begin with. She was the prey and Pirithous the predator.

“How could you have known?” he asked. “Pirithous presented himself as a friend. He played on your kindness and compassion. The only person who was wrong here was Pirithous.”

She wouldn’t look at him as he spoke, but he knew she had started to cry. It was slow at first, a few tears she tried to brush away, and when she couldn’t stop them, she buried her face in her hands.

He didn’t know what else to do except hold her. The only time she pulled away was when she managed to collect herself and she scrubbed her face in the pool before they left and returned to their room.