by Amy Sumida
“That is Empusa,” Cerberus announced as he joined us. “Come on.”
We went forward together and as we did, Empusa transformed. Her hair and eyes went dark like banked embers, the former hanging down to her freshly trimmed waist in silken curls. Her skin smoothed from a mottled and pocked mess into a glowing tan. Her breasts lifted and tightened to fill the top of a slinky, red, cocktail dress while her generous hips filled out the bottom.
“Cer-bear!” Empusa exclaimed as she opened her arms to my bestie.
“Aunty Em!” Cerberus swept his Aunty Em up in a Cer-bear hug.
I shared an amused look with Declan.
“It's been ages.” Empusa gave Cer's cheek a pat and then slid out of their hug. “How are you, pup?”
“I'm good. Got a steady woman now and my business is doing well.”
“I heard.” She nodded. “Security. Using your skills; very smart.”
“Thanks.” Cer grinned and waved us forward. “This is my best friend, Elaria, and her husband, Declan.”
“I've heard of you two as well.” She hugged me first then Declan. “The Spellsinger who conquered Tír na nÓg and the King of Alexandrite who conquered the Spellsinger. Impressive.”
“I think it was more the other way around.” Declan winked at Empusa. “Elaria did the conquering.”
“I'm sure she did, darling,” Empusa drawled, “but that wouldn't have sounded as good as my way.”
“Artistic license,” he offered with a grin.
“I've heard things about you too,” I said to Empusa. “Horrifying things.”
Empusa chortled. “Thank you so much! I've fostered those myths carefully.”
“The beautiful woman who seduces young men only to murder them as they sleep then dine on their flesh and drink their blood. Impressive.” I smirked.
Empusa laughed more. “She's delightful, Cer, you should bring her around more often.”
“I will now that I know you've taken the job.”
“You going to see the boss?” She asked.
“The Queen, actually,” I corrected.
“Nice. Tell them that all's well at the gates.”
“Will do.” Cerberus was already on his way through the iron gates, pushing them open with one hand while waving back at Empusa with the other.
We followed Cer, waving our goodbyes as well. The Gates shut as soon as we were through, and I hurried to catch up with Cerberus.
“Aunty Em?” I lifted a brow at my bestie.
“She helped to look after Heidi and me after my parents were put in the hole; you know that.”
“Yeah, but I didn't know you called her Aunty Em, Dorothy,” I teased. “Or should I call you Toto?”
“I told you before; put on a gingham dress, and I'll get my collar.” Cerberus waggled his brows at me.
It made me pause. Not because I ever took Cer's flirting seriously but because I realized that he had toned down his sexual banter tremendously. It had happened slowly, so slowly that I had missed the transition. We used to tease each other to the point where everyone assumed we were sleeping together. Even when we were in relationships with other people, we never turned down the flirting. But then I had met Torin, and I had eased back on our banter. It was me. I did this; Cer had just followed my lead.
For a second, I missed the old us but then I realized that we had simply grown into another stage of our friendship. Nothing was lost. He was still my best friend; a man I'd do anything for. We just happened to have other people who we loved in a way more intimate than we loved each other and that was okay. That was more than okay.
“And you look damn good in a collar,” I said with a soft smile.
“That I do.” Cer's look softened as well, and I knew he was happy with our transition too.
“If anyone is going to wear a collar for Elaria, it shall be me,” Declan declared and winked at me.
“Hey, I don't want to know about your kinky fetishes,” Cer protested. “At least, not in front of Elaria. Tell me later.”
I slapped both men on their shoulders playfully. Then something occurred to me. “Hold on; Hades has Empusa guarding the Gates? How did that happen?”
“He must have been desperate.” Cer chuckled. “The Guardian of the Gates has to be especially terrifying; it's expected. Hades can't give the post to just any monster.”
“Of course not,” I agreed smugly. “They have to live up to their predecessor, after all.”
“Precisely.” Cerberus puffed out his chest.
The rest of the walk to Hades and Persephone's castle was spent showing Declan the sights. The last time he'd been to Styx had been to rescue me from Hydra so he didn't get a chance to check out the lush gardens that Persephone took great pride in or her legendary pomegranate groves. We couldn't dawdle this time either, but we could at least point out pretty things while we went.
Finally, we made it to the castle gates. Here there were regular guards posted and they knew Cer and me well. We were waved through and told that Their Majesties were promenading in the back garden. Declan, Cerberus, and I skirted the dark keep, taking a stone path through the vegetable beds of the kitchen garden and then through the fragrant orchard before we made it to the castle's flower gardens.
