Page 75 of Bride of Death

Maliki walks over with the two plates, setting one in front of me and the other near his own seat. But rather than sit, he returns to the kitchen and starts up the coffee. As that’s not my machine, I assume he brought it from Tank’s place.

“I’m not sure,” Maliki replies while fixing a mug. He doesn’t ask if I want one today. Instead, he brings me a glass of juice. “Freshly squeezed oranges. Let me know if it’s too tart.” He settles across from me and sips his coffee before adding, “Hades is under the impression that you remember everything.”

Yeah, I’ve gathered that,I think. Out loud, all I say is “I don’t.”

“I know,” Maliki murmurs. “But the fact that he thinks you do suggests you may acquire those memories someday.”

My stomach churns at that logical assertion. “I don’t want to remember.” The words are more for myself than for him.

But in the next beat, I retract the statement.

“Actually, no. I do want to remember. Because then I might be able to help somehow.” It’s… it’s an insane notion. Yet now that I’ve thought about it, I doubt I’ll ever let it go.

Persephone deserves to rot on a thorn for the rest of her existence.

However, if I can somehow fix what she’s done…

Is that really my responsibility, though?I wonder, my brow furrowing.Maybe not, but if I can help…

I swallow.

If I can help find those Omegas, I will.

It’s not about responsibility or answering for the sins of my soul. It’s simply the right thing to do. “How can I try to remember?”

“Best guess?” Maliki replies, his tone and expression telling me I’m not going to like his suggestion. “By embracing your Omega half.”

I stare at him. “Yeah, sure, okay. And how do I do that, again?” Because it’s not like I haven’t spent the last thirteen months waiting for something like that to happen to me. Given my links to Alina, and the fact that an Alpha kidnapped me for two years whilst claiming me to be her daughter?—

My eyes widen.

“Demeter.”

Maliki arches a brow. “What about her?”

“She claimed to be my mother.” I knew this already. But I just… I just remembered something else. Something I should have recalled before, yet it’s all so murky. “She called me Persephone.”

“Yeah…” He draws it out like he’s not following. Or maybe he doesn’t understand why this is a surprise to me.

“My time with her feels like a dream. I struggle to know what really happened. But she’s the one in Pandora’s Box—my supposed mother.”

He nods. “That’s my understanding, yes. Alpha Ares is guarding her.”

“And who is Ares?”

“Another Mythos Fae,” he answers vaguely. “Like Morpheus said, Alphas maintain their own worlds. Ares’s world is Pandora’s Box.”

“Oh.” My nose scrunches at the idea of being in charge of a prison-like universe.

Though, I suppose Hades owning the land of the dead isn’t much better.

Granted, I like the Netherworld Kingdom. A lot of the fae here are beings of death, yet they all seem friendly enough. Sometimes a little too friendly.

Shaking my head, I try to focus on eating because I need some energy to think through everything.

My memories. My dreams. My… my reality?

It’s all such a convoluted mix of truth and fiction.