Hecate's Spell

by Lacey Carter Andersen

  The children...the phoenix kids. “I didn’t kill them,” I say, all the puzzle pieces, all the strangeness around their deaths, finally coming together.

  Orion looks at me and the corner of his mouth lifts into a half smile. “No, I guess you didn’t.”

  “But Gary has to be dealt with,” Andros continues, and there’s fury in his voice. “He cannot get away with this.” His gaze goes to Hecate. “But first, we have to figure out how to heal her. I’d hoped burning the pillar would draw the attention of Gary and that I could kill him before you made it here, but the coward never showed.”

  Something strange must have been going on. This shrine is tucked in a corner of the sanctuary that no one visits. But still, a fire in the sanctuary should’ve brought a group of gargoyles to investigate. The fact that it didn’t…it worries me.

  Andros moves closer to me and crouches down, and I reluctantly hand him the woman in my arms.

  He presses a light kiss to her lips. “Dearest, thank you for saving my brother, but I never wanted it to be at this price.”

  “What can we do?” I say, my chest aching as I stare down at her still form.

  He looks up, and it’s strange to me. I barely know Andros, and yet through Orion and Hecate, I feel like I know him better than I know myself. “I have no idea, but we can start with talking to the healer.”

  “That won’t be necessary.”

  We turn and I see Elite Gary standing near the bottom of the hill. Hades is beside him. Both men look smug as hell, and I swear my wings grow hotter and brighter with my fury then they ever have before. I move, and Orion and I stand in front of our mate and his brother.

  “You--” Orion begins, a threat in his voice.

  Hades cuts him off. “You’re going to die now, and everything you did will be for nothing. Do you understand that? Let it sink in, real deep. You sacrificed everything for nothing.” He sounds so damned smug, and god or not, I promise myself that I’m going to rip that smile from his lips.

  I pull out my sword.

  Hades lifts a hand. I gasp as something closes around my neck, and I drop my sword, clawing at the invisible pressure.

  “Stop!” Andros commands him.

  Hades glares. “You serve me, not the other way around.”

  Spots dance in front of my vision. I collapse to my knees and darkness starts to swallow me, but I continue to claw at the invisible magic that’s slowly suffocating me.

  And then it suddenly stops.

  I’m panting, confused as my vision returns, and then I stiffen. In front of us is a beautiful woman. She wears a pale white gown, and her hair, the color of spun gold, is braided down her back. She wears a crown of black diamonds, and the glow of a goddess surrounds her.

  “Persephone.” Hades says her name in a strange tone. “What brings you to the surface?”

  “Am I not your wife?” she asks, her tone cold.

  “Of course,” he says, his brows drawing together.

  “Are you not a god?”

  He looks even more confused. “I’m the most powerful of gods.”

  “Then your word means everything,” she says, and there’s satisfaction in her voice. “Your word was given to me on our wedding day. Do you remember what I asked of you?”

  His eyes are wide, and he nods.

  “I said that I wanted one way that true loves could bring back their dead lovers. I asked you to promise me that anyone who led a soul from the Underworld, without looking back, anyone who had enough faith, would be able to restore that soul to the land of the living, and that the people who saved that soul would be safe from any backlash from you. And you gave me your word that it would be done.”

  Hades opens his mouth, but no words come out.

  She continues. “I know that to you I am no more than a pretty thing on your arm.” She glances back to Hecate. “As she was just a pretty thing in a cage.” Then she faces Hades once more. “I don’t ask you to see me as your queen, or even as your equal, but the word of a god holds finality. Or are you the exception to this rule?”

  Hades finally stumbles out words. “My love, Hecate was my prisoner. Andros was my guard, and these thieves--”

  “They followed the rules.”

  There’s a moment where I think he might challenge her, and then the sky above us darkens, and lightning flashes. The wind picks up, and I stare up in shock. In all my life, I’ve seen gods, witches, and immortal creatures of every kind. But I’ve never seen a warning from a god.

  Anger flashes across Hades’s face. “Apparently, my brother, the ‘great’ man himself, agrees with you.” His gaze goes to us. “You four no longer exist to me. And when you die--”

  “You will go where you’re meant to go,” Persephone finishes for him. “Or I will take it to the council of the gods myself.”

  Hades looks at his wife like she’s grown a second head, and then he vanishes.

  Persephone turns to us, a smile on her lips.

  “Wh--hat?” Gary stutters out. “No, this will not be tolerated--”

  Persephone is behind him in an instant, a sword with black diamonds in her hand. Her face is twisted with rage as she slices his head clean off. His blood splatters her face and gown, and his body and head drop at her feet. She snaps her fingers, and the sword is gone.

  We all just stare in shock.

  “Now that the trash has been taken out, let’s get Hecate fixed up.”

  The Queen of the Underworld moves toward us, and as she does, her white gown changes to black, and the braids in her hair come loose. When she finally comes to stand before us, she looks nothing like Demeter’s daughter, and everything like the queen of the darkest realm.

  She kneels down and places a hand on Hecate’s chest.

