Page 72 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
Persephone hissed, the sound raw and furious, while Zagreus threw his head back and laughed, delighted.
‘How very clever of your sister,’ Persephone said at last, her voice cold and honed to a blade. ‘And yet, how utterly unsisterly. To condemn you in order to spite me.’
Kage only shrugged, unbothered.
‘So,’ Persephone said, reclining once more against her throne of black volcanic stone, arms draped languidly over its armrests, ‘why are you here, Kage Blackburn?’
‘I wish to strike a bargain,’ he said calmly, ignoring the way Thanatos stiffened at his side. ‘I know you intend to take my sister’s child.’ His gaze did not waver. ‘I will bring Makariaback from Hell, if you swear to leave Mal’s child untouched.’
Something flashed in Persephone’s eyes—something sharp, hungry, and calculating—but Kage could not name it.
Thanatos stepped closer, tension radiating from him, clearly aching to intervene. Yet he remained silent. To do otherwise would be to reveal too much.
To reveal who he truly wished to serve.
Mal.
Persephone watched him closely as Kage continued, his voice steady despite the weight of what he was offering.
‘You do not need the child,’ he said. ‘I will bring your daughter back. You may wage war with Mal to your heart’s content, but the child is to remain untouched.’
Persephone’s glare sharpened. ‘And your sister has agreed to this?’
‘My sister knows nothing of it,’ Kage replied without flinching. ‘I come on my own terms.’
A low, delighted laugh spilt from Persephone’s lips. ‘How fascinating.’ She leaned back, her smile blooming into something dark and indulgent. ‘Very well. Return my daughter to me, and I swear I will not harm the child.’
Kage inclined his head. ‘I will do so after the babe is born. Not before. I have no desire to give you room to break your word.’
Persephone’s smile widened by the heartbeat, sharp as broken glass. ‘Of course you wouldn’t, Kage Blackburn.’
‘Until then.’ He turned on his heel and left the throne room without a backward glance. He ignored the footsteps that followed him, the echo of power and suspicion trailing close behind, but once he crossed beyond the castle gates, a firm grip seized his arm.
Thanatos leaned in, his voice low and furious. ‘What are youplotting? Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?’
Kage only smiled.
And then he vanished, leaving behind nothing but silence, unease, and the faint sense that the balance of the realms had just begun to tilt.
…
Night had fully claimed the sky when Kage was finally released back into the mortal world. The pull of Bryn tugged at him, urgent and aching, but the curse guided him elsewhere first. He did not understand the mechanics of it, only that his body knew where it was required, surrendering to the dark instinct that carried him across realms.
He emerged upon a stretch of black sand, the sea before him restless and bruised with stormlight. Wyverns wheeled overhead, their silhouettes cutting across the clouds, until he found his sister standing at the shoreline, motionless, her attention fixed on the churning water.
Kage went to her and stood at her side, the wind tugging at them both.
‘Is it done?’ Mal asked quietly, her hand settling over her stomach.
‘It is.’
She smiled then, a sharp and satisfied smile, and Kage felt something weary twist in his chest.
‘She truly believed you?’ she asked.
‘We could actually do it,’ he said before she could speak again. ‘I could go to Hell and return Makaria to Persephone. Your child would be safe from her.’
‘No.’ Mal did not look at him, her eyes still on the sea. ‘Do you truly think I trust her to keep her word?’ She exhaled,unimpressed. ‘And besides, I need Allegra. Makaria stays where she is.’
