by Nina Bangs
“Will they be okay?”
Sparkle’s question turned his attention back to Declan and Daria. He was just in time to see Daria launch herself into the air, followed closely by Declan, Kal, and Celaeno. She had a trussed-up Fenrir grasped in her talons. “Yeah, I think they’ll be fine.”
Chapter Twenty
Hadn’t Daria done this once already? Sweating? Yes. Heart pounding? Check. Breathing hard? Uh-huh. Funny feeling in stomach? Definitely. Panic attack all over again.
Turning over Fenrir to his demon keepers hadn’t taken nearly long enough. And she’d tried to draw out pulling on borrowed pants, a top, and shoes. Twenty minutes had seemed more like twenty seconds. Too soon it was time to make her report to the CEO of Tartarus. Gulp. Was it too much to hope he’d be taking a conference call when they reached his office?
Daria knew what to expect when she faced Hades. You didn’t resign from his company. Hades was always the doer. You were terminated or fired. Two words that had the same result. You were dead. Period. But she had to take the chance. A lifetime with Declan was worth the risk.
Speaking of Declan… “You should’ve stayed out of Tartarus.” Was Daria afraid for him? A definite yes. “Please don’t come into his office with me. He hasn’t seen you yet. If he doesn’t know you’re in Tartarus, you have a chance to escape.”
Declan pulled her close. “Let me think. Hmm, abandon you in your hour of need? I don’t think so.”
“Hardheaded vampire.” Her grumpy mumble was a mixture of love and worry.
Mom put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “If the worst happens—and we’ll make sure it doesn’t—Kal and I will see that Declan is safe.”
Left unsaid was that Hades always got what he wanted. In Tartarus his word was law.
Ready or not, she was about to face Tartarus’s CEO armed only with her love for Declan Mackenzie and an army of three.
Hades’s demon secretary opened the door to his office and they all trooped in.
His desk was the size of the Woo Woo Inn’s parlor. Daria suspected Hades used it as a putting green when no one was watching. It was pretty much empty except for a blotter, a photo of the current winner of the Grim Reaper of the Week award, and an out-box. She’d never seen an in-box. His wall held a certificate naming him executive of the year. Daria knew he kept the same certificate and just changed the date each year. She glanced at the chart listing the murderers he wanted his harpies to snatch that week. They were his favorites. Murders involved lots of hate and lust for revenge.
Hades watched them from across that massive desk. He looked the part of the successful CEO—Armani suit, hair perfectly styled, and brown-colored contacts to hide the demonic glow. He folded his hands on top of his desk and smiled at her, a great smile really.
“Welcome back, Daria. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am with your first success. Very impressive, young lady.” His gaze swept to Mom. “You’ve raised a wonderful harpy. Remind me of that when bonus time rolls around.”
Hades slid his gaze to Declan and his smile widened. “What? Have you brought me a vampire too?”
“No.” It was almost a shout, and Daria forced herself to calm down. “He just helped me to bring Fenrir here.”
“No?” Hades’s smiled slipped. He was thinking about that. But then he smiled again. “I suppose I can wait. Most vampires come to me eventually. So how about we elevate you to a level-five harpy?” His smile turned sly. “Your friend Eris is on level one. Her wererabbit didn’t impress.”
“No.” The one word clogged her throat and made her want to gag on her terror.
Hades definitely stopped smiling this time. “You’re very fond of that word, aren’t you?”
“I…” She coughed and tried again. “I appreciate your kindness—”
“Cut the crap. I’m never kind.” Hades symbolically took off his gloves by popping out his contacts and glaring at her with red glowing eyes. “Explain your no.”
She felt Declan step up beside her. He clasped her hand and squeezed. Courage. With his support, along with Mom’s and Kal’s, she could do this. “I want to leave the harpies.” There, she’d said it. She tensed for the expected explosion.
It didn’t come. Instead, Hades stared at her for a long time. “You’re the first harpy ever to say those words to me.” He snapped his fingers and a laptop popped up in front of him. Hades hit a few keys, then looked up from the screen. “There’s nothing in your records to indicate why you’d want to leave us.” He cocked an inquiring brow.
Okay, legs about to give out. Would Hades mind if she finished this meeting from the floor? “I don’t think I’m cut out for the harpy life. It’s just that I like to… do good things.”
Hades frowned, and his hands became clawed.
“I like being nice to people.”
Fangs slid from beneath his lips.
“I care about people’s feelings.”
Horns popped up from his every-hair-in-place head.
Daria threw her arms wide. “I just love people.” Not totally accurate, but she didn’t have time to make her statement more specific.
Hades winced as if the sound of that word hurt. Then he did some squirming in his seat. “That tail is damn uncomfortable.”
No one would ever accuse Hades of not being cool. He didn’t rant or rave or invoke hellfire. He just cocked his head as though studying a particularly fascinating butterfly right before pinning it and popping it into his display case. “Of course, I can’t let you go. It would set a bad example. Too bad. You could’ve been one of my best. Since you pleased me with your gift of Fenrir, I’ll make your termination painless. A firing is much more painful because it, well, involves fire.” His smile would’ve looked almost fatherly, but the fangs ruined it.
Declan moved in front of her at the same time Mom spoke up.
“This is my daughter, Hades. I’ve served you faithfully. I’m one of your best. But if you kill my daughter, I’ll resign. How will you meet your quotas then? And how will you explain our deaths to the other harpies?” She lowered her voice. “And how will you explain our murders to Apollo? Daria is his daughter.”
