Crow of Embers

Chapter 4

Hades

We had a plan. We would break into the dark palace, and steal back Alecto, Phil and Sapphire. That was the plan. There would be no prisoners taken on this mission, even Orion had to be taken care of, and if he'd hurt her. If he'd made her hurt, I would show him the same curtesy.

"Are we ready?" I asked around the crows next. We had all met there. We were going to spectacle to the dark palace. The furies were all in neat rows of three. Zeus, Cadmus, and Eliot each had their swords strapped to their backs. Father and Ares were here as well. Their jobs, the boys and the fathers and the furies, is to clear the dungeons. Ambrose and I would find Sapphire. Theodore and Erebus would stay to guard the forest creatures.

I didn't want them there. We were setting off to leave. I was so nervous at what I'd find when I got there, what would I find? Would there even be a Sapphire left? Her family is staying in a set of rooms in the west wing. I wasn't sure quite how Sapphire would feel about them going back to earth unprotected, and I couldn't spare anyone to tail them right now.

"Alright," I said. "Let's go." It had been a day since Ambrose, the furies, and Theodore got back. I couldn't wait any longer. I wanted her to be safe again. I wanted her to be able to rest. We took a collective breath as we were enveloped in shadows and wind and darkness, and then we were in the dungeon of the dark palace. "We all have out jobs, now go do them." I said moving towards the back cells where we were kept, I went to the one she said was hers. I opened the door, praying she was there. Please, could she for once make this easy on us and wait to be saved?

The door opened with a creek and the entire dungeon seemed to quiet. The cell, it was empty. She was gone. There was only a rectangle with no back and unlocked manacles, and... and a... a collar on the floor... a collar of frost bane. The shackles were frost bane too. She must have been in serious pain. There was blood on the floor. Pools of blood, there were markers of her pain. Where did you go Sapphire? What are you doing? "Ambrose! She's gone!" I shouted and he rushed in with a gasp. "Get everyone out, I'm going to find her." I didn't give him a chance to protest before I ran from the cell and towards a passageway that had been opened. It shut behind me. Fuck.

There was blood on the walls and dripped on the floor and bloody footprints to track. What are you doing Sapphire?

Sapphire

My first order of business after Arastoo freed me from my chains was to find my room, find my sword and dagger, and then move from there. My room felt miles away from the dungeon. I could hardly walk on my legs, they were weak and every movement hurt like nothing else.

I was stumbling through a passage way Arastoo opened for me, I was stumbling and I eventually stumbled through the door to my room. I ran into my closet and took my blade form it's stand. I couldn't have it swinging against my legs as I ran, so I strapped it across my chest. It stung on my freshly healed cuts, but it was better than nothing. I found my necklace, the sapphire one... I put it on, and I felt braver somehow. I strapped my dagger to my arm, and I started towards the door. Listening for a moment, I heard nothing beyond the threshold of my household, if I could just—

"Sapphire?" Hades voice whisper shouted behind me. I turned and he just stared at me and I realized then how scary I must have looked. My scars, both new and healed, the blood covering my skin, my sapphire necklace dangling from my neck was coated in it. I had nothing on but the black sports bra and spandex shorts.

He didn't speak for a long moment, "Hades? Are you real?" I rasped. My voice was worn from screaming.

He moved towards me slipping his shirt over his head. When he reached me he unstrapped my sword carefully and handed me the shirt. "What did he do to you?" He asked.