Page 74 of Summer's Seduction

I circled one last time before landing on a bank of snow in front of where the glass doors would be. The opaque material was thick enough to conceal what was on the inside, not to mention that glass forged by sand from The Cornucopia was embedded with its own type of magic.

With my wings taut and spine stiff, I stepped forward. Larkspur’s boots crunched along the snow, keeping pace with me as I approached the massive doors, now mostly hidden by the towering banks of snow, and pressed a palm to the frozen surface.

Energy surged beneath my hand, my fingertips buzzing with magic. I felt connected to the entire prison, aware of every dark, abandoned place that had been forgotten after being buried by the torrent of lava that had consumed the palace. I also sensed malevolence lurking in corridors. Most angry spirits were contained, but others had somehow escaped their cells, passing among the hallways of the once grand palace but never able to leave.

And there, still slumbering in the tallest tower meant to house The Cornucopia containing The Sands of Slumber, was a brightness among the dark: Psyche.

“I don’t feel The Cornucopia,” I said, eyes closed as I sent my magic out, searching once more. Still nothing, only that subtle warmth. “But I know where Psyche is.”

I opened my eyes to find Larkspur watching me intently. Her’s were ringed in red, the scarlet circles around her deep green irises put there by my blood. My life-force. Gods below, I’d never get enough of seeing that.

“In the tower,” she said, sensing what I did through our blood bond. She turned, finding the tip of the spire peeking through the snow. “But the only way to reach it is through the palace.”

I nodded, knowing she had already realized what that meant. “If The Cornucopia is truly missing, it means my father has everything he needs to finish this war. We need to move quickly and update the others.”

She nodded, eyes still fixed on where her little sister was trapped beneath the banks of snow and long-cooled flows of lava.

“If things get messy, keep going. Get Psyche and yourself out. Before my father turned against Hades, the two of them worked together to leash primal monsters. Because I am Hypnos’s heir, my blood might draw the worst of the creatures forward.”

“I’m not leaving you,” she said, lips set in a grim line.

“You will, Larkspur. If it comes between me and your sister, you need to choose her.”

She looked like she wanted to protest but wasn’t sure if she could without making false promises.

“It’s okay,” I said. “There are things I wish I did differently. Saving Psyche will be my first step toward correcting those mistakes.”Hopefully, it won’t be my last.

With a slow, silent nod, she withdrew a blade and held it at the ready. The moon shifted, reaching her full height in the night sky. There was a buzzing of power in the air as if the seal around The Glass Palace had come to life.

“Whatever comes, my dark prince, we’ll face it together.”

“Together,” I echoed, knowing that I wouldn’t let my little monster place herself in any more danger for my sake.

With a deep breath, I pressed my palm flat against the door. Drawing on my magic, I let it rise, ringingly with the energy buzzing around the palace. I could feel the molecules neutralizing, like two exact opposites merging. The palace drew heavily on my power, draining more and more until it was difficult to stand.

Just when I thought I’d pass out from exhaustion, the siphoning stopped. And the ground shuddered.

Larkspur offered me her wrist, the flesh already torn and bleeding as the doors clicked. Being careful not to take too much, I lapped at the underside of her wrist, taking only enough to banish the buzzing in my mind and the lightheadedness.

I withdrew my blade just as the doors swung open. A blast of stale air blew the wisps of hair that had pulled free from Larkspur’s braid. It smelled like the damp, upturned earth of a massive tomb, and I couldn’t help thinking that was exactly what we were walking into.

“Whatever comes, little monster, know that you have been the single greatest thing in my life.” Without meeting her searing gaze, I dove into the darkness.

LARKSPUR

Iraced after Morpheus, contemplating throwing a dagger his way just to pay him back for that goodbye. We weren’t dying here, and I wasn’t going to let him sacrifice himself. There was a time when I would’ve given anything to save my sister—and I still would—but that didn’t mean I was in this alone.

Morpheus and I had been through too much. His blood was coursing through my veins and mine through his. I felt him in my bones. I knew how strong and selfless he was, but also how brutal and merciless he was on a battlefield. With our memories returning and the bond we’d crafted through blood and trust, I saw every facet of my dark prince. And loved him all the more for it.

Blinking through the darkness, I relied on my hearing to search, only to find Morpheus moving slowly a few paces ahead.

What looked to be a grand hallway stretched out before us. Walls reached high into the blackness, adorned with arched windows inlaid with what was once colorful mosaics. Dim lanterns hung throughout the space, each constructed with small pieces of glass. That reflected what little moonlight emanated from the open doors at our backs.

A throne sat at the far end, the red cushion still placed upon the seat. I could just make out the two sets of halls on either side of it, each giving way to stairs. That must be how we reached the tower.

“We take the stairs on the left,” Morpheus said, scanning the vacant room with his sword held at the ready.

I followed his gaze, body tense, but found nothing. “Do you see something?” I whispered.

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