I don’t know how long I stood there and watched as Gus wasted away, it might have been mere minutes, but I think it was far longer than that. Because as I stared at the body with pure hatred in my veins I was embraced once more by another. I looked up to see Hades had found his way to me. “How did you find me?” He hadn’t known about the secret passageway.
He shook his head and just held me close. “I thought you were going to die.” His voice cracked as he spoke and buried his head in my hair. He caressed the back of my head as his body shook.
I trailed a hand over the scorched marks on his arms. They crisscrossed and left angry welts in checker patterns all over him. I had to wonder just how many more he had, how much he had endured trying to break free to save me. “You should have just
