My Life From Hell (The Blooming Goddess #3)

Gods and Monsters (Part 1)

I froze. Demeter had managed to grab me and spin me around, the knife pressed against my neck.

She edged me out into the corridor.

Kai's fingers twitched.

"Try it." Sounding amused, Demeter pushed the tip of the blade into me just hard enough to break skin. "One of you could probably take me out. But you risk the knife slipping that half-millimeter. To the coated poison part."

I felt a dot of blood bead on my skin and remembered the sensation of that poison killing me the first time. I tensed. Didn't want a recap, thanks.

"All you have to do is swear on the Styx to give me what I want and no harm will come to you," Demeter soothed.

"You think there is any chance of that happening?" When I spoke those words, something inside me broke. I'd been fighting Persephone's fury for so long, but now it rose to claim me. It settled on my skin like a shield and I spat her hatred at Demeter. "You were supposed to put me first. Me. Your child. But you abandoned me here because it suited your purposes."

My voice boiled with bitterness. The more I spoke, the more I knew that it wasn't just Persephone talking to Demeter. It was me pouring out my hurt to Felicia as well. For a lifetime of being abandoned, and neglected, and kept in the dark about who I really was. And who she was to me.

"For what?" I continued with a sneer. "A man who doesn't even care that you exist? I cared. But all you did was use me. And you think I'd return that favor by handing you your heart's desire? I'll die before I see you rule Olympus."

Demeter tensed against me at these words.

Prometheus gasped. Fee sighed.

But Kai? His eyes burned with sympathy for me.

I looked away. I wanted my anger right now. Needed it. And that look threatened to undo me.

I always came second. But no more.

Persephone and I had something fundamental in common. Persephone never truly believed in her mother's love. Not the all-encompassing love she'd wanted. The love we'd both wanted. And needed. And that every kid had a right to.

My entire understanding of Persephone's life rearranged itself with a sickening lurch. Persephone hadn't been prized. Demeter had judged her value based on how close she kept the two of them—Demeter and Zeus. At least that's how Persephone saw things.

And me? Well, Felicia seemed to think that I had no value at all. I'm not sure which was worse. But one thing was clear. As Demeter or Felicia, this woman had done a number on us both.

Meantime, behind me, Demeter had gone still. Too still.

I knew that in the next second, she'd strike.

Kai's fingertips sparked black.

I gave him a tiny shake of my head. This problem was mine to solve. One way or another.

I knew what Persephone wanted. My green glowing palms were evidence of that. But I couldn't kill Demeter. I covered the hand holding the knife with my own.

"My father is a jerk who will never love you properly." Using all my strength, I pulled the knife slightly away from my neck. "I'm sorry about that. But asking me to betray Kyrillos is not the way."

I couldn't wriggle free of her. But she hadn't killed me yet, so at least she was hesitating. I'd gotten through to her on some level. "Please." I squirmed, turning around just enough to meet her eyes. "I love you so much."

I did love her. Even now.

Persephone did too. That's why she was so mad. That's why all these gods were willing to do whatever it took to come out on top. Not because they didn't care, but because they cared too much.

They just didn't understand the right way to show it.

The knife clattered to the ground and Demeter disappeared.

I shuddered violently. Shock probably. But before we had a chance to process what had just happened, footsteps thundered toward us.

I took a sharp breath. Hypnos, Thanatos, a bunch of minions, and Hades himself all approached.

"Kill them," Hades said. He gave Kai a dismissive glance. "All of them."

We ran for our lives. It was too risky to try and transport out while we were under attack. We had to get somewhere quieter for at least a couple of seconds. Because if one of us was hit, that could keep all of us from going anywhere. Make us sitting ducks for a deadly instant.

The violent shudder I'd felt when Demeter disappeared must have been me returning to my real form. Sort of annoying since Festos and Kai retained their godness, while Theo and I reverted to human state and fell quickly behind.

Fee and Kai doubled back for us, firing lava and black light down the hall, and buying Theo and I time to get away. We were wearing the clothing we'd been in back at Felicia's place. For Theo, the typical baggy black skater clothes. But I'd gone back to rocking my Phospherocious T-shirt and Kai's jeans.

Theo and I had to race full out to keep up with Festos and Kai in their god forms, but there was no way either of us would let ourselves by picked up like babies. That also meant I had no breath left to talk to Theo. I kept looking over at him, until I finally felt a squeeze on the hand he was holding. It would have to be enough for now.

I pressed a hand to the stitch in my side as we skidded around a corner, milliseconds ahead of everyone else.

It was enough. Kai grabbed us and we blinked out.

Our next steps put us outside a cave entrance. Kai and Festos had returned to human height. They still wore the same clothes but they'd shrunk to appropriate size.

Oizys awaited us, blocking our path, and with every inch of her thirteen feet, denizen of the Underworld that she was.

I tensed. Was this where she raised the alarm? Killed me herself and brought me back to Hades back like a prized trophy?

She hesitated for a fraction of a second as she saw me in Sophie form. "Told you I'd figure out your secrets, Springtime."