Awakened (Shadow Guild Hades & Persephone #2) - Linsey Hall

1

Seraphia

When one walks into hell, it’s important to be prepared.

Too bad I could hardly stand.

“How are you doing?” Mac, one of my closest friends, asked from my side. She supported me around the waist, and it was her lean strength I had to thank for getting me this far.

“Fine. Doing great.” My insides felt like they’d been put through a blender.

“You look great,” Mac said. “The deathly pallor and hollow eyes really suit you.”

I huffed a weak laugh and stared at the door of the Guild City library, fear yawning wide inside me. It created a chasm as deep and dark as Hades’ heart.

It was time to go back to hell.

“You’re sure about this?” Mac asked.

I looked at her, grateful for the faint rain on my face. It was a dreary day in Guild City, but the cool rain was soothing against the heat that flickered through me from the pomegranate potion.

Curse, more like.

“Do I look like I have any other options?” I asked.

“No.” Anger twisted her pretty features. “I just hate this for you. It’s all my fault.”

“Shut up, or I swear to God, I’ll kick you in the tits.”

She huffed a laugh. “You couldn’t manage that on your best day.”

She wasn’t wrong. I was far too short, and she was far too quick and tough. Being a librarian gave me a certain set of skills, but definitely not tit-kicking.

I turned back to the library door, staring at the dark wood and tiny panes of glass.

This is it.

I was walking back into the underworld, compelled by Hades himself. It’d been two weeks since I’d escaped, and the pomegranate potion he’d given me was forcing me to return. It was about to kill me, which was the only thing worse than seeing Hades again.

Lie.

Part of me wanted to see him. But I shoved that part back, bound it with duct tape, and shoved it in a closet. A bit serial-killery of me, but effective.

I drew in a deep breath and stared at the door of the library. It was the portal to hell, which I definitely hadn’t known when I’d taken the job. But I’d be going back prepared this time.

Last time, I’d been hampered by my need to find Mac a cure for another of Hades’ curses. This time, it was just me, trying to find a way to break the pomegranate curse. I’d tried everything I could here on earth, searching high and low. My potion master friend Eve had done everything she could as well, but without the pomegranate that had cursed me, her hands had been tied.

“I’m here!” A voice sounded from down the street, and I turned to look.

As if she’d heard me thinking about her, Eve raced toward me down the uneven, cobblestone street. Her purple hair streamed in the wind, and she raised two big leather bags, a smile stretched across her pretty Fae face. She skidded to a stop in front of me. “Got all kinds of potions for you here. Hades won’t know what hit him.”

“Thank you.” I smiled gratefully but didn’t bother to take the bags. No way I could lift something so heavy in my state. “I can never pay you back for this. Your help will save me.”

“Psh, don’t worry about that.” She frowned at me, looking me up and down. “You’re going back not a moment too soon.”

“Don’t I know it.” At the words, pain stabbed my insides. I gasped and doubled over, clutching my belly. It felt like my organs were trying to leap out of my body and run right back to hell.

“Let’s go,” Mac said. “With any luck, you’ll feel better once you’re there.”

“Except for the fact that I’ll be stuck in hell.”

Mac nodded. “Except for that.”

“Onward.” I straightened my shoulders, reminding myself that I was going armed. Come hell or high water, I’d make Hades regret dosing me with the pomegranate potion.

Mac pushed open the old wooden door and stepped forward. I resisted briefly, turning to look at Guild City. I would be coming back. I wouldn’t settle for any less.

But all the same, I wanted one last peek at my home.

The quiet streets of Guild City looked like something right out of Shakespeare. It was pure Tudor, the dark timber buildings coated in white plaster. Hundreds of mullioned windows watched me like silent eyes.

The people who filled the streets were modern, and several drove motorbikes down the narrow lanes. The wares in the shop windows were a combination of magical and mundane. Each