Vowed to Hades (Romancing the Seas #4)

24. Persephone

PERSEPHONE

T he girls burst out of the palace grounds, their breath ragged, eyes wide with shock.

Persephone, at the front of the group, felt her knees give way as she watched the grand palace crumble into ash behind them.

The place she once called home, where she shared moments of joy, love, and heartbreak with Adonis, was reduced to nothing. The weight of it all bore down on her, crushing her spirit.

What was she to do now? Even if Isis succeeded in bringing Adonis back, what kind of life would they have?

The very fabric of her past was unraveling before her eyes.

Serena, clutching the book tightly to her chest, broke the silence. “Come on, we need to get back to the others.”

Georgette and Ava hurried to Persephone’s side, gently helping her to her feet .

Her limbs felt like lead as she allowed herself to be guided back through the dense, shadowy forest. Her mind was a swirling mess of confusion and despair, her heart a numb, hollow shell.

The reunion with the men was a stark contrast to the destruction they had just fled.

The group appeared weary, their clothes torn and dirtied, their bodies marked with cuts and bruises. Only Hades and Hercules stood unscathed, their faces glistening with sweat, but their expressions unyielding.

“What happened?” Georgette cried out as she rushed into Captain Stone’s arms, her voice thick with concern.

Hades, ever the stoic figure, merely shrugged off the question. “Just a little side mission,” he said, his tone casual, but his eyes locked onto the book Serena held. Relief flickered across his features as she lifted it for him to see. “Did you get the book?”

Serena nodded, her grip firm on the ancient tome. “We did.”

“Did you feel that earthquake?” Georgette asked, glancing back in the direction of the palace.

“It wasn’t an earthquake,” Hercules corrected her, his voice low and grave. The statement hung in the air, thick with unspoken implications.

Before anyone could respond, a dark shadow swept across the clearing. A crow, its feathers glinting ominously in the dim light, swooped down and landed on Hades's shoulder .

The group watched in silence as the bird leaned in, whispering something into the god’s ear.

Hades listened intently, his expression darkening. After a moment, he murmured something back to the crow, and it took off into the night sky.

Hades turned to the group; his face set in a grim mask. “Loki has been spotted in Egypt.”

The words sent a ripple of tension through the group.

Ava’s face paled as she whispered, “The Great Pyramid of Giza… He stole my maps. He knows the locations of the burial sites.”

Hades's eyes closed briefly, and Persephone felt a jolt as his voice echoed in her mind.

Of course, he did…

She watched him closely, noting the way the others deferred to him, treating him as their leader, their ally.

It was a strange reversal for her, to see him in this role.

For once, the attention was not on her, and she found herself silently observing as they made plans, the sense of urgency pressing down on all of them.

“Hercules and I have already been to Athens,” Ava said, pulling out a small bundle from her satchel and unwrapping it to reveal a bone fragment.

“A small victory,” Hades acknowledged, clapping his hands together. “Very well. Here’s what we’re going to do…”

He began laying out their next steps with calm authority. “We need to stay together. Ava, where are the other sites?”

Ava looked at him, her eyes sharp with determination. “One is here, but you already know that. The others are at the Temple of Artemis, the Library of Alexandria, the ancient city of Petra, and… Teotihuacan.”

“Where the hells is that?” Captain Stone asked, a frown creasing his brow.

Serena answered before Ava could. “It’s an ancient city, home to the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon.” She fluttered her lashes at Prince Edward, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “I’ve always wanted to see them.”

Hades's voice brought them back to the gravity of the situation. “You need to be careful. Loki is collecting the bones, so be vigilant and on guard.”

He turned to Hercules, meeting his serious gaze. “You’re stronger together, so don’t split up.”

Captain Stone pulled Georgette closer to him, his voice resolute. “Rest assured, no one will be splitting up from now on.”

“That’s settled, then,” Hades said, his gaze shifting to Persephone. “You and I will go to the Temple of Artemis. The rest of you will go to Teotihuacan. We’ll meet at the Library of Alexandria.”

Persephone’s heart fluttered with nerves. She wasn’t ready to be parted from her friends, not with so many questions still unanswered. But there was no time to hesitate. Everyone was in danger, and the stakes were too high to let her fear control her .

Hades and Hercules each opened a portal, swirling with dark energy.

With one last shared look, the group split, stepping into their respective portals, and vanishing into the unknown.

A s the portal's energy dissipated, Persephone found herself standing in the middle of a grand, ancient temple.

