by J. N. Colon
“Oh, I’ve got something much better than floating in the water.”
Her brow arched curiously.
“Take a deep breath and hold it. We’re going under for a minute.”
“Okay,” she slowly drawled out, but placing her trust in me regardless and following my instructions.
Moments later I dove under the water, holding her tightly and moving in super speed. I’d have to remember to thank Si later for giving me the covert okay.
Only a few seconds passed before our destination was in sight. I swam into the underwater cave, the magic shimmering over us as we passed through the doorway only gods and demigod could access. We popped up in the middle of a sparkling pool of water.
“Wow. Where are we?” Hartley asked as her wide hazel eyes traced the glittering green, blue, and gray walls of the cave.
“One of Si’s places.”
She glanced at me questioningly. “Does he know you took me here?”
The corners of my mouth quirked. “He said it was cool.”
“Riiight. You two have your own secret communication now?”
“Of course.” I winked and started swimming us to the edge of the water. I helped Hartley up before pulling myself onto dry land.
“This place is pretty cool,” she said, sliding her hand across a wall trickling with water. “How come it’s wet here and completely dry in the center?” Her head tilted up to survey the ceiling. “Shouldn’t water be dripping everywhere?”
“It’s magic. Si’s doing.”
She nodded. “Of course.” She found one of his many stashes of seashells and started riffling through them with several oohs and aahs.
I stood back and watched the water leaving trails across her wet skin as it dripped down her curves I knew so well and yet not well enough. Her dark hair curled around the long ends while the red gleamed in the sparkling light. Heat stirred within me, spawning crimson flames in my eyes.
“Wow, look at this one.” She held a giant iridescent conk shell up before gently setting it back in the basket.
My feet slowly carried me toward her, my heart shuddering in my chest. I let my fingers curl around her hips and pulled her flush against my chest with a tiny gasp from her mouth. “I didn’t bring you here to look at shells Hartley,” I whispered gruffly into her ear.
She shivered against me. “Oh. Well…” Her head tilted back so she could peer into my face, a smile twitching hers when she noticed my flaming eyes. She batted her lashes demurely. “What did you bring me here for Hayden, baby?”
Ah shit. She was good. She knew exactly what it did to me when she called me baby. I growled in her ear before leaning down and planting kisses along her neck, teasing that sensitive spot behind her ear. “I brought you here to have my way with you.”
Hartley suddenly spun around, catching me off guard, and pressed against me while she wrapped her arms around my neck. “What makes you think it’s not the other way around Hades?”
She’s done it now. My heart slammed against my ribcage and whole body tingled with desire. “You know how to press my buttons, don’t you?”
She bit her lip and tilted her head in that way that drove every male in the vicinity nuts. “Yep.”
My lips crashed on hers, igniting a fire between us so intense I thought we’d burst into flames. Her mouth opened beneath mine, inviting my tongue in to taste hers. Oh and what a taste.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and picked her up, forcing a little cry of surprise from her. I walked until I found a huge bed with white gossamer curtains surrounding it, fluttering in the air like currents in the water. I sat Hartley down and ripped them open.
Her eyes landed on the bed with white and blue satin covers. She bit her lip hesitantly which only served to spur me on.
If I didn’t have her soon I was going to lose it.
“Are you sure this is okay with Si?”
“Absolutely.” My brows knit and I pulled up short. “Unless you don’t want…”
“Oh I want.” She hooked her fingers in my wet swimming trunks and drew me closer. “I want very much.”
Yes.
I picked her up and gently laid her on the bed before hovering over her. “Hartley, baby, I love you more than anything. Words cannot describe how much… I mean there’s nothing that compares…”
“Hayden?” she interrupted.
“Yes?”
A mischievous glint entered her hazel eyes. “Why don’t you show me how much you love me?”
A crooked smile curled my lips. “Challenge accepted.” I fitted myself between her legs, bringing out a moan of pleasure from both of us. I pulled on her bikini top string, slowly untying the knot. “I haven’t taught you how to make clothes disappear yet, have I?”
