CHAPTER 144: ESCORT

The scream still rang through the air as Kathryn collapsed to the floor. Her body shuddered in shock, her remaining eye rolling wildly, lips trembling as blood painted her chin.

Hades crouched beside her, blood dripping from his fingers. The silence in the room was suffocating, no one moved, no one dared to speak.

"Now," Hades said coldly, his voice devoid of mercy. "Let’s move to the next."

He grabbed her roughly by the hair, ready to dig his fingers into her other eye when Lucian’s voice rang out.

"Your Highness..."

Hades paused, eyes narrowing in irritation. His fingers remained tangled in Kathryn’s blood-matted hair as he turned his head slowly to face Lucian, one brow raised. "This better be important, uncle."

Lucian stepped forward, flinching ever so slightly at the mangled sight of Kathryn’s disfigured face. He composed himself, folding his arms behind his back, jaw set.

"It is, Your Highness," he said evenly. "Lilith has been found. Viktor took her to her chambers. She is resting now."

A moment of silence followed.

Hades didn’t respond right away. His jaw tightened, and his eyes closed briefly as he exhaled through his nose. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, a wave of relief washing over him, but only for a second.

"How is she?" he asked, voice lower, laced with emotion that flickered and vanished in a blink.

"She is well, Your Highness," Lucian confirmed with a respectful nod.

Another breath escaped Hades, longer this time. His lips parted slightly, perhaps to speak of her, but his gaze drifted back down to the woman crumpled at his feet.

Without another word, he reached for the hem of Kathryn’s dress and wiped the blood from his fingers onto the fine fabric. Each stroke was calm and disturbingly casual.

"Your dress is made of good fabric," he muttered, a sneer curling his lips. "It wipes off blood so effortlessly. You should keep it... after washing off all the blood. Or not. I don’t care."

He let go of the fabric and rose to his full height, brushing imaginary dust from his coat with indifference.

"Have her escorted out of my castle," he said flatly, his voice now cold and composed.

Lucian blinked. "Excuse me, Your Highness?"

Kathryn let out a sob, her body twitching where she lay in a crumpled heap on the blood-slick marble floor.

Hades’ eyes narrowed, his expression sharpening. "Don’t make me repeat myself, dear uncle. You heard me well. Her carriage might already be here. The longer she stays, the more she’ll ruin my floors with all that blood."

Lucian hesitated, but the look in Hades’ eyes silenced him. He bowed instead.

Two guards stepped forward immediately as they seized Kathryn by the arms, dragging her on the ground. Her good eye was wide with terror, but no sound escaped her lips. Her voice had fled her long ago.

"Lift her off the ground," Hades added, voice sharp.

The guards obeyed, carrying her rather than dragging her, though her body dangled loosely between them like a doll.

He waited until they were out of the courtroom before stepping out himself.

The hallway beyond was empty, save for a few servants lingering at a distance, their eyes downcast, mouths tight with fear. No one dared to meet his gaze. No one dared to speak, not even in a whisper.

~~~

Inside, Hades stood outside Lilith’s chamber, his hand poised at the door. He hesitated for a moment before finally opening it, his footsteps soft, careful not to make a sound in case she was asleep. As he walked deeper into the room, his eyes landed on the bed where she lay, curled beneath a blanket.

He approached quietly, a subtle smile touching his lips as he took in the sight of her sleeping form. She looked so peaceful... so heartbreakingly beautiful, her hair splayed across the pillow, the soft fabric of her sleeveless white dress clinging to her body.

Hades sat down on the edge of the bed and reached out, his hand hovering over her cheek but paused as he caught sight of the dried blood staining his skin. He pulled his hand away with a frown, realizing how unfit he looked to be near her.

With a sigh, he stood and quietly left the room, making his way to his own chambers.

Once inside, he stripped off his clothes without pause and walked stark naked to the bath. He sank into the cold water as it washed over him, cleansing the blood and grime from his skin. His eyes dropped to his chest, narrowing at the black veins that throbbed just beneath the surface, pulsing with the dark magic coursing through him.

He exhaled sharply and dragged his hands down his face. As he wiped his neck, his fingers brushed over the bulging veins creeping up toward his throat, and his brow furrowed deeply. Zal’s corruption was spreading. Slowly but he didn’t have the luxury of thinking about that now.

He leaned his head back against the tub’s edge, closing his eyes and allowing the silence to swallow his thoughts. But it wasn’t enough. His mind refused to quiet.

The image of Lilith tossed into a damn well seared through him. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. Gods, the rage he still felt was unbearable. What he’d done to Kathryn hadn’t even come close to satisfying the fury that lived in his soul. He wanted to tear her apart limb by limb, watch her drown in her own blood and beg for death.

But he couldn’t.

He swallowed hard. The truth gnawed at him like a blade to the gut, this had happened because of him. Because Kathryn couldn’t let go of him, because he hadn’t acted fast enough. That failure would haunt him for a long time.

Next time, he would protect her. No matter what.

After twenty minutes of soaking in cold water, Hades finally rose from the tub. Droplets rolled off his body as he stepped out and wrapped a robe around himself.

Standing before the mirror, he took a long moment to study himself. His expression was hard, the veins on his chest still faintly visible beneath his skin. He dried off, dressed in a pair of black trousers and a black shirt that clung to his still-damp skin.

His long hair, now freshly combed, he gathered loosely at the back of his head and tied in a low bun. With one final glance at his reflection, he turned and left the room.

He needed to see her again.

He needed to hold her.