Chapter 6
Persephone
“Fallen angels are far too bossy,” I grumbled as I closed the door to the conference room we were using. “Werewolves are also too bossy. Can you believe Gryph directed me to one of the conference rooms as if I don’t know which ones are available? Maybe it’s males that are the problem, regardless of the species. Not all males. I don’t remember my father ever being this bossy. Hades has also never been this bossy. I suppose he might prefer sending someone else to boss me around.”
Beatrice laughed at my rant and took a seat before responding. “It’s not a male thing with fallen angels. Male or female, all fallen angels are arrogant and bossy.”
“Not Lucy,” I argued.
“She can be,” Beatrice insisted. “I think it gets worse with age, and Lucy is still young—in fallen angel terms. Why didn’t you tell me Hades has been lurking in the shadows at your apartment complex?”
“How did you hear about that?” I asked.
“I overheard Hades arguing with Rainer about it,” Beatrice replied. “I’m surprised Rainer hasn’t told Lucifer.”
“Why didn’t you tell Lucifer?” I would have expected her to mention it to him.
“I wanted to talk to you first,” she explained. “You still haven’t answered my question about Hades lurking around your apartment.”
“I wouldn’t call it lurking,” I replied thoughtfully. He was definitely lurking, but I still preferred to avoid using that word. “It’s more like he’s lounging in the shadows.”
“Let’s just say he’s stalking you,” Beatrice suggested. “Do you need someone to add extra protection spells at your apartment?”
“Hades is harmless.” Even I realized how absurd that sounded. Hades was far from harmless, but he’d never hurt me. My faith in Hades surprised most. Hades was a sadist. He took pleasure in torturing prisoners in the detention areas. He also enjoyed a bloody battle. There was no denying, he was far from harmless, but I had faith in my ability to handle Hades. I also believed I was the one to end his curse. He needed me.
“We both know that’s not true,” Beatrice began. “I’m still surprised he hasn’t come after you yet. He watches you, but he makes no move to kidnap you. The wards on your apartment complex are good, but I’m not sure they’d protect you from a fallen angel, especially if he went after you on your way home.”
“I’d also walk out of the protected area if Hades asked me to,” I pointed out before grumbling, “He’s never asked me. Not once has he tried to abduct me, or even hinted that he’s planning to abduct me.”
“Are you honestly saying you want Hades to kidnap you?” Beatrice asked. “You’ve said before that kidnapping isn’t romantic. You’ve told Hades you would be angry if he kidnapped you. If he kidnapped you, I would be seriously pissed.”
“I don’t want him to kidnap me,” I assured her. “It might be fun to role play, but I doubt he’d be willing to play along. I can barely get him to talk to me. He’s been desperate to break his curse, but he won’t even try with me. What is wrong with him? Why is being with Hades so difficult? He makes me want to smack him.”
Beatrice regarded me with a thoughtful expression. “This temporary move to Lucifer’s home could be good for two reasons. Of course, my first goal is to make sure you’re safe, but this could also help you with Hades.”
“I think I see where you’re going with this,” I mused. “If I’m staying at Lucifer’s home, I’m bound to see Hades. I still think it would be better if I stay with Hades.”
Beatrice shook her head. “Neither Lucifer nor Hades will allow that to happen.”
“I suppose you’re right,” I agreed with a sigh.
“Hades may need to escort you to work or on other outings while you’re staying in the demon realm,” Beatrice added. “I’ll have to think of a way to convince Lucifer that should happen and convince Gryph they should allow Hades near Bliss.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something,” I told her. “If not, I have an idea. I actually came up with this idea the last time I saw Hades. This may be the craziest thing I’ve ever considered doing.”
“Should I be afraid?” Beatrice asked hesitantly.
“No.” Yes, she probably should be afraid. “This won’t be a problem for you. Hades, on the other hand, is about to discover just how determined this witch can be.”
“What exactly do you have in mind?” Beatrice asked.
