Page 79 of Bride of Death

Persephone would know that very few can fight me and win.

And while Maliki may have gotten between us today, as well as last night, he didn’t exactly challenge me.

Which brings me back to pondering Persephone’s desires.

“I’m not a martyr,” she tells Maliki. “Or I don’t mean to be. But knowing my soul is evil has me… conflicted about right and wrong.”

“Your soul is not evil,” I interject, disliking that term in relation to my mate. “Troubled, perhaps. But certainly not evil.”

I refuse to believe that.

Persephone betrayed me. Hurt me and countless others. But she… she never possessed evil tendencies.

Hence the reason I’ve been so at odds over her intentions these last two thousand years.

It didn’t make sense then, and it certainly doesn’t now.

Is it because I took you from Demeter?I long to ask.

Her mother always did favor Persephone. Though, my mate often said she felt stifled by her mother’s influence. She wanted to be free.

That’s why we mated.

So I could take her to my palace and give her a new life.

Only, my world is shrouded in death, thus making it hard for her to thrive—a fact Demeter always blamed me for.

That’s why we struck a deal, one whereby Persephone left every spring to help prepare the fields for future harvest.

She was always so relieved to return to me.

Truth or a lie?I wonder, still staring at the embodiment of my mate. She looks nothing like my Persephone. Nor does she act like her.

My lord.

Calling her soul evil.

Looking at Maliki with hearts in her beautiful eyes.

My jaw clenches. “If you mean what you say about being willing to do whatever it takes, then I need you to return to my palace and take over the accommodations I’ve created for you.” Okay, none of that is actuallyrequiredto free her Omega. But it may help. Close proximity to an Alpha should inspire her estrus.

Except, she spent a year near me, and nothing.

Perhaps being in my quarters will help.

The magic in the walls guards my privacy. Maybe that enchantment worked a little too well and shadowed her from my Alpha influence.

“Further, we will wed again to try to re-create the bond,” I go on. This should awaken her inner Omega.

It will also, at the very least, confirm my suspicions that Persephone has been lying since she arrived.

Or prove she’s been telling the truth and doesn’t remember anything at all,a small voice whispers in my head as I watch her slender throat bob on a swallow.

I don’t like that voice, so I ignore the mental whisper.

“We will also have dinner,” I add. “Tonight.” I glance at Maliki, then back at her. “Alone.”

Maybe being around just me will allow the real Persephone to come out and play. She won’t have to put on an act for anyone else. And then we can have a real conversation.