Daughter of the Earth and Sky by Kaitlin Bevis

weak!” His eyes blazed with anger.
    “Obviously, she was. Just not with you.”
    Fury overwrote his features. He took a deep, controlled breath. “I think maybe you were right.”
    I gave him a confused look.
    “We shouldn’t have tried to talk about this tonight. We’ve been through a lot today. We’re tired.” He took another breath, unclenching his fists, forcing himself to relax. “I’m going to stay tonight, maybe a few days. However long it takes us to sort this out.”
    Hades on the surface for a while? That would be fantastic. “But…what about the Underworld? Can Cassandra handle it by herself?”
    “She’s not alone. Thanatos is back. Between the two of them—Persephone, what’s wrong?”
    The world reeled around me. Thanatos was back in the Underworld, unsupervised. And I couldn’t even say anything. I was a thousand times worse than my mother for keeping Thanatos’ betrayal from Hades.
    I took a deep breath to steady myself. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
    Hades’ eyebrows shot up in surprise.
    I closed my eyes, holding back the tears. I didn’t want to do this. I thought of all the souls in the Underworld I’d come to count as friends. Who knew what Thanatos was capable of? Hades had to be there, to protect his realm, to protect his people. I had to convince him to go back but I couldn’t tell him why.
    I’d have to think of another reason. I closed my eyes and dug deep. When it hit me I almost winced against the pain. If I said it, it meant I felt it was true, and I didn’t want this to be true. “I’ve viewed every kiss as a victory while you see it as a defeat, and that’s wrong for both of us. Don’t you get it, Hades? This, us, it shouldn’t feel like a battle.”
    “Persephone…” He moved towards me, and I stepped away.
    “Do you hear the way you’re talking about me? I’m not supposed to be your responsibility. I’m supposed to be your equal, and you barely see me as capable of intelligent thought.”
    “That’s not what I meant!”
    “No, I get it. You’re older, you know more, you’re more powerful, and I’ve needed you for that. So until I don’t…Until you can view me as more and trust my feelings…” I stammered trying desperately to find something that wasn’t a lie. My heart thudded in my chest. I clutched at my necklace like it was a lifeline. Thanatos was in the Underworld, and it was completely defenseless. Hades had to get down there. If he didn’t…
    “I don’t think we can work.” I blurted it out before the thought had fully formed and immediately felt nauseated. I couldn’t have said it if it wasn’t true. Did I really not think we would work?
    Hades stared at me, looking as confused as I felt. “So what are you saying?”
    I closed my eyes. “I think you should go back to the Underworld and stay there. At least until all this stuff with Zeus is over. I don’t want to be in a relationship with someone who thinks they need to protect me from myself.”
    “Persephone—”
    “It’s insulting and condescending, and it’s not…” I struggled for words. “It’s not healthy. Best case scenario, I change your mind, which I shouldn’t have to do, but worst I start to believe you. I don’t want that. We need to take a break, as much as we can anyway.” I would still need him to channel my powers.
    Hades studied me for a long moment then nodded his head. “All right.”
    I forced myself to move my head in a way that could be taken for a nod and made myself a silent promise. I may not be able to tell Hades about Thanatos, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t stop Thanatos on my own.

Chapter IX
    It was no use. I clutched Eurydice’s hand in mine, pouring all my energy into healing her, but I could tell it wasn’t enough.
    I tried to swing by the hospital every morning since my return from the Underworld to try to heal Orpheus’ wife. After all, it was kind of my fault she was like this. I’d convinced Hades to allow