Page 101 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘Gods, you’re turning into a worrywart.’ Poseidon shook his head, his face wrinkling in disgust.
After another few minutes, I stormed off to find Hecate and, hopefully, Persephone, feeling Zeus and Poseidon at my heels. Taking the broad marble steps two at a time, I burst through the wide, ornate doors and found Hecate in the expansive entrance hall. The haunted look in her eyes and her ashen face told me everything I needed to know.
‘Can you still feel your bond?’ Hecate’s ragged voice whispered. I nodded, and she blew out a relieved breath. ‘We’ll get her back, Hades.’ Hecate wrung her hands together, her lips trembling.
The familiar pain of loss in my chest dropped me to my knees… and I exploded.
It took both Zeus and Poseidon to restrain me. A vortex of swirling mist, sea foam, spiralling clouds, and lightning encompassed me as my shadows ran rampant around me. I lost control entirely—I was like a rabid animal.
‘We will find her, Hades!’ Zeus yelled at me, and Poseidon looked like he was about to commit bloody murder.
‘Whoever has her will die by my hand,’ I vowed with an animalistic roar.
CHAPTER 41
PERSEPHONE
The blinding white light and popping sound sent me reeling, falling, and twisting as nausea gripped my throat. I felt dizzy and confused, throwing a hand over my mouth, trying to swallow the bile on my tongue.
As my vision cleared, I found myself in a bedroom—a bedroom I’d never seen before—and a sharp bite of hysteria flooded my bloodstream like venom.
‘Welcome to the court of Phoenicia, Persephone.’ The familiar voice sent an extra burst of nervous energy pounding through me.
Adonis.
I turned slowly to see the god of beauty and desire standing by a window, casually leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The smirk on his face made me want to body-slam him into the floor.
‘What are you doing?’ I seethed.
‘Welcoming you to my court.’ His voice touched my skin like a chill wind, sending goosebumps across my flesh.
‘This is kidnapping,’ I said through my teeth.
‘No, beautiful. It’s merely taking back what’s mine,’ Adonis drawled.
I pressed my trembling lips into a straight line. I blinked. Blinked again. Then blinked some more. ‘My husband will kill you.’ The bond pulsed in my chest.My husband. Two words I’d never imagined would apply to me. Two words that I never thought would affect me so deeply.
His laughter rumbled darkly. ‘You’re not his consort, little goddess. Not yet. But you’ll be mine before the hour’s done… and no one will find you.’ Horror flooded my veins like ice.
His steely gaze locked onto mine, his jaw hard, and as his eyes slowly perused me, from the tips of my toes back to my face, I shivered in revulsion. ‘This is where you ought to be.’ He smiled wickedly. ‘You wore my favourite dress.’ He gestured to the cream dress I was wearing. ‘You did it for me. I know you did.’ His jaw clenched, his eyes flashing.‘You were promised to me. You belong to me.’
My heart pounded against my ribcage like it was about to break bones. He was a freaking psycho.
I sprang forward, poised to deliver a roundhouse kick, but barely reached the window before I was violently yanked backwards by something around one wrist, almost dislocating my shoulder. Landing on my butt, I cursed. Looking down, I could see the outline of a fragile, nearly invisible chain. Adonis laughed, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
‘The chains of Ares. Quite the divine entrapment. Forged from Adamantine and suppressing all of your powers.’ He smirked at me. ‘I’ll be keeping the chain on until I can trust you, but we’ve always had a penchant for a bit of bondage anddominance, haven’t we?’ A shiver crept up my spine like a slow-moving vine, and my mind became a whirlwind of fear.
‘I can’t wait to get my cock back into that hot, tight pussy, beautiful. I’ve missed you and that delectable body, those perfect tits. Tonight, we will consummate our union.’ I’m pretty sure my gasp was heard clear to London.
My skin prickled, the faint golden glow pulsing beneath its surface. The bond—the one tethering me to Hades—flared in protest, searing heat spiralling through my chest. Adonis’s eyes narrowed as he took in the shimmer that danced over my skin.
‘The King of Shadows might linger in your veins.’ His eyes were pure ice. ‘But, no matter. He won’t find you here. You’re mine now. And I intend to keep you… I’ll get you refreshments. My handmaidens will soon come to attend to preparations.’ He gestured lazily toward the elegant gold gown hanging on the armoire, gleaming like a gilded cage.
I tried to swallow the golf ball-sized lump in my throat as I scrambled backwards on my ass. ‘Handmaidens?’
He frowned at me. ‘I’m the god of desire, Persephone. One woman is never enough. Though, you have always been my favourite.’ He gave a slight bow and strode out of the room.
‘Mother freaking hell,’ I muttered as I crawled to my feet, nursing my arm. Gods were narcissists, sure—but Adonis was a one-man circus: part sociopath, part lunatic, all asshole. I edged as far as I could towards the window, peering down. Even without the chain, there was no way I’d be getting down there without getting bitten by a radioactive spider and developing suction cups on my hands or breaking my neck. The latter was preferable to Adonis touching me.
