The woman.
She lay on the rug in her room, dark hair sprawled around her as she slept. Her long legs were revealed by the strange clothing she wore.
Again, my heart accelerated.
Disgust rocketed though me. Confusion.
I flicked my hand again and drove the image away, until all I could see was my own damned face. Dead eyes, as usual.
When had everything changed?
To go from a world of ice, of feeling nothing, to this strange sensation in my chest?
It had changed the moment I touched her.
How dare she?
I drew a steadying breath and turned from the mirror. Stalking from my chambers, I went deep into the heart of the castle, deep into the heart of my kingdom. Guards and servants disappeared before I saw them, scurrying out of the way.
The depths of the castle were far more austere than the public spaces above. Like my quarters, I preferred it. Smooth, silk-covered walls and wooden floors were replaced with rough stone walls and dirt underfoot. The air grew cooler as I descended the wide spiral staircase, the dark magic soothing me.
I stepped out into the large chamber. Dark magic had hewn it straight from the rock, creeping out of the pit in the center of the room. I strode toward it, my soul quieting as I approached the deep, dark chasm.
At the edge, I stared into the abyss. Stars gleamed in the depths, a trick of the mind.
Or perhaps they were real.
To enter the pit was death. It called to me, a siren song that I easily resisted. There were things to accomplish before I entered that darkness.
I stared into it, drawing strength. I had been born of this darkness and was indebted to it for my very life. I was death, created for a single purpose. I would do as it commanded, for it was the only power greater than I.
But I was running out of time. I could feel it even now, that strange tingle in my hands.
I removed my gloves. My hands were beginning to turn transparent. I clenched them, forming a fist.
Still semi-transparent.
Damn it.
It had been happening more and more lately. Unlike the other gods, I was fated to die again and again, fading away until I re-awoke in the chambers of Tartarus. There, I would spend eons being tortured alongside my father, Chronos. Eventually, I would be reborn in hades once more, expected to pick up the mantle of rule.
I drew in a shuddering breath.
This time, I would defy my fate. And the darkness would help me.
I stepped closer to the pit, staring down into the depths.
Magic wafted up, whooshing over me. It filled my soul, re-solidifying my form until I was no longer transparent. It would hold me for a while—days, maybe weeks—giving me time to end this curse.
It sustained me, and I returned again and again to keep my physical form. Others would call it dark magic, and perhaps it was. Light and dark magic were distinctly different, but both forms could be used to obtain power.
It just so happened the dark magic had always served me best. Not only did it sustain my physical form, it soothed the riot in my chest, the strange chaos that seemed to be trying to take hold of me.
I despised the strange sensation deep in my soul. Would crush it with everything I had.
I breathed deeply of the mist and the magic that drifted up from the depths of the earth, letting it soak inside me and calm the beast of light.
It was the only thing that eased the tortured mess of my mind. The only thing that kept me out of Tartarus.
Soothed, I looked down in the abyss. “I have found her.”
Good. The voice whispered through the air, sinuous and deep. Only with her will we be able to expand the underworld to the Earth above. Soon, it will all be ours.
“When will I know her role?” I’d been working toward this goal for eons, it felt like. And I was so close. Yet I still had no idea the exact role she was meant to play. The heavens concealed that from me.
In three moon’s time the stars will align, and her purpose will be revealed. Take her to the Temple of Shadows to witness and learn.
The Temple of Shadows. I hadn’t been there in years, and it was a good day’s ride away. It would give me one night to learn what I could from her, and another to reach the plateau.
Soon, I would have answers.
Seraphia
Pain woke me. A horrible, pounding slamming at my skull.
Groggy, I opened my eyes. The light in the room nearly blinded me. An icicle of agony shot through my head, and I rolled onto my side and retched, dry heaves that produced nothing.
Gasping, I righted myself and propped my head between my knees.
Breathe. Breathe.
Slow, deep breaths got the worst of the pain under control, and soon, I could look up and take in the room.
It wasn’t that bright. Lamps shed a golden glow on the crimson and navy fabrics of the sumptuous room. A lush carpet covered the floor, and the furniture was nice.
I wasn’t on any of it, but it was nice.
Not the cold, damp prison cell I would have expected.
Especially considering my captor had knocked me out and left me. Fear sliced through me.
He had the power to do that whenever he wanted. A little blast of that powder, and I was out for the count.
The memory of the people in the village square flashed in my mind. They’d been flayed alive. By the man who had just captured me.
His word echoed in my head.
I am Hades.
No way.
Of course the gods and goddess might be real. I’d heard of people who’d met them. They were just a different type of supernatural, albeit the crazy powerful type. They rarely walked the earth though. Most couldn’t, from what little I knew. People needed to still worship them to give them that power, and the ancient Greek gods had fallen out of favor long ago.
I shuddered, thinking of my homeland. Of Nana.
She’d drilled into me that terrible things would happen if the shadow found me. Too bad she’d never known that the shadow was Hades, Lord of the Underworld. I’d done what she’d insisted, though, repressing my magic and avoiding emotion. Avoiding attachments.
Well, the shadow had still found me.
But why?
I was certainly no Persephone.
I was Seraphia, with shitty plant magic. I’d only been powerful enough to hit him with a damned fern.
It was enough to be embarrassing.
He had the wrong girl, anyway.
Not that he would believe me. Running was my best option, and I needed to get out of here before he came back.
I climbed to my feet and went to the window. It was open to the night air, bringing in the scent of the sea. Cold air chilled my skin, but it was the view that iced my bones.
Outside my window, the world had fallen into darkness. A large moon hung over the view at the back of my prison, shedding light on the crashing ocean below.
How long had I been knocked out?
Was it even the same day?
I leaned over the edge of the windowsill. Below me, the stone wall descended straight into the edge of the cliff, which plunged into the sea. Massive waves crashed against the base, their roar filtering upward. Soothing, yet threatening. Like a sleep soundtrack from hell.
“That option is out,” I muttered.
Skin cold, I turned to the door and strode toward it, determined to figure out how to pick the lock and get my butt out of there.
I knelt at the door to more closely inspect the handle, unable to find a lock.
Damn it. Had that bastard locked it with his magic?
Cold with worry, I gripped the heavy metal door handle and twisted.