Page 19 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
‘Wren…’
The wolf’s icy-blue eyes glinted with recognition.
With a resigned breath, Kage continued along the path towards a towering set of iron gates. He looked up at them uneasily, then pushed them open and stepped through, ignoring the way every hair on his body stiffened in warning.
They had reached Tartarus.
The Underworld’s prison.
‘Why have you brought us here?’ he muttered to the wolf. ‘We’re supposed to be hiding from Persephone.’
If wolves had the capacity to roll their eyes, he was quite certain Wren would have done so then.
There was little to Tartarus beyond scorched volcanic stone and a long corridor from which distant screams echoed ceaselessly. The tranquil rivers of the Underworld had here been replaced by torrents of molten lava, flowing like blood through the realm’s broken veins.
Kage’s gaze caught upon a throne positioned near the entrance, fashioned from skulls and bleached bone. Seated upon it was a man he did not recognise. Yet something about him felt strangely familiar, a whisper along the edges of memory that he could not quite grasp. He was exquisite to behold, with skin as pale as death itself, short dark hair, and eyes that did not match—one black as the abyss, the other a vivid red.
He was bare-chested, offering no attempt to conceal the sculpted lines of his torso. Tight leather trousers clung to long legs, completed by boots and nothing more. His features were sharp, his lips curved into a smirk that seemed etchedpermanently into his expression. And when his gaze fell upon Kage, those mismatched eyes gleamed with undeniable interest.
‘I believe you’re lost,’ the man remarked.
Kage ignored him, his attention instead drawn to the white wolf now trotting to the stranger’s side, lavishing him with eager licks. The man did not seem remotely inconvenienced by the display; if anything, his eyes brightened with quiet amusement.
‘Who are you?’ Kage asked, watching with detached curiosity as Wren settled beside him as though she had always belonged there.
The man gave a soft, derisive snort, resting a pale hand upon the wolf’s flank as he slouched back into his throne with languid ease. ‘Zagreus. Son of Hades and Persephone.’
Kage betrayed no reaction. He stood in still silence, hands buried in his pockets, though he did shoot the wolf a look laden with weary exasperation.
‘And you must be Kage Blackburn,’ Zagreus continued, his expression curving into something cruel. He waved a dismissive hand the moment the wyverian prince fully faced him. ‘We share a sister. I can spot a Blackburn at a glance. My mother killed you, didn’t she?’ He canted his head in a mockingly casual manner, lips curling.
‘She did.’
‘Unpleasant business,’ Zagreus mused, examining his nails. ‘My mother is rather displeased at present. Our sister saw fit to send my other sister, Makaria, down into the pits of Hell, and refuses to retrieve her. If I were you, I’d hide. Should my mother get her claws into you, she’ll ensure you suffer.’
‘I’m quite aware.’
‘So you’re here because…’
Kage gestured towards the wolf. ‘She brought me.’
‘She?’
‘Hername is Wren.’
Zagreus frowned, glancing over at the wolf. ‘Is that so?’
‘We need a place to hide.’
Zagreus’ smirk deepened. ‘And you thought here would serve?’ He scratched the wolf with casual fascination. ‘What a wicked little creature you are, Wren.’
Kage tensed at his tone. He disliked the ease with which Zagreus spoke to her, disliked the quiet implication of kinship. Now that he had Wren back, the thought of sharing her, even in friendship, unsettled him.
‘And why should I help you?’ Zagreus asked, turning his attention back to Kage. ‘I would be defying my mother.’
Kage shrugged, unaffected. ‘She brought me here for a reason. She seems to think you will.’
Zagreus laughed softly. ‘She’s not wrong. I never had much patience for my mother. Always so intent on keeping me close.’ He let his hand fall from the wolf’s fur. ‘We’ve come to know one another, haven’t we?’ he said to Wren. She dipped her head in affirmation.
