Page 200 of A Touch of Chaos

“Try me,” he said. “I can have many sons.” He let his gaze fall to her stomach before he met her gaze again. “Perhaps there is already a replacement on the way.”

He smiled at the look in her eyes, a mix of devastation and disgust, but she did not fight him as he pushed her knees apart and took her on the bed from which her sister still hung.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

HADES

Hades appeared in his office at Nevernight.

Only one thing had gone to plan during the entire battle, and that had been their exit.

“What was that?” Persephone whispered.

He knew what she was asking based on the raw rasp of her voice. She was still trembling from the horror of Cronos’s magic, and he could not blame her. He was too.

“Cronos can make our greatest fears reality,” he said. “Where do you think I got the ability?”

He hated sharing anything with his father, but what he hated most was that he had used that power on Persephone once before.

They were not alone long when the doors to his office opened and Harmonia, Sybil, and Aphrodite raced into the room.

“I thought I sensed your return,” said Harmonia. “Thank the Fates!”

They do not deserve your thanks, Hades thought as Harmonia crossed the room to embrace Persephone, followed by Sybil.

Aphrodite lingered behind, her eyes wide. He knew by her expression that something was wrong.

“My powers are back,” she said.

It was something she should be excited about or at the very least relieved, except that Hades felt like he understood her shock because in this instance, it meant that Zeus was dead.

Hecate’s magic filled the room, signaling her return. She appeared with Artemis and Hephaestus, though the God of Fire was clearly injured. He was on his knees. One hand was flat on the ground, the other clutching his chest and covered in blood.

Aphrodite paled and ran to him. Kneeling at his side, she placed her hand over his as if she could somehow stop the bleeding.

“I’m fine,” said the god, rising to his feet. He summoned a golden arrow and, without a second of hesitation, shoved it into his chest.

“What are you doing?” Aphrodite demanded, but then the arrow vanished and so did his wound.

Aphrodite looked on in wonder, her fingers brushing over his skin.

“I asked Hephaestus to turn the Golden Fleece into something we could use on the battlefield,” said Hades. “Arrows seemed like the best option. If we are wounded by Theseus’s weapons, we can be healed from a distance.”

“Woo-hoo!” Hermes said, appearing suddenly. “My powers are back!”

His enthusiasm seemed to dim as he realized exactly what that meant. He looked at Aphrodite.

“Our powers are back,” he said, quieter this time. He looked at Hades. “So…Zeus is dead?”

Hades hesitated. He was just as much in the dark as everyone else, but then Hecate spoke.

“I killed Zeus,” she said.

They all looked at her. Even Hades was a little stunned.

“You only ever mentioned saving him,” she said, half shrugging. “But the death of Zeus is the death of his magic. Theseus has no lightning bolt. Aphrodite and Hermes have their powers back…and I have a new heart.”

Hades supposed that was fair enough, though he genuinely had not expected Hecate to make the decision.

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