“Admit it, not embrace it. And I want my own horse. I’m not sitting pressed up against you.”
Something flickered in his gaze, and he nodded. “All right. Come with me.”
I followed him out of the room and down the hall. Despite his massive size, his footsteps were silent on the stone floor. I tried to match him, not wanting to be the clumsy one of the pair.
“So, you don’t want to fly to the forest?” I asked, already knowing the answer but wanting the why.
He stiffened slightly, the movement barely perceptible from the corner of my eye.
“Why do you hate your wings so much?”
“I don’t hate my wings.”
If I’d thought his posture was stiff, his voice put that to shame. “Of course you do. You never use them. On the rare instances you do, you put them right back where they came from as soon as you’re done.”
“They’re not useful.”
“That’s total bollocks, and you know it. They’re wings, for fates’ sake. You can soar above the clouds.”
“I have no interest in the clouds.”
“Hmm.” There was so much there that he wasn’t telling me. But we’d reached the main entry hall of the castle, so there was no time to ask. Not that I thought he’d answer me.
We strode toward the door. Hades stopped in front of one of the guards, telling him to fetch a horse for me.
Together, we walked out into the murky daylight of the underworld. As before, it was gray and dreary, with no sun cutting through the clouds and a faint smell of smoke on the air.
Hades led the way down the stairs, taking them two at a time, and stopped in front of Horse, who stood patiently at the base.
I joined him, staring up at the big animal. It ignored me, too regal for the likes of me.
A few moments later, a gleaming ebony horse was led toward the stairs from the side of the castle. It was elegant and tall, with a mane shot through with something that flickered like flame.
I swallowed hard, suddenly regretting my decision to request my own horse.
How hard could it be, though?
The servant stopped in front of me, and I eyed the saddle. Just as I was debating how to get onto it, I felt Hades’ strong hands grip my waist. They burned in the best way, sending a shiver through me. He lifted me up, and I swung my leg over the saddle. His hands tightened slightly on my waist, as if he didn’t want to let go, and then he released me.
“Thanks.” I gripped the reins and looked down at him, spotting the heat in his gaze.
Even that little touch lit us both up.
He’s never touched anyone else.
I was dead certain of it. So of course it lit him up. It had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the fact that I was the first.
In front of me, Hades mounted Horse smoothly, then gave the animal a slight nudge in the sides with his heels. I mimicked the movement, and my mount picked up the pace.
Horse moved at a swift clip away from the castle. Hades rode like he’d been doing it for thousands of years—which he probably had. He was one with the beast, his form elegant and controlled.
My mount followed. I patted the creature’s neck, still having no idea if it was a male or a female, and leaned over. “I’m going to call you Sally, okay?”
The horse whinnied, and I took that as an okay.
Sally picked up the pace to join Horse, and the two creatures trotted side by side as we passed the dark stone buildings that lined the street. I couldn’t help but wonder if Hades had given me a magical horse that knew exactly what to do, because this was way too easy. It was coming in handy, that was for sure.
As we rode through the city, people came out of their houses to watch. The crown appeared at Hades’ head, the symbol that he only wore in front of his people. When their gazes turned toward me, there was something almost like reverence in their eyes.
I twitched. It felt weird to be the recipient of such a stare.
One by one, they bowed. For Hades, of course. But their eyes were also on me. And when I looked at Hades, he appeared pleased. It was just the faintest difference to the set of his mouth that gave me the impression, and it could have been total bollocks.
I shivered and focused forward, not liking what it implied if the citizens really were bowing to me. In all of the myths that humans told about Hades, Persephone became his wife.
His wife.
No way. It was crazy to even think it.
I shook away the thought and focused on not falling off of Sally. We passed torture square, and I winced at the sight of the people hanging there. The memory of Kerala telling me about their crimes flashed through me.
They deserved it.
I knew they did, but still…
I hated looking at them.
We neared the turnoff for the city gates, and I looked toward the huge library that connected to Guild City. At the base of the steps, I spotted the night wolves. They lurked in the shadows, their eyes on me.
Instead of feeling fear, I felt a connection. Somehow, with magic I still didn’t understand, I’d been able to control them. Just like Hades.
We passed under the massive gate and exited the city, swiftly descending the mountainside. Hades directed Horse toward the cliffs overlooking the sea, and Sally followed. I tried to focus on becoming a better rider, but Sally was in such control that it didn’t really matter. I just had to hang on.
We rode along the coast for what felt like hours, though it was probably shorter. The sea crashed below, the saltwater smell glorious and similar to the beach back on earth. I couldn’t imagine what monsters lurked in these depths, however.
In the distance, I spotted the same forest that I’d seen last time we’d left the city in pursuit of the Temple of Shadows.
“Is that where we’re going?” I asked.
“Yes.”
A few minutes later, we turned away from the sea and cut across the planes. The forest called to me, its song stronger and stronger as we grew nearer. I could feel the life there, vibrant and fresh…but it didn’t feel quite right.
As we neared, I saw why.
The forest was struggling. Ancient oaks grew out of the ground, a hundred feet tall if they were an inch. Despite their size, half of them looked dead, and the other half seemed like they were almost there.
“Have they always looked like this?” I asked as Sally and Horse stopped about forty feet away.
“Yes.” Hades surveyed them with an impassive gaze. “But it’s the strongest, biggest forest we have.”
I studied the sturdy trunks and twisted branches, the leaves that decorated only half the trees. Even those were falling at an alarming rate. Some scrubby grasses and a few bushes grew on the forest floor between the trees, but it was relatively barren.
The entire place made me sad.
I shoved away the thought and turned to Hades. “Now what?”
“We go in. We’ll practice. You’ll feel your power unlock when you’ve gained control. It will be very distinct. You won’t miss it.”
I nodded, my gaze on the trees. I could feel animal life as well, now that I focused on it. Like I had a sixth sense for the heartbeats of smaller creatures.
“What else lives in this forest?” I asked.
“Rabbits, wolves, rodents. Not many, but they are there.”
“Was the underworld always so miserable and dark?”