Pride of the Lion: Hades' Carnival, Book 3

by N. J. Walters

  “Yes. That much power in one area would bring some god or goddess poking around. There is no trust in the court of the Greek gods.”

  “But you and your fellow warriors are already here and have existed in this realm for thousands of years.”

  Leander thought she looked tired and longed to take her into his arms. But this was neither the time nor place. “We should keep driving.”

  She shot him a look of frustration and released a long sigh. “Of course.” Araminta put the car in gear again and eased out into traffic. He studied how she moved and handled the vehicle. He understood what a car was and the mechanics of driving, but seeing it was something else altogether.

  “And, yes, we have been here for so long we do not attract the attention of the other gods and goddesses.” Araminta was involved in this fight and she deserved to know the truth. She hadn’t asked for this, but she was a pawn in a war between gods.

  “So what is Hades’ plan?”

  Leander shook his head. “I’m not sure. I think he wants us to lead his armies. If we were stationed in strategic points around the world, it wouldn’t be hard for Hades to open portals and have his demons stream out. While his demons were taking this world, my brethren and I could engage the other gods. The war would be over before it began. The Greek gods are much weaker now than they were in ancient times.”

  Araminta started to turn toward an off ramp to head toward the highway, but at the last second she turned the car down another road. This one had two lanes of traffic and seemed quiet. “Because they gain power when people worship them. And people don’t worship ancient Greek gods and goddesses anymore.”

  He inclined his head. “Exactly.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe I dreamed all of this and wrote about it. I mean Tiger’s Curse is the first book in my Demon’s Wrath series. I’ve already written a second book about the bear warrior. Was that real? Where did the ideas come from?”

  Leander shrugged, but the idea of Hades invading Araminta’s dreams bothered him greatly. “I don’t know if it was Hades manipulating you so you’d be more likely to accept me, or if it was a gift from the Lady herself.”

  “I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Dawn was breaking on the horizon and Leander knew she was right. It didn’t really matter how she knew these things, only that she did. The next few hours would decide their fate. Once it was over, if they were still alive, they could figure out their next move.

  Leander stared out the window, soaking in the sight of the world after being trapped for thousands of years. He was used to seeing it all secondhand, taking memories from the demons who’d attended them for all those years. This was real and it was incredible.

  The colors and sights were astounding. The occasional vehicle whizzed by them, heading in the opposite direction. He saw fast-food restaurants, gas stations and a Wal-Mart in the distance. Imagine being able to walk into a building and buy all manner of ready-made clothes, food and so much more. He longed to visit them all and experience them firsthand in a leisurely manner.

  But nothing caught and held his attention like the woman sitting next to him. Araminta was the greatest treasure this world had to offer, and he would protect her with his life.

  He reached out and settled his hand on her thigh. After a moment’s hesitation, she rested her hand on top of his. For now, it was enough.

  Hades reclined on a black velvet sofa wearing a pair of loose black pants. He was feeling much better about things since he’d viewed the Lady through the magic of the mirror he’d bartered from a powerful sorceress two thousand years ago. The goddess was naked, powerless and alone in the middle of a vast untamed forest. She was no threat to him.

  He, on the other hand, was doing quite well. He had a drink in his hand, his armies preparing for war and a deliciously nude Luna at his feet. He was still angry with Luna but needed her. He’d punish her later for her earlier transgression when her part in this was done.

  He was just finishing watching the warrior and the woman as they fled from the city. The scene on the mirror faded away and he wished he could watch for longer. But when the action happened outside his realm he was limited to a mere hour a day, so he used the power sparingly. He’d already used most of his allotted time watching the lion fight his demons.

  It was interesting to see one of the warriors at odds with the woman who freed him. She’d actually tried to get rid of him, ordering him out of her car. Hades could use this to his advantage.

  He crooked his finger at Luna and she climbed up his body, naked and ready to do whatever he asked of her. She settled on his thighs and he admired the way her ample breasts swayed as she moved. “This situation could be good for me. Araminta seems to be fighting the warrior.”

  “She’s a mouse.” Luna rubbed his erect cock through the fine silk of his pants. “All she wants is to be left alone in her pitiful little home writing her silly books.”

  “Hmm.” Hades considered his options. He’d thought about attacking and not giving either of them any opportunity to make a deal. After all, that hadn’t worked out well the last time he’d tried it.

  The warrior seemed loyal. He could have cut and run, leaving the woman to her fate at the hands of the demons. But he’d stayed and fought. Hades hated the warriors for their honor even as he wanted it pledged to him.

  But the woman was different. She seemed ripe for a deal. He discounted the fact Araminta had run down one of the demons. She was frightened and thought she needed the warrior to protect her. Look at how fast she’d tried to kick him out of her car once she was safe.

  He’d take the warrior off her hands in exchange for a more interesting life. After all, no one could be satisfied with such a pitiful existence. He’d read the reports on Araminta and studied her strengths and weaknesses. After all, that was the best way to discover what someone wanted, what would tempt them to make a deal.

  And if there was one thing he was good at, it was making deals.

