Page 27 of Where Darkness Bloomed
Ahead, the darkness thinned. It grew softer, faint light flickering from an unseen source. Kore jolted as a broad hand closed over hers, guiding her fingers upward.
“There.”
She followed the movement, her head craning back. Above them, a stone ceiling stretched like a cavernous sky, inlaid with gems—diamonds, sapphires, rubies. Embedded in rock, like the glittering stars of a night sky.
A gasp slipped from her lips before she could catch it.
The hand around hers remained there a moment longer, firm but not cruel. His thumb traced a slow line over her knuckles before withdrawing.
Then the chariot tilted, spiraling downward with force that made her cling to the edge once more. Shadows peeled away, revealing wild terrain.
Rolling green hills and plains came into view. They stretched endlessly, wreathed in soft mist like dawn. A great river coiled through the green landscape. On its shadowed waters, a single boat drifted in the distance.
She knew it immediately.
The River Styx.
Her knees weakened at the sight, a chill creeping down her spine. Then her gaze lifted, and her mouth went dry.
Beyond the hills and sloping valleys, jagged mountains dominated the horizon. Rising on the highest summit, a colossal temple crowned the distant peak, its black marble columns lit by amber firelight from bronze braziers. It loomed in dark, imposing beauty, a foreboding twin to the sparking white and gold of Olympus.
Wild rapids crashed around the temple’s base, churning and twisting through craggy peaks into a furious waterfall. It plunged deep, mist curling up from the depths.
The horses surged forward recklessly, as if recognizing the familiar sight.The furious pace might have thrown her but for the arm at her waist, holding her steady.
The driver drew hard on the reins as the temple rose high before them, and they landed with a bone-jarring jolt just beyond the gates. The impact thundered through her, chattering her teeth.
There, the chariot shuddered to a halt. Stillness followed, and the arm at her waist loosened.
Slowly, Kore turned, a hand still clutching the black cloak wrapped around her. Her heart pounded a wild rhythm as her gaze rose.
He stood tall, shadows draping his shoulders like a mantle. Firelight from the braziers danced against the dark metal of his armor, catching the sharp edges and gold-carved details. He reached up, fingers curling at the edges of his helmet, and drew it away.
Dark hair, drawn back by a clasp of hammered gold, framed a face carved of stern, regal lines. Kore stared up into rich, russet eyes—ancient, dark.
Hades.
Lord of the Underworld. The Unseen. Host of Many. The Wealthy One.
He regarded her in silence, the same powerful stillness as before on Olympus. Then, at last, he spoke.
“Persephone.” His voice was dark silk, forming her name like a vow. “Welcome to the Underworld.”
The temple swayed. Beneath her, the earth tilted.
Strength drained from her limbs like sand through an hourglass, her knees buckling.
A deep voice swore a low oath, and strong arms caught her.
Then—nothing.
Chapter 13
Soft. Everything was soft.
Kore’s fingers curled into the bedding beneath her, smooth and cool against her skin. It was richer, finer than the coarse linens of home.
Soft firelight played against her eyelids, accompanied by the comforting crackle of a hearth. Her eyes slowly opened, finding a dark stone ceiling high above. Firelight caught the seams of quartz, glittering like trapped starlight. Biting back a scream, she sat up.
