by K. C. Hamby
She gives me a knowing glance before turning her attention back to Ash.
“I planned for Silas to come check on things at the Washington Pack, since he was Death and Lupi deal in death frequently. I told him I was concerned with how things were being dealt with in accordance to the deaths of Lupi. Naturally, he just bumped into your mother.”
“Right,” I scoff, pettiness taking over my rage. Hecate loves drama almost as much as Zeus.
She doesn’t acknowledge my slight, to my utter annoyance.
“They were with each other from that day on. Silas still had trouble with his darkness, but Alina was the light in the middle of it all.
“Your mother was wounded on a mission and it sparked Silas into action. He Moved to her, somehow knowing she was injured, got her out of danger, and healed her. And once he realized Alina was his Mate, he became more balanced. It was as if Alina was on the light side of the scale balancing out his darkness.”
“Wow,” Ash mutters.
Yeah, that’s one fucking way to describe this shitfest.
“I should let him tell you the rest of the story, but that is for another time. Right now, there is business to attend to back on Olympia. Whenever you both would like to hear the rest, feel free to visit your father in the Elysian Fields. Just know you will not struggle as he did, Ash. Because of his sacrifice.”
“Great,” I groan and look at Ash, but he doesn’t seem to share my irritation.
He seems to be considering actually going and talking to our father.
Whatever. Just means I get to see Mom and Nathan.
“Thanks for the info, Hecate,” I snap. “I suppose we will go clean up the me…”
Um, Faligator?
I stop. Nina.
Yeah?
You guys need to come back. Eddie is…well…just come back. Please.
Shit. Okay.
“Yep, gotta go. Bye!” I blurt and look at Ash. He is already on the same page.
So, we Move.
Chapter 80
Ash
When we land on Olympia, all the bodies are already cleaned up. A massive pyre smokes on the sand of the beach with grieving Lupi lingering around its smoldering base.
“Time difference,” Fal Pal reminds me. “It’s been a few hours here when we were down there ten minutes.”
“Right. Where…?”
“Guys!” Nina yells as we come out of the clearing. She runs into Fal’s open arms and then nearly tackles me when they release each other. “I’m really glad you’re not dead.”
Aren’t I, though?
I release Nina and she hands Fal a new black shirt to slip over her sports bra.
“Me too. Where is Eddie?”
“Here, mo chridhe.”
Fal jumps and spins around with a growl, hand immediately grabbing the knife in her boot. Eddie just stands with hands on her hips, smirking at Fal as she huffs and shoves the knife back in its sheath.
Eddie is covered in speckles of blood and anger reins in her fire eyes. Anger and vengeance. The air around us swells with heat.
Nemesis. Goddess of wrathful vengeance and justice.
“So, you can Move, too?” I ask, walking to her and wrapping her warm body in my arms.
“Aye, I ‘spose it comes with being a full-fledged goddess. I havetae say, it is a wee easier to get around.”
“Lucky,” Nina grumbles with arms crossed over her chest.
Fal chuckles and kisses her forehead, smoothing the wild white waves with her fingers. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go, babe. So, what did you need us to see?”
“I think I’ll let Eddie show you,” Nina answers and raises her brow at my Mate.
“Of course. I’d love to,” Eddie growls with a wide smile and marches out of my arms.
With a glance at Nina and Fal Pal, we follow Eddie down to the basement of the armory where we always have band practice.
Eddie stands staring into the basement, looking proud of herself with arms crossed and a smirk on her lips. The room is dark when we walk in, but I would recognize that smell anywhere.
Blood. A lot of blood.
In front of the pride in her eyes and deep into the darkness, someone hangs from the ceiling in chains.
“Lilith caught this tramp trynae flee. She’s the one who shot Althea,” Eddie growls, dropping her arms to her sides as her hands smoke.
“Is that…?” Fal murmurs to Nina.
“Eddie, what are you doing?” I ask and take a step toward her.
“Gettin’ this wench to sing like a fuckin’ canary, Ashy. She is gonnae tell us what the fuck happened and why,” she announces like I should have known.
