Sybil blushed. “Good. We’re...good.”
Persephone let out a small yelp when Hermes appeared, scooping her up into a tight hug. When he set her on her feet, it was in front of Apollo, who smirked when he saw her.
“So, Sephy,” Hermes said, wagging his brows. “I hear Hades put a ring on it.”
She laughed. “Well, not...literally.”
The God of Trickery gasped. “What the fuck? You can’t be engaged without a ring, Sephy.”
“That’s not true at all, Hermes.”
“Says who? I wouldn’t have said yes until I saw the rock.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Congrats, Seph,” Apollo said, and Persephone grinned at him.
They were directed into the dining room shortly after, and Persephone sat at a table at the front of the room between Hades and Sybil. Despite the excitement of the evening and seeing her friends again, Persephone couldn’t help thinking about Lexa. She could see her in parts of the event—in the wine lists, the music, the decor. Everything was glamorous and dramatic, just the way she liked it.
She felt her absence acutely.
Well into dinner, Katerina, the director of The Cypress Foundation, stood and welcomed the crowd. She offered and overview of The Halcyon Project, and then turned over the remainder of the presentation to Sybil.
“I am new to The Cypress Foundation,” she said. “But I fill a very special position, one that was once occupied by my friend, Lexa Sideris. Lexa was a beautiful person, a bright spirit, a light to all. She lived the values of The Halcyon Project, which is why we at The Cypress Foundation have decided to immortalize her. Introducing...the Lexa Sideris Memorial Garden.”
Persephone gasped, and Hades gripped her hand beneath the table.
On the screen behind Sybil were sketches of the garden—a beautifully landscaped oasis.
“The Lexa Sideris Memorial Garden will be a therapy garden for residents of Halcyon,” Sybil explained, jumping into an overview of the meaning behind each part of the garden, explaining that the nightshades paid homage to her love of Hecate, and the gorgeous glass-like sculpture at the garden’s center represented Lexa’s soul—a bright and burning torch that kept everyone going.
Persephone’s heart was so full.
Hades leaned in and whispered against her ear, “Are you well?”
“Yes,” she whispered, swallowing hard. “Perfect.”
After dinner, they gathered in the ballroom. Hades pulled Persephone onto the dance floor, drawing her close. One hand rested on the curve of her back, the other held her hand. He guided her along the floor with grace and confidence, and though he was a perfect gentleman, there was something sensual in the way their bodies formed to one another.
Warmth swelled in the bottom of Persephone’s stomach and she couldn’t take her eyes from his.
“When did you plan the garden?” she asked.
“The night Lexa died.”
Persephone shook her head, biting her lip.
“What are you thinking?” Hades asked.
“I’m am thinking about how much I love you,” she answered.
Hades grinned—it was a beautiful smile and she felt it deep in her chest.
After that, the music spiraled into something more electronic, and Hades took his leave, encouraging her to dance with Sybil, glowering when Hermes and Apollo joined in. She spent a while with them, laughing and joking and feeling better than she had in a long time. At some point, she went in search of Hades and found herself outside on a balcony that overlooked the whole of New Athens. From here, she could see all the places that had changed her life over the last four years—the University, the Acropolis, Nevernight.
She wasn’t there long when Hades’ approached.
“There you are.” He drew his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. “What are you doing out here?”
“Breathing,” she said.
He chuckled, and the sound sent shivers down her spine. He pressed a kiss to her cheek, squeezing her tight.
“I have something for you,” Hades said, and Persephone turned in his arms.
“What is it?” she asked, a smile on her face. She had never been so happy.
Hades studied her for a moment, and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing. Then, he reached into his pocket, and knelt before her.
“Hades—” She wanted to protest. They had already done this. They were engaged—she didn’t need a ring or a formal proposal.
“Just...let me do this,” he said, and the smile on his face made her chest swell. “Please.”
Hades opened a small black box, revealing a gold ring. It was both ridiculous and beautiful, encrusted with diamonds and gold flowers. It matched the crown Ian had made for her.
She gaped at it for a moment before shifting her gaze to Hades’.
“Persephone. I would have chosen you a thousand times over, the Fates be damned,” he said, laughing. “Please...become my wife, rule beside me, let me love you forever.”
Tears sprung to her eyes and she offered a shaky smile.
“Of course,” she whispered. “Forever.”
Hades smile grew, showing his teeth. It was one of her favorite smiles, the one she liked to imagine was only for her. He slipped the ring on her finger, and rose to his feet, capturing her mouth in a kiss that she felt in her soul.
“You wouldn’t have happened to overhear Hermes demand a rock, would you?” she asked when he pulled away.
Hades chuckled. “He might have been talking loud enough for me to hear,” he said. “But if you must know, I have had that ring for a while.”
“How long?” she demanded.
“Embarrassingly long,” he said and then admitted, “Since the night of the Olympian Gala.”
Persephone swallowed a lump that had risen in her throat.
How had she gotten so lucky?
“I love you,” he said, pressing his forehead to hers.
“I love you, too.”
They kissed again, and when he pulled away, she noticed something white swirling around them. It took her a moment to realize that it was snow.
Despite its beauty, there was something sinister to the way it fell from the sky.
Not to mention, it was August.
Persephone looked at Hades, the happiness that had lit his face a moment before was suddenly gone. Now he looked concerned, his dark brows drew together over severe eyes.
“Hades, why is it snowing?” Persephone whispered.
He looked down at her, his eyes an endless void, and answered in a solemn tone, “It’s the start of a war.”