Chapter 8
Elara
I forced myself to stay still, willing the shadows to swallow me whole.
"Come in, Elara."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried—low and unyielding. The kind of voice you couldn't pretend you hadn't heard.
My heart thudded against my ribs. For a moment, I thought about running. But where would I go? He was faster. Stronger. Probably capable of finding me even if I vanished into the furthest corner of this palace.
So I stepped into the room.
It was larger than I expected, with walls lined in shelves of dark wood and tall windows spilling silver light across a wide table.
Hades stood near it, one hand resting against the polished surface, the other loosely at his side.
The man he'd been speaking to—a tall figure with sharp features—watched me like I was an intruder who'd broken into the wrong house.
"I—" My throat was dry. "I heard voices."
The corner of Hades's mouth twitched, not quite a smile. "And you decided to listen."
Heat pricked at my cheeks. "I wasn't... I mean, I didn't mean to."
That was only half a lie.
The other man muttered something under his breath and left, the heavy door closing behind him. The sound echoed far too loudly in the quiet that followed.
Hades didn't move toward me, but I felt the weight of his gaze like a physical thing. "You shouldn't wander alone here. Some in this palace would not greet you kindly."
"Are you one of them?" The question slipped out before I could stop it.
He studied me for a long moment. "If I were, you wouldn't be standing here."
My breath caught. I didn't know whether that was meant to comfort me or make me more afraid.
Something in his expression shifted—just slightly—like he was seeing more than I wanted to show. "You fear me," he said quietly.
"I don't know you," I replied. It was the safest answer I could give.
He nodded, as if that was fair. Then, unexpectedly, his tone softened. "You will have the freedom to leave your chamber, Elara. But you will not leave the palace without me."
It wasn't a threat, though it sounded like one. Or maybe it was just that every word he spoke seemed to hold some unspoken edge.
I gave a slow nod, still unsure what game I'd just stepped into.
Hades turned back to the table, dismissing me without another word. I should have left immediately.
Instead, I lingered for a heartbeat too long, studying the way moonlight brushed against the black crown resting on the table beside him.