Page 5 of Summer’s Seduction (Sinful Seasons #2)
LARKSPUR
“ I ’ve scoured The Underworld and have found no trace of Hypnos.” Hades paced the forest floor, side-stepping gnarled roots and pomegranates that had burst open. The moon shone brightly overhead, thousands of stars winking into life as the last of the sun’s rays faded. It had been a nice day in The Asphodel Plains, but the temperature had gone from chilly to downright freezing in a matter of moments as Hades’s rage spiraled.
I looked away from his clenched fists and Persephone’s worried brow, focusing instead on the frost spreading along the nearest branch—icy shards formed over deep green leaves, exquisite in their complexity. Fragile things had such a tragic beauty to them. Despite how beautiful—how perfect—the ice crystals coating the lush, green leaves were at this moment, they were doomed to end.
After being cornered by the two of them, Hades transported Persephone and me to the pomegranate grove. Hecate had been waiting for us, and Morpheus had arrived soon after, acting as if he and I had never spoken.
“The monsters in Tartarus are restless,” Hades continued. “Even the wandering souls are behaving unusually.”
“Can they escape?” Persephone asked, looking between Hecate and her husband, but it was Morpheus, who answered.
“No, Lady Persephone. Once a soul is condemned to Tartarus or Cocytus, they are bound until Lord Hades releases them.” Morpheus’s lips tilted at the edges into an arrogant smirk. “Or until the realms fall.”
“The realms aren’t falling,” Hades snapped.
“Not yet,” Morpheus countered with a shrug. “But judging by the storm swirling overhead, I’d wager Zeus isn’t happy with the influx of souls into your realm.”
Hades’s jaw clenched as he glared at Morpheus. I lifted a brow, my gaze darting between the four of them and the sky. The once clear night was, indeed, filled with lightning and clouds. I’d figured it was a ramification of Hades’s emotions, but if it was Zeus…
“Why should Zeus care about people dying?” I asked, lifting my chin as Hades turned his withering gaze on me. “He couldn’t be bothered to stop Demeter when she was slaughtering earth witches or when she leveled The Crystal City. Why is Hypnos’s war any different?”
“Demeter kept her destruction mostly to witches,” Hecate answered softly. “Though Hades inherited their souls like any other, their collective power returned to the cosmos, replenishing the vast well the gods draw from.”
“You mean Demeter was strengthening the coven by making sacrifices?” Persephone asked, frosted grass and leaves crunching under her boots as she padded over to Hades’s side.
“Not quite,” Morpheus responded. “She was bolstering the gods’ power.” His shrewd, golden eyes swept the length of Hades, noting every flexed muscle and taut plane. “My father’s sleep magic has affected The Underworld, but the repercussions experienced here are nothing compared to the devastation that will occur if he is left unchecked in The Realm of the Living.”
Hecate’s green eyes met mine. Her black hair was braided and bound, drawing attention to her long neck and golden robes. The edge of a serpent inked in white along her forearm was visible, the shimmering tattoo stark against her dark skin. She was the goddess of witches, the link to our power in this life and the great beyond. Hecate was power. And right now, with the hard glint in her eyes, I knew whatever mess Hypnos created to cause that expression wasn’t something to dismiss.
“Without sleep, inhibitions are lost and become tangled with impulsive desires,” Hecate said. “Mortals go mad.”
“And eventually start killing each other,” Morpheus added in a far too nonchalant voice. “Meaning, Daddy Darkness gets more souls added to his domain.”
“And, therefore, more power,” Persephone breathed.
Lightning cracked overhead as thick clouds rolled in. I glanced up, brows furrowing as I watched the night sky darken. The Underworld had its system of weather. From what I’d gathered in my limited time here, the state of the climate was tied to the souls of the kingdom. Tartarus would forever be covered in boiling lava, Cocytus coated in thick ice banks, and Elysium filled with spring blossoms and sun. Magic could cause things to fluctuate temporarily, but the way the clouds were moving, the flashes of lightning growing brighter, it looked like…
“Zeus is unhappy,” Hades muttered. My eyes widened, watching as he tilted his head up as if waiting for his wretched brother to manifest.
“He can’t blame us for this,” Persephone seethed, following Hades’s line of sight. “We’re the only reason there’s a Realm of The Living left.”
“She has a point,” I said. “I don’t remember seeing Zeus when Demeter nearly caused the realms to fall. All of this could’ve been done with if he’d bothered showing up.”
Thunder boomed, the deafening crack echoing off the mountains of Cocytus in the distance.
“That’s enough, little monster.” My spine stiffened as I turned toward Morpheus, not liking one bit how soothing his voice was. “We may not agree with his decisions, but The God of the Sky has more than just brute strength at his disposal. It’s best if we don’t piss him off.”
My lips twitched as another round of lightning, and its answering thunder clashed across the clouds. “I’m not so sure about that. You know what they say about the attention-seeking men: The louder the bark, the smaller the di?—”
“Lark, don’t,” Persephone cut in, her face pale. “We’ve only secured the realms and managed to come out mostly unscathed. I would very much like the chance to settle into my role as Queen of The Underworld before I’m forced to defend it against The Olympians.”
I was tempted to push because why the fuck not? Persephone had her new, shiny life with a husband who’d gladly torture anyone who dared to harm her. She was a queen, an immortal goddess, while I was seen as the half-blooded witch who’d nearly gotten her killed.
