A Touch of Darkness

Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, waits for her coffee at her favorite café. She reflects on the narcissus flower, the symbol of Hades, because there are bouquets at every table. However, the ones in front of her are decayed. She also thinks about Hades’s tendency to make wagers with mortals and the warnings of her mother, Demeter, to stay away from him. She turns her focus to her homework in anticipation of starting an internship at the New Athens News the next day, as she is pretending to be mortal. She has no magic of her own and relies on her mother’s power to keep up her “glamour,” which hides the physical manifestations of her divine status, such as her horns.

Her best friend, Lexa, arrives and invites Persephone to Nevernight, Hades’s prestigious nightclub. Persephone feels anxiety when she thinks about her mother finding out, but she ultimately agrees to go. After Lexa leaves, Persephone threatens the waitress, who turns out to be a nymph in disguise.