Page 8 of Summer's Seduction
A foreign fluttering swirled in my stomach at the small display of kindness. I shook it off, sure it was a coincidence, but before I could take another step, the air grew charged, raising the fine hairs on the back of my arms. My brows furrowed, searching for the source.
“Get down!” Morpheus called a moment before lightning struck.
There was the whisper of searing heat before strong arms circled my waist, and darkness descended. I blinked, gazing up at thick veins stretching across webbed bones.
“Are you okay, little monster?” Morpheus’s voice was raspy and low as if he was truly worried. He smelled like leather and spice. Like damnation crafted to lure the most innocent of beings. But I’d been playing at seduction for the better part of my life and was not so easily tempted.
Ignoring the flash of warmth starting low in my belly, I lifted my chin and met his golden eyes. “Swell. Are all oversized bats this protective, or just you?”
He lifted a brow at my tone as his wings folded, but I saw the edge of his lips quirk. It wasn’t a horrible smile, fangs and all, and I suppose some would find the sharp angle of his jaw and dark hair reaching past his shoulders charming, in a cursed spawn of forsaken demons sort of way.
It wasn’t until Hecate cleared her throat that I realized Morpheus was still holding me. Heat bloomed across my cheeks as I jumped back, the blush only growing as I noted Persephone’s poor attempt at hiding a smile and Hades’s frown.
“Are you two quite done?” Hades snapped, his hand raised. I realized he was controlling the thick shadows swirling around the five of us and blocking out the rest of the world. “I can’t hold them back much longer.”
My heart stopped and then raced as his words registered. This wasn’t a display of strength but a shield. I had only enough time to turn before the glint of metal pierced the veil of darkness.
MORPHEUS
Ireached for Larkspur, intending to toss her to Hades, counting on his love for Persephone to keep her longest friend alive despite his blatant hatred, but paused as the curved dagger withdrew. A smug smirk appeared through the sliced section of Hades’s shadows. Light magic reflected a stream of rainbow prisms through our dark cocoon.
“Dammit it, Hermes,” Hades cursed, releasing his control on the shadows to shield his eyes.
“Opps,” she grinned as the brightness faded, her dark brown eyes glinting with mischief. Her ink-black hair was swept back into a thick braid, the planes of her high cheekbones sharp in the flash of distant lightning.
Rain and wind seemed to pause, hovering just beyond our small group as the faint light of the night sky filtered down around us. Hermes’s silhouette came into view, faint traces of her ancient magic illuminating thick boots and a long cloak. I could see half a dozen daggers and blades strapped to her person and had little doubt there were half a dozen more hidden beneath. Hermes gave off the impression of being rash, but she was formidable and calculated when she wanted to be.
“Pardon me, Uncle. I didn’t see you there.”
Hades fixed her with a glare as Persephone looked between them. “Uncle?”
Hermes' attention shifted to our new queen, the avian tilting of her head causing Larkspur to step back. I opened my wings a little wider, something in my chest lurching as Larkspur drew closer to my side. I doubted she was even aware of it, but my little monster gravitated to me for protection, even in the presence of her closest friend.
Faint traces of eucalyptus and honey swirled in the air as Larkspur glanced up at me, her innocent gaze shifting to a glare as I allowed the tip of my fangs to show. But she didn’t pull away.
We were the same, her and I, whether she realized it or not. Two creatures both revered and despised for our power. I was the heir to not only The Kingdom of Slumber as Hypnos’s only son, but I was also the bastard heir to The Nightmare Kingdom. My mother’s family had usurped the official ruling family, claiming the title as their own, only for their line to end after producing me. My stepmother ensured everyone in The Underworld knew I was the unwanted product of an affair between two bored royals. Nothing more than a mistake.
It was such a pity she took a tumble into The Lithe. I hadn’t been the one to push her, but I’d shed no tears after hearing of her passing.
Growing up, I realized I was left with the burden of caring for two great kingdoms, neither of which particularly wanted me as their king. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned to play their games. I couldn’t beat them, couldn’t force them to approve of the blood running in my veins, but I sure as fuck could make them want me.
Seduction was simple. It was all about understanding your target, and for me, that was a quick glance inside their minds while they slept. Dreams were pure instinct—unbridled fear, wild, primal desires, unchecked by society’s expectations. Istudied my enemies, decoding their greatest desires. Who they wished they could be or who they wanted to fuck. And then I became it.
I was the easygoing prince, the charismatic jokester—until I wasn’t.
It was subtle, that shift from perceived friend to feared prince, but I’d done it. And I’d done it well. Of course, I still maintained the roguish son while Father and those loyal to him were around. Despite how much Thanatos had seen of my soul, I’d even maintained most of the spoiled prince persona around Lord Hades.
But those away from the glamour of court, the citizens of the northern kingdoms, the backbone of this realm—they knew I wasn’t someone to fuck with.
I sensed much of the same struggles in Larkspur. She was rough and not just around the edges. My little monster had taken each piece of her shattered heart, set the sharp tips pointing outward, and reformed them into impenetrable armor. She’d been hurt, of that, I was sure. You couldn’t be forged into the lethal weapons we were without trauma. Judging by the guarded glances she held even for Persephone, I’d wager my little monster had suffered in spades.
I wondered what lurked in her mind. When the moon was high, and the day's chaos had quieted, when she was alone with her thoughts, what did she think of? What dreams haunted her? Were her thoughts as dark as my own, as tormented as mine? Did her anger burn as brightly as mine did?
“Lady Persephone,” Hermes said, dropping into a dramatic bow. “What an honor it is to meet you.”
“Why are you here?” Hecate cut in, her palms flickering with light as her own magic pricked.
“Ah-Ah,” Hermes warned, shaking her head as she lifted a finger toward the storm overhead. The worst of the wind andrain had stopped the moment she’d arrived, but Hermes rarely appeared of her own volition despite being able to wield portals. She was the goddess of thieves and merchants, of roads and travelers, but most importantly, she was a messenger to the gods. “Zeus is already in a pissy mood. Banishing me would only worsen things.”