“If Hades doesn’t start spending time with me, I’m going to kidnap him,” I announced with a sweet smile.
Chapter 7
The Strategist
Watching Olympus crumble around me was a constant reminder of all I’d lost. After the fall of our pantheon, we hadn’t exactly been forgotten by humanity. Instead, they’d simply stopped believing in our existence. We’d still been remembered in stories. Most on Olympus had become feeble-minded over the centuries—each living in the past. Until recently, I’d been among those living in the past. When I’d looked around the great hall where we’d once met to discuss pantheon business, I’d still seen the shining example of our power.
One day, something had snapped in me. A demon had been delivering a message from Lucifer, and I’d suddenly been filled with rage. We were taking orders from Lucifer. He’d never been a god, just the leader of a failed rebellion. Why did we have to take orders from him? That day, I’d started planning for a better future. It was then that I’d learned of our new followers. The movement was small, but some humans had begun to worship at our altars again. Lucifer would never allow me to reclaim my rightful place as a god. He had to be overthrown. I needed an army, and I’d quickly realized I would have to look outside of Olympus for soldiers to fight with me.
Hades was the answer. Not only was he still a skilled fighter, he was close to Lucifer. If I could get him on our side, we’d have information on our enemy. His position in the detention areas also gave him access to other skilled fighters. There were plenty of fallen angels and demons in Lucifer’s prisons who’d been involved in rebellions. Hades could get them on our side.
I had the perfect plan, but I was surrounded by idiots.
“If Hades won’t help us, then we should abandon this scheme.” Zeus made that statement as if it didn’t matter one way or the other. He probably didn’t even remember the plan we’d discussed. Sadly, it was already too late to go with my original idea to manipulate Hades by making him believe we were Persephone’s protectors. Hades wouldn’t buy it after the vague threats we’d made.
With a sigh, I wondered if I should have gone to Poseidon or Hera. I needed one of them to help rally the others and to be a scapegoat if my plan failed.
“Don’t you miss it?” I asked softly.
“Miss what?” Zeus asked with a dazed look in his eyes.
Lucidity clearly wasn’t in the cards. How many times did I have to remind him of all he’d lost?
“The power,” I replied. “The millions of humans worshiping at your shrines. You were the most powerful god.” I was proud of myself for not choking on that lie. “Don’t you miss the stupid human women falling all over themselves to serve you in any way you desired? They were willing to give you their bodies, bear your children, and beg for your attention.”
“The men also fell all over themselves to please me,” Zeus added with a wistful smile. “I prefer women, but men can be fun, especially pretty ones. It’s been far too long since I’ve been with a man. Don’t you agree that men have their own appeal?”
“Yes, men are entertaining,” I muttered in response. “You could have all that again.”
“I should visit the sex demons!” Zeus shouted with a clap of his hands. “There are some very attractive incubi. Do you want to join me?”
“I’ll pass.” It was tempting to smack some sense into the old fool. I held back because it would be a waste of time and energy. There was no denying it; I’d lost him, and I had no clue how long it would be before he was lucid enough to be useful
again.
“Your loss,” he stated as he hurried off, probably to devise some moronic plan to seduce a sex demon while in the form of an animal.
Hera’s laughter echoed across the hall. I’d heard her enter while Zeus was discussing incubi, and I’d expected her to come at him in a jealous rage. Her restraint was surprising.
“You find this amusing?” I demanded. “That’s your husband going off to fuck a sex demon.”
“I gave up caring what Zeus does a long time ago,” Hera scoffed. “I was laughing at you. Did you and your siblings honestly expect Zeus to help you?”
“He wants the power,” I spat out. “I offered him a way to get it.”
“He wants the illusion of power,” Hera argued. “Zeus couldn’t handle ruling Olympus again, and he doesn’t really want to do the work. Why even involve him in your scheme?”
“Zeus is the head of our pantheon,” I reminded Hera. “We need him. It’s too bad. You always were the more powerful god.”
