“Who did you recruit to put an end to me?” I asked.
She weathered my question unfazed. “I would rather not say.”
“Was it Deimos?” my father asked. Given how little he knew about my twisted relationship with Deimos, it stood to reason.
“No,” she replied as though the idea were ridiculous. “Deimos is obsessed with her. If he ever killed her, it would be for his own reasons and no one else’s.”
“Who then?” Hades pressed.
Persephone hesitated for only a moment before she submitted to her husband’s question.
“His brother, whose name I will not speak.”
Phobos…
A chorus of swearing erupted amongst the crowd.
“When was this?” Hades asked, the words escaping on a breath.
“Not long after the pact was made,” she said.
“How could you? How could you do such a thing? You knew I adored her…”
“I’m sorry,” she said, scrambling over the couch toward him. It was a grotesque show of groveling that was beneath her and her station, but it was plain from the panic in her voice and the fear in her eyes that she was afraid she had pushed him too far. That owning the deed outright may have damaged their relationship in an irreparable way. “I called it off before he even learned who the target was,” she said, grabbing him by his shirt. His large hands encircled hers and pulled her away. “How can I make this better? How can I make you forgive me?”
“I need a moment,” he said, retreating upstairs as I had done only moments earlier.
Her dark eyes fell to me, full of regret and pain and guilt. “Help me fix this, Sister…”
“I cannot,” was my only reply.
“Maybe…” she said, clambering past the others to me, “maybe if we were to work together to fix the Underworld for him—to put him back on his throne—then maybe he would see that after I called off the assassination, I never once attempted to harm you. Desperation forced my hand, Khara, but in the end, I could not do it because I knew it would hurt his heart. He loves you so much, even though you are not his own. Help me fix this because I can see the hopelessness growing in his eyes with every hour he spends above, and it terrifies me…”
“And how would we accomplish this?” I asked, unsure that her plan was even possible. “You were unable to fix anything before you left. You admitted as much already.”
“But with you at my side—with your power and influence and the way the Underworld responds to you—we should be able to shore up the veils enough for Hades to return. Once there, his power should slowly restore.”
“You think it that simple?” I asked, unable to keep the incredulity from my tone.
“I believe that, if you were to bring me there, between the two of us, we would be able to return things to normal.”
I looked at her curiously. “But how, Sister? The veils were thinning when we were last there. Was that not your concern? That they would fall, and Hades would not be able to overcome what would escape? Is that not why you had me inhale the souls of the Oudeis—to protect him?”
Her expression darkened. “Yes…”
“Then I do not see how we will be able to restore things enough for him to return. If you were indeed expelled as you have stated, then it would seem as though you have little to no control over the Underworld, despite what your ego would have you believe.”
Her mouth puckered in frustration.
“Then perhaps, Sister, the task will require more of you and less of me. Are you willing to do what is necessary?”
“Of course,” I replied before Oz stepped closer.
“No. She’s isn’t.”
I glanced up at him, attempting to silence him with my glare. “Yes. I am. If it will help my father, I shall.”
“Sidebar, new girl,” he said, pulling me toward the basement door. He didn’t let go of me until we were alone in my room, the door slammed shut behind us and locked. Only then did he begin his long-winded rant. “I would ask you if you’ve lost your mind, but I feel like the answer is too self-evident to bother. Have you forgotten what happened the last time Persephone tried one of her little plans?” Before I could endeavor to answer, he continued. “You let the most depraved souls ever to exist out into the world. Not your best moment. So why in the name of the gods would you agree to do it again? And don’t say to help Daddy, because that shit is getting old. Your philanthropic intentions, though strangely admirable, are just shy of insane. This will not end well, Khara. You must know that.”
“He needs to return, Oz, and preferably sooner than later. I see no other way to accomplish this. Do you?”
His mouth snapped shut and his shoulders heaved as he tried to calm himself.
“We still have time.”
“Time for someone to assassinate Hades? Yes, a flawless plan, no doubt. Let us wait until he is weakened beyond repair. Perhaps we should just tie him to a tree outside and wait for someone to come kill him, just to speed things along,” I said, the heat in my tone palpable. His eyes narrowed. “If you think that my letting those souls loose was bad, then perhaps you should contemplate the state of things when the ruler of the Underworld dies. What then, Oz? What chaos do you think will ensue? Will it be worse than what I did?” His lack of response was answer enough. “We must at least try this. If we fail, I will be happy to oblige your admonishing outbursts.”
“You have no idea what you’ll be returning to. The souls have been without a keeper for too long. The magic that holds them under will not hold forever.”
“Then it should not matter if we are unsuccessful. The outcome will eventually be the same.”
His jaw worked hard to contain his anger. “She could be trying to hurt you. Have you considered that?”
I steeled my gaze, stepping closer to him. “Of course I have. I am no fool.”
“Really? Because your actions say otherwise.”
“Promise me one thing, Oz: that if something should happen to me, you will keep Hades as safe as you would me if our roles were reversed.”
