Page 132 of A Touch of Chaos

“I could scarce believe it myself when he arrived at my dock,” said Charon.

“What happened?” asked Persephone.

“I died,” Hypnos responded. His voice dripped with sarcasm. Clearly he hadn’t lost his sense of humor—or lack thereof.

“Why don’t you try answering that question again?” Hades suggested, his tone dark.

She could feel his frustration—he was not in the mood for games. Hypnos might be able to make light of his death, but the rest of them couldn’t, not when so many had come before him and had the potential to follow.

Hypnos’s mouth tightened.

“You want to know what happened? Theseus happened,” he said. “He brought me before Hera, who threatened to kill my wife if I did not provide her with a sleeping potion for Zeus. So I did.”

It would not be the first time Hera had required the use of Hypnos’s powers to lull Zeus into slumber. She’d done it twice before with the intention of overthrowing her husband.

But Persephone was surprised at the extent to which the leader of Triad had aligned himself with the Queen of the Gods. Though he had once claimed an alliance with Hera, Persephone was skeptical of the depth of the connection.

“Theseus brought you before Hera?” Persephoneasked. What was the possible benefit of the demigod working with Hera?

“That is what I said.”

Persephone’s gaze shifted to Hades. “Did you know about the extent of this alliance?” Hades opened his mouth, but Persephone already knew the answer before he spoke. She looked away quickly, returning her attention to Hypnos. “You said Hera wanted a sleeping potion for Zeus. Is he…”

“He’s sufficiently comatose.”

Strangely, Persephone had no feelings one way or the other about Zeus. He deserved to be deposed and so much worse, but the end of his rule would be useless if someone even more terrible took his place.

“But they killed you and not him. Why?”

“For the same reason Theseus kept me alive,” said Hades. “He still hopes to convince Cronos to join his side—at least until he has conquered the world.”

“Does Theseus really believe he can take on a Titan?” Persephone asked.

“Theseus believes he is undefeatable,” said Hades.

Persephone wanted to ask why. Was it just his arrogance or something else? But then Hypnos spoke.

“I imagine he feels pretty invincible at the moment given that he is now in possession of the lightning bolt.”

“What?” Persephone asked, shocked by his words. Beside her, Hades went rigid.

Hypnos looked annoyed. “I said…”

“I know what you said,” Persephone snapped, but she did not wish to believe it. Theseus was now in possession of the Helm of Darkness and Zeus’s lightning bolt, and he likely had access to Poseidon’s trident, being thathe was his son. Those were the three weapons that had aided the Olympians in overthrowing the Titans.

“Did he say anything else?” Hades asked.

“Nothing of his plans,” said Hypnos.

Persephone looked at Hades, who returned her stare. She wanted to say something, but everything seemed obvious. They had to stop Theseus. They had to make a plan. They had to do it quickly.

“Thank you, Hypnos,” said Hades. “I am sorry it had to end this way.”

Persephone expected the god to give some kind of biting reply, but he didn’t. Instead, he asked another question as he looked from Hades to Thanatos.

“Who will tell my wife?”

It was then Persephone understood what Hypnos truly mourned about his death.

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