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Hades’ chest rises with a deep breath. “Hydra speaks to Persephone.”

The entire room gasps again. Hypnos leans back in his chair, kicking his booted feet up onto the table. I ignore the way Hades tenses as Hypnos asks in casual interest, “And what did she say that had you laughing, Persephone?”

I stammer for only a moment. “She’s upset Poseidon is wearing pants.”

Heat blasts at my back. I peek over my shoulder to find Hydra’s scales are a lovely shade of deep ruby. I ask aloud, “Are you blushing?”

Hydra ignores me.

Poseidon winks at her and another flare of heat threatens to smother me. This time, I speak to her in my mind.“Oh, my goodness, you are!”

“Is it hot in here?” Charon throws back a big gulp of whatever is in his cup, slamming the empty goblet on the table.

Leuce smirks as she folds her arms over her chest, stretching the gauzy translucent fabric of her white shirt. Her silver hair is in a high ponytail that stretches long down the length of her back. Her sharp silver-gray eyes tell me she knows exactly why it’s hot in here, and she’s nothing short of amused.

Leuce’s lovely eyes shift from me to Hydra. She says, “It’s big and fancy. I don’t blame you for wanting a peek.”

Minthe nods her agreement. Poseidon’s smile grows and Hades curses low.

I giggle. Again. But this time, I feel my own skin heating.

“Oh, areyoublushing?”Hydra taunts in my mind.

I snort.

“For the love of Gods, can we get to business.”

“This all sounds like business to me.” Hypnos pulls on a fat cigar. Smoke dances over his face like the dreams that dance in his eyes.

“When Persephone was murdered in the River Lethe,” Hades begins. The entire room falls so silent so quickly, one could hear a pin drop. “Her eternal soul sought sanctuary deep below the Underworld—with Hydra.”

Silence throbs—and then the silence is gone.

Chapter

Seven

Hades

Being inside her is everything.For millennia, I lived in the prison of my father's stomach. For millennia, the shrapnel of my soul warded off the acrid acid of his belly—but I was not unscathed. My soul had been worn to tatters, bruised and on the cusp of ruin. My formative years stunted under the crushing fear of a Titan’s collapse.

Then I emerged into the world in which had fallen into great corruption. I was swiftly employed to fight alongside my brothers in a battle that would see me no glory.

I roamed, for eons, lost. I had no home or purpose.

And then I was given Tartarus to swallow. From the regurgitation spilled the foundations of the Underworld. It had been a place of desolate pain and sorrow and darkness.

I roamed.

My only company was the screams and the sorrow of the souls who had lived and lost. The souls who had died to find nothing in the life after. Until her.

Until she poured love and life into Tartarus, birthing the Underworld as we know it today. As I hope to always know it.

I have been in many places.

I have lived in many places.

I have fought and warred in many places, and yet, the only place I have felt home in all the realms is inside her.