Remembering we have an audience cools my libido. “Hades, right. We should probably go check on him.”
Hopefully, seeing how much more of his body is out of the wall will tell me how much progress I’ve made. Then I might even get a rough idea of how many souls it will take to free him completely. Except I don’t have my phone, which means I don’t have a calculator.
My third-grade teacher’s infuriating voice comes back to haunt me.
“You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket.”
I’m sure necromancy soul-math was exactly what Mrs. Thompson had in mind.
Sin leads the way, and we don’t run into a single guard. Everything is going smoothly until once again, we need to cross the pit of nightmares.
Anxiety pierces my gut. I don’t want to see him in agony again.
Sensing where my mind is going, he turns and throws me a ‘don’t even think about it look,’ before I can even suggest he wait for me here.
“Hades, turn your fucking pit off. It’s us,” Sin calls, and then strides into the space.
He walks with fearless confidence, whereas my steps are decidedly less so. I keep my eyes glued to him, nervously watching for any sign of Hades’ booby trap.
Of course, the moment we reach the center of the room, Sin screams in agony. He collapses backward, and I barely break his fall, because the man is built like a fucking rock.
He starts begging invisible nightmares to take him instead, to take everything, so long asshegoes free.
I start yelling cusses at Hades to try and drown out the intimate details of whatever haunts Sin. At the same time, I grab his arm and painstakingly drag him to the marked door.
By the time we make it to the goblets, my powerful Destroyer looks like he’s been put through the wringer. His eyes are bloodshot, dried blood is caked all over his face and clothes, and yet he still reaches for the drink without complaint.
The resigned look on his face is the only hint that he isn’t looking forward to more pain and having his powers temporarily stripped away.
I place my hand on his, stopping him.
“No. Hades, open the damned door!” I yell into the small space.
Nothing happens.
“It’s okay, I’ll drink it again,” Sin says, his tone soothing.
Rage wells up within me at the thought of him getting more hurt than he already is. Before I’ve even registered what I’m doing, I spin toward the locked door. Searing pain rips through my body as I release a blast of the volatile power.
The door explodes.
“Door’s open,” I note with a small smile.
Crackling bolts of violet energy snap against my skin, and it feels like someone is cooking my insides. But at least the pain is hitting me and not Sin.
Worth it.
I wobble on my feet, and Sin is there in a heartbeat to steady me.
“Maybe I should change your nickname to little nuke,” he notes with a teasing smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
Still, his scent and warmth ground me as I remind myself that he’s safe. The violet storm clinging to my skin slowly retracts.
“You do know that in order to complete your grand entrance, you actually need to enter?” Hades drawls from the next room.
Sin and I share a look, and then step inside to visit the god.
Hades is still very much encased in the stone wall. The only difference is that his shoulders are now free as well.
