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“Like?”

“I am thinking of how happy I am,” he answered.

“Is that all?”

“I wasn’t finished,” he said, knowing what she was asking because he had felt it the moment they’d approached the topic of sex. “I am wondering if you are wet for me. If your stomach is wound tight with desire. If you’re fantasizing about tonight as much as I am—and are your thoughts just as vulgar?”

Her gaze was unwavering.

“Yes.”

His hands flexed on her hips, and he wondered how appropriate it would be to leave this celebration early, though Hades wasn’t sure he wanted to risk never hearing the end of it from Hecate, who had put in so much work, along with Yuri and the other souls in Asphodel. In many ways, this was just as much for them, and he did not wish to take away their only chance to celebrate theirunion, even if he knew what they were most excited about was having Persephone as their queen.

That fact became more evident as the night progressed and the souls drew her into dance after dance.

He watched her for a while when Hecate approached.

“Come, my king,” she said. “You should dance on your wedding night.”

He took her offered hand, and they joined the others on the floor.

“Thank you, Hecate,” he said. “I will forever be grateful for everything.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome, my dear, but I would do anything for you. I would do anything for Persephone.”

There was a weight to her words that was almost threatening. He could feel it, as if she too wanted to promise the end of the world if either of them came to harm.

They danced a while, and then Hades was pulled into a circle of little girls who sang “Ring around the Rosie” over and over again, and while he was trapped there, his attention caught on Apollo, who stood in the shadow of the room with Hyacinth. The two stood close but not touching, and Hades wondered how the God of Music was coping now that he had found a mortal love interest.

Hades was not someone who believed that everyone had one true love in their lifetime. The only reason he believed it for himself was because he wanted it no other way. Sometimes he wondered if Apollo was the same. The thing about Apollo and Hyacinth’s love was that it had changed the god on a fundamental level, not only as he fell for the man but also in his death.

Sometimes that was what people were unable to come back from.

When he was finally released from the confines of the ring of Rosie—or whatever it was—he crossed the room toward Apollo, who was now alone.

When he noticed Hades’s approach, Apollo stiffened and lifted his chin, his throat bobbing up and down.

“Are you all right?” Hades asked.

“Do not be concerned for me,” Apollo said. “This is your wedding.”

“If Persephone saw you, she would be concerned,” Hades said.

Apollo angled himself away from the crowd, his face splotchy red.

“What did you tell Hyacinth?”

He took a breath. “I told him about Ajax,” he said and paused, his voice thick with emotion. “It isn’t at all bad. He was so happy for me.”

“It has been a long time, Apollo,” Hades said as gently as possible.

“I know. The thing is, I just…don’t know that I expected him to be happy.”

Hades frowned. “What do you mean?”

Apollo was quiet before he answered. “I don’t know. I guess I thought…if he still loved me, he would be angry…but that’s not what happened.”

“Hyacinth loves you, Apollo,” Hades said. “And just because you move on in life does not mean you love him any less.”