Pride of the Lion: Hades' Carnival, Book 3

by N. J. Walters

  “Hades can’t offer what he doesn’t have. The Lady is free from his domain.” She was still incredibly weak, but somehow he knew she’d made it out of Hell on her own. His Lady was nothing if not resilient.

  The Lady of the Beasts soaked up the power of the group who sat around the campfire chanting. She was perched in the center of the circle near the blaze, enjoying the heat on her flesh. It was so different from the dry, fetid air in Hades’ domain.

  She watched John, the elderly shaman, dance around the outside of the group, his voice strong and sure above all the rest. They hadn’t forgotten her. The centuries might have left her name in dust on the earth, but there were pockets of people who still worshiped her, still respected her. It was from them she drew power.

  John had told her of the green movement, those who wanted to protect the land and the animals. That was her domain and thus she drew power from it. There was still plenty of greed and corruption and fear and anger to feed Hades, but she was no longer as weak as she’d been.

  The delicious vegetable soup she’d eaten earlier had nourished her body and now the chanting was renewing her soul. Her limbs were no longer skinny and fragile, but firm and strong. She could feel the years of her captivity falling away.

  Laughing, she rose to her feet, let the blanket fall away and began to dance, her naked body moving to the rhythms of the chant. The very earth itself seemed to embrace her, as though welcoming her back. Tears came to her eyes as she absorbed pure power from the soil through the soles of her feet.

  She raised her arms and cried out to her warriors, praying they would hear her and would feel her power. They would know Hades no longer held her captive.

  Deep in the hills of North Carolina, a large man walked across his yard, basking in a moment of utter contentment as he pictured the woman waiting inside the house. His life had changed much in the past months and, although his life was blessed, he could not forget his fellow warriors, his friends who were still in jeopardy.

  Suddenly, he froze in mid-stride. A heavy weight lifted from his soul and it sang with unfettered joy. The tiger within him roared with pleasure.

  The back door slammed open and Aimee, his mate and the very reason he was alive, rushed toward him. “What is it? I can feel some sort of energy swirling in my chest.” Worry filled her face and he knew it would take long years before the fear of Hades truly left her.

  He grabbed her in his arms and swung her around in a circle. “The Lady. She has escaped from Hell. I can sense her in my heart.”

  Aimee wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on. “That’s what that is?” She twined her legs around his waist and immediately he wanted her.

  “Yes. You can sense her now because you share my essence, my life’s energy.”

  “Wow. It feels warm and kinda nice.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and he immediately wanted to taste her mouth. “What should we do? Should we go find her?”

  Roric cocked his head to one side and concentrated. “I can feel her, but I don’t know where she is. We will listen with our hearts and wait. We will find her or she will find us.”

  Aimee’s cell phone rang and she yanked it out of the back pocket of her jeans. “It’s Kellsie.” She answered the phone. “Hey, Kellsie.”

  “Did you feel that?”

  Aimee laughed. “We certainly did.” She could hear a male voice in the background urging Kellsie to give him the phone.

  “Marko wants to speak with Roric.”

  “I figured as much.” She held out the phone to Roric. “Marko wants to talk to you.”

  “I’d rather talk to you.” Roric buried his face in her neck and nuzzled her.

  She laughed and shoved the phone against his mouth. “Talk.”

  He growled at the man on the other end of the line. “I’ll call you later, Marko.” He could hear the bear laughing as Aimee clicked off the phone. “We need to celebrate this momentous occasion. Then we’ll make plans.”

  “I’m all for celebrating,” Aimee agreed. Roric held her close to his body and carried her into the house and up to their room so they could celebrate in the most elemental way possible. And if he knew Marko, his fellow warrior and Kellsie were about to celebrate too.

  As he set Aimee on the bed, he wondered if this meant another warrior had been released from the curse and was now fighting for his freedom. Aimee pulled him down to her and the thought was lost. If the battle had already begun, there was little they could do to help unless they were contacted. He hated feeling so helpless, wondering if his fellow warrior would last the night.

