the blood of hades

chapter 7: selene

I stood in the clearing, my heart heavy with sorrow as I surveyed the scene before me. The ground was littered with the bodies of fallen wolves, their fur matted with blood and dirt. The air was thick with the scent of death, a reminder of the brutal conflict that had taken place.

As the Moon Goddess, I felt each death like a dull ache in my chest. It wasn't painful, but it was a profound sadness, a mourning for the lives lost. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, allowing myself a moment of silence for the fallen. When I opened them again, Hades stood beside me, his presence a dark contrast to the moonlit clearing.

"Selene," he said, his voice low and somber. "It's time."

I nodded, knowing that we both had our roles to play. I approached the nearest wolf, a young male whose life had been cut tragically short. Gently, I placed my hand on his forehead, feeling the warmth of his spirit lingering just beneath the surface.

A soft glow emanated from my touch as I blessed his soul, whispering a silent prayer for his journey to the afterlife. I felt Hades' presence behind me, waiting to guide the soul to its final resting place.

As I moved from wolf to wolf, performing the same ritual, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled over me. There was something different about these deaths, something unnatural. When I reached the last body, I paused, sensing a residual energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

I placed my hand on the wolf's body, closing my eyes to focus on the energy. What I felt sent a chill down my spine. It was the unmistakable essence of a god, mingled with a familiar darkness. It was Hades' magic.

I turned to Hades, my eyes wide with realization. "These wolves... they were killed by your magic."

Hades' expression darkened, a flicker of anger and confusion crossing his face. "Impossible. I have not cast any spells here."

"But the energy," I insisted, my voice trembling. "It's yours. I can feel it."

Hades stepped closer, his brow furrowing as he extended his hand towards the fallen wolf. He closed his eyes, his face tense with concentration. After a moment, he pulled his hand back, his expression grim.

"You're right," he said quietly. "It is my magic, but I didn't do this."

"Then who?" I asked, my mind racing. "Who has the power to use your magic?"

Hades glanced around the clearing, his eyes narrowing. "Someone with a deep connection to me, or someone who has been tainted by my essence."

My thoughts immediately went to Cairo. She was part of Hades, part of me, and part of Nyx. But she was still too young to wield such power, and we had taken great care to protect her from it.

"She's not ready," I whispered, fear gripping my heart. "We can't let her be exposed to this."

"When she hugged me, the day she almost died," Hades said, bringing back the memory of the screams of pain Cairo let out once they made contact. It pained both of them that they couldn't be together. Cairo hated it because she had no mother, losing her at a young age. Sure, she had me and Nyx, but we weren't blood. The only parent she had left couldn't be there for her own safety. Hades, I knew, hated it the most. He wanted to be around her, watching over her even though he wasn't supposed to be near her. He normally kept his distance until a few months ago. "Have you noticed anything different about her?" he asked me, knowing he was told to keep his distance after the last time.

"Her eyes were blue, they weren't gold anymore," I explained, my eyes widening with realization. Her eyes were blue. Her hair was tinted blue. Did touching Hades set her powers into full force before the age of 25? She shouldn't be able to kill this many people without lifting a hand until then. She could also bring people back from the dead, but that wasn't supposed to happen until she was 25.

I glanced around me as I watched the snowfall, the first of the season. The white snowflakes landing around the wolves were now tainted with red blood.

Hades stepped closer, his expression filled with a mixture of concern and resolve. "If her powers have been awakened prematurely, it could explain the surge in her abilities. We must protect her, Selene. She is too valuable and too vulnerable in this state."

I nodded, feeling the weight of our responsibility pressing down on me. "We need to find a way to help her control her powers. She can't continue like this, or she might lose herself."

Hades reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We'll find a way. Together. But we must act quickly. The forces arrayed against her will not wait."

As we stood there, surrounded by the fallen, I felt a renewed sense of purpose.