by Amy Sumida
“I hate him,” she whispered. “I hate him so much.”
“I know.” I hugged her tightly. “I hate him too.”
“What am I going to do, V?”
“You're going to cry, honey,” I said gently. “And then you're going to scream, and then you're probably going to throw a few things. It's okay, I can fix whatever you break. After you break stuff, you'll eat a lot of ice cream, and then you'll start the process all over again until you get strong enough to get over him. And I'm going to be there with you for every step of it.”
“Thank you, Vervain.” She sniffed.
“I love you, Sephy.” I rocked her as she started to cry again. “You're not alone.”
“Persephone!” Hades' roar made the palace tremble.
Persephone froze.
“I can't see him right now,” she whispered.
“I got this,” I said as I helped her into a chair.
“Where is she?” Hades shouted.
“Ease down, Hades,” I heard Trevor say. “She's really upset.”
“She's my wife, Trevor,” Hades snarled. “Get the fuck out of my way.”
Persephone started to cry.
“I'll be right back,” I said to her. “Don't worry; I won't let him past me.”
I rushed out of the room and found Hades surrounded by my men and lions.
“Vervain”—Hades spotted me—“is she in there?”
“Hades, I know there are three sides to every story, but the side I just heard is making it hard for me to conceive of any other version,” I said. “So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”
“Whatever Persephone thinks she saw, it's not true, Vervain,” Hades said.
“She saw you with Macaria's mother,” I said with deadly calm. “You're saying that didn't happen?”
The men around Hades went tense; their expressions hardening into fury; everyone loved Persephone. It was nearly impossible not to.
“That's not what she saw,” Hades declared.
“Hades, you need to go home and let her come to terms with this,” I said. “Persephone is too hurt right now; she doesn't want to see you.”
“Vervain, I will tear down this palace before I let you keep me from my wife,” Hades yanked his sunglasses off, and the fires of the Underworld blazed out at me. “Don't make me do that.”
“Threaten our wife again, and you'll be the one torn apart,” Trevor growled.
“Fuck you, Trevor; you're interfering in something between spouses,” Hades spat. “You have no right.”
“Your wife came to us,” I said calmly. “So, we're not interfering. But even if she hadn't, I'd have her back. Now, get the fuck out of my house, Hades, or we will see whose fire burns hotter.”
“I wasn't with Nyx!” Hades shouted in frustration.
“The fuck you weren't!” Sephy shouted back as she stepped through the arch of the dining room entrance. “I saw you holding her!”
“You saw Nyx clinging to me as I tried to push her away!” Hades tried to get around me but I stepped in front of him. “Get the fuck out of my way, Vervain!”
“Don't you ever speak to her like that, you flaming asshole!” Sephy screamed. “Vervain actually loves me.”
“I love you more than anyone in all the realms!” Hades declared.
“Yeah; I saw how much you love me,” Persephone muttered.
“Bunny-Nose,” Hades gentled his tone. “I swear to you that I was defending myself against her advances. I don't want Nyx; that woman is insane. Not to mention the fact that she's already with Erebus.”
“Well, cheating doesn't seem to be an issue for either of you,” Sephy snapped.
“Persephone.” Hades paused and looked at me. “Please, Vervain; step aside so I may speak to my wife.”
I looked into the fire of the Greek Underworld through the transparent-brown of Hades' irises, and remembered who he was. I knew Hades; he was my friend. I trusted him, and I knew there was no way he would ever betray Persephone. But if I didn't give him a chance, she definitely wouldn't.
I stepped aside.
Hades nodded gratefully to me and stepped up to his wife. “Persephone, I have never loved another woman as I love you. Nyx didn't stand a chance against our love. She knew that, and I believe that she manipulated things so that you'd walk in on us at the perfect moment to be misled.”
Persephone blinked her swollen eyes and seemed to consider this.
“Nyx told me she had a surprise for me,” Persephone murmured.
