Mark of the Bear (Hades' Carnival)

by N. J. Walters

  Hades threw back his head and laughed. His black hair brushed against his shoulders. It wasn’t too long or too short. It was fashionable, as was the rest of him. He wore a ring on one finger and a diamond stud in one ear.

  “You are amusing,” he continued. “In case you don’t know it by now, I’m Hades, Lord of the Underworld.” He inclined his head slightly in greeting.

  Okay, so the guy seemed to think a lot of himself. I mean, who gave themselves that long a title? Of course, he was the god of Hell, so she guessed he could afford to be vain.

  She mentally slapped herself before she descended into hysteria. She practically held her breath, not daring to move, not knowing what might set him off.

  “You’ve performed well, given me exactly what I wanted.” He gestured to Marko before greeting him. “It’s nice to see you up and around again.”

  Marko growled but didn’t say anything.

  “Ah, the bear was always stoic. Not like the white tiger who roared at everyone and everything, or dramatic like Phoenix who just went up in a flash of light and flame, or that annoying jaguar.” Hades shook his head. “So predictable. All of you.” He nodded at Mordecai who was standing still and silent as a stone. “I knew the serpent would come over to my side in order to save himself, and I was right.” He turned his back on his second in command, dismissing him for the moment.

  Kellsie was watching both men. Not by a twitch or a flicker of a gesture did Mordecai reveal what he was truly thinking. How did it feel to have his less-than-honorable actions paraded before others? Perhaps he didn’t care.

  Hades snapped his fingers, bringing her attention back to him. A thick scroll appeared in his left hand. He shook it out and the parchment unrolled and fell to the floor.

  “Let’s get down to business. I have a proposition for you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was taking every ounce of restraint Marko had to control his urge to attack. But that way would lead to failure. Brute strength alone would accomplish nothing. He had to outthink Hades if he was going to win his freedom and save Kellsie. He couldn’t think beyond that, not now.

  Hades was as Marko remembered—smooth, sophisticated and cultured. But beneath the glossy coating was the real man—grasping, power-hungry and cunning. With each moment that passed, Marko was aware of the clock ticking toward midnight. He didn’t know how long they had to survive, probably a little more than twelve hours. A lifetime when trying to keep the devil from claiming your soul.

  He could feel Kellsie behind him. She was quiet but he knew she had to be terrified. Once again, he wished she wasn’t a part of this. He reached out with his right hand and pushed her more solidly behind him.

  Hades noticed the gesture and simply smiled. Marko’s blood ran cold. When Hades smiled, it boded ill for others. Truthfully, he was surprised the god was here. His usual method of operation was to send in his minions until victory was assured. Hades wasn’t one to bother getting his hands dirty. He might be an immortal, powerful god, but there was always a chance his power could be taken by his brethren. Marko had no idea what powers Zeus or the others might wield. Hades much preferred to see others suffer and die in his name. Marko had slain thousands of Hades’ demons in the war before he’d been cursed and the Lady captured.

  “Business,” Hades reminded him, gesturing to the scroll. “I’d like to make an offer.”

  “I’m not interested in anything you have to say,” he growled. How he wanted to go for Hades’ throat. But that was stupid and probably what Hades was hoping for. Without his full powers, Marko couldn’t even hope to keep the god at bay. Defeating him was an impossibility by himself. He needed the others with him, and even then it wasn’t an assured victory by any means. After all, Hades had defeated them once before.

  “The offer is not for you.” Hades stepped to the side so he could better see Kellsie. “The offer is for you, my dear.”

  Marko wanted to drag Kellsie away from here, away from whatever the demon god wanted to tempt her with. But as much as he wanted to, he knew he wouldn’t. He owed it to Kellsie to allow her to make her own decision. If she could get out of this situation alive and well, she should take it. Not that he expected Hades to deal fairly. He’d make certain Hades didn’t have any loopholes to catch her in whatever deal she made.

