The Passion of Hades - Eliza Raine Page 0,31

stared at a child's doll on the floor, just outside my door. It was charred and burned, and a note was pinned to its front, the word written on it clear as day. 'Murderer.'

Hecate was next to me in a flash, her eyes turning white as she looked at the doll. I felt my heart begin to pound, fear and revulsion crawling up my throat.

'It's not magic, or dangerous,' she said as Skop appeared on my other side.

'It's... It's a message,' I whispered.

'It's fucked up,' said Skop, his usually playful voice hard.

'Did I kill a child?' I looked up at Hecate, unable to keep the hot tears from burning the back of my eyes. 'Please, please tell me I didn't kill a child.'

The thought was utterly unbearable, my head spinning as I formed the plea.

'Of course you didn't. Someone is trying to scare you, that's all,' Hecate answered, her face more angry than I'd ever seen it.

'Who?'

'I don't know. But Hades needs to know about this. Stay in your room,' she said, and reached down for the doll. Images flashed into my mind as I stared at it. Images from dreams I'd had all my life. Bodies burning around me, men, women and children alike. 'Skop, guard this door,' Hecate said, then slammed the door shut and vanished, taking the awful burned doll with her.

'What if I deserve this? What if I am a murderer?'

'Persy, I haven't known you very long, but I seriously doubt that,' said Skop.

'You don't remember me from before though. When I was married to a god who rips people apart, and spent time with twisted lunatics who torture and play with folk for fun. They tried to drown you in fucking sand, for entertainment! And I used to be one of them!'

Tears were streaming down my face as my voice rose, and Skop finally looked from the closed door to me.

'Olympus is dangerous. Anyone born here accepts that. If you play with fire, you'll get burned. I knew the risk I was taking when I accepted the job of guarding you. And you need to accept that who you used to be isn't who you are now. Move on.'

'How can I move on when it's on my fucking doorstep?' A black vine burst from my palm, smashing into the aforementioned door with the power of a freight train. The wood splintered as I screamed, and Skop bounded out of the way as the vine whipped back towards us.

A wall of black smoke shot up in front of me, the vine slowing abruptly, like it was moving through treacle.

'Send the vine away, Persephone,' rang out Hades’ voice. The anger and fear inside me had built up too much momentum now though, and I was no longer thinking clearly.

'Don't tell me what to do!' I roared, and pulled on the vine. The smoke held it, and a bolt of rage made me yank harder. 'Stop fucking toying with me! All of you!'

Hades stepped through the smoke, and locked his eyes on mine. The rage inside me stuttered and he closed his hand slowly around my trapped vine. Black lines instantly began to spread from the vine across his skin, snaking around his fingers, then the rest of his hand. I watched, open-mouthed, as they flowered in front of me, tiny black leaves forming like tattoos, now disappearing under the cuff of his shirt.

A new energy began to hum through me, dark and strong and deliciously powerful.

'What are you doing?' I whispered, the feeling exquisite, but some part of me knowing it was wrong.

'I'm doing nothing. You are doing this.' With his other hand he reached up and deftly unbuttoned his shirt. It fell open, revealing the black vines now spreading across his chest, coiling around his hard muscles. 'When they reach my heart, they'll try to take my power.'

I recoiled at his words, and the vine vanished from my palm instantly. The blissful, powerful feeling ebbed away fast, the tattoo snaking across Hades' body fading to nothing just as quickly.

'Take your power?' My breathing was shallow, and I was already dizzy.

'Yes. You would never be able to; I am too strong and my power is too well guarded.'

'Is that what that feeling was? Your power?'

'My defensive power, yes. You've exerted yourself again, you need to sit.'

I wanted to argue, but my legs felt weak. I'd passed out from using my powers twice before, and I wasn't stupid enough to deny his words. I stumbled backwards until I