Home > Infernal (Shadow Guild : Hades & Persephone #1)(7)

Infernal (Shadow Guild : Hades & Persephone #1)(7)
Author: Linsey Hall

I swallowed hard and looked forward, mind spinning with all the ways I could help those poor people.

Horror opened a chasm inside my chest.

How could I, when I was the personal captive of the one who had strung them up?

Get it together.

I tried breathing deeply, forcing myself to chill.

It didn’t work. But I didn’t break down screaming, so maybe it was a partial victory.

Within minutes, we’d reached the immense castle. Sculpted of the same black stone as the rest of the city, it was impossibly large, with turrets that shot toward the sky. A black bat circled the towers. Glass reflected the lightning that seemed to perpetually strike around the castle, though the thunder was muted.

In a swift motion, he leapt down and pulled me off, sweeping me up into his arms like the captive in some dark fairy tale.

“Put me down,” I demanded.

He clutched me to him, arms impossibly strong behind my back and legs. His chest was cold against my side, and I pressed against it, trying to fight free.

“Don’t bother.” His voice rolled in a low, bored murmur.

I scowled at him, hating that he was right.

What was the point?

His magic no longer ensnared me, but his arms were a steel cage. Not tight enough to bruise, but utterly immovable.

He took the stairs two at a time, striding up toward the huge double doors. The scent of fire and flame wafted toward me, and I choked, covering my mouth.

“You’ll grow used it,” he said.

“I’m not staying here.”

“Perhaps not for long.” He shrugged. “We will see.”

Fear fluttered in my chest, a butterfly pinned to a board. “What does that mean? Why did you take me?”

“Enough questions.”

Ahead of us, the doors swung open. He strode through, entering a massive atrium. Overhead, a glass dome revealed the lightning-pierced sky. All around, black stone walls surrounded us.

It should have been horrible, but once again, there was beauty in the austere lines and sweeping proportions.

Two guards stepped away from the wall, tall and broad in armor that looked like a simpler version of my kidnapper’s.

The larger one bowed. “We will take her to the dungeon, my lord.”

His grip tightened slightly. Almost possessively. His voice snapped with authority as he spoke. “No.”

That was it. Just no.

The man flinched, fear in his eyes, then nodded and backed away. Both returned to their posts, and my captor strode on, carrying me down a yawning hall.

I looked back over his shoulder at the men, cataloging their pale skin and sweaty brows, eyes wide with fear.

Even his guards were afraid of him.

We passed a maid in the hall, and she squeaked and darted into a room, hiding behind a door. My captor didn’t so much as twitch.

What a dick.

My captor turned right, left, then right again. So many turns that I lost track, though each one entered a hall that was different from the last.

Some were adorned with deep red paper, some with navy. Dark wooden floors and glowing lamps. Bookshelves lined some walls, and paintings others.

How the hell was I going to find my way out of here?

Finally, we arrived at a door.

It swung open effortlessly for him, and he stepped inside a beautiful room fitted with a bed, a couch, and a writing desk. He stopped just inside the doorway, dumping me unceremoniously onto the gorgeous rug shot through with silver and gold thread. I stumbled, going to my knees, then surged upright and whirled to face him.

Now that we were alone, the crown had disappeared. He stared at me, something almost like surprise flickering in his eyes. Almost as if he’d never seen anything like me before.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

“I am Hades.”

Hades?

The Hades?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

His eyes burned coldly into me as he raised a gloved hand from the depths of his cloak and held it flat in front of his face. I had the briefest moment to register that there was a tiny pile of powder on his palm before he blew it in my face.

I coughed, my head immediately going woozy.

“Now, sleep.” His low words were the last I heard before I collapsed.

Darkness took me.

 

 

4

 

 

Hades

 

I strode away from the room, my arms and chest burning where I had touched her. Confusion raced through me, an entirely unfamiliar experience

She was the one?

Impossible.

I had no use for women. No use for people, in truth. The fact that I required her was nearly laughable.

Yet it was what the darkness required.

I reached my quarters moments later, peeling off the thin, black leather gloves and looked at my hands.

Unbidden, the memory of touching her surged to the front of my mind. My fingertips tingled, and I curled them into fists.

I squeezed my eyes shut and banished the memory. As I walked deeper into my rooms, I shucked off my armor and clothing, leaving it where it fell. Unlike some spaces in the castle, my private chambers were austere. Simple lines and dark colors suited my preference. I passed through the study and bedroom and strode into the bath, desperate to wash the feel of her off my skin.

It was like she had branded me.

Made me feel something.

My hands flexed, an almost unconscious movement.

I couldn’t recall the last time that had happened. Had it ever?

Surely not.

The entire situation made me want to tear my skin off, to return to the cold comfort of before.

I entered the bathing room, which contained a deep dark pool directly in the center, built into the rocks. Warm, fragrant water steamed, and I shucked my boots and the rest of the clothing. Quickly, I strode toward the water.

Would I feel its warmth?

I could see the steam on the air, yet I’d never felt any kind of warmth, like my skin was incapable of absorbing the temperature.

I had felt her, however. Her warmth. Softness. It had almost burned me.

When the guards had said they would take her, I’d nearly killed them. Some strange jealous thing had risen in my chest.

Disgusted, I shook the memories from my mind.

I stepped into the water, descending the stairs to the depths. It lapped around me, the same non-existent temperature it had always been.

Nothing.

My jaw tightened. I’d almost hoped I would feel the warmth. It was unacceptable that she might be different.

Special.

I dunked myself under, bathing quickly. No matter how I scrubbed, I couldn’t take the feel of her from my skin. From my memory. It made the beast rise inside me, that strange light that turned my stomach and tortured my mind.

I just wanted it gone. It’s all I’d ever wanted.

Clean, I climbed out of the pool, catching sight of myself in the large mirror on the far wall. The dark tattoos that danced over my skin shifted, symbols that were imbued with my power.

I turned away and dressed. The leather armor smoothed over my skin, familiar. Expected.

It calmed my mind, though the mere idea that my mind might need to be calmed was laughable.

She couldn't possibly have made me feel anything. Little mouse.

I strode toward the mirror, determined to assuage my curiosity. To prove to myself that she was nothing but a pawn. With a flick of my hand and a small burst of magic, an image appeared in the mirror.

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