Captured (Shadow Guild Hades & Persephone #3) - Linsey Hall Page 0,57

their bodies, smashing them into a million pieces.

Down below, Mac raced toward one of the creatures. Gripping her sword in both hands, she ran the blade through an ice demon, shattering it.

Nearby, a dark-haired woman conjured heavy mallets and handed them out to those without magic to fight the demons. A cartoon cat grinned on her shirt.

The fight erupted around us. Summoning his wings, Hades swept me into his arms. At his touch, magic leapt inside my chest, reaching out to him.

His gaze met mine, and there was awareness there. He felt it, too.

Without a word, Hades soared upward. We flew over the horde of ice demons. The creatures tracked our path, their eyeless faces following our movements.

The demons followed us, and my friends raced after them, taking out one after the other. Lightning flashed, and the sounds of battle rent the air.

In the distance, I spotted the enormous figure of Chronos. He was on the far side of the hill, headed for the summit.

Hades flew faster for the heap of huge rocks atop the hill. As we neared, I realized that they protected an ancient temple built of brilliant white columns. There was no roof, and an altar sat in the middle.

“There!” I pointed toward it, and Hades flew downward, so fast that my eyes teared in the wind.

Behind us, the battle raged. The ice demons scrambled over the rocks to reach the temple, but my friends dragged them back and smashed them to pieces

Hades landed at a run, and I flung myself out of his arms. We sprinted for the altar, Chronos’s footsteps shaking the ground as we approached.

“He’s nearly here,” I said.

We reached the altar and stopped. Six crowns sat on the flat marble surface.

“Six?” I asked.

“An illusion.” Hades stared hard at them. “Not all are real. Choose the wrong one and something terrible could happen.”

“Let’s destroy them all.” I reached out.

He grabbed my arm. “No. It could be a trap.”

“Then how do we tell?”

“I don’t know.” He hovered a hand over the crowns, brow creased as he tried to get a hint of the magical signature.

I glanced nervously around, expecting Chronos to appear at any moment.

“Hurry!” Zeus’s shout sounded from behind us. Lightning struck the far side of the temple, piercing the ground just outside the protective barrier of boulders.

A roar sounded, chilling in its viciousness. Zeus must have landed a blow.

“We just need a bit of time.”

I could feel Chronos. He was nearly upon us. Zeus’s lightning flashed endlessly, the thunder deafening in our ears.

There were plants nearby. I sensed them, little vines creeping between the hulking boulders. I reached for them with my power, feeling the life within them. My magic surged, and I commanded the plants to grow.

They obeyed, quickly expanding until thick vines crept from the rocks and twisted around the columns that surrounded us. The vines slithered upward, forming a protective dome around the temple, knotting themselves together until they blocked out most of the light.

Chronos roared and tore at the vines. I cried out. It felt as though he was ripping my flesh. I fought the pain and forced the vines to regenerate. Tears ran down my cheeks. He was too strong. We’d never be able to beat him.

Two halves of a whole.

My magic called out to Hades. There was an emptiness inside me that could only be filled by joining with him. Instinct drove me. I reached for him. “Choose me, not the crown.”

His gaze met mine. “You’re serious, aren’t you? Even if we risk not defeating him?”

“We will defeat him. I know it. Together. We must join our power. It’s the only way. Can’t you feel it?” The knowledge, the certainty vibrated in my soul. “It’s the final step. Choose me, Hades.”

My heart thundered wildly as I waited for his response. Fear chilled me. I’d meant it when I said it was me or the crown. If he chose wrong, I would lose him.

It took only a moment.

His eyes flashed with intensity. “I chose you when I went to Tartarus. Over everything, I choose you.”

He stepped toward me and took my hand in his. Our magic melded, dark and light. A blast of power shot through me. Light burst from the two of us, brilliant and blinding. My grip on Hades was the only thing that kept me standing.

When I opened my eyes, the sun was shining on Hades.

Holy fates.

I could still feel the darkness inside him—it would always be there, since he was the king of hell—but