  We all hold ourselves rigidly.

  Hecate gasps and her eyes flash open. For a minute, I swear I can hear her heartbeat, so fast that it might explode, and then it slows to normal.

  “Wh--what--?”

  “You’re safe now, Hecate.” Persephone’s voice is filled with power but also kindness. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to get you free all those years, but I wanted to be sure that Hades couldn’t drag you back. This was the only way. Now, you and your gargoyles will be safe. Forever.”

  Persephone turns to go, and Hecate grasps her arm. “But what about you? Trapped in the Underworld? Playing the part of a wife when that’s not what your heart wants?”

  She smiles. “With gods, everything has to be laid out so carefully...planned out so flawlessly. I’ve been playing the part of doting wife and silent fool for too long to allow for my secret freedoms, but all the puzzle pieces have finally come together. Hades will find that his life is about to get...a little more complicated.” Her last words sound strangely like a threat.

  I watch her as she turns to go and a chill rolls down my spine. Whatever is going to happen next, I have a feeling Hades will get exactly what’s coming to him. The queen, her black dress flowing around her, the red blood splattered across it...well, she looks more capable of ruling than Hades.

  And then she vanishes.

  My gaze moves back to Hecate, and my heart speeds up. She looks confused, but she’s alive and conscious as she looks between all of us as we surround her.

  “We made it out?” she asks, uncertainty in her voice.

  “Yes, my love,” Andros whispers.

  “And your soul was with us all along?”

  He smiles tenderly. “I watched all of you fall in love, and my heart soared. I watched all of you fight to free us, and I was never more proud. This is what we always wanted, and we finally have it.”

  “We’re on the surface,” she says, tears forming her eyes.

  Orion nods.

  “And Andros is with us.” She looks to me.

  I smile and nod.

  And then she bawls.

  I swear it’s like lightning moves between us. We’re all trying to comfort the pregnant woman at once, and we’re no longer war
riors, or phoenixes, or gargoyles; we’re just desperate men who would give up anything to make our woman smile.

  She eventually calms down and scolds us for acting like frightened kittens, which for some reason doesn’t offend any of us. Then she starts to talk about everything we need to do, including creating a home for our baby, informing the phoenixes and the gargoyles about what happened, and most importantly, finding her daughter.

  We all take turns kissing her until she grows quiet, and then we’re all laughing.

  So this...this is what we’ve been fighting for all along?

  It’s worth it. Worth every dark moment. Worth every injury. Every tear. This moment, this woman, this family, it’s complete.

  26

  Hecate

  Our wedding took place just outside of our new home. My men had spent months building a cottage, exactly to my specification, on a plot of land not far from a lonely road. Gargoyles, phoenixes, and even some witches came and celebrated with us. It was tiring, given that I was the size of our house, but it was perfect in every way.

  As our guests and my husbands ate after the ceremony, I snuck away to the garden in the back of the house, then carefully sat down beside the little pond with its golden fishes. Around me, a cozy garden had been tended by my husbands until it was everything I’d wanted and more.

  But as much as I feel happy and content with my new life, there’s still something missing. Empusa. My daughter. No matter how many different spells I create to find her, it’s as if she has disappeared.

  I hope that means the spell I weaved around her is powerful enough to keep her hidden from Hades. But it also means I’m finally back on the surface and still can’t be with her. It makes everything I experienced so bitter-sweet.

  Is my daughter safe? Is she happy? Does she have loved ones? Or is she alone?

  There had been leads. I’d tracked her to various crossroads and learned that the one near our house was one she frequently visited. It was why I chose this place for our home. So that when we found her, she could be part of the family in all ways.

  And yet, I’ve still seen no sign of her.

  While talking to the witches tonight, they told an old story that reminded me that there is something else I can do for my daughter, and I’m ashamed that I hadn’t thought of it earlier. Dipping my hands into the water, I start to murmur the words to the spell, pleading to the magic for help. I ask it to release her from the binds of her demon blood. To give her as much freedom as the magic can bring her.

  Tears track down my cheeks, because I know exactly what I’m doing. In releasing her from her demon binds, I doubt she’ll ever return to these crossroads, and yet, I would rather have her be free than have her back in my life.

  The water turns blood red. Small bubbles erupt from the pond and rise far above me before drifting away. I watch them disappear into the evening sky, and I cry harder. My Em. My darling.

  If the tales the witches told are true, her demon blood had forced her to remain at crossroads to lure dark souls to their deaths. My sweet and gentle daughter would hate such a life, and yet she wouldn’t have been able to escape it.

  Until now.

  The thought of her living such a life, it kills something deep inside of me. I will try to cling to the happiness I have with my men and the child growing inside of me, but I’ll never forget her. And I’ll never stop looking for her.

  “Are you crying? Is it so awful to be promised to us forever?”

  I glance up, wiping the tears from my cheeks, and see Blaise standing on the pathway to the garden. A sad smile plays across his lips, so I know he’s aware of why I’m here and why I’m sad. He wears a pure white suit, like all my men, and it hugs the perfect lines of his body. When he walks toward me, my heart skips a beat, and then, not giving a second thought at the dirt near the pond, he sits down and pulls me into his lap.

