He had a point. The Ares of old would have reveled in a fight with the Hellhounds. From what I’d been told, he’d asked Beatrice to call them off.
“I should retrieve Cerberus so we can head to Olympus,” I said with a sigh. There’d been a time when an invitation to Olympus would have thrilled me. It now seemed only slightly preferable to having the skin flayed off my back.
“If you need back-up, I can always accompany you instead of Cerberus,” Lucifer offered. “The trip will be much faster if you can fly there.”
He was right, and it would be fun to see the reaction of the assholes on Olympus when Lucifer demanded entrance. They liked him even less than they liked me, but they had no choice in allowing Lucifer to enter their crumbling domain. Much as they tried to pretend otherwise, Lucifer was their king.
“That would be entertaining, but I think it will be better if I take Cerberus,” I replied.
Flying with Persephone pressed against my body wasn’t an option, especially not after I’d tasted her. No, it was best to bring Cerberus. If nothing else, the beast had always been a good cock-blocker.
Chapter 15
The Strategist
Hera was seated beside Zeus in the dining hall. It wasn’t often I saw them together. Jealousy was her motivation for spending more time with Zeus. Whenever Hera wasn’t around, I reminded Zeus how much he liked sex demons. Hera was at her most lucid when she was in a jealous rage.
“Come!” Zeus called out with a grin. “Join us for lunch. We’ve had a wonderful feast delivered.”
I eyed the table in disgust. Fast food burgers weren’t my idea of a feast, but Zeus loved them and often sent Hermes to the human realm to buy them.
“I’ve already eaten,” I replied.
“You look like you have important news,” Hera prompted.
“What news?” Zeus asked.
“Hades is bringing Persephone here,” I announced.
“When?” Zeus asked. “Didn’t I ban Hades from Olympus? Why would he come here when he’s banned?”
“You sent Ares to invite Persephone to Olympus,” Hera told Zeus with a tight smile. “You knew Hades would insist on accompanying her. It was part of your plan to gain his support.”
“Of course,” Zeus agreed, though he still looked confused. “When are they coming? A great feast should be prepared!”
“They should be here soon,” I told him. “You’ll need to hurry if you’re going to arrange something truly amazing.”
“Why should I arrange it?” Zeus asked with a sneer. “Shouldn’t one of you make the arrangements?”
“This is too important,” Hera argued. “We don’t want to make a mistake that will cost you Hades’s support.”
Zeus considered what Hera had said. He didn’t look convinced, so I decided to help push him in the right direction.
“We can get Hermes to pick up sushi from that wonderful witch place in New York,” I suggested.
“I hate sushi,” Zeus grumbled.
“What about a nice roasted demon realm boar?” Hera suggested.
“They stink, and they’re hard to chew,” Zeus argued before letting out a sigh of frustration. “I’ll do it myself.”
In his more clear-headed years, Zeus would have rained down bolts of lightning on me for suggesting he make the arrangement. He would have demanded I know his whims and lost his shit if I failed. Oh, how the mighty had fallen.
Hera kept her smile in place until Zeus was out of the room. “He gets worse by the decade,” she muttered when we were alone. “I had to chase him down when he left Olympus in the form of a golden cloud. Somehow, he got the idea that golden showers would win over the sex demons. I suppose there are plenty who are into that sort of thing, but I don’t think it’s what the idiot had in mind.”
“It’s a shame he’s so useless,” I lamented. “I had a much better plan for gaining Hades’s help, but Zeus screwed it up. At least, he’ll be less likely to mess up this visit. All he has to do is look confused. It’s what Zeus excels at these days.”
“Why are you just now telling me about this visit from Hades?” Hera demanded with narrowed eyes.
“I’ve been trying to find you,” I snapped, reminding myself that I needed the bitch. “There’s more interesting news than the visit from Hades.”
Hera patted the seat beside her. “What new information have you discovered?”
I sat in the seat Zeus had vacated before telling her what I’d learned about Persephone. As expected, Hera looked delighted by the news. I was surprised she hadn’t already heard, considering the way gossip traveled on Olympus.
“Azrael’s great-granddaughter,” she mused. “This is interesting, but I’m not sure how it’s useful.”
“Really?” I asked, struggling with my irritation. “You aren’t sure how an angel who can freely access all realms could be useful to us?”
“Don’t take that insolent tone with me,” Hera hissed.
My temper snapped. Standing, I drew on my power, and my sword took form in my hands. The red flames danced along the blade. Hera’s eyes widened with anger and a touch of fear. “You dare pull a weapon on me?” she sputtered.
“This isn’t a game to me,” I ground out. My rage heated my blood and made me feel alive. I wanted to kill her, sever her head. It would be easy. Hera hadn’t fought for a very long time, while I was still a skilled warrior. I could end her existence. As a fallen angel, she’d be reincarnated looking the same but with no memory of her previous life. I could take her power from her in a heartbeat. Oh, how I longed to do just that.
“I’m the only ally you have,” she reminded me. Though she was trying to sound tough, I heard the quaver in her voice. It pained me to admit it, but she was right. I needed her.
