by M H Soars
We yell at the same time, climaxing in unison. Once again, my legs turn into mush, and as soon as Dante slips out, I collapse on the mattress sideways. A second later, three pairs of arms wrap around me, Tristan and Sam on each of my sides and Dante hugging my legs.
“This was amazing,” I say.
“Best one yet,” Sam agrees.
“Too bad we’re not home,” Tristan adds.
“We need to get going,” Dante replies.
“True,” I say, but I don’t move and neither do they.
I close my eyes for a second with every intention of getting up in five minutes or so. That doesn’t happen. Somehow, we’ve all fallen asleep, and when I wake up, I sense we’re no longer alone in the room. A throat clearing tells me I’m right.
Unable to move thanks to my mates, I do the only thing I can.
I yell.
Tristan, Dante, and Sam sit up at once as if they’d been electrocuted.
“Relax, it’s just me.”
Prythian appears suddenly, sitting leisurely on a chair in the corner of the room.
“What the hell! How long have you been here?” I try to cover my naked body with my arms, but my mates are now standing at the foot of the bed, creating a protective barrier.
“Were you spying on us, you perv?” Tristan growls.
“Please. Don’t flatter yourself. You were taking too long, so I came to investigate. Your friends were fretting and getting on my nerves.”
“We fell asleep.” I scooch out of bed and look for my clothes.
Sam turns around and gathers everything before I can. “Here, my love.”
“My love?” Prythian asks. “Does that mean you’ve broken the Furies’ spell?”
“Yes. Now can we have some privacy?” Dante replies.
“Oh, please. Since when are shifters modest?”
“Since you’re in the room,” Sam retorts.
He’s not wrong, but now that I remember what he did to us the last time we were here, I’m leery of the male. I get dressed as fast as I can, then circle around the guys.
“We need to get back to Crimson Hollow. Are you going to help us or not?”
Prythian cocks his head to the side. “Nina agreed to pay for my assistance, so yes. But you need better clothes, darling.”
He snaps his fingers, and bam, my clothes actually fit now.
“Is this an illusion like everything is in this place?” I ask.
“No.” He flicks his wrist, and not only do we return to Prythian’s receiving room but the guys are all dressed again.
Zeke jumps from his spot on the couch. “Fuck. You almost gave me a heart attack. I hate these instant pop-ins.”
“So, did it work?” Nina asks.
“Yes. We got our memories back,” I say.
Billy frowns. “Then how come I don’t remember anything?”
“You’re not part of Red’s harem, pup. They were able to break the spell because of their bond. I’m afraid everyone else in Crimson Hollow will remain clueless until the Furies are defeated.”
I gasp, remembering Kenya’s figurine, which was in the breast pocket of my old jacket. “What happened to Kenya?”
“Who?” Prythian turns to me.
“My friend. The Furies turned her into a miniature figure. She was in my pocket.”
“Ah. You mean this figurine?” The object appears between Prythian’s fingers. He tosses it in my direction without a care in the world.
I stretch my arm to catch it before it hits the ground. “What the hell! This is my friend!”
“And right now she’s a toy. She won’t get hurt.” He shrugs.
“What’s your game plan once you return to Crimson Hollow?” Nina asks.
“You’re not coming with us?” Billy looks at her with eyebrows raised.
“No. I can’t.”
“We don’t have a plan, and that’s the problem. Maybe we should stay here longer until we figure out what to do,” Zeke suggests.
“I can’t just stay here and do nothing,” I argue.
“Who let the Furies escape in the first place?” Prythian asks suddenly.
“They were in a prison in the Underworld. That’s Hades’s domain,” Zeke replies, a glint of interest in his eyes.
“So maybe you should pay him a visit,” the fae continues.
“Are you crazy? One does not simply walk into the Underworld without proper invitation,” Zeke retorts.
“Do you think Pegasus can get us an invitation?” I ask, because going to pay Hades a visit is shaping up to be our best solution right now.
“He’s Zeus’s champion. I’m sure he could,” Zeke replies. “That is, if the Furies haven’t barbecued his horsy ass.”
