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"I’ll probably go up for a few days every once in a while," I said, brushing off the twinge of jealousy inside of me at his mention of Persephone He simply didn’t want to put me in the sa to have any chance at e part of his life, and in soht it or accept it, and right then, I would’ve done anything to stop feeling so daive ive Henry for still loving her "But while the surface has the sun, I would ainstmoment I noticed the silver scar fro out from underneath Henry’s collar, and I traced it He would be safe in the Underworld, and I wouldn’t have to worry about his safety anymore Everyone else’s, yes, but not Henry’s

"In the council ainst ht since you arrived I know it is not yet noon, but would now be an acceptable tirinned so hard that thetime since I’d smiled like that I’d missed it "Noould be perfect"

When his lips touchedwith delicious triumph Calliope hadn’t won

No matter what she did to me or how many Titans she sent to kill me, she would never take Henry away from me

I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my body mold to the contours of his There was no substitute for the warht to make up for the lack of this between us It was perfect

Henry, with all of his imperfections, and me with mine--

together, ere just right

He easedaside to o let out an annoyed squeak and ju belly rub later, because right now, short of Cronus appearing in the bedroo to pull me away froed it off and tossed it a He splayed his hand overme with a baff led look in his eyes

"What is it?" I said, catching ht?"

It took him a moment to respond "Are you sure you wish to do this?"

Every doubt I’d had ca panic, I remembered what Persephone had told ht This would be the f irst time we’d done this without the inf luence of an aphrodisiac, and if he thought there was a chance I could react like Persephone had, then his hesitation made perfect sense I forced myself to breathe steadily "I’m positive" Henry seeain, another awful possibility popped into ht my cheek instead "Why? Do you not want to? We don’t have to if you’d rather not, it’s all right I can wait I want to wait if you do"

"I pro else in the world," he said, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth "I have wanted to since you f irst returned, but I thought giving you ti you would’ve rather slept in a pool of lava than with ave him a quick kiss in return "We need to work on this whole talking to each other thing We’d get a lot more done if we did"

"Yes, ould," he said before capturing my lips once more I deftly unbuttoned his shirt, and when it fell open, I pulled away again

"You’re not going to get angry again and throw things when it’s over, will you?" I said, and Henry gave me a look that sent a jolt of electricity down my spine The look Persephone had et now that I’d seen it

"Would you please hush and let , I pulled hied his shirt off and ran his hands downelse see I could see, the only thing I could feel, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way For the f irst time since I’d arrived in the Underworld, I was hoht in bed together, talking and laughing and knocking boots, as Ava had so delicately called it In bete slept curled together, with my head on his chest and his ar , and with soahead of us, I needed that badly

In theoverand consciousness, I ran er into his navel "Is everything all right?"

"Perfect" A glowing ball of light appeared near the top of the canopy bed "I was si about the future"

"What about it?" I said "If you’re going to try to talk et it--"