Page 72 of Hell On Earth
Hades didn’t react to the news other than to continue skimming his fingers against mine.
“Lovers don’t usually try to kill one another,” Megan said.
“Persephone wasn’t exactly nice,” I said. “She wasn’t really much for offering a tender touch.”
“Only for me,” Hades said bitterly.
“If that’s the case,” I said, “then Megan’s right. It doesn’t make any sense that he would want to kill her.”
“Jealousy, perhaps,” Jason said. “If he was her lover and you look like her, I imagine he wouldn’t like seeing you so close to Hades.”
I considered it for a moment and shook my head.
“I don’t think that’s it. The first time I saw Thanatos was in one of Hell’s hallways. He was surprised to see me. So was I. Hades wasn’t even there.”
“But you did call out to me,” Hades said.
“True. But is that enough reason for Thanatos to try to poison me?”
“Jealousy is immortality’s closest companion,” Hades said.
“You seriously think Persephone’s ex-lover, who hadn’t seen her in at least a thousand years, would try to poison me for saying your name once without even knowing why?”
“I do.”
That was some serious jealousy then. But it still didn’t feel right. Not after everything I’d learned about Persephone.
I glanced at Zotera, who was watching me with a hint of misery in her expression.
“It doesn’t make sense, though. If your mother did things to make Hades miserable, like taking lovers, why can’t Hades remember it? If she hid it from him, then she wasn’t with Thanatos to make your father miserable. So why was she doing it? Actual love? If it was, even if Thanatos was jealous, wouldn’t he try to win Persephone back instead of trying to kill her?”
Zotera’s expression turned more tormented.
“Am I right? Did Persephone hide her relationship with Thanatos from Hades?” I asked.
She nodded, and Hades’ arms wrapped around my waist tightened fractionally, but nothing shook. I tipped my head to look up at him.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“No. As you said, the past belongs in the past. I would like Thanatos to remain there.”
I absently patted Hades’ forearm to lend my comfort as I returned my attention to Zotera.
“Did Persephone say anything else about Thanatos?”
She glanced between Hades and me.
“She said that she was going to grant Father his wish to stay with her always.”
I thought of the way I’d found Persephone’s skeleton on the bed and his chained to the wall. The way she granted wishes sucked.
I slowly shook my head.
“That makes even less sense. Why choose death if she actually liked Thanatos enough to hide him from Hades?” Another thought hit me. “Why would she take any lover if she couldn’t see the male form?”
Hades hand stilled on me.
“You think Thanatos wasn’t her lover?” Megan asked.