  Unable to help myself, I kiss him, and our kiss is gentle and perfect.

  “Another man might be jealous.”

  We break our kiss and look to find Orion and Andros on the path. The big twins head toward us and join us on the ground. In the distance is the sound of our guests laughing and talking, just above the sound of bugs and birds.

  “This place is like paradise,” I whisper.

  Orion and Andros take my hands. “I’m glad, because you deserve paradise.”

  We are lucky that we’d been able to create a place like this. After learning what had happened with Gary and Hades, the gargoyles had appointed a new leader. They’d asked us if we wanted to stay in the sanctuary and fight against the monsters that had escaped the Underworld. Andros had wanted to, and I know he feels guilty about releasing them, but Orion said that we had served our time. And I had agreed.

  They’d given us enough money to never need to work. Apparently, people who had lived forever are stinking rich, and we’d created this almost-paradise.

  “It’s the perfect day,” Andros says, and our eyes lock and hold.

  I know the things we experienced in the Underworld will always stay with us, but day by day we seem to be replacing those bad memories with good ones. I hope that with enough time, Hades and that dark place will be nothing more than a distant memory.

  I’m about to say exactly that when a pain rips through my belly. I gasp and grab my stomach, eyes widening. My men are alert around me.

  “Hecate?” Orion sounds worried.

  “Is it the baby?” Blaise looks terrified.

  Another pain comes, but this time it doesn’t take me by surprise. I wince, then my lips spread into a smile. “The baby...comes.”

  Andros places his hand on my stomach. “Now, this is the perfect day.”

  And I can’t help but agree.

  27

  Empusa

  The night is cold and lonely, just like every night. I stand in the darkness at that crossroads, waiting for a person to stop and offer me a ride. It’ll go the same as always. If I look into their heart and see goodness, I’ll send them on their way. And if I look into their heart and see darkness, I’ll climb into their car.

  Find a place.

  And kill the bastard.

  My life is always the same. There is no escape. There is no happiness. There is nothing.

  Suddenly, I see shapes floating toward me. I frown, unsure of what they could be, and see a flash of red. When they come to hover just above my head, I look up, ready and willing to destroy whatever the hell they might be.

  They pop, and a million bright colors rain down on me. I stare at myself in shock as I glow with the multitude of colors, and then the light slowly fades away.

  What the hell was that?

  And then something strange washes over me. A feeling I can’t explain. It’s like the leash that’s wrapped me tight, the powers that make me obey, are just...gone.

  “Is this magic?” I ask myself.

  I close my eyes, and I feel it. Not just magic. But my mother.

  Reaching for my necklace on instinct, I find it gone, and my heart aches. I don’t regret giving it to Lamia to bring her children back, but I do miss it like I miss my very soul in these moments.

  I hear the sound of a car. My eyes flash open. The car almost keeps going past, but then pulls over. Reflectively, I go to it and the window rolls down.

  A man grins at me from inside, and the darkness in his soul is almost pitch black. “Need a ride, little girl?” he purrs.

  And I realize. I realize I don’t have to go with him. I don’t have to kill anymore. I’m...free.

  But what does a monster do with freedom?

  I step back from the car.

  “Just get in.” His voice takes on an angry note.

  Right now I can walk away, but I open the door instead. As I climb in I turn to him, and faster than he can follow, pull the dagger that’s concealed at my wrist, then slit his throat open. His mouth opens in a silent scream. A second later, his head hits the steering wheel, and his horn sounds, sad and lonely.


  I clean my dagger off on his shirt, then climb back out of the car.

  No, I don’t have to kill any more. But it’s all I know how to do. And that man...he deserved it. If I had let him go, he’d eventually find another woman or girl to hurt.

  I walk away from that crossroads, free at last, and think about what I’ll do with this new freedom.

  The idea comes easily to me. Who better to hunt monsters than a monster?

  A cool breeze teases my hair, and I smile. The world has no idea what that magic had unleashed.

  Did you enjoy this book? Then preorder your copy of Empusa’s Hunger, and see what this monster who hunts monsters does when she meets some dangerous half-breed gargoyles.

  Also By Lacey Carter Andersen 

  Monsters and Gargoyles

  Medusa’s Destiny *audiobook*

  Keto’s Tale

  Celaeno’s Fate

  Cerberus Unleashed

  Lamia’s Blood

  Shade’s Secret

  Hecate’s Spell

  Empusa’s Hunger

  Shorts: Their Own Sanctuary

  Shorts: Their Miracle Pregnancy

  Dark Supernaturals

  Wraith Captive

  Marked Immortals

  Chosen Warriors

  Wicked Reform School/House of Berserkers

  Untamed: Wicked Reform School

  Unknown: House of Berserkers

  Royal Fae Academy

  Revere (A Short Prequel)

  Revere

  Ravage

  Ruin

  Reign

  Her Demon Lovers

  Secret Monsters