But this wasn't the time for wondering about truths, it was the time to protect my family.

  “Tell them, Hades,” I said as we entered the palace.

  Hades stared around himself at his palace soldiers furiously. His troops hadn't betrayed him, but their very loyalty crippled them. Hydra and her crew of monsters had the Lord and Lady of the Underworld within their control. Any move against them would jeopardize their lives. So, the soldiers followed us and watched closely for a chance to strike but made no attempt to stop our abductors.

  “What?” Hades asked incredulously as he sent me a scathing look. “No. This isn't just about you, Elaria.”

  “Are you truly willing to let them kill Persephone just to protect a couple of orbs?” I argued.

  Hades took a deep breath and stared at his wife. He didn't answer.

  “This is just the first step, Hades,” I said. “They still have to get me and those orbs to Tartarus. Give them the orbs.”

  “And what if they manage to get you there and free the Titans?” He growled.

  “You put them in there once.” I shrugged. “You can do it again.”

  Hades chuckled mirthlessly. “Not I, Elaria, though I appreciate your confidence. I was merely one man out of thousands who added my magic to the cause.”

  “You were a leader then and you still are,” I corrected him. “Now, make the tough decision. Live to fight another day.”

  “You should listen to her,” Hydra said casually. “Elaria is shockingly wise. I see why my brother loves her.”

  “Yet you'll have no problem killing me,” I pointed out.

  “He'll understand,” she said softly. “When our father is free, Cerberus will forgive me.”

  “I don't think so,” I said just as confidently. “He refused to leave the Zone arena without me. Cerberus loves me more than freedom for his father; more than freedom for himself.”

  “If you think that, you don't know my brother at all.”

  “You've barely seen him in hundreds of years,” I countered. “You're the one who doesn't know Cerberus anymore.”

  Hydra blinked in surprise, frowned, and looked away. “Whatever his feelings are, this shall be done. Cerberus will either forgive me or he won't. I'll pay that price to see my father released.”

  We entered Hades' favorite sitting room where the monsters made us—appropriately—sit.

  “Now, what price are you willing to pay to stop me, Hades?” Hydra asked as she wrapped a clawed hand around Persephone's throat.

  The soldiers who had followed us to the room tensed and several started growling. The Army of Hades wasn't the most civilized. If Hydra hurt Persephone, they'd attack; period. And they'd obliterate Hydra and her people, no matter how many heads she grew back.

  Hades looked from his wife to me.

  “Tell her,” I said again. “I release you from your promise. Just give her the damn orbs, Hades.”

  Hades' jaw clenched, and Hydra's hand tightened. A trickle of blood ran down the pale column of Persephone's throat.

  “Tell her!” I shouted at him.

  “The orbs are on Tartarus,” Hades growled.

  We all went silent as that settled in. It made sense. What better place to hide god magic than on a continent used to imprison Gods?

  Hydra began to laugh.

  Chapter Five

  Hydra and her Monster Minions—I'd settled on that name; I thought it sounded catchy—had no intentions of letting Hades and Persephone go until they got their claws on the orbs. Which meant, we would all be taking a trip to Tartarus.

  Hydra held Hades in front of her with her talons at his throat—right above his magic-suppressing collar—while one of the cyclops kept his beefy hand around Persephone's neck. They guarded me but didn't threaten me as they did the Lord and Lady of the Underworld. Mainly because the Army of Hades didn't give a shit about me. Not that they hated me, I just wasn't a priority. However, they loved their lord and lady, and they white-knuckled their swords—ready to jump the monsters at any sign of weakness—as we made our way slowly out of the palace.

  “We'll be one step behind you, Hydra,” Charon announced as he stepped into our path.

  The Ferryman stood at the palace's iron gate, his arms calmly crossed within the wide sleeves of his tattered robe. His hood hung low over his head, concealing his features, but as we stepped up to him, Charon unfolded his arms and drew back the rough fabric to reveal his face. The Minions flinched with the movement, and my lips twitched.

  Charon's only resemblance to the human myths was that damn robe and his gaunt face. I asked him once why he didn't wear something else, and he told me that he loved free-ballin' it beneath the robe's concealing folds. Then he winked at me. I have no idea if it was the truth, but I'd never asked him about it again. Other than his outfit, the Ferryman was about as different from the image of a skeletal old sailor as he could get. Despite his gaunt cheeks, he had a handsome face and, usually, wore a pensive smile. Today, however, his watery, gray eyes narrowed dangerously, sparking with power, and his lips drew back in a snarl over his clenched teeth. Magic crackled over his fingers like lightning across water.

  I knew Charon well. He and Hades went back; far back. They were the equivalent of Cerberus and I, except with a thousand more years of friendship between them. Charon had left Olympus with Hades and Persephone; the only god who had. I dare say that Charon is more loyal to Hades than Persephone is. Loyal in the way of soldiers on a battlefield. In the way of wolves in a pack. And just as dangerous.