“Yes,” she agreed with a wistful smile. “I’ve always been more powerful and more intelligent. Let’s discuss our plans to rebuild the glory of the pantheon.”
“Our plans?” I asked.
“Involving Zeus in any plan dooms it to failure. The same is true of Poseidon. You need me,” she replied.
I was quiet as I pretended to consider what she’d said. In all honesty, I didn’t want to work with Hera. Still, much as it pained me to admit it, Hera was right about me needing her. “We still need Hades on our side,” I told her. We couldn’t go to Poseidon for help since he was likely still on Hade’s shit list. “If Aphrodite hadn’t pissed off Lucifer, she could have helped us.”
“That useless slut threw away the perfect chance to gain power over Lucifer,” Hera muttered.
Aphrodite had been a fool, but I wasn’t surprised she’d messed up her chances with Lucifer. Seducing him had been a brilliant plan, and having his child would have been equally brilliant if she hadn’t acted like a mother panda after Lucafina was born. Aphrodite had no maternal instincts. She interacted with her children when the mood struck her but, generally, considered them competition for the attention she desperately craved.
“How do you plan to help me?” I asked.
“I will make this plan succeed because I want to be the queen of this pantheon again,” Hera announced as if that answered my question. It didn’t.
She spun in a circle, gesturing to the hall we stood in. At one time, pillars of ivory and ornate tapestries had adorned the room. Ambrosia had flowed from a fountain in the middle. It had truly been a sight to behold. The pillars still stood, but they were cracked and coated with dirt. The fountain had dried up and sat collecting dust. All the furniture should be burned. In fact, the entire hall should be destroyed.
“You can see it, can’t you?” I asked Hera. “While the others are caught up in our past, you can see the future we could build.”
“Yes, but we need to do more than picture it,” she replied. “I’ll rule Olympus as the most powerful god.”
I frowned and fought the urge to tell her she’d never be the most powerful god. Still, Hera could help me, unlike Zeus or Poseidon. I could put up with her long enough to destroy Lucifer, but there could only be one person in charge when all was said and done. That person was going to be me. Hera would learn that soon enough.
Chapter 8
Hades
She was in the demon realm.
Since I’d heard about Persephone’s arrival, I’d been edgy and fighting the urge to go to her. I’d been doing my best to keep busy, spending too many hours in the prisons.
“Why are you sitting around here when your witch is at Lucifer’s home?” Rainer asked as he sat across from me in the interrogation room where I was working on paperwork.
My eyes narrowed when they landed on Rainer. “Why are you here when your witch is sitting at home alone?” It was a low blow. Rainer’s witch had rejected him after they’d bonded. Bringing her up was a total asshole move, but I’m an asshole.
“Do you ever get tired of trying to be the biggest bastard in the room?” Rainer asked, seeming unaffected by my attempt to piss him off.
“Nope,” I replied honestly. “Ever get tired of being a nosy pain in the ass?”
Rather than responding to my insult, Rainer asked a question of his own. “Why are you avoiding Persephone? We all figured you’d make an abduction attempt as soon as her arm healed.”
Persephone had been injured helping Beatrice fight off a dangerous demon and Bea’s crazed warlock brother. It still pissed me off to think that someone had hurt her. “I’m surprised you all expected me to wait that long,” I muttered.
“We all saw how worried you were about her.” Rainer looked thoughtful. “You love her.”
“Bullshit,” I spat out. “If I was in love with her, I’d have carried her off to my lair to end my curse.”
“Lair?” Rainer asked with a laugh.
“You get my point,” I told him. “I hardly know Persephone. It’s far too soon to say I love her.” Of course, I knew her better than any of the women I’d kidnapped in the past.
“You’re lying,” Rainer accused. “I’m not sure if you’re also lying to yourself.”