The air was thick with the scent of incense, and the walls were adorned with faded murals depicting long-forgotten gods and goddesses. Sunlight filtered through cracks in the stone ceiling, casting a golden hue over everything. The room was eerily silent, save for the distant echo of dripping water.

“It’s too quiet,” Hades muttered as they walked through.

That’s when they found a beheaded minotaur laying in front of an arch. The ground was soaked in blood.

Hades swore.

“Loki has already been here.” He waved a hand in frustration, conjuring a portal.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing Persephone’s hand. Then he pulled her through.

Persephone looked around at the black walls and swirling mist above their head. The air was still and solemn. “We’re back in the Underworld,” she said. “Why don’t we go to the next burial site? ”

Hades shook his head. “I can think more clearly in my realm. I can’t do this alone. I need you to remember who you are.”

He held out the book.

Persephone glanced at the omega symbol stitched on the front cover.

Hades stood beside her, his presence commanding as always. But there was a softness in his gaze as he looked at her, a stark contrast to the imposing figure she had come to know.

His attention shifted to the book Serena had given him, his eyes scanning the text with ease.

She watched him closely, noting the way his brow furrowed slightly in concentration.

After a moment, he held the book out to her. "Here," he said, his voice gentle. “Read this incantation aloud, and the curse will be reversed.”

Persephone took the book from him, her fingers tracing the ancient leather cover. But as she looked at the text, her heart sank.

The letters were nothing more than incomprehensible symbols to her, and she shook her head. "I can’t," she admitted, feeling a pang of frustration. "It looks like Greek.”

Hades arched a brow, a hint of amusement tugging at the corners of his lips. "It is Greek. And you can read it. You used to read books like this all the time.”

Her confusion deepened. "I used to read?"

He smirked, casting a faraway look as though he was remembering a fond memory. "Reading was one of your favorite things to do," he said. "You would spend hours in the hot springs, completely absorbed in some dark and twisted story."

He blinked and fell silent for a few moments. "Then, after you'd finished, you’d come strutting into the throne room, grab me by the shirt, and drag me straight to bed."

His smile widened, the mischief in his eyes unmistakable. "That’s how I knew you’d been reading something especially stimulating. "

Persephone couldn’t help but smile, though it was tinged with uncertainty. "You make me sound so aggressive and… unashamed.”

Hades chuckled, the sound deep and warm. "Aggressive? Perhaps. Unashamed? Most definitely. You were quite the exhibitionist and enjoyed a fair amount of mischief.”

He looked at her with a mixture of admiration and something else—something that made her pulse quicken. "But there was always more to you than that. You commanded fear and obedience, yes. But you also possessed a tender side. One that was sweet and… submissive in the right circumstances."

His words stirred something within her, something she wasn’t ready to confront.

A flicker of the memory she’d had in the hot spring flashed through her mind—the vision of herself lying on display, enjoying the fact that the Devil Men were watching her, yet powerless to approach. The memory was vivid, but instead of arousal, it flooded her with shame .

She shut her eyes, trying to block out the image.

"I hate the person you think I am," she whispered, her cheeks burning.

Hades's response was immediate. He reached out and grabbed her wrists, his touch firm, yet careful.

Her eyes flew open in shock as she stared up at him.

His expression was intense, his gaze boring into her with an urgency that made her breath catch.

"You must never hate yourself," he said, his voice a low, commanding growl. "Ever."

His words hung in the air, thick with emotion, as he drew her closer.

Heat radiated from his body, as he gripped her, but to her surprise, it wasn’t threatening. It was grounding, steadying her in a way she hadn’t realized she needed.

"You are glorious," he continued, his tone softening as he spoke. "In all of your faults and perfections. You are beautifully complex."

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Yes, you had a sharp, ambitious side. But you are also delicious and sweet."

Persephone’s heart pounded in her chest. There was something undeniably powerful about the way he spoke of her, as if he saw every part of her—good and bad—and cherished it all the same.

It was as though he knew her darkest, most intimate secrets and passed no judgment.

Hades's grip on her wrists loosened, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he brought one of her hands to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. The gesture was so gentle, so reverent, that it brought tears to her eyes.

"Make no mistake, my dear," he murmured, his voice low and filled with unspoken promises. "There is not a single part of your soul that I do not adore."

Persephone’s breath hitched, her emotions swirling in a confusing mix of fear, desire, and something she dared not name.

She wanted to pull away, to put distance between them so she could think clearly. But at the same time, she wanted to stay right where she was, enveloped in his warmth, in the safety of his presence.

His words echoed in her mind, clashing with everything she thought she knew about herself.

