Captured (Shadow Guild Hades & Persephone #3) - Linsey Hall Page 0,6
donning the crown,” Lachesis said. “But you can only defeat him by returning him to Tartarus. Killing him is impossible.”
I nodded, unsurprised.
“As you know, you and Seraphia are two halves of a whole. Light and dark, each with qualities of the other. Together, you can defeat Chronos. You have already taught her how to use her magic, but it is still bound by an ancient curse. She must find who bound her magic and throw off those shackles.”
“Do you know who bound it?”
“No, that information is lost in the secret of her past.”
“So we must return to her home.”
Lachesis nodded. “Yes. And once she has broken the curse and ascended to full godhood, she will be strong enough to take on Chronos. But it will take great sacrifice.”
“What kind?”
“That is for you to discover. But once that sacrifice is made, you will be strong enough to defeat Chronos—together, as one.” She gave me a long look. “It would help if you were united.”
“United? Does this mean that she must love me?”
“That would help.”
I frowned. “I do not know how to make that happen.”
“I imagine you don’t.” She looked me up and down. “Love is not exactly your milieu.”
“No.” The idea of it confused me beyond measure. “But what else can you tell me? Has Chronos found the crown?”
“No. He does not know where it is.”
“Good.” It would buy us time. Unlike him, I did know where it was.
“Do not think that you can find the crown quicker than he,” Lachesis said. “His power allows him to find you, and if you approach it before you are strong enough to defeat him, he will stop you and kill you both, taking the crown for himself.”
I nodded, and she continued speaking. “Once Seraphia has broken the bonds on her magic and you have joined, you must embrace your full power to defeat your enemy. It is the only way for you to save yourself and Seraphia.”
“Is she in great danger?” I asked.
“Greater than you know.” Her eyes turned dark. “The curse that once threatened to drag you to Tartarus was passed on to her. She saved you from it, but inadvertently took it upon herself.”
Icy fear lanced my heart, chilling my bones until I thought they might snap. “What?”
“She has begun to fade like you once did. If you do not save her, she will be dragged to Tartarus for an eternity of torture.”
A distant roaring sounded in my head, rage and terror twined into one. My voice was low with horror as I asked, “How do I save her?”
“By becoming the god you were meant to be. Whether or not she survives depends upon you. Prove your commitment to her.”
The heavy weight of responsibility settled on my shoulders.
Lachesis’s voice lowered, vibrating with even more power. “You must succeed, Hades, or all is lost.”
I drew a deep breath. Must succeed. I was still meant to spread eternal darkness to the Earth. The circumstances might have changed, but my end goal was the same. Only now, the stakes were so much higher.
“One last thing,” Lachesis said. “All is not as it seems.”
“What does that mean?”
She smiled mysteriously and vanished.
Damned fate.
I strode up the stairs, determined to see Seraphia.
She saved me.
I’d felt it when her magic had taken the curse from me, but I hadn’t realized she’d taken it unto herself. Horror echoed through me; terror swift on its heels.
I couldn’t lose her. And not to something like this. I knew how bad it was in Tartarus. She couldn’t go there in my stead.
I had to save her.
Did she know about the curse yet? If she didn’t, should I tell her?
No.
The fear would weigh heavily on her. I would save her, and she might never need to know that she was cursed.
We needed to set out at once to determine who had bound her magic. She had the control now. I was sure of it. She would survive if we unbound her magic. We just needed to find a way. When I had the crown, I would have the power to save her.
I took the stairs two at a time as I ascended to the castle above. At the main level, I nearly ran into Lucifer.
The pale angel stepped back, hands raised. “Whoa. Where’s the fire?”
“Fire?”
He grinned, cocky as ever. “Apologies. I forgot your language skills are still in the Stone Age.”
I ignored the jibe. “Where is Seraphia?” Lucifer had been keeping track of her for me, watching over her to make sure she