Page 77 of Spring's Descent
I glanced up, finding her wide-eyed gaze fixed to the tree behind me as I dragged my body into a standing position. Half ofmy tunic was charred, the skin beneath it blistered and raw, but the pain had dulled. “She made it to The Realm of the Living.”
Hecate’s chest heaved as she swallowed. The air still pricked with electricity as the veins in the massive tree shimmered with power. The hollow crevice at its base was sealed with tortuous vines, making it impossible to follow even if I dared.
I turned away from the grove, needing to return to The Dark Palace and find a way of reaching my wife before anything happened to her.
“Who did this?” Hecate asked.
I shook my head as I offered her the strands of hair clasped between my fingers. “A witch. I couldn’t see her face, but I have no doubt a tracking spell would lead us to Demeter.”
Hecate nodded, taking the strands from my hand, before falling in step beside me. “I can’t travel to The Realm of the Living until midnight when Persephone is awakened and the balance is restored, but I think I understand how she was controlled.”
“How?”
“Did she ever tell you why she jumped from the cliffs of Cocytus? Or why she fled even after you’d told her about her role in restoring balance?”
I shook my head, jaw ticking as I waited for Hecate to continue.
“She felt an overwhelming urge to save her friend, Larkspur. At first, I thought it was misplaced guilt for not saving her childhood friend, a witch who Demeter killed at her awakening, but now I’m not so sure.
“She’s never gone without her necklace—the fire opal. Even when she sleeps. You said yourself, those from The Realm of the Living can’t cross into The Underworld without risking the fates’ wrath. Demeter wouldn’t take that risk, but I think she hada curse placed on Persephone’s necklace. Persephone would be returned to the coven?—”
“And Demeter would be safe from the fates,” I finished, running a hand through my hair as I passed among the pomegranates. Scarlet stains littered the ground, seeds and juice spilling from the slaughtered fruit. “She’ll try to claim Persephone’s power, at least what remains to be claimed.”
“I can track her.”
My gaze narrowed on her. ”Persephone had no personal effects here. Even her clothes?—“
“I took a link from her necklace when I was inspecting it,” Hecate said. “I had my suspicions, and when Persephone refused to leave it with me, I took matters into my own hands.”
Hecate lifted the dark strands of hair, her lips pressing into a thin line. I watched as worry melted away, leaving only burning anger in its wake. Hecate was the mother of all witches, a teacher, a friend… but when those she cared for were in danger she transformed into the most ruthless of monsters. She was a woman who knew no fear—no limits—when it came to protecting those she loved.
“Between the gold link and the connection you’ve already started, the charm will lead you to her.”
But I heard the uncertainty dripping from her voice. The poorly veiled fear that Demeter wouldn’t bother keeping Persephone alive once she laid eyes upon the golden crown shimmering on her head.
“Hurry.”
50
PERSEPHONE
The first thingI was aware of was the throbbing pain in my head and the cold floor against my cheek. My body was stiff, the rough stone doing little to ease the soreness in my muscles. There was a trickle of wetness clinging to my brow, the fluid still warm. It wasn’t until I blinked my eyes open that I realized it was blood.
I pressed onto my forearms, the small movement causing the world to tilt as I squinted against the late morning light streaking in through the bars.
Bars?
Gods Above, I was in a dungeon. And not just any dungeon… this place felt familiar. I could sense the forest beyond the stone walls. I could hear their pine branches swaying in a gentle morning breeze and could practically smell the wildflowers a few paces further. I was in The Realm of the Living, trapped and caged like an animal by the very coven I’d grown up with. The Earth Coven had found me.
Dozens of witches had been sacrificed for Demeter’s greed. I had no intention of joining them. Gingerly, I sat up, allowing the pads of my fingers to trace the gash along my temple still trickling blood. It throbbed and a large knot had formed, butLark always said swelling on the outside was better than on the inside.
Lark.
She was probably trapped down here, too. Maybe I’d be able to find her. Together, we might get out of this alive.
Fighting off the wave of nausea that threatened to upturn my stomach, I forced myself into a standing position. The world tilted and I stumbled, clutching the thin scraps of my silk robe together in an attempt to find warmth. A sheen of sweat coated my brow with the effort it took, but I steadied myself against the rough wall. I let my magic search, slowly combing over each stone of my prison. There was always a weak point. I only needed to find it.
There. It was nothing but a small crack in the mortar, but I could feel the flicker of life humming within. Deep tree roots hovered on the other side. I coaxed my magic onward, wishing I could speed up time and be a fully awakened witch.