The Nether King's Bride
Typhon attacks Olympus and is sealed beneath Mount Etna, but the seal weakens every 600 years. As the Age of Gods ends, Hades lacks power to reinforce it. The Prophecy Stone reveals that a divine heir—born of Hades and a mortal woman with witch blood and different-colored eyes—can permanently strengthen the seal.
In the mortal world, Saintess Layra is blamed for volcanic disasters and nearly burned alive. Hades saves her, taking her to the Underworld. The Prophecy Stone has chosen her as his bride: she must bear his child or die. Bound by the Serpent Soul Pact, Layra resists at first, but Hades’ care and protection win her over. They consummate their marriage.
Jealous Minthe, who loves Hades, torments Layra. Nyx, the Goddess of Night, imprisons her and claims Layra carries a God-Devouring Curse. Heartbroken and misled, Layra tries to escape through the Well of Reincarnation, but Hades saves her, confessing his love. They grow deeply in love, and Layra becomes pregnant. Hades weakens, avoiding her. Then Alector, the high priest who raised her, lures Layra back to the mortal world and captures her—he has discovered her witch blood and has his own plans.
