And now the demons had six of everything, she was sure of it.
Only one thing was left to complete the ceremony. The person the demons thought was their queen.
***
The blurred countryside outside Jax’s window sharpened to individual trees and buildings as Mom slowed the truck and pulled into a gas station. The SUV and the two vans behind them followed.
The smell of gas and exhaust assaulted Jax as he got out to fill up, not doing his already pounding head any favors.
Kaia, one of Mom’s friends, climbed out of the van. “There’s a diner a few blocks down,” she said, pointing at a brown-roofed building down the street. “After we fuel up, let’s head over and get a good meal.”
Jax left the gas pumping and stepped around the hood. “We can grab something on the way. The diner will take too long.”
Kaia turned, and he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “We’ve been driving all night and all day. The kids need a break. Everyone needs a break.”
He hated to push, but he hated the thought of leaving Persephone unprotected one more night even more. “We can rest when we get to New Orleans.”
“That’s a while yet,” Mom said. “No need to make everyone go hungry.”
Jax didn’t like it, but figured she was right. The diner, and then they’d get back on the road.
As they wrapped up dinner, Jax drummed his fingers on his legs, growing more restless by the second. When he saw Kaia coming toward him, eyes narrowed and jaw set, he tensed. This can’t be good.
Kaia sat across from Mom. “We’ve all been talking. Everyone’s tired, and one of the wheels on the van keeps getting low. I’m thinking we find a place to buy a tire, relax for awhile, maybe even rest for the night.”
“The night?” Jax shook his head. “We can’t stop now. Not when we’re so close.”
“It’s been a tough couple of days. We’ll be no good if we’re too exhausted to fight. Even then, very few of us can fight.”
He glanced back at the people who’d had their homes burned, lost family members, had been surviving in the woods, and then were forced to drive for hours on end. No one looked ready for a fight. Dragging them into battle now would probably get them killed.
He was even feeling it. Fighting all those demons he’d felt indestructible—more powerful than he’d ever felt—but it was like the strength was gradually being drained from him, replaced by a headache that wouldn’t go away.
Zapped energy or not, the thought of not getting to Persephone tonight made his stomach churn. He tried to tell himself she would be okay. She was well trained, and she knew to be careful and to stay indoors after dark—in theory. Mara and her friends would be there helping her, too.
Blocking everything else out, he tried to focus on his instincts. On Persephone. He felt the pull to her, but he wasn’t getting any vibes that she was in danger.
“We’ll take off early tomorrow morning,” Kaia said. “Then we’ll still get into town early. I just can’t ask any more of them.”
Another glance at the others’ tired faces, and Jax understood what she meant. He couldn’t ask any more of them either.
He slowly nodded his head. “Find a hotel then.”
The phone hanging on the wall next to the diner caught his eye. With nowhere to charge it, his cell had been dead for days. I wonder if they’d let me make a call. At least then I could talk to Persephone. He missed her like crazy and needed to hear her voice. Then he could tell her he’d see her tomorrow—that she only needed to wait one more night for him and then they’d come up with a plan. He wasn’t sure how exactly yet, but together, they’d figure it out. Jax glanced across the table at Mom and found her watching him, eyebrows knit together. He shot her a smile, wanting to keep her from worrying. “I’m just going to go make a quick call.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The afternoon had passed by in a numb blur. Persephone found herself sitting on her bed, with no recollection of how she got there. There was a strange ringing in her ears, too. Thoughts drifted around in her head, but it was hard to catch hold of one and keep it.
She shook her head, trying to shake the fogginess from her brain.
At one point, she’d considered not going to meet Adrastos, but right now she couldn’t remember why. Why wouldn’t I go meet him? That makes no sense.
Her gaze moved to the phone on the end of her bed. “That’s right. I was going to call Mara. To check in and see if she could meet me and Adrastos, so we could come up with a plan. And there was something else I really needed to talk to her about.”
Only she couldn’t remember what it was.
She reached for the phone and noticed she was wearing black lace gloves. When did I put these on? Where did I even get them?
Looking down, she saw she was wearing a swirled pattern, black corset. Tiny jewels glittered as she moved. The tiered, taffeta black skirt made a crinkling noise as she stood to look in the mirror. Her hair hung in waves over her shoulders and light bounced off the chalcedony stone on her neck.
“Why don’t I remember getting dressed?”
Something about her outfit—her whole look—seemed so familiar, yet she couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Mara. I think I need to talk to Mara.
Skirt whooshing around her, she crossed the room and picked up the phone. The display showed one missed call.
When did I miss a call? The number didn’t look familiar. Area code 334? Where is that?
There was a message as well. As she went to retrieve it, the phone rang. Mara.
Persephone answered and started down the hall. “Hey, I was about to call you. I’m having the weirdest afternoon.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve had all these people coming in, wanting me to curse their exes. How many times do I have to tell people I don’t do that kind of thing?” Mara sighed. “Anyway, I’m about to work on a demon locator spell and see if we can’t find where they’re nesting and torch a few buildings before they wake up for the night. Want to come over and see what we find?”
