A Touch of Chaos (18 page)

Persephone and Ariadne didn't linger. They ran, though she cringed at the sound of the bull's strange roaring and Galanthis's howling scream.

She made the mistake of looking over her shoulder to see Galanthis being tossed into the air, and when she landed, it was on the bull's sharp horns.

“No!” Persephone screamed and came to a grinding halt.

“Come on, Persephone!” Ariadne grabbed Persephone's arm and pulled her along.

Tears stung her eyes, and her anger burned through her. It was a familiar anger that usually summoned her power, but because they were trapped in this adamant prison, it served no purpose beyond fueling her retreat.

When the ground at their feet began to tremble, she knew the bull had turned its attention to them. Persephone pulled out her blade.

Ariadne turned to face the bull as it raced toward them.

“What are you doing?” Persephone demanded.

“Go!” Ariadne ordered as she drew her gun, aiming at the bull.

“What the fuck? You've had that the whole time?”

“Bullets wouldn't work on the boar,” she said, shooting several into the bull's face, but they bounced off, unable to penetrate its hide. “Fuck!”

That was usual of divine creatures—they almost always had one weakness but were otherwise invincible.

“Let's go!” Persephone snapped, pulling on Ariadne's arm.

They turned and ran again just as the creature bellowed and a searing, blustering wind slammed into them, causing Persephone to stumble. The wind was so hot, it immediately stole her breath, and she gasped for air.

As they ran, she looked at Ariadne.

“We have to split up,” she yelled over the roar of the bull.

There was one bull and two of them. It couldn't charge them both at the same time.

Ariadne glared her dislike of the plan, but even she couldn't argue. They nodded at each other and then changed course, running in opposite directions.

The bull didn't hesitate.

It followed Persephone.

Fuck
.

She pumped her arms and legs harder, though they burned as she raced away. She thought of what Hecate had told her about the labyrinth, that she was best equipped to handle this because she was not dependent on magic, except right now, she felt completely powerless against this creature, with or without magic.

She knew the bull was gaining ground because she could feel its hot breath all around her, and the roar of it drowned out any sound. Then she felt its head against
her back, and suddenly she was flying through the air. She didn't even have time to scream as she flailed and then landed in the dirt a few feet away. Before she could rise to her feet, the bull was already charging.

Persephone dove out of the way and scrambled to her feet. The bull made a wide circle as it came to face her again. This time, she noticed that the bronze armor over its body did not cover its belly.

She went to reach for her blade in the holster at her thigh but found it was missing. Panicked, she checked each of her pockets but only found Ariadne's gloves with the claw.

Fuck. She must have dropped it.

The bull tossed its head and charged. Persephone tried to run, but she had waited too long. The armored creature barreled into her, knocking her to the ground, the impact forcing the wind right out of her lungs. As she struggled to breathe, the bull came after her with its horned head. Persephone rolled, trying to escape the brutal attack—and then suddenly, it was gone. When she looked up, she saw that Ariadne had managed to mount it, and she was hanging on to it by the horns.

The creature bucked, trying to free itself from Ariadne's weight.

Persephone rose to her feet, holding her ribs as tightly as possible. Each breath
hurt
.

She cursed herself for losing her blade. Now, her only weapon was the lion's claw. The challenge was accessing the bull's belly without getting trampled to death.

Gods, she hoped this worked
.

The bull was still trying desperately to get Ariadne off its back, bucking in a haphazard circle, but when
she went flying, Persephone broke into a run, sliding under the bull and shoving the claw into its exposed stomach before rolling to the side as the creature roared and bolted. It made it a few feet, blood pouring from its wound, before it staggered and fell.

Persephone's head swam, and breathing still hurt, but she got to her feet.

Ariadne approached, holding her arm to her chest.

“Is it broken?” Persephone asked.

Ariadne shook her head. “I don't think so. It just hurts. Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” she said. “Let's find Hades.”

She stumbled forward, and Ariadne followed.

Crossing the center of the labyrinth was like crossing a vast ocean. There was no measure of progress because there was nothing in either direction except the sandy ground and the dark ceiling. Persephone could not decide which was worse—this or the dark corridors of the maze. What if they made it to the other side without seeing Hades at all?

But then she caught sight of something—a dark disruption in the distance—and suddenly she felt like her heart was beating in every part of her body.

“Hades,” she said, breathless.

And then without realizing it, she was running. Nothing had ever seemed farther away as she raced to him. The closer she got, the more details she could make out. She could see that he was suspended from the ceiling by his wrists, that he stood on a round platform like some kind of sacrifice. His chin rested against his chest; his tangled hair curtained his face.

She didn't think twice as she scaled the platform
upon which he hung. She threw her arms around him, and there was such peace in her body as she clung to him.

“Hades,” she whispered.

She drew away and touched his face.

He stirred and opened his eyes—dark, almost black.

“Hades,” she said.

He frowned and lowered his brows like he was confused to see her here. “Persephone?”

“It's me,” she said. “I'm here.”

He swallowed, studying her. “This is a dream,” he said.

“It is not a dream,” she said, and she rose onto the tips of her toes and kissed him. When she pulled away, he seemed more awake.

“Persephone,” he said, and he jerked his arms as if his instinct was to take her into his arms. The chains clanked, reminding them both that he was still a prisoner of the labyrinth. “How?”

“I came to rescue you,” she said, stroking his face. In the time they'd been apart, his beard had grown fuller. It felt wiry beneath her hands, but she didn't care.

Hades closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath.

“I have dreamed of this,” he said before gazing down at her again.

She smiled up at him, her eyes falling to his lips, and while she'd have liked to kiss him, she knew they had to get out of here. She drew back, her fingers hanging in the loops of the net draped around him. She couldn't pull it off with his hands restrained.

