around me slowing.
It was Hades.
As I came back to reality I saw Hades, hulking and furious, a canon of blue light beating uselessly at my vines. Legions of blue bodies were climbing up Cronos' expanding form, but Cronos wasn't reacting, his arms open wide, black vine tattoos spreading further across his body.
'Persephone, stop the vines! I can't flash you out while you're connected to him!' Hades roared, but I couldn't speak. Tidal waves of power were rolling through me, leaving me utterly breathless, images of worlds beyond my wildest imaginings flashing before me.
'Persy! Persy, tell me how to help you!'
Skop. I could hear Skop's voice.
'Worship me.' I was vaguely aware that the words were coming from my own lips, and Hades' eyes locked on mine, filled with dread as more blue light powered from him, into Cronos. 'Olympus will know true fear. True power. True death,' my voice thundered.
Stop! My mind railed against the words I was saying, but the little voice in my head, the one that really belonged to me, was too small, too quiet, too weak. Cronos was taking over. His power was filling me, burning away everything else.
Pain, that had been indistinguishable from the torrent of emotion and power at first, was growing. Burning agony exploded suddenly in my head, and I cried out.
Desperation took over Hades' face, before blackness filled his silver eyes in a rush. The monster was taking over.
'You're too late, Hades!' said Cronos, his calm, soothing tone gone. 'I am becoming weak. Which means she has most of my power already.'
My head swam, a storm raging inside me.
'Never!' bellowed Hades, and raised his gleaming black trident. I could only just see them both, my eyes streaming as another pulse of agony ripped through me, the flood of images pouring through my mind blurring with reality. I could hardly breathe.
I started to fall to my knees as Hades brought his trident down on my vines with a roar.
I felt the reaction from Cronos before it occurred. The full wrath of Hades was enough to loosen his control. It was enough.
The second I felt the magnetic pull weaken, I willed the vines to disintegrate with everything I had. I tumbled forward as they disappeared, but instead of falling onto the rocky ground, I fell into Hades’ arms and the world flashed white as Cronos screamed.
Twenty-Nine
Persephone
I gasped for air as an awful sound reached my ears, my insides twisting and churning as white-hot pain burned through my veins.
'Persephone,' choked Hades, and I realized the sound was coming from him. I blinked up at his face, trying to force out the cascade of power ripping through me long enough to focus. I was lying in his arms, bare wasteland around us.
'Where are we?' I gulped.
'The surface,' he said, and I realized tears were streaming down his beautiful face.
'You need to take me somewhere I can't kill anyone,' I said, panic causing another swell of pain to grip me.
'Use your gold vines. Give me the power,' Hades said, gripping my jaw in his hand.
'Will-will it kill you?' I ground out, my head swimming again.
'No, it won't kill me,' he said, desperation in his eyes. I knew he was lying.
'It will fill you with darkness,' I whispered, knowing the truth of my words. He didn't respond.
Pouring Cronos' power into Hades would cause him to lose his soul as surely as if Cronos had broken free.
'My soul doesn't matter, as long as you live,' Hades breathed, pulling my face to his. Another wave of infinite power sent me into a spasm, and I could feel the pressure building inside me, tortuously painful. I couldn't contain it. I knew I couldn't. I was going to die. And I couldn't take Virgo or Hades with me.
'I love you,' I said, and an unexpected calm cut through the storm swirling inside my mind. 'I'm so glad I found you.' More tears rolled down Hades' face, his breath hot on my cheek as he kissed my face, over and over.
'Please, please, Persephone, give the power to me.' I pushed my numb hand into my pocket, and closed it around Poseidon's pearl, and lifted my other to Hades' wet cheek.
'Don't let the monster win. Ever. You're stronger than it is.'
'Persephone, I love you. Please, please. You can't leave me again.'
I pulled him to me, pressing my lips against his for the final time. Then I crushed the pearl in my hand.
Freezing ocean water cascaded over us and Hades cried out in surprise. I pulled