“The Furies have messed with our minds twice. What’s keeping them from erasing our memories again?” Tristan asks.
Fear spears my chest. I hadn’t thought of that possibility.
“I could put a protective barrier in your minds that would prevent them from getting access,” Prythian replies.
“Hell to the no. You’re not going anywhere near my head,” Sam retorts.
“Are you for real, Samuel? Would you rather have some psycho bitch get in there?” Nina puts her hands on her hips and glowers.
“Nina is right. We can’t return to Crimson Hollow unprotected. Who knows how long it’ll take to contact Pegasus,” I say.
“Ugh. Fine.” Sam throws his hands up in the air. “I’ll let the Bastard King put the barrier in place.”
Prythian’s hair, which was almost white a moment ago, turns pitch black in the blink of an eye. “It’s King of Bastards,” he grits out. “And helping you out will require payment.”
“Are you for real?” I throw him a death glare. “Can’t you do anything for others without asking for something in return?”
“I could, but it’s more fun to watch mortals squirm, trying to pay me back.” He smiles in a chilling manner.
“I’ll bite. What do you want in exchange for your assistance?” Tristan asks.
“Don’t even think about asking for my firstborn,” I warn him.
Prythian places a hand over his chest and twists his face into a phony offended expression. “I wouldn’t dream of asking such atrocious payment. Do you think I’m a heartless monster?”
“Yes,” my mates and I answer in unison.
The fae doesn’t blink for several beats, but then he drops the mask of innocence. “Fine. You got me there. Truth is, I don’t want anything from you.” He looks meaningfully in Zeke’s direction.
The imp’s spine goes rigid in an instant. “What? You want something from me?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“A favor.”
Squinting, Zeke crosses his arms. “What favor?”
“You’ll know when the time comes.”
Billy snorts. “That’s dumb.”
Nina elbows him in the arm and not so subtly urges him to keep his mouth shut. Thankfully, Prythian ignores his retort.
“Look, pal, I wasn’t born yesterday. I know all about secret favors and shady contracts. I’m an agent of Hell, after all.” Zeke scoffs. “I’m not about to enter into a deal with you without knowing the payment.”
Prythian shrugs. “Suit yourself. I can send you folks right back to Crimson Hollow without protection. How long do you think it’ll take for the Furies to do another number with your friends’ minds?”
I want to beg Zeke to agree, but I can’t ask him knowing how foul Prythian can be. I’ve never met a creature more mercurial than him.
The imp looks in my direction, and I see the turmoil in his gaze. No one speaks for several beats, until finally Zeke turns to Prythian once more.
“Fine. You have yourself a deal.”
“You’re such a good friend.” Prythian smiles.
I let out a relieved breath, but now comes the part where the dark fae has to enter our minds.
Eyes shining with mirth, Prythian moves in my dire
ction. Immediately, my mates block his way.
“You’re not starting with Red,” Tristan says.
“Silly wolf. Do you think I need to work on you one by one?”
Before anyone can reply, Prythian’s magic surrounds us. I feel a featherlight touch against my forehead, and a second later, the sensation is gone.
“It’s done,” he announces.
Chapter 17
Red
Prythian sent us back to the compound, but he warned us that the Furies might have changed people’s memories again while we were gone. Basically, we don’t know what kind of situation we’ll find. We lock ourselves in what used to be our room, but in this reality, it’s still Tristan’s old bedroom. Billy and Zeke tag along, which makes this situation even more awkward.
“We should have tried to convince Nina to come with us,” Billy says.
“Wait, do you remember her?” I cock my head to the side, daring to hope he somehow recovered his memories.
“I’m not sure how to answer that question. I know who she is, the fox spy. Are we friends in the real world?”
Zeke snorts, and the guys look at everything but the kid.
“You can say that,” I reply.
Billy rubs the back of his neck and glances down. “That would explain why I was drawn to her.”
Zeke claps him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, buddy. We just have to figure out a way to defeat some vengeful goddesses and you’ll recover all your lovely memories.”
