Inescapably Hellbound

by Cassandra Lawson

  My mom said nothing, not that I was surprised.

  “Would you like to go out to lunch with us? I’m going with Beatrice and Lucy.” I decided my mom might feel better about fallen angels if she spent more time around Lucy. I could see how Lucifer and Hades might not make the best impressions, but Lucy was one of the sweetest people I’d ever met.

  “Where are you going?”

  Since she hadn’t said no yet, I took it as a good sign. “We’re going to a café overlooking the River of Fire. Beatrice says it’s really good.”

  My mom’s reaction proved we were related. She looked truly fascinated. “River of Fire? I’ve only seen it in artwork. That sounds exciting.”

  “Don’t forget the part about having lunch with Lucifer’s daughter,” I reminded her. “She’s a lot of fun.”

  Whatever my mom was about to say was interrupted by a knock on her bedroom door.

  Hades didn’t wait for a response before calling out to my mom through the door. “I’m looking for Persephone. Is she in there with you?”

  “Yes,” was my mom’s curt reply.

  I decided it would be best if I opened the door for Hades before he lost his patience.

  “You can’t go home.” Those were the first words out of Hades’s mouth, and they caused my mom to suck in a sharp breath.

  “Have you finally decided to kidnap me?” Joking about Hades abducting me was likely a bad idea, but I couldn’t help myself.

  “Do I need to kidnap you?” He was clearly biting back a smile when he asked that question.

  “It might be fun, under other circumstances,” I replied thoughtfully. “That doesn’t change the fact that I’m not going to take orders from you.”

  Hades nodded and cleared his throat. “I’m worried about you. While it appears there’s no threat to you, we didn’t see everyone on Olympus, and I don’t trust them. I’d feel better if you stayed here a couple more weeks, just to make sure there isn’t a real threat to you.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” my mom said with a nod.

  She’d succeeded in shocking the heck out of me. “You want me to stay in the demon realm longer?”

  “I’m also surprised,” she admitted. “There are more guards here. While your witch building is warded, it’s not nearly as secure as Lucifer’s home. I can’t believe I’m encouraging you to stay here. Your dad nearly had a heart attack when he heard I was staying here with you.”

  “Dad’s a warlock, so he can’t have a heart attack.” My reminder was met with an exasperated huff.

  Hades didn’t seem in the mood to discuss human sayings or the good health of witches. “I’ve also heard you’re having lunch with Lucy.”

  “Yes,” I chirped excitedly. “We’re going to the River of Fire. My mom is coming with us. Wait! You aren’t about to tell me I can’t go there because it might be dangerous, are you?”

  He shook his head. “I’m glad you’ll be away from the house. Azrael is coming by.”

  My mother gasped.

  “I guess it is a good thing we’re leaving,” was my reply. “Azrael is very unpleasant.”

  “We also aren’t sure how he’ll react if he realizes you’re his great-granddaughter,” Hades explained.

  “It is really strange that my great-grandfather is the angel of death.” Part of me wanted to tell everyone I saw, just to see their reactions. The other part didn’t want to tell anyone because I wasn’t certain I wanted Azrael to know about our connection. “Are you going to tell him about me?”

  Hades opened his mouth to respond before closing it and blowing out a frustrated breath. He ran both hands through his hair. “I don’t know. Lucifer may decide to tell him.”

  “Why?” I asked at the same time as my mom said, “Have you lost your mind?”

  Hades laughed and responded to my mom’s question first. “Most will tell you I’ve definitely lost my mind, but I’m not the one considering telling him.” His attention then turned to me. “I just heard about Azrael’s visit and haven’t had time to discuss it with Lucifer yet. He may feel that having angelic protection could be useful. There are many who would think twice about even sneezing in your direction if they know about your relationship to Azrael.”

  I shook my head. “That’s only the case if he actually wants to have any sort of relationship with me.”

  With my mom’s distrust of angels, she seemed even less fond of the idea. “We prefer to keep our angelic heritage hidden.”

