“Except that we still need to get the witch away from Hades,” Hera reminded me.
“I have an idea,” I told her. “I just need to find the right spell.”
Chapter 60
Hades
It was my day for surprises. After escorting Persephone to Bliss, I headed home since I wasn’t scheduled to work in the detention areas. Normally, on my days off, I still checked in at a minimum of two prisons. I wasn’t good with idle time. Instead of working while Persephone was at Bliss, I’d decided to find a decorator to help me fix up my home. Persephone deserved better than a crumbling mausoleum.
When I got home, I found my second surprise of the day. Zeus was standing on my front porch babbling to himself.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
“Brother!” Zeus moved toward me with his arms out for a hug.
“Don’t even think about hugging me,” I warned. “Even when we were on good terms, we didn’t have a hugging type of relationship.”
Zeus frowned, looking oddly hurt by my rejection. In his lucid years, he would have simply challenged me to a fight, one he would have likely won. Those days were definitely in the past, and even a bastard like myself would feel guilty fighting him.
“Why are you here?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest and waiting for his response.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked. “We can talk over a glass of wine.”
“I don’t entertain,” was my response.
“Since when?” Zeus asked. “I’ve always heard you throw wonderful parties.”
“It’s been a very long time since I’ve thrown a party,” I reminded him.
His brow scrunched as he concentrated on some thought that would likely piss me off. “It can’t have been that long ago. That would make us old.”
“We’re timeless beings,” I said in a tired voice. “We don’t get old. You act old because you refuse to live in the present. When are you going to stop letting your children talk you into idiotic plots to become a god again?”
For a moment, Zeus looked sane. His response was the most clear-headed he’d given in more than a thousand years. “The past is all I have. We were never fair to you, but we did you a favor. At least, you have a present. Have you broken your curse yet?”
My suspicions were raised when Zeus asked me about my curse. He wanted to hear about my relationship with Persephone, and I doubted he was simply making casual conversation.
“Why are you really here?” I asked, my eyes narrowed.
“To talk,” Zeus replied. “We’re brothers.”
“That doesn’t mean shit,” I snapped. “I’ll bet you don’t even know the real reason you’re here. Who suggested you visit me?”
Any plots on Olympus were of someone else’s making. I doubted Zeus could plot his way to the bathroom.
“I convinced him to come here,” Ares announced as he jumped down from my roof.
“You did not!” Zeus shouted. “This was my idea. I wanted to know if Hades is done with the pretty redhead. If he doesn’t want her, I’d like to have a go at her.”
I lunged at Zeus, taking him to the ground. “Don’t even think about going near her,” I hissed before slamming my fist into his face. I managed to get in three good punches before Zeus drew on his power and thrust a lightning bolt at me. The bolt singed my arm as I rolled to the side to avoid being hit.
Ares laughed as Zeus attempted to create another bolt of lightning.
I drew on my power, creating a sword that looked like black fire. “Try it and I’ll slice through you before you can throw the next bolt.”
His anger seemed to clear his mind some, and Zeus glared at me. “Are you going to fight me over a witch?”
“I would kill you for Persephone.” My low warning was met with silence from Zeus.
We stared at each other for several long moments before Zeus reined in his power. My sword faded away.
“No!” Ares shouted. “Kill him, Hades. Why are you letting him live after he threatened your woman? This isn’t even the first time he’s threatened her.”
My eyes were locked with Ares when I spoke. “Go, Zeus. I have too much shit to get done today without dealing with you.”
“This is what I get for trying to be a good brother,” Zeus sputtered.
I didn’t look to see if he’d left. Zeus wasn’t the real problem.
“What the fuck was that about?” I demanded of Ares.
“Why didn’t you kill him?” Ares asked. “You could have taken him. Zeus is no longer a match for you.”
“Let me get this straight,” I began as I stalked toward Ares. “You want me to kill Zeus for you? Since when does the god of war need help killing someone?”
“My reasons are my own,” Ares snapped. “Zeus is a threat to you.”
I let out of a bark of laughter before responding. “How exactly is he a threat to me? He’s no match for me in a fight. I doubt he’ll even remember we had a fight tomorrow. He pissed me off by mentioning Persephone, but I don’t think he’s a real threat to her either.”
“As long as Zeus can be used as a figurehead, the others on Olympus will come up with new plots to take over Hell,” Ares argued. “If you kill Zeus, there will be anarchy as the others fight to be the new leader of Olympus. They’ll be desperate for a strong leader, all trying to prove they’re up to the task.”
“Now, I see what you’re after,” I mused. “You want chaos and fighting. You’re hoping I’ll start a war for you to fight in. What I don’t get is why you can’t kill Zeus yourself. Don’t tell me you have some sentimental attachment to your dear old dad.”
“I’m not the sentimental type,” Ares scoffed. “If I was that sort, I wouldn’t have lured Zeus here to pick a fight with you.”
“Then what is your game?” I demanded before a thought occurred to me. “Was this a test to see how far I’d go?”
Ares blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m trying to help you.”
