Vowed to Hades (Romancing the Seas #4)

10. Persephone

PERSEPHONE

P ersephone and Hades followed the ship for long days and even longer nights. For the first five days, Hades attempted to show her magic.

She learned that the God of the Underworld could do almost anything. He could conjure objects from thin air. Wield the elements at his will. Even make them invisible to the naked eye.

She kept her distance from him, sitting as far from his bench as possible. And as much as he tried to keep her spirits high, nothing could stop her from sinking to despair.

Nightmares plagued her sleep. She replayed Adonis's death over and over until it consumed her every thought. The only thing that had her clinging to sanity, was the mission at hand.

She would not let Georgette and Serena fall into the hands of their enemies. Though she did not know who they were or where they were going, her senses told her that there was nothing good for them at the end of their voyage.

At least, with the all-powerful Hades on her side, Persephone had a chance to save them. And then, spending two weeks with the insufferable god would not have been for nothing.

Persephone and Hades reached the shore of the volcanic island, their feet sinking into the blackened sand as they crouched behind a jagged outcropping of rock.

The island was bleak with plumes of smoke rising from the distant volcanoes, and the air thick with the scent of sulfur.

Persephone peered over the rocks, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene before them.

A group of sailors was busy setting up camp on the shore, their movements brisk and efficient. They hauled crates and supplies from the ship, and soon, a wild boar was brought out and placed over a fire that crackled and popped in the dim light of dawn. The scent of roasting meat wafted through the air, but it did nothing to ease the tension that coiled tightly in Persephone’s chest.

Her breath hitched when she saw Georgette and Serena being led into the camp, their wrists bound with thick ropes. The sight of them, once so powerful and unyielding, now subdued and restrained, sent a wave of fury through Persephone.

“Why do they not flee? I have seen what they can do, rope cannot keep them contained,” she whispered, her voice edged with disbelief .

Hades hummed thoughtfully beside her, but his expression quickly darkened.

“Oh great,” he muttered under his breath.

“What? What is it?” Persephone asked urgently, following his line of sight.

A large, muscular man stepped into view, his presence commanding and undeniable. He wore a long cloak that billowed slightly in the breeze, and his confident swagger was matched by the sharp definition of his jawline, which looked as if it could cut steel. His hair was a mop of golden curls, catching the first rays of sunlight, giving him an almost otherworldly glow.

Persephone glanced at Hades, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you know that man?” she asked, though she quickly rolled her eyes at herself. Of course, the Lord of the Underworld knew this man. There was probably not a single soul he did not know, for eventually, everyone belonged to him and ended up in his realm.

“Who is he?” she pressed, needing more information.

“He’s a problem,” Hades replied curtly, but he offered no further details.

Persephone clenched her jaw. She was tired of being kept in the dark, of Hades giving her only scraps of information.

She made a move to dash forward, her instincts screaming at her to save their friends, but Hades caught her arm and pulled her back .

“No.”

The touch sent a zing through her, an electric jolt that made her heart skip a beat. She looked at him, her eyes searching his face, and saw something there that made her pause.

Fear.

It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there—a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes that belied the stern expression he wore.

What was he afraid of? The question had her frozen on the spot.

“If you don’t want me to go into that camp and save our friends right now, you need to give me more than a couple of words. I need answers,” she demanded, her voice low but firm.

Hades exhaled sharply, then pulled her closer, guiding her to crouch behind a hedge full of brambles. The thorny branches scratched at her skin, but she ignored the discomfort, focusing instead on the seriousness in Hades's eyes.

When he was certain that the people in the camp were too deep in conversation to notice them, he finally spoke.

“His name is Magni. His father is a Norse god who happens to hate one of my brothers,” Hades explained, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Why?” Persephone asked, her curiosity piqued.

Hades rolled his eyes, the gesture almost dismissive. “They both claim they’re the God of Thunder, but whatever. It’s ridiculous. They have similar powers. That’s all. ”

Persephone gasped, her hand flying to her open mouth as a memory flashed before her mind. “You mean… your brother Zeus.”

Hades gave a curt nod in reply, his expression grim.

Persephone stared down at the blackened sand beneath them, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place.

“So, Georgette and Serena have been captured by the son of… Thor?” she whispered, the weight of the revelation sinking in.

“It appears so,” Hades said, his tone measured, though there was an edge in his voice. “This rescue is going to require more… careful planning.”

Persephone’s mind raced, her thoughts a whirlwind of concern for Georgette and Serena, and a growing determination to free them.

She looked at Hades, sensing the gravity of the situation. For the first time, she understood the complexity of the forces at play—the ancient rivalries, the entangled histories that spanned millennia.

But she also knew one thing for certain: she wouldn’t stand idly by while her friends were in danger.

And she could not trust that Hades's intentions were pure. For all she knew, he was there simply for information and had no desire to rescue anyone.

Persephone crossed her arms with a disgruntled huff. "What is it with you gods, always interfering with us humans? "

Hades cocked his head to the side, his brows pinching together in mild confusion.

“ Us humans?” he repeated, his tone laced with amusement.

