Ch. 121: The Reckoning Of Betrayal
"Why?" she cried, her voice breaking with raw emotion. "Why would you betray him? Hermes, what did Hades ever do to deserve this from you? You were like a brother to him!"
Her fists shook violently, and I could feel the force of her anger vibrating through the room. The table collapsed under her weight, and with it, so did she. Her knees hit the ground with a thud, tears streaking down her cheeks as she glared at Hermes, her rage mixed with something far more painful. "Damn you, Hermes. Damn you!"
Hermes, visibly shaken, crumpled to the floor in a groveling heap. His once carefree demeanor had shattered like glass. His hands trembled as he wiped at the tears on his face, but they kept falling, streaking down his face like rain on stone. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted this... but I had no choice. They threatened the children. They would have killed them if I didn't—"