Her brows shot up. “No.”
“Remind me to when we get back to the Underworld.” Without another word I snapped my fingers and her top was gone, displaying a glorious sight before me.
Hartley
As soon as we returned to the beach from swimming it started to sprinkle. I glanced up at the swollen, gray clouds and wondered if Zeke was raining on our parade. My eyes met Hayden’s and I could tell he was wondering the same.
I suppose it didn’t matter where we were whether it was the beach, my house, his house, or the Underworld, as long as we were together. I just hated this day was ending for our friends—if it was Zeke’s doing.
Callie, Jake, Hayden and I piled in to Hayden’s new black Tahoe he purchased specifically so we could carry other people around. He wouldn’t say so, but he’d do anything to make sure I spent quality time with my friends. I’d never fully be the Hartley Walker I was before I died and split my soul. I was okay with that. I loved my friends, but I also loved the Underworld. I think Hayden’s finally starting to come around to the idea. He hasn’t quite noticed me bringing more and more of my belongings to the castle. If he paid more attention to our room he’d realize half the clothes in his closet were mine.
Boys. So clueless—even a millennia old Greek god.
“That rain totally came out of nowhere,” Callie said, wrapping a dry towel around her.
Jake draped his arm over her petite shoulders, pulling her close and nearly swallowing her tiny form. “Yeah I know, but that’s how the weather is in SC babe.”
She nodded, shaking her blonde, shoulder length hair, tricking water into her towel. “I’m just glad you guys came back in time. You were swimming forever. We couldn’t even see you in the ocean.”
My eyes slanted over to Hayden’s while my cheeks flushed thinking about what we’d actually been doing. He of course smiled like the naughty little boy he was. I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. We were pretty far out.”
Hayden took us on the scenic route through the country side. The trip was quiet, the sound of tiny raindrops pattering against the car and cats pawing across the windshield lulled me to sleep. That was until Hayden slammed on the breaks, an ear-piercing screech of tires skidding on pavement shattering the tranquility.
My eyes popped open and I sat at full attention in time to see a giant wooden wheel careening onto the road before us. Callie and I both squealed while the guys smashed their arms across our torsos as an extra precaution. If I wasn’t a demigod Hayden would have bruised my ribs.
“What the hell is that?” Jake asked, leaning his head between the seats, his wet copper hair touching my shoulder.
I watched the wooden wheel teeter and then finally hit the road with a resonating crash. I glanced over to see Hayden glaring at it, his jaw flexed and body tense.
“What is it?”
“Everyone stay in the car.” He quickly slipped out.
Like I was going to let him boss me around. “I’ll be back.”
Hayden wasn’t surprised I followed, but he didn’t appear any less irritated. I grabbed his hand, his fingers instantly curling around mine. His face paled as we neared the colossal, man sized wooden wheel. It looked ancient and charred in places. Indentions bit i
nto the end of four, equally placed spokes as if something had been bound.
“Shit,” Hayden cursed, his eyes flaming crimson.
“Hayden, what is it? Where did it come from?”
“Tartarus.”
That one word sent chills trickling down my spine and goose bumps across my flesh. Well, I guess this was the end of our peaceful life again.
Chapter 2
Hayden
I was standing in the burning plains of Tartarus, staring at the empty spot Ixion’s wheel used to stand, spinning him for eternity—the very wheel that crashed in front of us on our way home from the beach.
A slew of curses tumbled out my mouth. The foul dark souls near were smart enough to back away from my erupting anger. I kicked at the dry, parched ground, sending a spray of rocks and dirt into the fiery atmosphere.
The souls split, making a path for me as I stomped toward the edge of Tartarus. Once I emerged Hermes was standing in the dirt road in jeans and a t-shirt, rocking back and forth on his golden sandals. Bronze curls blew around his cherubic face from the hot, fiery air.
He instantly tossed his hands up with an expression of pure innocence. “I did not have anything to do with this Hades.”
