My frustration mounts. “Fuck the universe! Bring him back!” I demand.
Hades takes a few steps toward me. “We need to reap his soul, so he can find peace and be reborn. Otherwise, he will be trapped as a spirit and decay. You know that’s not what he deserves.”
“It’s going to be okay, kitten. Our souls are bound. I will find you. I love you so much,”Sin whispers in my mind.
I shake my head, new sobs choking me. “No,” I whisper, not wanting to hear it.
“I love you. It’s time. You need to let me go,”Sin coaxes. His spirit wraps around me, and he presses a kiss to my forehead.
Then, he steps back and nods like he’s ready.
A new wave of anger surges through me. “No! I’m not reaping you because you don’t get to stay dead! We are not going to go thousands of years without seeing each other. You are going to live!”
The words come out bitter and hurt, and I whirl back on Hades, who is even closer now.
Silver threads dance along his hands.
“I understand if you cannot do it. But this is the natural order of things, and I will not allow a spirit to suffer. He is under my protection now. Your mate will be reborn when the time is right,” he says in a stern tone.
My dagger is at his chest before he can take another step. “Touch his soul, and I will end you. I don’t give a fuck if you’re a god. I will not hesitate to turn you backinto a myth,” I hiss, and purple bolts crackle along the tip of my blade.
Hades sighs, sounding resigned. “Vivian, I understand you are upset, and you are very powerful, but you cannot measure up to a god. You won’t win this. Do not join him in death, because if you try to kill me, that’s exactly where you’ll go.”
His silver threads start to reach for Sin. “You will–” he starts, only for the words to be cut off under a strained gurgling sound.
His eyes widen in shock, before his face gives a weird twitch. Then, blood spurts from his neck as his head is severed from his body.
Arianna stands behind him, a bloody dagger in one hand, and the decapitated head of Hades in the other.
I gape as the god’s body slumps to the ground, his silver threads fading.
Arianna grips his head by the hair, looking him in the eye before smiling. “How’s this for measuring up?” She asks sweetly, before launching his head into the air.
It lands halfway down the battlefield with a sickening thud.
Her smile is triumphant when she turns to me. “He won’t stay dead, he is a god after all, but that should buy us some time.”
My shoulders slump, and I fall to the ground to crouch over Sin’s body again.
His eyes are wide open, and I gently shut them. He’s cold.
“Kitten, I’m not in there anymore. You don’t need to do that,”Sin notes.
“But I can’t let yougo,”I choke out.
“Alright, what’s the plan?” Arianna asks, not hearing our silent exchange. She looks ready to take on the world.
I frown, feeling like loss and grief are crushing me into the earth. “I – I don’t know.”
She frowns for a minute, looking like she’s thinking hard, before her expression turns determined. “Well, you should at least get him on ice. No one wants a decayed body. Maybe we can force Hades to bring him back.”
“He said he can’t…” I start, still trying to look for any other idea.
“No. He said hewon’t,” Arianna corrects, crossing her arms and giving me a pointed look.
My eyes widen. “Because he’s a god. Ari!” I exclaim, standing up to hug her. “You’re a genius! Can you find Ragna? Bring her here?”
She looks confused but doesn’t press me for details. “Of course. I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she notes, before apparating away.
