Bringer of Death (Cruel Gods 1)

Chapter 35-The Cell

Kore's head lulled side to side as she tried to even out her breathing. Something was causing her chest to tightened and every movement she made felt as if someone hat beaten her with hot rocks paying special attention to her head.

Her vision was fuzzy but she could make out a man sitting in a chair in front of her with his head dropped to his chest. The room itself was empty and cold. She tried to move but her foot slipped on something wet on the ground and her arms caught above her head. She pulled them and hissed when they pinched tight against cold metal. Looking up she could see her hands were shackled away from each other. She followed the chain to a hook in the ceiling.

Her feet were shackled to the wooden chair she was sitting with a mix of black, gold, and red liquid painted along the floor. Some parts looked dried and caked like no one had bothered to wash it away. Panic began to rise in her chest, where was she? How did she get here? She tried to replay the night but the last thing she remembered was looking up at the moon.

Hades? She asked through the crown. Hello? Hades? She felt her eyes begin to water the faster her breathing picked up.

I'm here. Fuck Kore. Where have you been? What happened?

I don't know. I'm...

"Kore?" Her vision cleared up and she realized Hermes was sitting across from her. His hands were shackled above his head too while his gilded and blackened blood dripped down his naked chest. His head was lolling to the side just as hers had moments ago.

"It's about time." A woman stepped froward to stand in between them. She would have thought the woman was a man with her red hair tied at the nape of her neck if it wasn't for the feminine in her voice. Athena. She'd seen her at the party.

She wore a white robe around her shoulders and held a thick brown whip in her hand. Kore's stomach tightened as she struggled against the chains again. "Now now, father said you've had this sort of fun with Hades already. But telling by your reaction I'm thinking maybe you didn't like it?"

"Athena!" Herme's voice scratched as he yelled at her while pulling against his own chains.

I'm on my way. Hades said but she was too scared to answer him back.

"Not now Hermes. Father sent me to send a message."

The sound of the whip smacked through the air, landing straight across his chest but he didn't make a sound. Kore flinched seeing his jaw tighten. Cursed blood fell from the deep cut.

Athena moved behind Kore again, she tightened her stomach waiting for the whip. Chains rattled behind her instead. Her arms pulled tight, pulling her entire body from the seat.

With her ankles shackled in the chair, her body was being pulled tight in both directions. She hissed at the deep stretch.

Athena's cold grey eyes drilled into her own. "We only have a few days and sometimes it's easier to transition when we're under stress." Athena's large hands covered the straps of her dress and pulled, ripping it completely off. Holding her hips, she spun Kore around so she couldn't see Hermes.

"You see this mark Hermes?" Her voice somehow grew colder, tracing the center of her spine in a small circle. Kore shivered hanging her head low knowing his eyes were traveling the rest of her back, seeing the other scars. "You don't have it. Meaning you're not Zeus's after all."

She wanted to ask where Dionysus was but bit her lip, if he'd somehow got out she didn't want to remind them. Her body flung back around when Athena let go of her hip.

The crack of the whip sounded again only this time Kore's breath caught in her throat. The burn was nothing like she remembered. Her mouth was stuck open as she cried out.

"She is though! Why are you torturing her?" Hermes yelled out.

Athena shrugged, "I don't question Zeus. He seen her blood but isn't convinced she's done. He wants her to transition and I'll make it happen. His only request was to leave a mark."

Hermes scoffed, "Can't even get his own hands dirty."

"He doesn't need to. When Hades finds out his whore is here, he'll come running breaking their truce. Have you ever seen someone successfully break an oath? My bet is he'll be here before the last guest leaves. And if he sends someone in his place we have orders to keep them here too."

Kore took a deep breath knowing another hit was coming soon. Don't come. I'm fine. I'll be back in a few days.

Kore, I'm coming to get you, now!

Do you trust me? She tried not to sound too panicked.

I- Hades grunted, and she could picture him running his hands through his hair. Yes.

Then you can't come here. No one can come here. Promise me no one will come here!

I can't promise you that.

Hades. When you play chess what is the goal?

Kore that is not the same.

Protect the King. That's the goal. I'm just a pawn Hades. A low-level goddessI always have been. I'll see you in a few days.

Kore, I sweat to Ghai..

Before he could reply she shut off her mind, pulling as much from Dionysus as she could before he was too far away. Her head began to swim and she forced her mind away from Hades and the underworld completely, not wanting him to be able to peak through their connection to see the torture they were about to endure.

It didn't matter if she was angry at him for omitting the fact that he bought her from Zeus. She knew she was just a pawn in his game along. He'd already witnessed so many horrors in the world, he didn't need to see hers.

If she could rub her wrist she'd call for Thanatos but her wrists were too far apart. She was stuck. Another smack echoed the room, and this time Hermes grunted through his teeth. "I forgot to mention, if you don't fully transition with me Zeus has a line of gods ready to assist. A very eager one that wants to repay a burn you gave him. Now, let's begin."