by Meg Xuemei X
Hades would collapse the bridge while we were in the middle of it, and my mates and our team would fall into the lake of fire.
He smiled, seeing the realization in my eyes.
“Let them go, Hades,” Pluto said, “and I’ll willingly return to my chains and cell.”
“It’s tempting to punish you severely for your betrayal,” Hades said. “But—”
“You’re my subjects now, Pluto and Jonah,” I told them. I wouldn’t allow Hades to harm them or any member of my team. “Where I go, you follow.”
Pluto clamped his mouth shut.
“I approve of how you leash all the males, including your mates,” Hades said.
My mates didn’t even bother to growl, but a lick of black fire twirled up my arms and lit my hair, hissing at Hades.
“I don’t have a daddy complex that makes me crave your approval,” I snorted.
The God of Death laughed. “You just called me Daddy, Cass. I’ve been expecting you to finally come home. As your father, it’s my responsibility to point out a few things that will help you. Though your death power comes from me, you haven’t truly learned what it means to be a death goddess. But don’t you worry. I’ll teach you.”
Phobos’s mocking words rang in my ear. “He’ll take your power and cage you. The God of Death doesn’t show mercy, even to his own blood.”
As if perceiving my doubts, Hades said softly and sincerely, “I know Ares’s stupid kid put fear in your mind, saying that I’d strip you of your power. On the contrary, I’ll only strengthen you. I’ll teach you how to master death, how to control the souls, and how to kill the gods. Will you come with me?”
He stretched out a hand, and the bridge reappeared. With that, the lake of fire beneath it transformed to dry land.
That was a neat trick. I should learn it.
None of us moved toward the death god and his army.
I waved a hand at him. “What’s in it for you?”
“You know what I want, daughter. I want to kill the Olympian gods as much as you do. I promise I won’t hold you or your companions as prisoners. On the contrary, I want you to return to the Upper Realm as soon as you’ve learned exactly how to kill those Olympian bastards who look down their noses at me, especially Zeus. The impotent bastard tricked me and sentenced me to eternal Hell. It breaks my heart they won’t stop hunting my only heir until you and your mates are all dead. I won’t allow it to happen.”
He did have a silver tongue; just as the myths said, he was the master of manipulation. He’d talked both Zeus’s sons and his brother into overthrowing the King of Gods. In his desperation, he’d even tried to release the Titans at the risk of destroying the whole world in order to beat Zeus. Unfortunately for him, he failed epically every time.
My eyes rolled as I calculated my best options.
I didn’t trust Hades, but my enemy’s enemy was my temporary friend. And I did need to learn more about my powers to level the playing field against the Olympian gods. If I learned how to master the death game, I might cheat death instead of dying with the gods in the end.
I wanted to have eternity with my mates.
“Fine, I’ll hear what you have to say,” I said. “But I won’t promise you that I’ll work with you. If I don’t like what you have to offer, I’ll walk free with my mates and our team, and you’ll remove yourself from our path.”
Hades smiled, dark light glinting in his eyes like an enchanting dream. The God of Death was even more seductive than the God of Love, Lust, and Beauty. But if he thought he could ensnare us, he should recalculate.
“Certainly,” he said. “Shall we go and feast and enjoy some father-daughter time?” He waved for me to come to him.
Pluto cleared his throat. He was reminding us of something. I glanced at him over my shoulder, puzzled.
“The food,” he whispered.
Oh, right. If we ate the food from the Underworld, we’d be bound to Hades and the realm. My father almost tricked me at the first chance.
“We’ll talk, Hades,” Alaric said. “But we won’t touch the food or drink from Hell. You should know better than to try and trick my mate.”
Hades shook his head in disgust. “Always spoil everything, don’t you?”
He waved a hand, and the army behind him dissipated into red mist. That was his second friendly gesture.
He jerked his chin toward his captain. “Thanatos, lead the princess to Starfall Palace.”
That was the palace that Queen Persephone never visited.
“Yes, King of Death and all Gods,” Thanatos said, sheathing his wicked daggers.
