The liquid inside sparkled and swirled, and the fizz of magic raced up my arm.
It worked.
Quickly, I corked it.
Now what?
I ran to the chair I’d been sitting on and pulled one of the pillows off, then slipped it beneath his head. Quickly, gently, I ran my fingertips along his jaw, heart twisting at how innocent he looked in sleep.
“Get it together, crazy.” I stood, legs shaking and heart going a mile a minute.
The wound at his chest had already closed. If he were an ordinary man, I would tie him up. But he was far from ordinary, and I’d need incredibly powerful cuffs that I did not have.
So I gave him one last look, my gaze tracing over the perfection of his face, then turned and ran. At the door, I donned the cloak, pulling the hood up to hide my face.
I stashed the potion in my pocket and kept Hades’ blade hidden in the folds of my cloak, my fist clenched tight around it.
Skin cold with fear, I raced away from Hades’ tower, my footsteps as silent as I could make them. I just needed to make it back to the library where we’d first arrived in this realm, all the way on the other side of town.
How long did I have?
Minutes or hours?
The top floors of the castle were empty as I ran. The torches cast golden shadows on the floor, and my footsteps were silent on the plush rugs. I took the stairs two at a time, racing until my lungs burned. Lucifer was nowhere to be seen today, thank fates. He must be off guard dog duty, since I’d been with Hades.
I could take the main exit from the castle—it was closer—but it was also guarded. Or at least, there were always soldiers on duty. Hades didn’t seem to need official guards, since no one would mess with him, and he was confident I couldn’t escape.
None of my movements had been restricted so far, but I couldn't risk it. Instead, I turned toward the back of the castle, finding the rear entrance unguarded as normal. Sweating, I slipped out into the cool night, keeping my gaze far from the pomegranate tree that taunted me.
I needed to get to the library. From there, I could find my way home.
I sprinted through the dark night, the pale sliver of a moon lighting my way. I made my way around the edge of the fortress, heading toward the town. There were no guards, thank fates, and I reached the first of the narrow city streets without incident.
The city streets were empty as I ran, the windows empty eyes that stared at me. The ornate architecture, with its sweeps and curls of black stone, was different from Guild City’s. Beautiful in an eerie way. So fitting for hell.
The night was black overhead, starless. All the better for concealing me. In my dark cloak, I was but a shadow as I passed shops and homes. I neared the center of town where the torture victims hung. I hesitated, my speed slowing. From here, I could see them hanging by their feet, backs stripped raw of skin. My stomach lurched.
What should I do?
Could I even help them?
I had to at least try.
Skin icy with fear, I crept up to the edge of the square. There were a dozen people in all, most of them men. I gripped the dagger in my hand, determined to start by cutting them down. Slowly, I crept toward the nearest one. He hung with his back to me, head facing away.
“What do you think you are doing?” a voice hissed.
I jumped, stomach bottoming out, and turned.
Kerala stood at the edge of the square, her eyes wide. A brilliant red dress draped her form, so different than her usual maid’s uniform. Her lips gleamed a matching scarlet, and her curls were piled high on her head. She whispered, “Why are you here?”
I gestured to the man behind me. “I have to save them.”
“Save them?”
“Yes, this is terrible.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “You don’t even know the meaning of terrible.”
“What?”
“They’ve done things so awful and gruesome you can’t imagine it.” She pointed to the one I had stepped toward. “While on Earth, that one ate the hearts of children. Cut them out while they were still alive.”
Shock lanced me, cold and pure. Bile rose. “What?”
“You heard me. I sat in on his trial, heard the whole thing. Hades’ judgement was