I shook my head. “In some, that’s how the killer acts, but in my favorites, the killer is friendly, and everyone believes they’re a nice person.”
“Then how do you know who the killer is?” My mom wasn’t a big fan of mysteries.
“You often don’t until the end,” I told her. “That’s the best part. I turn each page, not knowing who to trust. It’s very exciting.”
“That sounds horrible,” my mom said with a laugh.
“I feel the same about those sappy books where the heroine’s heart flutters when she sees the hero walk into a room,” I told her. “If my heart starts fluttering, I’ll be worried I’m having heart palpitations.”
“Witches don’t have heart palpitations,” my mom reminded me.
“It’s still the first thought that came to mind,” I insisted. “I may love Hades, but there will be no fluttering of my heart.”
“You really do love him, don’t you?” my mom asked.
“With all my heart,” I replied.
“Then we’d better hurry back before your father drives him crazy with all his questions.”
My mom’s suggestion made me laugh. “Oh, Mom. Hades is already crazy.”
Chapter 77
Hades
I now knew the source of Persephone’s curiosity. When Demira had been in the demon realm, Lucy and Beatrice had insisted she was the one Persephone had inherited her curiosity from. Demira had nothing on Leland. The warlock had been taking notes and photos since he’d gotten me alone. He ran his fingers through his dark red hair as he studied me with moss green eyes.
“Do they feel different now?” he asked before clarifying. “Your wings. Is it different from before you became a fallen angel?”
I had to think about that question since it had been a very long time since I’d had white wings. “To be totally honest, I don’t know. That was a few millennia ago.” I scarcely remembered what it was like before I’d decided that joining a pantheon would be fun. My brothers had convinced me we’d all be powerful and loved. They’d been loved, while I’d been feared. In the beginning, I’d still enjoyed the power. I’d never been very angelic.
“Do you miss it?” he asked. “Your life in Heaven, not your time as God of the Underworld.”
“Sometimes.” Most assumed I loved everything about my life in the demon realm. “There were friends I left behind—friends who are now my enemies because of my choice.”
“I can see how that would be hard,” he said softly. “When we made the decision to move here to protect Persephone, I had to cut all ties with my family.”
“Why?” I asked. “I understand keeping her away from the preternatural community, but surely you could have still spoken to your family.”
“They’re very loyal to the council we were a part of,” he explained. “When I left the council, my family disowned me.”
“That’s a total asshole move,” I grumbled, feeling a certain kinship with Persephone’s father. I understood how hard it was to be abandoned by your own family.
“We’re back!” Persephone called out from the front room.
Leland let out a disappointed sigh. “I guess I’ll have to save the rest of my questions for later.”
I couldn’t imagine him having more questions, but I was glad for the interruption. It’s not that her father was rude or annoying, I just wasn’t used to sharing so much about myself.
We went to the front of the house to meet Demira and Persephone.
“So, you want to marry my daughter?” Demira demanded.
“You do?” Leland asked. “When were you planning to tell me?”
Thankfully, Demira rolled her eyes and answered that question so I didn’t have to. “He was probably going to tell you when you stopped interrogating him.”
“I only interrogated him a little,” Leland argued.
“That was a little interrogation?” I asked.
“I held back,” Leland assured me.
“That’s a scary thought,” I muttered. It seemed it was Demira’s turn to interrogate me.
“When will this wedding take place?” Demira asked me. “My daughter says no date has been set yet.”
“Enough questions!” Persephone wagged her finger at her parents. “Hades needs a break. He’s not used to being polite. If you don’t give him some space, he’ll lose his patience.”
“Really?” Her dad looked like he wanted to push me to see what would happen.
“Dad,” Persephone warned.
Her father sighed and nodded. “Fine, I’ll leave him alone.”
“I will for now,” Demira agreed with a smile.
I would definitely have to thank my witch for saving me from further interrogation later. The way I planned to show my gratitude wouldn’t be appropriate in her parents’ home.