“I'll bet she did,” Hades snarled. “Bunny-Nose, I tossed Nyx out on her scrawny ass and warded all of the Underworld against her. If she wants to go home to Tartarus, she'll have to trace straight there; no more jaunts through my territory for her. I swear that Nyx will never come between us again.”
“You have a child with her,” Sephy whispered. “I thought that might be why you...”
“We could have a child if we wanted to; we just haven't gotten around to it.” Hades shrugged. “Persephone, you know me well enough by now to tell when I'm lying. Now, look at me.”
Persephone looked straight into those blazing eyes.
“I did not touch that woman willingly,” Hades said calmly. “She forced herself on me.”
Persephone inhaled sharply.
“Sweetheart, Nyx is a goddess of the night,” Hades said gently. “I already dwell in darkness; night is not what I crave. I need your light to drive away my shadows. You are my eternal Spring; I am reborn every time I hold you. Without you, I would grow cold and die.”
“She tricked me,” Sephy whispered.
“She did,” Hades confirmed. “But that will be the last time.”
“You're damn straight it is!” Persephone shouted. “Because I'm going to kill that bitch!”
Persephone started to storm off, but Hades swung her around into a passionate embrace. As they kissed, I waved everyone away. I was relieved beyond measure that my friends weren't breaking up, but I didn't have to witness any more of their making up. This moment should belong to them alone.
Still, I couldn't help glancing over as we took the elevator upstairs, and a soft smile spread across my face.
“Well, that's a relief,” Azrael said. “The last thing we need is another death god angry with us.”
I glanced at Azrael in irritation—about to say something about his selfish priorities—when I remembered that we needed to be investigating death gods.
“Does anyone else find it odd that Nyx would show up and pull this stunt with Hades now, of all times?” I asked.
“Her daughter is visiting,” Odin noted. “Maybe Nyx used it as an opportunity to get Hades back.”
“I've never even heard Hades mention Nyx before,” I said. “And now, here she is, wanting him back? This feels weird. Who is Erebus? Wait; I know who Erebus is; that's Morpheus' grandpa.”
“Yeah; Morph called Mac his aunt, remember?” Azrael reminded me.
“Right; Hypnos was Erebus' son,” I went on. “Which means that he was Nyx's son too.”
“Yeah,” Az said. “So?”
“So, I killed Hypnos,” Toby said. “You don't think this is some elaborate plan for payback, do you?”
“I don't know.” I scowled. “But the connections are bothering me. What is Erebus the god of?”
“Darkness, I think,” Odin said. “Like you, Toby.”
“So much darkness,” I whispered, thinking of Lia and Rowan. “But I've grown to love the dark.” I smiled at Toby. “No; we're not after gods of darkness; we're looking for deities associated with death.”
“Well, there's always Thanatos,” Azrael murmured.
We all looked at him in question.
“Thanatos,” Azrael said again, as if it would make sense if he repeated it enough.
The elevator door opened and we all got out; still wearing confused expressions.
“Who's Thanatos?” I asked as we headed into the bedroom.
“Thanatos is Hypnos' twin brot
her,” Azrael said. “And he's also a god of death; in particular, a reaper.”
“And you're just now mentioning this?” I asked with irritation.
“Someone brought Thanatos up earlier, but I didn't think it could be him.” Azrael shrugged. “Mac and I talked about Thanatos, and she said he's a really easy going guy; that he completely supports my retirement.”
“But what if this has nothing to do with you?” I blinked in shock. “What if this is actually about Toby?”
We all looked at Toby.
“Surely there are easier ways to get to me,” Toby pointed out.
“Valid,” I agreed. “But we can't ignore this strange coincidence.”
“Which is why I brought him up,” Az said. “Thanatos is the Greek God of Non-Violent Death, but that doesn't mean he can't cause some violent death himself. I think we should look into him.”
“I agree,” I said. “And I think we need to call in the Squad again.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“So, if Macaria is your aunt, does that makes Hades your grand-uncle?” I asked Morpheus.
We were meeting on the veranda for a change of scenery.
