The Promise of Hades (The Hades Trials #3) - Eliza Raine Page 0,57

you doing this?'

'That is why we are here, at the river Lethe. Cronos and Hedone believe that you will be more cooperative if you know the truth. You will understand then why we must do what we are doing, the magnitude of our task.' His eyes were wide, and his skin was swirling with light as his words increased in volume. 'Drink. Drink from the river. Restore your memories.'

'No,' I said. For weeks I had yearned for my lost past, but not like this. If my memories were linked with Cronos and these maniacs, then Hades was right, I wanted nothing to do with them.

Morpheus sighed.

'Hedone, my sweet,' he said. Hedone moved, a long dagger appearing in her hand from the folds of her dress. Her eyes were filled with apology as she handed it to Sam. Horror filled me as my brother gazed at the blade.

'Sam, my love, place the tip of the dagger on your chest for me? You'd make me so very happy,' she beamed at him, her voice like honey. Sam smiled stupidly at her as he lifted the blade to his chest. 'Now when I say push, you must push. It won't hurt, it will feel like bliss.' Sam's smile widened.

'No!' I screamed, as I stepped towards the portal, flinging my vine towards the dagger. But the image just shimmered as my vine passed harmlessly through it. My heart hammered so hard against my ribs I thought it might burst free, and I felt sick as the hot tears finally spilled down my cheeks. I looked at Morpheus, hopeless dread gripping my body. I couldn't get to Sam to save him.

'Drink, Persephone,' he said. 'Now.'

I knelt slowly next to the river, my mind racing. Would Hedone really kill Sam? She didn't look like she'd wanted to, but her voice when she had spoken to him had been as smooth as silk, laced with seduction. Not a hesitation or wobble. I couldn't take the risk. I reached down, cupping my hands and dipping them into the glowing sunshine-yellow liquid. A rush of memories blasted through me, memories of mom holding me as I cried, memories of Sam helping me pick up books in the corridors at school. Memories of Professor Hetz and the botanical gardens, and of my apartment.

I took a shuddering breath as I lifted my hands out of the river, water dripping slowly from the bowl my palms had formed.

'I don't want to do this,' I tried one more time, as I looked up at Morpheus. He shook his head slowly at me.

'This is out of our hands, Persephone. It is bigger than you or I. Drink.'

Gooseflesh covered my skin as I closed my eyes and lifted my cupped hands to my face, and drank.

'Persephone, how can you possibly be a better queen to Hades if you don't even know the Underworld properly?' I blinked at the voice, spinning around on the spot fast. I was in a dining room that looked a lot like the breakfast room in Hades' palace. I froze as I saw myself, sitting at a table with a man whose face I could not see. It was not Hades, that much I was sure of. I was wearing a black corseted dress, and my hair was as white as it was now, but I looked younger.

'I've made friends with the hounds now! And I've seen most of Virgo. Just not the really nasty bits,' the me who was sitting at the table told the man.

'If you truly want to help Hades, it's the worst parts of his world that you need to understand the most,' the man said. His voice was familiar, and I stepped closer cautiously.

'That does make sense,' younger me said slowly. 'You know, I have asked him to take me to Tartarus. But he always says no.'

'You're a Queen, Persephone. You have your own mind. And in my experience, it's always better to ask for forgiveness than permission.' The arrogant mischief in his voice finally clicked into place, and I let out a breath as I rounded the table.

Zeus.

He didn't look much like he did now, but his purple eyes were unmistakable.

'I suppose you're right,' younger me said, voice filled with juvenile excitement. 'If you think it means I can help Hades rule better, I should do it. He'll understand. I'll take Cerberus with me, just in case.'

The image before me swirled and with a jolt, I was standing at the cave mouth before Tartarus, the