Page 79 of Guided by the Stars (Creating Destiny #1)

Kelsey

Epilogue

Finding the palace of Hades might be difficult for some, but being a nature nymph has its perks.

As long as there were trees, I could go anywhere.

I’ve been the go-between for Jax and Daemyn for years, and each time I came here I’d pop out in Persephone’s garden.

There’s a tree hidden deep within that’s been our meeting spot.

The visits are quick for the most part, handing a note over to either brother before heading back with a reply or waiting for the next time they need me. I’ve avoided getting caught so far, but being alone this time makes me anxious.

This visit isn’t like the others, though.

There’s a very special item in my possession, one that’s been stolen from under the King’s nose.

If he finds me carrying it, my fate will be worse than death.

An example will be made of me to let everyone know what happens to those that steal from the Giver of Wealth .

Jax had to stay with Adriane in case shit hit the fan, so he sent me here with a note for Kai, expressing to me how important it was not to get caught. The livelihood of so many rested on delivering this message, and I wasn’t going to let him down.

I wasn’t in the habit of reading the notes I passed for them. I trusted them enough to know they’d give up whatever details were necessary, otherwise I didn’t need to know. The look Jax gave me was clear, Adriane’s safety was on the line and it was imperative that Kai receive this message.

It was clear that the descendant girls were well liked, by all except for Rose anyway.

For years she followed the princes, desperate to be wanted, and for a time it seemed as if Kai might be interested too.

But her desperation turned into something else.

She became volatile, manipulating anyone who got in her way.

And after she walked in on Kai with another girl, the mad look in her eyes had sharpened until even I didn’t recognize her.

Everything spiralled out of control after that, but it wasn’t until she attacked Nora that I knew she was beyond reach.

With doom floating like a cloud around me, I exit the tree. My feet sink into the soft earth as I kneel down to press my palms in the ground and close my eyes. Dirt crumbles beneath the pressure of my fingers, and I use the roots buried deep to find his location.

I scan the area for his presence but don’t find him, and my worry rises.

I hope I’m not too late. My fingers dig deeper, and I clear my mind, blocking out all sound.

Recognition sparks inside me, but as quick as the smile spreads across my face, it falls.

Dread fills me as I feel the faint echo of his normally powerful aura.

With the path I need to take memorized, I rush in his direction on silent feet. It’s only when I get closer that I notice he’s in direct view of the palace. If Persephone hasn’t gone back to visit her mother, there’s no way I’ll avoid being caught.

As I peer around a large stone pillar, my heart drops. Kai stands in the clearing before me, tied up and unmoving. His face is in shadow, but his body is secured to thick roots by chains that circle his limbs and torso, the metal glinting green from the fog that surrounds this place.

The balcony is empty, no lights shining from inside the room beyond, but I stay put.

I can’t get caught here, from what Jax said, too many lives depend on me delivering this message.

I check again for another presence. Kai’s is still dim, but he’s the only one I sense nearby and I inch closer to him.

The roots are thick and strong, created with an impressive amount of control that can only be the work of Hades. Blood drips down them, staining the ground a vivid red. It’s smeared on Kai’s skin, barely an inch left untouched, and there’s a gritty looking substance mixed there too.

The chains that secure him touch most of his body, starting from his wrists and trailing up each arm to wrap around his chest and waist before moving down each thigh to his feet. His head is tilted back against the root, eyes closed, but I glimpse the pained expression etched into his features.

“Kai,” I gasp.

“Adriane?” he whispers, his voice raw. His eyes open slowly, but they’re glassy and unfocused.

“It’s Kelsey. Jax sent me, but there’s no way I can leave you here like this. What did they do to you?” Without waiting for an answer, I move to free him.

A deep groan leaves his lips, his chest heaving with each breath. “No…don’t,” he rasps out. “It’s a…special…chain.”

I inspect it more closely, and what I see turns the blood in my veins to ice. Each link has a triangular metal barb and they’re all embedded into his skin. Blood oozes from the raw wounds coating his body, and the sight makes me want to gag.

I can’t just leave him to suffer at the hands of his father.

But if I stay, it’s not just my life that’s forfeit.

Jax warned me about what I might see here, that Kai has suffered these punishments for centuries and had the scars to prove it.

What stands before me though is brutal, sadistic, and I couldn’t imagine leaving him like that.

The sound of laughter reaches me, shrill and cold, and I realize it doesn’t matter what I want to do. It doesn’t matter that I want to remove every piece of metal from his flesh and take him to safety. Time is running out and if I get caught, it’s game over.

I can’t save him.

I ready myself for the pain of walking away, reaching down and retrieving the note from my pocket. “Kai,” I whisper. “You need to listen closely. Can you do that?”

His body shakes with tremors and each one brings more pain, more blood, but no response.

“Kai. Open your eyes. This involves Adriane.”

He tilts his head up, trying to focus, and gives me an almost imperceptible nod.

“This note is from Jax,” I say, slipping it into what’s left of the pocket of his jeans. “Find the strength, Adriane’s life depends on it.”

His eyes meet mine in a moment of clarity, and what I see breaks my heart. Pure unadulterated fear. Not for himself, though. But for her.

His legs give out and he groans, the barbed metal chain the only thing holding him up now. Within seconds his eyes glaze over again, a pained expression settling on his face .

A single word escapes him before his body crumples, “Adriane.”

Footsteps echo from the palace behind me and I know I have to leave. If they find me here with him, if they take that note, we’re all fucked. With one last look at Kai, I rush back into the garden.

My thoughts are spiraling when I reach the tree, but there’s still work to do before I leave.

I bend down and force my power through the base, carving a hole into it.

From my bag, I pull out the one item that will help Kai escape, the helmet.

I use my energy to conceal the hole from everyone except Kai, his blood that coats my fingers enhancing the bond.

Before standing, I press my hands to the dirt, searching for his presence once more.

What I find is even fainter than before, flickering in and out.

Tears roll down my cheeks as I stand and lean against the tree, taking a few moments to try and process what I just witnessed.

If this was the retribution Hades dealt, what of Alexius?

Zeus wouldn’t kill his own son…would he?