I’d carved out small pieces of my emaciated heart repeatedly through the years to ensure Persephone was safe, untouched by the filth slinking through the dark recesses of this life. I’d let them use my body to keep hers clean… but nobody bothered to search the darkness for the truth. Because nobody wanted to know.
In the end, I was the battered, broken one. The used and dirty person who nobody wanted. The one who was tossed out with the trash, while the others like Persephone were granted a golden crown and given everything they’d ever dreamed of.
So, yeah. For a few miserable fleeting seconds, I considered baiting The God of the Sky just to watch the world burn, but one thought stilled my tongue. Eyes narrowing, I turned toward Morpheus.
“How does sleep magic work?” Morpheus’s golden eyes took me in as I shifted under his gaze. Doing my best to ignore the wave of heat coursing through my body, I continued. “Does Hypnos travel to The Realm of the Living to allow mortals to sleep?”
“No,” Morpheus answered, his voice adopting a slightly withdrawn and informative tone. “The mind is able to enter the first stage of sleep on its own, placing the subconsciousness into a state of in-between. Hypnos then accesses the subconsciousness of people’s minds from there.”
“And then what?” I pressed.
“Then he uses The Cornucopia housing The Sands of Slumber to grant dreams and restful sleep,” Hecate answered when it was clear Morpheus had no intention of speaking again. She seemed to look me over as if waiting for a reaction to this information. She spoke once more when it was clear I had nothing to offer. “But it makes no difference. The Cornucopia is loyal to only one wielder, and that is currently Hypnos.”
My gaze darted to Morpheus, but he’d long since schooled his expression into a mask of arrogant disinterest. Lightning flashed as the winds picked up. Branches from the pomegranate trees whipped around us, knocking fruit free to burst upon the ground. Red streaked the earth as the sky raged. Shadows of unease crept over all of us, darkening even Hades’s features.
“Could Hypnos have fled to The Realm of The Living without us knowing?” Persephone asked, her voice nearly getting lost in the mounting storm. Hades slipped his arm around her waist, holding her close as he met Hecate’s worried gaze.
“It’s unlikely,” Hades breathed.
“But not impossible,” Morpheus finished, drawing everyone’s attention as his great, leathery wings snapped free. They were huge, spanning the length of a few trees as they flexed before arching around him to act as a shield against the storm. His long hair billowed behind him, and when he spoke next, the tips of fangs could be seen. “There once was a passage through The Nightmare Kingdom, but it’s nothing but ash now.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I muttered, not understanding why my heart had started racing. The others carried on in the conversation, but my body felt restless like there was something I was supposed to be doing.
Another strong gust of frigid air caused me to wrap my arms around myself, the soaked fabric of my dress doing very little too dull the lash of the wind, delicate drops of water started to fall. I looked up, peering through the swaying branches and rocking fruit toward the swirling clouds beyond.
“I still don’t see why Hypnos terrorizing mortals is anything new. A few extra souls for The Underworld shouldn’t make too much of an impact.”
Mortals losing it because of Hypnos was a tale as old as time. He and Dionysus enjoyed tormenting those in The Realm of the Living. Eventually, Zeus and the other Olympians in The Above would grow tired of their games and put an end to it. So, why was this time any different?
“A few souls, no,” Hecate answered, seeming to mull the words over. “But the loyalties of morals can sway magic. Their worship is more powerful than any one soul.”
Morpheus lifted a dark brow in my direction, his golden eyes unnerving. It felt like I was being unraveled, my secrets being dissected and studied. Every moment I stayed in his presence felt like another moment closer to my plans of escape being discovered.
“As much as I’d love to hear more about Hypnos and the state of mortals, I’m going to turn in for the evening. Sunshine is bad enough, but the weather has taken a serious turn for the worse.”
Persephone’s eyes narrowed as I started on the path that would lead back to The Dark Palace. Morpheus’s lips quirked, his golden eyes sparking with knowing mischief.
“I’ll accompany you.” Morpheus was at my side in a flash, his large wings rising to block the worst of the storm.
A foreign fluttering swirled in my stomach at the small display of kindness. I shook it off, sure it was a coincidence, but before I could take another step, the air grew charged, raising the fine hairs on the back of my arms. My brows furrowed, searching for the source.
“Get down!” Morpheus called a moment before lightning struck.
There was the whisper of searing heat before strong arms circled my waist, and darkness descended. I blinked, gazing up at thick veins stretching across webbed bones.
“Are you okay, little monster?” Morpheus’s voice was raspy and low as if he was truly worried. He smelled like leather and spice. Like damnation crafted to lure the most innocent of beings. But I’d been playing at seduction for the better part of my life and was not so easily tempted.
Ignoring the flash of warmth starting low in my belly, I lifted my chin and met his golden eyes. “Swell. Are all oversized bats this protective, or just you?”
He lifted a brow at my tone as his wings folded, but I saw the edge of his lips quirk. It wasn’t a horrible smile, fangs and all, and I suppose some would find the sharp angle of his jaw and dark hair reaching past his shoulders charming, in a cursed spawn of forsaken demons sort of way.
It wasn’t until Hecate cleared her throat that I realized Morpheus was still holding me. Heat bloomed across my cheeks as I jumped back, the blush only growing as I noted Persephone’s poor attempt at hiding a smile and Hades’s frown.
“Are you two quite done?” Hades snapped, his hand raised. I realized he was controlling the thick shadows swirling around the five of us and blocking out the rest of the world. “I can’t hold them back much longer.”
My heart stopped and then raced as his words registered. This wasn’t a display of strength but a shield. I had only enough time to turn before the glint of metal pierced the veil of darkness.