“I’m not sure. I keep blanking out blocks of space. Like I’m losing hours, Mara. It happened to me yesterday in the mall, right before all the demons attacked me. Then today, I’m suddenly sitting in my bedroom, no recollection of even coming home from school, and I’m wearing… Well, an outfit I’d put on if I was going to some kind of Halloween ball.”
Persephone walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with water. What was that other thing I was going to tell her? It was important.
Something she’d found out at school.
“That sounds bad. I think you better come see me. And you better hurry, because the sun will be setting soon.”
Banging sounded on the front door. “Just a minute,” Persephone said to Mara. “Someone’s here.”
Persephone lowered the phone and looked out the peephole. Mrs. Lewis stood on the other side.
Mrs. Lewis raised a hand and knocked again.
Why is she here now? Planning on ignoring it, she turned around. Her shoe caught and she stumbled. The glass slid from her hand and shattered, and her phone dropped and skittered across the floor.
More knocking, then Mrs. Lewis’s muffled voice came from the door. “Please open the door, Persephone. I can hear you in there.”
Persephone unlocked the door and swung it open. Mrs. Lewis’s eyes widened as she looked at her.
“I know, I know,” she said, smoothing a hand down her outfit. “It’s…a long story.”
Mrs. Lewis crossed her arms. “Is it true you’ve been living alone for months? That your grandmother no longer lives here with you?”
Persephone’s vision blurred around the edges. She felt lightheaded—weightless—and her right thigh suddenly felt very hot. She stepped forward. It was time to go.
She pulled the door closed behind her and started past the counselor.
Mrs. Lewis placed her hand on Persephone’s shoulder. “Honey, where are you going?”
“I’ve got to go,” Persephone said.
“I’m concerned about your current living situation, and we need to have a serious talk.”
“Yes. Serious. Must go now.” The tugging was getting stronger, like there was a string attached to her heart and someone was yanking it. Without another glance at the woman, Persephone walked down the sidewalk toward the destiny awaiting her.
***
The needle on the speedometer wobbled back and forth, going into territory it had probably never been before. Vibrations rattled the entire truck, but Jax didn’t ease off the gas pedal.
After calling Persephone and leaving her a sappy voicemail about how much he loved her and missed her, he’d gone with everyone else to the hotel. But he couldn’t relax.
Something was wrong—he felt it in his bones.
So he’d left everyone at the hotel, jumped in the truck, and barreled out of Alabama as fast as he could. Now he was speeding down I-59, only a few miles from leaving Mississippi and entering Louisiana.
If he didn’t make it in time, he’d…He didn’t even want to think of what he would do. The dagger should be his biggest fear, but all he could think about was Persephone. The nightmares, her confession about the demon blood and the pull she sometimes felt, and how she’d been so worried she’d asked him to cut her hand off.
I’m an idiot. I should’ve never left her alone. This was my job, my calling, and I screwed up.
To the west, the sun hung low, dipping toward the horizon. Soon it would be gone from the sky, and demons would be free to roam. With any luck, Persephone would be tucked into her home, safe and sound. He’d join her and everything would be fine.
The sick feeling twisting at his gut told him that wasn’t going to happen, though.
***
Excitement surged through Persephone as she neared Jackson Square. She’d see Adrastos soon. For years she’d dreamed of this moment—she just wished this strange fuzzy feeling would go away.
A couple people stared as she walked down the sidewalk. One woman’s eyes bulged, and she leaned down and put a hand on her young son’s back, scooting him faster and mumbling something about New Orleans and people dressed like vampires. She glared daggers at Persephone as she passed.
I’m having the weirdest déjà vu.
Her thigh felt like it was on fire now. She thought about lifting up her skirt to check on it, but there were too many people out and about, and apparently she’d already offended at least one of them. Maybe when she got to the square, she could find a secluded spot.
She entered the square and searched the faces for Adrastos.
What if he doesn’t make it in time?
The sun skimmed the horizon, and the color started to fade from the day. She needed to find Adrastos, and then they needed to get somewhere safe. Maybe Mara’s.
Mara. I never finished talking to her.
An alarm went off in her head. The ceremony. I was going to ask her about the ceremony. Her thoughts came tumbling back to her. Isadora’s body had been found. That’s what she needed to tell Mara, so they could figure out when and where the ceremony was going to be.
It was also why she’d considered not meeting Adrastos. It was too dangerous to be out with the ceremony looming, and as much as she wanted to see him, she had to think about keeping herself safe. So she could keep the dagger safe.
The darkening sky, the murders, the ceremony. Fuzziness turned to hysteria. This was all wrong. She shouldn’t be here. Her breath quickened, and the scenery bled together as she spun around—the statue of Andrew Jackson on his horse, trees, smeary groups of people.
A hand gripped her shoulder.
She whipped around, her heart thundering in her chest.
The tension slowly leaked out of her body, quickly replaced with lightness and warmth. She let out a relieved breath. “Adrastos.”
“I told you I was coming for you,” he said, the start of a smile on his lips.
