Page 15 of Deadly Games
“You were one of his officers,” Fenrir remarked.
I turned to stare at him, but he wouldn’t look at me. Hades seemed just as confused by his remark, so I knew it wasn’t just something they’d been keeping from me.
“I was,” Ares admitted. “And one of the few he once considered friend, but I’m afraid those days are long gone.”
“You betrayed him,” Hades accused. It was a bold proclamation, considering where we were and with whom, but I could tell he was grasping at straws. Even if he hated his father, learning the truth about him from a stranger couldn’t be easy.
Hell, I was having enough trouble learning the truth about mine from the man himself.
“That is what he told the Council,” Ares said in a dismissive tone. “The truth is more complicated, as it always is with the gods.”
“What happened?” Hades demanded. “I deserve to know.”
“So you do,” Ares said, to my surprise. “What you choose to do with that knowledge is up to you.” Once he’d paused to make sure we were listening, he continued, “I was the first, and I imagine the only one to discover that your father was drawing energy from the River Styx to preserve his power and extend his life force.”
“Energy?” I blurted out, unable to keep the burning question inside. “You mean the souls in the Underworld?”
Ares didn’t say a word, but his solemn nod was answer enough.
I watched Hades, but his expression didn’t change. He was listening, even though it was hard to tell what he was thinking about all of this.
“Using souls as fuel,” Loki said, his tone laced with disgust. “That’s blacker magic than necromancy. It’s an abomination.”
“One that would have brought an end to even his reign, were it made known,” said Fenrir. “Of all the crimes you committed on his behalf, I always wondered what sin could have possibly been grave enough for him to banish you. I guess now I know.”
“Fenrir,” Loki exclaimed, looking fearfully at the ancient god.
“It’s alright,” said Ares. “He’s correct. I was Cronus’ right hand, and though he gave the orders of ruin and treachery that led to the death of his siblings and his rise to power, I was also the blade in his grasp.”
“But you tried to stop him,” said Hades. “When you found out.”
“There is honor in war,” said Ares, his gaze darkening. “The destruction of souls for the purpose of defying Thanos himself… that wasn’t what I fought for. Cronus changed, and not for the better.”
It was hard for me to imagine how something that was already the epitome of evil could get worse, but I’d take his word for it. All I could do was watch Hades, even though he should have been the least of my concerns. Last night was one thing, but I was more worried about the feelings I had for him that had nothing to do with lust—or hatred.
“Why are you telling us this?” Fenrir demanded. “Even if it’s true and the whole world knows what Cronus did, the Council will never accept your return. Whatever Cronus said you did, the truth you just told us is a thousand times worse.”
“So it is,” said Ares. “But I’m not interested in redemption. This realm is my punishment, but it is also my purpose, and I would refuse to abandon it even if I had the chance. However, I won’t allow my old friend to escape his punishment forever.”
“What can we do?” Loki asked nervously.
“Hades is the heir apparent to the Underworld,” said Ares. “Only he can stop his father. Only he can restore the order of nature.”
Hades frowned. “How exactly do you figure that?”
“You play with the dark magic,” Ares said knowingly. “It runs through your veins like poison, tainting your very soul. And it clings to my daughter as well.”
I froze as he spoke, my heart pounding in my chest. So he knew Hades had brought me back. Why hadn’t he said anything before?”
“Bringing back a person who’s just died is one thing,” said Hades. “Even my father couldn’t restore the souls he’d destroyed.”
“That is true, but there is no hope of restoring what is lost,” said Ares. “Only ensuring that your father meets the same end. Absolute destruction is the only way, and I fear that even Thanos is not powerful enough to hold him with all the souls he has consumed.”
“You’re saying even if we found a way to kill him, he’d return?” Fenrir asked in disbelief.
“Precisely,” Ares said, shifting his focus back to Hades. “As long as he retains the souls. But in order to do what you did, you must be more powerful than even your father was at your age. That makes you the only person in this universe capable of destroying him once and for all.”
For a few seconds, Hades didn’t respond. Neither he nor Ares blinked and as they stared each other down, I couldn’t help but fear it was going to come to blows. That wasn’t a fight anyone was going to come away from unscathed.
