by Bella Klaus
The cloaked figure responded with a raspy laugh that made my skin crawl. “If I had presented myself as anything other than an emissary, I doubt you would have granted me entrance.”
“Monarchs of Hell may not infiltrate the territory of another.” Hades steepled his fingers. “Why have you risked annihilation to break our most sacred of rules?”
My brows drew together. Who would punish them? The deity who caused the Great Separation?
“I commend you for having memorized the Handbook of Hell,” Samael replied, his voice snide. “But then, you were never one for artistic flair.”
Bile rose to the back of my throat. I hadn’t seen this creature, but he disgusted me already.
“What do you want?” Hades snapped.
“I bear gifts for Queen Persephone.” He floated an orb with a black surface that sizzled and cracked, revealing an interior of glowing lava.
A band of tension wrapped around my chest. It looked like a supernatural grenade.
Hades flicked his finger, moving it back toward Samael. “On behalf of my wife, I decline.”
This time, his chuckle sounded more like a rattling cough. “Sources inform me that Persephone was cursed to an eternal sleep, yet recent events suggest she was abducted by her mother. Which account is correct, or is there a more convoluted truth?”
“Get to the point,” Hades said, his voice reverberating with suppressed fury. “Persephone already dispatched the two assassins you sent, and you’re already trying my patience.”
“It was unfortunate that she destroyed the twins. They held so much promise.”
“I heard they succumbed to her power in seconds,” Hades drawled.
“They would have flourished under the correct demonic leadership.” Samael spread his arms wide, revealing blackened hands. “Unfortunately, Hell is run by a ragtag group of fallen angels and displaced gods.”
My nostrils flared. Was he trying to undermine Hades in front of his underlings?
“I hear on good authority that you were also once an angel,” Hades said. “But you rebelled after being castrated.”
Laugher rang out across the throne room, and the tension wrapping around my chest eased. I exhaled my relief in an outward breath. Hades had made him look like a bitter and incompetent idiot.
Before Samael could reply, Hades flicked his fingers, and Samael’s dark figure burst into a cloud of what appeared to be black butterflies. Screams rang out across the throne room. I leaned toward the pool and frowned.
What on earth could be terrible enough to frighten demons? The winged creatures swarmed like starlings, forming the outline of a misshapen face with horizontal slits for pupils. I staggered back from the pool, my hands clapping over my mouth.
“Samael is a coward who operates behind proxies and avatars.” Hades’ voice boomed, making the floor tremble.
I crept back toward the pool’s surface and gaped at the flying creatures falling to the floor, their wings on fire.
He rose from his throne with his arms outstretched. “Barbaras, Lyak, Tingo, Kiff, come forward.”
A quartet of demons appeared at the foot of the stairs that led to the dais, looking like they hadn’t gotten there voluntarily.
Hades bared his teeth, his eyes burning with fire. The stone hound behind him mirrored his expression but with flames erupting from its maw.
“Let this be a demonstration to you all,” he said in a voice deep enough to resonate through the lining of my stomach. “Any demon of the Fifth Faction consorting with the Third or their associates will remain tortured wraiths for an eternity.”
“Damn you.” The larger of the demons threw a sword.
Hades raised a hand, freezing both the weapon and the rebel demons in place. Convulsions shook their bodies, but they still remained at the foot of the stairs. Piece by piece, flesh fell from their bones until all that was left of them were four oddly shaped skeletons, still quaking under the might of his power.
Nobody around the red carpet moved, their gazes fixed on the four demons who had been reduced to bones. Their flesh gathered behind them in a pile that had trapped their transparent and tortured souls.
Nausea surged to the back of my throat, and I turned around with my hands over my mouth to hold down the contents of my stomach. Why hadn’t he just given those demons a clean kill?
“Are you alright?” A large hand landed on my shoulder, making my heart leap into the back of my throat.
I spun around to find Hades standing behind me with a frown. Flames burned in his eyes, and his chest still heaved with the might of his fury.
My eyes bulged, and I leaped back, trying to increase the distance between us. “What was that?”
“Did your mother ever tell you the story of Pandora?” He stood perfectly still, staring at me like a predator assessing his prey.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” I asked.
“Samael dredged up some ancient evils and tried to unleash them among my demons. He wants to create discord and ruin the Fifth Faction from within.”
Hades stepped toward me with his hand outstretched and reaching for mine. My heart jolted, not wanting to be close to someone who could kill so casually. Lightning crackled from my fingertips, making him draw back.
Anguish twisted his features in a movement so rapid I barely registered it, but then he smoothed his expression into a facade of calm. “Regardless of what you think of my actions today, they were necessary to keep you safe.”
“I wasn’t in danger at home.” The words tumbled from my lips before I could stop them.
His nostrils flared. “You call being Demeter’s prisoner a life?”
My throat thickened. At home, my biggest worries had been getting stung by Mother’s magic or locked up in my room without Netflix. Now, I had one Demon King wanting me to impersonate his dead wife and another wanting me dead.
I clutched at my temples, forcing myself to remember the bargain. If I played the part of Persephone and collected centuries’ worth of power to secure the Fifth Faction, Hades would set me free to live a life of my own choosing.
