The Iron Queen Read online

Hera frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Marriage, it’s unbreakable, right? He couldn’t—”

  She laughed. “Come now, Hades, you know the answer to that. Nothing is unbreakable.” I waited through Hera’s dramatic pause. “You can always kill her.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I meant from an outside source. Zeus hit her with lightning and it knocked me out. I haven’t heard her since.”

  “Knocked you out?”

  I waved away her surprise. “Yeah, I know. I always thought sympathy bonds were a myth, but apparently they come with equilibrium.”

  “Equilibrium?” Hera didn’t seem amused anymore. “With that infant?” She paused as if giving me time to object to her description. I refused to rise to the bait. Fluttering her eyelashes with a dramatic sigh, Hera responded, “Not possible. You’d know right away if you could feel everything she was feeling.”

  “Maybe we can only feel extremes. He hit her with lightning, Hera.”

  She fell silent, digesting this. “She’s still a baby, isn’t she? I suppose it’s possible he could have killed her.”

  I shook my head, unwilling to consider the possibility. “He still needs her. Besides, if she were dead she’d be down here.”

  “Doesn’t she have Thanatos’ power?” Hera asked, referring to the god of death Persephone had recently charmed to death. “If she swears fealty to Zeus, he could keep hold of her soul. He wants you to waste your time looking for her. What makes you think he doesn’t already have what he wants? Really, Hades, she’s a child. How long do you expect her to stand up to Zeus’ torture? Look on the bright side, this way Zeus can’t use her to kill you.”

  “To kill me?” I barked an incredulous laugh. “That’s not going to happen.”

  Hera’s face turned puzzled then crafty. “You don’t know.”

  “Of course I know.” As if I would have married Persephone without knowing all the risks.

  “She’s a part of you, Hades, and you’re a part of her. You exchanged power to get married.” Hera ran her tongue over her top teeth. “She could kill you, but it doesn’t matter. If you can’t sense her, she’s dead. And if by some miracle she’s not, you should probably transfer enough power her way to put her out of her misery. Otherwise Zeus will have access to your realm and your head on a silver platter.”

  Persephone wouldn’t do that. I could see her breaking and swearing fealty to Zeus. All that would take was a second of weakness and the words would be spoken, but for her to physically attack me? Unlikely.

  Not that it mattered, if she pulled a Boreas and swore everything to Zeus, he’d inherit the ability to kill me.

  But he’d still have to face me to do it.

  “Do you think I want him to win?” Hera asked, pulling me from my thoughts. “Hades, I have nothing left to gain. And you have a responsibility to this realm to eliminate any threat. Even her.”

  Out of the question. But I could change the rules, make up down, and black white. I could strip Zeus of his powers. Hell, I could make him allergic to water if I wanted.

  I’d spoken to Hestia. She hadn’t been happy but she’d agreed so long as I promised it was a last resort.

  Hera read the thoughts on my face. “No.”

  “I could make your stay here much less comfortable,” I reminded her.

  Hera looked at me then. Really looked at me in that way that felt like she was looking through me and weighing my every thought and intention. Whatever she saw must have terrified her because the blood drained from her face.

  “Okay,” she whispered, visibly shaken. “I’ll help reset the rules when you ask me to.”

  I nodded and turned to leave, then paused when I remembered the flash of jealousy in her eyes when she’d asked if I loved Persephone. I’d seen that look before. So had Minthe and Laurel, two women I’d once cared for who Hera turned into plants so even their souls would remain out of my reach.

  “I assume this goes without saying, but if you or any of yours so much as look in my wife’s direction with ill intent, I will end your existence.”

  “Haha,” she said dryly, but I heard the fear in her voice.

  “You think I’m kidding? Aren’t you curious why Thanatos didn’t end up here after going after Persephone?” I turned, met her eyes, and let her mull that over.

  “I’ll bite. Why?”

  “I shattered his soul.”

