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(Hazel's POV)
The Citadel gates opened with a sound like thunder — the thick iron doors parting to reveal the underworld's sprawling horizon. The world beyond was veiled in crimson mist, its sky a bruised mix of ember and smoke. From atop my carriage, I could see the long procession stretching out like a black river — carriages, mounted soldiers, and Hades' elite men riding at the front, their armor glinting like obsidian beneath the faint light.
It had been hours since we set out. The rhythmic rumble of wheels against stone had become almost hypnotic. Inside the main carriage, I sat across from Hades, who was half-leaning against the window, his arms folded and his eyes distant. His usual stillness was there, but beneath it… something restless stirred.
The moment our eyes met, I knew he wasn't merely thinking about the storm.
He hadn't said it aloud, but I knew — last night's closeness, the warmth we'd shared, lingered in both of us.
I glanced outside again to distract myself. The underworld's terrain rolled endlessly — blackened hills, skeletal trees that twisted like claws, and patches of glowing fungi that shimmered faintly, lighting the darkness like fallen stars. It was beautiful in a way that shouldn't be — haunting yet alive.
"I've never seen this part of the underworld," I murmured.
Hades turned his head slightly. "Few have. These lands are called The Mourning Veil. Most travelers avoid it. The ground here remembers pain."
I frowned. "Remembers?"
He nodded once. "Spirits wander. Old wars were fought here — and those who died with vengeance in their hearts never left."
My gaze lingered on the mist that clung to the valley ahead. The faint shapes within — shadows that moved like they were alive — made my skin crawl.
"Comforting," I muttered dryly.
He smirked faintly, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You're safe as long as you stay close."
"Close to you, you mean?"
His eyes gleamed, amusement flickering there. "Exactly."
I rolled my eyes, though my heart betrayed me with a soft flutter.
Outside, the elite men rode with military precision — Darius at the front, tall and grim, his sword strapped diagonally across his back; Luke and Artemis riding slightly behind, both scanning the horizon with sharp eyes; Stefan occasionally glancing toward the rear, and Matthew — keeping watch over the carriages with almost boyish seriousness.
They weren't just guards. They were loyal beyond reason. Each of them carried an aura so distinct it was almost tangible — Darius' stoicism, Luke's quiet mischief, Artemis' cold intellect, Stefan's fierce protectiveness, and Matthew's faith. Together, they were Hades' perfect formation.
"Your men… they don't look like they ever rest," I said, peering out again.
"They rest when I rest," Hades replied, tone unreadable.
I arched an eyebrow. "Then they must never sleep."
He chuckled quietly, the sound sending a strange warmth through the carriage.
For a while, silence fell between us again. The air outside grew heavier, darker, as though the further we traveled, the deeper we sank into something ancient.
Then came the faintest rumble — not thunder this time, but earth shifting. The horses neighed in agitation.
Artemis' voice rang out. "Steady!"
The procession slowed. Hades' eyes narrowed. "Another tremor."
I felt it too — a pulse through the ground, faint yet wrong. It wasn't natural. It was energy.
"Whatever caused that storm…" I whispered. "It's still moving."
He looked at me sharply. "What did you say?"
"I can feel it," I said, touching the windowpane. "Like… something alive, drifting beneath us. The storm wasn't just weather. It was a force — a sign."
His expression darkened. "A sign of what?"
I swallowed. "Something terrible."
By the time we reached Ares' borders, the skies had dimmed into a permanent twilight. The vampire kingdom, Shadow Haven, stretched ahead — towering gothic spires rising above black lakes, and crimson lanterns burning through the fog. Everything was draped in opulence and danger.
At the gates, the guards bowed low the moment they saw Hades' carriage crest.
"The Lord of the Citadel arrives," one of them announced, his voice echoing across the stone causeway.
The gates opened slowly, revealing Ares' fortress.
I hadn't realized how nervous I was until I saw him standing there.
Ares, King of the Vampires — tall, devastatingly handsome, eyes the color of garnets and hair crimson red like blood. He looked just as I remembered him from the council gathering: charming, dangerous, and too aware of it.
