“I fear, I’m not as well recovered as I hoped.” He clears his throat. “I had meant to tell you before I became distracted. One of the sins overheard The Fates talking to the witch and her friends. Apparently, they sent them to retrieve the box.”
I throw my arms around his neck and let out a laugh. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I would have fucked you for much longer.” Thinking of all the obstacles they’ll have to face along the way fills me with joy. They’ll never make it out alive and will rid me of the nuisance that has plagued my life for the last nineteen years.
He beams down at me, holding his arms around me gently. “Everything is going according to plan. Hades doesn’t suspect a thing, and the girl will most likely perish without her powers. However, on the off chance they do retrieve it, you know what I have to do.”
Dread coils in my stomach, but I push it down quickly. “The odds of that happening aren’t likely. Without her powers, she’s as good as dead. A mere mortal wandering in the belly of the Underworld. It’s laughable to even consider it. However, I will hold up my end of the bargain. Until then, don’t come back around here again. I don’t need word getting back to Hades about us.”
His fingers tighten around my hips. “One day, Persephone, I will call you mine.”
My throat bobs at his words that are laced with threats and promises. I’m not naïve enough to place my hopes and dreams on what he so assuredly believes will happen. I’ve been trapped here far too long for that, but still, I scheme with the smallest thread of a wish that lives on with every beat of my heart. For without it, I would have wilted away into nothingness long ago.
Pushing myself away from him I tamp down my feelings and go back to fixing my garden. “That will be all, Chaos.” I dismiss him without looking back and breathe easier knowing that my plans are in motion.
A thought occurs to me, one that I hadn’t considered before. Sheistechnically still a demigod, even without her powers. And she’s known to be determined. That kind of combination could spell disaster for us. History has taught me not to underestimate the lengths people would go to survive. I’ll just have to make sure there’s no way for her to succeed.
With a wave of my hand, I gather the broken bones, fashioning them into one large monstrous skeleton. I walk forward and press my hands to its large chest and fill the cavity with magic and fire. Looking around my eyes snag on the crushed foliage. “This will do nicely.” I say, yanking one from its toppled position while using my magic to wrap the skeleton with the ruined plants.
It begins to mold into a tough leathery skin.
Picking up a handful of crushed rocks, I throw them at my creation. In midair they multiply and transform into scales lining its large back like a row of tumbling lethal dominos.
“And now this will bring you a new life my dragon.” I flick my wrist again and watch the creature unfurl, wings flapping. Its blackened exterior glistens as it moves, its claws dig into the earth, and its large head shakes waiting for its instructions. “Go now and find the girl. Make sure there’s nothing left of her.”” I demand. It lets out a puff of smoke then takes off into the stained orange sky, eager to fulfill its destiny.
CHAPTER29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
GRAHAM
SONG: RUN LIKE A REBEL BY THE SCORE
The backpack digs into my shoulder blades as we flee down the tunnel. It bounces and shifts against me with every stride, but I’m glad I thought to take it. I’d still had it packed from the last time we were down here. Skye’s flashlight grants us just enough light to see where we’re going as the tunnel slopes down. The thought of running into those hellhounds down here isn’t far from my mind. They could easily jump out at any moment and rip our heads off. It churns my stomach, but I focus on running instead. I’m so fucking tired, but I push on wishing I had a fucking snack at least before we left to give me some desperately needed energy.
I feel like I’ve been going nonstop since the Winter Solstice and it’s taking everything in me to not collapse right here and let Satan find and devour me.
“Do you think Sloan woke up in time?” Skye pants as we continue running as fast as we can deeper into the tunnel.
“I fucking hope so.” Lukas says, barely breaking a sweat. God, he’s so fucking hot when he runs. I’d rather be making a Skye and Lukas sandwich right now than running for my life from a bunch of possessed students.
We finally reach the bottom and I take a moment to catch my breath.
“God this place is so fucking creepy.” Lukas says, standing in the center of the carved out heptagram. He squats down, dusting some of the symbols off and snaps a picture with his phone.
“Should we wait here for Sloan?” Skye asks, shining the flashlight back up the tunnel we just came out of.
A low rustling fills the space then stops. My heart seizes in my chest, “Is that Satan?” I whisper, edging close to Lukas. He gives me an amused smirk, clasping his arm around my shoulder.
“Are you scared?”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “Fucking terrified.”
He tugs at my bottom lip and pulls my face to his. My breath hitches in my chest as his green eyes stare into mine. I nip at his finger and suck it into my mouth. He watches me with a growing hunger in his eyes.
“This really isn’t the time for you guys to go all cutesy on me.” Skye says, exasperation coating her words. Her shoulders are coiled close her ears as if she’s ready to strike at anything that dares to jump out at us.
The rustling starts back up again, and Skye swivels the light around the space. It snags on a pair of glowing eyes set deep in the furthest tunnel.
“Shit.” My legs are running before I even realize it.
