Vowed to Hades (Romancing the Seas #4)

23. Hades

HADES

T he forest was alive with the sounds of the night—whispers of wind through the trees, the distant call of a nocturnal bird, and the soft crunch of leaves beneath their boots. But none of these sounds reached the men as they followed Hades deeper into the woods, the tension between them thick and palpable.

Hades moved with purpose, his dark cloak billowing behind him as if the shadows themselves clung to him.

Captain Stone, Prince Edward, and Hercules exchanged wary glances, their hands never straying far from their weapons. They had been through enough to know that wherever Hades led them, danger was sure to follow.

“Are you sure about this?” Captain Stone’s voice cut through the night, firm but laced with skepticism. “You’re certain Osiris's bones are buried here? ”

Hades didn’t break his stride. “Certain enough. I was one of the gods tasked with burying his remains.”

This revelation brought the group to a halt.

Captain Stone’s eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of Hades, blocking his path. “You never mentioned that before. Why now?”

Hades sighed, his patience thinning. “Because it’s irrelevant to your task. But if you must know, Osiris was a troublemaker. The Scorpion Army was formed to overthrow him. After his defeat, his bones were scattered across the world, and I was charged with burying a portion of them.”

“And you buried them here?” Prince Edward asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

Hades finally stopped, turning to face the men. “At the time, I was courting Persephone. I chose to bury them near the home of my enemy—Adonis. Should I ever need to retrieve them, they would be close at hand.”

Captain Stone’s jaw tightened. “And what’s changed? Why are you retrieving them now?”

Hades's gaze darkened. “The gods have grown restless, and Isis has made me an offer I cannot refuse. She will resurrect Poseidon, who will assist me in restoring Persephone to her true self.”

“But we have the book,” Hercules interjected, his deep voice steady. “Why do we need Poseidon?”

Hades looked at him, a glimmer of something dangerous in his eyes. “The book may restore her memories, but Poseidon knows who was involved in her capture—who Adonis worked with. His knowledge will be invaluable in exacting revenge.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with promise and peril.

Finally, Captain Stone nodded, understanding the unspoken bond between brothers-in-arms. “So, you’re bringing your brother back to help you destroy the ones who wronged you?”

A rare smile curved Hades's lips as he glanced at Prince Edward and Captain Stone. “Is it so hard to believe? Nothing bonds brotherhood more than a quest to destroy the foes who touch the women they love.”

The men exchanged grim nods of agreement.

With their resolve solidified, they followed Hades deeper into the forest.

After a short while, Hades stopped before a patch of earth that looked no different from the rest of the forest floor. But with a wave of his hand, the ground trembled and split open, revealing a trapdoor.

They descended the creaky staircase that lay beneath, the air growing colder and damper with each step.

The tunnel they entered was narrow and dark, the walls slick with moss and the air thick with the scent of earth and decay. It felt like they were being swallowed by the earth itself.

The tunnel opened into a vast underground cavern; the ceiling so high it was lost in shadow. At the center of the cavern, laid bare on a stone altar, were the bones of Osiris, gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Hades stepped forward, reaching out to claim them—but before his fingers could touch the bones, the ground shook violently.

The earth split open beneath them, and they plunged into a deep chasm.

They landed hard in a subterranean chamber, and as they struggled to their feet, they heard a low, rumbling growl.

The ground beneath them trembled as something massive stirred in the darkness.

A pair of glowing red eyes opened in the shadows, and the creature stepped into the light.

It was a beast of ancient Greece, a monstrous Chimera with the body of a lion, the head of a goat, and a serpent for a tail. Its fangs dripped with venom, and its eyes burned with a malevolent intelligence.

The men drew their weapons, ready for the fight of their lives.

Hercules was the first to charge, his mace swinging in a deadly arc.

The Chimera roared, meeting his attack with a blast of fiery breath.

Hercules barely dodged the flames, his muscles straining as he brought his mace down on the creature’s back.

The blow landed with a sickening crunch, but the Chimera barely flinched.

Prince Edward moved in next, his sword flashing as he struck at the Chimera’s legs, trying to cripple the beast.

But the creature was faster than it looked, and its serpent’s tail lashed out, catching Edward in the side, sending him crashing into the wall.

Captain Stone rushed to his side; his ax ready.

With a grim determination, he swung at the Chimera, aiming for the goat’s head.

The beast reared back, roaring in fury as the blade bit into its flesh.

Hades stood back, his eyes narrowing as he watched the battle unfold. He could see the exhaustion in the men’s faces, the strain in their movements.

They were outmatched, but he had no intention of letting them fall. With a wave of his hand, he summoned a jet of blue flames, the fire searing the air as it struck the Chimera.

The beast screamed in agony, its flesh sizzling as the flames consumed it.

But it wasn’t done yet. With a final, desperate lunge, it charged at Hades, its jaws wide and ready to snap shut.

But Hades was faster. He unleashed another blast of flames, and this time, the Chimera couldn’t withstand the onslaught. It fell to the ground, its body smoldering as life drained from its eyes.

The men stood, panting, their weapons still raised, as they looked at the fallen creature.

The cavern was silent except for the crackling of the dying flames .

Captain Stone was the first to speak, a grin breaking across his face. “Well, that was a bit more excitement than I was expecting.”

Hercules laughed, clapping him on the back. “You call that excitement? I’d call it a bloody nightmare.”

Prince Edward sheathed his sword, shaking his head with a weary smile.

Hades didn’t join in the banter. He stepped forward and retrieved a small bundle from the ground.

With the bones tucked under his arm, he led the group back.

The men continued to banter, heartened by their latest victory, but Hades remained quiet.

His mind was elsewhere as they returned to the forest. Then his heart pounded with a sudden dread.

He felt it before he saw it—the ground beneath them was trembling again, but this time, it wasn’t from the monster.

“What is that?” Captain Stone asked, his grin fading as he noticed the cloud of dust rising in the distance.

Hades's heart stopped, Persephone’s face flashing before his eyes. He knew that direction all too well.

“It’s in the direction of Adonis's palace.”

Without another word, the men raced through the forest, the silence between them tense and heavy. Each step took them closer to the unknown, their thoughts consumed by the same hope—that their wives were safe, and that they hadn’t just fought for nothing.

But deep down, Hades knew the truth. Something had gone terribly wrong, and he feared that the worst was yet to come.