I drew in a deep breath and followed, my gaze riveted by her form. The temple sat alone on a thin peninsula that jutted into the sea. The path to access it was narrow, and the cliff walls dropped sharply into the gray-blue ocean that crashed against the stones below.
We reached the temple steps a few minutes later. The temple was circular in construction, similar to the Temple of Shadow. Unlike that one, however, this temple had solid walls of white marble.
“I will wait for you here,” I said. As much as I wanted to accompany her in, she needed to be able to ask the questions she wanted. My presence might deter that. Anyway, I needed to keep watch. We were no longer within the protection of my realm, and the other gods might sense that. They had no desire for me to complete my fated task and would take any opportunity to stop me.
Including killing Seraphia.
She didn’t look at me as she nodded and raced up the stairs, entering the temple silently. I turned away and inspected my surroundings.
The city was ghostly quiet, the buildings forming silent sentinels from the past.
When the air sparked with magic, I stiffened. It swirled with golden sparks, and I frowned. “Who’s there?”
In front of me, the air solidified to form the shape of a woman. She was slender and ancient, yet timeless, her eyes blue and bright. Beautiful. Despite her age, she was as regal as a queen, and power emanated from her like perfume. The white robes that draped her form were shot through with gold and decorated with blue gems that glittered like her eyes.
“Oracle?” I frowned at her. “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be inside?”
“This is all my domain.” She gestured to it. “And you are the one that I would like to speak to.”
“There is someone inside waiting for you.”
“Yes, I know. And I will go there soon.” Her gaze traveled up and down my form. “My, my, Hades, how you have changed.”
“I have not.” My voice was too stiff even to my own ears.
She laughed. “I have seen all for millennia, and I see you, my dear boy.”
Dear boy?
I blinked at her. “The Oracle of Kamarina is known for being terrifying.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “And I am, to some. But what is the point when I am facing the king of hell? I cannot frighten you, so I will not try.”
“What do you want with me?”
“A message.” She gestured to the temple. “Within those walls stands the other half of you.”
“Other half? What do you mean?”
“Light and dark, you are each half of a whole, incomplete without the other.”
“I am complete.”
She shrugged. “Perhaps you feel that way, but that does not negate the truth of your magic. You each need the other to complete your goals. You will save each other.”
Understanding dawned. “She will be my queen.”
“That is not what I meant. But yes, that is fated.”
“She won’t like the sound of that.”
“Then you will have to convince her.”
“How do I do that?”
“I’m not here to give you all the answers. But remember this—your power is not complete without her, nor hers without you. The only way forward is together.”
With that, she disappeared.
I heaved a sigh and dragged my hand over my face.
Fate save me from oracles.
“Brother.” The voice echoed with power as it traveled across the waves, and I looked up.
There, rising from the sea, stood Poseidon. His armor glinted a silvery blue, as if it were made from water itself. Unlike Zeus, who embraced modern life, Poseidon was more like me. He stayed in his realm, except for brief visits like this.
I drew my bident from the ether, the bi-pronged staff familiar in my hand. “We are not brothers.”
In return, Poseidon drew his trident. “Why are you here, Hades?”
“That is none of your concern.”
But Poseidon wouldn’t consider that true. He’d want to take this opportunity to stop me, the same way Zeus had. I resisted shooting a glance toward the temple. If he didn’t know that Seraphia was here, I did not want to alert him. She needed time with the Oracle, and I’d prefer to get rid of Poseidon myself.
“Of course it is.” He smiled and raised his trident, and I braced myself for battle.
15
Seraphia
“Hello?” My voice echoed as I spun in a circle, inspecting the empty temple around me.
The massive room was round, and tall pillars encircled me, supporting