Page 98 of The Queen & the King

What are they talking about? My eyes dart around, trying to find them, but there’s still nothing. Why can I hear the Primordials but not see them?

I struggle again, shouting even though no sound comes out.Nyx! Erebus!

Invisible fingers dig into my face. I try to tug away, but the phantom fingers dig in even more. “Don’t struggle, boy. This is a gift.”

I growl, but there is only silence. Unfamiliar power surrounds me, darkness but not my darkness. It is something infinitely more powerful. These are the shadows from which all shadows spring from, even mine. This is Primordial power.I try to pull back, unable to handle this power. I’m not a Primordial, and I am already powerful enough. If I take on Erebus’s power, I will die.

“You’re already dead, idiot,” Erebus snaps, and I stop struggling. “This comes at a great cost to us, so do act a bit grateful.”

“Erebus!” Nyx admonishes him.

More of Erebus’s ability floods into me, drowning me in darkness. I have never experienced anything like this. Even when Persephone was gone, and I lost myself, it wasn’t this overwhelming.

I whirl upwards through the Void, finally able to move. Light filters in, and I soar out of the pocket of Void, the hole in my chest healed. When I land in the Underworld, I inhale deeply. The Primordial power is coursing through me but no longer overwhelming me. Erebus must not have given me more than I could handle, but I wonder at what cost.

Typhon’s screech shakes the Underworld, followed by the sounds of thunder. Shadows flicker and wrap around me. For the first time, I understand what Nyx meant when she told me not all darkness is evil. This darkness binding to mine feelspure.

A Titan shouts in surprise at my reappearance and charges at me. I throw my hand up, prepared to hurl him back with my shadows as I’ve done to many Titans before. But the shadows don’t obey, or rather, they have a mind of their own. They wrap around the Titan, lifting him from the ground and trapping him in darkness. They hold him perfectly still, like in the Void.

I blink in surprise when I stretch my fingers slightly, and the Voidconsumesthe Titan. I lower my hand carefully. What did those crazy Primordials do? I touch my chest. The hole my father left is gone. It must have taken considerable power to repair, and he gave me back not only my abilities but some of his own.

Erebus mentioned a price… Fuck, it must be astronomical.

Typhon has made his way to Elysium, crafting destruction in his wake. I snap my wings out and jump to take off. I soar closer to the giant, snapping my wings wide to hover at eye level with him.

“Typhon!” I order.

This time, the giant pauses and looks at me. For the first time, there’s a flicker of fear in his eyes. Does he sense the change in me?

Shadows curl around him, forming chains and wrapping tight around his limbs, slowing him down. The monstrous chains turn to adamantium, controlling Typhon and stopping him from moving further.

My vision flickers. Binding him is draining me of my energy. Unconsciousness teases at the edges of my mind, and I plummet to the ground. I flare out my wings, barely managing to slow my descent enough to keep myself from becoming nothing but a splattered memory of a god. Even so, I hit the ground hard enough to force the air from my lungs and make every bone in my body ache.

Fuck, I may have Erebus’ abilities, but I do not have his stamina. I can’t use this new power unless I am ready to pay the price to my energy.

Typhon struggles, breaking the chains. I can’t hold him. Fuck, I can’t use this ability like this. Typhon looks down at me and moves forward, his giant foot hovering over me, about to stomp down.

I struggle to my knees, still gasping for air as I wait for my body to heal. The shadows around me flicker but don’t obey me. I’m too weak to command them.

Weak, pathetic boy.

I am all alone.

Fifty-Seven

Persephone

IZERO IN ON HADES IMMEDIATELY.Hades is flat on the ground, Typhon’s enormous foot hovering over him and a smile on his ugly, rotten face.

Not today, asshole.

A huge spike pushes from the ground right beside Hades. I swoop down, flying at Hades and tackling him, a whoosh of air leaving him as I crash against him. I hold him tight and roll, moving us out of danger just as Typhon drops his foot. The sharp golden spike pierces his sole, and his wail of pain reverberates throughout the Underworld. I pant, looking over my shoulder at Typhon, covering Hades’ body with my own. Hades simply looks up at me in wonder, and after a moment, I meet his gaze.

“Don’t get crushed.” I kiss him hard and wink at him before rolling off him and launching myself back into the air.

Within five minutes, Zeus and Poseidon appear almost simultaneously, and I send a silent thank you to Thanatos for retrieving them. I know how hard it is for him to go topside for anything other than work.

This may be the only time I’ve ever been grateful to see Zeus’s stupid face, but the way he rushes to Hades’ side and startsthrowing lightning bolts at Typhon makes me wonder if I should be nicer to him. Maybe that’s a stretch, but I’ll send him a basket of mini muffins or something.

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