The Promise of Hades (The Hades Trials #3) - Eliza Raine Page 0,31

around me froze in place, only moving their heads to watch their master as I threw him into the opposite wall with as much force as I could muster. I drew my knees up, a dark rage fueled by the demon's power beginning to consume me. Eurynomos would die. He and all the others who sought to use me as a toy, torture me for entertainment, rip the fucking flesh from my bones. I was too entrenched in rage to notice that my skin was already knitting back together.

'Get me out of here!' Minthe's shrieks filtered through the toxic rage, and I stood slowly, my eyes still fixed on Eurynomos as I flung him between the cavern walls, his languid body bending unnaturally every time he hit the rock.

'One minute,' I hissed. 'I have something to take care of first.'

With my arms raised high above my head, the black vines glistening with the demon’s blood, I held Eurynomos still above me. 'Tell me again how you are going to feast on my flesh?' I yelled at him. My voice didn't sound like my own, but I didn't care.

I didn't care about anything other than making an example of this evil creature. He moaned but didn't reply. Couldn't reply. I was drawing too much of his power from him.

With a final effort of will I tugged on the darkest part of him, drawing the magic into myself, and then with a roar I swelled my vines with it. Eurynomos screamed as giant thorns erupted from the vines, through his chest, skewering him from the inside out.

As the creature's life left him, so did the dark power flowing into me, and I stumbled backwards as my vines weakened. Eurynomos' body crashed towards the floor and the undead parted as he landed hard in front of me, staring down at his pierced and bloody body. He began to glow a deep blue, then vanished. My black vines disintegrated and an epic wave of nausea took me. Before I could do anything else I was heaving, throwing up onto the rock floor, my body shaking uncontrollably.

'Get me out, please.' Minthe's pleading cut through my retching.

The acrid bile and the pain in my throat and neck made my eyes water as I tried to take deep breaths. I had to get us out of here. I shot a green vine towards the ceiling and my exhausted, shaken body didn't even register the height as I pulled myself up, grabbing Faesforos from my thigh as I went. I felt dazed, numb. Avoiding meeting Minthe's eyes, I cut the last rope binding her, and the cavern flashed white.

Fifteen

Persephone

A smattering of clapping met my ringing ears as I found myself standing in Hades' throne room.

'Persephone,' his voice filled my head immediately. 'Are you alright?'

I nodded mutely at the vibrating smoky figure at the end of the row of thrones.

'Persephone!' I whirled at the bellowed voice and saw my brother trying to push his way through the small crowd, frantic. Hecate was yanking him back, her face set and hard.

'I'm fine, Sam,' I croaked, and he stilled, face pale. The burbling sound my voice made wasn't right, and I tentatively touched my neck. My stomach roiled as my fingers didn't meet skin, but something lumpy and wet. I closed my eyes and concentrated, willing the wound to heal faster than it already was. I had no doubt it had been worse when Eurynomos first attacked me, or I wouldn't be still be standing. I'd be dead.

'Alright for some,' muttered Minthe and I opened my eyes. She was standing next to me, shaking. Deep dark burn wounds covered her body, and her face was as white as a sheet. I frowned at her.

'What do you mean, alright for some? You think that was fun for me? That I'm lucky I got to experience that? I just saved your life, quit giving me shit.'

'I meant that,' she said quietly, and gestured to my shoulder and neck, 'I can't heal myself.'

'Oh,' I said. I cocked my head at her, then sent out a vine slowly towards her arm. She flinched when it touched, but said nothing as my vine turned gold, and I sent my healing power through it. Her lips parted in a small gasp, then the sores began to pale, then knit closed.

'Thanks,' she mumbled.

'I'm thrilled to see you two getting on,' boomed Zeus, rising from his throne with a cold smile. 'If you please,' he said and raised his