The Shadow Prince

chapter seven HADEN

It’s a long journey to the outskirts of the Underrealm, where Persephone’s Gate stands at the end of a long ravine. The Underlords, and even the Lessers, flank both sides of the walk to the gate. Normally, their swords would be raised in honor to the Champion as he passes. I know better now than to expect such pomp on my behalf. All except the Lessers and the other servants are dressed in armor. Mine has been removed and I’ve been forced to don strange clothes like what Dax is wearing. My pants are made from a similar heavy cloth, but they’re an inky black instead of blue, and my collared black tunic has many fasteners down the front. Both items of clothing are too tight, as though they’d originally been selected for someone slighter than myself.

This idea makes me look for Rowan in the flanking crowd, but instead of him, my sight lands on Garrick, the scrawny Lesser I tried to defend from Rowan’s assault. His arm looks better now, thanks to a visit to the healing chambers, but for some reason, seeing him once more causes a twisting feeling inside my chest.

When Garrick had been reassigned to the Pits after he was accused of stealing, I’d been glad to see him go. Relieved to be rid of the walking reminder of my shame. But I can’t help wondering what his life has been like in that terrible place. And if he knows what part I played in what happened to him …

At least he hadn’t been attacked by Rowan again, like he feared. Not yet anyway.

“Just keep walking,” Dax says. I didn’t realize that I’d stopped moving.

The ground trembles, and a faint green light begins to pulsate in the archway at the end of the ravine. The gate is beginning to activate. The old myths say that the gate was built for Persephone, the first Boon to be brought to the Underrealm by the original Hades. Persephone’s mother, the harvest goddess, created the gate to ensure that her daughter could return to the Overrealm for six months out of every year—as was decreed by Hades’s brother, the Sky God, in order to appease the keepers of both realms. But that was back when the Sky God cared about making peace. Back before the war between the gods. Before the dark day when Hades was slain by the Sky God and the Key to the Underrealm was lost. This made it so Persephone’s Gate is now the only entrance or exit that exists between our world and the Overrealm that a living soul can pass through.

Unfortunately, the gate is active only for two twenty-four-hour periods a year. Once in the fall and once in the spring. Those times have been reserved for the entering and exiting of the Champions, sent on their quests to the Overrealm.

The gate’s green light grows richer until it reaches a shade similar to emeralds. The ground shakes again, the tremor knocking an elderly Lesser off balance as I pass by with Dax. I step around the man and hear a familiar, derisive laugh. I look up toward the Court, which surrounds the gateway, and find Rowan standing with Lex and Killian.

I stop in front of the pulsing gate. Dax stands behind me. I look away from Lex, Killian, and Rowan, waiting for one of them to make an accusation against me pertaining to the fight after the ceremony. But no one speaks.

Sweat beads on my brow as I realize there is one person who is missing from this scene. My father is not present.

Dax leans close. “I’m sure he’s just attending to some pressing matter,” he says, as if he can read my mind.

Master Crue, one of my teachers, steps to the front. I wonder what I will be tested on now, and try to remember everything I ran through during the night. But Master Crue merely gestures at the light that has filled the archway and says, “Godspeed, Champion Haden. May you be crowned with victory upon your return in six months’ time.”

Dax nudges me and I take a step forward—then come to a halt. Dax almost slams into my back.

“Wait,” I say loudly enough that the Court can hear me.

“Gods, no,” Dax whispers.

I look at Master Crue and then to Lord Killian. “I’m allowed an entourage, yes?”

Master Crue nods, indicating Dax behind me.

“But I can take more than one other with me?”

“Yes,” Killian says hesitantly.

“Then I want to choose one more.” I look at Rowan. “I choose my brother.…” I pause just long enough to watch my words dawn on Rowan. He starts to step forward, just like he had when he thought he was being Chosen by the Oracle. “My half brother, that is.” I turn back and look at the frail boy in the crowd. “Garrick.”

A collective gasp ripples through the ravine. Garrick stumbles forward, looking as though someone pushed him. He seems bewildered and a little panicked as he falls in line with me and Dax. I don’t give Lord Killian or anyone else time to protest and I step up to the gate with my entourage.

“Take these,” Dax says, pressing something into my hand as the three of us enter the pulsing green light. I look down to see that he’s given me a pair of dark-lensed spectacles, and almost drop them as I suddenly lurch forward. It feels as though I’m being yanked by an invisible cable attached to my shoulders, but when I look at my feet, I realize I am still standing in one spot. Wind lashes at my face. I close my eyes, feeling as though I might lose the contents of my stomach. The yanking sensation stops abruptly and I fall to my knees. The dim green glow behind my eyelids has shifted to yellow. I open my eyes only to be blinded by an engulfing yellow light, so intense I feel as though my eyes might melt.

“Put them on,” I hear Dax say.

I realize he means the spectacles and I shove them onto my face. The dark lenses mute the yellow glow, but only barely. After a few aching moments, my vision clears enough that I can discern the shapes of trees and rocks, and a great yellow orb on the horizon, peeking between what looks like two mountaintops. Garrick is huddled on the ground next to me, his hands clasped over his face.

“What the Tartarus is that?” I say, pointing at the orb without actually looking at it.

“Sunrise.” Dax pushes up to his feet. He’s wearing his own pair of dark lenses.

I hear a foreign noise from somewhere in the near distance. I blink several times and make out what seems to be the outline of a person emerging from the trees in front of us. The silhouette steps forward. “Welcome to Olympus Hills, my lords. I’m certain you will love it here,” a voice says in a tone so … perky … it hurts my ears.

I close my eyes but the light still burns behind my lids.

And humans call the place where I’m from hell?