  “I’m not sure how I feel about any of this yet,” I argued. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do where Azrael was concerned. There hadn’t been time for it to settle in yet.

  “I’ll tell Lucifer you don’t want Azrael to know just yet,” Hades replied. “That said, you both realize this may not have any effect on whether he tells Azrael, right? I can suggest he not tell Azrael, but short of a bloody battle with Lucifer, there’s nothing else I can do to stop him if he decides Azrael should know.”

  We both nodded our understanding. Hades looked like he was considering the bloody battle with Lucifer, so I decided I should say more. “Don’t fight Lucifer, please.”

  He nodded and asked, “So, you’ll stay a couple more weeks?”

  I responded with a question of my own. “Are you going to try to avoid me if I stay?”

  Hades blew out another frustrated breath. He did that far too often. “Why can’t you see that it would be best if I stay away from you?”

  “Why do you keep asking me these ridiculous questions?” Rather than giving him a chance to respond, I moved on to a safer topic. “I need to shower and get ready for lunch. I’ll stay for two weeks, but only if you agree to spend time with me while I’m here.”

  I was certain he’d agree to anything to keep me in Lucifer’s home, meaning, I had Hades exactly where I wanted him. Well, not exactly where I wanted him, but I expected to have him there soon.

  Chapter 23

  The Strategist

  Persephone had been the talk of Olympus since she’d left. While she’d only spoken to a few, everyone had watched her. She’d seemed oblivious to the eyes on her.

  “She wasn’t anything like I expected.” My words were met with silence. Hera was still pouting because Zeus had been attracted to the little redhead. She was pretty and smarter than I’d expected, so I didn’t blame him. Hera had to realize Zeus wouldn’t even remember who Persephone was the next day. It was likely he’d forgotten within minutes of her leaving Olympus.

  I had one of my rare moments where I gave a damn about someone else. I actually felt bad for Hera. Even at her most powerful, she’d allowed Zeus’s many indiscretions to get to her.

  “Zeus has always been your weakness, Hera.”

  She spun on me and hissed, “I have no weaknesses!”

  My pity for Hera quickly faded away.

  “Is that so?” I asked with a smirk. “So, you haven’t been sitting around here, feeling sorry for yourself because Zeus finds Persephone attractive?”

  “What do you want?” she demanded. “I’ve seen far too much of you lately.”

  “Azrael is on his way to Lucifer’s home,” I replied.

  “And?” she practically snapped. “Why should I care if Azrael is on his way there?”

  “Because Azrael is an important part of our plan,” I reminded the stupid bitch. When she said nothing, I continued. I’d been hoping that by telling her about Azrael’s presence in the demon realm, she’d come up with the same idea I had, but Hera was too caught up in her jealousy to think about what really mattered. She also wasn’t nearly as smart as I was. There were two reasons I wanted her to believe the idea was hers. First, I needed to play on Hera’s ego, and making her believe she’d come up with a brilliant plan was a good way to do that. Second, I needed Hermes to deliver a message to Azrael. Hermes only took requests from Hera or Zeus, and I couldn’t risk Zeus screwing up and sending Hermes with the wrong message.

  “It’s time for Azrael to learn he has a
granddaughter named Persephone.” I tried to keep the annoyance from my voice as I stated what should have been obvious to Hera.

  It took a moment for her to nod her understanding. “I suppose we can’t use Azrael if he has no attachment to the little bitch. How do we even know he’ll care that he has a granddaughter?”

  I shrugged and told her the truth. “We don’t. That’s another reason to inform Azrael now. If he doesn’t care, then we’ll focus on Hades.”

  Hera nodded. “I’ll send Hermes.”

  “Tell Hermes to make it sound like he’s trying to confirm gossip he’s heard,” I told her.

  “I can handle this without your input,” she snapped as she stormed out of the room.

  With any luck, things were about to get very interesting.

