Hades

evidence

Stella

Hades wouldn't let me out of his sight the following day. Macaria had visited a friend in town but took over Hades' shift, after she heard what had happened.

As Hades had been up all night nursing me, I had the chance to escape his vigilant eyes right after lunch. Hades had tasted everything, and I only ate food I prepared myself.

Hades was sleeping, and I practically ran to the attic I'd been in yesterday. This could only be Persephone's work.

When I was halfway, I had to stop.

Crap. I put a hand to my side, side stich. My breathing was labored, and I was tired. Fuck that shit!

I walked briskly the rest of the way and crawled into the attic. Lucinda hadn't shown for breakfast, and her room was empty. Well, her belongings were there, she wasn't.

I opened the drawer and looked. A letter had been placed on top of the others. It was Persephone's handwriting.

I ripped open the envelope, letting the paper fall to the floor and read the letter.

Lucinda,

I may have changed my mind a bit. You need to plan this out very carefully. Ambrosia. If you place this in her food, she won't be able to return to the living world.

Please, place the Ambrosia in her food. One meal is all it takes. And make sure Hades notices, but make sure he won't notice until it's too late. You will be rewarded.

Zagreus has been in touch, and he's waiting to see you. He'll be by the castle sometime during the next few months.

Persephone

Nausea rolled around my queasy stomach. I grabbed all the letters from the drawer and put them inside my jacket. The inner pocket finally being of good use.

I walked back to Hades' room and shut the door with a bang.

Hades was sitting in the bed, his eyes dark and wide open. "Stella, where have you been?" he asked.

I showed him the letters. "Read these. Please." I pulled off my boots, shrugged off my jacket and crawled into bed next to Hades.

He looked at the letters, I'd strewn on the bed. "It's personal correspondence," he almost whispered.

"It's Persephone making Lucinda put fucking Ambrosia in my food!" I yelled.

Hades' face paled. He opened the letters, all of them and read them in order.

I collapsed from lack of sleep.