Desmond
I almost laughed as I slipped the phone into my pocket. It wasn’t my phone. It belonged to the recently deceased warlock on the floor. Things hadn’t worked out quite the way I’d originally planned, but they were moving along nicely. It wouldn’t be long until I got my hands on Beatrice.
Looking down at the dead warlock, I frowned. I hadn’t even bothered to see if there was a freezer big enough to store his body. It was warm in San Diego, and it wouldn’t be long before the body started to smell.
The lizard scurried across the floor and pressed against the body before looking up at me. I wasn’t sure what he was feeling, if anything. It was a lizard. Being a familiar, he should feel more than other lizards, but I couldn’t imagine he was truly grieving. I’d never understood the bond between witches and their familiars. My own parents had always loved my mom’s disgusting familiar more than their own children. I shuddered at the realization that I’d have to handle this wretched creature. “What should I do with you?” I asked the lizard. “Killing you would probably be the kindest thing, but I’m not kind. Besides, I still might need you.”
He didn’t respond. I couldn’t understand familiars like my sister. “There must be a place to stash you,” I mused.
I decided to do a little exploring before I went to pick up Zareya at the motel. I needed to find a place to store the body first. Looking down at the body again, I wondered if I should feel something. Not guilt, of course. I’d expected to feel some rush of satisfaction with this kill. Instead, all I felt was the relief that I’d soon be able to kill my sister.
Zareya had been angry about having to hide in the motel. Now, she knew how I’d often felt in prison. I took pleasure in her experiencing that helplessness and reliance on another to keep her safe, but that wasn’t why I’d left her there. Had I brought Zareya with me, we would have been recognized. She hadn’t been happy about missing out on a kill. I’d need to find a kill to help take the edge off her anxiety. First, I had to deal with this body. Then, I’d appease Zareya.
Chapter 60
Lucifer
Beatrice had been staying at my home for the past week. While still frustrated that we couldn’t find her brother, she was handling things better than most under the circumstances. The plans for her new office helped keep her busy. She’d seen her first group of patients at the Bliss offices. Despite all the extra security, I hadn’t been happy with her going there, but it was the best compromise we could come up with.
I hated leaving Beatrice alone while I worked, but there were matters to attend to. I’d been delegating many of my duties to enjoy more time with Beatrice, but that needed to stop. The first matter I needed to handle was sulking in my office when I arrived. He was also the biggest reason I couldn’t continue to delegate so many of my responsibilities.
“You can’t take your foul mood out on the prisoners,” I growled at my cousin.
Hades growled right back. “Someone has to deal with the problems we’re having down here.”
“Beating them to death isn’t going to solve the problems,” I told him.
“I was interrogating them,” he argued.
“If they’re dead, they can’t talk,” I snapped. Brutal interrogation tactics didn’t bother me, but Hades had killed four potential witnesses. Each species handled death differently. While most held on to their memories, demons did not. I couldn’t question the soul of a deceased demon because they had no memory of ever being alive. The same was true of all varieties of angels.
Taking a deep breath, I decided to try approaching this differently. Arguing with Hades would get me nowhere.
“While I appreciate your help, this isn’t your job,” I reminded him.
“I get it,” he said with a huff. “You’d like me to sit around until I’m as senile as Zeus. Do you want to see me take the form of a goose and try fucking every sex demon in sight?”
“Was Zeus down here again?” I asked. Zeus’s antics were the last thing I needed with everything else going on.
“Only for a short time,” he replied. “Hera found out what he was up to.”
“I’m sorry I missed that,” I added. Hera had her own issues, but she was at her sanest when she was in a jealous rage. No one understood why she put up with Zeus. He’d been cheating on her for centuries. I wasn’t sure if it was love or if she was just unwilling to admit defeat when it came to the horny bastard.
“I’m surprised you didn’t hear Hera,” he remarked. “That woman was seriously pissed. She threatened to pluck every feather from his body and neuter him.”
I chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me. Now, back to the subject of your lack of control,” I began. “You need to either get your shit together or stay away from the detention areas.”
“And do what?” he demanded.
“This isn’t the only place you can work,” I reminded him.
He shook his head. “I need to be close to you. What if that bastard warlock comes after my Persephone?”
“She’s not your Persephone,” I pointed out.
“And you think that argument will keep me away from her?” he asked with raised eyebrows.
“No,” I replied. “I should have lied to you about her name.”
“I still would have gone after her,” he admitted softly.
I wasn’t certain how to respond. Hades was more obsessed with this Persephone than he had been with any of the others, yet he’d still managed to behave himself. I wondered how long that would last.
“Before you say anything, I remember our deal. I’ll wait to take her,” he stated. “It’s not easy staying away from her. I want to be close to her.”
“If you can promise to control yourself, you can come by to meet her,” I offered.
Hades’ eyebrows rose. “Are you fucking with me?”
“No, I’m not fucking with you,” I assured him. “This might be a good idea. You can talk to her, get to know her. She’ll also get a chance to get to know you.”
