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Henry’s hands grew strangely warlowed between ours, and I bit the inside ofaway It would take et used to that sort of casual show of power

"Do you accept the role of Queen of the Underworld, and do you agree to uphold the responsibilities and expectations of such?" said Henry

I hesitated This wasn’t for a year or f ive or even ten; this was forever I hadn’t even decided what I wanted to e, let alone what I’d wanted to do with the rest ofaze od in front of ht eyes sparkled, the corners of his lips twitched upward into the faintest of sloar at me like he had back in Eden, like I was the only person in the world, and in that moment, I would’ve torn apart heaven and hell to make sure I never lost him

But then he disappeared back into himself, behind the mask he wore to protect the side of him that Persephone had ripped to shreds, and reality crashed down aroundI’d done sinceup to this moment

Henry hadn’tHe’d married me because I had passed the tests no one else had passed, and because the council had granted h to become his queen What if he stayed like this for the rest of eternity? What if all I ever was to him was a friend and a partner? The way he’d been in Eden, how he’d talked to , how he’d seen me in a way no one else had, how he’d risked his own existence to save ain, what if this was the proof he needed that I wasn’t going to leave him? What if this was the f inal push to show him that it was safe to fall in love with me completely?

I sed I’d already made my decision theaway and letting him fade wasn’t an option, no matter what it cost me

I could do this I had to do this For Henry’s sake--for my mother’s sake For my sake Because in the end, without Henry, I didn’t knoho I was anyone to sleep drea about what it would be like to spend the rest ofas I gave hi I hoped it would be Henry orth the risk

As I opened my mouth to say yes, a crash shattered the silence, and the tall s exploded, sending shards of glass hurtling straight toward us

CHAPTER FOUR

THE TITA NS

As glass f lew through the air, I covered lanced off ht I that part