The Promise of Hades (The Hades Trials #3) - Eliza Raine Page 0,8
table, and began to kiss him, but we were almost immediately interrupted.
'Hades! You are required at Mount Olympus. Now!' The voice ripped through the bedchamber, and we both jumped. Hades’ face darkened.
'He is the only one who can do that,' he growled. 'None of the others can get through my defenses.'
'Zeus?' I guessed, gulping. Hades nodded. 'Does he know I'm here?'
'Possibly. We shall go together.'
We dressed quickly, Hades conjuring up my fighting leathers for me. I gripped his hand tightly as he asked me if I was ready. I nodded, and with a bright flash, we were standing in Zeus' throne room, atop the mountain.
Zeus had not known I was back. That much was clear from the shock on the Lord of the God's face. He was enormous in his throne, purple light sparking around him and a lightning storm in his eyes. He was almost painful to look at, and I realized with trepidation that he had been ready for a fight with his brother.
'What is she doing here?' the sky god barked.
'She will finish the Trials,' Hades said, and let go of my hand as he grew. Pale blue light began to shimmer around him and I looked between him and Zeus, concern trembling through me. A fight between these two would be epic. And probably lethal for anyone not an Olympian.
'I heard you caused the death of sixty citizens. Explain yourself.' A sick feeling gripped my stomach as I looked at Hades. He had killed sixty people? No, the monster had. Not him. He will never lose control again if you are with him. I clung to the thought.
'I don't know how you came across that information, but what I do with prisoners in my own realm is no concern of yours,' Hades spat.
'Everything you do has become a concern of mine, brother. You can not be trusted.' Zeus' eyes were narrowed, his voice full of malice.
'You brought her back, Zeus. You started this, and now you will see it through to the end. I will call for the judging of the last Trial immediately.' The finality in Hades' voice carried a razor-sharp edge and the two gods stared at one another, tension crackling in the air. I scrabbled in my mind for some way to help, but Zeus spoke.
'I agree that she should finish the Trials. Call the judges.' I blinked, my mouth falling open. Hades stilled beside me, then slowly began to shrink to his usual size.
'I wasn't expecting him to back down so easily. What's going on?' I sent the thought to Hades silently, and his eyes flicked to mine.
'Zeus can hear everything we say like this in his realm,' he replied mentally. I looked at Zeus, alarmed, and he smiled at me.
'My realm, my rules,' he said with a shrug, and shimmered into the guy from the coffee shop. With a wave of his arm, his dais extended, and eleven other thrones materialized, then with a flash, the other gods appeared. I couldn't help glancing at Poseidon first, his face darkening with fury as he saw me.
'What is she doing here? I thought you took her back?' he hissed.
'She will finish the Trials,' said Hades, holding Poseidon's furious gaze. With a snarl, Poseidon sat down. Hades glanced at me, reassurance in his eyes, then strode towards his own throne at the end of the row.
'This is folly, Hades,' Poseidon called after him.
I couldn't help the fluttering feeling in my gut that the sea god was right. Wouldn't I want to get rid of someone who could accidentally end the world?
Now that I was out of the bubble of lust-induced bliss that was Hades’ bedroom, the reality of what I had learned was beginning to sink in properly.
Someone had deliberately sent me to Tartarus. To Cronos. So whoever it was must know that my power was a way for Cronos to escape, and destroy Virgo. And if Virgo fell and Cronos was free, the rest of Olympus would not be far behind. Surely few people held that kind of knowledge? I looked at each of the gods in turn, trying to keep my suspicion from my face.
When my eyes landed on Zeus, I remembered that whilst I was on Mount Olympus he could read every one of my thoughts. Holding his gaze, I conjured up the thought of me punching him in the face, landing my fist on his nose repeatedly. He let out a low chuckle.