Silence permeated the room, weaving its way around us until it pulled tight. Then Oz broke it with three small words.
“I swear it.”
Then he turned and stormed up the stairs, taking the tension along with him. For a moment, I stood alone, preparing to return to the others and, ultimately, Persephone. We were headed for the Underworld, ready to restore order to those who required it.
And we could not afford to fail.
I left Hades behind in the care of the twins, Drew, and Muses—once he decided it was worth his while to stay. Casey, however, was adamant about going with us. Perhaps he felt he had something to prove after his last trip to the Underworld. Perhaps he felt he had failed me and needed to make amends.
Oz and I carried the others to the gates of the Underworld. The four of us stood before them for a moment before Persephone muttered something under her breath and started for the entrance. With a determined gait, she closed the distance in a matter of seconds. But the moment she set foot over the threshold, she was shot backward. I caught her before she hit the ground. The surprise in her eyes quickly bled to anger, then rage.
“This cannot be,” she said, dusting off her silk dress. She approached the gates again, chanting something as she did. Her arms raised, she once again attempted to enter, only to be cast out the moment her foot hit the ground beyond the gates.
The Underworld still would not have her.
“So much for that plan,” Oz said, his irritation plain.
“What treachery is this?” Persephone asked, walking up to the gates, halting just shy of them. “This is my home. My kingdom…”
“It is my father’s kingdom,” I said, “and it has forsaken him. It seems it has also forsaken you.”
“I don’t understand.”
As she stared blankly at the home that would no longer have her, Oz brushed past, turning to look back at her once he had crossed the threshold. His hau
ghty stare affected Persephone, her body rigid with anger. Then he looked beyond her to me.
“Time to go see what the fuck is going on down there, new girl.”
I turned to Casey. “Stay with her. If she tries to leave, kill her.”
My black-eyed brother smiled. “With pleasure.”
Once I joined Oz, we made our way into the Underworld, headed for the Acheron. With all the chaos that had occurred, it remained a constant. The vast river cut through rock, dividing the damned from the gates. What was not the same was what lay just beyond it—the mass of souls toeing the edge of the cliff, desperate to escape somehow.
Perhaps they would soon find a way.
“This should be interesting,” Oz muttered to himself. Then his black wings shot out wide around him. The souls stirring on the other side went still, as though they knew absolute death would befall them if they stood against the Dark One.
Just as it had the last time I was in the Underworld, a strange energy pulsed around me; like I could feel the heartbeat of my father’s realm coursing through me. The stronger it got, the clearer the souls became. What had started as inky transparent flashes of the dead slowly became clearer. More lifelike.
“Oh good,” Oz said dryly, “they’re glad to see you.” He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me to him. “Now isn’t the time to see if you can cross on your own.” Before I could reply, he took to the air, crossing the Acheron to land in the middle of the souls on the other side. He put me down quickly and surveyed the crowd. None of the souls moved. “I wonder if it could be as simple as you asking them nicely to go back to their rooms like good little children and them obliging so we could be done with this shit.”
Without replying, I did just that. The souls all stared at me, unmoving.
“Apparently, it could not.”
His grim expression turned to me, silently agreeing.
With wings still wide, creating a radius around us where the souls dared not tread, Oz cut his way through the crowd. Where he was headed, I was not sure.
“Aery,” I said, walking through the stony corridor. “We must find her.”
Together we stormed through the Underworld, our mission becoming clearer with every step. We needed the nymph’s help—if she was still alive. She, much like Hermes, was adept at tracking people. She was like a homing pigeon if given enough direction as to not be distracted along the way. If we could keep her from males in the process, she would be of much use.
“I told her to stay,” Oz said as we rounded a corner that led toward my father’s room. “For her sake, she’d better have listened.”
That hall was devoid of souls, which was unnerving to some degree, though it was, in fact, normal when my father was present. But he was not, so I had expected chaos to abound. Yet there, it did not.
Questions brewed in my mind. “Is it not quieter here than you would have assumed?” I asked as we approached my father’s chambers.
“I assumed it would be a clusterfuck,” he replied, “but nothing surprises me these days…” He pushed open the door to my father’s room. Inside, perched in a large wingback chair, sat Deimos, staring at us as though he had been waiting centuries for us to arrive. Oz’s wings snapped out around him, poised for a fight.
One he would not likely win.
As Deimos slowly stood, I stepped between the two ancient beings, attempting to thwart a war.
“What are you doing in my father’s chambers?” I asked, my tone indifferent.
“Waiting for him to return.”
Oz scoffed. “Or looking to replace him…”
“Which will never happen,” I added through clenched teeth.
“Where is he?” Deimos asked, ignoring us both.
“Not here,” was my only response.
“You’re going to be waiting for a while, big guy,” Oz said, staring the god of terror down.
Deimos’ dark glare shifted to Oz before settling back upon me.
“He is not dead. I would know if he were.”
“No, he isn’t, though you were no help in keeping him alive.”
His eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to me. His approach was met with the tip of Oz’s wing pressed against his neck, the bladelike feathers poised to slice it wide open. For a moment, I wondered if they could; if perhaps Deimos could fall at the hands of a Dark One like the souls in my father’s kingdom.
How convenient that would be.
“I tried to get to you when Zeus held you captive,” Deimos said, his voice so low and angry it was little more than a growl.
“And then you disappeared entirely.” His brow furrowed at my droll tone. “But that doesn’t matter now since Zeus is gone for good, never to return. I can’t help but wonder if you are disappointed by this news. If you were not somehow involved in the scheme to murder my father. You seem quite keen on taking his place,” I said, eyeing the room we stood in.
“My disappearance was not intentional,” he replied, looking down at Oz’s wing before taking a step back. “Zeus’ lightning affected me in an unexpected way, though I should not have been surprised. He was always stronger than the others—even Ares. I did not expect either you or Hades to survive his attack.”
“And yet we did, no thanks to you.”
The fact that Deimos had not called Hades my father was not lost on me. Though he should not have, Deimos knew of whom I had truly been born; that I too was a child of Ares, the god of war. But unlike Deimos, I was never intended to be. I was a secret meant to be kept hidden from Ares. My very existence depended on it. How Deimos and Ares had learned the truth was a mystery to me, but one I intended to solve. The pact that had kept my identity safe had fallen, prompting my appearance in Detroit, but it seemed as though Deimos had known long before that.
He and my real father both.
“How good of you to come looking for us. I am certain my father will delight in knowing that you have been sitting here doing nothing in his absence.”
Deimos’ features grew tight again. “I have not been doing nothing. After I ushered Persephone from the Underworld, I set about righting all I could.”
“You took Persephone out of this place?” Oz asked, glancing at me.
“Yes. Then I returned.” It was clear from his clipped tone that Deimos would say no more on that subject. But Persephone would—as soon as we were above. “You and I need to speak. Alone,” Deimos said, stepping closer. I heard Oz’s wings snap open.
“You can speak with him present or not at all.”
“Do you wish for him to know all that I do?” he asked, daring another step in my direction. Again, his approach was met with an obsidian feather at his throat. “Do you trust the Dark One enough for that? He betrays everyone close to him eventually. Giving him the noose to hang you with seems foolish, does it not?”
I wanted to refute his point, but I could not. Though Oz had not betrayed me, he had betrayed my brothers. I had no doubt that elsewhere in his past were incidents of Oz putting himself before everyone around him—perhaps even my mother. Trusting him implicitly was a foolish notion. And yet the moment my mind entertained the idea of Oz betraying me, the image of him trying to breach a cage of lightning—lightning that had bested Deimos—to reach me eclipsed it.
He had tried to save me. Because he had thought I was dying.
“If I wanted to hang her,” Oz said, pulling my attention back to the present, “I’d have let you have her. I wonder why I didn’t…oh yeah. Because you’re a shady fucker who has an agenda. The very thing you accuse me of having.”
“I have never been unclear about my intentions regarding Khara. I do not think you can say the same, can you, Ozereus?”
“Oh, I think I’ve made mine pretty clear as well.”
Deimos’ irritated expression fell to one of condescension. “We shall see about that.”
I looked back and forth between the two males surrounding me, so similar and yet so different. It was impossible to discern which lies held more
truth and which truths held more lies.
“Where is Aery?” I asked, breaking the silent standoff in the room.
“She is here somewhere.”
Without another word, I started for the door.
“Skoteini vasilissa,” Deimos called after me. I turned to face him. “You know what will happen if Hades does not return to the Underworld, do you not?” I nodded once. “Then you should hurry. The souls grow bolder by the minute.”
I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. I did not know where I was headed, but I moved with a sense of renewed urgency. We had come to the Underworld to set things right; for Persephone to bind the souls to their realms so that my father could return. Every moment he remained above only weakened him further. I did not have time to bicker with Deimos or to worry about what Ares knew of me. I needed to find anyone who could help restore my father to his throne. Without it, he would perish.
And the dead would roam the Earth.
11
We were halfway to the main hall when I saw a familiar sight. Dozens of my fallen brothers—former warriors of the PC—stood at the opening to the vast room. Though I did not know them all, those at the front of the group, I did. We had met when Kierson and Casey came for me in the Underworld.
“Khara,” Cass called, walking toward me.
“Brother…you are all right,” I said, a strange sensation coursing through me at the realization. Relief, perhaps. Aery had not seen my dead brothers when she reported to Oz. Though I did not know if souls could exterminate one another as Dark Ones could, the thought of harm befalling them had crossed my mind since we were last there.
I was glad to see none had.
He stopped just before us, his expression tense. “We are, but only because we have banded together. As you can imagine, we are not favored by the others here; they resent the special treatment we received from your father. We’ve dealt with many of them. Anyone from the Elysian Fields has been targeted. We survive because of our numbers and our abilities.” His brow furrowed as he stopped talking. His hesitation spoke volumes.
Unspoken (Unborn Book 3) Page 8