The Promise of Hades (The Hades Trials #3) - Eliza Raine Page 0,66

just raised her wrist for my vine to coil round. 'Did you really save my brother?' I asked her as Hades stepped up behind me.

'That slutty bitch Hedone thought I was too injured to be a threat. That'll teach her not to underestimate me,' Minthe snapped as my healing power began to flow into her. She closed her eyes, a look of relief washing over her face. Her tone was less angry when she spoke again. 'I was laid on the floor by the chariot, my arm and knee fucked, when I saw the portal and you and Morpheus through it. I heard everything. So I asked Poly,' she gestured at the spirit woman, 'to get help. Then Sanape and I jumped Hedone as soon as the portal was closed. Morpheus turned up not long after, but Sanape is a seriously good shot.' Sanape gave me a vicious grin and I glanced over my shoulder at Morpheus, restrained in the chariot. Silver liquid was dribbling from his temple. 'Kerato and the guards got here with the chains just in time, I'm not sure we could have held them much longer.'

'Thank you,' I breathed, and threw my arms around her before I could stop myself. She stiffened in my embrace, and then muttered,

'You can stop the healing now, I'm good. Help Sanape.' I let her go, and did as she asked, the Amazon woman looking reluctant to receive my help, but accepting when Minthe gave her a long enough look.

'Minthe, the Underworld owes you a debt,' said Hades. She looked at him, then bowed her head.

'I owed Persephone a debt. It's now clear.' She had a hard glint in her eye when she looked back at me.

'Yes, yes of course it is,' I said.

'I can't bestow immortality on you, as you know it is forbidden for any single god to do that. But I can make you rich. You will have diamonds to last you a lifetime,' Hades said.

Minthe's mouth opened slowly, her eyebrows raising.

'Thank you, King Hades,' she breathed, dipping her head again.

'You too, Sanape,' he said, turning to the Amazon. She dipped her head less reverently, but pride was stamped across her expression.

Hades turned, and strode to the chariot. I released the vines that had now healed Sanape, and followed him, nerves skittering through my stomach. Hedone was asleep, looking peaceful as she sat back-to-back with Morpheus.

'You can only save her from her punishment for so long,' Hades said, and his voice was like ice.

'I'll keep her asleep as long as I can,' answered Morpheus, not looking up. 'This is not her fault. She wanted to hurt nobody.'

'Unlike you?'

'I am fighting for a higher cause. I am fighting for Olympus. Cronos said there would be casualties.'

Blue light flared around Hades, and all the color drained from Morpheus' face abruptly. He seemed to shrink in on himself, and I saw gooseflesh raise on his skin. A small whimper escaped his mouth.

'You are as bound to your role as the dream god as I am to mine,' hissed Hades, 'and only that will save you from Tartarus. But you will perform that role as a prisoner to your own fear, for the rest of your immortal life, Morpheus. What you see in your mind now, is what you will see every minute of every day and night.'

'No,' he whispered, finally lifting his haunted eyes to Hades. 'No, please!'

'Take him to his rooms, and bind him,' Hades said, and Hecate stepped forward.

'With pleasure, boss,' she said, and with a flash, they both disappeared. Hedone fell backward without him to lean on, and moaned softly.

'Kerato, confine her in the palace until Aphrodite can deal with her, as she is one of her deities.'

'Yes, my Lord,' the minotaur said.

'What did you make Morpheus see?' I asked Hades quietly, as the minotaur pulled Hedone groggily to her feet, and the chariot lifted off the temple floor.

'It doesn't matter,' he answered.

But it did. The punishment was hitting me hard. Because I had an awful feeling I was going to live the same life. I was going to see all those people I had killed over and over again, every day. Those screaming, innocent people, running hopelessly from the lava.

My thoughts were either clear on my face or made it through the bond, because Hades pulled me to him, tipping my face up to his.

'Cronos did that, not you. You were a conduit, a vessel, a weapon. Not the cause. Do you understand?' I nodded, trying to