Page 34 of A Spell of Bones and Madness
“I know that Kora and I are Fated. I know that your sister is generally the one to threaten people with a candlestick, but alas, here you are, sweetheart,” he replied.
“Father?” she whispered under her breath. Could it really be him? Had the Olympi truly left her in those hallowed halls?
“My wraiths alerted me to unusual activity in the lowest dungeons of Tartaros earlier today. It was to my surprise when I arrived that it was not adaimonacting out of turn, but my own daughter passed out on the floor. You would not wake when I found you, coaxed into some dreamless sleep, so I brought you back here where my healers worked to help you recover.” Aidon walked toward her once again, and this time she let him.
“And what of the others? Of Ajax? Dimitris? Thalia? Mykonos?” Ember asked, still uncertain of whether this was realityor fiction. Her gut was telling her she was safe, but something—the tiniest inkling of doubt—roiled deep in her stomach.
“What’s going on here?” The all too familiar voice hit her, coming from the doorway. Ember dropped the candlestick with a loud clang against the marble tiling.
“Ajax!” she gasped. It was true then. Hades was merely an illusion. A fear that felt so real, yet was just the trickery the realm of Aidesian played on you. Because those warm chocolate eyes—they looked like his, not the muted brown she had seen in the dungeons.
“You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily did you, Drakos?” Ajax grinned so wide, Ember could barely control herself.
Ember ran to the doorway, but instead of catching her in an embrace, his warm calloused hands met her cheeks and he leaned down, pressing his lips firmly to hers. It felt as if the floor beneath her gave out to nothing at all. Like they were floating in an endless cloudy abyss of honey and cinnamon. The gentleness at first, curiosity, exploration. Then his tongue swept over her lips, begging to be let inside. Intoxicating, every graze of his thumb over her cheek, the way his hands slowly slid toward her hair, tugging so her head tilted toward him more.
She pulled back, chest still heaving, gasping for some semblance of air. “I thought—I thought you were dead.”
“So did I. So did I.”
“No, you don’t understand, Ajax, I saw you die. I felt your blood seep over my fingers, heard as your lungs inhaled their last breath. That beast—that beast left you shredded, and then there was nothing. Just blackness until I woke up here.”
Wide eyes stared back at her, stiff jaw, tilted down lips. “There was no beast, Ember. You were stuck behind some sort of veil, all we could see or hear was you screaming, collapsed on the ground.”
“Hades, he came to me.” Ember’s teeth rolled over her bottom lip and her shoulders slumped.
“If that is true, then we have much to discuss,” Aidon’s voice was sharper now, the same tone he used to use when Katrin and Ember would try to steal cookies from the bakers before dinner.
Rose seeped across Ember’s cheeks. Gods—she had kissed the commander in front of her father. He seemed to pretend that he didn’t notice, and there were much more important things they needed to discuss. Such as why Hades—illusion or not—was able to contact her and where the others were.
“The others then? Dimitris? Thalia? The cat? They are unharmed?” she asked.
“Thalia and herpsychíare healing. We encountered a particularly feraldaimonsearching for you.” Ajax rustled his hand through his hair. “We thought we might lose them, but themystikistísare working on them both now.”
Aidon placed a hand on Ember’s shoulder, squeezing it tight. “Healing is different down here. They will come to a quick recovery, but it is not without cost. Seer’s are unique beings, their ability stemming from the whispers of the dead who came before them. Her ability will be heightened now, more than just the visions, but the physical nature of what she sees. Whether that be for happiness or death.”
“But she—she’s already been through so much. Is there not another way?” Katrin had told Ember about the seer,what had happened to her before she boardedThe Nostos, what torturous things she’d already endured.
“I am sorry, there is no other way. Take your time to bathe and change, it has been a long journey from what the commander has told me. You must be famished as well. Afterwards, come meet us in the great hall and we can discuss why you decided to venture here without notice.”
“How will I know where that is? The great hall?” Ember asked.
“If you haven’t noticed, this castle and the one in Alentus are the same. You’ll find you know exactly how to get everywhere you need to.”
Surprisingly enough, her armoire was stocked full of gowns, similar to ones she wore in Alentus, but again in those deep hues of the room around her. It was not only the gowns that drew her attention, but also an assortment of fighting leathers folded neatly at the base of the armoire next to a pair of broken-in boots that were just her size. She selected a set, the color of a deep glass of burgundy wine, and it hugged her body with enough give that she could move freely, but not so loose that she felt swallowed by it. The material was lighter than her suits in Alentus, a softer leather that seemed to keep her warm and cool at the same time. Were they spelled to be this way or, more terrifyingly, had they been made from some beast that lived in these halls?
Once she dressed and deemed herself calm enough to step outside the comfort of the room, Ember made her way through the winding halls. Each one seemed eerily familiar like her father had mentioned, save the onyx painted walls and oil-gilded chandeliers that lit every step she took with a magical glow. The paintings were all the same as well, yet distorted with a blurry sheen, leaving one unable to make out the exact lines of the faces they depicted.
Thick crimson velvet lined the great hall, a stark contrast to the simplicity of Alentian gold and turquoise. It would take some getting used to the obsidian marble that replaced the driftwood tables and chairs, as well as the ornate detailing of the sun and lightning bolt in black instead of the shimmering hue back home.
Ajax sat with Dimitris and her father at the head of a long table by the dais. They did not notice her at first, light steps were something she learned at a young age.You do not want to be clacking about in your shoes. It is unladylike,Kora would always say. How Ember missed her mother. A small part of her had thought she would be here, in Aidesian. That the Binding Laws of the Grechi had somehow faltered and would allow her to travel between non-mortal realms. It was clear that wish would not come to fruition—it would be years before she would be able to look into her mothers eyes again, and fall into her comforting embrace.
On one end of the table lay a spread of food, a cornucopia of berries, pomegranates, loaves of bread. A roasted pig sat on top of a silver platter, not yet cut into. Silver chalices sat by each seat, ornate with rubies and onyx accents.
There were papers and books strewn about the other side, and the three men fumbled through them. Near her father was some long object, wrapped delicately in black velvet. A tip ofgold stuck out from one end, reflecting even the dim light of the chandeliers. Her father looked up first as Ember neared the end of the table. Dimitris then glanced over and smiled softly. Ajax’s back was still titled toward her in his chair, he was deep in one of the diagrams that lay in front of him.
“You look terrifying, blondie. I like it.” Dimitris smirked, the words dripping off his tongue, looking her up and down with a predatory, yet entrancing gaze. “Don’t you agree, Commander?”
Beside him, Ajax went stiff, turning his head over his shoulder slowly. His eyes locked on Ember’s and his jaw tightened. “Yes. She is quite terrifying when she wants to be.”
