Page 19 of Spring's Descent
“Sleep now. If all goes well, we’ll be at The Dark Palace when you wake.”
Fear twisted my stomach, the adrenaline flooding my veins begging me to fight, but it was no match for the dark power dragging me down.
“You spelled me,” I whispered on the verge of sleep.
He nodded. “Those in The Dark Faction, ‘demons’ as you call us, are just as skilled in spells as witches in your world. There is much you don’t understand, little witch, but you will in time.”
A dozen questions rose to my lips, but the fog invading my mind grew thicker. Denser. Unable to fight any longer, I relented and let the darkness take me.
Hades
Thanatos was right.I couldn’t risk telling Persephone anything further about her role of restoring balance between the realms. I couldn’t even call her by her true name without taking the chance that she’d do something irritatingly reckless. Not until she was protected behind my seat of power at The Dark Palace.
At least she was safe for now. My little witch was sound asleep over my shoulder, the rhythm of her gentle snoring surprisingly endearing. I tried in vain to conjure my wings again and again. Flying over the Lethe with her asleep would have been a lot quicker and safer than running along its shores, but most of my powers still evaded me.
Thank fuck I retained control over shadows, but the longer my powers were suppressed, the more I suspected this was the result of something more sinister than death magic. It almost felt like someone or something had cast a binding spell. Hecate would know. She’d be able to reverse any curse willed upon me, but I needed to reach her first.
Another reason to return home as soon as possible—that and the savior of our realms slung across my shoulder.
Persephone’s heart-shaped lips had dropped into a sexy little pout when shock flashed across her face at the mention of being my betrothed—right before those emerald eyes of hers burned with rebellion.
I knew Demeter had poisoned her against me. That bitch had been spreading lies about The Underworld since the momentshe realized her daughter was the one promised to me. I’d thought it was misplaced love at first, a mother’s need to keep her daughter safe, but after seeing what those witches did to her in The Black Forest… I’d make sure every last one of them would suffer.
12
HADES
The citrine stonesof the Lethe began to transition into blood-red garnets as Persephone shifted in my arms. Her curls bounced as I jogged, but her eyes remained closed, her cheek resting against my chest. She would’ve looked peaceful if it weren’t for the shadow bindings along her wrists and forearms. I’d undone the ones along her legs, but her hands would remain bound until I could be sure it was safe—that I was safe.
Whatever happened back in The Darklands hadn’t been from a lapse of control of my magic. Persephone had broken my bindings somehow. And then there was that sharp lash of electricity that had rocked through my chest, sparking from the tips of her fingers when she’d shoved me away. I could feel the ramifications even now. Like I’d been struck by lightning, the searing heat still burning what remained of my blackened heart.
It hurt, but it hadn’t been the familiar pain I’d grown accustomed to. This was warmth. Life forcing its way into my frozen shell of a body.
Part of me remembered what it was like to have warm blood racing through my veins. To feel the brush of a blade keenly. The heat of a kiss like it was the only thing my soul needed to survive. Death magic had stripped that from me.
Now, I was cold. Forever chasing the memory of what it meant to be alive. I wouldn’t find it. Not with the darkness leeching my soul—or was it humanity it chewed away at?
Death magic would continue to siphon the very best parts of my being, wearing my already precarious position as God of The Underworld down. I knew Hypnos and The Night Children were eager for my fall from grace. The Darklands of the North were waiting for time to run out so they could strike.
Hypnos didn’t care if the realms faltered. Those in The Dark Faction who followed him and his band of blood-sucking creatures would continue even in the chaos of total destruction, trusting in Zeus to create more lifeforms for them to feast on.
Unfortunately, they were right. All the Olympians had sided with Hypnos. They were excited at the prospect of creating a version of humanity that would be more docile. More loyal to the gods of old.
But I didn’t need prayers. All souls came to me one way or another. There was a time when I enjoyed death. When the ice of my soul was impenetrable and my dark shadows were merciless extensions of my will. I’d ruled over a land of torment. Reveled in the bitter cold of a world trapped in the grasp of my magic.
I’d run The Underworld as if it were my very own playground, unable to comprehend what empathy was. It wasn’t until life began flourishing in The Realm of the Living that my ruthlessness was tempered.
Zeus and the others had created humans to weaken me. In a way, I guess they had. I knew what it meant to feel. Of how satisfying it was to punish the wicked, watching their blood splatter across the stones of Tartarus, while the innocents were left to thrive.
And now, I held the key to restoring balance in my arms.
Despite my better judgment, I glanced down, marveling at the way Persephone’s lashes grazed her freckled cheeks. Notfor the first time, I wondered if my little witch had any idea how powerful she was. Judging by the startled look when she’d broken through my shadows, I would guess not.
The yellow gem stones were shifting into a deep red, indicating the Lethe was coming to an end. Concentrating once more, I tried to call on the force of my shadows but something or someone was preventing me from moving freely in my own realm. I was left with nothing but wisps of darkness and lower level curses at my fingertips.
Gritting my teeth, I increased my speed along the river as the clear waters started to cloud and heat, becoming a mixture of molten rock swirling with the blood of the punished.
The Phlegethon had begun.