“It has to be cut,” he said. “So far, the only success I've had is with a lion's claw.”

“A lion's claw,” Persephone repeated, fumbling for
the one she'd used to kill the bull. She pulled the bloodied thing out of her pocket, and Hades offered a breathless laugh.

“You are…perfect,” he said as she sliced through the impenetrable thread Ariadne had spun. She probably cut it more than she needed, but there was a part of her that felt such anger toward the thing that had hurt so many people, including her husband.

When she was finished, she met Hades's gaze.

“I don't know how to help you out of the chains,” she said, but he was already working on that.

He dug in his heels and pulled, the manacles cutting into his already raw wrists. Hades didn't seem to notice, even as his arms shook and his muscles bulged.

Finally, she heard a satisfying snap, and his hands were free and then she was in his arms and nothing else mattered.

He held her so tight, her ribs ached, but she didn't care. She clung to him, her arms locked around him, and with her head buried in the crook of his neck, she sobbed.

“Oh, darling,” he said, his voice a quiet rumble, twisting his fingers into her hair. “How I hoped I would see you again.”

Persephone met Hades's gaze. She wanted to say something similar—that she had dreamed of him, that every day without him had been misery, but those words were left on the tip of her tongue as Ariadne joined them on the platform.

“You might want to move a little faster,” she said, out of breath. “We've got visitors.”

Persephone drew away from Hades, and they turned
to see five Minotaurs approaching. They were large and had bulging muscles. Some were covered in fur; others had bare chests. Some had the head of a bull while others had more human features, but their one common trait was that their eyes were trained on their prey.

“What the fuck did Theseus do?” Hades said.

“He's been breeding them,” said Ariadne.

They both looked at her.

Breeding
?

Persephone's stomach turned. She didn't need details to understand what she meant, but what she wanted to know was where had the women come from, and where were they now?

That was if they'd survived the birth of such creatures.

“I asked you to help me,” Hades said. “And you refused knowing that this is what he was doing?”

Ariadne glared, her features hardened. “I'm here now, aren't I?”

“That
only
matters if we survive,” Hades said.

“Now is not the time,” Persephone said as she looked from one to the other.

They had bigger problems—literally.

“How many bullets do you have left?” Persephone asked.

Ariadne drew her gun and checked. “Two,” she said.

“Can you make those shots?”

Ariadne almost looked offended. “Yes.”

“So we're responsible for three,” said Persephone.

Ariadne got into position to shoot.

“Do not shoot until I say,” Hades said. “Once you do it, they will rage.”

“Got it,” she said.

Hades looked at Persephone. “They have no great power, save for their strength,” said Hades. “It makes them slow, so be fast.”

She nodded, and they descended the platform.

It was a different experience being on the ground with the Minotaurs. Now she could gauge their true size and feel their approach, each of their footfalls vibrating the ground.

Hades and Persephone exchanged a look, one that promised to see each other at the end of this, and broke apart.

Persephone kept her eyes on the Minotaurs as they fanned out, two following her and two following Hades. One continued toward Ariadne. Persephone was disturbed by their very human movements—the way their eyes flashed with malice as they tracked her. One slammed its weapon—a two-headed ax—against its large palm. The other showed its teeth in a warped, wicked grin.

Though Persephone tried to keep her distance, the creatures moved fast, and as they neared, they raised their weapons to strike.

“Hades,” Persephone said, her voice ringing with alarm.

“Now, Ari,” Hades ordered, and two shots rang out in quick succession.

The sound made Persephone's ears ring, and everything following the blast seemed to happen in slow motion. The bullet struck the smiling Minotaur in the head. Its body jerked unnaturally, head whipping back from the impact as a spray of blood spattered the ground, and when the other Minotaur turned to see its
companion fall dead, it roared with such rage it shook her to the core. In a matter of seconds, the creature lifted its ax and slammed it down toward Persephone.

She dodged the first blow, the blade sinking so deep into the earth, the ground cracked open at her feet, but the Minotaur was quick to pull it back and swing it at her again. Persephone could feel the power behind the weapon as it cut over her head, and she knew she didn't have a chance against this creature so long as it was armed.

That was when she spotted the dead Minotaur's weapon—a spiked club that would have been easy for a Minotaur to wield single-handedly but was far too heavy for Persephone to lift. Still, that did not mean it wasn't useful.

She just had to get to it.

Another violent cry tore from the Minotaur's throat, and Persephone bolted, screaming when she felt the ax land within a breath of her foot. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she kept going, dodging the monster's assault as she struggled to withdraw the lion's knifelike claw from her pocket. When she made it to the club, she had no time to think.

The monster swung at Persephone again, but this time, the ax lodged in the wooden club. Persephone jumped, using the leverage of the handle, and launched herself at the Minotaur. Brandishing the claw, she shoved it into the creature's neck.

Blood immediately coated her hand. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen, a strange reddish black, and it felt so
thick
. The Minotaur gave a strangled cry and fell backward. Persephone fell with it and landed on the ground beside it, but it did not move again.

Persephone scrambled to her feet and found Hades still fighting one of the two Minotaurs, his arms wrapped around its neck, squeezing. The creature had gone from clawing at his arm to hanging limp, finally collapsing to the ground. Ariadne was busy kicking her Minotaur in the face over and over again. She had a giant slash across her chest.

When she was finished, she was panting.

Persephone raised a brow. “You good?” she asked.

Ariadne nodded and shoved her hair out of her face. “I'm good.”

“Are you hurt?” Hades asked.

Persephone shook her head as he approached and pressed his lips to her forehead. She closed her eyes at the feel of him, fingers twisting into the ruins of his shirt. She took a deep breath, inhaling him. He still smelled like his magic, dark and dangerous and right. This was her Hades.