Page 8 of Queen to the Sunless Court (Brides of Myth #2)

“I don’t think he’d be able to tell you much,” Calliste took a deep breath, sitting down beside him. “Tempest said he couldn’t hear anything while imprisoned—only watch.”

“He mentioned,” Thanatos said.

“I hoped he’d recognize who Tempest is, but since he clearly hasn’t...” Hades sank back into his chair. “Can you tell us the rest, Priestess?”

She nodded, but she was still inwardly shaking from the argument.

“May I?” Morpheus asked, extending his hand to rest it on the table beside her, palm up. When he opened it, light pooled in his palm, shimmering like a moonlit sea. “This is what we all need: calm and focus.”

Calliste glanced at the hand, then at him. Without much hesitation, she placed her hand over his.

Almost instantly, her mind cleared, as if his touch were a fresh breeze sweeping away the clouds. She shot him a surprised look.

Morpheus raised an eyebrow. “So, you were saying?”

She refocused, recalling the rest of the encounter with Tempest with ease—even the difficult part, when Tempest had clawed into her chest. “Then I sensed Epione’s presence, and she helped me overcome Tempest by unleashing her power.

” She paused, a strange sensation rising in her mind, as if she was close to uncovering a secret.

“And with that, it seemed that… Tempest left the body of that Condemned, leaving someone else behind. Someone who calmed down and said…” She rubbed her forehead, pushing her memory for more. But nothing surfaced.

Silence lingered for a while until Hades finally spoke, his voice tinged with disappointment.

“So we still don’t know who Tempest is, nor the name of the Condemned.

” He leaned back, massaging his temples.

“Not your fault, Priestess. You asserted yourself better than any mortal or immortal could. You were fortunate that your goddess favors you and chose to intervene. She is likely one of the few deities who would, given her healing powers. What concerns me is that this incident occurred so near Erebus, and it was sheer luck that he didn’t awaken. ”

Calliste couldn’t even imagine anything more sinister than stirring primordial darkness. “Is it possible to wake him up?”

Hades nodded gravely. “If this situation is mishandled, yes, which would be an unimaginable catastrophe for both the mortal world and the immortal realms. Erebus is the original deity of creation, who chose to retire eons ago. He exists as sleeping darkness, separating my realm—as well as all other realms—from Chaos. If, for any reason, he was roused from his sleep, his fury at being disturbed could tear Tartarus apart, freeing all the Titan prisoners from the War of the Gods. Erebus’ wrath would consume the mortal realm and slay the immortals where they stand.

Not to mention that with him rousing, he would unleash Chaos.

” He gave a humorless smile. “I’d say there’s an abundance of reasons not to stir him. ”

“I understand,” Calliste said weakly. “Perhaps more will come back to me later. I feel like… there was more. That the Condemned told me… a name. I just don't remember it.”

“Knowing it would be crucial. Let’s hope it comes back to you.” Hades reclined in his chair, staring at the marbled pattern of the table. “I’d like you to stay at my palace for at least a day to recover.”

“Is one day here the same as in the mortal realm?” she asked.

Surprise glinted in his black eyes, then his face softened in a smile. “Indeed. Given how drained your pendant is, staying here could help it recharge more quickly. It’s because of how close you are to the immortal plane.”

“Oh?” Calliste glanced down at her gem. “I thought it regenerated from my own energy.”

“That as well. I’m also hoping you might recall that name, though I understand why you’ve erased it from your memory.” Hades stroked his anthracite beard. “We are fortunate that Epione came down to rescue you. She must have sensed you were in mortal danger.”

Calliste watched the marbled golden pattern swirl again. “It wasn’t the first time she saved me. I wish I could speak with her… thank her.”

“Epione?” Hades smiled. “She’s even more reclusive than me, and doesn’t reveal herself to mortals, or to gods for that matter. I don’t know what she looks like.”

“Oh… You don’t?”

“No, even though she ventured into my domain and the Roots, which was both bold and unusual, as gods avoid coming to the Underworld.”

“Why?”

Hades shrugged. “It’s not the most scenic of the immortal realms.”

“But there’s beauty to it that cannot be found anywhere else,” she said quietly.

“Beauty?” The lord of the Underworld asked after a moment’s silence.

“The Everlasting Enclave took my breath away. As did the reflection of Elysium.”

Hades’ dark eyes lit up. Behind him, Persephone’s garden glowed with colors. “Few would express such a sentiment.”

“Few have seen the Everlasting Enclave.”

“But now that you have, do you understand why you cannot always win against Thanatos?”

She glanced at the quiet god of death across the shimmering table, his hands clasped in his lap, his blue-black wings gleaming behind him. “I do.”

Hades smiled. “This is why the Fates brought you here. You were never afraid of him, but now you fully comprehend the workings behind what mortals merely see as dying. In a peculiar way, you are tied to my realm, Priestess, much like I am.”

Calliste blushed. “But you are its ruler.”

“True, but I haven’t always been. This realm existed before me.

When we defeated our father and the other Titans, and I drew lots with Zeus and Poseidon to determine the realm I’d govern, I initially resented drawing the Underworld.

But over time, I realized it was the Underworld that chose me.

We complement each other.” His white teeth glinted in his anthracite beard.

“It’s a dangerous realm to control, for many reasons, but I don’t shy away from taming its nature. ”

“I can see that,” she muttered, recalling Hypnos storming off.

Hades chuckled. “The gods here are a different story. Hypnos has his flaws, but I’m confident he’ll come around.

.. eventually.” He sighed. “Once you’ve recovered enough, I’d like you and Morpheus to visit the Roots to assess its condition.

The prince’s tree still seems to be there, as it hasn’t reappeared in the Enclave. ”

“What about the prince?” Calliste asked quietly. “His father is worried about him… and so am I.”

Hades pondered for a moment. “As long as he’s still asleep in the mortal realm—which he is—he’s safe.

His spirit doesn’t wander the Underworld, but is dormant in his body.

However, his situation contradicts the Fates’ will and is highly unnatural.

Thanatos has likely explained how it might soon impact the mortal realm.

I’m also concerned about this hostile deity roaming the Roots.

This is why I need you to go there as soon as you recover. ”

“I will,” she replied.