Page 91 of Spring's Descent
Her chest heaved as the two of them stared at one another. Lark’s cheeks were tinged with pink as all the frustration and anger in the last few years rose to the surface, but Morpheus only looked on with cool curiosity.
“And where is this sister of yours?”
Darkness gathered along Lark’s palms as she pressed to a stand. “If Demeter was telling the truth, Psyche is free of her punishment, but remains trapped in The Underworld.”
Morpheus cocked his head to the side. “Do you know which kingdom in particular, or do you plan on securing yourself a permanent spot here.”
“I have no intention of dying if that’s what you’re implying.”
“I wasn’t implying anything, little monster. A stubborn, bloodthirsty little witch like yourself will die the moment you step foot out of The Asphodel Plains. Based on Hypnos’s entanglement with the Earth Coven, I’d wager your sister is trapped somewhere in the north.”
Lark’s nostrils flared, but she didn’t argue.
“Hypnos has her?” I asked, my gaze bouncing between them.
“It seems our goals align,” Hades said after the silence had stretched. “For now. I’ve never known Hecate to be tricked. So, I am forced to trust that you have pure intentions, Larkspur. But even the best intentions can lead one astray.”
Hades looked to me, but I didn’t have an answer for him. I understood why Lark did it. If I were honest with myself, I’d probably have done the same thing if Hades had been in danger. But that didn’t make trusting her any easier. Perhaps the two of us could mend what had been broken one day, but it would take time.
The thread linking me to Hades pulsed with a soothing warmth as he picked up on my warring emotions. I let his presence calm me, allowing my husband to share the weight of this decision.
“With your recent betrayal to the queen, you will not be allowed free passage through The Underworld.”
Lark’s eyes widened, beseeching me to reconsider. “Persephone, please?—”
“Morpheus will search the north for traces of his father, as promised, and will report any findings of your sister.”
“I can’t sit around when I’m this close?—”
“I’ll take the little monster with me,” Morpheus cut in, the ever-present smirk on his face markedly absent. He looked at Lark with a seriousness I hadn’t thought he was capable of. “If we are to trek through the north in search of my father, you’ll have to listen to my guidance.”
Hades opened his mouth to protest, but Hecate stepped forward. “I second the plan. Morpheus will accompany Lark in The Underworld. As collateral, I offer myself up for any wrongdoings she commits.”
Lark’s mouth fell open as her gaze snapped to Hecate in stark disbelief.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Morpheus asked. “She looks like she could get into quite a bit of trouble.”
Lark snapped her mouth shut as she glared at him, but Hecate continued to hold Hades’s gaze. “I trust her.”
Hades shifted in his throne as his wings bristled, looking like he’d just sucked on a lemon. His gaze bounced to Thanatos on the edge of the room, but the God of Death only shrugged. After a long moment, Hades sighed. “Fine, but the second you disobey or defect for any reason, I’ll cast your soul into The Realm of the Living and bar any passage to The Underworld until your lungs heave their last pitiful breath.”
Morpheus rolled his eyes as Lark nodded.
“So dramatic,” Hecate muttered with a faint smile on her lips.
I exhaled, letting go of the tension in my shoulders as things settled into place. Demeter was defeated, the Earth Coven free once more, and Lark… It hadn’t happened how I’d imagined it, but both of us had escaped our lives of imprisonment.
Gazing around the throne room, I saw only hope staring back at me—except for Thanatos. His light blue eyes were still glued to Lark, slightly narrowed as if he were waiting for her to attack. But he shook his head and turned toward Hades.
“It’s time to present our new queen to the souls,” Thanatos said. “By now, they’ve no doubt felt magic stabilizing, but it’s important to show them you are unharmed. News of Hypnos’s betrayal is circulating. We must show The Underworld there’s nothing to fear. There’s already a large crowd gathered in front of the palace.”
“They’ve been waiting this whole time?” My eyes widened as I glanced toward Hades.
Morpheus smirked. “Not to worry, Queen Persephone. A marriage needs to be honored.”
“So does an awakening,” Hecate added with a grin as she led the others from the room. “The Underworld is in a state of celebration. Half of the souls out front are engaged in scandalous acts at this very moment.”
My cheeks heated as Hades stood, offering me his hand with an amused glimmer in his eyes. “I’ll be at your side the whole time, little witch.”
“I’m a queen, now,” I said, feeling his shadows stir as I accepted his hand.
Darkness closed around us, opening moments later to a golden balcony. We were far enough back from the edge that the boisterous souls beneath couldn’t spot us, but the entirety of The Asphodel Plains stretched out before us.
The once barren landscape had transformed. Lush, green grass swayed over rolling hills spotted with wildflowers. The pomegranate grove in the distance sported thick branches full of plump red fruit. I could even make out the edge of Elysium where death magic had once nearly claimed my life—it was healed, all traces of the scorched earth gone.
“Yes. You are Queen of The Underworld,” Hades said as one of his arms wrapped around my waist. “But you’ll always be my little witch, the only person capable of thawing my frozen heart. I love you Persephone. Ruling a kingdom has its challenges, tending to the entire Underworld even more so, but no matter what difficulties come our way, we’ll face them together.”
I leaned into his touch, letting the warmth of his chest and the beating of our synchronized hearts ease my nerves. We had a long road ahead of us, but I wasn’t afraid. Hades would be with me, supporting me, despite how perilous the journey might become. He saw all of me, the good and the bad. Despite it all, Hades loved me. And that made all the difference.
With a deep breath, I thought of all we’d overcome and all we had yet to do. Gripping his hand, I breathed out, letting go of the past and stepped forward toward the future.