Blossoms of every height and color crowded the edges of the pebbled path and then curved out to border a circular, grassy space. A pond languished in the center of the lawn with a gazebo set in the center of that. A set of stairs at opposite ends of the gazebo arched down to the water's edge. Black swans glided across the glassy surface, holding their necks aloft in graceful curves and leaving ripples in their wake. The King and Queen of Styx stood at the gazebo railing feeding the swans and their fluffy babies crumbs of bread.
“Hey, Boss,” Cerberus called to Hades.
Cer had been fired centuries ago, but he still called Hades his boss. I suppose a habit formed over thousands of years is hard to break. Hades and Persephone looked up and cocked their heads at us in unison. It appeared so choreographed that I snickered.
“Stay there,” Hades ordered. “I don't want you to startle the swans. We just got them in from Australia.”
Cerberus, Declan, and I paused at the rim of the grassy circle as the royal couple strolled down the gazebo steps, her hand wrapped around his forearm.
“Elaria,” Persephone said warmly as they reached us. “It's good to see you.” She hugged me and then held her hand out to Declan to be kissed before doing the same to Cerberus. “Shall we sit?”
I nodded a greeting to Hades before I followed Persephone, leaving the men to say hello. The Queen of the Underworld settled her voluminous green skirts around her with a rustle as I perched next to her on a stone bench. The flowers nearby bent their stalks to reach her, drawn by her fertility magic. Persephone absently stroked their petals as she waited for me to begin.
“The Nymphs are in trouble,” I launched right into it.
“The Nymphs?” Persephone asked in surprise, her fingers frozen over the petals of a crimson bloom. “What do you mean?”
“The Demos Family has been capturing nymphs on Olympus and taking them to Earth to break them and sell as slaves,” Cerberus explained as he stepped up with Hades and Declan.
“The Demos Family?” Persephone looked at her husband for an explanation.
“Satyrs, my love,” Hades said then narrowed his eyes at Cerberus. “Are you saying what I think you're saying?”
“What do you mean by 'break?'” Persephone asked.
“They're raping them, Persephone,” I said softly.
“But that would... why would someone do that to nymphs? That's just...” Persephone's hand fluttered away from the flowers and over to her chest.
“Because it turns them into the perfect sex slaves,” Hades growled. “It's reprehensible!”
“Yeah, I said so too, Boss,” Cer agreed. “We freed one group, and Lucifer fed them fruit from his Tree of Life to heal them. But the satyrs just went back and got more.”
“They killed every satyr who was sent,” Declan announced grimly.
“Well done!” Hades declared, his dark eyes flashing fire for a moment.
“Oh, no,” Persephone whispered simultaneously.
Persephone behaved like a fragile flower or a demanding diva depending on her mood, but the Queen of Styx was no weakling nor was she a vapid narcissist. She saw the problem before her husband did.
“Why does that upset you?” Hades asked his wife. “Aren't you glad that they defended themselves?”
“They killed one group of satyrs who were likely not expecting a fight,” Persephone hardened her stare on her husband. “And it sounds as if these particular satyrs are violent criminals, Hades. What do you think they'll do when they hear of this setback?”
“Oh,” Hades murmured. Then he straightened and set his stare on Cerberus. “You're here to ask for our help.”
“I came to let Persephone know that I've been helping the Nymphs, but I can't defend them on Olympus while I fight the Demos Family on Earth,” I said.
“I appreciate you looking after them, Elaria.” Persephone kissed my cheek and the scent of ripe pomegranates surrounded me briefly. She stood up, taking my hand to bring me with her. “I'll keep the Nymphs of Olympus safe if you'll continue to fight the satyrs on Earth.”
“Thank you, Persephone. We'll do our best.”
“If they were surprised by the Nymphs before just wait until they see the Army of Hades standing at their back,” Persephone declared.
“Oh?” Hades asked with amused indulgence. “We're taking the army to Olympus?”
“Don't act as if you haven't always wanted an excuse to take your army to Olympus,” she chided him.
Hades shrugged and grinned wider. “Thank you for visiting; it's always a pleasure,” he said to us. “But now my wife and I need to prepare for war.”
Cer, Declan, and I started to head for the side garden, but Hades stopped us.
“Cerberus?”
“Yeah, Boss?” Cer turned around like an eager puppy.
“Good job, Hellhound.”
“Thanks, Boss!” Cerberus grinned as if he'd never stop.
An epiphany struck me as I watched them. Cer's parents have been imprisoned for most of his life. I don't know exactly how old he was when they were forced into Tartarus, but I know it was young. Several people had looked after him and his sister, but there were only a few who left their mark on Cerberus. Like Empusa... and Hades. Cerberus saw Hades as a father figure and, like most children, he craved his father's approval. His undying loyalty to Hades wasn't about a job, it was about love.