She had spent so long clinging to the idea of who she was—Adonis's wife, the gentle, loving woman who had been wronged by a cruel god. But now, standing here with Hades, she couldn’t help but question everything.

If what he said was true, if she really was this complex, multifaceted person he described, then what did that mean for the memories she held onto so tightly?

Could she have been wrong about Adonis? About herself?

The questions burned within her, but before she could speak, Hades released her hands and stepped back, giving her the space she needed .

He watched her with a patience that belied the intensity of his earlier words, as if he knew she needed time to process everything.

Persephone took a deep breath, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of it all. She could still feel the lingering warmth of his touch, the echo of his words in her ears. And despite the confusion and fear, there was a part of her—a small, insistent part—that wanted to believe him.

But could she?

She thumbed through the worn pages of the book and instinctively landed on the page Hades had shown her. She took a breath and looked at the writings, willing her mind to open up and interpret them.

But then she snapped the book shut.

For all she knew, the incantation would mutilate her mind again.

What if Hades was causing her visions, and the spell would make them permanent?

She couldn’t shake the warning that Adonis had given her about Hades.

“One day, he may get you, and he’ll poison you with his lies. He’ll turn you against me. Be strong, Persephone. Do not trust him. No matter how much he charms you.”

Hades's gaze never wavered; his dark eyes filled with a quiet determination. He wasn’t asking for her trust, she realized. He was offering her something more—a chance to discover the truth for herself.

She bit her lip, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions .

But as she looked at him—really looked at him—she saw something that shook her to her core.

Beneath the commanding presence and the air of danger, there was vulnerability. A raw, unguarded emotion that he rarely, if ever, showed. It was a kind of truth that transcended words, a connection that went deeper than memories or illusions.

Persephone swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper when she finally spoke. “You make it all sound so simple, but how can I trust anything when I don’t even know who I am?"

Hades's expression softened, a look of understanding passing over his features. "It’s not simple," he admitted. "And it’s not easy. But it’s real, Persephone. What we had—what we still have—it’s real. And that’s why it’s worth fighting for."

As the last word left his lips, Persephone’s vision blurred, the world around her dissolving into a swirl of colors.

She blinked, trying to clear her head, but instead, she was pulled into a memory—no, a vision—more vivid than anything she had experienced before.

She found herself standing on the cold, rough stone floor of a dark, damp cell. The air was thick with the scent of mold and despair.

On the other side of the iron bars, Hades stood, looking grimy and worn, yet his eyes were filled with the same fierce determination she had come to recognize.

Between the bars, their hands clasped tightly, their fingers intertwined as if they could never let go .

Hot tears rolled down Persephone’s cheeks, but she didn’t wipe them away. She was too lost in the intensity of the moment, too consumed by the raw emotion coursing through her veins.

“Stay strong, my love. I’ll find a way for us to be together again,” she heard herself say, her voice cracking with desperation.

Hades's gaze softened, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in a soothing gesture. “How can you fight, even now? After all that has happened, after all the atrocities I have committed. You should detest me.”

His voice wavered, thick with anguish.

Without another word, Persephone pulled Hades close, her lips crashing against his in a hot, frenzied kiss. It was a kiss full of longing and unspoken promises.

When she finally pulled away, Hades's breath was ragged, and he rested his forehead against hers.

“A life with you is worth fighting for,” Persephone whispered, her voice a fierce vow.

The vision shattered like glass, and Persephone jolted back to reality, her heart pounding in her chest. She was no longer in the cell, but in Hades's lap, his strong arms holding her securely as she gasped for breath.

“You passed out,” he said, his voice laced with concern. His hands gripped her shoulders firmly, steadying her. “Are you all right?”

Persephone blinked up at him, her mind reeling from the intensity of the vision.

The concern etched on his face, the way his eyes searched hers for reassurance—it was all so real, so palpable. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the vision she’d just experienced was more than a memory; it was a truth buried deep within her, trying to resurface.

Sitting up slowly, she looked at Hades's face in a new light.

Every memory of Adonis, once so cherished, now felt distant, emotionless—a shadow of what she had just felt. But these visions, these glimpses of a past with Hades, were vivid, bursting with life and emotion.

She swallowed hard, a thought forming in the back of her mind.

“I need to test something,” she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to Hades.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she reached up and gently caressed his cheek, her thumb brushing over the rough stubble of his jaw.

Hades's eyes widened, but he didn’t pull away. His breath hitched as her fingers traced the line of his cheekbone, the touch sending a jolt of electricity through them both.

And then, without hesitation, she leaned in and kissed him.