My gaze rose to meet his. “Neither situation is ideal, but I need more time to get used to Hell, alright?”
“Persephone,” he growled.
“She’s dead,” I said more sharply than I had intended. “Excuse me if I’m reacting badly to the news that someone wants me to join her.”
Hades stared at me for several moments, looking like his gaze could render me into stone.
I held my breath, waiting for him to lash out the way Mother did whenever I showed a shred of backbone, but he turned and walked to the other side of the room, his shoulders stiff.
“Is this going to be my new prison?” I asked.
“You expressed worry about assassins,” he said, his words clipped. “I have summoned a tutor who will hone your combat skills.”
“Who?” I shook my head. What was the point of asking when I didn’t know anyone in Hell?
Light footsteps echoed from the other side of the room. I turned to find Captain Caria emerging from behind one of the columns. She glanced around the sanctum, her gaze fixing on a point behind me.
“Your Majesty?” she asked.
“Teach Persephone—”
“Kora.” I turned to meet his gaze.
Hades’ features tightened. “Make sure she can hold her own in a fight.”
“But you ordered me to secure our special prisoner,” said the captain. “The restraints—”
“Will hold,” he snarled.
I bit down on my bottom lip, wondering what kind of prisoner needed her special attention.
Captain Caria’s brows drew together. “Are you sure about this?”
“Don’t question me.” He disappeared, leaving me alone with the captain and the echoes of his voice.
The taller woman folded her arms across her chest and gave me a hard stare that resembled Mother’s, but the way her lips flattened over her teeth was all Hades.
My throat spasmed. This was my niece, only she was over two thousand years older than me. I wrapped my arms around my middle and cringed. She probably thought my presence here was an affront to her dead mother.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” she said. “Come at me with your fists.”
I rubbed the back of my neck and frowned. “Why would I ever want to attack anyone?”
“Attack is the best form of self-defense.” She lifted her chin and stared down at me with pursed lips.
“Where did you learn that? Hades?”
“From Persephone,” she said, her brows rising.
The knots that had tightened through my insides now squirmed. Now she was trying to make me feel like an interloper encroaching on her family. Never mind that all I’d wanted was a night out at a ball.
“This is awkward,” I murmured. “Your father—”
Her fist flew toward my eye. I raised a hand and blocked it with a handful of lightning.
Captain Caria leaped across the room, sparks flying from her sleeve.
I clapped my hands over my cheeks. “Sorry!”
“Don’t apologize.” She vanished in the blink of an eye. Before I could wonder where she’d gone, a foot landed in the small of my back.
I staggered forward with my arms splayed out for balance. Bolts of white lightning flew from my arms like wings, eliciting a pained roar.
My heart thundered, and guilt gnawed at my chest. Righting myself, I spun in the direction of the sound. She’d disappeared again, presumably to launch another sneak attack. I glanced from side to side. Blood roared through my ears and my pulse boomed a rapid beat.
It was dangerous to stand in the middle of a circular room with my back exposed. Especially when my attacker had the power to teleport. I ran to the nearest pillar, and glanced from side to side, trying to see where she would reappear.
The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention, and I turned in a circle with my arms outstretched. Lightning streamed from my fingers, hitting the captain square in the chest. She flew backward several feet before landing in the pool with a splash.
“Sor—” I clapped a hand over my mouth and backed toward a wall, making sure to press against it to create a barrier.
Captain Caria rose from the pool, her red hair flowing down to her shoulders like blood.
“Change of plan,” she snarled.
“What do you mean?” I asked, trying not to gulp.
“Whoever taught you to defend yourself did a thorough enough job.” She advanced toward me with her brows raised in question.
I raised my shoulders. “My mother taught me a bit of self-defense, and—”
“Your lightning is what I’m talking about.” She offered me a hand. “Come. It’s been a long day. Let me escort you to your room.”
I linked hands with the captain, and she transported me to a chamber that looked nearly the same as the one where I had killed the demonic twins, except the decor was an off-white with furnishings the color of barberry flowers.
Minthe was already waiting by the bed, clutching a white nightgown. She dipped into a curtsey and lowered her lashes. “May I offer you a bath?”
“Actually, I’d just like to sleep off the events of the day.”
Captain Caria inclined her head. “I’ll take the first watch.”
My heart skipped. “Where will you be?”
“Outside your door.” She hooked her thumb toward the exit.
“Alright.” I exhaled a relieved breath. Even though I had killed two demons with my magic and could probably do the same again, I wasn’t relishing another confrontation.
Minthe helped me out of my clothes and into a nightgown made of the finest silk that clung to my skin. I slipped into the petal-soft covers, rested my head on a pillow that felt like clouds, and exhaled a long sigh.
It felt like heaven, even though I was in a palace in Hell.
“Would you like a cup of sleepy tea?” Minthe asked.
I shook my head and let my eyelids flutter shut. Now that Hades and I had a deal, and I had a route out of Hell, the only thing I would allow to pass my lips was food from the living world.