I smiled to myself. Cerberus and I had been connected long before we met. Persephone was like a sister to the Sirens, and Hades was like a father to Cerberus. How had I missed that? Maybe because I'd always thought of Hades as someone who Cerberus needed to distance himself from; a man who had fired a loyal employee. But now I saw him as so much more, and I started to wonder if maybe Hades had fired Cerberus for his own good. To get Cer off Styx and into the other realms. To give him a chance to live his own life. To fall in love and build his own empire. I looked back at Hades with a new perspective and caught him staring at Cerberus with a proud, gentle smile; a father's smile.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Cerberus went from Styx to Las Vegas to spend time with his girlfriend, Freya, while Declan and I headed to Kyanite.
“I want to check on Kasteo,” I said after we appeared in my tower living room. “Can you let Darc know what's happened?”
“Sure. I'll contact the others too. I think we need a family meeting.” Declan headed for the stairs.
“Sounds good.”
I went out to the balcony then crossed a bridge to Gage's tower. His tower was between mine and the guest tower Kasteo was using and served as a connecting point between them. Since I was there, I popped my head in to see if my griffin was home.
“Gage?”
“Yeah?” His footsteps echoed down to me before he appeared. “You're back.” Gage grinned and came out to the balcony to give me a kiss.
“We've had some news about the Nymphs on Olympus.”
“Not the satyrs again?” Gage went grim.
“Yes, but the Nymphs were ready this time. They killed all of the satyrs the Demos Family sent.”
“Oh, shit,” Gage whispered. “Those fuckers are going to retaliate.”
“We think so too.” I grimaced. “It's messed up when defending yourself only brings you more trouble.”
“So, what are we going to do?”
“I spoke to Persephone, and she's taking the Army of Hades to Olympus to protect the Nymphs.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah.” I laughed. “I'm on my way to tell Kasteo. Meet me back at my tower in a few? Declan wants to have a meeting.”
“Sure.” He gave me another kiss before I left.
I walked around Gage's tower to the opposite side where the bridge to Kasteo's tower connected to Gage's balcony and then headed over. Inside, the lower floors of the tower suite were silent and dark.
“Kas?” I called as I climbed the stairs. “I need to talk to you.”
I found Kasteo laying on his bed, a single lamp turned on beside him, staring at the vaulted ceiling as if it could explain the secrets of life to him.
“Oh, Kas,” I whispered and went to sit beside him. “I'm sorry about Helene.”
“I loved her, El,” he said brokenly.
“I know, honey.” I laid down beside him and took his hand.
“I was out prowling, just creeping through windows to see what stuff people had stashed away. You know; like I do.”
“Yeah, I know.” I grinned at him.
“I slipped through this window and saw her. She was just lying there, curled up on the floor, with a cut dripping blood down her cheek, but not a single tear in her eyes. She just stared steadily ahead, halfway to broken but still fighting it. I couldn't leave her behind.”
“You did a good thing, Kas. Helene's just too stupid to see what a great guy you are.”
“Maybe.” He sighed. “But I still miss her.”
“About that...” I looked over at him. “Cer received some news from Olympus.”
“What happened?” Kasteo jerked up into a sitting position. “Is Helene okay?”
“Yeah, she's fine.” I sat up and held a hand out. “None of the Nymphs were hurt, but they killed every satyr sent after them.”
“Holy shit! I didn't think they had it in them,” Kasteo whispered and then grinned viciously. “I wish I could have seen it.”
“I went to speak with Persephone and Hades. They're going to take their army to Olympus to support the Nymphs,” I went on, looking at him pointedly.
“Oh... right. The Demos Family won't be able to let that slide.”
“No.”
“I'm going to help!” Kasteo leapt out of bed.
“What?” I gaped at him.
“I'm going to help the Nymphs, El!” He beamed at me. “It'll give me another chance with Helene. When she sees me defending her people, she won't be able to stop herself from falling in love with me.”
“Um...”
“You'll see!” Kas pulled out the traveling stone I'd given him. “She won't be able to resist the Terrencal charm!”
“Kasteo, wait!”
He was gone before I could say another word.
“Son of a bitch!”
Wrong species entirely, RS said drolly in my mind.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
When I got back to my tower, Cerberus was there along with my men.
“What's going on?” I asked as I stepped into the living room.
“One of my informants called; those fuckers trashed my office,” Cerberus growled.
“It's a
good thing you sent Mike and his family on vacation.”
“No, not good,” Cer protested. “I mean, Mike being safe is good, but if they trashed my office, it means that they're onto us.”