“That’s bullshit,” I scoffed. “You’re only looking out for yourself. This is about your war, and you’re hoping I’ll do the hardest part for you. If you kill Zeus, the others might turn on you. If I kill him, then you can pretend you’re innocent and play the others like your puppets.”
Ares looked surprisingly pissed off at my suggestion. I’d expected denials or fake indignation but not anger.
“You’re a fool,” Ares accused. “I’m trying to protect your witch.”
“Just like when you came to me with the latest plot on Olympus?” I asked. “You’ll have to forgive me for not believing you’ve suddenly made a huge about-face on this matter. One minute, you and your siblings are threatening Persephone to gain my help. The next, you’re professing your desire to keep her safe. Don’t come back here again, Ares, or I’ll make sure you end up in the darkest corner of one of the prisons. That’s a promise.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Ares bit out before flying off.
“I’m related to assholes and lunatics,” I muttered on my way into my home.
Chapter 61
Hades
Instead of meeting with a decorator, Lucifer came by my home to discuss my encounter with Ares. Even worse, I’d had to send Rainer to pick up Persephone from work. My plan had been to surprise her with a romantic evening out. I’d made reservations at a restaurant Lucifer recommended. Fucking Ares had ruined my plans to be romantic.
“Are you listening?” Lucifer asked.
“No,” I admitted. “I’m pissed at Ares for messing up my plans with Persephone.”
“She’ll have to get used to it, like Beatrice has,” he told me in a dismissive voice. “There are times when work comes first. It’s not like we’re accountants and can put work off until the next day.”
“You’re right,” I muttered. “It would just be nice if I could give her some romantic evenings early in our relationship, rather than having them fall apart because of fallen angel bullshit.�
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“She didn’t even know you were planning the evening, so you can always do it another night,” Lucifer pointed out. “I understand why you want life to seem more normal for her. I often feel that way with Beatrice, but this is her new normal. She loves you, so she’ll get used to it.”
“I have a little more insanity for her to get used to with my Olympus ties,” I reminded him.
Lucifer opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it and chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“I was about to tell you that at least you don’t have to deal with white-winged angels on a regular basis, but you have Azrael in your life now,” he replied. “Of course, Persephone brought that crazy into your lives.”
“He’s not as bad as I’ve always believed him to be,” I admitted.
“Really?” Lucifer asked with a raised eyebrow.
I nodded. “He honestly wasn’t too bad at lunch today. It’s obvious he wants to impress Persephone, but he’s not lying to her to do it. He’s toning it down some. Don’t get me wrong; Azrael is an asshole.”
“But so are you,” Lucifer added. When I glared at him, he laughed and continued. “Don’t pretend you don’t already know that about yourself. Persephone seems to like assholes.”
“That’s a good thing for me,” I told him. “I need to do better for her. I was also going to meet with someone about fixing up my place. How can I ask Persephone to live in my home? It’s nothing like she’s used to.”
“You don’t know much about women, do you?” he asked.
“Are you trying to tell me that you’ve suddenly become an expert?” was my response.
He shook his head. “No, but between Beatrice and Lucy, I’ve learned that it’s best to avoid making decisions for them unless you absolutely have to. Despite what you might think, they respond to that as well as we do.”
“I want to make my home more inviting,” I explained. “It’s not as if I can offer to move to the human realm with her. If we’re going to be stuck in the demon realm, I’d like to make it nicer than this.” I gestured to my sparsely furnished living room.
“Your heart is in the right place—something I never expected to say,” he began. “I think you should ask her what she wants to do as far as your living arrangements are concerned before you go making a bunch of changes. Maybe she’d like to start over in a new home, or perhaps she’d like to be actively involved in renovating and decorating your home. Can I assume she’s agreed to live with you?”
I said nothing as I went over our recent conversations in my head. We’d declared our love, and she’d come back to my home. Not once had she mentioned staying at Lucifer’s home again. “I should have gone by your place to collect her belongings earlier today.”
“I will take that to mean you haven’t discussed it with her, but you assume everything has been settled,” Lucifer deduced. “That’s a mistake, one Rainer is still paying for. He assumed everything was settled with Evie and bonded with her before going over what that would mean for her future.”
“Persephone knows I can’t live in the human realm,” I reminded him. “I’ve been honest about my situation. Actually, I’m sure she knew before we discussed it.”
Lucifer nodded. “Persephone knows what she’s getting into with you, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to take that step. Sex doesn’t necessarily equal a commitment.”
He was right, which pissed me off. I hated that I needed Lucifer to tell me what I should be doing with Persephone. “What if she’s not ready to move in with me?”
Lucifer rolled his eyes. “We aren’t about to have some warm conversation where I coddle you and tell you Persephone loves you. Fuck that.”
I laughed at the idea of Lucifer coddling me. “Glad we haven’t reached that level. I do appreciate the advice. I don’t have much experience with relationships.”
“A situation I totally understand,” he replied. “We’re lucky to have found our witches.”
“Yes, we are,” I agreed. Persephone was my salvation.
Chapter 62
Persephone
“If you don’t tell me why Hades can’t pick me up, I’ll continue to ask you the entire way back to Hell,” I warned.