  To humans, Charon may only be the creepy guy who steers a boat full of dead people but in reality, he's nearly as powerful as the Lord of the Underworld himself. And Charon didn't have a stupid collar on. Damn it all; I was having another one of my urges to punch Slate in the face. Or maybe put one of his damn collars around his throat and then punch him in the face.

  “The moment you let your guard down, I will kill you,” Charon's voice went deathly soft. “I will tear out your heart and toss it to your brother as a doggy treat. You've threatened the wrong people today and it shall be your final mistake, Hydra.”

  “Tell him to stand down,” Hydra growled at Hades.

  Charon smiled maliciously.

  “Tell him to stand down or your wife is dead!” Hydra shook Hades.

  “You can only kill her once, Hydra,” Hades said calmly. “And I don't think you want to waste your leverage here. What will you use to coerce me into revealing the location of the orbs if you don't have Persephone?”

  Hydra paused. I could see the scenarios running through her mind. If she killed Persephone, Hades would have nothing to lose. He lived for his wife; without her, there wasn't a damn thing that would convince him to help Hydra. She could cut him apart slowly, and he would die laughing. Hell; he'd probably pull that collar off as he clutched her tightly and take her with him.

  “I don't have to kill her,” Hydra finally said. She glanced back at the cyclops who held Persephone. “If Charon doesn't step aside in thirty seconds, bite her ear off.”

  The Cyclops grinned, showing off his sharp teeth.

  Charon chuckled and stepped aside. “Well played, but soon, you'll be out of moves, reptile. I've already notified Cerberus. He'll be here soon, and we'll hunt you together.”

  “My brother won't hunt me,” Hydra said confidently. “You're lying.”

  “You have no idea how much Cerberus loves Elaria.” Charon shook his head as our group eased past him. He kept his eyes on Hydra as he added, “Much more than he loves you.”

  “We'll see about that,” Hydra hissed over her shoulder.

  Chapter Six

  Greek keys worked great for traveling through the Realms but, similar to the Shining Ones' traveling stones, you couldn't use them to travel across a planet; you had to traverse the Veil for them to work. That being said, we couldn't have used a key to get to Tartarus anyway, not even with my trick of traveling to another realm and back again. Tartarus wasn't merely where the monsters lived, it was also a prison. A ward hovered over it, preventing any travel around or off the continent by any means other than boat. It's intended to be a last line of defense should the Titans break free. They'd have to journey to Hades before they could leave the planet.

  Which meant we had to take a boat ride to get to Tartarus.

  Not that a boat ride would take that long. Sea vessels on Styx were as advanced as everything else on the planet. Hydra and her Monster Minions dragged us onto a sleek, torpedo-shaped ship; its upper half encased in glass. The covering shielded sailors from sea spray and lessened the risk of drowning in the event of heavy waves or capsizing. It also made the vessel extremely aerodynamic, and we surged through the water like a shark after blood.

  I stood at the prow with Persephone and Hades, the three of us forgotten for the moment. With the collars on and under the shell of ship-glass, there wasn't a lot we could do to escape. I gripped the silver railing before me and shivered. I may not have been blasted by ocean air, but my wedding dress hadn't been designed for rough travel. My train had been torn away in all the madness, and I still bled beads from the rough edge where it had been attached. Stains saturated the silk hem and a whole section of the skirt had been soaked by a wicked wave that had struck before I made it onto the ship. Let's just say it wouldn't make a great keepsake.

  “It's going to be all right,” Persephone whispered to me, her eyes darting down my dress.

  What a picture I must have made; a bride standing aboard a ship, facing an angry sea with a steel collar around her throat. A bride stolen from her husband mere minutes after they were married.

  “I know,” I whispered back to her confidently. “As Charon said; we will watch for them to lower their guard. One slip is all we need.”

  “You wore this collar in the Zone,” Hades said. “Do you know of any way to remove it?”

  “Only the key.” I blinked in revelation and glanced back at Hydra. “She must have it on her. Have either of you seen a small silver key?”

  “Like the one Agata is wearing around her neck?” Hades asked with a wry grin.

  I slid a quick glance at Agata. Now that her venom wasn't needed, her snakes were literally under wraps. A silk designer scarf wound over them like a turban, hiding their little, hissing heads. The scarf rippled with the reptiles' movements, but they stayed secure. Still, I had no doubt that one of them would pop free if they felt their mistress was threatened.

  “We'll need a distraction.” I faced the sea again.

  “I think I can manage that,” Hades said. “Do either of you happen to be proficient in pickpocketing?”

  “I am,” Persephone said confidently.

  Hades and I both swiveled our heads to stare at her in shock.

  “I had a rebellious phase.” She grinned and winked at her husband.

  “Indeed.” Hades smirked. “I recall it. I didn't know it involved thievery.”

