Page 81 of Queen of the Underworld

He launched into a teleport and out the other side. The ground split beneath his boots as they touched down, shadows bursting from beneath them as he sprinted forwards, his wild gaze scanning the desolate valley as his heart thundered, pouring darkness through his veins that clouded his mind and made it impossible for him to use his connection to the realm to locate Persephone. His claws grew longer, his fangs sharper, as it stole control of him and flooded him with a hunger for violence. He seethed with it as it mingled with his rage to propel him forwards at speed, into the heart of the valley.

Where was Persephone?

Fear threaded through his anger and hunger, lacing them together into a feeling that clawed at his heart, shredding his soul as he searched for her and couldn’t find her. The warm air carried the faint scent of blood, jacking up the despair that sank talons into him to squeeze the remains of his heart.

Among the coppery tang of blood was a more delicate scent, one that wrenched at him and pulled him firmly into the abyss.

Lilies.

Hades sprinted through the trees, leashing his need to teleport, aware that if he surrendered to it, he might miss her. The sharp branches cut at his face as he blasted through them and his shadows swept around him, severing them before he could reach them in order to protect him. The scent of his own blood joined that of Persephone’s as warmth trickled down his right cheek.

He broke out into a clearing on the other side of the forest.

And the air exploded from his lungs.

Persephone.

She stood in the middle of the plain, her tangled mass of scarlet hair and the soft jade of her dress making her stand out amongst the black landscape and despite the looming night.

The sharp, hot rage that had gripped him fell away at the sight of her, relief sweeping it away as she pivoted to face him and her wide green eyes locked with his. His gaze catalogued the blood that streaked her face and drenched the front right side of her dress from her thigh downwards, where the delicate fabric had been shredded.

By talons.

He took a step towards her, a slave to his need to take care of her, to tend to her wounds and ensure she was all right. He ached with a need to sweep her into his arms. Pleasure rolled through him as she began moving towards him rather than running away, no trace of fear in her eyes as she gazed at him, despite his fangs and his claws, and the darkness that reigned in his eyes.

He had to appear every bit the monster those in her realm made him out to be, and yet she was running to him now, a flicker of desperation crossing her features, as if she couldn’t wait to be back in his arms.

“Run!” she screamed. “Run, Hades!”

Hades’s mood instantly blackened again, the rage pouring through his veins like hot acid as he realised she wasn’t running to be back in his arms—or at least it wasn’t the only reason she was now moving at speed in his direction.

A great black wyvern dropped out of the dark sky like a shadow, swooping at her.

She shrieked and ducked, and then swung wildly with a branch, spinning on her heel and smashing it against the dragon’s paw to knock it off course as it came dangerously close to snatching her. Her grip on her makeshift weapon failed as she followed through with the blow and it fell from her hands, leaving her wide open.

On a vicious growl, Hades teleported to her and swept her into his arms and into another teleport. She gasped as the darkness swallowed them, the way her hands came up to grip his arm and his shoulder pouring bliss through him that had no chance of dampening his fury. He stepped out of the teleport with her at the fringes of the forest and set her down, unable to obey the side of himself that roared to take her back to the tower.

He needed to deal with the wyvern right now, refused to delay even a moment longer than necessary.

It would pay for what it had done to his Persephone.

Hades stepped away from her, her attempts to grasp his leg and stop him lost on him as he strode onto the plain and glared up at the wyvern where it circled overhead, crimson eyes seeking its prey.

It spotted him.

Rather than retreating, it let out a fierce roar followed by a stream of fire that streaked across the black ground where he had been standing, the intense heat of it melting the rock.

It was too slow.

Hades appeared on its back and gripped its right wing, and ducked backwards as it swung its great head, the long horns that protruded from it coming close to clipping him. He wrenched hard on the wyvern’s wing and it shrieked as it pitched left and went down. Darkness devoured Hades, seizing control to have him barely aware of what he was doing as he tore into the beast, as he ripped it apart with his bare hands, fuelled by the image in his head of Persephone bleeding and her stark fear as she had run to him.

Warmth splattered him, drenching his face and his hands as he ripped flesh and broke bone. As the agonised howls died and the frantic struggles of the wyvern beneath him ceased, awareness rolled back over him.

Hades stared down at the mangled mess beneath him, at crimson flesh and blood, white bone and black scales. It didn’t even resemble the wyvern it had been. He staggered off the remains, breathing hard, each one he sucked down reeking of blood. His muscles shook as he scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to clear the blood away, aware he would scare Persephone if he went to her as he was now. He trudged back across the plain towards the forest, each step a labour as his tired body ached and he felt as if he had fought a war against an army, not just a battle with a dragon.

He stared at his bloodstained hands.

Fear.

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