“I will stay,” E said, and I shook my head.
“Thank you, but I need you there. Zoe trusts and respects you, and you’re one of the few adult people Hades actually listens to.”
She studied me. “I do not like this. We leave our most powerful weapon, not to mention my best friend, in the hands of the enemy,” she said. “This is insanity.”
“This enemy may well be the ally that saves us from annihilation,” I said quietly. “You know how much I hate having to put any trust at all in most people.”
E nodded.
“But looking at this from every side… we can’t win this thing without the Volod. Nether knew Odin a bit, from way back. She fears him,” I added, and I felt shock from everyone around me. Nether is unstable, but the only thing she truly feared was freedom. “This isn’t a game we can play on our own and hope to have any chance of winning. The Asgardians’ strength, from what Volodhal said, is that they have a mix of our two peoples’ powers: both magic and advanced technology. Maybe, together, we’ll have a chance of beating them back.”
I turned to Heph. “You’ve been studying everything around you since we arrived.”
He grinned. “Obviously.”
“I bet it’ll be nice to get home to your workshop and see what you can do with what you’ve learned, huh?”
“You’re asking if I have some ideas for big-ass weapons, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded, still grinning. “I have some ideas.”
“Okay. Volodhal has promised us that you’ll be returned to our world and allowed to go back to the Netherwoods safely. Nammov will escort you to the breach, and from there, I need you to get back to the Netherwoods right away. Remember, you can’t rematerialize in, so you’ll have to go to the gates.”
E nodded. I glanced at Brennan to see him watching me.
“I’m staying,” he said, and I immediately started to argue. He stood up, gaze locked onto mine. “Hades is staying,” he said.
“He is, but—”
“Can you come over here for a minute?” he asked, and without waiting for an answer, he moved to the opposite side of the room. I followed him.
“I need you there, Bren,” I murmured.
“No. You need me here. Hades is staying, and I know you well enough to know that wasn’t Volodhal’s choice but yours. You don’t want to set him loose on our world.”
I nodded my assent, and he continued. “Okay. So you’re going to be busy negotiating with Volodhal. And Nether’s driving you nuts again. Don’t bother denying that,” he muttered.
“She’s restless,” I said.
“And Nain has had a whole lot of shit dumped on him in the last few hours. You two have things you have to do. You won’t be able to babysit Hades. Do you seriously trust him not to try something stupid against you when there’s no one here watching your back? When Nain isn’t around because he’s doing whatever it is he’s going to be doing for Volodhal?”
“I can watch my own back, Bren,” I told him.
“Not every second. And I can’t feel emotions the way you can. I can’t see what you can, but I can tell just from looking at that asshole that he’s just waiting for his chance. That shit about needing to be your ally? That was him buying time. He’s waiting.”
“I know,” I said, meeting his eyes again. “E—”
“If you even try to tell me that E needs my help, then I’ll know you’re full of shit right now,” he said, and I laughed.
“Okay. Fine,” I said. “But I don’t need your help either.”
“You don’t need my help,” he agreed. “We’ve covered that point, over and over and over again,” he said with a roll of his eyes, a nod to one of the many things that hadn’t worked when we were together. “But you need me to do what I’m best at, which is watch your back, and Nain’s back, and make sure we all get home in one piece.”
“It would mean you hanging out with Hades all the time,” I warned him.
“You’re not talking me out of this.”
“And listening to Nain and me scream at one another.”
“As if that’s anything new,” he said with a laugh.
I laughed. “Smart ass.” I gave him a nod, thinking that, if it ended up that Nain and I were both wrong about Volodhal, I would need all the help I could get fighting our way out of here.
I went to the door and poked my head out. “Can you please ask Nammov to come here?” I asked one of them. He nodded, and I closed the door, then flopped down onto a chair to wait. E got up from her place with the others and sat on the arm of the chair.
“I tried to talk Bren out of staying,” I told her.
“I am glad he is. At least you are allowing one of us to stay.”
“I need you there too much, E.”
“I know, demon girl. And I trust that you will not let any harm come to him.”
“I promise.”
She nodded, then looked at our bedroom door, where Nain stood, looking over the group. He went to Heph first, and the two of them spoke in one corner of the room in low tones. They shook hands, and Heph said something else to Nain. Nain nodded and slapped him on the back, and then he made his way over to Brennan. I watched with interest, wondering if Nain would try to make him go home. He pretended to be annoyed by Brennan, but he loved him like a brother, even after everything. As I watched, they talked, and then Nain gave Bren a quick nod and slapped him on the back. Noticing me watching, he looked my way and smirked. I crossed my arms and glared at him, which only seemed to amuse him more. He turned away from me and went to talk to Athena.
He was always such an asshole, I thought to myself.
“You know you won’t stay angry with him,” E murmured, still sitting on the arm of my chair.
“I should, though. He’s an asshole.”
“He cannot leave, yes?”
I nodded.
“So he is going to make good use of his time here.”
“By serving as one of Volodhal’s captains? By getting deeper into all this shit than he already is?”
