Persephone loved the city because it was so unlike what she’d grown up with. Here, there were mirrored skyscrapers that sparkled under Helios’ warm rays. There were museums filled with histories Persephone had only learned when she moved here. There were buildings that looked like art, and sculptures and fountains on almost every block. Even with all of the stone and glass and metal, there were acres of parks with lush gardens and trees where Persephone had spent many evenings walking. The fresh air reminded her she was free.
She inhaled now, trying to ease her anxiety. Instead, it traveled to her stomach where it knotted, made worse by the inked bracelet around her wrist. She had to get rid of it before Demeter saw it or her few years of freedom turned into a lifetime in a glass box.
It was usually that fear that kept Persephone cautious.
Except for last night—last night, she’d felt rebellious and despite this strange mark on her skin she’d found Nevernight and its king to be everything she had ever desired.
She wished that weren’t so—she wished she’d found Hades repulsive. She wished she hadn’t spent last night recalling how his dark eyes had trailed her body, how she’d had to tip her head back just to meet his gaze, how his graceful hands had shuffled the cards.
How would those long fingers feel against her skin? How would it feel to be lifted into his strong arms and carried away?
After last night, she wanted things she had never wanted before. Soon, her anxiety was replaced with a fire so unfamiliar and so intense, she thought she might turn to ash.
Gods. Why was she thinking like this?
It was one thing to find the God of the Dead attractive, another thing to…desire him. There was absolutely no way anything could happen between them. Her mother hated Hades, and she knew without asking that a relationship between them was forbidden. She also knew that she needed her mother’s magic more than she needed to quench this fire roaring inside her.
She neared the Acropolis, its dazzling, mirror surface almost blinding her. She made her way up the short flight of steps to the gold and glass doors. The lower level of the floor had a row of turnstiles and security guards—necessary for the businesses located in the high rise. Among them, Zeus’s advertising company, Oak & Eagle Creative. Zeus’s admirers were known to wait in crowds outside the Acropolis just for a glimpse of the God of Thunder. Once, a mob had tried to storm the building to reach him, which was sort of ironic considering Zeus was rarely at the Acropolis, and spent most of his time in Olympia.
Zeus’s business wasn’t the only one in need of security though. New Athens News broke some difficult stories—stories that infuriated gods and mortals alike. Persephone wasn’t aware of any retaliation, but as she moved through security, she knew these mortal guards wouldn’t be able to stop an angry god from storming the sixtieth floor for revenge.
After security, she found a bank of elevators that took her up to her floor. The doors opened into to a large reception area with the words New Athens News overhead. A curved, glass desk sat beneath it, and a beautiful woman with long, dark curls greeted her with a smile.
“Persephone,” she said, coming around the desk. She wore a navy cargo dress with gold zippers. “It’s good to see you again.”
The girl’s name was Valerie. Persephone remembered her from her interview.
“Let me take you back. Demetri is expecting you.”
Valerie directed Persephone to the newsroom, which was beyond the glass partition. There, several metal and glass desks were arranged in perfect lines across the floor. There was a flurry of activity—phones ringing, paper shuffling, keys tapping as writers and editors pounded out their next article. The smell of coffee was strong, like the whole place ran on caffeine and ink. Persephone’s heart thudded in her chest with the thrill of it all.
“I saw you were from New Athens University,” Valerie said. “When do you graduate?”
“In six months,” Persephone chimed. She’d dreamed of the moment she’d walk across that grand stage to receive her degree. It would be the pinnacle of her time among mortals.
“You must be so excited.”
“I am,” Persephone responded and glanced at Valerie.
“What about you?” Persephone asked. “When do you graduate?”
“In a couple years,” Valerie said.
“And how long have you been here?”
“About a year,” she said with a smile.
“Do you plan to stay when you graduate?”
“In the building, yes, just a few floors up.”