Free The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain Page A

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 theCourt, 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