Page 81 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
I wiped my arm across my forehead; my head was spinning, and black dots clouded my vision as I swayed... then I crumpled to the ground and saw black.
‘A blade of Olympus? Where in the Fates have they found so many weapons of the gods? Keep it in the vault. I have informed Zeus; I’m off to meet him and Poseidon now. Stay with her…Rotate. She will be unconscious for a while, but do not leave her side. She will require blood when she awakens.’
It was Hades’ voice. He was back. My heart rate sped up, and I tried to open my eyes, but darkness pulled me under once more.
CHAPTER 30
HADES
‘Ablade of Olympus,’ Poseidon thundered.
Zeus, Poseidon, and I were in Zeus’s plush office in London. ‘How many weapons have they got their hands on, Zeus?’ Poseidon’s baritone voice demanded.
‘I’ve checked the armouries, which haven’t been opened since the war. All three blades of Olympus are missing, along with a few other items,’ he replied cagily.
‘The blades of Olympus that you assured us would be guarded—that you forged with your lightning, from the soil of the Underworld, hermatypic coral, and your thunderbolt?Aremissing?What otheritemsare missing, Zeus? Aside from Hades’ helm and the blades.’ A vein throbbed in Poseidon’s temple. Gods, he was a bad-tempered bastard.
‘At least we have one blade back. It’s in my vault,’ I muttered, and Poseidon released a humourless laugh.
Zeus hesitated. ‘Aegis is missing, along with a few other divine weapons.’
Poseidon roared and slammed a fist against Zeus’s desk, cracking it in two.
‘Calm down, Brother.’ I placed a hand on Poseidon’s arm.
‘To unlock its true potential, an Olympus blade requires an infusion of godly power,’ I said. ‘Tell me none have been imbued with such?’ A vein in Zeus’s jaw ticked, and I closed my eyes, releasing a breath. ‘If it possessed the power, that blade I have would have slain Orpheus on impact. How many blades have been fortified?’
‘Only one,’ Zeus replied cautiously.
‘Only one?’ Poseidon roared. ‘They possess a blade that can slay a god?’ Zeus bristled, preparing to argue, but I raised a hand to prevent another quarrel.
‘Arguing will not change the situation. At least we now know they pose a genuine threat to us. I shall have Hecate ward Naxos immediately. We will not permit anyone to enter without permission. Moreover, as Ixion also has my helm of invisibility, they are well-equipped to attack not only demigods but also gods.Whoever is orchestrating this and Persephone’s attack desires that we war among ourselves to weaken us. This mustnothappen. We operate as one, but we create the impression we are fighting. This conversation stays within these walls… We do not know who is an ally or a traitor...’
Both brothers agreed.
‘Hades, Poseidon.’ Zeus stopped us before we could leave. ‘I’m sorry.’ I frowned, and Poseidon stiffened, giving me a ‘Huh?’ look. ‘I truly appreciate you both. I may have been unreasonable in the past’—Poseidon barked out a laugh, and I narrowed my eyes at Zeus—‘but I want things to be different. I want you to be my brothers in the true sense of the word. Things need to change. We need to change.’
Both a little dazed, Poseidon and I left Zeus. ‘We will see if the egocentric fucker can change,’ Poseidon grumbled.
‘Nothing is insurmountable.’
‘You’re going soft in your old age, you whipped bastard.’ Poseidon raised a brow and vanished into a cloud of seafoam and mist, leaving me shaking my head.
CHAPTER 31
PERSEPHONE
Ipeeled my leaden eyelids open, feeling like they had fused, to find Thanatos sitting beside the bed. I was still in Hades’ bed.
‘Ugh,’ I groaned.
‘My queen,’ Thanatos said with happiness. ‘How are you feeling?’
I sat up slowly. ‘Erm, tired. How long have I been asleep?’ Memories of healing Orpheus invaded my mind. ‘How’s Orpheus?’
‘He’s fine. You collapsed, Highness. You expended a massive amount of healing energy. And… you’ve been unconscious for just shy of two days.’
‘What?’ I all but screeched. I tried to get out of bed but almost collapsed as Thanatos caught me. ‘You need blood, my queen,’ he said softly. ‘It takes a long time for healing abilities to fully develop.’