Persephone stiffened under his stare. There was something teasing in his voice, though she couldn’t quite understand why.

“Persephone, my darling,” Hades continued, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “Do not tell me you think you are… human?”

The question sent an uneasy prickle down Persephone’s spine.

Of course, she was human. What else could she be?

But before she could muster a response, Hades waved a hand dismissively. “We shall revisit that later. Right now, we need to find out what Magni wants with your friends.”

“ Our friends,” Persephone corrected.

Hades shrugged; his indifference palpable. “Fine.”

Persephone turned her attention back to the beach below, where the mood among the sailors was somber, the air thick with tension.

The ocean’s tide rolled in and out like a sleeping dragon, its deep breaths steady and ominous. The scene unsettled her, but it also brought clarity.

“If we rescue them now, they’ll simply hunt them down and capture them again,” she said, finally grasping Hades's predicament. “And Serena is too spirited to hide. So perhaps, we should gather information on their motives… and find out who Magni is working with.”

Hades pointed to the docked ship; his gaze sharp. “See the scorpion on the sails? It’s rather obvious who they’re working with.”

Persephone followed his line of sight, her eyes settling on the inky outline of a scorpion, its tail curved into a menacing circle.

She turned back to him, her brow furrowed. “Is that supposed to mean something?”

Hades smiled, but his eyes remained serious, the weight of the situation reflected in their dark depths. “It means they’re working with the person who killed Poseidon.”

“Poseidon is dead!?” Persephone hissed, her voice rising in shock. Hades rubbed his temples, his frustration barely concealed.

“Yes, yes. He’s dead. That’s why we went to Atlantis—I needed his body.”

Persephone pressed her fingers to her temples, her mind spinning with the implications. “So, you knew Atlantis was destroyed? But isn’t Poseidon… immortal? Who can kill a god?”

“Another god, perhaps?” Hades interjected, lifting a brow. “One with weapons imbued with ancient god-killing magic.”

Persephone shuddered.

If that was the enemy they were facing, then Georgette and Serena were not only in danger, but so were they all. Even Hades.

An image of Hades lying dead, a knife protruding from his chest, flashed before Persephone’s eyes. The vision was so vivid, so horrifying, that it took her breath away.

“What’s wrong?” Hades asked, his voice tinged with concern as he noticed the change in her demeanor.

Persephone panted, rubbing the dull ache away as she moved her palm over her chest. “Nothing. It’s just… a lot to take in.”

She thought that finding out that it was possible to destroy Hades would have been good news. For she would gladly end him for what she did to Adonis.

Yet, her body’s reaction to the vision in my mind made her question herself.

Why did the idea of his demise fill her with dread?

Hades let out a breath and placed a hand on her shoulder, the gesture surprisingly gentle.

For the first time, she didn’t shrug him away. There was something unexpectedly comforting about his touch, a warmth that eased the turmoil inside her.

“It’s all right,” he murmured, his voice steady and reassuring. “I have a plan. We’re going to—” He broke off suddenly as a golden light bathed the area, cutting through the dimness of the dawn.

The two of them squinted into the light, and Persephone could just make out the figures of two women and a man approaching the camp. The air was thick with tension, the serenity of the morning shattered by the raised voices that echoed across the shore.

In the distance, Serena and Georgette were hastily escorted into the caves, the urgency in their captors’ movements unmistakable.

Suddenly, Hades was wrapping Persephone in his cloak.

“What are you doing?” she spluttered, as a waft of his strong scent washed over her. He smelled of warm spice and something… salty and delicious . She pushed away, but he held her firm in his grasp.

“We need to get closer if we are to get answers. This cloak will make us both invisible, but you will have to tolerate touching me for a few minutes. Do you think you can handle that?” Hades murmured into Persephone’s ear.

His hot breath steamed over her cheek, sending a hot flush to her face.

She bit her lip.

“Or I can leave you here if you wish,” Hades added.

Persephone dropped her hands and let Hades cover her in his cloak. Then he lifted the hood, and they were both concealed.

“Move on your toes, do not breathe hard and hold onto me,” Hades whispered.

Persephone nodded and carefully, she matched Hades's pace as they walked out from the brambles and headed toward the camp.

As they walked, Persephone wasn’t sure if it was the fact they were getting closer to the campfire or the heat of Hades's body that had her breaking into a sweat.

But the fact that under Hades's cloak was nothing but warm, taut skin over steely muscles did not help the matter. He held her firmly to his torso, until her cheek was pressed against one of his pectorals, and the tantalizingly salty scent had her mind spinning.

This was a cruel trick. Everything about this immortal being was seductive, his body lured her in, even his breath intoxicated her. He was a walking honey trap, and she knew that it would be all-too easy to fall in and lose herself.

But then flashes of the memory that continue to haunt her came back. Adonis's final smirk in her direction, then Hades making that fatal blow, sending Adonis to the ground with a splattering of blood and brain matter.

Her stomach clenched, and she swallowed the bile that had formed in her throat.

She hated Hades, hated the way her traitorous body melted for him, and most of all, she hated the fact that right now, he was her only hope of saving her friends and reviving Adonis.