Like I should be proud.
Raven is bloodied and bruised as she dangles, but she is smiling like a devil even as hot, red liquid slides from her wrists down her arms.
“There you are, sexy. I was wonderin’ when you’d come see me,” she purrs, blood coating her teeth as she smiles at me.
“Haud yer wheesht!” Eddie yells and punches her right in the face, cracking her cheek loud and clear.
Raven spits blood onto the floor as she swings from Eddie’s hit. But she cackles, eyes nearly swollen shut and nose definitely broken.
“Ash,” is choked from my side. I look down to Fal who has horror shining in her eyes.
She was chained. She was beaten like this in the Underworld.
So was Eddie.
“Babe, can I talk to you for a minute?”
Eddie’s fire eyes meet mine and she smiles. “Aye, let’s go.”
Chapter 81
Edelina
“She’s the one who led them here. The Poacher bastarts,” I growl and pace in front of Ashy, hands shaking behind my back. “She’s a traitor of her own kind, of Hecate. She’s the Snake.”
“Yeah, I get it, babe. Really. Just…why is she chained?”
“So she doesnae run...” I stop and my face falls.
She would never be able to get away from a whole island of Lupi. Why am I chaining someone when the same was done to me? Regardless of how much she deserves it.
And Falen. She was hanging from chains when we went to get her out of the Underworld. She saw Raven hanging and wasn’t prepared for the sight. I didn’t warn her as she would have warned me.
“Shite,” I cuss beneath my breath. “I saw her, and I was full of so much rage...I ‘spose the Nemesis part of me took over when Lilith caught her and…I ‘spose it dinnae take my, or anyone else’s, trauma into consideration. I just wanted justice and I dinnae care how I got it.”
Ashy’s eyes soften.
“It’s okay. I understand. I felt it when you were captured. Primal rage…revenge. Darkness. I get it. I’m just glad you know this is not something you should do. You have other ways to get information from Raven anyway, you know.”
“Like what?”
“Nina. Or Fal if Nina isn’t comfortable pulling it from her head. Hell, it would probably be fun for Fal even if Nina is comfortable. Fal is a fucking terrifying interrogator. She could make me crack in five minutes.”
“Hmm, I would enjoy seein’ the wench sweat. And I’m okay with interrogatin’, but I’m interested in seein’ Reaper work.” I tap my chin and bite the inside of my cheek.
I owe this to Falen for what I just had her witness.
“A’rite. Falen can have at her.”
“She’s pretty impressive, I swear. Fal!” Ashy yells and the door to the basement opens. Falen and Nina walk up to us.
Fal’s face slowly regains color the farther away she walks from the basement.
“I’ve been told you are magic at interrogation, Reaper,” I say, putting a lighter lilt to my voice to pull her from the wrongness I’ve done her.
Her eyes light up. “I mean. I’m okay,” she admits, righting herself.
“Why are you always so goddamn humble?” Ash asks.
“Because cockiness fucked up my face, Ash Trash.”
I cough and clear my th
roat. Ashy has the mind to be sheepish.
“Okay, that’s fair,” he backs off.
“You want me to get information out of her, then?” Falen asks me, eyebrow raised at a humorous level.
I can practically see the need in the lass’s eyes for this. I didn’t realize she liked anything Lupi related more than fighting and killing.
“Aye, there has to be a bigger picture to all of this shite. I’d ask Nina here to just take it from her, but I want Raven to sweat. I want her to be broken. Like she broke me.” My voice cracks with the last sentence and I curse at myself.
But Falen just nods. She understands.
“Okay, Nina, I need you and Ash to go in and take Raven down from the chains. Clean her up as best as you can. Nina, heal her, but not all the way. Make sure she is still sore and uncomfortable.”
“Wait,” I try, but Falen looks at me with her game face. She’s in charge here. “Sorry, lass.”
“Eddie, while they take her to get cleaned up, we go in and set up a table with two chairs. And put cameras on the wall so you can watch from outside. And so we have proof for the Council.” She winks and I snort. “Babe?”
