Page 147 of Crown of Olympus
“Night… shade…” he gasped.
And all at once, I wasdone.
I ignored the cuts appearing on my skin as I stood, the trickle of ichor leaking from them going unnoticed, as I glared at Hera.
“That’s enough,” I hissed, watching her golden brows flicker as my voice changed, coming out deep and commanding — coincidentally reminiscent of my father’s. “You want my secret?”
Hera straightened, delight creeping into the curl of her lip.
“Fine.”
The attacks ceased as I inhaled to speak.
“My father is dead.”
Caelus’ eyes went wide. Hera gasped, trying to make sense of the words.
“But that’s not possible… We would have known… would have felt…”
“No, you would not have. The Underworld is loyal to its own, and we do not divulge secrets or weaknesses to the likes of you,” I spat. “Hades has been gone for years now. He never could heal his broken heart.”
I swallowed roughly, a sharp slice to my palm reminding me that the entire truth had not yet been told.
“He waited until I came of age and my powers manifested.He made sure I was well-trained in all war tactics and I had loyal subjects to guide and protect me, if need be.”
I could see the pieces falling into place for Caelus.
“Charon,” he breathed. “And Cerberus.”
I nodded once. “Charon came to live with me at the palace after his mother died.”
I turned back to Hera. “When Zeus stole Hades’ wife from him — when he stole the only brief happiness and peace my father had ever known — he ensured Hades would never recover, whether he knew it or not.”
“But… we would have felt the power ripple… Did you sentence him too?!” she screeched.
“No. Hades took care of that all on his own.” Her brows twisted, and her light blue eyes darted side to side as she struggled to understand.
Caelus obviously inherited his wisdom elsewhere, as he showed no such signs of misunderstanding. In fact, he looked at me with such solemn sympathy that I wanted to throw something at him.
“He went to her, didn’t he?” Caelus asked, almost too low to hear.
Once more, I nodded. “He went to the arches and threw himself right into the Elysian Fields. To findher.”
Their love story would always be my favourite tragedy. Hades had tossed aside his crown and his kingdom without a second thought — just to find his lost love in the next life.
A reflection flickered across from me, though I had not moved. I saw that my father had lost his manic grin, his face softening back into the man I knew. He gifted me a rare, small smile filled with pride before he dissolved into wisps of shadow and disappeared on a phantom breeze.
A sob built in my throat like a lump I couldn’t swallow.
“Which brings me to my final point,” I began. “The original Hades is gone. And two things were his to leave behind: hislegacy and his crown. Both now belong to me.” I stood taller, lifting my chin as I summoned the familiar weight of the Shadow Crown.
My reflection showed a flickering black diadem positioned perfectly upon my head. Its spikes pierced the air four inches above its base, moving eerily in the spotlight like tendrils of smoke weaving through the air.
Caelus stood slowly, taking a few tentative steps toward me.
“You’re the Queen of the Underworld?”
“I am.”
