Page 51 of Queen of Shadows and Roses
‘I’m sorry I kidnapped you,’ he muttered, his eyes still downcast.
‘I’m sorry too, especially about Persephone… me,’ I whispered, unsure of what else to say to him. He didn’t lift his head; instead, he continued plucking at the blades of grass. ‘Where is she now? The old crone?’
‘Buried deep in Tartarus.’ At his words, an icy shiver tiptoed down my spine.
‘Savage,’ I muttered. After a few heartbeats, I continued. ‘How do you keep the evil souls in Tartarus? Can they escape?’
Hades shook his head, his gaze flicking to mine briefly. ‘No. The gates of Tartarus are made from Adamantine?—’
‘Adamantine?’
‘Yes. Your divine blade is made of the same material. The word is derived from the Greek word “adamas”, which means “indestructible”. The gods often use it to forge their weapons.’
‘But my blade…’Can kill gods—the words dissolved in my throat.
‘Specific inherent magical powers imbue your blade, distinct from those infused into the gates of Tartarus. Many blades went missing at one time or another. Aeons ago, Hephaestus forged every Adamantine item from meteorites that impacted the Earth… Meteorites saturated with magic.’
‘So, how did they destroy the confiscated blades?’
‘Hephaestus melded down the confiscated blades.’ A loose strand of hair glanced off his cheek, and his eyes looked into mine. ‘It is very difficult to kill me, even with your divine blade.I recommend a strike to the heart, then decapitating me with it. See if that works—if that is your ultimate aim.’
I gulped and stared at him, all words escaping me. At one time, I would have revelled in that information. Now, I couldn’t begin to dream of really killing him—perhaps strangling him occasionally, maybe.
‘The prisoners in Tartarus are also guarded by the hundred-handed giants,’ Hades continued as if he were talking about the weather.
‘They sound vicious,’ I muttered.
‘Oh, they are.’ He smirked. ‘And one of the Furies, Tisiphone, is the guardian of the gates, as well as other things.’
‘Other things?’
‘The Furies torture wicked souls.’ I grimaced at his words. ‘They are deserving of such punishment,’ he said without a hint of emotion.
After a long moment, I spoke again. ‘You know, regarding the banishment of magic. It’s really not fair to blame every witch for the actions of one old crone. There’s evil in every race: mortals, witches, and gods alike. You can’t paint them all with the same brush.’
‘I know.’ His chest rose with a stilted breath as he scrubbed a hand across his jaw. ‘Zeus does not take kindly to threats, and witches became a threat.’ He paused, still looking at the ground. ‘But eradicating beings with magic wasn’t fair; it was a rash solution, and I apologise for the outcome.’ The look of pain on his face made my heart crumple. I reached over and covered his hand with mine. He stared down at our hands for a few heartbeats, unmoving.
‘Maybe—’ I started. ‘Maybe we could persuade Zeus to overturn the law. Allow covens and witches to coexist, as they once did. Enable the Council of Magic to flourish in peace, asthey used to. Rather than being hidden away like a dirty little secret.’
He shifted his gaze to mine and squinted. ‘We?’ Blood rushed to my cheeks, but a smile tugged at his lips. ‘Perhapswecould consult Hecate about that…’ My heart skittered a beat, and I beamed.
Then my grin faded; his brows slammed together as he asked, ‘Are you worried?’
The nightmare swirled around in my mind. The one I’d learned to suppress and block out, much like my shadow magic—they were locked in their very own Pandora’s box. ‘Tee told me about… your loss of control when Per… I disappeared,’ I whispered. He closed his eyes, tension bracketing his mouth. ‘I understand.’ His eyes sprang open. ‘I—I lost control once.’ He didn’t speak; he just studied me with those captivating eyes. ‘My grandma’s sister was murdered…’ I swallowed. ‘I was there, but I was terrified, and I hid.’ Tears stung my eyes and throat. The memories of that day settled around me like a noxious, choking cloud, stealing my breath.
His eyebrows pulled down tight. ‘How old were you?’
‘I—I was thirteen… I can’t remember what happened, but I was overcome with rage. I killed the men. There was nothing left of them; they just shrank and shrivelled into themselves,’ I whispered. ‘Grandma and I had to move because of it. It was the shadow magic, wasn’t it?’ He nodded, wiping a tear from my cheek with his thumb. The touch sent a hot, tight shiver pulsing through my core.
‘Your darkness is immense, Persephone. It’s making you stronger. It’s a part of who you are—a facet of yourself that you need not fear. Your wrath has always made people tremble.’
My eyes widened. ‘My…wrath?’
He tilted his head, one side of his mouth twitching upwards. ‘Yes. It is, and always has been, formidable.’
Unease slid through me like slow-moving venom as shivers of apprehension worked up my spine. ‘Tee said my name means Bringer of Death, but she assured me I wasn’t evil. I wasn’t cruel… was I?’ I needed his reassurance.
His heart-throbbingly beautiful face sobered and his stormy gaze instantly found mine.