  But his sadness and anger were tempered by his joy, and his heart was filled with a warm light, as though the Lady was trying to soothe his soul. He inhaled her power, her magic, and turned to the miracle he’d been given by the goddess he served. Sensing what he needed from her, Aimee opened her arms to him and, when he eagerly went into them, she kissed him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Araminta’s heart skipped a beat when Leander spoke of the Lady of the Beasts being free from Hell. That meant that Hades could no longer touch her. He’d agreed to free the Lady, and if he tried to hurt her now his own power would rebound on him and kill him. Or at least that’s what was in the books Araminta had written. It felt right.

  Leander leaned against the wall, looking as though he didn’t have a care in the world. His attitude was disconcerting to say the least. The Lady might be free, but their lives were still on the line. That hadn’t changed.

  “What else do you have to offer?”

  Her heart nearly stopped when Leander spoke. Was he seriously considering siding with Hades or was this a ploy to kill time? She glanced down at her watch and barely swallowed a groan. It was late afternoon and there were still far too many hours they had to survive to break the curse and be free from Hades’ wrath.

  Several hours seemed to have slipped away and she wondered how long she’d been trapped in the dream-like fog, the spell that Luna had woven around her. Like most dreams, it had only seemed like a few minutes, but it must have been a much longer time.

  Leander’s hair fell behind his impossibly wide shoulders. The blond, orange and reddish-brown hues caught the late afternoon sun streaming through her office window. With his molten-gold eyes and broad, flat nose, he appeared more like the lion that lived within him.

  She wanted to see the lion again, to touch the tattoo of the beast on his back. There was so much she wanted to do with him and the chance might be lost. They both might be dead within a few hours or less. Araminta had the sense that Hades was toying with them, letting them get hopeful they could survive before swooping in to destroy them.

  She took solace from the fact that two of the warriors had survived. And, regardless of what Luna said, Araminta truly believed that their women had too. In fact, she was almost certain they had.

  Had those other women felt the sense of connection and the sexual attraction to the men they’d released from the carousel? If she survived this encounter, she planned to find out.

  “Hades can offer you anything your heart desires.” Luna tossed her head back, letting her hair fall over her shoulder like an ebony curtain. “All you have to do is ask. I’m authorized to fulfill any of your wishes. Every last one of them.” She licked her lips and Araminta wanted to smack the other woman for her blatant sexual come-on.

  But Luna wasn’t done. She sauntered toward Leander, her hips working back and forth. Araminta knew she couldn’t hold a candle to Luna when it came to looks and figure. Luna was stunning, while she was average at best.

  “Anything?” The way Leander said that one word made Araminta’s heart clench. His gaze was intent on Luna. Araminta might as well not even have been in the same room with them. Her fingers tightened around the rock. She wasn’t sure who she wanted to use it on more, Luna or Leander. Right now, it was a toss-up.

  Luna glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Araminta, making her blood run cold. “Hmm.” She tapped one painted fingernail ag
ainst her ruby-tinted lips. “If you got rid of her we could talk in private.”

  Araminta felt her cheeks heating. There was no mistaking Luna’s offer. The hussy demon wanted to have sex with Leander. Too bad for her. Araminta wasn’t going anywhere. This was her house and Leander was her man.

  The thought froze her in place. What was she thinking? Leander wasn’t hers. He was a warrior on a mission and Luna was offering him whatever he wanted on a silver platter. The Lady of the Beasts was free, but would that be enough for Leander? After all those years in captivity, would he still be loyal to the goddess now that the chips were down, or would he throw his lot in with Hades? Would he trade her life for the freedom of the remaining warrior?

  She swallowed hard and watched as Leander’s cool gaze flicked to her and then back to Luna. “What do you have in mind?” His query shattered her heart but strengthened her resolve. She hadn’t asked for this, but had been pulled into this war against her will. Maybe she should have taken Luna’s offer.