“Mhm?” Nina replies.
“Get her some food and water. Act friendly, like you can’t believe Eddie has done what she did.”
“Great,” Nina rolls her eyes and twirls a lock of hair around her finger.
“Do you still have that awful clock?” Fal asks her.
“Yes, Fal. Even though you tried to destroy it, yes.”
“Okay, I’ll go get it.”
“Are we tryna keep the twat on a schedule?” I ask, getting annoyed at all this accommodating Falen seems to be doing for the twit.
“No. I want to agitate her, but only just and that goddamn ticking clock is the perfect way to do it. Agitation subconsciously makes someone more willing to tell the truth to get out of the situation.”
“Hmm,” is all I comment and look to Ash.
He gives me that “I told you so,” glance.
Falen grabs my attention by taking a step closer, but not too close to be uncomfortable. She’s always aware of social distance.
“Okay, Eddie. At some point, she will probably tell me something she did to you. It’s going to suck, so I’m sorry in advance.” Her eyes flash with apologies once before they settle back into determination. “And I’m sorry for the acting I’m going to have to do. When Raven does bring something up, I need you to barge in and lunge at her.”
Finally, something I agree with.
“And Ash, when she does, I need you to grab Eddie and pull her out of the room.”
“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me? Cannae I hit her once? Just once?” I argue, my agitation getting the better of me this time.
“I think you’ve hit her enough for now,” Nina reasons, and my mouth snaps shut.
She’s right.
“Fine,” I growl and wave Falen on.
She turns to me again. “Just do what I say, and I can get any information you want out of her. But, for the love of the goddess, let me do it. No matter what you hear, you only have one chance,” she holds a slim finger in my face, “to come out and go for her throat. That’s it. If you try again, I’ll incapacitate you faster than you can blink. This information is important and may save us from losing anymore Lupi.”
The Alpha in me wants to push back, but Ashy said Falen is good at this, so I need to concede.
I nod.
“Work your magic, lass.”
Chapter 82
Falen
I roll my shoulders back and pop my neck.
I love interrogating.
Of course, I love scaring the shit out of people with physical aspects. But mental? There is something primally satisfying about breaking someone with how you speak to them. I guess I can understand why Nina is so in love with poetry because, in its own way, interrogation is a poetic weaving of just the right words to pull out a certain reaction.
The knob of the door is a cold bite in my hand as I twist it open and the ticking of the clock on the wall is already annoying as hell.
I smirk at the crack in the plastic cover of the damn thing. At least I didn’t break it completely.
“Can I get you anything else?” Nina asks Raven who doesn’t look like she got the shit beaten out of her an hour ago. There is slight bruising around her nose and her lip is still cracked, but it’s better than she was when she was…hanging from the chains. Which is far more than she deserves.
“No, sweet cheeks. That’ll do. I ‘preciate your dotin’.” Raven winks at Nina and I hold down my rage.
Poker face, Fal, I tell myself.
Self-control. Brownie point for me.
Nina smiles, but it’s fake. So fake, but only to me. Raven would be none the wiser with the sparkle in Nina’s eyes and the freckled dimples on her cheeks.
“Hey, Nina? Can I talk to Raven for a second?” I ask and her head shoots to me with relief in her icy eyes.
“Oh, hey. Of course.”
Nina gives one last smile to Raven who winks in return.
Please give her hell, Nina whispers in my mind as she brushes past me and out the door.
I’ll do my best, I tell her and slyly wink before the door closes.
“What do you want, Scarface?” Raven snaps and rubs at her ears, eying the clock with disdain.
“Hey, I’m the one who got Eddie to leave you alone, so you should probably remember your manners.” I lean against the wall across the room, keeping my distance.
“You’re also the one who picked me up by my wee throat and told me you were a monster.”
“But did you die?” I ask and smirk at her frown.
“What do you want, then?”