“He is one of them, demon girl,” E said gently. “You may forget, when you first learned what you are, that while you hated it, while you were so angry that you’d been lied to and misled, you were relieved, too. Part of you was drawn to the world of the immortals, to learning more about who you are. Do you not think he feels much the same way right now?”
“I don’t want him any more mixed up in this than he has to be,” I muttered.
“Yet, he is very much in the thick of it. He made a choice, just as you have made many choices over the years, each allowing you to become more of what and who you are. Do you not owe him that same chance?”
“God, happily married people are fucking annoying,” I said, still watching Nain from across the room. E laughed, and I watched Bren, who was standing next to Nain, turn and look at her at the sound. Their eyes met, and they shared a small, knowing smile.
“I wish he could have bonded with you, E,” I said quietly. “I—”
“I do not need that bond, demon girl, and neither does he,” E interrupted, her voice firm. “I know that what we have is real, not the result of chemistry or magic or any of that nonsense. It is just him, and me, and that is all I need.”
I was about to answer when the door opened and Nammov let himself in. He spotted me and approached, bowing low as he did.
“Lady Eth-Hades,” he said. “I hear your companions are returning to your realm.”
“Most of them, yes,” I said. “Volodhal said you would escort them to the breach and make sure they got through safely.”
“Indeed, I will. Are they ready to depart?”
I nodded and stood up, and I took a few moments to hug Heph, Athena, and E, giving each of them a few final words of instruction before they left. Heph hugged me tightly and promised he’d get right to work. Athena vowed to guard the Netherwoods and not let Persephone get up to any stupidity, and E swore she’d keep my kids safe. E and
Brennan held each other for a few moments, parting only when Nammov indicated that he was ready.
“Be safe, guys,” I said. They each nodded at me, then Nain, and left, Athena and E with Persephone held between them.
When they left, our suite felt empty and much too quiet. Brennan sat on one of the chairs and crossed his arms. He seemed to be looking off into space, but I knew better. He’d decided to keep an eye on Hades, and he’d be hyper-aware of him now. Hades wouldn’t be able to take a piss without Brennan knowing the details.
Which, ew, but at least I knew Hades wouldn’t get the opportunity to try anything against me or Nain.
We sat in awkward silence for a while before Hades finally spoke. “That redhead… she is responsible for bringing me to life.”
“Yeah, Hades. You’re a real live boy because of Persephone and her psychotic methods,” I muttered.
“What did she do?”
“She created your body starting with a lock of hair she had left from when you lived together. She can do shit like that, but no one ever thought she’d use it to do what she did. Once that was done, she kidnapped my son, murdered him three times, and fed his still-beating heart to you. You’re basically an immortal equivalent of the undead, which are mindless zombies.”
“I am not a mindless zombie,” Hades said.
“Immortal blood,” Bren said.
“Hold on. She killed your son?”
“Three times, yes.”
“How old was he?”
“He was an infant,” I said through clenched teeth. I could feel Nain’s rage alongside my own, as well as Brennan’s. Sean had been taken, along with Heph’s son, Michael, though they hadn’t been cut up the way Hades II had been. She’d taken them to add to the chaos, to make us run around like lunatics, and it had worked, long enough, apparently, for her to do what she’d had to do to bring Hades to life.
Hades was staring at me, then he looked down at his hands.
“And this boy…. who is he to me?”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s nothing to you. You’re not Hades in any way that matters.”
“Fine. Who was he to the Hades you knew, then?”
“His grandson,” I said quietly.
There was a long moment of shocked silence.
“Wait… you’re my daughter?”
“I am NOT your daughter, asshole. My father is dead.”
He stared at me, and I looked away.
“How could I not know that?” he asked quietly, the pomposity gone from his voice.
“Because you’re not Hades. You look like him. You have some of his powers. You sound like him… nothing else is the same.” I paused, remembering the first time we’d faced off against the Volod, how he’d immediately gone to fight at my mother’s side. “When we initially teamed up, why did you fight back-to-back with Tisiphone?”
“Because she has a nice ass and it was her or the demon. I chose her,” Hades said with a shrug.
“Right,” I said quietly, mentally kicking myself. I’d read something into it that hadn’t been there. And, sensing for him now, there was no sense of longing or love or anything for my mother.
“Is there a reason you asked me that?” Hades asked after a moment.
“She’s my mother.”
“Ah. Well, my taste in women seems to be the same,” he said. “So you didn’t steal my power.”
I shook my head. “It came to me after my father died. I never wanted it.”
He was quiet for a few moments, then shook his head. “Well. Be that as it may, whether I’m the Hades you knew or not, I am Hades, and the only thing I know for sure is that it’s my duty to judge the dead. You still have something that belongs to me.”
I closed my eyes and rested my head against the back of the chair.
“What’s she doing?” Hades asked in a confused voice.
“She’s probably counting,” Brennan said lazily.
“Counting? Why?”
“To keep her temper in control so she doesn’t show you just how not immortal you really are,” Nain growled.
“How’d I die before?” Hades asked.
I nearly pointed out that HE hadn’t died, but I shook my head. Why bother? Delusional fucker. “You pissed off a Titan and he killed you.”
