Page 77 of Curse the Flame

Alex nods. “She’ll be there for moral support. Aphrodite, too… Hef needs his Venus where he knows Ares can’t get to her. We also have Eros and his charmed arrows. But Ares has the titans… and we need you. Four of the Twelve plus one of the big three? I like our odds of saving both worlds a lot more with you on our side.”

I know Aiden. I love him.

He’s going to refuse. He still doesn’t think that this has anything to do with us down here in the Underworld.

Daphne can tell, too. I know she can, and that’s why she turns to me. “Persephone’s mother is Demeter. She’s also one of the Twelve. Now, we might not have Demeter in the Other,” my cousin adds, “but we have the next best thing.”

My husband’s eyes flash white. “No.”

Seems like Aiden and Hades are in pure agreement. Only problem is that I have no idea what they’re in agreement on.

“Huh?”

Daphne nods. “I’m sorry, but we need Persephone.” She turns to me, clutching one of my hands. “We need you, Will.”

I nibble on my bottom lip. I love Aiden with all my heart, but if my cousin needs me… I have to at least hear her out. “What can I do to help?”

“Give your husband a reason to save the Other.”

You know what? I get it.

Aiden would let the entire above world fade away so long as the two of us have the Underworld to shield us. To shield me.

I shake my hand, taking it out of Daphne’s. With slow, purposeful steps, I walk over to where Aiden has kept himself separate from where I was standing with Daphne and Alex.

He opens his arms on instinct. I step into them, shuddering out a breath as he squeezes me tight.

Somewhere behind me, I hear Daphne say in her no-nonsense tone: “Let me make this clear. No Other. No Underworld.”

Aiden sucks in a breath. “No Blossom.”

I glance behind me in time to see Alex jerk a thumb at my husband. “He’s getting it.”

Aiden releases one hand from his hold on me to summon a fireball and throw it at Alex.

I watch as the sun god sidesteps it easily, a slight smirk on his face before he says, “Look, I understand. I had almost fifty years under my belt before the magic threw me a bone and brought Daphne back to me. You think I want some ‘roided-out newcomer who’s barely been in the Other for a handful of seasons to destroy my happily-ever-after? I’m bringing my bow. I’ll shoot as many of his soldiers as I can, sending them all down to the pit. But if I’m saying that it won’t be enough, uncle, that’s something.”

Aiden stiffens. I step out of his suddenly slack embrace, glancing up in time to see the horrified look on his face. “Uncle?”

“Get used to it.” I turn to see Daphne rolling her eyes. “If you have any sort of familial relationship with Apollo, Alex is gonna claim it for himself.”

“Except the huntsman,” Alex mutters under his breath. A golden sheen rolls over his eyes, a warmth far hotter than any of Aiden’s flames pouring off of him as his handsome features twist into a scowl. “Not him.”

Daphne bumps her husband in the hip. “Come on, hotshot. Don’t pretend that Hunter hasn’t grown on you since you, me, Noelle, and her hubby have been hanging out.”

“Grown on me?” Alex echoes. “Like mold, perhaps, dear Daphne.”

“You know, I thought that about you once.”

“Yeah, but then you realized how desperately in love with me you are.”

My cousin huffs. “Yeah. Damn it, but you’ve got a point there.”

For a moment, I almost smile at their banter, but it doesn’t last. The humor fades almost as quickly as it came when Aiden stalks over to me, laying his hand possessively on my shoulder.

The megaron has become very quiet around us. Daphne is still right next to me. Alex waits just behind her, golden light barely clinging to his skin now that he’s dampened his glow some.

My husband looks only at me.