My gaze narrowed on his winged sandals. “You do remember the last time souls went missing? Your sandals were missing first.” Hermes’ sandals allowed him to travel between worlds including mine to bring souls. Hercules stole them months ago and was able to pull souls out of my domain.
Hermes practically pouted, which wouldn’t have been so affective had he not looked like a damn angel with those rosy cheeks and big brown doe eyes. “That was one time!”
I moved passed him, my heavy steps crunching on the parched dirt and gravel road. “Well then how the hell do you explain Ixion being gone?”
He scurried to catch up. “Maybe he was able to escape because you didn’t put him here.”
I slowed my pace and arched my brow questioningly. “Go on.”
Relief flickered across his face before he continued. “Well, Zeus tossed his ass down here. You didn’t sentence him to purgatory. Hell, he probably didn’t deserve Tartarus.”
I grimaced. “Leave it up to my arrogant brother to punish someone unjustly.”
The thick ebony began to dissipate, melting into the navy sky over Asphodel Meadows and the air lightened of the heavy, malevolent atmosphere of Tartarus. Wild flowers of varying shades spotted the green field in the distance and I could see the calm waters of the River of Lithe splicing down the center.
“What do you think boss?” Hermes absentmindedly asked, waving at a group of female souls dressed in white.
I rubbed my chin in thought. “I suppose it’s possible, but it doesn’t make the situation any less worrisome.” The other shoe finally dropped in the form of a pissed demigod probably hell bent on getting revenge on the king of gods.
Well, at least it’s not my ass he’s after.
*Side note – Ixion is pronounced ik-see-on
Hartley
I was wearing the carpet thin, pacing in my living room while waiting on Hayden. After he dropped Callie and Jake off at her house and me off at mine, he disappeared to the Underworld. He also failed to tell me what the deal with the giant wooden wheel was other than it was from Tartarus. Nothing from Tartarus was good.
The front door unlocked and swung open—to reveal my dad.
I grimaced and continued my pacing.
“Glad to see you too Hartley,” he grumbled, closing the door behind him.
Our relationship was a little strained. I was still miffed about all the secrets he kept from me for so long.
“Sorry dad. I’m just waiting on Hayden.”
His amber eyes widened as he quickly closed the distance between us, taking in my tense movements. “Is it the pull of the Underworld? Shouldn’t he be here already?”
I put a hand on his arm, squeezing gently. “No. That’s not it.”
An audible breath of relief exited his mouth, his body slumping. “Oh good.” He ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, mussing it up even more. His five o’clock shadow darkened his appearance and his eyes held an edge to them I never saw until his secrets spilled. Or maybe it was because he was mostly gone for two years and I hadn’t noticed.
He wore threadbare jeans and a white t-shirt that was tight over his shoulders. He was a handsome man and trading his out of town real estate job for contracting made him rough around the edges. It suited him. I was surprised and yet very thankful he didn’t have a girlfriend. My mother—and I use that term lightly—probably irrevocably broke his heart.
He trekked into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out the fridge, tossing the cap into the trashcan with a ping before returning to the living room. He took a sip as his eyes narrowed on me again.
I shot him a face. “What?”
“What are you wearing—or not wearing?”
I glanced down at my jean shorts and white flowy top. “Shorts and a shirt.”
He motioned toward me with the end of his beer bottle. “Don’t you think those shorts are a little short?”
I surveyed the daisy dukes, thinking they were the perfect length to show off my tan legs. “Nope.”
“What does Hayden think of them?”
I shrugged. “Hayden doesn’t tell me how to dress.” I remembered when Zeke tried during Hecate’s spell and failed miserably. “If he doesn’t like what I’m wearing I’d tell him to kiss my pretty ass.”
He grimaced probably picturing Hayden, me, kissing, and asses. Not that I told him, but somehow he knew Hayden and I had moved to the next level of our relationship—meaning I shredded my V card.
