Goddess Unhinged: Academy of the Divine, Book 8 by Isadora Brown

Author:Isadora Brown [Brown, Isadora]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter Six

This could not be happening. There had to be some kind of mistake.

My head spun with possibilities, all of which seemed completely out of grasp.

The very notion that someone could walk into the Underworld and take it over seemed ludicrous. And yet, that was what Chiron insisted was happening with Cronus.

“That’s why he went out of his way to court you,” Apollo murmured, more to himself than to anyone.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“He realized the Titans were going after Seph,” he said. “But he knew Seph was under Hades’s protection. He wanted to use you to lure her out, forcing Hades to be in a more vulnerable position because his focus would be on making sure Seph was safe.”

I shook my head. “But how could he know that Hades would feel anything for Seph, let alone risk everything for her?” I asked.

“Hades is vulnerable,” Chiron said. “I don’t think it’s too much for me to say. He’s lonely, although he would never admit it. And Seph is a bubbly, burst of life in his otherwise dreary world. Cronus has also been around for a while. He’s seen things, experienced them. I doubt he could have predicted this as accurately as it was foretold, but I’m sure he could sense it was bound to happen. The second anyone saw them together, they would have been able to tell. It’s rather obvious.”

“So, he made an assumption and decided to make it work in his favor?” I asked.

“I’m positive he knew exactly where Seph was before anyone else,” Apollo said. “The fact that she had yet to return to Olympus indicated what Hades thought of her, what he might feel. And he knew the only way to lure Seph out was through you, and getting Hades was through Seph. It’s a chain that can’t be undone. And we fell for it.”

At that moment, Chiron began to slow his rowing. Instead, the boat glided with a grace I didn’t think was possible towards the shore that was peeking through the heavy mist. I could make out the silhouettes of three people, all standing on the sand, waiting…probably for our arrival.

“Again,” Chiron said. “I apologize. The last thing I want to do is put any of you at risk. But I’m also bound by the Underworld. Whoever has the power, I’m beholden to.”

My eyes widened and I whirled around to face him. The boat rocked back and forth, dangerously close to throwing me over. If Apollo's hands hadn’t gently clutched my arms, keeping me in place, I would have been tossed over, certainly. I couldn’t help but wonder if there were similar consequences if I did fall in without the souls as there were when the River was filled with them.

“Hades has fallen?” Apollo asked. Even his stoic demeanor cracked upon that realization.

“You say that like it’s a surprise.” Cronus’s smug drawl crawled down my spine like a hairy-legged spider.

I didn’t want to look at him. I didn’t want to give him that satisfaction of acknowledging his heavy presence, but I couldn’t help it.

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