And his gaze — gods, his gaze went straight to me the second I stepped down from the carriage.
"Queen Hazel," he drawled with a sly smile. "You look radiant as ever."
I froze for a split second.
Behind me, I felt Hades tense.
"King Ares," I greeted, trying to sound composed. "It's been a while."
His smirk widened just slightly. "Indeed. Though I must admit, the last time we spoke, you left before dessert."
My cheeks flamed. He was referring to that dinner — the night he'd flirted shamelessly, and I'd awkwardly excused myself.
I heard Hades exhale slowly beside me — not out of patience, but out of sheer restraint.
"Enough games, Ares," he said in that low, warning tone that could freeze lava. "We didn't travel across the underworld for your wit."
Ares chuckled, unbothered. "Of course not. But forgive me if I find it amusing — the great King Hades bringing his bride to my halls."
The tension was so thick you could have carved it with a blade.
Behind Hades, his elites stood poised. Darius' hand rested subtly near his sword hilt, while Artemis' eyes flickered dangerously between both kings.
I decided to step forward before someone lost a head. "We came because of the storm," I said quickly. "Your kingdom was struck too, wasn't it?"
Ares' playful expression faltered. "Yes. We lost part of the eastern border. The lightning wasn't normal — it burned through steel and stone as though they were parchment. My seers said it reeked of… serpentine magic."
My stomach dropped.
Serpentine.
Velia.
I glanced at Hades, who caught my look immediately. His eyes hardened, his voice turning sharp. "You're certain?"
"Quite," Ares replied. "It's faint now, but the energy lingers. The kind of dark alchemy that predates us all."
I wanted to speak, to tell him what I suspected — but Hades' hand brushed mine under the table during the later council meeting, a silent warning to stay calm.
The vampires' council chamber was a grand room of silver and obsidian. Red crystal chandeliers hung like bleeding stars, and the long table reflected the flicker of candlelight in its polished surface.
Ares lounged at the head of it, his posture elegant and unbothered. Hades sat across, his presence alone enough to command silence.
And me? I sat beside him, painfully aware of every glance Ares threw my way.
"So," Ares said lazily, "you think this storm wasn't a coincidence?"
"It wasn't," Hades said curtly. "The timing, the reach — it struck all four regions at once. That kind of force requires coordination… or a catalyst."
"A catalyst?"
Hades' gaze flicked to me for the briefest moment, then back to Ares. "Yes. Something powerful enough to disturb the underworld's balance."
Ares smirked faintly. "And you think one of us caused it?"
"I think someone wants us to believe that."
Hazel's gut twisted. She could still hear Velia's voice in her memory — the venom, the hatred.
This had her fingerprints all over it.
But if she revealed that without proof, it could start a war.
So instead, she forced her expression to remain neutral.
When the meeting adjourned, Ares approached her near one of the balcony arches, his red cloak billowing softly behind him.
"You look… different," he said quietly. "Stronger."
"Maybe because I'm trying to be," I replied honestly.
He tilted his head, eyes glimmering. "He's changed you, hasn't he?"
Before I could answer, Hades appeared behind me, his presence immediately filling the air like a living storm.
"Walk away, Ares," he said flatly.
The vampire king smirked. "Still possessive, I see."
"Still suicidal, I see."
Their auras clashed — gold and crimson, like suns colliding.
"Enough," I said softly, touching Hades' arm. The moment my hand met his, the tension eased slightly. He looked at me, something raw flickering in his eyes — restraint, longing, and something else I didn't dare name.
We left the balcony in silence.
That night, while the others rested, I stood near the window of our guest chambers, staring at the storm clouds brewing once again in the distance.
It wasn't over. I could feel it in my bones.
Velia was moving.
And whatever she planned… this was only the beginning.
Behind me, Hades came up quietly, his arms wrapping around my waist as he rested his chin on my shoulder.
"You're trembling," he murmured.
"I'm just thinking."
"Don't." His voice was a low growl. "Not tonight. Not when I finally have you close."
I leaned into him slightly, my heart racing.
For the first time in a long while, the darkness outside didn't scare me. Because his arms around me — they felt like the safest place in the underworld.