  Chapter XII

  Persephone

  “YOU WERE SAYING?” If Zeus’ stifled yawn were any indication, he was bored. The metal folding chair he’d summoned looked completely out of place in his misty palace. He straddled it, one arm dangling over the back.

  “I—” The words wouldn’t come. I tried again. “I—”

  “What did I tell you about stalling?” Zeus raised his hand, electricity flickering between his fingers.

  “No!” I screamed as the lightning hit me again. My flesh sizzled and cooked like bacon. A bright light seared my eyes and then pain hit me, immeasurable pain, as my body knit back together.

  “I—” I tried again, desperate, but the words wouldn’t come. Frustrated tears sizzled on my face. This wasn’t fair. I was ready for this to end! I was willing to give up everything! Why couldn’t I swear fealty to him?

  My mind flashed back to when I’d almost charmed Hades into swearing fealty to me. That was when I figured out that Zeus had been controlling me.

  “I won’t do it!” I’d screamed to Aphrodite back when I thought she might be Zeus in disguise. “I won’t be used against him. Never. I will never charm him! I will never act with the intention of hurting him! You can’t make me!”

  Laughter bubbled up in my throat, high pitched and hysterical, bitter with the taste of tears. This was just too good. I’d been tortured for months because of a promise I made to Thanatos, but it was all worth it now because that same stupid divine technicality was going to keep Zeus from winning. Here I’d always thought of the inability to lie as a weakness. Now it was my weapon.

  I couldn’t swear fealty to Zeus because I couldn’t betray Hades! Relief flowed through me in joyous waves. Giving Zeus access to the Underworld would cause more harm to Hades than anything else I could ever do. No matter what Zeus did to me, I couldn’t swear.

  Oh gods, it didn’t matter what Zeus did to me. He’d never stop. Oh gods. This was never going to end. The relief turned to dread and settled in my stomach like a rock. I was never getting out of this. Hades would have come for me by now if he knew where to find me, and as much as I balked at the fact that I needed to be rescued, I couldn’t escape on my own. Without the ability to swear fealty, I had no way out.

  But maybe that was a good thing. Zeus didn’t know I couldn’t swear, so he’d waste time trying to get me to crack. “I will never tell Zeus why.” Whispering the soft oath beneath my breath bound me to it for better or worse. If he learned why I couldn’t swear fealty to him, he’d find another way to gain access to my realms. Maybe I couldn’t fight Zeus, but I could buy time for those who could. Hades...

  This was bigger than me, bigger than Hades. This was about everyone who lived in Mom’s realm and the Underworld. Every single being who would ever or had ever lived. Zeus was insane, and it was my responsibility to protect my people, whatever the cost to me.

  And it was going to cost a lot. The second of clarity, coupled with the realization I’d just signed myself up for unending torture, fractured my already traumatized mind. Something snapped. My laughter bounced off the walls, eerie and maniacal. Zeus muttered something about taking it too far, and stood up, approaching me with wary eyes.

  “Goodnight, sweetheart,” Zeus murmured. “I think you’ve had enough for today.” He touched my head, and before I realized what was happening, a current of electricity surged through me.

  Goodnight indeed.


  Chapter XIII

  Aphrodite

  “I SHOULD BE DRIVING,” I insisted for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  Melissa tossed her brown hair over her shoulder and checked the rearview mirror before changing lanes. “I’m the babysitter. I drive.”

  Flipping down the visor, I examined my hair in the mirror, but when I locked gazes with myself, I was struck by a thought. Could I charm myself? I had enough control to avoid stupid mistakes. But only because Persephone had found me and trained me. What if she hadn’t? I stared into the mirror and pushed a little charm at it, watching my aquamarine eyes for any reaction. Nothing.

  Good. I flipped the visor back up and turned my attention to Melissa. “You get that if we get pulled over in this stolen car, I’m the one who can charm the police officer into looking the other way, right?”

  “You can charm him just fine from the passenger seat.”