  No. She couldn’t do that. No matter what Leander did, she’d done what she knew was right. Some might think her stupid, but she’d written those two books and had multiple dreams about Hades and the world he ruled over. No matter what the document said, there would be a loophole. Hades always won when it came to contracts. It was his strength. She would not risk her eternal soul in such a way.

  Luna ignored Araminta as though she was of no import. And she supposed in the scheme of things she wasn’t. For the most part, she’d lived a lonely life. Her grandmother had loved her, but even she hadn’t understood Araminta’s need to write, to create stories and other worlds populated by the most amazing people.

  “I could send her to Hades.” Luna’s suggestion had sweat beading on Araminta’s forehead. She had no desire to see that realm or its leader firsthand.

  “Now what would be the point of that?” Leander’s soft-spoken words barely reached Araminta’s ears, and she strained to hear what he was saying. “She is mine. It is you who belong in Hell.”

  He attacked so swiftly he was little more than a blur. He shot out his hand, but it was no longer his hand. It was a massive paw tipped with razor-sharp claws. He ripped through Luna’s chest and tore out her still-beating heart. Blood sprayed, the splatter covering Leander’s shirt and the wall, peppering the papers strewn on the floor.

  Araminta slapped her hand over her mouth to smother her scream of horror. Luna slowly fell to her knees, her face pale and her eyes wide open. Her lips were parted as though she meant to say something. What that might be they would never know.

  Luna’s body swayed and toppled to the side. Blood flowed from the open wound, soaking into the papers and carpet. The stain would never come out. Hysterical laughter bubbled up, threatening to erupt.

  Then Leander tossed the heart onto the floor beside Luna’s body. Araminta dove for the garbage bucket, barely making it before she lost the remains of the large breakfast she’d eaten hours ago. The rock tumbled from her hand as she grabbed the rim for support. Her legs gave out and she dropped to her knees.

  “Araminta.” She heard Leander’s concerned voice over the retching but shook her head. She couldn’t look at him right now. He’d ripped out a woman’s heart.

  Was she next?

  Araminta slowly raised her head and shuddered at the sight of Luna’s body lying in a pool of blood. “You killed her. You killed a famous romance author in my home.” Her voice rose with each word until she was almost screaming.

  Leander shook his head. “She was a demon, not a human.” As if to prove his point, Luna’s body began to sizzle. Just like the demons back at the garage, her entire body shriveled and turned to ash. Even the bloodstains on the wall and carpet turned to ash.

  “I’m not cleaning that up.” The absurdity of what she’d just said made her drop her head into her hands. She was losing her mind.

  Leander walked to the window and shoved it open. A heavy wind blew in and gathered the dust from the floor and walls. It swirled around, almost forming the shape of a woman before being swept out the window. She didn’t know where the ashes went and didn’t care. They were out of her house. That was all that mattered.

  He slammed the window shut and stared out into the late afternoon sky. Dark, ominous clouds were forming to the west. Araminta pushed to her feet. Not wanting to leave herself undefended, she grabbed her rock. Not that it would do much damage. She wasn’t sure she could even make herself hit Leander. Then the final words he’d said to Luna sank in, leaving her even more confused. Had he told the demon she was his?

  “Araminta.” He strode toward her, stopping when she took a step back. Pain filled his eyes and his hands clenched at his sides. “I would not hurt you.”

  She swallowed hard, hating the sour taste in her mouth. “I wasn’t sure there for a moment.”

  He briefly closed his eyes and nodded. When he looked back at her, his eyes were gleaming. “Make no mistake. You belong to me. To us.” He held up his hand and it morphed into the powerful paw of a predator before her very eyes. “There is nothing either of us would not do to protect you.”

  Wow. That was a lot for a girl to take in. But one question remained. “Why?”