Hades was upset enough to rake his fingers through his perfect hair. He pulled on one horn. A sure sign of agitation. “I can’t lose you. But I can’t just let your daughter walk away. What about my reputation?”
Kal spoke for the first time. “I think I have a solution.” He looked at Daria, something like sadness filling his eyes, before returning his gaze to Hades. “You appointed me as her judge, but you haven’t given me a chance to report.”
Daria felt like one of the frost giants had stomped right in the middle of her chest. Her breath left her in a shocked “Huh?”
Her brother shrugged and smiled at her. “Sorry, sis. I couldn’t refuse Hades’s order. And I did try to keep you focused on the test.”
Yeah, he had. But her mind still couldn’t process the truth. Kal was her judge. Daria tried to feel betrayed, but it was no use. She loved him too much, and he was right, no one disobeyed Hades. Except her. And-lived-to-tell-about-it might not happen.
She looked away from her brother. He should’ve told her. Would that have changed what you did? Daria sighed. No.
“This whole discussion isn’t necessary, because my sister failed the test.”
Hades narrowed his eyes on Kal. “Failed? Specifics.”
Kal dragged a wrinkled piece of paper from the pocket of his borrowed jeans. “Daria broke every harpy rule. She wore clothes that made her look sexy. She wore makeup that made her beautiful. She performed acts of kindness. I’ve listed a few examples. She saved a dog and a talking book. And she released two trapped spirits.”
Hades seemed overwhelmed by Daria’s transgressions. “Didn’t you do anything bad?” He looked torn. “I’m not sure,…”
Kal wasn’t finished. “And the worst thing?” Pause for big finish. “She stole your gremlin.”
Hades smiled, a huge pleased grin. “T
hat’s my girl. For a few minutes I thought you’d left the dark side completely.” He stopped smiling. “Now give my gremlin back.”
“She can’t. She sold it on eBay.” Kal was pushing it.
“Get it back!” When Hades thundered, all of Tartarus shook.
After everyone got off the floor, Declan stepped for ward. “I can find it for you, but in exchange, I want Daria’s freedom.”
“You’d bargain with Hades?”
“Yep.”
“I like you. Too bad males can’t be harpies.” He looked at Daria. “Go. You’re obviously not harpy material. Just remember me as Hades the Merciful.”
They all beat feet out of Hades’s office and didn’t stop until they were free of Tartarus. Daria hugged her mom and punched Kal before hugging him too. Declan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
Daria’s mother cupped her daughter’s face in her hand. “No matter what I am to the rest of the world, remember I’m a mom first. I always wanted what would make you happy.” She looked at Declan. “Make sure she stays happy, Declan, because I am the certified mother-in-law from hell.”
Kal grinned and kissed his twin on the cheek. “Sorry about the judge thing. I’ll help search for the gremlin. Any ideas?” He glanced at Declan.
“When Aello showed up at the Woo Woo Inn, I saw something blue and green nesting in her hair.” Declan shrugged. “Bet there were lots of things nesting in her hair.”
Kal nodded. “We’ll give you guys some space now. Send a message when you’re all loved out and ready for visitors.”
All loved out? Daria didn’t think that would happen any time soon. She gazed up at Declan. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“Yeah, a little. But I can tell you exactly how much I love you. If I could fill every second of the nine hundred years I’ve lived with love, and give it all to you at once, it might come close to what I’m feeling now.” Declan lowered his head and took her mouth in a long, drugging kiss. “Ready for the flight home? We need to get started on that loving.”
She could only nod.
———
Declan thought being this happy could spoil a vampire. Sitting on a porch swing with the woman you loved was as good as it got. A plus? It was a spring night at the Woo Woo Inn and still too cool for his bloodsucking competition, the Jersey mosquitoes.
Their wedding was in three days, a small ceremony with just Daria’s mom, aunt, Kal, and their friends from the Woo Woo Inn.
Daria was stretched out on the swing with her head on his lap. His lap was pretty excited about that. Funny, but even though she’d stayed relaxed through all the wedding preparations, for some reason she seemed tense tonight.
“Anything bothering you, sweetheart?” He smoothed her hair away from her face. Touching her in any way was a sensual rush.
She smiled up at him. “No. I was just thinking. I still owe you a birthday party. We never decided on your birth date.”
He got into the spirit of things. “How about today? Today would’ve been a good day to be born.”
Her eyes were soft with her love for him. That love always amazed him.
“Great. And do I have a present for you!”
“Here?”
She held her wrist up to peer at her watch. “It will be in about two minutes.”
Before he had a chance to question her, he heard the sound of a car coming up the drive. He searched the night for a glimpse of it. Daria hadn’t said anything about guests arriving tonight.
She sat up beside him and took his hand. Hers was trembling. What the…?
The car parked and four people piled out of it. They headed for the inn’s porch.
Declan stilled. Vampires.
There were two men and two women. The man in front stopped with one foot on the porch step. He looked at Declan out of blue Mackenzie eyes, and a smile spread across his face.
Declan slowly stood. The other three vampires crowded around the first. They were all smiling.
Declan knew. He turned dazed eyes toward Daria.
She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Walt did the research and I did the contacting.” She was crying.
He looked back at the four vampires. His gaze fixed on the man in front. “Grim?” It was a question torn from centuries of hope and despair.
The vampire took that final step onto the porch and embraced him. “Hi, Dad. We’re home.”