I catch the sarcasm in Zeke’s tone, but thankfully Billy doesn’t. The last year was filled with happy memories, but there were way too many terrible ones too, such as Seth’s demise. If I had my way, I’d make sure Billy never recovered the memory of his brother’s death.
Unable to keep staring at Billy and worrying about what we have to do, I glance around. A picture frame on Tristan’s drawer catches my attention. My stomach clenches painfully at the sight. I know nothing here is real, but the picture of Tristan and Lyria in a lover’s embrace is too much to bear. My canines descend, and a low growl erupts from my throat.
Tristan follows my line of sight.
“Shit.” He puts the picture frame down. “I’m sorry, love. The Furies thought it would be amusing to resurrect that traitorous bitch.”
“I hate them,” I say.
“What’s going to happen now? How do we find Pegasus?” Billy asks.
We all turn to Zeke.
“How should I know?” he asks.
“You’re immune to the Furies’ spell,” I reply.
“So what? I know nothing about deities. Weren’t Sam and Dante Artemis’s wolves? Can’t they figure it out?”
“When we chose Red, we severed our connection to Artemis,” Sam replies.
“Hmm, but Red still bears her mark.” Dante turns to me.
“Wait. You want me to call that bitch?”
“Not her. Pegasus.”
“I wouldn’t know where to start.”
“You’d better find out fast. We’re sitting ducks here. I’m sure the Furies can sense we’ve returned to Crimson Hollow.” Zeke walks to the window and opens the curtains to peer outside. He’s definitely on edge, but so am I.
The room begins to shake suddenly. Dante pulls me into his arm and drags me away from the door.
“Fuck, too late. They’ve found us,” Zeke whines.
Billy gets into a defensive stance, but it’s no use. They’ll end up hurting him like they did Kenya.
“Get out of there, Billy!” I shout.
The door doesn’t burst open or explode like I had imagined. Instead, Pegasus materializes in the room in his winged horse form. Too big for the confined space, his wing hits a lamp, sending it crashing to the floor. Billy jumps back, colliding with Tristan, who steadies him.
“What the hell!” Sam yells.
“Sorry about your room, but I’m still forbidden from appearing in my human form,” Pegasus explains.
“That’s so freaky,” Billy murmurs.
“We need your help getting an audience with Hades,” I say, not wasting any time.
“What for? He won’t help you.”
“He was the one who let the Furies escape in the first place. He’s our last chance.”
A loud crash outside makes me jump on the spot. “That’s them, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Come on, dude. Take us to Hades now!” Sam commands.
“Hades wasn’t banished to the Underworld for nothing. He’ll be furious if I bring you there.”
“He can’t be worse than those three bitches,” I say.
“Take them already,” Zeke interrupts. “Billy and I will distract the Furies.”
“Zeke, no—”
“It’s okay, Red. If you succeed, we’ll be fine.”
A loud boom echoes outside, and then the walls begin to crack. Shit. They’re going to level the manor.
“If we’re going to the Underworld, it has to be now!” Dante shouts over the loud, constant noise.
Pegasus hangs his head. “Very well, but be prepared to deal with Hades’s wrath.”
Once again, we’re surrounded by a vortex of light that lasts no more than a few seconds. When we land on the rough ground, my nose can immediately tell we’re in the bowels of the world. The vortex light vanishes to reveal a dark cave with rocks that shimmer crimson. Pegasus is standing in front of us, back into his human form.
“How come you’re on two legs here?” Sam asks.
“I’m in a god’s domain. My limitations only applied to the human realm.”
“Is this where Hades lives? Kind of drab, isn’t it?” Sam looks around.
“This is one of the entrances to his hall.”
“Wait, no guards? What about that three-headed dog?”
“Cerberus doesn’t keep anyone from entering, he prevents people from leaving.”
“That’s just great,” Tristan mumbles.
Pegasus walks ahead. “Please, let me do all the talking.”