  He shook his head and canted it to one side as he studied her. “Why does the sun rise in the east? Why do the birds sing?” He placed his hand over his heart. “These things just are.” He took another step toward her. “You are in my heart, Araminta Davidson, and there is no removing you from it.”

  He moved closer still and started to lower his head. She ducked out of the way at the last second. A low growl filled the air. He wasn’t happy.

  “I have to brush my teeth.” She motioned to the wastebasket where the remains of her breakfast sat. No way was she kissing him after puking up her guts.

  His scowl disappeared and he offered her a tender smile. “Go and see to yourself. I will take care of this.” He leaned down and brushed several kisses over her forehead.

  Araminta turned and fled into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. “Oh God.” She rested her head against the cool mirror and took a deep, cleansing breath. Drawing back, she stared at herself. Her face was as pale as chalk, her eyes huge. Wisps of hair had escaped from her braid and hung around her face, framing it.

  She grabbed her toothbrush and quickly got rid of the nasty taste in her mouth, replacing it with minty freshness. When she was done, she thought about brushing out her hair and washing her face but didn’t bother. It didn’t really matter what she looked like. They needed to talk and make a plan of action. Hades would be back and soon.

  She emerged from the bathroom but didn’t go out to the kitchen where she could hear water running. Leander was actually cleaning up after her. That made him one special man. No, he wasn’t a man. She had to keep reminding herself of that. He was a mythical warrior, one with a mission.

  Turning, she went into her bedroom. It was no longer the sanctuary it had been. A demon invasion had pretty much taken away any sense of safety she’d had. Percy perched on the end of bed and gave a low grumble when he saw her.

  She sat next to him and he immediately climbed into her lap, offering her comfort in the only way he knew how. She cuddled him close and, for once, he allowed it. “What am I going to do, Percy?” He grumbled again in response, drawing a tiny laugh from her. “Maybe I should put you outside just in case.” She’d hate to see him killed or hurt in this fight.

  He bumped his furry head against her chin, and she hugged his heavy body to her chest, needed the warmth and comfort. Her entire life was upside down and she had no idea what was going to happen next. Even if she survived she would never be the same again. She would be one of the few who knew that demons, curses and ancient gods were real.

  “I envy the cat.” She jumped when Leander spoke. He stood in the doorway of her room, watching her with unreadable eyes. He’d removed his stained shirt, leaving him clad in only his leather pants and boots. As always, the sight of his broad, fir
mly muscled chest momentarily distracted her.

  “Why?” She asked because she really wanted to know, plus she needed some time to compose herself.

  Leander prowled toward her, his gait smooth and stealthy, like a lion on the hunt. Every nerve ending in her body fired at once, sending tingles racing over her skin.

  “Because he is touching you and I am not.”

  Oh, wow. “Ahhh.” She shut her mouth before she said something even more stupid. Whenever he said things like that she lost her ability to string together a sentence. She also found herself trying to memorize them to use later in a book. The writer in her never stopped working and she couldn’t help herself.

  Leander stopped in front of her and crouched down. He parted her knees so he was between them. Percy craned his neck toward Leander and he obliged by rubbing the cat behind the ears. “Go,” he whispered to Percy, and damned if the cat didn’t listen to him. Percy shot her a glance over his shoulder and then gracefully jumped from the bed and padded out of the room. It was just the two of them now.

  Her breathing quickened and her heart began to race. They should talk. That was important.

  But she’d almost signed over her soul to Hades. It might have been under coercion, but it had almost happened. She could have been killed. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Luna had been more than capable of the task.

  Now Leander was crouched in front of her. His unusual, masculine face was only inches away, his full lips and strong jawline within touching distance. Did she really want to talk?

  The answer didn’t surprise her. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to his, sighing when he kissed her back.

  Leander didn’t know if he’d ever get over the gut-wrenching fear of finding Araminta alone with one of Hades’ minions. His lion roared in agreement. The only satisfaction he had was that he’d dispatched Luna back to Hell where she belonged.