pulled back in a severe ponytail that only made her look more beautiful.
She peered around. “Did Lucifer come with you?”
“Yes. You didn’t see him out in the garden?”
“No. He must be lurking.” Her gaze landed on the plant in the dirt. “Is that what I think it is?”
“It is.” I reached into my pocket and withdrew another one, handing it to her.
She took it and stared hard at the little green sprig. “Whoa.”
“Yeah.”
“That must be the only living plant in the city besides the pomegranate tree.”
I nodded. “I think I can make it bigger, too. That’s what I’m trying to do here.”
“Planting a garden?”
“A real one.”
“That’s . . . amazing.”
I shrugged. “We’ll see.”
“Go on. Let’s see it then.”
I touched the tiny sprig sticking out of the dirt, feeling the life thrum beneath my fingertips.
“You’ve done this before?” she asked.
“I haven’t practiced much, no. But a little.” It was Hades’ own fault for trying to teach me how to use a magic that could be weaponized against him.
A memory rose . . . the spark of darkness I’d felt when I’d practiced with him. It had been so tantalizing.
Had that been part of his purpose?
I couldn’t put it past him.
“Okay. Here’s goes nothing.” I kept contact with the plant, wanting the easy connection. Anything to pave the way here, since I had big plans. I would probably never see this garden again, but I wanted to know it was here. For the apothecary. And Lucifer, though he might be a bastard. And I’d need to save whatever magic I could in case things went south later. It was a finite resource, more so because I was unpracticed, and I needed to be as efficient as possible.
The apothecary stepped back, giving me space, and I called upon the power deep within me.
“Grow.” I whispered, feeding my power into the plant, imagining it getting larger and larger.
At first, nothing happened.
I scowled, sending my mind back to the lesson with Hades, remembering how he’d helped me access the magic deep inside me. This time, it was easy to latch onto it and draw it out of my soul. Almost like I was overflowing with it now that I’d used a little. Now that he’d taught me how.
The plant began to grow, vines getting fatter and longer. More shoots sprouted off, and I made them larger, as well. Unfortunately, it also awakened some of the darkness in my soul.
I could feel it, trying to push its way toward the surface.
Gasping, I shoved it back and focused on the plant.
I could do this.
The vines grew larger, and I smiled.
“Amazing,” the apothecary breathed. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“You should come to Earth one day.”
“Maybe.” There was a wistfulness to her voice.
The plant was now the size of a large dog, so I pulled my hands back, killing the magic and stopping the growth. I looked up at her, spotting the wistfulness in her gaze. “Do you want to come with me?”
“I can’t.” She shook her head vehemently. “I have too much that I must do here.”
“I understand.” I stood and brushed off my hands. “Me, too.”
“You’re going to do more?”
I nodded.
She grinned. “I’m probably going to dig one up and put it in a pot, just to warn you.”
“Go for it.” I met her gaze, suddenly solemn. “Thank you for your help.”
She nodded. “Good luck saving your friend.”
“Thank you.”
We parted ways, and I headed off to other parts of the garden, growing secret plants in the hidden nooks and crannies. Echo visited occasionally, but never stayed long. Occasionally, I felt Lucifer watching over me and knew that my work could be destroyed, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to create something beautiful here.
And if the darkness was growing inside me, I needed to do good to combat it.
When I was done, I turned back to the castle. Full dark had fallen, and it was time. I patted the cuffs in my back pocket, hoping they would work.
With any luck, I might not need them.
Maybe I would get lucky and his quarters would be empty, and I’d find the key without seeing him.
Ha. I’d never been so lucky.
Which meant I was going to distract him long enough to get the cuffs onto him.
21
Hades
I felt her coming before I heard the footsteps.
I turned from the window, leaving the crashing sea behind, and went to the door, opening it as she arrived. In her hands, she clutched the plant we’d practiced with earlier.
I blinked at her, surprised. “What