Rainer snorted as we stepped into the elevator. “I can handle two minutes of you asking me the same question multiple times.”
I frowned as the elevator doors closed. “I never thought I’d be annoyed by a short commute.”
“You could wait until you see Hades to ask him why he didn’t pick you up himself.”
I leaned against the plush walls of Lucifer’s elevator before noticing the change in décor. “Weren’t the walls red last time?”
Rainer shrugged. “It’s possible.”
“I’ve only seen them red or black,” I remarked as I looked around. “I really like this shade of gold. It’s lovely. Why does it change so often?”
“I’m not sure,” Rainer admitted. “The spell seems to react to outside factors. It’s so complex that it has a life of its own.”
The complex spell used on Lucifer’s elevator was enough to distract me from my plan to question Rainer about Hades.
I looked around. “Magic of any kind seems to hold a life of its own at times.”
Rainer nodded his agreement. “That’s true. I’ve seen spells get out of hand, especially dark spells.”
“My mother used to warn me about getting too caught up in my anger when I cast a spell,” I told him. “She said it could take on a life of its own. I don’t think she meant it quite as literally as the one in the elevator seems to have done.”
“That can happen with any strong emotion. With a strong match, sometimes the couple finds their magic bound before they realize what’s happening.” The doors opened into Lucifer’s home, and Rainer grinned. “It looks like you don’t have time to interrogate me.”
“I suppose I’ll have to harass Hades about it.” I frowned as a thought occurred to me.
“What’s wrong?” Rainer asked.
“I’m not sure where I’m supposed to go,” I admitted.
“Don’t worry. I can show you the way to Hades’s home,” he assured me. “It’s hard to figure out the portal the first few times, so it’s probably best if I take you there.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I replied. “All of my stuff is still here. Hades didn’t mention anything about me going to his house after work. Maybe I should stay here, and Hades can call me or come over if he wants to see me. I don’t want to appear pushy.”
My statement was met with a bark of laughter. “What’s so funny?” I asked.
“I was thinking that you’ve never worried about seeming pushy before,” he replied.
“You think I’m pushy?” I asked.
“I guess pushy is the wrong word, but you’re not shy about asking for what you want,” he clarified. “That’s not a bad thing.”
“Except with Hades, we didn’t even discuss me going to his house for dinner or sleeping over tonight,” I muttered.
“He wants you at his home,” Rainer assured me.
“In case you’re wrong, I think I’ll go upstairs and take a bath before dinner,” I stated as I walked past him. “Thank you for seeing me home.”
“Persephone!” Rainer called out. “It would definitely be best if you let me take you to Hades. He’s expecting you.”
“Then he can invite me over,” I called out over my shoulder. Maybe I was being ridiculous, but I suddenly felt uneasy about assuming Hades wanted me at his house. I wasn’t used to feeling insecure about anything. Shaking off my concerns, I headed up to my room to enjoy my bath.
Chapter 63
Hades
When I opened my front door, I found Rainer, as expected. What I didn’t expect was for him to be alone. “Where is Persephone?” I asked.
Rainer grinned. “It seems your lack of communication skills has come back to bite you on the ass.”
It was Lucifer who responded to
Rainer’s taunt. “You’re one to talk. How is Evangalina doing?”
Rainer cringed. “Ouch! That was cold, but it reminds me that I need to go. I have visitation with Jezebel tonight.”
Jezebel was Evangalina’s familiar, a very irritable black cat who loved Rainer. Beatrice, as Jezebel’s therapist, had arranged for Rainer to have weekly visitation with Jezebel. It seemed the cat wasn’t any happier about Rainer’s separation from his witch than he was.
“Before you go, where is Persephone?” I asked again.
“Taking a bath in her room,” Rainer replied. “She wasn’t sure if she should come over here, so she went to her room.”
After Rainer left, I told Lucifer, “Don’t say it. I should have at least mentioned wanting her here with me when I saw her at lunch.”
“I can understand why you didn’t bring it up then,” Lucifer replied. “Azrael’s presence probably threw you off.”
“It did, but that’s not why I didn’t bring up living arrangements,” I admitted. “Before we head over to your place, do you have any more thoughts on how to deal with Ares?”
“Nope,” Lucifer replied. “Either kick his ass or ignore him. He’s never followed through with any of his plans. The others on Olympus aren’t going to follow him, even if someone kills Zeus. He also hasn’t been a problem for a very long time. Sure, he wants a fight, but he’ll likely just end up picking a fight with Thor again. That seemed to satisfy his need for a good fight last time.”
“You’re probably right,” I agreed. “If those assholes didn’t know so much about Persephone, this wouldn’t bother me.”
“Love can make a man more cautious,” he agreed.
“I really do love her,” I uttered.
“You sound surprised,” he remarked as we walked to the portal.
“It still amazes me,” I admitted.
“Amazed or not, you need to avoid these kinds of misunderstandings.”
I scowled at him. “You’ve already mentioned that several times.”
“I want to make sure you’re listening.”
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