Page 42 of Hades

The catacombs are a maze you could easily get lost in, however I would roam them for hours while waiting for Aradia. And I know exactly the easiest route to take to get me to her chambers.

Memories flood my head with every turn: a stolen kiss, an innocent glance, a not-so-innocent night.

When I reach the main residence, my heart is ready to beat out of my chest with excitement. I know exactly where she is. Her mother has her in the last room she was ever in, the last night she ever really knew me. Or, at the very least, she knew the man I was then.

I should use more caution while walking through the main area. I can now hear the guests mingling and waiting to enter the ballroom. I stop for only a moment when I see a few familiar faces in the crowd. All of them are demonic and have no right being here.

“Shit,” I breathe out, hoping none of them turn this way and recognize me. That’s the last thing I need.

The journey from one end of the grand hall to the other takes several minutes. And if anyone were watching or paying attention, they’d find my avoidance of partygoers almost comical. I twist and turn as I maneuver around, every so often picking up bits and pieces of conversations.

“Can you believe she finally found her?”

“I heard he locked her in a cage for centuries, poor thing.”

“He took her memories, and now she thinks she’s human.”

Anger at what Themis has done once again fuels me forward. I want to set all of them straight, but there would be no point. Whatever game she’s playing, she needs Aradia as a pawn, and there is no fucking way I’ll let that happen, not again.

With the grand staircase in sight, I debate taking the quickest way. But that thought is quickly squashed when the chimes announce the arrival of the hostess of this shitshow.

As quickly as I can, I head toward the servant’s stairs, and not a moment too soon. As I step through, I only glimpse Themis’ trademark green gown descending the stairs before I shut the door behind me and race to Aradia’s rooms.

It seems like only yesterday that she and I ran inside and slammed the door shut behind us, locking the world away. We would spend hours in each other’s arms… days, if allowed.

Grabbing the handle, I cautiously open the door, not knowing what to expect. Whatever I thought, nothing would have prepared me for the sight on the other side. Aradia is standing alone, gazing out the window. The sunlight streaming in catches every sapphire stone on her royal blue gown. She is breathtaking, and I stand watching her in awe for a solid minute.

Without thinking, I push the door shut, and the sound has her turning toward me. I’m expecting her to yell or scream for help. Instead, a radiant smile brightens her face.

“Wow,” is the only word I utter as I take her in. She looks every bit like the goddess she is.

“Hades,” she breathes as she runs to me, nearly jumping into my outstretched arms. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she adds as she nestles her head against my chest.

HADES

She feels so goodwrapped in my arms that I forget where we are for a moment. But the sound of approaching footsteps brings me back to the present. “We need to get the hell out of here,” I tell her as I turn and bolt the door. It won’t stop them but may slow them down, giving us a few minutes.

“Why?” Her question throws me for a loop. Shouldn’t the answer be obvious?Because your mother is a psycho.“There’s a gala,” she says as if that explains everything, and I should escort her down.

Grasping her by the shoulders, I’m focused on her face, looking her in the eyes. “Aradia, we need to get out of here now,” I reiterate. “Do you understand?”

I take a second and attempt to flash us out of here and back to The Inferno or even The Firehouse. But there’s nothing, and only one other way out. “Shit,” I breathe out.

“I… I can’t go anywhere with you,” she pleads as she pulls away from me. “I’ve only known you a few days, or maybe a lifetime, I don’t know. But I do know, I’m not going anywhere with you.”

This is a reaction I was not prepared for. Her words crush me harder than any vise would have. I understand that she’s confused, that she doesn’t know me. But damn it, I don’t have time to argue the point with her.

“You don’t know them either,” I state, realizing I sound like a child trying to defend himself, tossing out the most evident, petty detail. “But you have to trust me. I love you, Aradia, and I would never do anything to hurt you. Not intentionally,” I add, because I’m about to become the bad guy.

The footsteps coming down the corridor stop, and I hear the door handle rattle. Then, a series of bangs against the wood morph into incessant pounding.

“We have to go,” I insist, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to the window. “Do you trust me?” I ask, though I’m unsure if I care what her answer will be, because our options are ending.

She pulls and struggles as I edge us closer to the window. “I’m not going anywhere with you!” she yells as she tries to yank her arm from my grip. “Help me!” she screams. And I’m forced to silence her by placing my hand over her mouth, like any good villain would do.

“Screaming,helpisn’t helping us,” I whisper in her ear.

Looking over to the door, I can see the fissures in the wood widening as whoever is on the other side slams against it. I only have a matter of moments before they are inside.

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