Page 74 of Curse the Flame

His arm tightens. “There isn’t anything I won’t do for you, Blossom. Including trying to kill an immortal if that’s what it takes.”

“And that’s why you’re my hero, baby.”

Aiden lets out a rough laugh against my throat before lifting his head. The white light has receded from his eyes, leaving them dark and human again, but Hades is still close. I can feel him in the chill rolling from Aiden’s skin, see him in the way the shadows curl protectively around our feet.

His eyes flicker back to white. “Hero, goddess? I am a god. I’m your god. And should anyone threaten to take you from me, I will end them if I must. I swear it on the River Styx, my bride.” Aiden blinks, coming back to me again. Even so, I see the promise in his dark eyes, and I know that he only used Hades to make the most solemn vow a Grecian can to give weight to it, not because he doesn’t agree.

The empty revolver hanging at his side is proof of that.

I lean into him, almost giddy at how easy that was—and that’s when I notice the furrow to his brow, sense the hesitation in the way he’s holding me, and I think of that vow…

“What’s wrong?”

“Willow—”

Nope. “Look at me, Aiden. I know you. What’s wrong? We got Kronos. He’s not a threat anymore.”

He turns into me and bows his head, pressing his forehead to mine. “We got him, Blossom, but Hades noticed something when he opened Tartarus to throw Kronos into the pit.”

I don’t like the sound of that. “What did he notice?”

Pulling away from me slightly, Aiden holsters the gun beneath his coat, taking more time than the simple movement requires. When he finishes, his hand finds mine. Another moment while I wait for him to drop the coming bomb on me as he rubs his thumb across my knuckles before he admits: “Three of the prisons are empty.”

What? How? Who? The only ones I know of who are imprisoned in Tartarus inside of cells are⁠—

“Three titans?” When he nods, I ask, “Do you know which titans?”

As if that matters. As if it makes a difference…

“Hades does,” Aiden tells me because he can deny me nothing. “Hyperion. Oceanus. Crius.”

The answer comes with the slightest shift in his voice. Not enough to become the god’s deeper tone, but enough to remind me that Aiden isn’t alone inside his body.

“And are they the friendly kind?”

His mouth twists, and I know that’s pure Aiden. “Ain’t really such a thing.”

Crap. “That’s what I thought.”

I pull my hand away so that I can pace several steps across the megaron, all of my relief rushing away in an instant.

My husband can tell. He crosses to me and places both hands on my upper arms, holding me still even though I’m not going anywhere now that he has me.

“Kronos is in the pit. The gate’s holding. Soon as Zeus gets here, he’ll slam it shut for good.”

“And the other three?”

“They ain’t here.”

“They’re somewhere.”

“Yeah. Somewhere above us.”

His tone is calm. Too calm.

Understanding settles slowly.

Aiden isn’t saying the missing Titans aren’t dangerous.