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‘And there are, of course, those who experience no romantic feelings whatsoever.’

‘Right, but –’

‘But no matter what form love takes, no matter how much or how little you have, you must stillchooseto cultivate it. In friendships, in romantic relationships, inlife.’

He frowned. ‘But that doesn’t really answer my question. Plus … Didn’t Hades kidnap you?’

‘Comparing your situation with mine will not be very helpful,’ she said. ‘You are right. I was brought here against my wishes. I only came to love this place – and Hades, too – after I began to appreciate the time away from my mother.’

‘Demeter,’ said Will.

‘If someone ever tries to force you into a relationship, I highly recommend running far, far away. That is not love, Will. My circumstances were unique, and in that uniqueness I found something I did not expect. But there are aspects you may relate to.’

Persephone sat down on a carved jade bench next to the oleander bush. She patted the space next to her. Will glanced at Nico, still frozen in the gateway. He imagined his boyfriend thinking,Oh, sure. Take your time. Have a nice chat with my stepmom. I’ll just stand here.

Then, not having much of a choice, Will joined the goddess.

‘It was an adjustment,’ Persephone said, staring out at her garden.‘When I came to this place, I missed the sun, as I’m sure you do, too.’

‘So much,’ he said. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever been this long without it.’

‘Beyond that, though, I had to reconsider everything I believed,’ she went on. ‘About light and dark. About life and death.’ At this, she gestured to Nico. ‘He has all those things within him, just like his father. It took me too long to see it because I was blinded by jealousy.’

‘But I already know all that,’ said Will. ‘I don’t think Nico is justonething.’

Persephone seemed to ignore him at first. ‘A god or demigod so surrounded by death … they seem to appreciate life more than anyone else. Theyunderstandit, even if they don’t always drifttowardsit.’

Her words hit him like the Grey Sisters’ taxi. ‘You think so?’ he said. ‘Because … sometimes Nico doesn’t seem like that at all.’

‘That is because you and I are creatures of the daytime. Creatures of the light. It is sometimes very hard for us to see and appreciate the darkness.’

‘Appreciate the darkness?’

Persephone rose and crossed to a large flowering tree. She plucked an illuminated pink flower with long, elliptical petals. ‘It’s beautiful, is it not?’

Will held out his hand, and she passed it to him. Once it touched his palm, the petals slowly opened, and he gasped. In the centre of the flower, there was a stone – pitch-black, so dark that it seemed like a shard of absolute nothingness.

‘These are a special breed of night-blooming cereus, Will,’ explained Persephone. ‘I grow them because they only open in the presence of darkness.’

‘Darkness?’ His eyes widened suddenly. ‘Inme?’

‘Yes, absolutely. Do you think that because you are a child of Apollo there is no darkness within you?’

‘I guess not,’ he said, examining the stone in his hand.

‘There cannot be light without darkness, nor darkness without light. You must have the contrast for both to exist.’

She helped Will stand, and he passed the stone back to her. ‘But with Nico … It’s hard, Persephone. I want the best for him, and he seems to disappear into his darkness, like he’s hiding in a place where he doesn’twantmy light.’

‘Then why not offer him your darkness?’

It was a simple question, but once again Will felt like he’d been knocked flat. He stood there, slightly ashamed that he had not considered meeting Nico on his own level before, and also frightened about what it might mean to do so.

‘I cannot tell you how to love someone, Will.’ For the first time, Persephone sounded sympathetic. ‘But as I said before: it is a difficult choice. You have tochooseto continue loving someone. Feelings aren’t enough.’

‘That’s a lot to think about,’ he said sheepishly. ‘What if I’m not ready?’

‘I can answer that with a question: Do youunderstandNico?’