“I’m so glad you’re here, but something’s wrong, and we need to get out of here before it’s too late.” She glanced around the square. “Where are all your men?”
“Coming. I saw you and I couldn’t wait.” His approving gaze ran down her, causing her heart to skip a couple beats. “You look stunning.”
Heat crept into her cheeks. “Thanks. I’m not really sure how I ended up wearing it.” She grabbed his hand. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Something weird is happening. We need to get to my voodoo priestess and figure it out.”
Tightening her grip on his hand, she stepped toward the street. But Adrastos didn’t budge. She looked over her shoulder at him. “Didn’t you hear me? We’ve got to hurry.”
“We’ve got to wait for my men. Don’t worry, my love. They’ll be here shortly.” He tugged her back to him. Eyes locked onto hers, he lifted his hand and ran his thumb along her lip. “I’ve waited for so long to hold you in more than just your dreams.”
A shiver ran down her spine. She thought she’d felt the full effect of his touch before, but it was nothing compared to the electricity humming through her veins now. All she could do was stare, mesmerized by the way his predatory eyes stared back at her. Like he wanted to devour her.
Everything that had seemed so urgent moments ago disappeared, and now, all she wanted to do was be here with him. Everything would be okay as long as she stayed by his side.
The last rays of light disappeared, leaving gray in their place. Adrastos leaned down, his lips moving for hers, and she didn’t think she had enough self-control to stop him.
Then she sensed the demons. She pulled away and scanned the area. All the people filling the square only moments ago were gone. Hulking demons with glowing red eyes came out of the trees, all of them heavily armed. Every muscle in Persephone’s body tensed, and her stomach dropped down to her toes.
Adrastos wrapped his arm around her waist. “It’s okay, my love.” He kissed the top of her head. “Now that my army’s here, we can get started.”
***
Darkness crept across the sky as the sun dropped out of sight. He’d made it in the nick of time.
Jax parked the truck in front of Persephone’s, sprinted down the sidewalk, and took the porch steps two at a time.
He knocked, reaching for the doorknob.
The door swung open. His scalp prickled. Persephone never left the door unlocked. He didn’t feel her either, but he pushed that back, wanting to be wrong, and entered the dim house. “Persephone?”
Something crunched under his foot. Shards of glass sat in a puddle of water; her phone rested a few feet away.
His alarm grew to full-blow panic, making all the blood rush to his head. He ran down the hall to her room.
Her closet door was ajar. There at the back, the false wall where she hid the dagger, hung open. The box the dagger was kept in rested haphazardly on top of a couple pairs of shoes. He moved to look in the box.
The clear case sat inside.
And it was empty.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Persephone could only stare into Adrastos’s face. She wanted him to take it back. Clarify that he didn’t mean the demons.
But he didn’t.
Furious tears sprang to her eyes. All this time, he’d been lying. She stepped back. “I trusted you,” she choked out. She took another step back. “I loved you.”
“You still do,” Adrastos said.
She shook her head. Even as she tried to deny it, her heart screamed it was true. “Who are you? Who are you, really?”
He casually shrugged one shoulder. “I go by many names. Hades is the most common.”
“No,” she whispered. She couldn’t believe she’d been carrying on a relationship with the God of the Underworld—didn’t want to believe it.
“I couldn’t exactly tell you who I was in the beginning, so I went with a nickname Zeus gave to me. I want you to know, though, I never lied about my feelings for you.”
Persephone closed her eyes, trying to
keep herself from coming completely undone. His voice soothed her in a way that made it difficult to focus on his betrayal. A realization dawned on her, and her eyes flew open. “You sent demons after me. And Lamia, you sent her, too.”
His nostrils flared. “After you told me you were in love with someone else, I didn’t have much choice. I made it clear you were to be brought in alive. Sure, necessary force was to be used, but I knew you’d heal.” He arched one of his dark eyebrows, and his voice dropped back to a low, seductive hum. “You’re even stronger than I realized. And by my side, you’ll be even more powerful.”
She didn’t feel strong or powerful. It felt like she was going to shatter where she stood. The wind would sweep away her remains, her broken soul drifting into the night. A lump formed in her throat, and she took another step back.
“I’m not going to be by your side.” She gritted her teeth. “I’d rather die.”
“You’ll change your mind. It’s your destiny. That’s why no one can steal you from me.” He made a big show of looking around. “And where is the Warrior who thought he could take what belonged to me?”
Persephone wished Jax was here, while being incredibly glad he wasn’t. She forced down the awful ache gnawing at her chest and glared at Adrastos—Hades. “I don’t belong to you.”
“Yes you do. You know it.” His eyes bored into hers. “You feel it.”
Heat surged through her body; her hands longed to reach out and touch him. She needed to be near him like her lungs needed oxygen.
She closed her eyes, trying to fight the desire to close the space she’d put between them.
“It’s our destiny to serve together,” Adrastos said, his voice wrapping around her like a warm blanket. “You are my queen, Queen of the Underworld.”
“No.” The word came out in a whisper, not near the power she wanted it to.
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