  “You really don’t have an issue with me using charm?” I don’t know why I was surprised. She hadn’t objected to me charming our way aboard the flight to Miami or the subsequent paperless car rental.

  Melissa shot me a condescending look. “I’m her best friend, not her carbon copy.”

  I fell silent, considering that.

  “You shouldn’t make fun of her, you know,” Melissa added. “If she didn’t have the moral high ground, Hades would have thrown you into Tartarus the moment he first saw you.”

  Not technically. I’d be in a sub-realm just outside of Tartarus. But it still wouldn’t be fun.

  “And she’d be better off.” I double checked the blue dot that marked our location on Melissa’s phone. It moved at a slow crawl down Ocean Drive.

  Finding a model from a photo in a magazine was hard. Even with charm. We’d spent most of yesterday tracking down the information we could glean from the ad. The model’s name was Adonis, and he lived in Miami. So we hopped on a plane at the Atlanta airport and spent the rest of the evening running around random offices in downtown Miami. Then Melissa had the brilliant idea to run a search for him on social networks.

  Adonis had some serious stalkers.

  Lucky for us, Adonis had a photo shoot scheduled bright and early this morning on Miami Beach.

  “You can’t really think that.” Melissa’s brown eyes were wide.

  I blinked, retracing the conversation to remember what she was talking about. “I’m grateful they helped me. But she would have been better off with me safely out of the way.”

  Melissa turned on her blinker and eased into a parking lot. I flashed a smile at the lot attendant, and he waved away Melissa’s money. “Is that why you’re being so helpful? You feel guilty?”

  I shook my head. “Don’t be naive. I benefit more from Zeus’ death than anyone.”

  Now it was her turn to fall silent. She turned off the car and stretched before she took off her seatbelt and reached into the backseat for her purse. “Well... what’s the plan?”

  “I charm Adonis and bring him back to Demeter’s.”

  “They aren’t going to be happy with us. My mom will probably kill me when she finds out where we’ve been.”

  My fingers fell off the handle of the car door, and I whipped around so fast I felt muscles in my neck give. But Melissa only looked pleased with herself, as if driving her mother to murder were the ultimate teenage goal. I rubbed my neck, scowling. Stupid humans and their exaggerations. She burst into laughter.

  “You thought I was serious? She’d have to notice we were gone to kill me.” Melissa shut the car door with more force than required, and I stepped out of the car, shading my eyes in the bright sunlight.

  We didn’t have to walk long before we found the photo shoot. A girl with messy hair adjusted a light board and shouted instructions, while a man with thick glasses snapped pictures. Four half-dressed blondes frolicked in the sand in some sort of pretend volleyball game. In the center of the commotion was Adonis.

  Looking at him set my heart racing. He was perfect. His golden features shone like the sun. A rakish grin lit up his face, and his unbuttoned shirt billowed in the wind, revealing an impressive six-pack.

  “Thank you, wind,” Melissa whispered beside me.

  Bobbing my head up and down in agreement, I admired the model. Wow! Wait a minute, what in the hell was I doing gawking at a demigod like a deranged nymph? I snapped out of it and straightened up, tossed my hair behind my shoulder, and turned on my charm full blast before striding across the beach.

  “Whoa!” One of the male models gasped.

  I felt the weight of everyone’s eyes on me and reveled in the reverence of their slack-jawed expressions. This was more like it.

  “Come with me.” I didn’t wait for Adonis to acknowledge the order, but turned on my heel, confident he would follow.

  He didn’t.

  I turned, pouring more charm into my gaze. “Come. With. Me.”

  “Why?” he asked, completely unaffected by my charm.

  “Because I said so,” I sputtered, bewildered by his indifference.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You seem to have a rather high opinion of yourself, so I’ll try to break this to you gently.” Leaning toward me, he put a hand on my shoulder and stage whispered, “You aren’t as impressive as you think you are.”

