She was afraid.
Afraid she would somehow disappoint them like she had disappointed her mother, like she had disappointed Hades.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the emotion thick within her throat and pretended like everything was fine. She helped finalize decisions for the solstice celebration, tasted samplings of various meals, approved decor, and played with the children before returning to the Upperworld.
When she arrived home, she broke down.
Sybil didn’t ask any questions, more than likely, she had already guessed what had happened. The oracle just held her as she cried herself to sleep.
Before work the next day, Persephone stopped by the hospital only to find that Lexa was asleep.
“She woke up briefly,” Eliska said. “But she was very confused. The doctor gave her a sedative.”
“Confused?”
Persephone’s anxiety spiked, making her stomach feel sick.
“They think it’s temporary psychosis,” she explained. “It isn’t unusual for patients who have been in the ICU.”
Psychosis. Temporary.
Her relief was immediate. It was probably too much to expect that Lexa would bounce back. Still, Persephone had let her hopes rise. She’d thought that Divine magic would work differently from traditional medicine. That when Apollo talked about miracles, it would mean skipping the recovery, too.
“Persephone, are you alright?” Eliska asked.
The goddess met the mortal’s gaze and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. Will you...text me when Lexa wakes up?”
“Of course, dear,” she paused, studying her. Whatever Eliska was seeing in Persephone’s expression had her suspicious because she asked again, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
No, Persephone thought. My whole world is falling apart.
She nodded. “Yeah, just...tired.”
She felt silly saying that. Eliska was tired, too. “I understand. I promise to text you as soon as Lexa wakes.”
She reached for Persephone, hugging her close. “I’m so thankful Lexa has a friend like you.”
Persephone swallowed hard, and her eyes watered. Again, Hades words erupted in her mind.
You should know that your actions have condemned Lexa to a fate worse than death.
They’d attached themselves to her, like a leech, hungry for blood. They made her head and heart ache. They made her want to scream.
I am not a good friend. I am not a good lover. I am not a good goddess.
***
Work was awkward.
Persephone didn’t feel comfortable around Demetri since learning about the bargain he’d made with Apollo. To make matters worse, he had resorted to assigning her menial tasks like making copies, verifying another co-worker’s work, and delegated some research he was supposed to do on a privacy law. He’d sent her the to-do list in an email with an end of day deadline, which meant she couldn’t work on any of the stories she had in her queue.
She rapped on Demetri’s open door.
“Have a moment?” she asked when he looked up from his tablet.
“Not really,” he said. “Another time?”
“It’s about the to-do list.”