  She stepped in front of him and licked her lips. He couldn’t help but notice how lush and full they were. How very kissable. And he wasn’t the only one to notice. Both Hades and Mordecai were staring at her mouth. Marko growled and Kellsie shot him a worried glance before returning her gaze to Hades.

  “What offer?”

  Hades smiled, his teeth glinting in the light. “Easy, my dear. You gave me what I wanted, just as I thought you would. As a gesture of good faith, I release all claims to you. All you have to do is walk out the door, get in your car and drive away.”

  It was an offer Marko thought he’d never hear. Hades would never give up a claim to a soul if he thought he could get it.

  Kellsie hand went to her throat and she stroked the bear claw that rested there. The necklace was a sort of talisman for her and he’d noticed she touched it whenever she was thinking hard about something.

  “Let me get this straight. If I leave right now you’ll just let me go?”

  “That’s right,” Hades confirmed. “All you have to do is sign here, affirming you won’t have anything to do with the bear here ever again.”

  Marko’s insides turned to ice. His bear roared and clawed for release, and it took everything Marko had to keep that half of himself contained. Kellsie belonged to him. She was his mate. And that was why, hard as it was, he could say nothing. If there was even the remotest possibility she could get out of here alive she should take it.

  He hardened his heart as he waited for her reply. They’d known each other for a matter of hours. Yes, they’d had sex, but there’d been no time to build an emotional bond, at least not on her side. He had instinct to guide him and he knew she was special, as well as important to his future well-being and happiness.

  She rubbed her hands up and down her arms and shifted her weight slightly from one leg to the other. He could tell she was frightened and nervous. And so she should be. The god before her wasn’t exactly known for his benevolence. The fact that he would even make this offer was astounding.

  “Come now, Kellsie,” Hades chided her. “What are you waiting for? You’re a survivor. You look out for number one. Isn’t that what you told me in your dream?”

  “Yes.”

  Marko’s heart sank even as hope soared. She was going to take his offer. She was going to be safe—and cut off from him forever. The emotions warring within him threatened to tear him apart.

  “Let me sweeten the offer a bit.” Hades tapped his finger against his lips as if pondering the situation. Marko didn’t believe for one moment that the god didn’t already know what he was going to offer.

  “How about I also make you a movie star and ruin your ex-boyfriend. What was his name?” Hades snapped his fingers. “Jonathan Braun.”

  Marko’s fists clenched at his sides to keep from dragging Kellsie into his arms. Just the mention of an ex had him ready to fight. Kellsie was his.

  His anger died as quickly as it had begun. She wasn’t his. Not really. She’d belonged to him for the briefest of times. She’d gifted him with his freedom and with her body. He had to do what was right for her.

  “All I have to do is leave Marko and never have anything to do with him again?” Kellsie didn’t look at him no matter how hard Marko willed her to.

  “That’s it. Certainly not a hardship. After all, you just met.” Hades shook the scroll with one hand and manifested a pen with the other. “All you have to do is sign.”

  Marko sank into himself, burying his emotions. The fight was at hand. As soon as Kellsie was gone from here he would do everything within his ability to destroy Hades. And he would probably die in the effort. As large and powerful as his bear was, h
e was no match for a vengeful god. Not by himself. Maybe if one or two of his fellow warriors were here, they would have a chance. But he was alone.

  He would die as he’d lived, with honor. It was best that she not be here to witness his downfall. Nor did he want her death on his conscience. He wouldn’t mind facing death, not as long as he knew Kellsie was safe, living her life and being happy.

  He held his breath as she reached for the scroll.

  Kellsie couldn’t believe this was happening. It was like being a major actor in a bad horror flick, and she should know. She’d done more than her fair share. And this one was surprisingly similar to Devil’s Honor, a tiny independent film she’d done her first year in Hollywood.

  The hero in the picture had taken the devil’s bargain and lived to regret it. After all, he’d quickly learned the devil doesn’t have any honor. She’d played the guy’s on-again off-again girlfriend and had been the first person to die. She wasn’t looking to repeat that performance, especially not for real.