With great effort, I reined in my power, and my sword faded away. “Azrael is incredibly powerful. If we can get both him and Hades fighting for us, we’ll be unstoppable. We can take over this realm and reclaim our place in Heaven.”
“Heaven,” Hera whispered. “I can’t even remember what it was like there.” Her eyes moved around the dining hall. “Azrael can enter there.”
“And he’s feared by many,” I added. “He can also enlist an army of the dead.”
“That’s a myth,” Hera argued, waving off my words.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Hera hesitated. “We need to get Persephone.”
“I have a plan,” I began. “First, we need to convince Hades that we’ve given up on our recent plot. Having Zeus entertain him will help. Once Hades lets his guard down, we can go after Azrael’s granddaughter.”
Chapter 16
Persephone
Traveling by portal was boring. I’d expected an exciting road trip across Hell as I took in all the amazing landmarks along the way. Instead, our trip mostly involved walking down dingy hallways and riding in elevators. The elevators we used were nothing like the one from Lucifer’s home. They were cold steel boxes, some with flickering lights. It wasn’t until the third portal that a thought occurred to me, and I giggled at having found the bright side of our travel.
“What are you laughing at?” Hades asked as he regarded me with a smile.
“These elevators are like something out of a dark thriller,” I explained. “At first, I was only seeing them as ugly little boxes, but they could be very exciting.”
“Exciting?” he asked with a bark of laughter.
“Yes,” I replied. “Imagine we’re on the run from a dangerous killer.”
“If that was the case, Cerberus would eat the killer,” he stated.
Cerberus growled in agreement. At least, two of his heads growled. The third let out a bored sigh.
“It’s not fair that Cerberus has only one name,” I complained as we stepped out of the elevator into yet another boring hallway.
Cerberus moved in front of me to block my path, all three heads regarding me.
“Why do you say that?” Hades asked with a smirk.
“They all seem fine with being called dogs,” Hades answered since I couldn’t understand Cerberus. “Of course, I think Cerberus is half in love with you for noticing that he has three unique personalities. Most don’t consider him three separate dogs. It could be that most people are terrified he’s going to eat them, so they don’t think about anything beyond getting away from him as quickly as possible.”
“The pronouns are confusing,” I remarked thoughtfully. “With only one name, we say he or his, but Cerberus is three dogs. We should say they or them. Why doesn’t he have three names?”
“I think we can skip worrying about proper grammar,” Hades assured me. “Cerberus is also fine with only one name.”
I nearly fell over when Cerberus moved to my side and leaned against me. It was probably to show affection, but the top of his head came to my shoulders, and he outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. Thankfully, Hades caught me.
“This is what happens when Cerberus gives you his undying love,” Hades teased. “There are also extremely wet kisses.”
“Does it happen often?” I asked.
“No,” he replied, his eyes drifting to my mouth. He still hadn’t released me, and I couldn’t resist the urge to breathe in deeply. I appreciated the effort Hades had put into dressing up for me. He had on newer dark-wash jeans and a deep blue sweater. While I liked it when he dressed up, I enjoyed him shirtless and wild-looking more. I’d yet to touch his wings, but I wanted to. Each time they were out, my fingers itched to run along the black feathers.
“You need to stop looking at me that way,” he rasped out when his gaze met mine.
“What way?” I asked in a breathy voice.
“Like you want me to take you here in this hall,” he replied.
“I do want that,” I whispered.
Our gazes remained locked as we each struggled for control. I wanted him. It seemed nothing could break the spell. That is until I felt three large tongues move up my back.
At my screech, Hades looked behind me and laughed.
“His love is definitely messy at times,” he said around his laughter.
“And smelly,” I complained as I looked at the back of my shirt. “What have you been feeding him?”
“He feeds himself, and you don’t want to know what he eats,” Hades replied.
“I’m going to see if I can get some of the breath-freshening treats Melina uses for her familiar,” I told him. “He’s a California condor, so he needs them.”
Hades chuckled. “We should get moving.”
“I smell horrible,” I complained.
“Yes, but I don’t mind,” he insisted. “Let’s go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can leave.”
Chapter 17
Hades
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d visited Olympus. I’d once felt something akin to awe when I was there. The ivory pillars had glowed with a mystical light. The halls and temples had been adorned with gifts left at the shrines in the human realm, and all the gods had been dressed in their finest. I’d envied them.
“This place is a real shit hole,” I muttered as I stepped out of the portal.
Persephone seemed impressed, but her reaction likely had to do with how favorably Olympus compared to the dreary corridors and portals we’d traveled through.
“It’s not quite as glamorous as I’d expected,” Persephone admitted.
“Hades?” Hera called out from the entrance to the main hall. “Is that really you?”
I usually only saw Hera when she came to the other parts of the demon realm to retrieve Zeus. In all my years, I’d never received a warm welcome from her, yet she was smiling as she greeted me. I didn’t trust her.
“Yes,” I replied. “Zeus sent Ares to invite Persephone to Olympus, and I don’t trust you assholes around her, so here we are.”
From my perspective, I sounded nicer than usual.
“Persephone?” Hera asked with raised eyebrows. “So, the curse has finally been broken?”
“Can we get this visit over with?” I demanded.
