Page 27 of Hades

“What’s wrong?” she softly asked and reached a hand out to him, pausing when she saw his claws. Her tone grew firmer. “What’s wrong? Is it the enemy? Are they here?”

Hades abruptly shook his head and growled, “I cannot find Persephone.”

With that, he teleported, landing near the entrance of the cave that would lead him to their secret realm. He hurried inside, moving as fast as he could as a sense of urgency built inside him. He couldn’t smell her here, but she had to be here. He wasn’t sure where else to look.

She had to be here.

He opened the gate, his impatience growing and his fear gnawing at his strength as he willed the damned thing to hurry. As soon as it was fully formed, he leaped through it and raced towards the stable.

Cerberus greeted him the second he spotted Hades, his long tail thumping against the grass as he lifted his heads but didn’t move to stand.

“Is she here?” Hades stopped before the great black beast.

Cerberus whined in response.

“Damn it,” Hades barked, hope leaching from him, but then he drove the fear from his heart and teleported to her favourite spots, refusing to give up.

Even when deep in his soul he knew he wouldn’t find her.

When he had exhausted his strength and the places she loved to go, he returned to the palace. Shadows whipped around his feet and the mountains trembled, belching heavy plumes of ash into the air as fresh lava rolled down their cragged black faces. He growled, flashing his fangs as he stalked forwards, his mind treading dark paths. He let it. He let the darkness consume him as fear sank icy talons into his heart and shredded it.

“Father.” Keras stepped in front of him and Hades realised he wasn’t the only one waiting outside the palace.

All his children were there.

Ares must have summoned them all.

He went to step around Keras and his oldest son pressed a palm to the centre of Hades’s chest, right over the scraped-out hollow where his heart had been.

Where was she now?

Keras’s green eyes implored him to stop and talk. So much like his mother.

But there was darkness in him too.

Shadows that writhed around him as viciously as Hades’s own.

Fury that coloured his irises crimson at the edges.

“Do you think… someone has taken her?” Keras said, his deep voice unsteady, telling Hades he already knew the answer to that question.

Hades forced a nod as all his strength drained from him, his rage and the darkness not strong enough to withstand the sudden surge of hopelessness.

Despair.

Tears burned his eyes and his nose, and he turned away from his children, hiding them from everyone who had gathered.

“Fucking bitch,” Valen snarled, his anger palpable as lightning split the crimson sky and struck hard beyond the palace, shaking the black earth.

Fucking bitchindeed.

Rage blazed again only to fade an instant later as Hades stared at the orchard, his shoulders sagging. He needed her back. The cursed tears came as that void in his chest ached, as his brow furrowed and he thought about his love and how terrified she must be. He told himself that she was strong. Brave. She had faced him when he had been at his worst and she hadn’t so much as flinched. She could face their enemy and survive whatever they threw at her.

His fists clenched.

She could.

Megan stepped up beside him, the only one brave—or foolish—enough to come close to him and move into a position where she could see the evidence of his pain. Had it been one of his sons, he might have unleashed his rage upon them to drive them away so they didn’t see his tears, but instead he simply looked at her, into her dark eyes laced with unshed tears.

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