“Whoa.”
I rolled my eyes and felt humor from Nain.
“That was, like, the least Hades-like response ever,” I told Hades.
“So who killed the Titan? Or is he still around?” Hades asked, ignoring me.
“I did.”
His eyes widened, and he stared at me appraisingly.
With Nether’s help, I thought to myself, making sure Nether could hear the thought. I sensed humor from her.
You can have all the credit, My Prison. Just this once.
A knock at the door gave us a much-needed break from one another and signaled Nammov’s return. He popped his head into our suite, then walked in and bowed to me.
“They have gone through. I saw them disappear once they were on your side.”
“You can see our side?” I asked him.
He nodded. “It’s somewhat hazy, but we can see through that particular spot in the barrier.” He glanced at Nain. “I hear you’re to be joining us,” he said to him.
Nain nodded. “It makes sense to help where I can be of use. Since I’m stuck here,” he said, glancing at me, “I may as well make sure I’m doing what I can to prepare for the inevitable fight against the Asgardians.”
“You are most welcome among us,” Nammov said. “Your father was one of the best men I knew.”
“How so?” Nain asked, and I could feel him, that longing to understand, finally, exactly what it is he was.
Nammov went to sit, and then quickly glanced at me. “May I?”
I nodded, and he sat, then leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Your father, Badrog, was a fierce warrior. He was loyal. He never failed to help anyone who needed it. He was extremely devoted to your mother.”
“Was she Volod?”
“Yes. Ishdra. She, too, was a fierce warrior. When the time came to try to expand our realm by moving to the human realm, they were obvious choices to lead us. We knew that eventually, mathematically, we’d outgrow the space Nyx had created for us. It was only a matter of time. And we knew we could blend in with the Earth beings, thanks to Nyx creating us at least somewhat in her own image—”
“Why?” I asked. Nammov glanced at me.
“Why, what?” he asked.
“Why create them in her own image, and also have that other form? Volodhal said that’s his true form,” I said, remembering our very first conversation.
Nammov shrugged. “Does it truly matter?”
“Just trying to understand.”
Nammov glanced at Brennan. “You have shapeshifters in your world. They turn into animals, even though they wear a human skin most of the time. Tell me,” he said to Brennan, “you feel, at your heart, that the animal you become is your true form, yes?”
After a moment, Brennan nodded.
“So, you’re shapeshifters?”
“Essentially, yes. Why give us one powerful form when we can have two? Again, I am surprised Nyx did not give all of her children the same ability.”
Yeah, so was I, I thought, but I kept it to myself. “Back to Nain’s question,” I said, then glanced at my husband. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “I was just about to ask the same thing.” He turned to Nammov, and Nammov nodded.
“So, they went,” he continued. “Your parents and another couple.”
“I was raised by demons,” Nain said.
“So I hear, and that is extremely alarming. It would have taken someone quite strong to kill your parents.”
“Is it possible the Asgardians were already around? They could have done it, right? And they hated your people,” I added.
“Nyx closed the Asgardians in their own realm first, then created the barriers between the rest of her
worlds, all with the intent of giving Earth as much protection as she could,” Nammov said. He grimaced.
“Well, demons then? Or vampires. There have always been asshole vampires.”
Nammov shook his head. “A demon or a vampire wouldn’t have been able to end us,” he said. He glanced at Nain. “You’ve died before.”
Nain nodded.
“What was it that killed you?” he asked, and I felt everyone in the room tense up, except for Hades, who had no clue what was going on. The rest of us knew exactly how Nain had died.
I’d killed him.
Which meant….
“Only one of the Olympians could have managed such a feat,” Nammov said.
“Not all of the Olympians have the same powers Molly does,” Brennan argued.
“I’m confused. Your wife killed you?” Nammov asked, forehead creased.
“It’s complicated,” I snapped.
“So a being of the Nether. That makes more sense. The Nether has always been the more powerful of the two Olympian sects,” Nammov said, nodding. “If I were to try to figure out who killed Badrog and Ishdra, I’d start there.”
The room went deadly silent, and Nammov seemed to sense the shift in mood. “Of course, they could have gotten ill. Or a vampire or demon may have taken them by surprise,” he added quickly, glancing at me.
“Can you excuse us for a while, Nammov?” Brennan asked, rising and ushering the Volod out of our suite. Nammov bowed to me and let Brennan gently push him out the door.
“Don’t,” Brennan said when Nammov was gone.
“Don’t what?” Nain asked.
“You never even knew them. This doesn’t matter,” Brennan said.
But it did. I could feel it from Nain. Everything he’d done, all of those things he’d hated himself for, everything he spent every day of his life trying to redeem himself for…. it likely would have all been avoided if he’d had his actual parents instead of the demon who raised him until he was four and then made him fend for himself among demons.
“We’ll find out who it was,” I said quietly. “Now that I know what to look for, I’ll make sure I find out.” All the shit I was able to see… most likely whoever it was would have remembered it as them killing either humans or demons, depending on what skin Nain’s parents had been wearing at the time.
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