Page 79 of Spring's Descent

Everything else might be a lie, but not him. Not my God of The Underworld. My demon.

I needed to stay alive for him, for each and every soul in The Underworld and The Realm of the Living who were counting on balance being restored.

“Hades may be a lot of things—vengeful, merciless, the embodiment of death magic—but he is not a liar.” Disgust curled my upper lip as my gaze bounced between Lark and Cyrus.

“Keep telling yourself that, Korae.” Cyrus’s gaze roved over the thin fabric of my robe, each swipe of his eyes making me feel dirty. “It was the necklace.”

“Cyrus,” Lark warned but she might as well have been talking to the wind.

“That’s how dear, little Larkspur controlled you.”

“I had this long before Lark.” I clasped the fire opal in my palm, shaking my head. “I claimed this stone in the caves of The Crystal City when I was just a child.”

“Yes, but Lark was able to link her stone to yours,” Cyrus grinned, enjoying my agony. “She waited patiently, biding her time over the years as she earned your trust. Trust is needed to ensure the bond between the two necklaces was strong, giving our dark witch the ability to channel her magic through it.”

My eyes widened, tears already gathering at their edges as I turned toward Lark. Her face was a mask of control, but she didn’t deny anything he said.Gods above.

“You compelled me to return here? After everything you saw them do to me, all the promises we made of escaping…Why?Why help me escape only to force me right back to where it all started?”

The necklace had felt special, the one thing in this world that was just mine. That was meant for me… but even that had been twisted, tainted and warped for Demeter’s benefit. Chest heaving, I yanked the opal, snapping the gold chain and throwing it at Lark’s feet.

“You’ve taken everything from me. You might as well have this, too.”

Lark flinched as the chain rattled, looking as if she might bend to pick up the fire opal, but her spine stiffened as Cyrus turned. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around Lark’s waist as if he’d done it countless times before. Bile burned the back of my throat as nausea threatened. Was she sleeping with him?

“All you had to do was stay put for a few more weeks,” Cyrus said, his lips brushing the back of Lark’s neck. Her nostrils flared, but she didn’t push him away. Didn’t compel him to stop. “All of this could have been avoided. No matter. Once Demeter is done with you, you’re mine. I’ll have you beneath me, Korae, one way or another.”

He dragged his tongue up the side of Lark’s neck. “I wonder if she’ll scream my name as prettily as you did, Larkspur.”

“Everyone dies,” I said, my voice low and steady. “And when you do, my husband will be waiting.”

The air pricked with energy, and I could have sworn Lark’s eyes flashed black, but then she turned, running her hands along Cyrus’s chest to link behind his neck. He gripped her ass, pulling her body flush with his as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“Such vision,” Lark cooed, the sweetness of her voice turning my stomach. “Demeter is lucky to have you at her side, Cyrus. Not many men of your caliber would be content waiting for herwhen we have everything we need to move forward, but you’re different.”

“Gross,” I muttered. Lark flashed me an irritated glare as Cyrus’s attention snapped to me, but she was speaking again before I could respond.

“She’s promised you High Patriarch of the coven, hasn’t she? A position just as powerful as her own.”

Cyrus’s eyes started to glaze over as he nodded.

“Demeter will need guidance on what it means to share power. Reminders that your time is just as valuable as hers. She's lucky she found a partner as humble as you. Someone willing to bow to her timeframe.”

Lark’s fingers roved through his hair, caressing the sides of his face, his temples, until Cyrus pushed her away. The bars of my cell rattled as Lark connected with them, but Cyrus didn’t seem to notice. Her chest heaved, but she was moving before Cyrus realized what she was doing.

“Demeter and Ruby should be here,” he growled.

“They should,” Lark whispered, matching the urgency in his voice as she captured his hands.

“We have twelve hours until Korae’s magic awakens. We should’ve already started bleeding her.”

Bleeding me?Fuck, that didn’t sound good.

“You’re right,” Lark said in the same soft tone. Her compulsion was working, but I couldn’t figure out why. “You’re always right, Lord Cyrus.”

“I’m going to find them and demand they return. We can’t afford to lose this much magic.”

Lark nodded. “Show them that a High Patriarch waits for no one.”

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