Vowed to Hades (Romancing the Seas #4)

3. Hades

HADES

H ades strode down the dark corridor, his mind racing with the implications of Poseidon's revelation. If his brother spoke the truth, then there was a chance—a slim chance, but a chance nonetheless—that he could restore Persephone's memories and reclaim his queen.

But the price was steep.

Convincing Isis to resurrect Poseidon would be no small feat, given their tumultuous history. The Goddess of Magic was notoriously fickle and held grudges that spanned millennia.

Still, Hades was nothing if not persuasive. He would find a way to make Isis see reason, even if it meant bending the knee and swallowing his pride. For Persephone, he would move heaven and earth. He would even burn down the very foundations of the Underworld. Anything she asked for.

Except revive Adonis .

That had been a lie. He had no intention of raising the vile excuse of a human being. Not unless Persephone demanded it, and only so she could cut off his testicles and torture him in an act of revenge.

Besides that, there was nothing he would not do to have her by his side once more, ruling over the dead as they always had.

His resolve hardened, Hades made his way to the chamber where he kept the entrance to the Land of the Living. An obsidian basin shimmered with an unnatural light, its surface as still as a tomb.

Hades waved a hand over the water, and a portal opened up before him.

When he stepped through, his boot landed on grass.

The blazing sunshine beat on his face as he walked onto the Isle of Imerta.

Birdsong filled the air, and all manner of earthly sounds greeted him.

The very air seemed to thrum with energy. The scurrying of tiny feet as squirrels ran along the trunks of the ancient sycamore trees. The gentle rustle of leaves overhead and the distant roar of stormy seas that surrounded the magical island.

He followed a worn trail in the teaming forest until it opened out to a clearing. Then he pressed his lips together in a tight frown at the sight of an altar next to a ruin. When he reached it, he stretched out a hand and ran the pads of his fingers along the grooves .

"Hades,” someone purred from behind him, the voice like honeyed wine.

Hades whipped around, and his gaze landed on the tall goddess with long, golden hair.

He gestured to the ruin. “I see you have been renovating. I do like what you have done with the place.”

Isis blinked, clearly unimpressed by his humor. “Did you come all this way to mock me?”

Hades snorted and walked to her. “I wouldn’t dream of it. After all, I am serious. You know I am particularly fond of sacrificial altars.”

Isis's piercing gaze left his for a moment as she looked at the site. “Must everything be about death to you? So short-sighted, Hades.”

Hades stiffened but kept a smile on his face. “Care to enlighten me, then?”

Isis sighed and gestured to her right. “Come, let us walk together.”

Hades joined Isis, and the two deities walked side by side for several minutes. They followed a winding path up to a row of small cottages. A large manor stood on top of a hill overlooking them.

When they reached the manor, a small woman opened the door for them. Though she wore a simple dress made of cotton, her sharp eyes and soft, wavy hair told Hades this woman was not human.

Isis led him through the hall to a bright room with a mosaic tile floor. The tiny squares of colored tiles painted a picture .

Hades tilted his head to the side and squinted, trying to make it out.

“I presume that is you,” he said, pointing to the siren with golden locks. Stars were cascading down her hair and came out of her hands.

Isis affirmed with a nod. Then she pointed at the picture of the man, with a broad chest and long, fiery red hair. “And this is my dear Osiris. You remember him, do you not?”

Her eyes bore into Hades as she waited for his reply.

His jaw tensed. “I believe I never did have the pleasure of meeting him.”

“While he was alive, you mean,” Isis corrected him.

Hades inclined his head. “And he’s not particularly talkative in death.”

With a sigh, Isis strode across the room to a glass jug and poured wine into two goblets.

“I suppose you care little for the living.” She handed him a drink.

Hades's mind flashed to his nephew Hercules, and then to Persephone. He swallowed. “If that is your opinion, then I fear you do not know me at all.”

