In the dining room—which was the size of a large ballroom—The Keeper had prepared a feast fit for a queen. There were carving stations of venison and duck, spitfires roasting whole pigs, and towers of caviar and foie gras. Tables surrounding it were covered in cheeses and fruits and aromatic chutneys to dip them in. Fresh herbs adorned all the tables—sage, rosemary, clove, and lavender.
A trio of Dhampirs strummed mandolins while a group of Rain Makers beat their victory drums. The Lupi and the Rougarou sparred playfully in the corner as several Crescent Witches placed bets of oyster pearls on who would outwit who.
I sat at the head of a long table and soaked it all in. The room buzzed with laughter, music, and magic. It was enchanting and easy to get swept away by it, but the hairs on the back of my neck were still raised. My guard was still up. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. A feeling that had now settled into my bones.
Aldric sat beside me. His face was clean-shaven and his skin glowed underneath the crystal chandelier that hung above us. He winked and popped a ruby red grape into his mouth. He let it roll around on his tongue before biting down. A burst of juice squirted out and dribbled down his lips. He wiped it slowly and licked his finger.
A rush of heat hit my cheeks. “I never thought I could be jealous of a piece of fruit.”
He grinned from ear to ear. “Not to worry, darlin’. I’ll make it up to you later.”
My heart raced as he leaned in to kiss me. His tongue teased mine with the taste of plum wine and citrus. I gave in to it, letting my muscles relax as warm tingles spread throughout my body.
I felt the rush of his hands in my hair and almost forgot we were not alone. I pulled away, breathless, and let out a gasp.
Aldric smirked. “That was just a preview.”
My heart raced. “Well then, we better hurry up and eat so we can get out of here.” My eyelids fluttered under the heat of his stare.
I started for my glass of wine when I noticed the liquid slightly swaying in the glass. That’s odd. The glasses on all the tables began to rattle and the ground rumbled.
I jumped up from the table and reached for my sword, cursing under my breath as I realized I didn’t have one. This damn dress didn’t even have pockets.
I looked around the room as confusion and panic began to spread. None of us were armed. Valentina and Dragos dashed over to us. Dragos pulled out three daggers and handed one to each of us. Of course, he was prepared. I was suddenly grateful that he hadn’t bowed out early.
The main entrance doors to the Hall shook. The Keeper flew to my side, his eyes wide with panic. “Our location is concealed. What is this?”
I shook my head. “Stay back.”
The doors flew open and in stumbled a giant towering beast of a man with bloodstained skin and muddied black hair. He collapsed into a heap on the white marble floor and looked up. Two amber-lit eyes peered out from behind his sunken flesh.
I clutched my chest. Seven. I cried out and ran to him. His body was stiff, but his heart was still beating.
I let out a whimper. “He’s alive.”
We rushed Seven into the healing clinic while a crowd gathered outside. Murmurs and whispers floated through the air. I peeled off his clothes while Dragos and Aldric hoisted him up onto one of the beds. Valentina rushed over and helped The Keeper gather his potions and ointments.
Seven’s skin was pale and clammy. His eyes rolled back and forth in his head like marbles.
I grabbed his wrist. “His pulse is all over the place. Do something.”
The Keeper pushed me out of the way and slapped a cold compress on Seven’s forehead. He shoved a blood tube in his arm—laced with Narcissus serum. He tilted his head back and poured whiskey down his throat.
The Keeper grimaced. “For the pain.”
I held my breath as we waited for him to stabilize. Valentina clutched my arm, her knuckles white. Aldric and Dragos paced around each other, careful not to make eye contact.
Seven let out a huge gasp just as his eyes flew open. His heart raced, and his eyes darted around the room in a state of panic.
I flew to his side. “It’s all right. You’re safe. It’s me. Gray. I’m here.”
His eyes locked with mine and he relaxed.
I wiped the sweat from his forehead. “How did you get out? How are you…here?”
His speech was slurred and broken. “They’re all out…the gates are open. The Underworld is…empty.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs. How could that be possible?
My hands trembled. “Seven, you’re not making any sense. What do you mean it’s empty?”
He swallowed hard. “You opened a portal, Gray. A door. The demons are here, in this realm, and death is upon us.”
Thirty-One
Tobias entered the study where The Keeper and I had been huddled all night. He cleared his throat. “Everyone is awaiting your orders.”
I gazed into the fire. “I’ll be right there.”
He nodded and took off down the hall.
I peered at The Keeper through my glass of whiskey. “We won’t survive this.”
He nodded. “You will. The Order has a protocol for this. We always feared this day would come. It will be difficult, but we can prevail.”
My heart sank. I knew this was too good to be true. The victory, the feast, the time of peace…it was only fleeting. “I’m the reason they got out. This is all my fault.”
Seven explained that when I went to the Underworld, I left a door open just a crack. When I used Hera’s magic to kill Jezebel, it pushed it wide open. Since I had tricked Charon into letting us in, Cerberus figured out how to trick him into letting them out. Jezebel was the final link to the surface.