  “How do you think I snuck out of Mom's house to see you?” She countered.

  Hades, who'd been holding his wife's hand, pulled her in against his side and kissed her soundly before declaring, “I shall burn them all alive for you, my darling.”

  “I love it when you get brutal,” Persephone cooed as she nuzzled closer to his heart.

  I smiled to myself and glanced over my shoulder. I had no doubt that Charon would be on a ship following after us shortly if he wasn't already. And not only would he have Cerberus, but I was betting that he'd also have a Blooder prince, two Shining One kings, a Griffin warrior, a Gargoyle zone lord, and one pissed off ex-deity with him. If Hades thought he'd be doing all the burning, he was sorely mistaken.

  “Should we do it now or onshore?” Hades asked.

  “What a lovely picture the three of you make,” Agata sneered as she strolled up.

  Hades looked at me as if I had somehow managed to make her appear by using my will power alone. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing and nodded slightly to him and Persephone. When opportunity presents itself, grab it with both hands and don't fucking let go.

  “Why thank you,” I said sweetly. “I did spend a little extra effort on my hair today.”

  Agata laughed and her scarf shivered. “I like you, Elaria. It's a shame we have to kill you.”

  “Right back atcha.” I grinned and let her get a glimpse of my fury... and her future.

  Agata blinked as her jaw went slack. I knew exactly what was running through her mind.

  “I would have thought you'd be smarter than this,” I went on. “You saw what I could do in the arena; specifically to Gorgons.”

  “I also saw how hobbled you were with the collar on,” she whispered. Then she cleared her throat and lifted her chin. “You can't do anything without your magic; you're as helpless as a human.”

  “Yeah, I've heard that before.” I nodded. “From people I've killed.”

  Agata narrowed her eyes at me. “Talk all you want, Spellsinger. If you were able to break free, you would have done it by now.”

  “Absolutely,” I agreed.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Persephone move up behind Agata. As she reached for Agata's neck, I did too. It looked as if Hades wasn't going to be the distraction, after all. But, as I said before, opportunity must be taken. I snatched up the front of Agata's blouse and yanked her forward as Persephone relieved her of her necklace. Agata was too focused on me, her eyes gone wide with horror, to notice the slide of a chain leaving her throat.

  “But when this collar is gone,” I snapped in Agata's face, “I'm killing you first. That's a promise, Agata. I owe you for stealing from Slate and giving these morons the power to suppress our magic.”

  Agata jerked away from me with an angry glance around herself at all the monsters who had watched gleefully instead of helping her. Two snake heads had popped free and started hissing at me, but I kept my gaze firmly on her eyes. She couldn't touch me, not yet, and we both knew it. My blood was too precious to their plans.

  “I'll see you torn apart in the lock before you have the chance,” Agata hissed along with her hair. “You'll be the one dying today, not me.”

  “We'll see about that,” I mimicked Hydra as I smirked at Agata. “It ain't over till the Spellsinger sings.”

  The Gorgon turned and stiffly walked away. Hades, Persephone, and I moved back toward the railing as if nothing had happened. I slid them a smile, and Hades pulled Persephone back into an embrace; this one closer than the last, with her pressed against his chest. He turned them so that he leaned against the railing, and Persephone reached up to slide her hands around his neck. It all looked very normal and sweet, but I saw her fingers moving and knew she was unlocking his collar.

  “Don't remove it yet,” I whispered. “Wait until we have the advantage. Just unlock it for now.”

  “We already have the advantage,” Hades said as Persephone lowered her hands and shifted over to stand beside him at the railing.

  Hades turned to wrap himself around her again, lowering his head and pushing back her hair as if to whisper something sweet in her ear. Except his hand went beyond the simple gesture; sinking into her thick hair, right at the nape of her neck where the collar's lock waited.

  “Perhaps, but we'd be assured a positive result if we waited until your army and my lovers catch up with us,” I murmured. “Don't you agree?”

  I laid my hand on Hades' shoulder casually and then slid it away, coasting over his hand as I did. He slipped the key into my palm.

  “I agree.” Hades smiled as he watched me stretch and rub at the back of my neck as if to ease an ache.

  I unlocked my collar and then tucked the key into my bra. You never know. I didn't want to be key-less if any of our collars got re-locked. Then I faced the churning ocean and tried not to smile as I imagined keeping my promise to Agata.

  Chapter Seven

  Tartarus got a bad rap. It's really not a burning hell. In fact, the continent is quite lovely. The beaches stretch along the coast in pristine, buttery glory; wisps of vibrantly green grass snaking into the creamy gold and leading inland to rolling hills covered in verdant, alien plant life. There were parts of Hades that looked more like Hell than this place did. Of course, there was one location on Tartarus that was the most hellish place on the planet. There, in the distance, mountain ranges gathered in a rough circle to enclose the only region in all of Tartarus that no one ventured to, not even the monsters; the Titan prison.