Hades

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The next morning, I wake with a smile on my face so big that it hurts the muscles in my cheeks. I yawn loudly and reach my fingers up above my head, stretching out all the sleep from my limbs. My back clicks into place with a satisfying pop, and I grin lazily to myself.

Now that, right there, is the perfect way to wake up.

I roll over, expecting to see Hades lying next to me in all his handsome, shirtless glory, only to find his side of the bed cold and perfectly made. My mouth instantly dries. I bolt upright in bed, the sheets falling around me in a pool of porcelain cotton as I glance around my room wildly. For a moment, a part of me panics, terrified that last night didn't happen at all. But then I spot his trench coat and bloodied shirt on the floor at the end of my bed, and the panic removes its claws from my chest.

But then the dread filters in, slithering through my veins like a frigid, vengeful snake.

I look around again, this time taking time to investigate every inch of my room, not only with my eyes but with my ears as well. The first thing I notice is the silence. And the moment I notice it, it's all I can hear; in fact, it's deafening. I frown, sitting up straighter. The whole time I've been here, it's never been completely silent. There's always been the muted hustle and bustle of palace life, of all the servants moving around as they cleaned the various rooms or brought news to either Hades or myself, but right now, there's nothing.

Something is wrong. Something is really wrong.

I slip out of bed and dart over to the bathroom, almost tripping over the sheets in my haste to get moving. I get dressed in record time, not even bothering to put on anything further than a pair of navy exercise pants and a black shirt. Once I'm dressed, I take a moment to splash ice-cold water over my face, trying desperately to ignore the erratic beating of my heart. Breathing in deeply, I stare into the mirror, the terror stealing colour from my face just as quickly as it speeds up my heart. I had a feeling; an awful, stomach-turning feeling, twisting my gut up into a demented pretzel. And I couldn't shake that feeling that something was really, really wrong. That Hades was in trouble.

I close my eyes, and try to reach out for Hades with my mind. He doesn't reply. I can't even feel the presence of his mind anymore. My heart leaps up into my throat. I think back to last night, and the finality that I'd detected in Hades tones. I hadn't thought much about it then, but now that I do, the horrifying realisation hits me like a truck, and I actually stumble against the counter.

He wasn't showing me he loved me.

He was saying goodbye.

He doesn't think he's going to come back alive.

Kronos.

"Kezia!" I storm into the kitchen, the doors flying open with a bang. The air around me starts to hum, like someone has electrocuted all the air particles around me and sent them into a panicked frenzy. My words come out short and clipped. "Where is he?"

Kezia startles, turning around with wide eyes. She eyes me warily. "Where is who?"

"You know damn well who, Kezia!" I snap. Black fog starts to curl around my fingertips. "Where has Hades gone?"

Kezia slowly places the knife she'd been holding back on the bench. I don't miss the two, careful fingers she keeps strategically placed on it. "Evie, you need to calm down. You've got a scary look in your eye, and there's an even scarier black fog gathering around you that I really don't like the look of."

"Kezia, I don't have time to play games. Where is he?"

"I'm not playing games with you, Evie." Kezia's fingers curl around the handle of the knife. "But I'm also not going to tell you anything until you calm down. An angry Evie is an irrational Evie, and an irrational Evie will be no help to Hades if she's working with no hands."