“Milord!”
It was Thanatos, and Hades immediately turned, alerted by the ominous note in his second-in-command’s voice. “What is it?”
“Something inexplicable has shown up at the entrance of our world.”
“Show me.”
“Yes, milord.” Thanatos ripped the air around him like it was a piece of canvas, and a moment later Hades saw the entrance to his world, where the rest of his powerful sentries still stood guard.
“Above the gates, my king. Do you see it?”
Following Thanatos’ line of gaze, Hades started when he saw a doorway of some kind blazing above the gates of the Underworld. “I have not seen anything like this in my life.” He stretched his arm and with a wave of his hand, he drew the scene closer to him so that this time the doorway would be right above his head.
“Could it be human sorcery?” Thanatos asked grimly.
“Perhaps, but somehow this door feels much...stronger than anything a mere mortal could make.”
Before Thanatos could speak, Hypnos had come to join them in the balcony. “What’s happening?” Having sensed the winged demon’s presence, Hypnos knew that only the direst of circumstances could have compelled Thanatos to leave the Underworld.
Looking up, Hypnos almost took a step back when he saw the doorway right above the king’s head. “What is that?” Immortals moved freely from one world to another, but they did so without the use of portals—-
And that door looked exactly like what a portal would be, Hypnos thought with a frown, if such a thing existed.
Then he noticed something else.
“Milord, the door is opening!”
Hades stiffened.
“Stay back, milord!” Thanatos growled.
But it was too late.
The door was opened, and the sound of a feminine cry reached them.
Hades tensed.
Did that woman truly need his help or was she but a bait for a trap devised by powerful humans?
The answer to this fell on the Lord of the Underworld, literally, as the next thing Hades knew, a woman was thrown out of the door in the sky—-
Her ear-splitting cry made them wince and had everyone inside the temple running to the balcony.
Hades fell into the floor as she landed atop of him with enough force to make him suck his breath.
The woman quickly pushed herself up, her hands planted on his chest, and a dazed look on her pale face.
In the fraction of a second, two swords were pointed straight at her throat, with neither Hypnos nor Thanatos willing to underestimate any threat to their king.
Hades looked up into the bright blue eyes staring down at him with seemingly innocent confusion.
Who the fuck was she?
But before he could ask the pertinent questions, someone in the crowd started to clap.
“What are you doing,” Hades heard the god of light hiss under his breath.
“I can’t believe none of you are thinking what I’m thinking.” Hermes’ answering laughter held the usual note of amiable malice that was expected from the god of mischief.
Ever with Hades
By Marian Tee
Copyright 2021 by Streak Digital Publishing
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.