Scarlett St. Clair has truly given us a major gift with her Hades x Persephone series and while we might not be ready to say goodbye just yet, we do have to face the fact that it’s all coming to an end with the big release of A Touch of Chaos. Whether you came for the drama or the spice, there’s no denying that it helped spark a movement and it’s all thanks to Scarlett and her writing.
But we couldn’t let you all get ready for the end without one final gift from the gods. Cosmopolitan has an exclusive look at the final book in the Hades x Persephone series, and trust us, you’re not ready for what you’re about to read. But first, here’s what publisher Bloom Books says you kind of chaos you can expect when it’s released on March 12, 2024:
The world will burn in the final installment of Scarlett St. Clair’s bestselling Hades X Persephone saga.
The gods are at war, the Titans have been released, and Hades and Persephone must fight tooth and nail for their happy ending.
Persephone, Goddess of Spring, never guessed that a chance encounter with Hades, God of the Underworld, would change her life forever—but he did. Now embroiled in a fight for humanity and battles between the gods, Persephone and Hades have entered a world they never thought they would see. To end the chaos, Persephone must draw upon her darkness and embrace who she’s become—goddess, wife, queen of the Underworld.
Once, Persephone made bargains to save those she loves. Now, she will go to war for them.
Oh, and that’s not all. Scarlett herself shared a special message about the special exclusive excerpt that you can check out below.
“There are a few scenes in Chaos where we get to see Hades and Persephone together even though they are apart. I did this because I don’t like when my favorite couples are separated in books. In these dream-like scenes, Hades and Persephone exchange the words ‘If you wish it’ and ‘I wish it,'” Scarlett exclusively told Cosmopolitan.
“It is basically an acknowledgement that this isn’t real and yet the interactions are no less emotional. Chaos has some of my favorite scenes in the entire series, and includes probably my favorite sex scene I have ever written. I cannot wait for you all to read the finale on March 12th!”
Don’t forget to pre-order A Touch of Chaos and also maybe throw in a Scarlett St. Clair re-read while you’re at it (it’ll definitely keep you busy until it’s release date).
An Excerpt From A Touch of Chaos
By Scarlett St. Clair
“Lady Persephone.”
She swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder at Thanatos. She did not care to hide her pain. He could feel it anyway.
“Can I help you?”
She knew what he was asking.
Thanatos had influence over emotion. He could ease her suffering. In the past, she’d refused.
She’d wanted to feel because she felt like she deserved it, but this was different.
“Please,” she said. The word was a plea, a broken cry.
Thanatos offered his hand, and she took it, warm and soft against her own, and suddenly peace fell over her. It was like…picnics in the meadow under the starry Underworld sky and baking cookies in a small kitchen with her best friend by her side. It felt like the fun of rock paper scissors and hide-and-seek.
It felt like…the first time she had looked at Hades and recognized her own soul.
“What are you thinking?”
She shivered at the sound of his voice, and chills pebbled her skin.
She opened her eyes.
“Hades,” she whispered and touched his face, grazing the stubble on his cheek.
He felt real enough, but she had been fooled by this before and did not think she could face the pain of waking alone again.
They were lying in the grass beneath a twisted oak. She knew this place. They had been here before—they had rested and made love beneath this tree. It was at the very edge of Elysium. If she were to sit up, she would see the gray waves of the ocean cresting the horizon.
“Where are you?” she asked.
He laughed as he studied her with those dark eyes, his body pressed against hers.
“I’m right here,” he said. “With you.”
She shook her head, her vision blurring with tears.
She knew otherwise.
“Darling,” he said, his voice a low rumble, his fingers in her hair. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes tight, focusing on the feel of his kiss, warm and heavy.
Real.
When he pulled away, he let his nose drift along hers.
“It was just a dream,” he said, and she opened her eyes again.
“You speak as if you live inside my mind,” she said.
Hades stared at her and frowned, his eyes drifting to her lips, and she was suddenly aware of a keen hunger tightening her stomach.
“What will it take? To prove to you this is real?”
“Nothing you do will convince me,” she said. “Unless you can tell me where you are.”
He was quiet, watching her.
Then he leaned closer, and the air between them felt heavier than his weight on her body.
“Lost,” he answered before his mouth dropped to hers.
His kiss was like a brand that seared her skin. She opened her mouth against his, and his tongue slipped inside.
He tasted different, his mouth devoid of that smoky, sweet edge, but he smelled the same, sharp and earthy, like long shadows cast by firelight. She tried not to think about the change and what it meant.
He pulled away again, but she could still feel the brush of his lips against hers as he spoke. She kept her eyes closed as he whispered, “Live in this moment with me.”
Her resistance melted away, broken by the same plea she had made before. Her mouth collided with his, and her arms went around him, hands pressing into his back, bringing his entire body flush with hers.
As they kissed, Hades moved against her and she lifted her hips, needing to feel him where she ached the most. Each lush stroke coaxed a fire beneath her skin and stole a little more of her breath. By the time he left her mouth, she was ready for him, so aware of how empty she felt.
“Hades.” She breathed his name as his lips trailed along her jaw and down her throat before he buried his face between her breasts, hands gripping. Her fingers sifted through his hair, tightening when his teeth grazed one nipple, then the other through the fabric of her dress.
Finally, he looked up.
His eyes were dark but just as brilliant as they were when he was in his true form. They possessed a fire of their own, a liveliness that only erupted when he was looking at her. She felt as though a void had opened in the pit of her stomach, and somehow, she became even more hollow.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Fuck me as a god,” she said.
“If you wish it,” he said.
“I wish it.”
Excerpted from A TOUCH OF CHAOS by Scarlett St. Clair. Copyright © 2024 by Scarlett St. Clair. Reprinted with permission from Bloom Books. All rights reserved.
A TOUCH OF CHAOS, by Scarlett St. Clair, will be released on March 12, 2024. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice:
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