  She wasn’t sure what she should do and Marko wasn’t helping. He was standing beside her, stoic and proud, not letting her know either way what he wanted. Maybe he wanted her gone so he could fight.

  He needs you.

  The voice in her head was so faint she could barely hear it. It wasn’t her inner voice but an independent one—female and very familiar. It was the same voice she’d heard in her dream. The one that had helped her escape from Hades—the Lady of the Beasts.

  Kellsie was beginning to think she didn’t have any control over her life. That it was all controlled by outside forces. She didn’t like it one bit. She’d worked too hard and too long to let someone else screw up her life. She was quite capable of doing that on her own, at least then she knew any mistakes were her own as were the successes.

  A strange calm descended over her as though her body simply couldn’t keep being frightened for so long. Terror had become the norm for the moment. Two immortal warriors and a god waited for her decision. Intimidating for a B-list human actress.

  She was being pulled in two directions by two different gods. One wanted her to help Marko. The other wanted her out of the way.

  But what did Marko want? Better yet, what did she want?

  She plucked the scroll out of Hades’ hand and began to read it. An annoyed expression crossed his face. What? Did he think she wasn’t going to read the document? He’d obviously never dealt with many actors. They always read the fine print. Or at least she did. Maury would kill her if she didn’t.

  “Well?” Hades waved the pen at her.

  She held up her hand for him to wait. “I’m reading.”

  Marko chuckled, and when she glanced up she caught a glimpse of Mordecai. There was a half-smile on his lips and his eyes glittered with amusement. She was glad she was entertaining their asses. She was trying to kill as much time as possible.

  Hades’ patience was running short and Kellsie knew she couldn’t keep this up much longer. She had to decide. What was she going to do? There was only one thing she could do.

  Squaring her shoulders, she rolled the scroll back up and handed it to Hades. “Thanks for the offer, but I have to decline.”

  The look on his face would have been funny if she wasn’t so terrified. He looked totally shocked. She guessed that most people accepted his offers.

  “Kellsie?” Marko’s arm came around her shoulders and she peered up at him. “Are you certain?”

  “The offer will not be made again, Ms. Morris.” Hades waggled the scroll in front of her. “Freedom, fame, revenge. It’s all yours for the taking.”

  “And all I’d have to do in order to have it is to turn my back on what I know is right.” She shook her head. “The price is too high.”

  “This is not a game,” Mordecai injected.

  “No,” she agreed. “It’s not.”

  Kellsie smiled at Hades. “If you wanted to make an offer, you shouldn’t have made it so much like the movie I was in.” She caught the glint of anger in his eye and knew she’d struck a chord. “It reminded me that the devil never makes a deal that doesn’t ultimately benefit him. Maybe I get my freedom and fame and fortune. But for how long? In the movie, the main character got to enjoy it all for twenty-four hours before dying a most horrendous death.”

  She reached up and placed her hand over Marko’s where it rested on her shoulder. “Plus, if you want me gone so badly, that must mean Marko needs me to complete his mission.”

  Hades snapped his fingers and the scroll disappeared. “You will die, Ms. Morris. That I promise you. And your soul will be mine.”

  She shook her head. “My soul isn’t up for grabs. You might kill me but, as we both know, I’m a survivor. I won’t make it easy for you.”

  “Perhaps not. But you’ve put a burden on the bear. Now he has to protect you as well as himself.” Hades smiled slyly. “Should be interesting to see how long it takes for him to throw you to the demons.” The devil turned to Marko. “I’d like to make you an offer.”

  Kellsie’s blood went cold as she realized what the devious god was about to do. Hadn’t Mordecai murdered the woman who’d freed him in order to gain his own liberty? She was screwed and she had only herself to blame. For one moment she’d forgotten the cardinal rule—look after yourself because no one else is going to.

