Page 45 of The Prince of Hidden Shadows
My bedroom door creaks open, revealing the sanctuary I carved out for myself here: dark wood, flickering lanterns casting golden light, and shelves lined with books I bought during my previous trip to Earth but have yet to finish.
Charon warned me, so why does the blood rush through my veins when I seehim?
Seated in a high-backed chair near the eternal fire, Hades doesn’t budge, his countenance as unreadable as ever.
Unease prickles up my spine. Sucking in a breath as any human would do without a second thought, I gather all of my willpower and say in an even voice, “Father.”
Relax, Zag, you don’t have daddy issues; he is a difficult, overbearing, and mercurial being.
Frowning, he shoots daggers at me. Why didn’t I fathom that my utterly human trait would rub salt in an open wound? After all, he doesn’t venture here—not unless something’s off.
“I was beginning to wonder whether you'd renounced your home.” Hades’s voice is low and steady, but his authority unmistakable. No wonder I’ve tried to elude it. “Why haven’t you returned sooner?”
I cross my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “You sent me out there to fix things. I did… with the help of Nathan Price,that is. Remember him?” Why would he, though? His blank expression confirms my suspicion. “The mortal who showed up uninvited. The mortal who’s friends with the potent witch. The mortal who clued us in on a much larger threat regarding a big bad witch. That’s why I asked Hecate to step in. It’s dealt with now. Period.” Nathan’s involvement in Théo’s theft is swept under the nonexistent rug, which doesn’t prevent him from scrunching his face. Why should I care that he doesn’t appreciate my tone? “I believe I’m missing the point of your visit, Father.”
“The mission I assigned you wasn’t meant to be an extended vacation. And now Hecate is missing as well. Gods are not meant to befriendmortals.” Contempt. Bewilderment. Disapproval. I refuse to avert my eyes.
“She’ll be back,” I reply tersely. “Told you, the threat is gone. For now, both of them are busy ensuring that the balance between good and evil prevails. They’re tying up loose ends.”
Dropping the subject, he strikes back, though. “Good, the threat is gone. Then why are you delayed?” He knows, doesn’t he?
My heart drops.
Of course, he does. Hades always knows.
“That’s none of your concern, Father.”
Hades rises, his presence unyielding. “Everything is my concern.” His tone is collected but cuts deeper than a blade. “Don’t think you’ve fooled me for one second. You’re playing a dangerous game, Zagreus.”
“I’m not a child,” I snap, my voice rising despite myself. “You don’t get to dictate every part of my life.”
“You forget yourself,” he growls, stepping closer. “Attachment tomortalsleads to nothing but ruin.” As if it was a common occurrence. As if I had control over it. As if it’d unsettle the Underworld… I brace myself against his barely disguised menace. “You’ve learned this before, have you not?”
I glare at him and open my mouth to speak, but close it. My tongue’s burning to poke fun at his own arrangement. I’m dying—so to speak—to ask where Mother was last autumn and winter since I haven’t seen her in ages. Living down here most of the year, I see her during those two seasons, but it’s been a while. I bite my tongue to avoid a potential fight and allow him to carry on with his interrogation.
“This doesn’t compare,” I counter, my fists clenching at my sides.
He studies me for a long moment, his expression softening enough to unsettle me. “You’re a fool if you believe this will end differently, but it’s your folly to endure.” Without another word, he leaves, his robes sweeping behind him like shadows.
The air turns dense once he’s gone, my thoughts sluggish as I head to the thermal grotto. Steam rises from the natural pool, and I exhale as the tension unwinds. But the reprieve is short-lived.
“Funny running into you here,” a familiar voice drawls. I turn to see Hermes leaning against the entrance, his smirk as infuriating as ever.
“I didn’t ask for company,” I deadpan, sinking into the water.
“Noted,” he retorts, stepping closer. “Everyone’s talking about you... and how smitten you are. It’s adorable… if not pathetic!”
I glare at him. “Mind your business, Hermes.”
“But it’s so entertaining,” he quips, his grin widening. “Careful, Zagreus. The Underworld has a long memory, but mortals don’t. Your cluelessness is so endearing. I’m debating if I should even take you back, help you mend your broken heart once this little stunt of yours is over like I did when you last strayed from the rules. We could have wild sex like we used to.”
Before I can make a snappy comeback, he vanishes, leaving me simmering.
Everything about this exchange is a jarring contrast to my earlier conversation with the impish Eros. His voice had been tranquil, wry, and caring. “You’re not mistaken.” Eros had said, his tone warm. “This is real. I had to do something, despite Hecate’s numbing trick. Théo is your person; you know it as well as I do. His soul is yours, but it’s up to you to protect it.”
Thanks to Eros’s reassuring words, a small smile tugs at my lips as I sink deeper into the water. My mind is churning. Protect it. Protect him. Protect us. Easier said than done in a world where nothing is certain.
Much later, I drag myself back to my ungrateful and prying father’s palace to give him a full report about the souls who fought by Nathan’s side in the battle for the balance between good and evil. Everything’s back in order, except for the soul that’s awaiting me topside.
