Page 117 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Chapter 55

Ember

Hades willed us back to the bonfire, just by the tree line. Mom had her arms crossed as she scanned the crowd. Hades put his hand on my lower back as we walked closer to her, and as soon as she saw us, she came in for a death hug.

"Ember, you can't just leave like that." Mom's shoulder sagged as her grip loosened.

"I was with Hades, Mom. I won't wander off. Besides, I think there is enough protection with Wolves, demons, and Ares' men, don't you think?” Mom let out a sigh as she rubbed my arms. Mom had been through a lot. She had her own struggles when she was younger, and she was worried about me. I just wanted her to be happy now that I was home and safe.

"You're right, I just... I just... can't bear to keep you out of my sight. Not that we just got you back." Mom petted my hair and gave Hades a grateful nod.

"I'll often be visiting. Mom don't worry. When all this 'missing god' stuff is over, I'll spend two weeks with you, and then we can catch up on everything!" Hades groaned as he pinched his nose. Mom laughed at Hades while patting my hand.

"We will see; Hades looks like he needs to get back to his duties as well. Besides the first few years with your mate is very important. The bond strengthens every day, and neither of you will want to be apart from each other for too long. I now realize that; the rest of your siblings will understand too."

A loud roar came from the fire as one of the Witches threw in some exploding dust. As a child, I remembered the different magical clouds of dust they had provided for parties. Some would turn the fire purple, blue, and gold, while other dust would make music sounds from the land in Bergarian. It was a sound portal, and we could hear the laughter on the other side as people played their own music in their realm. Young pups went closer to the fire to listen to the whispers of the different domain; they talked frantically as they heard the talk about the benevolent Clara and her beast of a mate.

Rumors spread quickly that he could form a half beast and held it for days on end while he went to rescue the future queen. A feat no Werewolf could do except if they were destined to be royal.

As the dust settled and the children departed, I saw a blue glow in the center of the fire. It was small, almost too small to see, but it was there. Dad talked to Hades, no doubt about tomorrow's meeting, to discuss finding Demeter and questioning her. Still, my eyes continued to gaze deeper into the fire.

The round ball glistened as the red and orange flames consumed it. Large flames protruded from the area, flames that reached as high as the tallest trees. Bonfires were not to be taken lightly around these parts. Whole trees would be cut to maintain an intense glow.

Curiosity was getting the best of me as I dropped Hades' hand. His eyebrow raised in question, and when I pointed to the fire, he nodded to finish his conversation as I crept closer. The heat of the fire was intense; if a pup got too close, they would burn their hair. I didn't feel the burn like I used to as a child; in fact, it felt incredible. My hand reached out to try and grab the blue glow in the middle of the fire. However, it was further in the ashes than I thought. A flame whipped by my hair, which should have caught ablaze itself, but it didn't.

The wind blew again, causing the flames to touch my skin; all that was felt was the breeze and not the warmth of the flame. A tapping on my shoulder broke me from my thoughts as Blaze looked up with his bright eyes. His wings fluttered as he sat on my shoulder. "It won't hurt you," Blaze purred. I went to question, but he nodded towards the fire and flew off to sit with Dante.

The blue sparkle shimmered again. It beckoned me once more as it flashed its true brilliance. I felt like a crow who wanted to collect the shiny things and put them in a collection. Glancing over my shoulder Hades wasn't far, just speaking with my parents as I acted like the curious child.

Placing one step into the ashes, I felt my foot aglow with tiny prickles. There was no pain, no burning, just the wind the flames created. Stepping another foot into the circle just past the rocks that contained the fire, the wind engulfed my body as the fire tickled my skin. Taking a large breath, my hands began to reach inside the center of the fire. A few muted screams were heard, but that did not deter me from my mission. To find the flickering blue amongst the orange flames.

Five steps inward, I saw a small pebble, odd in shape, as I bent to pick it up. Beneath the ash, it gave it a blue-like appearance. Still, on close inspection, it had sparkles inside along with tiny movements of grey and deep blue matter.

Standing up, I saw Wolves and demons standing in front of the fire, all horrified and looking on in shock. A hand trailed around my waist, and his sparks filled my very soul. "My flower, are we trying to show off today? What gave you the urge to come in here?" I looked back down at the pebble in my hand; it was misshapen and deformed. Something so beautiful you would think would be a gem.

Hades lifted it from my hand and studied it carefully. His eyes narrowed as he looked closely at the small movements inside. "Kronos," he breathed as his head whipped back to mine. "You found it," he whispered again as the fire around us ceased to exist. The sudden extinction of the fire granted everyone a shiver.

Hades led me out of the ash, arm firmly planted on my waist, and shoved the pebble in his pocket. "Breathe no word of this," he mind-linked me. "It is of the utmost importance." I gripped his cloak as we stepped over the stones that contained the fire. His one hand raised, and the flames came to a roar again while the music began to play.

"What were you thinking?" Dad ran up to me. Before he could reach me, a loud crack came from the DJ stand, and a spear came howling through the flames, hitting Hades in the shoulder. Hades fell backward but caught himself as he pulled the spear from his shoulder quickly. Black liquid fell from his wound as I began to panic.

Another loud howl came through the fire again, this time aiming straight towards me. Hades tried to pull me aside, but the shock of his own wound left him confused. A red-skinned demon darted right in front of me as Hades finally pulled me away. The demon fell to the ground, gasping for air, holding the spear that was directly in his chest.

Warriors scrambled to the noise source; the growls and roars of Wolves were heard on the other side of the large fire. Dad had already shifted while Mom got in front of Hades and me. Hades grasped his shoulder and pulled me close. "Get her out of here," Mom screamed until the gasping from the demon who saved my life said my name. “Ember!" The gurgle of blood sputtered as he reached for me. It was Loukas.

"Loukas!" I screamed for him as I fell to the ground. Hades fingers turned bright white as he began to cauterize his wound.

"I.. tried…" Loukas sputtered again. "I tried to get here…fast." The panic in his voice and the fading of light in his eyes gripped me. I pulled him closer to hug him, to let him know everything was going to be okay. His blood stained the royal blue dress that I wore.

"It's Okay! You are going to be okay!" I petted his dark hair between his horns. "You saved my life, Loukas," I whispered. Loukas gently shook his head. The panic ensued as the Wolves transformed, children running to the hidden safe zones of the territory.

Hades grasped my shoulder. "We must go. Say what you need to say, Loukas." Hades' voice was harsh as he glared into Loukas's black eyes. Blood continued to pool from his wound.

"Malachi was in the Underworld. He entered using the helm. He's looking for Ember. She's key to the Sphere," Loukas's voice was fading as he continued to spit out blood. My hand was clutching Loukas's, but it was loosening; his fear became peace as he slowly slipped from my grasp.

"Loukas!" I screamed. Hades picked me up and covered me in his cloak as his hands turned black as fire raised from his fingertips.

"Enough!" Hades roared as the bonfire was extinguished once again, and a fire prison was extended over the DJ stand with Lyle. The Wolves trapping Lyle behind the table transformed back into their human forms.

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