Someone was in Hades’ dreamscape. He sensed their presence when they entered. A tired excitement filled him. Whoever arrived could distract the demons and grant him the opportunity to find the rip between dimensions. He’d sealed Hypnos’; he would seal his own. Unfortunately, he couldn’t move from where they’d cornered him.

His luminescence dimmed again and allowed the beasts to encroach upon the borderline. Once it snuffed out, a withered blackness would remain, and his safety would be gone. They would become gray shapes amongst the black. Thankfully, their pupils glowed neon.

Bursts of power came to him. Never sufficient to save him, but adequate to keep him alive. He felt its absence and knew it wouldn’t be there for the next wave.

“Hungry,” the closest beast purred. It sniffed and scented the dried gore that covered Hades. “God. Blood.”

Hades stroked the new lily tattoo for good luck. It appeared before he woke with a demon on his chest. Unsure if it helped, he tried to infuse his energy into it to sustain it. Without it, he would plunge into permanent darkness.

An elongated claw reached through the barrier. Smoke curled around the fur. It ran down Hades’ arm before it yanked away. His sleeve split where the talon touched, and exposed more skin. More exposure gave them more places to bite. He could not tolerate further venom.

He didn’t engage when the glow was present. They could not enter, and he required the rest. Now dim, he retrieved the swords he had summoned when his abilities last manifested. The God-steel fueled his progress.

Three.

Two.

One.

It blinked out, and a sea of snarling demons washed over him. Several caught the outstretched arms or legs of their companions in the mayhem. Limbs tore free. Fights broke out amongst them, lessening the onslaught.

Four—for now—slipped away from the battle and focused on Hades. With a ferocious growl, he faced their attacks head-on. He surged through them, sliced here and stabbed there. Crimson illuminated the space when his strikes met flesh or fur. They devoured the spilled ichor before it hit the ground. The air reeked of rusted coins and rotten meat. A sharp, metallic reminder that these creatures were not human.

“Die,” he bellowed, though his voice was ragged.

As soon as the third demon fell, a new group stepped into his path. These were already bloodstained. They would make easy targets to feed his god-blades.

***

Pandora slogged through the inky gloom. Time was nonexistent. Persephone remained unable to help; this much she knew. She continued onward, propelled by a distant light. Hades must be at the focal point.

Her calves burned. It felt like tar in the void, resulting in slow, agonizing progress. While the glow lingered, she wouldn’t let her panic overwhelm her. Hades fought the demons for fourteen days. He had to hold on a little longer.

Forever passed before she made out shapes near the brilliant dome. Hordes of creatures surrounded the barrier, which shrank with each passing moment. No wonder she hadn’t seen a thing since she entered the dreamscape. They had flocked to Hades.

Far from the blockade, she watched in horror as it vanished. Howls echoed in the dark, and a feral growl, unlike the rest. Her heart hammered. With renewed energy, she trudged through the ink until it released her.

Her feet hit solid ground, and she leaped forward. A spear materialized from her mark. Blue radiated from the weapon, and a handful of demons noticed. She emitted her own snarl and hoped Hades heard it over the din of slashing paws and snarling mutts.

A pair of beasts surged toward her. The first lunged closer. Claws slashed the space where her throat had been. She sidestepped with fluid grace and let its momentum carry it past her. Reversing her grip on the staff, she rammed the metal butt into the rear of its skull. A sickening crunch before the fresh bloom of blood. It dropped like a rock.

The second snarled, but circled for a moment longer. It was observant, unwilling to charge. Bloodlust urged it forward, despite its dead companion at her feet. With casual ease, Pandora rolled her shoulders and crouched in a low guard. Once within reach, she feigned right before she dove left. Too slow to course-correct, the demon impaled itself on the spearhead. Its weight forced the tip deeper until it burst through its spine. Its shriek faded to an agonized whine before it went silent.

She summoned the spear. The beast thudded to the ground once the weapon reappeared in her grasp. The whole attack took only twenty seconds. More demons acknowledged her presence and broke out of the chaos.

Pandora fought each surge with the same ease and carved a path to the fresh glow she’d noticed. It glowed crimson and flared with each agonized howl. He was close, and her body hummed with excitement. There was no doubt she could handle the demons, but she did not know the state Hades was in. That was what worried her. If he could not fight, she didn’t know how they’d get out.

She stumbled into a sudden clearing. They had formed a ring. Countless demons entered and corralled Hades inside. Dead bodies created a feeding pile at the edge of the circle. Ghastly snapping sounds filled the void as they fed on their companions.

