❛THEY WOULD TELL YOU OF A KING WHO STOLE ME HELPLESS FROM MY SUNSHINE GARDEN.❜
They won't tell you about the woman who came to him sublime, lily eyes and lily lips. A king does not ask permission from his prize, but she, oh she, she knelt, kissing m...
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GATES OF TARTARUS, THE UNDERWORLD.
PERSEPHONE
THE NIGHT WAS STIFLING, CHOKING, ANGRY IN ALL ITS RAGE.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. I was being choked. The sight of him - the sight of him in her grasp. The sight of that weapon against his neck.
Her eyes were burning, not with fire - but with frost. Chilled, cracked hoarfrost. The rage in them shimmered like angry flames, straining to get out and manifest themselves in the knife she now held right against my husband's throat.
"Let her go-" he snarled.
"Don't do anything stupid, Hades," my mother whispered even as the slender, burnished soldier's hand clasped over my mouth. His wrists held mine in a grip of iron, hard enough to prevent me from being able to move yet not enough to hurt me seriously.
My husband gave her a look of disgust. And then he kicked back into her. Hard.
Swirls of inky darkness ripped from Hades even as she slammed her elbow into his chest, a cry ripping from me at the sudden pain that flashed in his eyes from a second. But then he was back, his face a cool, cultured mask -
Her scythe was flashing around in silver, glittering arcs even as tendrils of night leaked from him like ink bleeding in water, curling around her wrists, her ankles.
Taking advantage of the distraction he caused, I bit down on the hand pressed against my lips - tasting blood.
The soldier let out a silent yelp, blood dripping from his palm as I tried listlessly to loosen myself from his stifling hold, forcing his arm off me. I drew back, rolling my strength into a well placed blow as I aimed my curled fist right into the sleek man's fine nose.
Hades laughed, his head tossed back, a purring predator watching in delight.
And that laugh - that momentary declaration of pride - that was all she needed.
A near scream ripped from my lips as he reached out to strike her with the full force of his strength - and as if she'd anticipated it, she moved aside in a swift, lethal stroke - even as his leg crumpled with the momentum of his anticipated blow.
No. no, no, no.
My blood was heating, heating, heating-
And then, that silent, wordless soldier gripped me again, harder than before - his fingers callused, his face a cold mask devoid of emotion, his eyes blank. I stared at her. At the terrible thing my mother had become.
He was her soldier.
Hades' face lost all color as I was once again tight in that man's grip, lips twisting up into a cruel, cruel thing - the sheer fear in his eyes leaving him still...