  Chapter 24

  Hades

  I fucking hated Azrael. I wasn’t alone in my disdain for the angel of death. The white-winged angels also hated him, but I was certain we had different reasons. The others looked down on Azrael’s position—something I’d never understood. There was no denying Azrael served an important purpose. Not all souls simply passed on to the next life. Many needed a guide, especially those who realized they were in for an unpleasant eternity. Azrael was their guide, even when they tried to resist. I didn’t like Azrael because he was an asshole, not because of what he did.

  If he didn’t put any effort into his appearance, Azrael was beautiful, with long blond hair and striking blue eyes. Since he didn’t like the angelic image, he went to great lengths to mask it. His hair was dyed black, and he often dressed in dark clothes that looked like they’d been pulled from a dumpster.

  When he arrived at Lucifer’s home, he had on faded jeans that might have been black at one point, steel-toed boots with spikes on them, and a trench coat with several holes in it. He was shirtless to make it easier for him to strip out of his coat and let his wings out.

  “What did you want to see me about?” Lucifer asked Azrael.

  Before responding, Azrael dropped down onto the sofa and sighed. “Forget what I originally came here for. That matter can wait for another day. Tell me it’s not true.”

  I decided to let Lucifer deal with Azrael’s strange question since he had more patience than I did.

  Lucifer sat across from Azrael and picked up his glass of whiskey. “What exactly are you asking me to confirm or deny?”

  Rather than responding to Lucifer, Azrael’s eyes locked with mine. “Did Poseidon kill my granddaughter?”

  “Where did you hear that from?” I asked. Few people knew what we’d discovered from Demira. What he’d heard wasn’t true, but why would someone have told Azrael about Demira’s sister if they didn’t know my Persephone’s connection to him?

  “Hermes,” he replied. “According to him, he was repeating fallen angel gossip.”

  “You have no clue where the gossip originated from?” Lucifer asked with obvious doubt. “This could be important.”

  “Answer my question first,” Azrael practically growled.

  “No,” Lucifer replied. “She wasn’t your granddaughter.”

  “What aren’t you telling me?” he demanded.

  “Her half-sister is your granddaughter,” Lucifer admitted.

  I glared at him, not sure why he’d reveal that to Azrael.

  “He wasn’t going to stop looking into this until he discovered how the rumor had started,” Lucifer told me.

  I hated that he was right. “We need to find out who started this rumor. It’s possible Hermes was told to feed this information to you.”

  “Something tells me there’s more going on here,” Azrael remarked.

  “A lot more,” I replied. “Vague threats were made against Persephone by some dickheads on Olympus.”

  “Persephone?” His shock was genuine. “You’ve kidnapped my granddaughter?”

  I might have been offended by his suggestion if my history didn’t support his assumption. “Not this one,” was my quiet reply.

  “Hades won’t hurt your great-granddaughter,” Lucifer explained.

  “I take it you want to be involved with her,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual.

  He shrugged. “I just learned I have a granddaughter and a great-granddaughter. Where are they?”

  “Both are here,” Lucifer replied.

  “I’m not sure either is interested in meeting you yet.” My eyes were locked with Azrael’s when I made that statement. I wanted to gauge his reaction, and I was surprised by what I saw. Azrael looked oddly hurt, but he quickly masked that emotion.

  “I assume they aren’t excited about being related to the angel of death,” was Azrael’s grumbled response.

  I had to bite back a laugh at his assumption. “Demira is afraid of angels, mostly because of me.”

  “I wonder why,” Azrael muttered in a dry tone.

  “It boggles the mind,” I replied.

  Lucifer laughed. “Was that a genuine attempt at humor, Hades?”

  “I can make jokes.” I recognized my own lie. Even before my curse, no one would have described me as funny.

  Azrael brought the subject back to Persephone and Demira. “I suppose Persephone also fears angels.”

  I grinned and shook my head, amused by the absurdity of anyone thinking Persephone was that timid. “Persephone’s curiosity generally wins out over any apprehension she might feel. She is something else.”

  “As you can see, Hades is quite fond of your great-granddaughter,” Lucifer said with a grin. “You’re practically family.”

