Heart of Fire (Blood of Zeus #2) - Meredith Wild Page 0,90

keys. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

Jaden nods, also using the motion as a directional toward the front door. My careening senses are grateful. We race through the rubble toward what used to be Rerek’s artistically cool front entrance.

I’m there in no time, but when I don’t hear Jaden’s footsteps anymore, I stop in front of the fountain in the vestibule. Jaden’s still there, but a wholly new sound erupts from him as he drops violently to the floor. He grunts hard and topples harder, as if he’s hurtled into a clear glass door. But there’s no such barrier. There’s nothing’s there but air.

“What happened?”

He’s still flat on his back, muttering curses. With a fresh groan, he pushes back to his feet. On his new approach attempt, he extends his hands to make cautious friends with the air first. Except once again, his palms thwack into the invisible wall. After a more gritted profanity, so do his coiled fists.

“Is he fucking kidding?” He laces his fingers at the back of his head and jams his sights toward the ceiling. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

I take a tentative step toward him. “Hades is doing this?”

He shakes his head with savage fury. “Rerek.”

I pause, processing his revelation. “He helped Hades get to Kara. You were the prize.”

Jaden lowers his head. His nostrils are flared, his eyes enraged. “That chaotic cretin is going to learn just how awesome a prize I am.”

I inhale hard, hoping to suck in some of the powerful punch from his anger. But suddenly I’m twice as paralyzed as before. If I couldn’t save Kara from these forces, how the hell am I going to save Jaden?

“Hey. Don’t worry about it,” Jaden snaps, as if he’s able to hear my thoughts now too. Likelier, I’m wearing all the stress across my face. “Just go.” His voice is raw with rage and resignation. “I’ll deal with Rerek. You…well, just find her.”

“But—”

“You have to get her back. I’ll do whatever I can from here, but it won’t be enough. I can practically guarantee that.”

I’m exhaling now, yearning to turn it into a blast capable of taking out everything on the patio. But the invisible clock in my head ticks louder, subduing me into a terse nod. “If I have to turn hell inside out, I’ll find her,” I vow.

“You may have to,” Jaden mutters. “But right now, you’ve got to get out of here. Rerek could be back any second. You shouldn’t be here when he does.”

I pause once more, wanting to ask if he’ll be okay, but the urge gets stowed for more selfish reasons. It won’t do any good, and Jaden’s better prepared to deal with his sentence as Rerek’s prisoner than Kara is as a hostage in hell.

A hostage?

Is that even right?

The question pummels me as I rush back to the truck. What does Kara mean to Hades? Why did he go to such lengths to take her himself, when he could have employed any number of minions to carry out the task?

Is she his prisoner? Or is she his captured rebel, taken to experience his personal punishment for her sin against him? If so, then what kind of punishment? And for how long?

Driving through the night, with the wind whipping my hair and the rain lashing my face, I can’t stop myself from imagining all the possible answers for that. How many ways can Hades, king of misery and suffering and sorrow, choose to hurt the woman I love?

Panic surges again, hot and terrible and suffocating. I rechannel it, revving the truck’s engine far past the speed limit. I push a button and bark at the truck’s Bluetooth to call the only other person who’s been a true lifeline in tragic times.

Jesse picks up after the third ring. “This better be good.”

“It’s not.” I drag in as much air as I can, acknowledging the crack in my voice now that the cabin speakers surround me in a familiar, safe voice. “Fuck. It’s just…not.”

“Jesus. You sound like shit. What’s going on?”

“Can’t explain right now. I’m on my way home.”

“All right. I’m downstairs. But the suspense is already killing me. What happened? Is it Kara? Did you guys have a fight or something? Were you being an ass—”

“No.” I practically yell it. “It’s nothing like that.”

Jesse sighs, seemingly resigned to the sparse details. I’d tell him more, but I need the next twenty minutes to figure out exactly what to say and how. Until then, he’ll have to wait out the