“No, Auntie Mac is my father's half-sister, and that half is from Nyx, not Hades,” Morph explained.
“In such a large pantheon, our connection is notable,” Hades said. “But not enough to label it.”
“There's no blood binding them,” Macaria said. “And blood is always the most important bond of all.”
Hades had brought Mac along again; this time by request—Azrael's request, not mine. I didn't want her involved in the Squad, but Az thought she might be able to help us with Thanatos. We compromised (score one for Neala) and agreed that Mac could stay for the talk on Thanatos, and then Azrael and her could have a visit—in another part of the palace—to discuss reaper retirement issues.
“Blood is important,” I agreed. “How important is it to you? Enough that you'd protect your brother, even if he's guilty?”
“Guilty of what?” Mac shot back. “What are you accusing Thanatos of?”
“Nothing yet,” Azrael interceded. “He's a death god, and there have been connections made to him that raise suspicions.”
“What connections?” Mac countered again.
“My father,” Morpheus said softly. “Toby killed him in battle.”
“I thought this was about Azrael?” Macaria frowned.
“We're exploring every option,” Brahma said evasively with a weighted look my way.
I blinked in surprise and a fair amount of relief. It looked as if I wasn't the only one unwilling to trust Macaria so soon.
“Mac,” Hades interrupted, “your mother orchestrated a significant argument between Persephone and me. One that nearly destroyed our marriage. The timing for all of this feels planned.”
“And Mom's actions have what to do with Thanatos?” Macaria asked.
“He's her son... as Hypnos was,” Hades said. “We have no hard evidence against Thanatos or your mother, we're just investigating death gods, and Thanatos got put at the top of the list because of his connections; you understand?”
“Yeah; sure,” she huffed. “You want me to spy on my brother.”
“Not at all,” Odin said. “We're asking if you've noticed anything odd concerning him lately; anything that struck you as out of the ordinary.”
“Well, Thanatos has been talking a lot about how much he hates angels,” she offered.
“What?” Hades asked in horror.
“She's joking,” Azrael said with a chuckle.
“Which you should have known.” Mac frowned at her father. “But it looks like this angel knows me better than my own father.”
“Macaria.” Hades sighed. “I know you very well, but I had thought you were more courteous than to joke about a situation that could hurt this new friend of yours; a friend who evidently knows you better than I.”
Macaria sighed. “Okay; you're right. Sorry, Dad. I just got pissed off about you thinking poorly of Thanatos. My brother is a good man; even his death magic is good. Thanatos wouldn't hurt Az.”
“What about me?” Toby asked. “Would he want to hurt me for killing his twin? I know that I would want revenge if my brother were killed.”
“Would you really?” Macaria looked at Toby dubiously. “You seem like a reasonable guy. Would you really hold someone responsible for killing your brother if it occurred during a battle? Warriors die; that's what happens in a fight, and Hypnos chose to participate. My brother knows that.”
Toby canted his head, and the thin braid he wore among his loose, long hair, fell forward; the black feather at its end getting caught in the V of his button-up shirt. It reminded me of another battle, when Toby had saved my life and died in the process. Before he passed away, Toby had used his feather to free me from a spell I was under... a spell that his twin brother, Naye, had placed on me. Toby hadn't approved of his brother's actions, but he had supported Naye, because that's what twins did for each other. I thought of my boys and knew they'd be the same way. The bond of twins is special, and I had a feeling that it could change even the most reasonable man's perspective. But Toby narrowed his eyes in thought, and then shrugged.
“You're certain Thanatos isn't behind this?” Thor asked Mac.
“I think I know my own brother,” Macaria huffed.
“As well as your father knows you?” Horus shot back.
Macaria narrowed her eyes on the Egyptian, and Hekate narrowed her eyes on Macaria.
“I suggest you turn your death stare somewhere else, little girl,” Hekate growled; her midnight eyes flashing bright white for a second. “You're outclassed and outranked here.”
Macaria paled and looked to her father for help, but it was Azrael who saved her.