Hera ignored me and walked toward Persephone. She stopped, and her nose wrinkled, likely having caught a whiff of Persephone. I had to give it to Hera; even with the scent of Cerberus’s breath, she continued to approach us. Her lotus scepter was in her right hand, so she reached out to Persephone with her left. “I’m Hera, Queen of the Gods. Welcome to Olympus.”
Cerberus moved in front of Persephone and growled at Hera, causing her to take a step back and raise her scepter.
“I wouldn’t recommend threatening Cerberus,” I warned. “You know how he reacts to threats.”
Hera was doing her best to mask her fear, but I could see it. Cerberus could smell it. I didn’t communicate with Cerberus in words, but I understood him. It was hard to explain our relationship to others. He was excited by Hera’s fear. He also saw her as a threat, a tasty threat, if I was picking up his thoughts correctly.
“Why did you bring that thing with you?” Hera asked with only a slight quaver to her voice.
Persephone’s eyes narrowed. “There’s no reason to be rude. Cerberus is my friend, and he seems worried you’ll hurt me.”
Two heads turned toward her while one continued to glare at Hera. My friend definitely approved of Persephone.
“Where is Zeus?” I asked.
“What’s the hurry?” Ares asked as he approached from our left.
“We need to leave before Cerberus eats one of you,” I replied.
Cerberus growled at Ares. It wasn’t the same growl he’d given Hera. We often disagreed when it came to Ares. Cerberus liked him, probably because Ares was willing to fight with him.
Ares chuckled and moved toward Cerberus. “We’ll have to fight later. Zeus had a feast prepared in Persephone’s honor. Azrael’s great-granddaughter deserves the very best.”
“She won’t be eating here,” I snarled.
Persephone tugged her hand out of mine and smiled at Hera and Ares. “Can we have a moment?” she asked.
“Of course,” Hera replied before turning to Ares. “Tell Zeus his guests have arrived and make sure the feast is ready.”
“I’m not your errand boy,” Ares ground out.
“Don’t forget your place,” Hera spat out.
I ignored their argument and tugged Persephone along behind me until we came to a lone olive tree. Cerberus followed us until he noticed the garden of statues nearby and took off to mark them all in his own special way.
“I don’t like it when you answer questions for me.” Persephone was irritated with me, which came as no surprise. She wasn’t one to simply take orders.
“You can’t eat here,” I told her.
“Why not?” she asked.
“I don’t trust that they won’t poison you,” I admitted.
“Why would they poison me?” Persephone asked, looking truly perplexed.
“To hurt me,” I replied. “Possibly to hurt Azrael.”
“The last would be stupid since Azrael isn’t even aware of my existence,” she muttered. “I suppose he might know about me. My mom never met him, so she always figured he didn’t know about her, but he might.”
“Do you want him to know about you?” I asked.
Persephone cocked her head to the side and carefully considered her answer before responding. “I’m not sure. The only time I saw him, he seemed very unpleasant.”
In my opinion, Persephone would be better off without Azrael in her life. He was dangerous, and I wasn’t certain he cared about anyone other than himself. I surprised myself with my desire to defend Azrael’s temperament. “He doesn’t have anyone. As the angel of death, Azrael can enter all realms without gaining anyone’s permission. He’s very powerful, but he’s also alone
. The other archangels look down on him. He can’t live in Hell or the human realm, so Heaven is all he has, but I’m not sure he considers it home.”
“That sounds very sad,” Persephone said thoughtfully. “Do you think he wants to meet me?”
“It’s possible,” I replied. “Azrael isn’t my friend by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t trust him, so I’d rather you stay away from him.”
“But you won’t try to force me to stay away from him,” Persephone added.
“I might,” I confessed.
“If you did something like that, I might use some very unpleasant words to express my displeasure,” she warned.
My laughter was so loud, it echoed across Olympus. “You make it very tempting to forbid you to see Azrael.”
Chapter 18
Persephone
Hades’s laughter warmed me all over. From what I’d been told, laughter had been absent from his life for a very long time. I certainly didn’t blame him.
Reaching out, I allowed my fingers to trail along the scruff on his cheek. “Why did you shave off your beard after we first met?”
“I thought you’d prefer it,” he replied. “Without the beard, I look more civilized.”
“I like you uncivilized,” I admitted with a smile. “You don’t need to hide that part of yourself or worry it will scare me off.”
He shook his head and took a step back. “Wild is dangerous.”
“I’m not helpless,” I argued.
Before Hades could say more, there was a screech. When I turned toward the sound, I saw Cerberus had sunk his teeth into a fallen angel’s wing.
“Cerberus!” My shout immediately got Cerberus’s attention. “Let him go, please, unless he’s threatened one of us.”
Cerberus didn’t look happy, but he released the fallen angel’s wing, and after the angel fled, Cerberus went to pee on a statue of Hermes.
“Now, where were we?” I asked.
Hades didn’t get a chance to respond.
“Brother!” came a booming shout.
I turned to find a man in a flowing white robe approaching us. He had long brown hair, and his black eyes glowed with an eerie light. His beard was long but well-groomed. I was doing my best to pretend his robe wasn’t flapping open in the front.
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