  She backed away from Marko and his arm slid from her shoulders to fall back by his side. She leaned against the carousel wolf, needing something to keep her upright. She swallowed the lump in her throat. There was nothing she could do to change what was about to happen. Her life was in Marko’s hands.

  Marko was still trying to digest what had just happened when Hades made his pronouncement. Deal with the devil. Never. But he’d let him say his piece. It all took time and that was what they needed to do, let the clock run out on their twenty-four hours. He realized then what he’d said. They. Not he.

  Kellsie hadn’t left him. She hadn’t taken the offer and run off. He didn’t know of any other woman who would have had the courage to do what she’d done. She’d tossed the devil’s offer back in his face.

  Pride warred with fear. He wanted to swing her in his arms and celebrate the fact she hadn’t left him, had chosen to stay and fight by his side. He also wanted to sequester her away in a cave deep in the forest until the fighting was over.

  He frowned when she stepped away from him, not understanding why she was distancing herself from him. They were a team now that she’d made her choice.

  Then it struck him like a heavy blow to his chest. She expected him to take Hades’ offer, to sacrifice her in order to gain his own freedom. That she would think so little of him to believe he would turn his back on her and accept the devil’s offer hurt him to his very core. Why would she even think such a thing?

  The answer came to him sharp and fast. Because no one had ever put her first. She expected betrayal, yet she’d still put her life on the line. For him. For his mission.

  Goddess, she was exceptional. And he was going to show her just how much she meant to him as soon as they got out of here.

  First he had to deal with Hades. He turned his gaze toward his nemesis. “What are you offering?”

  Hades smiled, cruel and calculating. Marko could practically see the wheels turning in the god’s head. He expected to win in spite of the fact only one of the warriors had turned. He kept Mordecai in his peripheral vision but didn’t look straight at him. The other warrior’s betrayal still stung.

  “Your freedom, of course. After you’ve done a little job for me first.”

  “Of course,” Marko agreed. There was always a price to pay with the gods. That’s why Marko disliked being around them, especially the Greek gods. They were a particularly nasty bunch. The older gods and goddesses had been more content to live in peace. They were brutal when crossed but otherwise benevolent. You knew where you stood with them.

  Thankfully, Hades couldn’t read his mind like he could Kellsie’s. He had the goddess to
thank for that power. It allowed him to think and plan without the god’s knowledge.

  Hades picked a piece of lint from the sleeve of his designer coat and flicked it aside. “It’s not that big a job. Not for someone with your skills.”

  Marko scrubbed his hand over his chin and tried to appear as though he was really considering Hades’ offer. “Not big at all. You just want me to lead your army of demons and defeat your brothers so you can steal their powers.”

  Hades smiled, his teeth flashing white. “Not all by yourself. You’ll have help.” He indicated Mordecai who stood with his arms crossed, looking stoic.

  “Why?” Marko cocked his head to one side and studied the god. Like all gods, Hades was exceptionally handsome. He had power and a domain all his own to rule as he saw fit. Why did he want more?

  Hades’ dark eyes glittered like black diamonds. “Why? Because I can, because they’re weak and lazy and don’t deserve what they have.”

  Marko’s stomach turned. Power. It always came down to power with the gods. They always wanted more than they had. Well, all except the Lady. She’d been content to let her power fade, knowing she would always have enough to survive because there were always cultures that honored animals and the Earth.

  Her warriors had always fought to protect her and their brethren on the Earth when necessary. From what he’d learned, the world had gone to hell, figuratively speaking, without the Lady and her warriors there to keep mankind in balance.

  “You want a lot for little,” Marko countered.

  Irritation seeped from Hades in waves. “I offer you your life.”

  Marko shook his head and held out his arms. “I already have that. Kellsie gave that to me. You couldn’t. I can’t let you take credit for someone else’s work.”

  Flames shot from Hades’ fingertips and singed the floor at Marko’s feet. Kellsie gasped as the flames jumped seven feet high, creating a wall of fire before fizzling out. “You try my patience, Bear.”