The Promise of Hades (The Hades Trials #3) - Eliza Raine Page 0,32

arm. The commentator appeared with a pop.

'So, gutsy Persephone chose to save her rival instead of living with murder on her conscience! Let's see what the judges have to say about that!' He grinned. The judges fizzled into the space in front of the thrones.

'Radamanthus?'

'One token,' the judge said.

'Aeacus?'

'One token.' The gaunt judge eyed me suspiciously as he spoke.

'Minos?'

'One token. And my respect,' said the head judge, with a small smile. I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and the three of them vanished.

'As I'd hoped, it appears that we will have quite a showdown for the last Trial,' said Zeus loudly.

'How did you know I wouldn't take both tokens and end it there?' I asked, interrupting him. He glared at me.

'Because most humans are painfully predictable, you even more so,' he said, then looked back to the crowd. 'The last Trial will be the much anticipated Hell-Hound Run!' A huge cheer went up from behind me and I looked to Hades. Skop had said I would meet Cerberus at some point. I guess this would be it. 'The Trial will be a little different than it has been for the other contestants though. Previously, the goal has been to get past all three of Hades' pets in a chariot. This time, it will be a race between the last remaining competitors. The winner will marry Hades.'

I looked at Minthe, her jaw dropping in time with mine.

'But I've already survived the Hell-Hound Run, you can't make me do it again!' she protested, her voice aghast. Abruptly she seemed to realize what she'd said and dropped fast to one knee. 'Oh Zeus, I'm sorry, I am just shocked. Please forgive my outburst.'

'You shall both be allowed a team of two to ride the chariot with you. They may not be Olympians, but that is the only restriction,' Zeus continued, ignoring her completely. 'We start at midday tomorrow.' He clapped his hands together in an overly exaggerated gesture, and all the gods except Hades disappeared in a blinding flash.

'Shit!' shouted Minthe, stamping her foot as she straightened. My vine fell away from her.

'What happens in the Hell-Hound Run?' I asked her, aware that Hades was moving towards us on one side, my brother and Hecate on the other.

'As if I'd tell you,' she snarled, fixing her angry eyes on mine.

'Woah, don't blame me for this! Honestly, you are the most ungrateful person I've ever fucking met!' Anger swelled through me.

'You have no idea what's at stake for me. What I've given up for this.' Tears shone in her eyes.

'No, and I don't care! You want to use Hades for immortality, you won't make him happy.'

'Happy? You seriously think you can make the Lord of the Dead happy?' She gaped at me.

'I know I can.'

'Wow. You're more deluded than I thought you were.'

'And you're more of a bitch than I thought you were.' Dark smoke entered my peripheral vision and we both looked at Hades.

'Please send me home to prepare, My Lord,' said Minthe tightly, bowing her head. Hades flicked a smoke hand, and she vanished.

'Persy, what the fuck was that? I mean, you were badass, but I can't believe you really did that, my own sister-' My brother’s words faded into noise as he barreled into me, wrapping his arms around me hard. My head was buzzing, the residual rage and shock of what I'd done to Eurynomos settling over me.

I should regret such an act of rage. I didn't have to kill Eurynomos. I could have left him trapped while I freed Minthe. But I had decided he would die, and nothing could have stopped me doing it. It had been an act of wrath. The thing I feared most about this other person, this goddess, inside of me.

But I didn't regret it at all. He was not a person, he was a demon. And that meant...

'He'll regenerate,' I said to Hades. I didn't phrase it as a question but as something I'd known before I'd killed him, a defense of my actions. But I needed to hear him confirm it.

Hades nodded.

'Yes. It may take a while, but yes.' A shudder of relief rocked through me. I wasn't a murderer.

'Persy, Slayer of Demons,' said Hecate, a smile on her face. 'I like that.'

'I could get used to it,' I grinned back. My grin slipped as I felt a surge of emotion through me that was not my own. Fear and desperation. Hades.

'I need a moment with Hades,' I said to Sam, extracting