Hades frowned, clearly confused.
I pulled back. “It’s just too much, don’t you see?” I turned around and headed back to the house, saying over my shoulder, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Hades
I watched Seraphia hurry toward the house, my heart thundering.
It’s just too much.
Her words echoed in my ears. Too much what? Too much to ask? Too much to sacrifice?
Didn’t she realize it could never be too much? I’d do anything to save her. And yet, she didn’t care. More than that, she actively opposed it.
She opposed everything that I was.
I dragged a hand through my hair, squeezing tight. What was I supposed to do to make her accept me?
You know.
The words whispered in my mind, yet I couldn’t tolerate them. Because I didn’t know.
Once, before Seraphia had been cursed, I could have given up on my desire for the crown to have her. But now I needed it to save her.
I would do anything to save her.
Even give her up.
Because that’s what this would mean. If I couldn’t turn her to the dark—which was looking less likely every day—she would leave me when I accomplished my goals.
But at least she would be alive. And I would have the crown. It would be a comfort.
I shook the thoughts away and stalked back to the workshop where I’d bunked down for the night.
8
Seraphia
As Aurelia had promised, we left early the next morning. Hades waited for us near the boat, leaning against a hip-high boulder with his arms crossed. The early morning sun hid behind brilliant orange clouds, gilding him in golden light.
Memories of last night flashed in my mind, warming and chilling me at the same time. How would we ever escape the trap we were in?
As we neared the boat, Aurelia handed him a cloth-wrapped package that contained a breakfast sandwich of bread and ham. He took it with a silent nod of thanks but did not eat.
Stavros worked quietly and efficiently to ready the boat as the sun crept over the horizon. It stayed behind the clouds; no doubt due to Hades. Aurelia climbed on first and gestured for us to follow onto the long, sloping deck.
“Come, we will sit in the front.” She moved around the equipment to reach the bow, where benches had been built against the railings.
Hades and I sat, and he looked distinctly stiff.
He didn’t have to rely on other people for help, normally. It obviously sat ill with him.
Well, he’d just have to deal with it.
I looked at Aurelia. “Where are we going?”
“There is an island between here and mainland Greece. It is hidden from humans, but not from gods and their descendants. There, we will leave you to find your mother.”
So she lived on an island. Or not lived exactly, considering what Aurelia had said. I smiled at her. “Thank you.”
Stavros climbed onto the boat. Magic fizzed on the air, and the vessel rose a few inches off the rocks and drifted back into the water.
The trip to the island was calm, with the sun creeping ever higher in the sky, always behind clouds. I couldn’t help but watch Hades as he stared at the sun. He looked at it too long and too hard, as if he could will it to come out.
It never did.
“There it is.” Aurelia pointed into the distance.
An island sat on the horizon. Like Cyprus, it was made of rocky cliffs and sparse vegetation. Ancient ruins climbed up the sides, but there were no modern buildings.
“No one lives there,” Hades said. “I feel nothing.”
Aurelia nodded. “That is true.”
No one lives there.
My mother wouldn’t be living there in a cottage and tending goats, that was for sure. So how would I find her?
I met Aurelia’s gaze, but she just smiled softly. “You will have to see for yourself.”
I nodded.
Finally, the boat pulled up on a rocky beach, drifting weightlessly over the rocks. Aurelia stood and gestured toward the safest place to step off.
I strode toward the middle of the vessel where we’d climbed aboard. I was about to jump to the ground when Hades leapt down gracefully, then gripped me around the waist and lowered me gently. I gritted my teeth, feeling conflicted. I liked that he cared enough to help, but it annoyed me all the same. The small kindnesses were difficult to swallow when he still wanted to commit the ultimate atrocity.
So I ignored him and looked up at Aurelia. “Any tips?”
“Remember to use your necklace when the time is right. And look for the great cauldron.”
“Cauldron?”
“It’s a massive stone cauldron sitting in the middle of one of the city squares. That will be your first clue in locating your mother. But you must do it alone and prove yourself.” She smiled. “I don’t know anything else, though. So I can’t be more help.”
“Thank you for everything.”
She nodded. “I love you, dear niece. Be careful. Your uncle and I will always be here for you.”
Stavros came to join her. He nodded, smiling broadly, but said nothing. A man of few words, but it was clear that he shared Aurelia’s feelings.
Hades inclined his head. “You have my thanks.”
She nodded and turned away. The boat drifted quickly off the shore and headed out to sea. I waved, then turned to look at the island. It was a massive thing now that I stood on the shore, with various narrow dirt roads climbing up the naturally terraced hillside.
A huge complex of ancient ruins sat about halfway up. It appeared to be separated into four different sections, but it was impossible to tell what they had been used for.
“Shall we go?” I asked.
Hades nodded, then handed me the package of breakfast that Aurelia had handed him. “In case you are hungry.”
“I ate breakfast before we left the house. You should eat.”
“I don’t need food the same way you do.” He turned and started up the path, climbing with sure footing.
I ignored him and tucked the food into my small pack, then followed. As we ascended, the sun rose higher in the sky.
About thirty minutes later, we reached a crossroads in the path. It split four different ways, each new path leading to a different section of the ruins.
“It’s enormous,” I said. “Just keeps getting bigger, it seems.”
Hades inspected each of the paths, but he didn’t seem to know any better than I did which way to go.
I wished we had help. A sign, or a guide of some sort.
As if he’d heard me, Echo appeared at my side. The little bat fluttered in the muted sunlight, his soft fur gleaming like ebony and his dark eyes sparkling like black gems.
I grinned. “Echo. It’s been ages.”
He squeaked.
“Are you here to lead the way?”
He nodded, then spun and flew up one of the paths. I shrugged and followed. Hades joined me, keeping pace at my side easily.
“He was sent by your mother,” Hades said.
I looked at him, unable to help myself. “Really?”
“I believe so.”
“Echo,” I called. “Is that true?”
The bat looked back and bobbed his little head. Warmth expanded inside me. I’d loved Echo before, but now I loved him even more. I couldn’t help it.