A Touch of Ruin

flowers and lively willows. Then he had revealed it was all an illusion. Beneath the glamour he maintained was a land of ash and fire. That sounds like punishment, Persephone said, thinking it terrifying to exist without purpose. Yuri offered a faint smile, and she shrugged. It was our sentence for living mundane lives. Persephone frowned. She knew that in ancient times, heroes were usually the only ones who could expect a euphoric existence in the underworld. What changed? I do not know for sure. There were rumours, of course. Some said that a mortal Lord Hades loved died and came to exist here. Persephone knit her brows. She wondered if there was some truth to that. Considering Hades had a similar change in perspective after she'd written about his ineffective bargains with mortals. He'd been so motivated by her critique, he'd started the Halcyon Project, a plan that included the construction of a state-of-the-art rehabilitation center that specialized in free care to mortals. An ugly feeling crept up her spine and through her body, spreading like a plague. Maybe she hadn't been the only lover who'd inspired Hades. Yuri continued. Of course, I tend to think he just decided to change. Lord Hades watches the world. As it became less chaotic, so did the underworld. Persephone didn't think it was that simple. She had tried to make Hades talk about this, but he avoided the subject. Now she wondered if his silence was less about shame and more about keeping the details of his past lovers a secret. She spiraled quickly. Her thoughts became turbulent, a whirlwind picking up uncertainty and doubt. How many women had Hades loved? Did he still have feelings for any of them? Had he brought them to the bed he now shared with her? The thought made her stomach feel sour. Luckily, she was pulled from her thoughts when she spotted a group of souls standing on a pier near the river. Persephone halted and nodded toward the crowd. Who are they, Yuri? New souls. Why do they cower on the banks of the Styx? Of all the souls Persephone had encountered, these looked the most dead. Their faces were drawn and their skin ashy and pale. They clustered together, backs bent, arms crossed over their chests, shivering. Because they are afraid, Yuri said, her tone implying that their fear should be obvious. I don't understand. Most have been told the Underworld and its king are dreadful, so when they die, they do so in fear. Persephone hated that for a lot of reasons, mainly because the Underworld wasn't a place to be feared. But she also found that she was frustrated with Hades, who did nothing to change the perception of his realm or himself. No one comforts them once they reach the gates? Yuri gave her a strange look, as if she didn't understand why someone would attempt to ease or welcome newly arrived souls. Karen takes them across the Styx and now they must walk the road to judgment, Yuri said. After that, they are deposited in a place of rest or eternal torture. It is how it has always been. Persephone pressed her lips together, her jaw tightening with irritation. It amazed her that in one breath they could talk about how much the Underworld had evolved and yet still implement archaic practices. There was no reason to leave these souls without welcome or comfort. She broke free of Yuri's hold and strolled toward the waiting group, hesitating when they continued to tremble and shrink away from her. She smiled, hoping it might ease their anxiety. Hello, my name is Persephone. Still, the souls quaked. She should have known her name would bring no comfort. Her mother, Demeter, the Olympian goddess of harvest, had ensured that. Out of fear, she had kept Persephone locked in a glass prison most of her life, barring her from worship and, inevitably, from her powers. A jumble of emotions tangled in her stomach. Frustration that she could not help, sadness that she was weak, and anger that her mother had tried defying fate. You should show them your divinity, Yuri suggested. She had followed Persephone as she approached the souls. Why? It would comfort them. Right now, you are no-