Page 41 of Queen of Tempests and Sin

I took a deep breath to chase away the nausea. The rich, woodsy, earthy smell of the surrounding forest, mingling with the crisp, salty scent of the distant ocean, filled my lungs with memories. Looking up at the stone mansion, my heart squeezed.

I hadn’t been here since I was a little girl—since my mother.

‘There will be guards,’ I whispered, and Hades merely shrugged, walking towards the main doors. Typical.

The tranquil garden was suddenly swallowed in a veil of poltergeist-white fog, which cocooned us like a shroud of clouds—it was so thick and dense, I could hardly see through it.

‘Just keeping prying eyes where they belong,’ Si murmured beside me, and I jumped.

‘Is that you?’ I squeaked, jogging to catch up before I lost sight of him.

‘I’m god of the sea, Little Red.’

‘The mist outside the motel… was that you too?’ I asked, eyes wide.

He gave me a sidelong glance and nodded. ‘A finer variety. Didn’t want you getting lost before you found me.’ I glared, and he smiled like the devil in a tailored suit.

Hades waved a hand, and the large doors swung open with a groan. The three guards were consumed by shadows before they’d even had time to reach for their weapons, their muted voices falling silent as their bodies ceased moving. With a flick of his wrist, the bodies disappeared along with Hades’ shadows, and I blinked a few times, shaking my head. My neurons were boiling to mush with the sheer craziness of this whole situation.

We stepped into the mansion’s grand hallway, with tall ceilings, sun-soaked windows, and an elegant façade. A massive chandelier bathed the warm toffee browns of the wooden floor in golden light.

‘He’ll be in his office, I reckon,’ I whispered as I stepped deeper into the house, passing the enormous glass structure that enclosed the indoor pool. It looked like a goddamned rainforest—orchids and exotic plants spilled from every corner, wild and vibrant.

I glanced at the green oasis, and memories of my mother flooded in, a wave crashing through me. Her laughter. Her hands in the soil. My throat tightened painfully.

‘This way,’ I muttered in a strangled voice, averting my eyes and focusing on the oak door to Drakos’s office.

Si’s warm hand touched the small of my back—just a fleeting pressure—but it was enough to stop the spiralling ache in my chest for half a second. He didn’t say anything; he didn’t need to. The simple gesture said enough: I see you. You’re not alone.

His thumb brushed a slow, grounding circle against my spine before he withdrew, and the air he left behind felt colder for it. But for that moment, that heartbeat, I felt safe.

Just enough to breathe.

Another, flick of Hades’ wrist unlocked the door, and it swung open, revealing Drakos in a wingback chair, his head in his hands. Drakos’s head whipped up, his eyes growing wide as we strolled into the room. His gaze flicked from Hades to Si, eventually falling onto me.

‘Where’s Guinn, Drakos?’ I ground out, my voice like gravel. My fists clenched.

He looked older than I remembered. Gaunter… Defeated. He dragged a trembling hand down his face.

‘They took her,’ he said in a weary voice. ‘Most of my guards went after them… but I don’t know if⁠—’

A rush of white-hot panic hit me like a freight train… I couldn’t breathe. My lungs refused to work. A sob clawed its way up my throat, but I swallowed it back down with blood and grit.

Frozen. I stood there, unable to move. I was failing her. Again.

I dug my nails into my palms until they bit deep, sharp enough to pierce skin. The pain sliced through the fog, dragging me back. I would not fall apart. Not now. Not with her in danger.

‘Took. Her?’ My voice fractured on the whisper, fear coiling around my throat, cold and choking.

‘Don’t worry, assassin.’ Hades’ velvety voice soothed my fragile nerves. ‘Thanatos and Perseus are in pursuit⁠—’

Si interrupted, ‘And Erebus and Ajax are following by air.’ His hand, again, rested on the small of my back, firm and grounding. ‘We will get her back.’

‘How—’ Before I could finish Hades’ voice cut me off.

‘We are linked telepathically. We’ll rescue her.’ Then, his eyes, winter-cold, locked onto Drakos. Shadows oozed around him like slick, sentient smoke—alive and threatening.

Drakos paled.