Rapture (Hades Castle Trilogy Book 2)

by C. N. Crawford

  I glanced out the window at the night sky, wishing I could see Samael swooping back toward the castle. “I think they’ll be okay. The Free Men were not in good shape when I left. I filled the air with nightshade.” I took another sip of wine, trying to calm my nerves. “I think they’re probably just hunting the people who tried to escape.”

  I wanted to go out there, wings and all, and get a bird’s eye view of the situation. But roaming free was too much of a risk when I shared this body with Lilith.

  What worried me, though, wasn’t Samael’s fate. What worried me more was what he’d said before he left, with such dark certainty. We’re dangerous for each other.

  I wanted to convince him that wasn’t the case—that we could be stronger together.

  The sound of footfalls outside the room had my heart racing faster. I wanted to see Samael’s face, and when the door swung open, my heart rate picked up speed.

  But when I saw Sourial, my stomach sank.

  I sat up straight, the chains pulling at my wrists. “What happened?”

  He crossed into the room, and rubbed his eyes. Blood and dirt smudged his face.

  “Where’s Samael?” I asked.

  He blinked, looking at me. “He has asked me to lock him in the dungeon of Castle Hades. It seems he didn’t want to stop killing.”

  I inhaled sharply. “Wonderful. And the Free Men?”

  “Some of them got away. Others were mauled by the animals. Our soldiers were affected by the poison in the air, but it didn’t matter. There wasn’t much of a fight left.” His voice sounded weary, and he glanced at Emma. “We think most of the Free Men assembled there were lower ranks. Expendable to their leaders. We still have to hunt down the real threat.”

  “And the army of wolves?” I felt weirdly attached to them, a strange sense that we were from the same family.

  “Gone,” he said. “For now. We will be searching for them, and for the Free Men who escaped. And we need to make sure you stay exactly where you are, Lila. Nothing in this world is more dangerous right now than Lilith.”

  “We need to figure out how to get Lilith out of my body,” I said. “Or I’ll be living with a sword over my neck. And permanently chained to this bed.” And unfortunately, it would not be in a fun way.

  Sourial narrowed his eyes at me. “I’m not sure it will be that simple. She’s part of you, isn’t she? Maybe she’s a dark side you need to control.”

  Emma fluttered her eyelashes at Sourial. “Well, we can try to get rid of Lilith. Lila is going to be Samael’s wife.” She frowned, looking at me out of the corner of her eye. “Is she still going to be his wife?”

  Sourial’s expression was sorrowful. “He needs to marry a mortal. Not a demon. They all remember what happened the last time he tried to marry a demon. And besides, they don’t want him to be any more powerful than they are in case he goes mad with power. Only a mortal can achieve that balance.”

  My heart ached, and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “I’m right here,” I muttered. “In case you forgot.”

  Sourial nodded at me. “Will those chains hold Lilith?”

  Emma folded her arms, looking at me as she exhaled loudly. “Yes. And we will station guards to knock her out if necessary. They can watch over her at all times.”

  My throat tightened, and I felt more isolated than ever. What was my role here now? All this time, becoming Samael’s wife had been my leverage. It was what kept me safe, protected. Now? I was just a liability. How long until they decided it was best to get rid of me?

  “I’ll return to Castle Hades,” said Sourial, still ignoring me, looking at Emma. “I know Samael trusts you. So I trust that you won’t tell anyone about his current situation.”

  “The reaper?” She nodded. “I won’t say a word.”

  “He still plans to be King of the Fallen. He must be sane for that.”

  Without another word to me, Sourial slipped into the darkness of the hall.

  Emma turned to me, her expression tight. I felt something change in the air. It wasn’t clear what my purpose was here anymore.

  “I can use the demon powers for good,” I blurted. “If I can control Lilith. Samael controls his reaper, doesn’t he? I mean, normally.”

  Her forehead wrinkled. “Perhaps. The guards will be here soon.” She turned and crossed out of the room.

  It was just me and these four walls again.

  I swallowed hard, shocked at how much it hurt that Samael and I would no longer be together.

  I glanced out the window at the dark night sky.

  I wanted to see him more than anything. I needed to convince him that he was wrong—that more than being dangerous for each other, we needed each other. I was sure that I’d changed him, helped him let down his guard for a little while.

  And if anyone understood how to manage a dark side, if anyone could help me get through this, it was him.

  Thank you for reading Rapture.

  Possessed will be the final book in the Hades Castle series.

  You can preorder it now.

  The release date will likely be moved to an earlier time so make sure to stay in touch!

  To get a notification of the release date of Possessed, you can sign up to my newsletter, or join my facebook group, C.N. Crawford’s Coven.

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  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to my supportive family, and to Michael Omer for his critiques and for being a cheerleader.

  Isabella and Jen are my fabulous editors for this book. Thanks to my advanced reader team for their help, and to C.N. Crawford’s Coven on Facebook!