Spreading his massive black wings, Thanatos flew across the dry land and touched down a few yards in front of us. “Princess,” he said. “Please allow me to lead you and your companions to Starfall Palace.”
We strode onto the bridge behind the winged god with my mates between him and me. Hades had vanished, probably going to take a shower and wash off the Hell ash before meeting us again.
I forgot to tell him not to put on any cologne, since I was allergic to perfume. I didn’t want to be sneezing the entire time we bargained.
“Hey, Thanatos,” I called. “What is it about this Starfall Palace that Persephone doesn’t like?”
“The palace is filled with baby stuff,” Thanatos said. “The queen is barren.”
“Then why the heck did Hades put all the baby stuff in there if his wife can’t have children?” I said. “Your boss isn’t all that considerate toward his queen, is he?”
“Starfall Palace was supposed to be your nursery,” Thanatos said. “But your mother disappeared with you and went into hiding.”
A chill climbed up my spine. Just picturing myself growing up in Hell under Hades’s thumb made my insides churn. I wouldn’t be what I was now. I would be his pawn, slave, and weapon, through and through.
Maybe Jezebel did me a favor by locking me in that cage.
Nay. I shook my head. They were both bad. I had the worst kind of psychopaths as my parents.
Yet my luck turned when I met my mates, even though I might not have forever with them.
I continued to muse on the workings of fate as we trod through Hell’s terrain toward Starfall Palace.
CHAPTER 13
Starfall Palace was darkly gorgeous in every aspect. Black blossoms of all shades hung from its façade like black stars.
As I entered, the flowers bloomed.
“The palace that was supposed to be your nursery realized that the heir has returned,” Thanatos murmured, his wings arching.
“It isn’t just that,” Pluto said. “Goddess Cass is also the Earth Goddess. She has an affinity with plants and soil.”
“Whatever,” Thanatos grumbled as he led us through a few cloisters to a grand hall adorned with black gems.
A variety of food, fruits, drinks, and cakes filled the long tables against the walls.
My stomach groaned.
“Dulcis, we can’t eat anything in the Underworld,” Lorcan reminded me. He and Reys strode on either side of me with Alaric and Pyrder before me and the fae warriors, Pluto, and Jonah behind me.
To his credit, Hades hadn’t objected to the former Lord of the Underworld joining us, despite the former lord being an eyesore to the current King of Hell. He didn’t want to break his friendly terms with me over Pluto before the negotiations even started. Hades was trying his best to ignore Pluto’s presence.
“As soon as we return home, love,” Reys said, “we’ll cater an all-you-can-eat buffet for you.”
My eyes moistened. Yes, home. I’d built a home with my mates, and I would always have a home and mates to return to.
Yet a small part of me wondered how Hell cake tasted.
“Have a seat and make yourselves comfortable,” Thanatos said, gesturing at the white sofas around a gold coffee table.
There were bottles of wines, crystal glasses, and a delicious-looking black cake in the center of the table.
“They we
re brought from the surface for the heir,” Thanatos said.
My mates shook their heads at me to warn me not to take the drinks and cake, as if I had no discipline.
I rolled my eyes.
“So where is Hades?” I asked Thanatos. “Shouldn’t he play the good host? We don’t have the whole day!”
“If he doesn’t show up soon, we’re leaving,” Alaric agreed, his flaming sword appearing in his hand. He was keen to fight his way out.
Pluto and Jonah also drew their weapons. Somehow, at some point, the fae warriors had equipped them. Pluto looked much better since we had gotten him out of the prison.
“Relax,” Thanatos said. “I’ve never seen anyone so impatient in Hell.”
“Hell is a place for the dead,” Pyrder said. “They have nothing going on, but we have a war to fight. One day in Hell might cost us many days on the surface of Earth.”
My anxiety kicked up a notch at the concept of the time-lapse.
“We don’t have time to play Hades’s games,” I hissed. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?” a pure, sweet feminine voice asked.