  Luna tugged down his zipper and licked her lips. Hades waved his hand, feeling rather magnanimous again. “Go ahead and have your fun. Then you’ll go back and visit Araminta and offer her the deal of a lifetime.”

  Chapter Eight

  Araminta drove by rote, paying more attention to the man beside her than to the road in front of her. She’d avoided the highway, not wanting to have to deal with extra traffic. Not that it really mattered. It was a fairly short drive home anyway and traffic was light at this early hour of the morning. She wasn’t looking forward to facing the break-in at her home or whatever Hades was going to throw at them in the next eighteen or so hours.

  Dawn would break in the distance soon, golden with promise for most folks. But her own future was looking pretty bleak at the moment. Being attacked by demons had made the entire situation all too real.

  Her stomach growled, reminding her that no matter how crazy life got there were still some things that didn’t change—she was hungry and she had to pee. And if there was a chance she might die today she might as well eat everything she wanted.

  “I’m going to stop and get something to eat. Do you want anything?”

  She sensed his interest pick up. “Can we stop here?” He pointed at a popular fast-food chain just up ahead on the right.

  “Sure.” She turned on her signal light, pulled into the parking lot and found an empty spot near the door. “Okay, here are the rules. No swords allowed and you need to put on a shirt, something that covers more of you than that vest does. No bare chests allowed in the restaurant.”

  He frowned, but a second later the vest disappeared and his magnificent chest was covered by a sleeveless leather tunic with ties in the front. She swallowed hard at the casual display of power. The guy was magic, in more ways than one.

  Don’t think about it, she admonished herself. Yes, he was sex on a stick, but he was also immortal and his time with her was temporary. Plus, he had a mission that was more important to him than anything. If she let hersel
f have feelings for him she’d only be hurt when he left. That’s assuming they both survived the next few hours.

  “Will this do?” He frowned at her and she realized she’d been sitting there like an idiot staring at him.

  She grabbed her purse and shoved open her door. “That’s fine.”

  He was beside her before she reached the door to the restaurant, opening it and holding it for her. Head held high and shoulders back, she started to march up to the counter but suddenly changed directions. “I’m going to the ladies room.”

  She was about to push open the door to the bathroom when she realized he was right behind her. She whirled around and slapped her hand on Leander’s chest, stopping him in his tracks. “You can’t come in here.”

  “Why not?” His frown got darker and his gaze narrowed.

  She pointed to the little sign of the stick-figure woman on the door. “Ladies only. If you need to use the bathroom, you go there.” She pointed at the other door.

  “I do not want to leave you alone.” He started to muscle past her, but she planted her feet and refused to budge.

  “You can’t go in there. You’re going to get us in trouble if you keep this up.” Already she could see several patrons watching, a couple of them with frowns on their faces. Not good. They were attracting attention, something they didn’t need, not with demons chasing them. “I’ll only be a minute. If it makes you feel any better, stand guard by the door.”

  “I will do that.” He crossed his massive arms over his chest and stood with legs braced apart next to the entrance to the ladies’ room. Araminta only hoped that no other woman needed to pee in a hurry. She didn’t think Leander would let them in.

  She hurried to the first stall and took care of business. When she was done, she washed her hands and tucked some stray ends of hair behind her ears. She really needed to brush and braid it again but didn’t want to take the time. There was no telling how long Leander’s patience would hold.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror, studying it and searching for changes in herself. Surely everything she’d gone through should have left its mark. Her eyes were tired and slightly bloodshot, but she didn’t look bad for a woman who’d been dragged into a war between a god and goddess, slept with an immortal warrior and been attacked by demons. She looked like herself, only exhausted and slightly shell-shocked.

  She gripped the edge of the sink and took a deep breath. She could do this. After all, she really didn’t have a choice in the matter.

  “Araminta?” The bathroom door was shoved open and Leander loomed large in the doorway.

  “I’m coming. Hold onto your horses.”

  He frowned at her, his expression becoming even more concerned. “But I have no horses. We drove in your car. Are you sure you are okay? Did you hit your head?”

  In spite of her fatigue and fear, she smiled. “It’s just an expression. It means have some patience.”

  He grunted and held the door for her but didn’t step back. Her arm grazed his chest as she walked by. It wasn’t fair. The guy had fought yucky demons. He should reek of sweat and demon, whatever the hell they’d smelled like, but instead a hot scent, much like the desert air, seemed to permeate his skin. It was delicious and made her want to rub herself against him.

  Shaking off her growing arousal, she stalked to the counter. “Do you know what you want?” There were two young men in the lineup ahead of them so she motioned to the menu suspended from the ceiling behind the counter. “Everything they have is listed.”

  Leander tilted back his head and studied the various meal deals and single offerings. It occurred to her that he might not know how to read. She wasn’t even sure what, if any, written language had existed when he’d last walked this world. Hieroglyphics maybe.

  She sidled up to him and tugged on his hand. He leaned down so she could discreetly whisper in his ear. “Can you read?”