“Hades,” she screamed as a bright arc blurred before her nose. She stumbled out of the blade’s path, and her spine hit the chest of a demon.

She spun, pushed Hades aside with the spear shaft, and plunged the pointed edge into the creature’s soft belly. Brilliant blue illuminated Hades. Shock twisted into relief as their eyes locked.

“Pandora,” he croaked, and reached for her. Before they touched, another fight locked him in. His chest heaved, and sweat streaked his stained face. Whenever his blade flared, she saw his exhaustion.

She took up his flank; her spear was a blur as she swept out the legs of the demons. Three successive cracks followed as she thrust the blunt end into their temples. She spun toward the next group before the bodies settled.

Because of his fatigue, Hades was not as graceful. His blades moved, still found their mark, but each swing shook, and his footwork was sloppy. Pandora flinched when he took a swipe of claws to his forearm. His vital fluid was golden. It glowed against the darkness and smelled of ambrosia. With a curse, he drove his elbow into its jaw. It popped, broke from the force, and Hades plunged his other blade into its throat.

Pandora dropped beside him without a word and swept wide arcs to give Hades a moment to breathe. She hesitated to ask if he was alright. The answer was obvious. Instead, she angled herself to take the brunt of the following wave. Her stance widened as she filled the gaps he had left open.

“Hades,” she called when he attempted to step out of her arcing sweep. He looked at her. “Stay at my back. Allow yourself a moment’s breath. I’ll be fine until you can breathe again.”

“I can’t,” he panted. He planted a kick to the solar plexus of a tall demon, but the force was not there. “I have to keep you safe.”

“You won’t be protecting anything if you’re dead,” she snapped. “I  haven’t been fighting nonstop. If anyone needs help, it’s you.”

“Fuck,” was all he said before he slipped into her guard. She savored his warmth.

This wasn’t the emotional reunion she longed for. Her desire: swoop in, dispatch demons, then return to the Underworld. There shouldn’t be this many. The most she’d ever seen was fifty. They hated competition for food. Divine fascination led them to set that aside.

“What’s the plan?” Hades asked after a few minutes. His voice sounded firmer and steadier. “Or did you decide this would be a lovely honeymoon spot?”

She laughed. “Anywhere with you would be delightful, but I was hoping for a cozy hot spring. I’ve heard they’re nice.”

Another surge cut the conversation short. A duo of shorter demons and a massive one. They moved in formation. The smaller ones flanked wide, spreading her attention thin, while the larger watched. She rolled her spear and focused on the sharper creature first.

She feinted hard at the right flanker, drew it in, then pivoted. Her weapon was hurled at the bigger enemy, catching the beast off guard. It punched into a meaty shoulder, and it staggered. The flankers hesitated, and that was all she needed. Twin daggers appeared out of her mark as she reached the first demon. She seized its nape and slammed the creature down. Then she stabbed it in the neck. Jerky spasms followed until it became motionless. She repeated the attack on the other.

Two down. One to go.

She wrenched the tip free of its shoulder. An angry howl ripped from it as she did. Bleeding and furious, it charged her. As she sidestepped, she sliced along its ribs. The subsequent charge she faced head-on, and drove the point into the space below its sternum. Blood erupted and fed her god-blade.

“Feeling rested?” she asked as she yanked the spear out. “We have to stall until Persephone can get us a fresh blast of light.”

“You are stunning. Have I told you that?” Amusement colored his words, and he grinned. A flash of steel whirled by her and sank into the eye of an approaching demon.

“You have no sense of self-preservation, do you?” She gaped at him, but stifled a smirk. Then, she retrieved the blade and tossed it back to him.

He chuckled. “After seeing that display? Who needs that when my woman is a badass? Forgive me if I find it sexy.”

“You’re hopeless.” This time, she didn’t stop her smile.

Though surrounded by demons, relief rushed through her. The hard part was over, since he was alive. With Hades beside her, desperation faded into desire. She kissed him, confident that she knew where each demon was. Rancid ichor mixed with the heady taste of ambrosia. He felt like home.

They broke apart as another wave approached. Their battle became a dance centered on them. They exchanged gentle touches and words amid showers of blood and guttural howls. Their backs met when they needed a breath of air, and the sensation of skin-to-skin revitalized them.

A rare silence descended after several waves. More enemies were coming; their screeches echoed in the distance. The pile of bodies had formed a wall, giving them some cover. Hades laughed as he wrapped his arm around her waist. She collapsed against him, thankful that he was alive.

He stooped and pressed his lips to her ear. The warmth of his sigh sent a tingle to her toes as he whispered, “I may be hopeless, but I am yours.”

Editor: Lucy Cafiero