The Keeper reached for my hand. “Don’t blame yourself. Cerberus has been looking for a way out for centuries. You didn’t know. I’m the one who should have warned you about it.”
Dragos let out a dramatic sigh as he entered the room. “I guess this means I’ll be sticking around a while longer.” He didn’t seem as bothered by that notion as he was trying to appear.
Aldric tensed as he came in behind him, glaring at the back of his head. “Can Gray and I have a moment alone, please?”
Dragos rolled his eyes, but obliged.
The room quickly emptied out and Aldric joined me by the fire. We sat in silence, our eyes locked in panic and darkness.
I reached for his hand. “Our wedding will have to wait.”
He smiled. “As long as we’re together, that’s all that matters.”
My hands trembled. “We have to protect them, no matter what the cost. Are you ready for that?”
Aldric nodded. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
My heart ached with a deep despair. Soon we would no longer live in the shadows. This world of ours would be thrust upon the living like a hurricane. These demons would make sure of that. The veil had been lifted, and the dead were among us.
Tobias appeared in the doorway again and gave me an expectant look. I nodded and rose to my feet. Aldric started to follow, but Tobias stopped him.
“Before you go in, Jane wants to speak with you. She arrived just a few moments ago.”
My stomach dropped. I hadn’t seen Jane since Tobias had first taken her. I had so many questions. She led me to believe so many lies, but she raised me when I was human. She was the only mother I’d ever known.
My heart beat fast. “Where is she?”
Tobias glanced in the direction of the Library. I nodded and headed toward it.
I took a deep breath and walked in. She stood in the middle of the room like a statue, poised and polished like a piece of marble.
My blood boiled. “What lies do you have for me today, mother?”
Her eyes welled with tears and her hands trembled. “They weren’t lies to me. I believed those things to be true. I swear it. Jezebel had me fooled. She was my best friend.”<
br />
I struggled to hold it together. “Where have you been?”
Jane traced her hand along the edge of the mahogany desk. “I’ve been tracking demons.”
I snapped, “You knew they were getting out and you didn’t warn us?”
She coiled back. “I thought I could handle it. You had enough on your plate. I didn’t want to come to you unless I had to. I thought it was just a few at first. Then when more and more popped up, I knew I had to come here.”
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “How do I know you aren’t working with them?”
Jane gasped. “What could I possibly gain from that? I am guilty of a lot of things, but everything I’ve done has been for you. To protect you. That hasn’t changed.”
My head was pounding. “Okay, let’s say I believe you. What now?”
Her eyes darted nervously around the room and she lowered her voice. “Someone in your circle is working for them. That’s how they have remained one step ahead. I’m sure of it.”
It was like a punch to the gut. The veins popped out of my neck. “Who? No one here would betray me like that. You’re just spouting more lies.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know who it is, but I’m not lying about this. Gray, someone within your ranks is leading you into a trap. You mustn’t trust anyone. And don’t tell anyone that you suspect it.”
I took another deep breath. “I have to see this through. My people are waiting for my orders. If you are right, then it’s only a matter of time before they slip up. If you are lying, I will send you to the Underworld with the rest of the demons.”
Jane nodded. “Fair enough. You will soon see for yourself.”
The crowd in the war room let out a collective sigh and dispersed when I walked in—chatting and murmuring amongst each other.
Valentina, Lycos, Dragos, and Aldric waited patiently behind me. I turned and exhaled slowly. “There may be a traitor in this room. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears strained from here on out.”
Valentina crinkled her nose. “How do you know?”
I chuckled. “A little bird planted a seed in my ear. It could be false information but keep your guard up just in case.”
They nodded. Lycos leaned in, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow. “We have bigger problems.”
I grunted. “Bigger problems than the demons of the Underworld running loose in our world?”
Lycos raised an eyebrow. “You have incurred the wrath of the Furies.”
The Furies were the Goddesses of Vengeance—three sisters that ruled the Underworld with an iron fist. While the Fates controlled the destiny of the living, the Furies controlled the destiny of the dead.
I groaned. “How do you know this?”
He leaned in closer. “After your incident with the demon at Stonehaven, I sent my pack there to investigate. They found the Furies’ ritual stones and animal sacrifices along the beach.”
I threw up my hands in frustration. “That could have been anyone, Lycos. Jezebel even. How are you so sure they are here and after me for that matter?”
He lowered his eyes. “The one you were chasing—she got away because she had wings. She reappeared on the beach and killed two of my wolves—she carved a message into their chests. I didn’t realize it was a message for you until I saw the side of your ship earlier today.”
Dragos and Aldric both started to speak, but I put a hand up to silence them. “What was the message?” My eyes began to shift to black.
Lycos wiped sweat from his brow. “They called you the Goddess of Death…and they said they are coming for you.”
I clenched my fists. “Well, it’s a good thing we have the Hades Protocol then.”
Valentina shivered. “What’s the Hades Protocol?”
I took a deep breath and looked around the room. “Not here.”
They nodded and followed me out as I led them to the study. The Keeper was already there waiting. The usual neat order of the room was in disarray. Scrolls and maps covered the floor and tables. I waited until everyone was in and started to shut the door just as Seven approached.
