The Goddess Hunt (9 page)
Authors: Aimee Carter
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said cheerfully, and I glared.
“I will get you for that,” I snarled. “You won’t see it coming, but when it’s over, you’ll know what it was for.” “I look forward to it,” he said, and at last I felt steady enough to stand on my own. I bit back my retort as I looked around, and my eyebrows shot up.
We were in a massive cavern, so big that I couldn’t see the top. The only way I could tell it was under the earth—besides the harrowing journey I’d barely survived—was the lack of sunlight.
Great. Apparently Henry lived in a cave.
Instead of the sky, rivers of crystal ran through the rock, providing a glowing light that illuminated the entire cavern. Giant stalagmites and stalactites joined together in rows of columns that couldn’t have possibly been natural, and to my relief, they formed a path to a magnificent palace made of shiny black rock that looked [ th to aas if it had grown out of the side of the cavern.
“If I may,” said James. “On behalf of the council, let me be the first to welcome you to the Underworld.”
I opened my mouth, but before I could say a word, Henry’s enraged cries filled my ears, and I fell to my knees as the world went black.
Guide to the Gods
Zeus …………… Walter
Hera …………… Calliope
Poseidon …………… Phillip
Demeter …………… Diana
Hades …………… Henry
Hestia …………… Sofia
Ares …………… Dylan
Aphrodite …………… Ava
Hermes …………… James
Athena …………… Irene
Apollo …………… Theo
Artemis …………… Ella
Hephaestus …………… Nicholas
Dionysus …………… Xander
Also by Aimée Carter from Harlequin TEEN
The Goddess Test
Goddess Interrupted
Praise for
The Goddess Test
By Aimée Carter
“A fresh take on the Greek myths adds sparkle to this romantic fable.”
—Cassandra Clare,
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Mortal Instruments
“This absorbing, contemporary take on the Greek myth of Persephone features romance, mystery, suspense, and an engaging, fully dimensional protagonist.”
—
Booklist
“[A]bsolutely unique, fresh and fascinating.”
—
BewitchedBookworms.com
“The narrative is well executed, and Kate is a heroine better equipped than ^ th toign="c most to confront and cope with the inexplicable.”
—
Publishers Weekly
If you enjoyed this story, don’t miss the first two Goddess Test novels:
THE GODDESS TEST
Every girl who has taken the test has died. Now it’s Kate’s turn.
It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.
If she fails….
GODDESS INTERRUPTED
Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she’ll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry’s first wife, Persephone.
Aimée Carter
was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing at age eleven and later attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a degree in screen arts and cultures. Currently she spends her time continuing with
The Goddess Test
series and working on new projects. You can tweet her at @aimee_carter or catch updates on her website,
www.AimeeCarter.com
Plus, visit Aimée online:
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aim%C3%A9e-Carter/179011832122566
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/aimee_carter
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Blog:
http://aimeecarter.wordpress.com/
Tumblr:
http://aimee-carter.tumblr.com/
ISBN: 978-1-4268-3415-8
The Goddess Hunt
Copyright © 2012 by Aimée Carter
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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