Page 62 of Spring's Descent
She dropped the necklace, taking a step back as she studied my face. “And you thought jumping through hundreds of feet of snow at the lowest, most hopeless part of The Underworld was the time to go looking for a way out?”
“When you put it like that, it sounds crazy.”
“It sounds illogical and impulsive,” Hecate corrected. “And though you have some dark inclinations, I wouldn’t use those words to describe you.”
“I do make rash decisions sometimes,” I admitted.
“Only when there’s a realistic outcome, or if someone else’s life is on the line, like in Elysium.”
“Lark was in trouble,” I insisted. “She’s been in trouble this entire time.”
“Exactly,” Hecate countered. “She has been in jeopardy the moment you two ran. What changed in Cocytus?”
My hearing went a little fuzzy as I fought to think back. “I don’t know. Hades had just told me I needed to wed… Hades. It was the first time I believed him, realizing that my life would never be my own.”
“And that made you want to run?”
“No. I knew I couldn’t leave our realms to suffer, but then I thought of Lark and I couldn’t leave her.” I shook my head. “The only other friend I had was killed, Ruby. She was my sister in every way that mattered. Ruby had dreams of rising to High Matriarch, of leading our coven into a new era, but when her awakening came… She was the first to be claimed. I know now that was all a lie. Demeter must have killed her like she did all the others, but Lark was different. She always wanted out of the coven. Wanted freedom.”
I stared up at Hecate, feeling like I was reaching for a thread only to find a tangled lump of yarn. “I was going to come right back, I’m sure of it…”
“I believe you,” she soothed, squeezing my hand. “Just, wait until after the bonding to return. Or at least after you and Hades finally give in to each other. It will be safer for all of us.”
“Safer if we sleep together or wed?”
“Both. Getting married and being with each other physically will start the binding process. But your threads won’t be solidified until you complete the awakening. Think of it like weaving a blanket together only to leave the end untied. One pull and the whole thing would unravel.”
“So, sex and marriage will give us access to most of our magic, but it will be unpredictable?”
Hecate nodded. “And unstable.”
“But completing the awakening and pledging my life to his will seal it and restore balance to our realms?”
“Sort of,” Hecate explained patiently. “You will need to pledge yourmagicto the realms upon your awakening to restore balance, but yes. Vowing yourself—your life and soul—to Hades after the wedding and sleeping together will keepyour lifesafe.”
“As in, I’ll become, what? Immortal?”
“Precisely.” Hecate smiled like a proud teacher as she browsed the cosmetics once more. “Your life thread will be fully woven with a god’s and forever bound.”
“So, my awakening is the key to stabilizing everything, but until then…”
“Physical intimacy and marriage are the best way to bolster your power,” she finished.
My cheeks heated as I thought about what we’d done in the pools, wondering if that counted.
“Yes,” Hecate answered, again with the mind-reading abilities. “Had you not taken to each other, I doubt your powers would have been as accessible. Same goes for Hades.”
“Do we have to love each other?” I asked around the butterflies in my stomach.
Hecate swirled a narrow brush in a jar filled with shimmering dust. “Both of you need to share your magic and your bodies. I was worried at first, but I don’t think it will be a problem. Personally, I hope you two decide to make tonight’s engagement party a real celebration.”
“As in get married tonight?”
She shrugged. “It would simplify things. Your union has already been blessed by the gods and woven by the fates. All that’s left to do is recite the vows and fuck.”
My face flushed but Hecate didn’t seem to notice.
“Hades won’t bring it up, and an extra day with more magic probably won’t make a difference, but you never know.” She tilted her head, her eyes returning to the opal around my neck. “The paths between our realms are sealed at the moment, but I’ll look into a way to help with Lark.”