Isis shrugged. “And why would I know you? I have no intention of dying, and you care not for this place. Even now I can see the disgust in your eyes. The very air that you breathe offends you.”

Hades did not immediately respond, but Isis's smile told him that she knew he could not argue .

She was not wrong.

He sighed. “The Land of the Living is far too bright and energetic for my liking. There is too much hope, too much love making, mixed with petty arguments and fighting. It is a land of contrast and hypocrisy. It is incredibly tiresome to be around.”

Isis made a slight noise of amusement before she sipped her drink. “Then to what do I owe this rare visit? What can be so important that you dare to defile yourself with this world?”

Hades downed his drink whole and set the goblet on a silver stand.

Broad rays of sunlight poured into the room, making everything so bright he had to squint. He turned away from the floor-length windows.

“I come to you with a request. One that I believe will be mutually beneficial to us."

Isis leaned forward, her eyes darkening with curiosity. "Go on."

Hades took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully. “I have in my possession something that belongs to you. Or rather, someone. Poseidon's soul resides in my realm.”

Isis stepped back with a hiss, and her eyes turned to slits. “What makes you think Poseidon belongs to me?”

Hades cocked a brow at her. “Forgive me for sounding crass, but one does not marry the God of the Sea, produce thousands of babies with him, and then simply not care when he is murdered. ”

Isis's mouth turned into a thin line, and her face paled.

Hades cleared his throat. He needed to get her on his side, and so he decided to change tact.

“Loki killed him in cold blood.”

“Loki?” Isis spat the name like it was poison on her tongue. “You mean the one who tried to…”

Hades inclined his head. “Yes. Now you see why we have a problem.”

Isis hummed and began to pace the room. Her gaze left Hades, and she looked at the elegant bookshelf that stretched across the wall. Each tome was old and worn. Yet, they were positioned so neatly, with a light coating of dust, it looked like they had not been read in centuries.

“He killed Poseidon…” she whispered. “I always knew the god to be a hard-headed fool, but how can this be?”

Hades perched on the edge of the desk and folded his hands in his lap. “Loki wields powerful weapons, imbued with ancient magic. He struck down Poseidon without warning or provocation. I believe he means to wage war on all the gods, to claim dominion over the realms for himself. You know he has tried before.”

Isis's eyes flashed dangerously, and her nostrils flared. "This is grave news indeed. Now you see why it is imperative that we bring Osiris back? He holds power like no one in all of the realms. Well. No one except your queen. ”

Despite the determination in her voice, the pleading look on her features were clear.

Hades heaved a heavy sigh. “You know I cannot bring anyone back from the dead. That is your gift after all.”

Isis scowled at him and walked to the window. Her narrow frame was bathed in sunlight, turning her ivory lace gown a brilliant white.

Hades had to lift a hand to shield his eyes as he watched her think on it.

“I cannot do that without a body.”

Finally, her dress twirled as she faced him again. “You said you have a request. What is it?”

Hades straightened his spine, emboldened. “I need you to resurrect Poseidon.”

Isis threw up her hands. “I said, I needed a?—”

Hades nodded. “A body, I know. I will take care of that.”

After a beat, Isis's eyes narrowed, and she approached Hades until she stood barely an inch from him. “You need something. And you’re so desperate, you’ll even ask for help. My help.”

She gave him a triumphant look as though she could read the truth on Hades's face.

He tried his best to remain composed. When he didn’t speak, her lips curved upward.

“What will you do for me in return?”

Hades held his breath. Then Persephone’s face flashed before his mind, and his defenses weakened.

In his mind, she was in the Underworld, the cold air pushing her locks back as she stood fierce and strong before an army of Devil Men. Then she turned to Hades and her features softened. Her fingers walked up his bicep, and she reached round him with her other hand until their bodies collided.

“My dearest Hades,” she purred in his ear. “Take me right here on this throne.”

Hades melted as the vision faded. Then he met Isis's stare with a resolute nod.

“Whatever it takes.”