“What am I lying about?” I asked. It should have been obvious I was avoiding everyone. There was a comfortable office where I could have done paperwork. I could have left my paperwork for someone else, like I usually did. Instead, I’d chosen to sequester myself in an interrogation room that hadn’t been cleaned since its last use. The dried blood on the walls didn’t bother me, but the rancid smelling severed finger that had been on the floor when I’d arrived had been too much for even me. I’d needed to clear that out and spray the room with air freshener before I got started. I’d also chosen the room with the least foot traffic near it. Rainer must have gone to great lengths to track me down.
“Why are you avoiding her?” he asked.
I tilted my head back and stared up at the ceiling as I asked, “What if she’s not the one?” I looked at him, waiting for his response.
Rainer nodded his understanding. “Now, I see what’s really bothering you. If she’s the one, then all’s good, but you’re not sure. You also like her and want her to be the one.”
I scoffed at his words.
“She obviously likes you,” Rainer added.
“The woman is insane,” I said with a humorless bark of laughter.
“Making her the perfect woman for you,” Rainer teased. “Her upbeat personality is good for you. You’ve been much less gloomy since you met her, and you’ve even tried to look less like a crazed fallen angel about to go on a rampage.”
“I am less likely to go on a rampage. It’s still a possibility, but Persephone has changed me some. I want her to be the one.” The last was said quietly.
“There’s only one way to find out if she’s the one who’ll break your curse.” I didn’t need Rainer’s reminder. “What good is it doing to delay finding out?”
I decided to admit my fears out loud for the first time. “If she’s not the one, I’m not sure what I’ll do. Before I met her, it didn’t matter. Each day, I slipped deeper into madness, and I didn’t mind. It was almost a relief to lose touch with reality. There were days I dreamt of Lucifer using his blade to destroy my soul. That seemed like the only end to my misery.”
“Considering how fucked up your reality was, I don’t blame you for feeling that way,” Rainer remarked. “Still, I don’t see why this is so difficult. If you love her, she’s the one.”
“I believe I love her,” I confessed. “It’s hard to say. Love isn’t something I’m familiar with. I care a great deal for her, and I want to keep her safe, even from myself.” That was the other problem I had with going after Persephone. I was dangerous, sadistic, and cruel. How could I ever hope to be the kind of man she’d fall in love with?
Rainer nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. “You had better figure this out so
on. Something tells me Persephone isn’t the type to wait around for you.”
“Are you saying she’ll start seeing other men?” I asked, my voice sounding more like a growl.
Rainer laughed at my reaction. “It’s possible, but that’s not what I meant. If you don’t go to her, Persephone will eventually track you down. She’s a very determined witch.”
The bigger part of me hoped she would track me down, even knowing she’d be better off avoiding me.
Chapter 9
Persephone
I had no clue how Lucifer had gotten water jets installed on such short notice. It didn’t matter how he’d accomplished it; the new water jets were divine.
A small moan escaped my lips as I relaxed in the tub with my book. I loved a good crime novel. The book I was reading had been written by one of my favorite warlock authors. It was part of a series about a tough witch who solved crimes using magic and her wits. I’d loaned the first book in the series to Beatrice, but she’d complained it was too violent. Bea wasn’t normally squeamish, but she preferred lighter reading. I loved a book or movie that kept me on the edge of my seat and made me jump at every little sound.
Try as I might, I couldn’t focus on my book. I still wasn’t sure how I was going to deal with Hades. There was no denying he could be scary to others. Never to me. I’d never once feared him. It was possible my choice in books and movies had desensitized me to violence enough to make Hades seem less intimidating.
My thoughts of Hades were interrupted by someone pounding on the bathroom door.
“Persephone!”
My mother’s shout was enough to cause me to sit up and drop my book in the tub.
“No!” I shouted as I scrambled to save my poor book before the pages were too damaged by the water.
My mom beat on the door harder and shouted at someone else. “He must be in there with her! I heard her cry out. Someone open this door before I break it down!”
Shaking the water from my soggy book, I let out a sigh. So much for my relaxing bath time. “I’m fine, Mom,” I called out. “I just dropped my book in the tub.”
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