By the time the carriage slowed and finally came to a stop, Evangeline expected to see the outline of an estate, perhaps a quiet garden, or at the very least a small inn lit by lanterns. Instead, when she peered out through the window, all she saw was darkness stretching endlessly before them. A wide, open field lay beneath the night sky, empty and silent, with no sign of life or structure in sight.
For a fleeting moment, she wondered if the coachman had taken a wrong turn.
Surely Hades had not meant to come her, of all places. dressed as they were, in formal attire fit for a royal banquet.
Her answer came not through explanation, but through action.
Hades reached forward, grasped the door handle, and twisted it open with effortless calm. He stepped down first, his polished shoes touching the bare earth as though he had arrived exactly where he intended to be. There was no hesitation in his movements, no second guessing which confirmed that this was his destination.
