The Passion of Hades - Eliza Raine Page 0,72

for anything to cling to, to pull myself down. But they couldn't get a purchase on the constantly changing surface, and it was too dark to see anything useful. Another roar bellowed around me and a new, more primal terror began to creep through my veins.

'Release her at once!' The command made me gasp in surprise, and I wheeled in the air, trying to see who had spoken. It wasn't Hades, but I recognized the voice.

'Kerato, how good of you to join us,' hissed Campe, who was still slowly backing away. Her tail was obscured by darkness now, her face and grisly necklace still flickering in the light of Ixion's wheel. 'Hades’ lap dog is always welcome here.'

'I said release her, immediately,' The minotaur shouted. I couldn't see him in the darkness below me, but hope surged through me. I was no longer alone.

'If you insist.' My stomach lurched as I dropped abruptly, my vines frantically trying to find something to slow my fall and disorientation completely swamping me. Then a blast of neon blue light blinded me and I froze in mid-air for a split second, before gently tipping forward and floating down.

'You will explain yourself,' hissed another voice, and this time relief hit me hard. Hades. As my feet touched the ground I whirled, then stumbled as I saw him.

He was in full-on god mode. He was almost as big as Campe was, shirtless and solid, blue light streaming from his body, and morphing into crawling bodies at his boots. I watched in awestruck fear as the bodies climbed to their feet and began to line up in rows behind him. An army of the dead.

'Hades, you're just in time,' Campe purred. 'Cronos is on his way.'

Fear and rage as real as I'd ever seen filled Hades’ bright blue eyes, the usual silver nowhere to be seen. The temperature soared, and a jet of blinding blue light smashed into Campe. She screamed as she was thrown backwards, the necklace around her colossal neck splitting and animal heads flying everywhere.

'Get her out of here, now!' roared Hades, and I felt my arm being grabbed by a clawed hand. I turned, Kerato's horned face inches from mine.

'Sorry, my lady,' he grunted, but as white light began to glow around him, he bellowed and staggered backwards, releasing his grip on me.

'Kerato!' I shouted, as Hades' light illuminated the red blood dripping down his shoulder around the tip of a protruding blade. Then a cackling woman's face appeared behind the minotaur, her youthful, deranged eyes dancing with malice. 'Leave him alone!' I yelled, whipping my vines towards the new threat.

Another roar ripped through the space, and the fire in the river suddenly became an inferno, leaping a hundred feet into the air. Red and blue light crashed together, and I tore my eyes from Kerato to Hades. His face was strained, both hands held high as though he was holding back something I couldn't see.

'He's here. Kerato, get her out of Tartarus,' he said through gritted teeth. But the minotaur’s eyes were glassy and he was clutching his chest in silence as the human looking woman stepped around him. She was wearing a black toga and her bright red hair was piled high on her head.

'Yeah, he won't be taking you anywhere,' she said with a shrug, and poked Kerato's shoulder with her pointed finger. The minotaur crumpled to the ground. 'The boss wants you for something special.'

'Who are you?' I stammered, eyes flicking between Kerato's body and her.

'Ankhiale, Titan goddess of heat,' she took a low bow as she spoke, and her black toga burst into flames. 'I'm responsible for the interior decorating down here,' she grinned at me. She looked completely fucking mad.

'Ankhiale, if you lay a finger on her, I will make your life a million times more miserable than it already is!' roared Hades. She gave another cackling laugh.

'You think that's possible, oh Lord of the Dead? Give me a fucking break.' She was stalking closer to me, and I didn't know what to do. Should I use my vines, try to take her power? 'You won't be able to hold King Cronos back much longer, Hades. And you're breaking the rules, letting a pretty little thing like her down here. He won't obey you this time.'

Hades gave a wretched snarl, and I struck. With the tiniest flick of my wrists, I sent both vines at the woman, screaming as they made contact with her and heat seared