Page 57 of Blood of Olympus

Suddenly, his marching stopped and he speared me with his gaze.

“You failed them. Mortal lives now fall under your care, too — not just their deaths. Or is that why you let them burn? To claim their souls for the bloodthirsty demon that lives within you? To increase your own disturbing power with every one that you took?”

Holy fuck.

I forced a scoff out, masking the horror that now surged within my veins. Caelus’ head snapped around to mine, his eyes on the verge of luminescence as he sensed the emotion roiling within me.

Poseidon’s words had thrown me. Not because he had spat them with ill intent, but because I had overlooked something monumental.

Where did all their souls go?

No Nerosian shade had approached me, save the one screaming about burning seas and bleeding skies.

None had fled to the Isle, that was for certain — Thanatos would have called for aid.

Did they succumb to the River?

Where do souls go when there are no afterlives to be sentenced to?

“Is that what you would believe of us? Of Hades, and Thanatos, and every other Underworld creature? That we devour souls to sate our own power-hungry appetites?”

Poseidon snarled wordlessly in response.

“If that was the case, you spineless, dickless, old sea bastard, my father would have killed you eons ago and consumed what little sustenance you could have given him then.”

He threw himself at the bars again, no doubt imagining strangling me with the links between his cuffed wrists.

I had done what needed to be done.

I knew grief was what drove his madness, knew that he would come to realise vengeance was still within his grasp — but that moment was not this one.

I tossed my braid over my shoulder, whirling toward the exit. Caelus met me at the base of the stairs just as Poseidon dared to get the last word in.

“Mark my words, Hades,” he spat. “You will pay for their lives with your own before this war is through. And the seas shall not be your ally while you fight against the futility that is defeating Kronos.”

Just as my foot hit the top step, one last chilling declaration followed me up the staircase:

“Even death cannot defeat him.”

“So we stand without Poseidon and Hermes?” Hestia asked, doubt creeping into her tone.

“Hephaestus, too,” Haras offered with a shrug. “He has more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Indeed.” She dipped her head in acknowledgement. “So we are all that stands between Kronos and his desire to conquer all?”

I looked around the room, meeting the eyes of my council members. Each of them stared back at me, waiting for my answer. Waiting for whatever comes next.

“Yes. But I believe I know where we can get more warriors for our cause.”

Athena was the first to understand. The goddess of wisdom sat straighter in her throne, her keen intellect imploring me to finish explaining. Her mind was already moving the chess pieces into place while I took a steadying breath.

“Ephemeron.”

She grinned savagely. “Kronos has taken his war to the mortal realm, thinking them weak and easily trodden on.”

Erato chuckled viciously.

“He has underestimated them grievously,” Athena continued. “Though their lives may be short, they live them to their fullest extent and abilities.” She leaned forward, meeting my gaze across the open space of the Parthenon. “Let us show the Titan lord what mortals are truly capable of. And I know just where to start.”