  Melissa giggled. Adonis looked up as if noticing her for the first time, easy grin faltering. “Can I give you some advice, or are you so brainwashed by this thing that you can’t understand me?”

  Melissa giggled again. “I’m not charmed, if that’s what you’re asking.” She blinked and looked around at the other models and photographers. They stared back at her, expressions blank.

  “They won’t remember this conversation,” I assured her.

  Adonis narrowed his eyes. “Stop charming them.”

  “It’s for their own good,” Melissa murmured. “If they tell anyone about this or mention the gods—”

  “They aren’t stupid!” Adonis snapped. “Unlike you, hanging around these creatures willingly. If you were smart you’d stay away because whatever they’ve promised you isn’t worth it.”

  “Excuse me?” I demanded.

  Melissa grinned at Adonis as if she’d discovered the one person in the whole of creation who felt the same way she did. “I don’t like them either, but you may want to listen to this one. She’s trying to save your life.”

  “Come along, Melissa. He’s not worth the effort.”

  “Save me from what?”

  I smirked at Adonis and opened my mouth to tell him off, but Melissa spoke first.

  “Zeus is killing off all his kids, including demigods.”

  “What makes you so sure Zeus is my father?”

  “You have charm,” I interrupted. “Not controlled of course, but charm only comes from Zeus.”

  “Is that why he’s immune to you?” Melissa asked in an undertone.

  I shook my head. “That happens every now and then, random fluke of the fates. The gods can’t touch him.”

  Melissa’s eyebrows shot up. She started to say something, but I cut her off with a glare.

  The look on Adonis’ face told me his parentage was news to him. That wasn’t uncommon. Most demigods knew they were demigods. It was obvious to anyone in the know thanks to their distinctive physical features, but few knew which god spawned them. Gods were fond of disguises.

  “I thought Zeus was dead.”

  “Not yet.” I gave him a dark smile. “But I’m sure he’ll be around to explain soon enough. Bye now.”

  I flounced off, dragging Melissa behind me.

  “Wait!” he called.

  I turned, feigning indifference. “Yes?”

  He hesitated and looked at Melissa. “Can I trust you?”

  “Me?” She drew back
in surprise.

  He smiled at her. “Well, I know I can’t trust her.”

  I narrowed my eyes and studied Adonis closely, something akin to dread growing in my stomach. Demeter had been tracking, warning, and hiding demigods for months. Yet somehow she’d missed the one featured in Persephone’s magazines?

  I should have talked to her before we left. But I’d been so eager to do something helpful, to prove to myself I had at least a little free will, that I’d rushed off and dragged Melissa with me.

  “You can trust us,” Melissa promised.

  But could we trust him?

  Chapter XIV

  Hades

  I STUDIED THE map of the University of Georgia’s campus, searching for the Philosophy department that Athena headed. This place was more complex than the entire Underworld. I grimaced and glared at the map as if I could force it to give me answers. A never-ending river of noisy students flowed around me, and the sun battled against the black pavement to determine who could throw off the most heat.

  Across the street, a gardener tended to a Weeping Willow with a trunk nearly as thick as he was. I averted my eyes, swatting at a mosquito that dared bite my neck. Why did so many gods live in Georgia? If I were stuck on the surface, I’d find a less humid place with fewer hills. I’d been back and forth around this stretch of buildings for ten minutes, and somehow, it managed to be uphill both ways.

  “You look lost.” A spiky-haired brunette separated from the mass of students and looked me up and down. She fiddled with the strap of her backpack, and her freckled face turned pink. “Where are you headed?”

  “Peabody Hall.” I showed her the map.

  “A man willing to ask for directions? Nice!” She flashed me a grin and pressed a button on her phone and checked the time. “I can take you.”

  I grinned. “You sure? I’d hate to make you late to class.”

  She looked me over again. “Worth it.” Her eyes widened like she couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud. Turning on her heel, she coughed, clearing her throat. “This way.”