  “Don’t even think about referring to me as your grandfather.” Azrael stood as he made that warning. “I’m not happy about your involvement with one of my granddaughters. I also want to meet them both. Now.”

  “What happened to you being unsure?” I asked.

  “I can’t shake my curiosity,” he admitted. “I have no clue who I impregnated or why she kept this hidden from me.”

  “You likely weren’t easy to find,” Lucifer suggested.

  Azrael nodded. “That’s true enough, but she obviously didn’t want this getting back to me or it would have. The family is avoiding angels for a reason. I’m wondering if one of the white-winged assholes knew about this and made sure the mother of my child wouldn’t try to find me. You’ve also mentioned Persephone may be in danger. If that’s the case, there’s no time for me to mull this over. If she needs my protection, I’ll be here for her.”

  “I can keep her safe,” I ground out.

  “She’s my great-granddaughter,” Azrael snarled.

  “Why don’t the two of you head over to one of my training rooms to work off some of this aggression?” Lucifer suggested. “It’s starting to piss me off.”

  I grinned, more than happy to take Lucifer’s suggestion.

  Chapter 25

  Persephone

  “It’s incredibly beautiful!” My mom was leaning over the rail when she made that comment.

  I was certain that, after our lunch overlooking the River of Fire, my friends wouldn’t complain as much about my impulsive nature. At least, I wasn’t leaning over to watch lava shoot up toward my face.

  Beatrice didn’t look nearly as worried about my mom’s behavior as Lucy did.

  “Maybe you should have a seat,” Lucy suggested nervously.

  “Sit down, Mom. You’re making Lucy nervous.”

  My mom looked over at us and smiled. “Sorry. I’m a little excited. I’m surprised by how much this place looks like a witch restaurant.”

  I was with my mom on that. The small café didn’t even serve any demon realm food.

  “This restaurant is a popular tourist stop,” Lucy explained. “Most witches want to visit Hell while still having it feel like the human realm.”

  “Now that I live in the demon realm, I can see why they don’t serve demon realm food in tourist areas.” Beatrice accompanied her remark with a shudder. “The meat dish Lucifer served last week was still moving.”

  L
ucy closed her eyes and moaned. “Eels from the River of Fire. They are so good. The smoky flavor is amazing.”

  “I’m not eating something that’s still moving,” Beatrice insisted.

  “They’re not alive. They’re frequently possessed by demons who enjoy pain.” Lucy looked confident that her explanation would make the eels seem more appealing. It didn’t, but I’d likely still end up trying them.

  “I don’t want to eat possessed food,” Beatrice told her.

  My mom shook her head and voiced her agreement. “Neither do I.”

  Lucy looked at me, probably expecting I’d be the one to agree to try it. Eating possessed eels might be too much for even me. “I’ll have to think about it.”

  “You don’t know what you’re missing,” Lucy told us.

  “That’s fine with me,” Beatrice assured her.

  “How was the trip to Olympus?” Lucy seemed casual when she asked, but I was certain she was asking me about her mom.

  I decided to answer her unasked question before I went into more details. “I didn’t meet many people there, just Zeus, Ares, and Hera. I thought I’d meet more ex-gods, but most kept their distance.”

  “You’ve heard, right?” Lucy asked.

  I nodded. “It’s a good thing I didn’t see Aphrodite. I’m not sure I could have resisted the temptation to say something extremely unpleasant.”

  Beatrice snorted. “You don’t have it in you.”

  “Oh, she does,” my mom insisted. “I’ve even heard her mutter a curse.”

  “You used profanity?” Lucy gasped at the idea.

  My cheeks heated as I remembered the time my mother was referring to. “No, I didn’t use profanity that day.”

  When I said nothing more, they all stared at me for a moment before Beatrice started laughing. “You put an actual curse on someone?” she asked around her laughter.

  Lucy gasped. “You didn’t!”

  My mother answered for me. “When Persephone was fourteen, she witnessed one of our neighbors punching his wife in the face. Her dad was there and ran over to stop him. Persephone was so angry, she placed a curse on the man’s genitals.”