Hades considered what I’d said. “It will be hard to behave around her. I want to take her away with me.”
“And that never ends well,” I reminded him. “If you get to know her, she may want to go away with you willingly. Wouldn’t that be better than her hating you?”
Hades snorted. “I’m sure she’s looking for a sadist like me.”
“If anyone can see the good in you, it’s Persephone,” I assured him. “The woman is the ultimate optimist. So, can I expect you for dinner?”
“Fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll be there.”
“And you’ll stop killing the prisoners?” I pushed. If he didn’t, I’d toss him in the river of fire. I’d lied about not being tempted to toss people in there on a regular basis, but I had been honest when I’d said no one tempted me to toss them in there more often than Hades.
“For now,” he reluctantly agreed.
“And you won’t try to kidnap Persephone?” I asked.
“Fine,” he snapped before storming out of my office.
With any luck, my cousin would keep his word.
Chapter 61
Beatrice
“I’m not sure this is such a good idea,” I told Lucifer. We were all in his kitchen, and he’d just announced that Hades would be joining us for dinner.
I was preparing a meal with Persephone. Lucifer had wanted to have food delivered again, but we’d argued against it. Witches with money tended to live on takeout. With a good diet spell, a witch could eat anything she wanted. Most of my life, I hadn’t had the money to eat out that often, so I’d learned to cook. When I’d first moved in with Persephone, I’d had the money to order takeout every day and quickly discovered I preferred a home-cooked meal more often than not—as long as I didn’t have to do any grocery shopping, of course.
“I think it’s exciting!” Persephone exclaimed.
Her response came as no surprise. My friend found everything exciting. Your average witch wouldn’t be excited about having din
ner with a fallen angel who’d admitted he wanted to kidnap her.
“Exciting isn’t the word I’d use to describe this dinner,” I muttered. “Dangerous is a good word. Insane is another good word.”
“Hades will behave himself,” Lucifer assured me. “This could be a good thing. Hades has a history of getting to know women after he’s already screwed up any chance he has with them. Even the Persephone meant to break the curse isn’t likely to develop feelings for a complete stranger who abducts her.”
“My mother has a lot of old romance novels where it works that way,” Persephone interjected.
“Are you telling me you believe that’s romantic?” Lucifer asked.
“Not at all,” she replied. “I always thought it was ridiculous. Why would a woman fall for a man who treats her like she’s nothing more than a piece of property?”
“Exactly,” I agreed. “No woman with any self-respect is going to fall in love with some asshole who kidnaps her. Why aren’t people warned about the curse so they don’t name their daughters Persephone?”
“According to my mother, a seer visited her on the day of my birth and told her that if she didn’t name me Persephone, I’d never take my first breath,” Persephone explained.
“Seers are real assholes,” I grumbled. “I’ve never met one, but I already hate them.”
“They enjoy playing games with people’s lives,” Lucifer stated.
“Hades wouldn’t really try to kidnap me, would he?” Persephone asked. “He’s changed.”
“Lucifer won’t let him kidnap you,” I insisted, hoping I was right.
“You’re safe here,” Lucifer assured her. “Beatrice is right. I won’t let him hurt you.”
Persephone laughed so hard she had to sit down. “I’m not worried about Hades hurting me.”
“You should be,” he told her. “He’s a very powerful fallen angel, and he’s far from sane.”
“I think you may be underestimating Persephone’s abilities,” I told him. “She’s not only good with defensive spells, she can also fight.”
“It’s nice to know that one of you can defend yourself,” Lucifer muttered.
“You should teach Beatrice how to fight,” Persephone suggested.
“That’s not a bad idea,” I agreed. “Who better to teach me how to fight dirty than the devil himself?”
Lucifer looked thoughtful. “That is a good idea. I can also get Rainer or Xavier to teach you some defensive spells.”
“From what I’ve heard, Beatrice isn’t too bad in a fight,” Persephone told Lucifer.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I hedged. “I’ve only been in one fight.”
“You fought off that crazy shade who was helping your brother,” Persephone added.
“So, you can fight,” Lucifer mused. “All you need is a little practice.”
“I really can’t fight,” I insisted. “If Rainer hadn’t come along, I’d have gotten my ass handed to me. So, are you going to teach me to fight?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “We’ll start tomorrow.”
Before anyone else could speak, there was a knock at Lucifer’s door, and he grinned. “Hades is on his best behavior if he’s knocking.”
“His best behavior,” I grumbled. “This is a very bad idea.”
“I’m sure this evening will go fine,” Persephone insisted with a bright smile. “Should I answer the door?”
“No!” I practically shouted.
“It might be a good idea for you to stay away from the door,” Lucifer suggested. “It’s best if you don’t tempt Hades.”
Chapter 62
Lucifer
When I opened the door, I did a double take. It had been a very long time since I’d seen Hades put any effort into his appearance. He looked different in black dress pants, a deep green shirt, and a black tie. His long hair was pulled back from his face, and he’d shaved.
“Come on in,” I told him, stepping aside so he could enter.