“Just to talk. That’s all. Making sure you’re doing okay after everything.” I wave in no general direction and push a few stray hairs from my face. “So, why are you still on the island? Hopefully, you didn’t get stuck in that Poacher bullshit that went down earlier. That was a mess.” I shake my head and cross my arms over my chest.
“Aye, so I heard. I was comin’ to visit again when all the shite hit the fan. I got on the island as it was endin’. But, as I told everyone else, Hecate invited me.” She grumbles like she’s tired of telling the same story over and over again.
Rather, the same lie.
“Oh, goddess. You came because of her again? Eddie’s in deep shit, huh?”
She nods her head, slight comradery shining in her smirk. “Where is the lass, by the way? Gettin’ lashes from the Council? Gettin’ pounded by her hot boyfriend?”
“Mate,” I correct cooly and pick at the ends of the hair sticking out from my braid.
“What?”
“He’s her Mate. Not her boyfriend. But that doesn’t matter.”
Her lip curls up at the word ‘Mate’. A touchy subject, then. I’ll file that away for later use.
“She’s somewhere getting scolded, I’m sure. Or facing the goddess’ wrath. I don’t really care.”
She smiles at this. Good.
“But anyway, why did Hecate send you? Nina is on the High Council, so she can send word to everyone else if it’s important.”
“Oh, fancy little princess, hmm?”
I must swallow the urge to rip her tongue from her dumbass face.
“Just to check up on things, really.” She swats on her ears with one hand, the other tapping the wood of the table. “And Zeus wanted to know how you are gettin’ along, you ken?”
My stomach rolls.
Zeus? Nina says in my mind. What the hell?
“Zeus? Wow. The big man. You must be important, then.”
“Aye, I am. Nae like that wee faery Ed that throws fiery tantrums and kills a whole island. I’ll be tellin’ Zeus aboot it, that’s for sure. And aboot her wee Mate,” she spits, clearly growing agitated. Her leg bounces beneath the table.
“What does Ash have to do with anything?”
“Zeus heard Hecate disobeyed him
and created Mates, so he wanted to see if it was true, I ‘spose.”
Nausea slides up my throat.
Oh, shit.
“Whoa, really? I didn’t know she wasn’t supposed to give us Mates. I didn’t really know Zeus had a hand in it at all.”
“Aye, you wouldnae. You’re nae privy to the gods as I am, lassie. Especially not Zeus.”
Oh, I have an idea why she’s so fucking close to him.
“Well, that’s not good at all. The Mates issue, I mean.”
“Why nae?”
Time to pull the Mates card.
“Well, we have three sets of Mates on the island.”
Oh, this pisses her off. Her eyes glow beneath her lashes and she clenches her jaw hard.
“Excuse me? Three?”
“Yeah,” I shrug. “Eddie and Ash, Corin and Lilith, and me and Nina.”
Her jaw clenches harder and her hands ball into fists.
“Sorry, lass. You’re probably gonnae get a real kick in your arse for it. But I havetae say, I’m more pleased with the fact that Ed will be punished.”
I roll my eyes and groan, throwing my hands in the air like I’m fucking sick of it all. “Why the hell is everyone so goddamn caught up with Eddie? Why is she so fucking special? Hecate loves her, the Poachers are after her, and you are obsessed with her. It’s fucking annoying.”
This makes her laugh.
Faligator…
Trust me, I whisper back.
“Anyway, you saw Eddie turn everyone into ashes, then?” I ask, tilting my head.
Her brows furrow. “Aye, that’s what I said.”
“Just clarifying since you said you got here at the end, that’s all.” I shrug and watch her small gulp at me catching the lie. “But why is everyone so goddamn interested in Eddie? I don’t understand the draw. She’s fucking annoying to me.”
Raven gives a wicked smile, loving my insults. “More like Eddie is interested in everyone else.”
I still, wiping any hint of emotion from my face like a pro poker player. “What does that mean?”
“It means she wants to fuck everyone, you ken? She fucked me, all the lads and lasses we brought home when we ran together, and a whole bunch of Poachers. Aye, that one liked whorin’ around. Or did she nae tell you aboot her colorful past?”