“I think that's all we need for now,” Azrael said as he stood. “You want a drink, Mac?”
“It's like 11 AM,” Macaria grumbled as she got up.
“And?” Azrael grinned.
“Fuck yeah; I want a drink!” Macaria laughed.
The two of them wandered into the palace, and as they went, I heard Azrael whisper, “We try not to curse here; because of the children.”
“Oh, shit; sorry,” Mac said. Then she realized what she had said. “I mean; I'll try not to swear so much.”
“She's a gem, Hades,” Blue said dryly.
“Wait till you have children,” Hades said, “then talk to me about parenting.”
“Fair enough.” Blue laughed as he took Eztli's hand.
The couple shared a soft smile. Until recently, Eztli was purely a vampire; a demigod made by accident when Blue gave her his blood. Eztli had been stuck in stasis; unable to conceive. But then she became the Goddess of the Blood Moon (long story) and now, having a child had become a possibility.
“That doesn't concern you?” Ted whispered the question to me as he jerked his head after Az and Mac.
“What?” I asked. “Azrael spending time with Macaria?”
“Yes.”
“Concern me how?” I asked.
“As a woman,” he lowered his voice even more. “As a wife.”
“You seriously think that Azrael would cheat on me?” I asked in a scoffing tone.
As I said the words, all of my old insecurities rose up. Mac had already caused problems between Azrael and me; I had seen how close they were getting. Then just now, with that whole joke about Thanatos hating angels; Az had understood her as if they were the best of friends. Should I be worried about Azrael and Mac?
“I don't think he'd make a conscious decision to cheat on you,” Ted said. “But I don't like that woman; she makes my skin crawl.”
“Coming from the Antichrist, that's pretty bad,” I noted.
“Just watch your back with her, Vervain,” Ted said. “I have a bad feeling.”
“Okay,” I whispered.
“No offense, Hades, but I don't think we should remove Thanatos from the list of suspects just because of Macaria's fa
ith in him,” Thor said.
“I agree,” Hades said as he tucked Persephone in closer against his chest and kissed her forehead. “Macaria may be blind to both her mother and her brother.”
Hades and Sephy were like a couple of newlyweds after their near-break-up; and they had been affectionate before. Almost losing each other had made them clingy to the point of ridiculousness. Not just newlyweds; teenage newlyweds.
“And no one can truly understand the bond of twins except for the twins themselves,” Toby said; confirming my earlier thoughts. “I would avenge Naye; even were he in war when he died... even were he on the wrong side of a war.”
We all processed that for a moment.
“So, we still have Thanatos,” Finn broke the silence with his sexy Irish lilt. “Who else is there?”
“Anubis is safe to cross off the list,” Re said. “He's blissfully happy with his new lady.”
“Though he would have been a viable suspect,” Torrent pointed out. “We're looking for death deities who have a bone to pick with one of us.”
“One of us,” Teharon murmured as he shared a look with Karni-Mata.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Yama,” Karni said. “I mentioned him to Teharon, but we decided not to bring him up since there's no connection between him and Azrael.”
“Yama!” I exclaimed as I looked at my husbands. “I forgot about him.”
“There is a connection?” Karni asked, and then her expression went livid. “I knew it! That no-good death monger!”
“Whoa; take a breath.” Trevor held up his hands. “Amaterasu called Vervain to ask us help her investigate some suicides in Japan, and the god behind them was Enma.”
“Enma?” Brahma looked at Sarasvati and then at Karni-Mata. “That's Yama's counterpart.”
“And his brother,” Sara said. “By blood.”
“He is? But Enma is Japanese,” I said without thinking. The looks on everyone's faces were enough to remind me that all gods were Atlantean; their appearances had nothing to do with their actual ethnicity, or even their parentage, evidently. “Right; I'm a moron.”
The Horsemen chuckled.
“This is getting stranger and stranger,” Brahma noted. “I feel as if the answer were right before us; a torn tapestry waiting for us to connect the threads.”