Page 7 of Summer's Seduction
“And, therefore, more power,” Persephone breathed.
Lightning cracked overhead as thick clouds rolled in. I glanced up, brows furrowing as I watched the night sky darken. The Underworld had its system of weather. From what I’d gathered in my limited time here, the state of the climate was tied to the souls of the kingdom. Tartarus would forever be covered in boiling lava, Cocytus coated in thick ice banks, and Elysium filled with spring blossoms and sun. Magic could cause things to fluctuate temporarily, but the way the clouds were moving, the flashes of lightning growing brighter, it looked like…
“Zeus is unhappy,” Hades muttered. My eyes widened, watching as he tilted his head up as if waiting for his wretched brother to manifest.
“He can’t blame us for this,” Persephone seethed, following Hades’s line of sight. “We’re the only reason there’s a Realm of The Living left.”
“She has a point,” I said. “I don’t remember seeing Zeus when Demeter nearly caused the realms to fall. All of this could’ve been done with if he’d bothered showing up.”
Thunder boomed, the deafening crack echoing off the mountains of Cocytus in the distance.
“That’s enough, little monster.” My spine stiffened as I turned toward Morpheus, not liking one bit how soothing his voice was. “We may not agree with his decisions, but The God of the Sky has more than just brute strength at his disposal. It’s best if we don’t piss him off.”
My lips twitched as another round of lightning, and its answering thunder clashed across the clouds. “I’m not so sure about that. You know what they say about the attention-seeking men: The louder the bark, the smaller the di?—”
“Lark, don’t,” Persephone cut in, her face pale. “We’ve only secured the realms and managed to come out mostly unscathed. I would very much like the chance to settle into my role as Queen of The Underworld before I’m forced to defend it against The Olympians.”
I was tempted to push because why the fuck not? Persephone had her new, shiny life with a husband who’d gladly torture anyone who dared to harm her. She was a queen, an immortal goddess, while I was seen as the half-blooded witch who’d nearly gotten her killed.
I’d carved out small pieces of my emaciated heart repeatedly through the years to ensure Persephone was safe, untouched by the filth slinking through the dark recesses of this life. I’d let them use my body to keep hers clean… but nobody bothered to search the darkness for the truth. Because nobody wanted to know.
In the end, I was the battered, broken one. The used and dirty person who nobody wanted. The one who was tossed outwith the trash, while the others like Persephone were granted a golden crown and given everything they’d ever dreamed of.
So, yeah. For a few miserable fleeting seconds, I considered baiting The God of the Sky just to watch the world burn, but one thought stilled my tongue. Eyes narrowing, I turned toward Morpheus.
“How does sleep magic work?” Morpheus’s golden eyes took me in as I shifted under his gaze. Doing my best to ignore the wave of heat coursing through my body, I continued. “Does Hypnos travel to The Realm of the Living to allow mortals to sleep?”
“No,” Morpheus answered, his voice adopting a slightly withdrawn and informative tone. “The mind is able to enter the first stage of sleep on its own, placing the subconsciousness into a state of in-between. Hypnos then accesses the subconsciousness of people’s minds from there.”
“And then what?” I pressed.
“Then he uses The Cornucopia housing The Sands of Slumber to grant dreams and restful sleep,” Hecate answered when it was clear Morpheus had no intention of speaking again. She seemed to look me over as if waiting for a reaction to this information. She spoke once more when it was clear I had nothing to offer. “But it makes no difference. The Cornucopia is loyal to only one wielder, and that is currently Hypnos.”
My gaze darted to Morpheus, but he’d long since schooled his expression into a mask of arrogant disinterest. Lightning flashed as the winds picked up. Branches from the pomegranate trees whipped around us, knocking fruit free to burst upon the ground. Red streaked the earth as the sky raged. Shadows of unease crept over all of us, darkening even Hades’s features.
“Could Hypnos have fled to The Realm of The Living without us knowing?” Persephone asked, her voice nearly getting lost inthe mounting storm. Hades slipped his arm around her waist, holding her close as he met Hecate’s worried gaze.
“It’s unlikely,” Hades breathed.
“But not impossible,” Morpheus finished, drawing everyone’s attention as his great, leathery wings snapped free. They were huge, spanning the length of a few trees as they flexed before arching around him to act as a shield against the storm. His long hair billowed behind him, and when he spoke next, the tips of fangs could be seen. “There once was a passage through The Nightmare Kingdom, but it’s nothing but ash now.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I muttered, not understanding why my heart had started racing. The others carried on in the conversation, but my body felt restless like there was something I was supposed to be doing.
Another strong gust of frigid air caused me to wrap my arms around myself, the soaked fabric of my dress doing very little too dull the lash of the wind, delicate drops of water started to fall. I looked up, peering through the swaying branches and rocking fruit toward the swirling clouds beyond.
“I still don’t see why Hypnos terrorizing mortals is anything new. A few extra souls for The Underworld shouldn’t make too much of an impact.”
Mortals losing it because of Hypnos was a tale as old as time. He and Dionysus enjoyed tormenting those in The Realm of the Living. Eventually, Zeus and the other Olympians in The Above would grow tired of their games and put an end to it. So, why was this time any different?
“A few souls, no,” Hecate answered, seeming to mull the words over. “But the loyalties of morals can sway magic. Their worship is more powerful than any one soul.”
Morpheus lifted a dark brow in my direction, his golden eyes unnerving. It felt like I was being unraveled, my secrets being dissected and studied. Every moment I stayed in his presencefelt like another moment closer to my plans of escape being discovered.
“As much as I’d love to hear more about Hypnos and the state of mortals, I’m going to turn in for the evening. Sunshine is bad enough, but the weather has taken a serious turn for the worse.”
Persephone’s eyes narrowed as I started on the path that would lead back to The Dark Palace. Morpheus’s lips quirked, his golden eyes sparking with knowing mischief.
“I’ll accompany you.” Morpheus was at my side in a flash, his large wings rising to block the worst of the storm.