us away from the temple. I looked back, a shiver racing over my skin. I met Hades’ gaze, then nodded toward Charon. “Can he hear us?”
Hades waved a hand in front of us, and magic sparked on the air. “Not anymore.”
I turned to him, drawing in a deep breath to ask the question he probably wouldn’t like. “Is Chronos your father?”
20
Hades
Was Chronos my father?
I frowned, staring down at Seraphia. “I do not know.”
“Really?”
I shook my head. “I was never a child, so there was no need for me to meet whatever made me. From what I know, I was born of the darkness.”
“I saw. But Chronos was the darkness when I saw him.”
“I’ve never seen him in Tartarus,” I said. “But I knew he was there.”
Surprise flashed in her eyes. “You’ve been?”
I debated what to tell her, torn. Finally, I nodded jerkily.
She frowned. “I thought it was only for Titans.”
“And for me.”
“How so?”
I stared out at the scenery passing by. We were nearly there. I just needed to distract her for a bit until then. “He has your friends?”
Worry flashed on her face again.
My comment had worked to distract her, but guilt followed.
What the hell? I rubbed my chest, strangely uncomfortable with the feeling.
“Could he really kidnap them?” It was the second time she’d asked. It had to be a nervous tic, because she was far too smart to have forgotten.
“Yes.” If the darkness that compelled me really was Chronos—which seemed possible—it could be capable of kidnapping. Using her friends as bait was something I would have done.
It certainly complicated matters if the darkness were Chronos, as I now believed. I’d have to deal with that. He couldn’t be allowed to escape Tartarus, if that was his goal. I would stop him.
I looked at Seraphia, and the sight of her pale, frightened face made something twist in my chest. Hard.
She hugged herself, staring at the water, fear in her eyes. I could feel her misery from here, even though we didn’t touch.
Helplessness clawed at me. Seeing her like this was strangely uncomfortable for me. I certainly didn't like it. I wanted to fix this for her.
But how?
Suddenly, I wanted to distract her. I wanted to tell her what drove me. When I’d first met her, I hadn’t cared at all what she thought. Now, I felt compelled to share with her. I wanted her to understand my actions.
It was the strangest thing.
“Tartarus was built for Titans,” I could hear myself saying. “But once a millennium, they make room for me.”
Her eyes flashed toward me, surprised. “What?”
I nodded, staring out at the river. “My goal—to spread the realm of the underworld to earth—has been imprinted upon me since my creation long ago. But every thousand years, if I have not succeeded, I am taken to Tartarus to remind me of my goals.”
“Remind you?”
“You’ve seen my back.”
“Torture.”
I nodded. “The only kind of torture that can permanently mark a god. It takes a while, of course. It is…unpleasant.” An understatement.
She swallowed, her face even paler than it had been. “I had no idea.”
“Why would you?”
She just shook her head, clearly shocked, and leaned against me. Her warmth blazed into me, and I drew on it, taking strength.
“Is it almost the thousand-year mark?” she asked.
I nodded and drew off one of my gloves, revealing my hand. It flickered, turning slightly transparent, and she gasped.
“This is the beginning,” I said.
“Damn it.”
I frowned at her.
She shook her head, staring forward and muttering, “So many to save.”
I gripped her hand. “Don’t think that way.”
She looked up at me. “Of course I think that way.”
“Your friends will be fine.”
“It’s not just my friends.”
“Then who else?” She hadn’t mentioned anyone else when coming out of the stairwell.
“You, you idiot.”
Shock lanced me, so fierce and sharp that it left me stunned.
She looked away, staring out at the water. “Can’t Charon go any faster?”
Finally, I found my words. “You want to…save me?”
“I didn’t.” She wouldn’t look at me. “But now, I don’t know. Your goals are still the same, and I can’t let you achieve them. But still…”
“Don’t. You don’t need to save me.” I didn’t like the idea of it. Nor did I like the warmth that tried to fill me when I thought of her wanting to try. “There’s nothing to save me from.”
She laughed and looked down at my hand. “Sure.”
“This is my destiny. I choose it.”
“You’ve known nothing else. How can you choose something when you have only one option? That’s not choice.”