We walk for about ten minutes before the tunnel widens and we enter a much bigger chamber. It’s brighter here, though not lighter. At the end of the room is a dais and a lonely, dark throne with a beautiful man sitting leisurely on it. His legs are spread wide, and he’s leaning sideways on one of the arms with a dark chalice in his hand. He has black hair, short on the sides and longer on top, and his skin is sun-kissed, despite the fact that he lives in an underground cave.
“Pegasus! What brings you here?” He stands up, staggering forward as if his legs won’t cooperate with him.
Oh brother. He’s drunk.
He stops in front of the golden warrior and pulls him into a hug. “Glad to see you, buddy.”
Pegasus becomes stiff as a board. “What’s going on, Hades?”
The Underworld god eases off and frowns at him. “What? Can’t I be glad to see you?”
“You’ve never been glad to see me since my creation.”
Hades waves his hand dismissively. “Pfff. Nonsense.” Finally he notices Pegasus didn’t come alone. “And who did you bring with you?”
I was already tense, but now that we have the dark god’s attention, I’m frozen, afraid to even breathe. Despite his level of intoxication, I feel smothered by his gaze. Talk about a powerful being. Not even Artemis felt like this.
“These are the Furies’ latest victims. You’ve let them escape, so they’re here hoping you can imprison them again.”
Hades frowns, pinching his lips together. I wish Pegasus had been less blunt about his explanation.
“I had nothing to do with the Furies’ escape. I wasn’t even here when it happened. They had help from another god, because not even my faithful Cerberus could stop them from leaving.”
“Who would help them? And to what end?” I ask.
Hades shrugs. “Don’t know. But now my dear brother is pissed and has summoned me for an audience at Mount Olympus.”
“Really? I didn’t know about that,” Pegasus rep
lies.
“Why would you? You’re only a servant.”
The blond knight winces, and I feel offended on his behalf. He’s been trying to help us from the get-go and without asking for anything in return. He’s better than all the gods I’ve met so far. But I can’t ruin our chances of freeing Crimson Hollow from the Furies’ crutches if I antagonize Hades.
“So are you saying the Furies are stronger than you?” Tristan raises an eyebrow.
Hades’s gloomy eyes sharpen for a moment. “Watch your mouth, wolf. Those bitches aren’t stronger than me. I may be drunk, but I’m still the lord of the Underworld.”
Shit. Way to go, Tristan.
I open my mouth to try to salvage the situation when a sharp cramp robs me of breath. I bend forward, grunting.
“Red? What’s the matter, love?” Sam asks, supporting me by my elbows.
“It’s just a cramp. It’s getting better already. I’m fine.”
“You’re not going into labor, are you?” Dante asks.
Oh God, I hope not. I can’t have my babies in the Underworld. “No, of course not. It’s too soon for that anyway.”
I lift my head, catching Hades’s gaze. His eyes are narrowed to slits, and his lips are nothing but a slash on his face. A shiver of dread runs down my spine. I don’t like the calculating glint in his dark eyes one bit.
“You know what? I’m bringing you all with me,” he announces.
“You don’t mean that. You can’t bring mortals to Mount Olympus without Zeus’s permission,” Pegasus retorts.
“I also wasn’t supposed to see his ugly face ever again when he banished me to this forsaken place, yet here I am, summoned back to his palace in the skies.”
It’s impossible to miss the venom in Hades’s tone.
Fuck a duck. Did we make a mistake by coming here?
“We don’t nee—”
“Oh no, darling. You don’t have a choice in the matter. You’re all coming with me.”
Before I can get another word in, the entire world goes dark and silent. I lose the sensation of my body, and I can’t even scream. If I could feel my heart, it would probably be beating erratically right now.
The darkness gives way to sudden brightness. I have to shut my eyes or risk going blind. My body feels whole again, and when I sense the brightness diminish, I blink my eyes open. I’m in an atrium with a high domed ceiling supported by white Greek columns. Frescoes in soft hues adorn the walls, and somewhere nearby, someone is playing the harp. Even if those weren’t enough clues to my whereabouts, the great power I sense in the air would do the trick.
