He picked up another bottle and paused when it reached his lips. He’d just made a decision. He was done with this. He thought he wanted power, but what he really wanted was . . . silence.

His feet were already carrying him through the Keep before he gave too much thought to what he was doing. His footsteps rang through the hallways as people leaped out of his way. Finally, he reached the throne room and threw open the door.

Though his nerves twisted with fear, he wasted no time.

“I’m done,” he said to the empty room, then waited. He wasn’t sure if Herric could reach him in the Keep, but the Lord of the Underworld’s very presence was enough to bring even the bravest of men to his knees.

Done? came that dark voice, chilling his blood to ice. You failed. Again.

Rion ran a hand through his hair and tugged it.

And you’re drunk again.

“Don’t judge me,” Rion hissed. “I give up. It’s impossible. She can’t be stopped.”

Rion waited for the lashing he expected. The anger and vitriol. He braced himself for it, but he would accept it and find another way to exist. Maybe he’d descend and let his son deal with this shit. He was finished. Everything he’d tried to build was nothing but ash sifting between his fingers. Why bother?

I thought you wanted to understand the depths of the virulence. I thought you wanted to learn. I thought you wanted Ouranos?

“I don’t care anymore,” Rion hissed. “This isn’t worth it. I’m done.”

I knew you were weak.

Rion chuckled darkly and took a swig from the bottle.

“No, that shit won’t work on me anymore. I’m done being manipulated.”

He tipped the bottle back and drank deeply. Finally, he could feel the effects leaking into his blood. Another bottle, and maybe he’d finally be able to stop thinking and stop this churn of thoughts in his head threatening to destroy him bit by bit.

You loved a woman once, came the voice, which had Rion grinding to a stop, choking on his drink. Rachel, was it?

His body tensed, muscles seizing with confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She died?

“How do you know that?”

I know many things. Have you not gleaned this by now?

“Do you know where she is?”

A long pause nearly had Rion climbing out of his skin. Herric was the Lord of the Underworld. He could speak with the dead. Rion reached for the Torch as though he could strangle the words out of it.

I know, Herric finally said.

“Where?” Rion asked, hardly daring to believe it.

She is here. With me.

The air in Rion’s lungs turned to mud.