My dad plopped on the couch and sat his beer on the coffee table. “What’s got you so anxious if it’s not the pull of the Underworld?” he asked, changing the subject to less embarrassing topics.
I opened my mouth to explain when a hot whoosh expanded in the room and Hayden appeared in a ball of fire. His eyes shone scarlet while his dark hair curled and shifted from the heat of the flames as they dissipated. A black t-shirt caressed the ridges of his muscles, leading down to his low slung jeans and scuffed black boots. My tongue absentmindedly swept across my lips, wetting them while my heart fluttered. The mere sight of him could elevate my body temperature and it wasn’t the flames still dancing across his shoulders.
I shook my head to push aside the wicked images wreaking havoc through my brain and pulled out a heavy pout. “What took you so long?”
He groaned. “Don’t look at me like that Hartley.”
I didn’t relent.
He quickly pulled me in his arms, kissing the top of my head. “I had to figure this out.”
“Without me?”
“Yes. I don’t want you anywhere near Tartarus.”
“Absolutely not,” my dad exclaimed, garnishing my attention.
I shot him a narrowed glare.
He motioned a finger between us. “If you two are done groping each other can someone tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Ugh dad!” I slipped out of Hayden’s embrace, my cheeks burning red. “We were just hugging.”
“I don’t see a difference,” he mumbled under his breath before taking a sip of his beer.
“We have a problem Cassidy.” Hayden sat on the cushy chair adjacent to the couch, wearily rubbing his face. “Ixion escaped from Tartarus.”
My dad’s blonde brows disappeared into his hair. “How?”
Hayden shrugged. “He broke off the wheel and it’s possible, since I didn’t sentence him and he wasn’t a soul, he simply walked out.”
My dad rubbed his stubble in thought, his eyes pensive. “He’ll probably be after the king and queen.” His voice was a mixture of sarcasm and if I’m not mistaken a little bit of glee.
My gaze ping-ponged between my dad and my boyfriend, unaware of the person they were discussing. And annoyed about it. I crossed my arms against my chest with a huff. “Someone want to tell me what’
s going on?” I kicked my foot in my dad’s direction. “And why do you know who this guy is?”
Hayden reached out and gripped my hand, pulling me onto his lap. He ignored my dad’s angry glare. “Ixion was a demigod, son of a human woman and Ares.”
My hackles were already raised upon hearing the god of war’s son was involved. The last time we had a run in with Ares he released sin spirits from Pandora’s jar and tried to steal the Underworld from Hayden, nearly killing me in the process. How far did the apple fall from the tree?
Sensing my unease Hayden wrapped his arms around my waist. “Millennia ago Ixion was the first kin-slayer in Greece. He killed his father-in-law and was shunned because of it. Zeus felt sympathy for him. He cleansed him and invited him into Mt. Olympus where Ixion met Hera.” His arms tightened when I tensed from the name. “He fell for the queen of gods hard. When Zeus found out he tossed the demigod out of Mt. Olympus with a lightning bolt all the way to Tartarus where he was strapped to a wheel and forced to spin for eternity.”
My brows shot up. I guess Hera wasn’t the only one capable of extreme jealousy in their relationship. “So now this Ixion is free?”
Hayden nodded.
“What does he want?”
“Probably revenge against my brother for starters,” Hayden answered, his warm breath tickling the back of my neck.
A little shiver of panic rippled through me. Zeke had done terrible things to us, but I suspected revenge from a crazy demigod wouldn’t be good for anyone. For all we know he was planning to overthrow Zeke and take control of Mt. Olympus. “Shouldn’t we warn him?”
“No.” Hayden’s answer came without much thought.
My brows met as I glared at him. He glared right back until my lips started to form a pout and he was forced to look away.
“We should at least wait.” He cracked his neck.
“I agree,” my dad said.
I scoffed and crossed my arms against my chest. “You can’t just let this guy come after Zeke because you both want revenge.”
“Don’t you for what he did to us?” Hayden asked.