“Maybe you'll win when hell freezes over."He raised an eyebrow."That could be easily arranged.”

“So while gods and goddesses are mysteriously dying for reasons the council can’t possibly be sure of, you’re going to listen to Zeus for the first time in your life.”“He’d track me down the instant he knew I was gone. You know that.”“Unless…” Her fingers danced over the parchment, an inch from my knee. “Someone kind,generous, thoughtful and extremely beautiful covered for you.”I raised an eyebrow. “Do you think someone like that actually exists?” She punched me in the arm.”

“She's proud of you. She said so herself. And she knows you deserved a chance to be happy. I know that, too" I added. "I just wish Henry could look at me the way he looks at you."Persephone wrapped her fingers around mine. "You should be glad he doesn't. When he looks at me, he hurts. But when he sees you..." She smiled faintly "He has hope. I'm not surprised you don't notice it. It took me a while to read him, too. I spent thousands of years with him though, and I know that look. I saw it the day we got married. You don't forget the first time someone looks at you like that.”

“In her he saw possibility. In her he saw the future. And when she was ready for it, he would be, too”

“If it's healed, then why does it still hurt?" I said, panicked.What if the pain never went away? How was I supposed to live with that? Had Henry experienced the same thing in his chest? How could he have possibly fought of that thing again if he had?"Because there is no power in the world that can take away the pain until it is ready to leave." said Theo”

“But could you just... stay for tonight?”

“Did you know,” he said, his breath warm on my cheek, “that that is the first time anyone has ever told me they loved me?” Startled, I did the only thing I could think of—I kissed him again. “You’d better get used to hearing it more often, because I plan on saying it to you an awful lot.”