Page 57 of His in the Dark

“It seems you’ve found your strength, no?”

“More like my anger.” Her voice trembles with her words. I do not think it will tremble forever. I think she will find yetmorestrength, and perhaps for her it will be uncomplicated. Perhaps it will feel like power without the past on its heels. “And I shall take it with me so in my absence you mustn’t suffer it.”

Her voiceinfuriatesme. Her presence in this place turns my vision red. Or is itmypresence that I find so unbearable? I don’t want to be here, torturing this soul. I want to be in my rooms, in bed with Persephone. I want to be somewhere that Zeus can never find, and can never see, and cannot know about.

I have finally found my heaven and all I can see is him taking from me once again. I will not allow it! And worse, I cannot tell her for it would give her hope. Surely she would fight harder if she knew help was coming. I do not wish her to fight me. I need her to love me.

I bring the whip down harder than I ever have on the soul’s back. There’s too much blood to see the wound I’ve left.

“Leave me,” I order Persephone.

“I’ve been trying,” she says, her voice low and dangerous. The statement is a dagger to my heart.

I thought it was hot before, but I was mistaken. The heat that flares between us is hotter than my fury. It’s hotter than the fires that torture deserving souls. It’s hotter than anything, and threatens to melt the Underworld into a sick conglomeration of heaven and hell, all of it blended so there is no telling where Elysium once was.

The ground shakes, splitting under my feet. It is a warning. The pressure is reaching into the very foundations of the Underworld. The tension will pull until it breaks us apart. There is far too much power building in Persephone, and far too much anger building in me, and the twowillmeet.

That is guaranteed.

The only question is whether we’ll survive it.

“I saidleave,” I grit out, and the cold core of her fear gusts through the heat that’s built in this space. It was hot before—the man on the X cross has not earned a cool breeze, and willneverearn one, so long as I am here. But my anger has set the air boiling. Persephone’s righteousness is like a match to a pile of dry tinder. This heat is different. It is a harbinger of power that’s bigger than both of us. And still, I feel her fear in it. A cold, lonely fear, as if she is seeing me for what I am. For what I could still become. “Now.”

Persephone steps forward, into my line of sight. Her eyes are wide—sheisafraid—but her chin is up and her hands are in fists at her sides. She’s beautiful like this. She’s so close to taking her power for herself, andstillshe insists on her suspicions.

Her knowledge?

Fuck. This was not how any of this was supposed to unfold. I had control over my realm and control over my plans for Persephone, and now it is like the strings of fate—out of my reach.

I won’t let that happen. Ican’tlet that happen.

But even the smallest glimpse of her is enough to turn me feral. I want to throw the whip away and crush her to me. I want to cover her mouth with mine so she can say nothing else. I only desire to work pleasure into her body until she ismine.Until she understands that she’smine.

And she’ll never go back to Zeus.

Thisis her realm now, if only she wouldseethat.

The ground shakes harder under my feet. Persephone glances down at the ground, her lips parting slightly. How much more will it take to make her understand? I wonder if she will break now. Cry. Beg.

But instead Persephone presses her lips together and lifts her chin. “I will go.”

As she turns, more words break free. “Don’teverthreaten me with your absence,” I order her. “You know not what you do.”

Then I turn my back to her. I cannot watch her leave.

PERSEPHONE

Idid not wish to see it. I knew of course. I can admit that to myself. I’ve heard the tales. I know the God Hades is. But to witness it… I could never have imagined the pain he so easily delivered.

The cracking is what led me. I swear I hear it more and more down the dark obsidian halls. I know not what it is but I followed it to the darkest corners and the ancient wooden door was parted, granting me entry as Minox fled. It led me to witness the kind of God Hades truly is.

I have never seen Hades like that before. Nor any God. There is fury and wrath, there are stories as well, even of my father and his brutality. But I have yet to witness such things, guarded by my dear mother.

I know as soon as I leave the torture chamber that I might have made a mistake. I do not know exactly what the mistakewas, and I do not know how to fix it.

I do not know if Ishouldfix it.

There is a darkness I innately wish to fight against and he embodies that. At the same time … I am drawn to it but fearful. What plagues me now? Another spell that drains me?

---