A goddess wearing a crown of black diamonds glided toward us. Her smoky blue eyes shone in her creamy face as they trained on me. Her pink lips parted sensually, and her jet-black hair cascaded down her exposed, elegant shoulders. The way her gold-and-black corset gown hugged her slender body in all the right places made my eyes turn green with envy. If there were a poet here, he’d say that her gentle beauty shamed the moon.
The Queen of the Underworld had just walked in on us.
I grinned, letting my fangs protrude a little.
My mates rose and moved closer to me, their fingers twitching a little as they prepared to summon their flaming swords.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, let alone the Queen of Hell. She wouldn’t take kindly to her cheating husband’s love child popping up in her realm.
Alaric was the tensest among my mates. He had first-hand experience when it came to the trials of a bastard child. He had watched his mother get cut down by a group of assassins sent by Hera, Zeus’s jealous wife.
Soon, we’d face all the gods, and I would show no mercy toward the Queen of Gods who ordered a hit on my mate’s mother and nearly killed my beloved Alaric.
I darted a quick glance at Persephone’s fingernails. To my relief, they were all manicured and short. My shoulders relaxed a little, though I chastised myself. I should have more faith in my mates. They wouldn’t allow her to scratch my face.
“My queen,” Thanatos stuttered, his tanned face paling, his wings shuffling behind his back nervously. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”
Persephone wheeled on him, her eyes flashing with dark anger. “Where am I supposed to be?” Her voice turned brittle like the first ice of winter.
He bowed to her, then sent me a quick warning look, which signaled to let him do all the talking. “You—you should rest, Your Majesty.”
“Aren’t you such a good captain to my husband, Thanatos?” she asked softly, her words laced with venom.
Just then, Cerberus, the massive three-headed hellhound, trotted into the hall.
My eyes burned, the image of Amber between the hellhound’s jaws flashing in my mind. He’d also bitten into Reys’s leg, though my mate’s wound had healed.
I’d find a chance and kick the hellhound in the teeth.
The hellhound, however, paid no attention to my death glare but grinned at me as he approached his mistress. He rubbed against her thigh in affection, but his three pairs of eyes remained fixed on me, his tail flicking back and forth.
“Oh, hi, Cerberus,” Persephone cooed fondly, her elegant hand scratching behind one of his ears. Her attention shifted from Thanatos to the beast.
Did the Hell queen have a scattered mind? She’d been livid just a second ago.
She darted her glance between her hellhound and me. “Cerberus likes you, Cass,” she said. “He doesn’t like many people. He wants you to call him to your side and give him some good scratches.”
She knew me. Could it be that Demeter had informed her daughter about my existence? Judging from Thanatos’s previous panicked look, Hades obviously hadn’t told his wife of his affair, or else he wouldn’t try to meet me in this secret palace where he thought his wife wouldn’t pay a visit.
But shouldn’t the Queen of Hell come for my blood, or at least try to yank my hair out since I was the living proof of her husband’s adultery?
“I’m not going to pet him,” I said, a hand on my hip. “He bit my mate and hurt Amber.”
I’d still kick the hellhound’s teeth when the queen turned around.
“You’re holding a grudge against an intelligent beast?” Persephone asked incredulously, widening her blue eyes. Her reproach wasn’t even subtle.
Cerberus whimpered, as if I’d already booted him. Then he turned to growl at my mates, probably thinking it was their fault.
The hall brightened and darkened at once. Enormous, dreadful power ripped the air, charging the hall. Hades had just arrived.
Cerberus stopped whining and barked with excitement.
Thanatos cleared his throat loudly, trying to give his king a cue or warning. His attempt at subtlety not much better than Persephone’s.
Persephone wheeled around toward the entrance, dark rage brewing in her blue yes.
Hades stopped in his tracks. His smug smirk waned to a careful half-smile. He strode toward her, his power now leashed, and the air no longer crackled with his dark electricity.
“My queen,” he said. “I’m surprised to find you here. I’m just going to take a quick meeting with some guests. They’ll return to the surface soon.”
