It was time for Persephone to smile.
“Oh, Mother. You don’t understand, but everything has changed.”
And out of the ground shot thick, black stalks. They rose until they shattered the glass of the greenhouse above, effectively breaking the spell Demeter had placed upon the prison. From the stalks, silver vines twisted, filling the space, breaking the structure, flattening flowers, and destroying trees.
“What are you doing?” Demeter screamed over the sounds of bending metal and breaking glass.
“Freeing myself,” Persephone replied and vanished.
CHAPTER XXVI – A TOUCH OF HOME
Graduation came and went in a flurry of black robes, blue and white tassels, and parties. It was a bittersweet end. Persephone had never felt prouder as she walked across that stage...or more alone.
Lexa had been spending more time with Jaison, she hadn’t heard from her mother since she destroyed the greenhouse, and she hadn’t returned to Nevernight or the Underworld since she’d left Hades tangled in her vines.
Her only distraction was work. Persephone had started full-time at New Athens News as an investigative journalist the week after graduation. She arrived early and stayed late, and when she had nothing left to do, she’d spend the evening deep in the Garden of the Gods practicing her magic.
She was getting better. The instinct to reach for her magic was stronger, and the things she grew no longer resembled dead vines. She was happy with her progress, and she found herself wishing she could share it with Hecate.
She missed Hecate, the souls, the Underworld.
She missed Hades.
Now and then she considered returning to the Underworld to visit. She knew Hades hadn’t revoked her favor, but she was too afraid, too embarrassed, and too ashamed. How was she supposed to explain her absence, and would they forgive her?
Persephone sat at her usual table at The Coffee House. She had just completed revisions on her final article on the God of the Dead, focusing on his wish to make the Underworld a beautiful realm for his people.
The Underworld is a second chance at life. A place where souls come together, unburdened, to heal.
Writing the article had been more painful than she expected. She’d written through tears and clenched teeth. As a result, the publication was delayed.
She hadn’t expected to be so emotional, but she guessed she’d gone through a lot in the last six months. The worry and stress over fulfilling the terms of her contract with Hades had taken a toll in so many ways. Against her better judgment, she had fallen for the god, and she had slowly been trying to figure out how to put the pieces of her heart back together.
The problem was, it didn’t fit together the same way.
She was changed.
And it was both beautiful and terrible. She had taken control of her life, severing relationships as she went. The people she trusted six months ago were not the people she trusted now.
The most painful part of it all was her mother’s betrayal and subsequent silence. After she’d destroyed the greenhouse, Demeter had kept her distance. Persephone wasn’t even sure where her mother had gone, though she suspected she was in Olympia.
Still, she had expected something from her mother—even an angry text.
Nothing was a stab in the heart.
Her phone beeped and she found a message from Lexa.
Ready for tonight?
It was Lexa’s birthday weekend and they were going out tonight to celebrate with Jaison, Sybil, Aro, and Xeres. Persephone was exited. It was another distraction.
She texted back, You know it! Have you made a decision?
She hadn’t decided where to celebrate yet. They’d both agreed Nevernight and La Rose were out of the question.
I’m thinking Bakkheia or The Raven. Lexa said. Bakkheia was a bar owned by Dionysus and The Raven was owned by Apollo. What do you think?
Hmm. Definitely The Raven.