“Seven,” the God of Trickery corrected. “I pulled her out of a river and got thrown across the Underworld for my trouble.” He looked at Persephone. “That’s when I knew Hades was in love with you, by the way.”
Persephone looked away, and an awkward silence descended between them, or maybe Persephone was just feeling out of place because Hermes began to chuckle beside her.
“Remember when you served mortals, Apollo?” he asked.
Apollo did not look amused. “Well who taught Pandora to be curious, Hermes?”
The God of Trickery glared. “Why does everyone always bring that up?”
“One could argue you are responsible for all the world’s evil.” A smile pulled at Apollo’s lips. It was actually...charming.
“Who put evil in a box, anyway?” Persephone asked. “That seems stupid.”
The brothers exchange a look. “Our father.”
Persephone rolled her eyes.
Power wasn’t a replacement for intelligence.
After a couple shots, Hermes dragged Persephone and Zofie to the dance floor. The music had an electronic beat and vibrated through her. For a while, they all danced together—even Zofie who had been on edge, loosened up, letting herself get swept into the fold of bodies.
Persephone continued to move. She shook and shimmied, matching Hermes movements until his attention was taken by a handsome man who sidled up behind him.
Persephone cheered him on but found herself face to face with Apollo. He wasn’t dancing, just standing in the center of the crowd, staring at her.
“So, you were afraid to be alone with me?” Apollo asked.
“I am not afraid to be alone with you, I just didn’t want to be alone with you.”
“Why?”
“Why?” she asked, dumbfounded by the question. “Do you not understand what you put me through the other night? You almost killed a kid!”
“He spoke slander—”
“This isn’t the ancient world, Apollo. People are going to disagree with you and you’re going to have to deal with it. For fucks sake, I don’t even like your music.”
Persephone’s eyes widened. Had she just said that out loud?
Apollo pressed his lips together tightly, and after a moment, he said, “Wanna shot?”
“Are you going to poison it?”
Again, he offered that crooked smile.
They left the dance floor and headed for the bar, ordering a round.
Apollo downed his shot, slamming his glass on the counter and looked at Persephone.
“So, how did your lover take the news of our bargain?”
Persephone stared at the empty glass. “Not well. I guess I can’t blame him.”
She’d promised Hades a lot and had let him down.
“I think he hates me,” she said, so quietly she didn’t think Apollo could hear.
“Hades doesn’t hate you,” Apollo almost scoffed. “He doesn’t have it in him.”