  He nodded solemnly. “Yes. Even though we were held in stasis for all those years, we absorbed all the learning and creations of mankind. I can read and speak all languages.” The corners of his lips tilted upward and she found herself holding her breath, hoping he would smile. “But it is much different experiencing it in the flesh.”

  Araminta couldn’t begin to imagine how disconcerting it must be for him to be free and in a world that was so different from the one he’d left behind. The fact that he was functioning at all was to be admired. And he could read and speak all languages. That was intimidating as all get out. The guy was not only built like a god and a first-class warrior, but he was smart too. Compared to him, she was ordinary at best.

  No, it was just as well that he was leaving once the curse was finally broken. Better to focus on practical matters and put aside all thoughts of him as a sexy, intelligent guy who she really liked in spite of his domineering tendencies.

  “Do you even have to eat?” It occurred to her that he might not have to. After all, the guy was immortal. She had no idea what the rules were when it came to Leander.

  “Not often. But I am hungry after going without for such a long time.” He pointed to one of the pictures. “What exactly is that?”

  “It’s a breakfast sandwich with bacon, cheese and eggs.”

  He nodded. “I will have some of those.”

  The teenage boy behind the counter stared up at him when Leander stepped forward to place his order. “Can I take your order?”

  Leander nodded and began to order. “I will have three of those.” He pointed at the breakfast sandwiches. “A number one, a number two and a number three breakfast.”

  Araminta stood beside him, gaping at him as Leander continued to order. The boy behind the counter could barely keep up. She only hoped she had enough cash on her to pay for everything. He finally finished with two orange juices.

  Leander turned to her. “What will you have?”

  “Ah.” She wanted to say she wasn’t sure she could afford anything now that he’d ordered, but one glance at the excited expectation on his face and she resigned herself to whatever the meal would cost. She could use her bank card if she didn’t have enough cash on her. The guy hadn’t had food in several thousand years. No wonder he wanted to try everything. “I’ll have the number two breakfast with whole-wheat toast. And a coffee.”

  He frowned. “That is all?”

  “Believe me, that’s more than enough.” She gained weight easily and normally wouldn’t have eggs, bacon and toast for breakfast, but after the night she’d put in she figured she deserved it. “We’ll take it to go,” she told the young man, who was openly staring at Leander.

  When he told her the price, she dug into her purse and came up with the money. Luckily, she had enough cash with three bucks to spare. She was happy not to have to use her bank card. She had no idea if Hades had access to such records or not, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Her squeaky-tight budget would take a slight hit but it was worth it. It was definitely the most expensive fast food order she’d ever had.

  When the clerk started to bag their meal, it occurred to her that it probably wasn’t wise to let too many people see Leander. She’d gotten used to his odd features, but the clerk couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him and they’d also be on the security feed.

  “Damn.” She should have thought of that. This whole cloak-and-dagger running from a vengeful god thing was new for her and she was bound to make mistakes. She only hoped it didn’t cost them their lives.

  Beside her, Leander tensed. “What is it?”

  She stepped back and snuck a look at the other patrons in the restaurant. There weren’t a lot as most folks were using the drive-thru this time of day, but there were enough. “You probably shouldn’t be in here. You draw too much attention. All we need is for someone to take a picture of you and post it on the Internet. Does Hades even use the Internet?” It felt crazy to even be asking a question like that, but it was necessary.

  Leander brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, the light touch se
nding a quiver of desire pulsing through her. She needed to keep her wits about her and not succumb to his potent allure again. She needed coffee, hot, strong coffee. She was tired and on information overload and it would be all too easy to lean against Leander and let him take care of everything.

  But that was only smoke and mirrors. He wasn’t staying, so she couldn’t let herself depend on him.

  “Do not worry, my beauty. I will take care of that.”

  Fear broke through her fatigue. “Don’t you dare do anything to bring more attention our way,” she commanded.

  “Your order is up.” The teenager behind the counter shoved several large bags and a cardboard cup holder toward them. Araminta grabbed the drinks and one of the bags, leaving the rest for Leander.

  He stayed behind her until they reached the door, then he moved in front of her. He gazed over the parking lot before herding her back to the car.

  “What about the security cameras? And I think one of the other patrons took a picture of you with his cell phone.” Worry gnawed at her gut. She didn’t want the demons to find them again so soon. They probably knew where she lived, but maybe not. Araminta still had hope she could hide Leander there until the time ran out on the curse.

  He waited until she was in the car with her door closed before sliding into the passenger seat. He set the bags on the floor at his feet. “I sent out a pulse of energy. All electronic gadgets will have malfunctioned while we were there. There will be nothing but static on the security tapes and the picture will be little more than a blur of color.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Hmm.” She passed him the drinks. “Handy skill. Hold onto this, I’m going to park at another restaurant down the road and then we’ll eat.

  Leander wiped his mouth with the napkin, feeling replete after thousands of years of gnawing hunger. The food seemed strange, but most of it was tasty. He hadn’t particularly enjoyed the hash browns, finding them too heavy and oily, and had left two of the three he’d ordered in the bag. The eggs and bacon were surprisingly good and he’d particularly enjoyed the breakfast sandwiches. The best of all was the orange juice.