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“You don’t want to fit in, Persephone. Trust me.”

“I do,” I say honestly. “Trust you, I mean.”

Hecate’s eyes come to mine, and there’s something there in the depths. Something that says not a lot of people—souls—truly trust in Hecate.

Her chest swells with the breath she pulls in. “This isn’t just a painting. I’ve enchanted it as I’ve enchanted all the canvasses for Hades.” My breath catches in my lungs, already burning. My heart pounds. “The paint is infused with Gods’ bone and the blood of Hades. This canvas, like all the rest, is a prison.” Her eyes never leave mine. “Do you understand what I am saying to you, Persephone?”

“I—do you want me to imprison Demeter?”

“If you can. And Zeus, too.”

“I—” A cool shiver rocks me to my core. “I don’t know how I would do that.”

“The canvas is enchanted to take them. All you need to do is push them in.”

“Like, physically push them in?”

“Get them close, and push.” Hecate nods soberly. “The canvas will do the rest. It will pull them in, sealing them inside.” She lifts her hands to the chain she’s always worn around her neck. She tugs, pulling an inky black and dark purple stone from the gauzy black material of her gown. It is caged by an ancient looking melted silver the color of starlight that drips down the crystal. She places the chain around my throat, fastening it in place before stroking the stone lovingly with one long black nail.

“I may have been birthed by Asteria, but I am a blessed daughter of Nyx, and as such I’ve worn this stone under the protection of her power since my conception. Her blood is my blood. It lives in my veins as she lives in my heart.” Hecate’s eyes lift to mine, and there’s a blooming of color in her pale cheeks. “I give her power now to you, Persephone. My friend and my Queen.” She releases the stone. “Save us all, and then save yourself. Shatter this stone, and once free, the power inside will bring you back here to my home in the Underworld. It is a portal that can appear anywhere, only once. Use it only when you must.”

Chapter

Twenty-Two

Persephone

Hades holdsonto my suitcase as we ride the elevator that will portal us from the Underworld into the Living Realm. It is one of the few portals that remain between the realms, most having been sealed after my murder in ancient times.

Inside my chest, my heart is a quickened mess of panicked beats. It thunders to a tune of fear and uncertainty even as I try my best to persuade it to calm. At least until I am no longer standing with Hades.

Every time my heart leaps, triggered by a new fear, the muscle in his jaw pops.

He doesn’t like this. I don’t like it much, either. If it weren’t for the devastating predictions for the future world cast by the Moirai, Iwouldn’tbe here.

Alas.

My gaze flicks to the suitcase where the enchanted canvas is tucked beneath my gowns, and then to Hades before I cast my gaze back to Hydra.

The scent of tangy whipped berries and darkness permeates the air. Hecate is not with us, but the scent of her magic is strong as it works to both conceal Hydra from the eye of humanity and has made her size moreaccommodatingfor travel.

“I thought Hydra was supposed to be invisible to the human eye.” Hades’ eyes slide to me when I speak.

I watch his throat bob with a hard swallow before he says, “She is.”

“I’m human.” I peer behind me as though to check that I can, in fact, see her.Yep. Sangria colored dragon-beast no one can miss.

“You know she is here. Your mind won’t be tricked by the illusion for that fact alone.” Hades shifts closer, the scent of him—of sin and smoke and flames warring with the scent of Hecate’s magic for dominance. “Your humanity is not something that can be argued, however, you are a human who is in the possession of a goddesses magic. Whether you have experienced, used, or honed this magic bears no weight on the fact that it lives inside you, Persephone. Therefore, had you not known she was here, you still would have possessed the ability to peer through the magic that glamours her.”

I like that he’s talking. He’s been so quiet today.

I want to keep him talking.

“Are there other humans who possess magic? Humans who aren’t gods and goddesses?”

“Yes.” No hesitation. I don’t know why I’m surprised, but I am.

“Really?”