As I drifted off into a light sleep, I realized that I had forgotten to ask Captain Caria who would take the second watch.
Hours later, a presence in my room eased me from my slumber. I cracked open an eye to find a figure standing at my bedside with eyes that burned like flames.
I should have panicked at the sight of a man in my room, but his masculine pine-and-mint scent filled my nostrils, lulling me into a blissful calm.
My throat dried, and I placed a hand on my chest.
Hades was shirtless, his black wings splayed. The fire from his eyes reflected against his feathers, making them appear like they’d been set alight.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice still heavy with sleep.
“Marveling over your return, my love.” He said those words with the conviction of a man who had waited eons for the woman he adored.
My brows drew together. “You were here last night?”
“When you fainted, I carried you to the room and watched over you for hours until I kissed you awake.”
I hummed an acknowledgment, trying to think of something to say, but he placed a hand on my forehead.
“Sleep, Persephone.” His sensual voice resonated through my ears, pulling me into a gentle state of relaxation.
His hand disappeared from my face, making me feel the loss of his touch for the barest moment. A heartbeat later, he wrapped me in a cocoon of strong arms, soft feathers, and a sturdy chest.
I melted against him, drifting into a sleep even deeper, even more comforting than cuddling up to Dami’s cat form. Even if I wasn’t convinced that I was Hades’ long-lost wife, part of me felt safe with him on the second watch.
I thought we would train the next morning, but Captain Caria transported us to a cobblestone road that led toward a medieval village of timber-framed houses with people and animals crowding the streets. It would have looked like something out of a Disney cartoon if it hadn’t been surrounded by a river of lava and situated beneath a fiery sky.
Smoke and brimstone filled my nostrils, combined with the scent of animals and body odor and feces.
My nose wrinkled. “Where are we?”
She turned to me, the corner of her mouth curling into a wicked smile that reminded me of Hades. “I’ll give you one guess.”
Annoyance tightened my skin. Sarcasm wasn’t so charming when it was delivered by her. “I know we’re in Hell,” I said, my words clipped. “How about you explain where exactly we’re going and who we’re about to see?”
“Jeanne Lorraine is one of the most powerful seers who ever lived.” Captain Caria marched ahead, increasing the distance between us with every long stride.
“So she can tell us if I’m Persephone?” I jogged behind her, cursing at how my heels wobbled in the cobblestones.
Captain Caria inclined her head.
“Why didn’t anyone contact her before?”
“Madame Lorraine’s gift operates mostly on touch.”
As we reached the first few houses in the village, my foot caught on something soft that hissed before scuttling away. I turned to see what I’d tripped over but whatever it was disappeared beneath the door of a cottage, making its inhabitants scream.
The captain paused in front of a one-story cottage and knocked.
I caught up with her in a few steps and rubbed the remnants of Hades’ massage oil into the sides of my dress. People wearing tunics and homespun clothes slowed around us to stare. I snatched my gaze away from their miserable faces, trying not to feel bad for their predicaments.
“How is Hell arranged?” I leaned into her side. “Does everyone know they’re dead?”
“More or less,” she muttered. “This part of the Fifth Faction is the Asphodel Meadows, a cluster of villages that reflect different cultures and periods of time. When a new s
oul arrives, it’s drawn to the era it finds most familiar.”
“How do they get punished?” I asked.
“These are the souls of those who committed acts of lesser evil—the lazy, the selfish, and those prone to gossip. Their punishment is an eternity of hunger, discomfort, poverty.”
Heavy footsteps sounded from inside, and my breathing turned shallow. “I don’t see any demons.”
She nodded toward a large man wearing the armor of a guard. “There’s one.” Then she pointed at a rotund woman pushing a trolley basket of bread. “And there’s another.”
“What do they do?”
Captain Caria raised a shoulder. “Low-level demons work under a liege lord, policing the villages and distributing food to the worthy. They also round up rule breakers and imprison them in the lord’s dungeon.”
My mind conjured up the image of a torture chamber, and I shuddered. “What if they escape?”
The door opened, and the tallest, most skeletal looking woman stood in the doorway.
I tilted my head up to meet her eyes, but the frame obscured the top half of her face.
“Who goes there?” she rasped.
“Take a look at someone for me,” said Captain Caria.
Madame Lorraine held out a large hand. “I require payment.”
The captain reached into a passing cart, and handed over a pair of apples. She beckoned over the bread demon, who gave Madame Lorraine a loaf.
“Enter.” She retreated into her cottage.
Captain Caria placed a hand on my shoulder and guided me over the threshold.
The cottage’s interior was a darkened room of uneven walls, illuminated by light streaming in through the holes in the roof. The only piece of furniture was three straw bales arranged lengthwise in the middle of the space to form a bed.
Madame Lorraine placed her apples and bread on the farthest bale and lowered herself into the middle. She turned to stare at us through empty sockets and gestured at us to come forward.
Captain Caria walked up to the woman and took her hand.
“Ah,” the seer replied with a toothless grin. “Macaria, daughter of Hades and Persephone, goddess of the blessed death. Who have you brought for me to read?”