As he passed, he asked, “Did you tell her to stay away from any doors or windows?”
“I didn’t mention windows,” I replied. “Would it be awkward if I slip that in now?”
Ignoring me, he moved toward the kitchen. His eyes were on Persephone, and he seemed incapable of looking away. Beatrice was likely right about this being a bad idea, but I had to try something. Keeping Hades away from Persephone was only making him crazier.
“Hades, this is Beatrice,” I began, drawing his attention away from Persephone—at least, for a short time.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Hades said politely. “I’m sorry I was so rude the last time I was here.”
She waved off his apology. “There’s no need to apologize. You seemed distracted.”
That brought his attention back to Persephone. “Yes, I was. And you’re Persephone.”
“I am,” Persephone agreed with a bright smile. “How crazy is this? Hades and Persephone. I read all the stories about you when I was a child. Back then, I didn’t know there was a real Hades.”
“You didn’t?” he asked.
“Persephone was raised away from the preternatural community,” I explained.
“She’s still learning about everything,” Beatrice added.
Hades frowned. “You’re joking, right?”
“Nope,” Persephone replied. “My parents were the only witches around. We lived among humans.”
“Humans?” Hades gasped.
It was clear Hades didn’t like that, but I didn’t understand why it bothered him so much. This should be a good thing from his perspective. Persephone hadn’t heard most of the negative stories about him. She only knew what I’d told her and what she’d read in the exaggerated old tales told by humans.
“This isn’t right,” he muttered, looking down at his feet.
Persephone moved to his side and placed a hand on his arm. When he looked up at her, she spoke. “I had a great childhood, and now I get to experience everything like it’s brand new. I also get to meet you with very few preconceived notions.”
Hades considered her words before speaking again. “But you do have some?” he asked.
“Lucifer has warned me to stay away from any doors while you’re visiting,” she replied.
“It might be best to also avoid windows,” Hades whispered with a conspiratorial grin.
“He’s not nearly as bad as you made him out to be,” Beatrice whispered from my side.
I slipped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “This can’t be the real Hades. He must have been abducted by aliens.”
“I heard that,” Hades interrupted.
“Good. That was my intent,” I said with a laugh. “Why don’t we eat dinner?”
“What did you order?” Hades asked.
“We cooked,” Beatrice told him.
“You did?” he asked in surprise.
“Why is that such a surprise?” Beatrice asked.
“You’re witches,” Hades replied with a shrug.
“Are you insinuating witches are lazy?” Persephone asked with her hands on her hips.
“Not lazy,” Hades assured her with a laugh. “In my experience, witches have many skills.”
“Cooking usually isn’t one of them,” I finished for him.
“Exactly!” Hades agreed.
“I’d like to argue, but I don’t know many witches who can cook,” Beatrice stated.
“It makes no sense that witches don’t learn to cook,” Persephone mused as she set the plates on the table. “I learned to cook as a young girl. It seems like a skill everyone should have.”
“Poor witches cook,” Beatrice explained. “People like Hades and Lucifer only associate with more influential witches.”
“It seems that has prevented us from meeting the best witches,” Hades interjected.
I did another double take. My cousin was actually trying to be charming, and the ladies were eating it up. They both giggled at his statement.
Chapter 63
Beatrice
Hades was nothing like I’d expected. While there had been a few uncomfortable staring incidents, he’d stopped as soon as Persephone had called him on it. He was putting some effort into getting to know her, rather than acting like nothing beyond her name mattered.
We’d just finished watching a movie in Lucifer’s viewing room. The man had a huge screen on one wall and several comfortable sofas. I’d love to cuddle up with Lucifer, but I was sharing a sofa with Persephone at Lucifer’s suggestion. He was doing his best to avoid tempting Hades too much.
“I need to go to bed,” Persephone announced when the closing credits began to play on the screen. “I have work in the morning.”
Hades’ eyes darkened, and his lips parted. Someone needed to say something, but I wasn’t sure what to say. Please, don’t kidnap my friend seemed like a bad choice, but it’s what I was thinking. I half-expected him to leap to his feet, toss her over his shoulder, and run for the door.
Lucifer looked like he was about to speak, but Persephone beat him to it. “I like you Hades,” she told him. “It would be nice if we could spend more time together.”
“Yes,” Hades rasped out. “That would be nice.”
“If you kidnap me and make me miss work, I’ll be really angry with you,” she added. “I like my job, and I’d hate to have your obsession inconvenience my bosses.”
Hades chuckled. “Then I’d better go, and you’d better continue to stay away from doors and windows when I’m around.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied, giving him a sweet smile.
“I’ll see Hades to the door,” Lucifer told us as he rose.
“It was a pleasure meeting both of you,” Hades said with a genuine smile. “This has been the best time I can ever remember having.”
“That’s very sad,” Persephone remarked. “You should enjoy life more.”
“Perhaps you’ll teach me how.” On those words, Hades inclined his head before turning to walk out of the room with Lucifer behind him.
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