“How interesting,” Persephone said blankly.
“Aren’t you hosting your book club today?” Hades asked tenderly, as if he was the husband of the century. “I heard Jane Austen is co-hosting. What’s the name of her book that has something to do with pride? I’d love to be an audience in your club one of these days.”
“We’ve just finished discussing infidelity,” Persephone said.
Hades blinked, and Persephone slapped him right away, as hard as she could. Oops, that was going to bruise. I smothered a smile.
His head snapped to the side at the strike. Slowly, he turned his face, his gaze locking onto hers. When she raised a hand for a second slap, he caught her wrist.
I was about to shout a few instructions, since evidently Persephone wasn’t skilled in combat. She should drive her knee into his nuts when he wasn’t paying attention.
Persephone sobbed. “You cheating bastard.”
“My love, I did all of it for you,” Hades said, lifting her chin with his hand, but she swatted his hand away.
Hades sighed, putting on a patient face that carried five red marks from his wife’s hand.
“Ever since we returned to Earth, we haven’t been to Mount Olympus,” he said forlornly. “I know how you long for a life of brightness instead of in the eternal shade. You’re bonded to me, and I’m bound to Hell. I’ve struggled for eons to improve our living situation. I’ve fought to crown you as the Queen of the Universe, as you deserve the title more than any goddess instead of only being the Queen of Hell.
“After an eon of hopeless searching, I finally found a solution, and I took the opportunity. We have an heir now, and we can shed the burden of the Underworld and give it to her.”
What the fuck? I wasn’t going to inherit Hell! No way in Hell!
My mates restrained themselves from snarling. We still needed to hear what else this fucker was going to reveal.
“Cass’s mother is the daughter of the Earth Goddess,” Hades continued. “She meant nothing to me. No woman has ever meant anything to me, none except you, my one true queen. That one night with her wasn’t born from affection, but to breed the only power that can take down the Olympians. Love, soon we’ll rule in Mount Olympus together and enjoy the golden sunshine and all the glory. Isn’t that w
hat you’ve craved for all these eons? Our dream is finally coming true. I’ve done all this to prove my undying love for you.”
“Bullshit!” I called him out as I jumped onto the sofa so Hades couldn’t block the queen’s view of me. “Persephone, he’s shitting on you.”
Hades turned to glare at me. “Stay out of my marriage, Cass!”
“You bastard.” Persephone dabbed her eyes with a silky handkerchief, which looked really nice. I’d ask her if she had extra in stock, so I could dab my eyes, too, when it was necessary. My mates would panic if I showed them my tears. “How I’ve hated being stuck with you ever since the day you kidnapped me.”
I felt so sorry for her that she was bound to him forever because she ate the pomegranate seeds in Hell. My gaze swept over the food and cakes all over the tables. Despite my will of steel and high discipline, my stomach grumbled again.
The winged god arched an eyebrow at me. He did it better than Hephaestus, but he was still nowhere near Pyrder’s level.
“Why don’t you grab something to eat while the king and queen discuss sensitive family matters?” he suggested. “I tried the cake. It’s quite yummy.”
“We won’t eat anything in Hell, no matter its source,” Lorcan said. “We’ve made it clear.”
“Suit yourself,” Thanatos said. “You don’t need to eat, vampire, but Cass is hungry.”
“That’s not for you to worry about,” Lorcan snapped and turned to bark at Pyrder, who was responsible for carrying the food pack. “Give mate some beef jerky!”
“I was just about to feed mate!” Pyrder barked back.
The fae prince dug through his backpack, pulled out a bag of dried beef, tore open the bag, and offered it to me. I thanked him as I picked out a strip of jerky and stuck it into my mouth.
I chewed the spicy beef, thinking that perhaps I could find some loophole in the Underworld and help Persephone escape this forced marriage.
“You don’t mean that, my queen,” Hades said. “We’re in this together.” He grasped her exquisite hand and pressed it against his heart. “I cherish our marriage more than anything. Feel it. Feel how my heart beats for you.”