I ushered him in. “Shouldn’t you be resting?”
Seven shook his head. “I’ve rested long enough. I’m not missing this.”
I nodded and addressed the group. “The Hades Protocol was put in place eons ago by the Order of The Keepers. It’s a set of instructions in case of this very thing. A breach in the Underworld. But more importantly, it’s a map to Elysium. A map to the gods.”
Their mouths gaped open as they stared at me, their eyes wide with shock. My heart beat fast in my chest as I waited for someone to speak.
Dragos ran a trembling hand through his dark hair. “That’s impossible. That can’t exist, can it?”
Aldric sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I know I am new at all this, but are you saying that we have a map to heaven? I mean, that is what Elysium is, right?”
I nodded. “We need the gods. The actual gods in the flesh. Not their spirits, not our prayers. We need to convince them to come here.”
Valentina looked like she might pass out. “Gray, how are we going to do that?”
I swallowed hard. “We’ll find a way. Once everyone has their assignments here, then we will begin.”
Aldric raised an eyebrow at me, his fingers trembling. “Darlin’, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I nodded. “We are going to Elysium and we’re not coming back unless it’s on the back of a chariot.”
I looked from each one of my friends as the reality of what was about to happen struck their faces.
I held up my hands. “So…who’s with me?”
One by one, they nodded and walked over to The Keeper—each taking a scroll to decipher.
Valentina smiled and gave me a wink. Dragos shook his head and mumbled to himself. Seven and Lycos paired up together and passed notes back and forth. Aldric gave me a soft peck on the cheek and grabbed a scroll for himself.
I let out a sigh of relief. This was my family. As strange and chaotic as we were, we had each other’s backs. They would die for me, and I for them. I hoped it would not come to that, but the future was uncertain.
As I sharpened my blades, I wondered where the demons were. I wondered if the Furies were already outside our door. And I wondered how I was going to bring back a god.
The lull of my reverie was broken as Tobias burst through the door. We all jumped to our feet. Sweat dripped down his face.
Panic rose in my chest. “What is it?”
His breath was heavy. “The first waves of attacks have begun. Cerberus is in New Orleans.”
I should have expected it. New Orleans was a sacred place of power. It bred magic in its veins.
I poured myself a drink and knocked it back. “Find Josephine. The Crescent Witches will want to help defend their city. We leave tonight.”
The journey to Elysium would have to wait. I couldn’t leave the humans unprotected. Otherwise, there might not be anything left to defend.
As I marched to the war room with the others right behind, a burning sensation spread through my chest. My Narcissus magic was pulling me toward the darkness, while Hera’s magic was yanking it away. There was a war raging in me. A push and pull of blood and magic that threatened to eat me alive.
The walk to the war room was a quick one. There wasn’t enough time in the world to prepare me for what I would say to my people. These warriors who just had a taste of victory, only to see it vanish in the blink of an eye.
My heart was in my throat. The room was silent except for the erratic beating of their combined pulses.
I took a deep breath and stood in the center of the room.
“Thank you for staying. I know you are all tired and miss your loved ones deeply. We are unclear as to the extent of this breach, but we fear it will be catastrophic. As Seven has told us, the Underworld is in fact empty. All its demons have risen upon our world. The banshees, the hellhounds, the lost sou
ls, and even Cerberus himself.
“All of their whereabouts are unknown at this time, but we are tracking them as I speak. We suspect they have been slipping out little by little for some time now. I believe I encountered one at Stonehaven when I went looking for Aldric. If that demon was any indication of their powers, then everyone is in danger. This entire world is at risk.
“I will send scouts and guards to every sacred place of power. The descendants will guard the cities, and new weapons will be forged, but I’m not going to sugarcoat it for you. It won’t be enough. I am not going to mislead you into another battle or downplay the odds. Most of us will perish.
“But this is our world, and I won’t let them have it without a fight. I will be invoking the Hades Protocol of the Order of The Keepers. And I will beg the gods for their help. We will succeed, or we will die trying. Either way, I’m prepared to unleash a fury and a resistance unlike anyone has ever seen.
“For those who wish to join me, we will give you further instructions tonight. For those of you who wish to leave, you will not be stopped. Yet before you decide, you must know that they are coming for us all. We have a better chance if we stick together. This is an old war that began centuries ago, but our fight is just beginning.”
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Their faces ranged from pale to green to clammy. I was beginning to fear they thought I was crazy when Zari stepped forward.
She met my gaze with unwavering strength. “The Rain Makers are with you, Imperator.”
I nodded and scanned the room, searching their faces for support.
Josephine emerged from the corner, shrugging off Samuel as she moved to stand next to Zari.
She raised her chin. “The Crescent Witches are with you, Imperator.”
Arcadia rolled her eyes and stepped up to join them. “The Rougarou are with you, sis—Imperator.” She caught herself in her informality and gave a slight bow.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the rest of the coven leaders followed suit. Within minutes, they all stood to face me with their hearts racing, but their heads held high.
Flesh and Bone (Blood and Darkness Book 2) Page 17