Chapter 78
Hades
I suspected Persephone would have liked to visit with her parents longer, but we couldn’t. As a fallen angel, I was limited on the amount of time I could spend outside the demon realm, so I didn’t do any overnight trips. I might have felt guilty about having to cut our visit short if I wasn’t glad I didn’t have to suffer further questioning by Leland. He was a very curious warlock. He’d stopped after Persephone’s warning, but it was only a short reprieve.
“Thank you for putting up with my dad’s questions,” Persephone said as she parked the SUV in the garage. “I was a little worried you’d snap at him.”
“Were you afraid I’d upset your father?” I asked.
She laughed. “No, I was afraid you’d never want to see my parents again. My dad would have continued asking you questions until his voice went out. According to my mom, when they first started dating, she cast a spell to make him lose his voice for a week so he’d stop asking her questions.”
I chuckled. “How did your father react to that?”
“He denies it ever happened,” she replied. “Since he’s nearly as bad a liar as I am, I know my mom is telling the truth. She says it did no good because he kept writing down his questions.”
“I’m surprised they stayed together,” I admitted.
“Why?” she asked as we stepped into the elevator. “I’m just as curious.”
“Not even close,” I assured her. “Before meeting your father, I thought you were the most curious witch ever. You’re a distant second.”
“I’m sorry my dad was so intrusive.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her. “I’m sure your dad will get tired of questioning me eventually.”
“Eventually,” she agreed.
“What’s in that case you’re carrying?” I asked, eying the long case. When I’d offered to carry it out to Lucifer’s SUV, she’d insisted on carrying it herself. I’d been tempted to offer again when we’d gotten to the parking garage, but Persephone had been quick to grab it herself.
“Just a few things I needed,” she replied. “My mom wants to have the wedding ceremony in the town I grew up in.”
Her attempt to change the subject was effective.
“With the humans?” I asked.
“Yes, with the humans.” Persephone sounded irritated with my question. “I grew up there. Is this going to be a problem?”
I grinned at her ire. “Calm down. I’m surprised your mom didn’t push for a witch ceremony. They’ve lived away from witches for quite some time, but she’s still a witch.”
“She was going to push for that,” she replied. “At least, I think she was. She seemed surprised that I hadn’t considered a witch ceremony until I reminded her how boring witch meetings can be.”
“I hope we don’t have to attend another,” I grumbled.
“You don’t,” she assured me.
“I’d never let you endure that torture without me there to support you,” I promised. “How important is it that you have a wedding in the human realm?”
“Not too important,” she replied.
“I would feel more comfortable if I didn’t have to pretend
to be human at our wedding. I also don’t want to keep checking the time to make sure I haven’t overstayed my welcome in the human realm. I imagine there would be a lot of time spent there between preparations and the actual event, but I’ll make it work if you have your heart set on having the ceremony there.”
“I told my mom no,” she replied with a smile. “I don’t want you to pretend to be human.”
Chapter 79
Persephone
The elevator door opened, but neither of us moved or spoke for several heartbeats.
“I love you so fucking much,” he murmured before leaning in to brush his lips against mine.
“I want you now,” I uttered, reaching out to grip the front of his shirt.
“Ahem.”
Hades growled low in his throat at Lucifer’s interruptions.
“Why are you always here when we step out of the elevator?” Hades growled.
“I think it’s an exaggeration to say I’m here every time you step out of the elevator,” Lucifer replied. “Hopefully, you’ve avoided doing anything improper in my elevator.”
“Leave them alone.” I was grateful for Bea’s interruption until she continued speaking. “They certainly wouldn’t be the only ones who’ve ever had sex in your elevator.”
I frowned. “When you put it that way, it makes Lucifer’s elevator sound as overused as a bed in a by-the-hour motel.” I did not want to know how many people had been intimate in the elevator, making this one of the many times I cursed my curiosity. I had to know. “How often do people have sex in this elevator?”
“Not as often as Beatrice is leading you to believe,” Lucifer replied. “No fucking in my elevator, Hades.”
Hades grinned and said nothing. Something told me he would now consider it a challenge. It would be an even bigger challenge than he thought now that I was picturing the elevator being used by hundreds of people for sex. Even knowing that was probably an exaggeration, I couldn’t erase that thought from my mind.
“How was the visit with your parents?” Beatrice asked.
“It was nice,” I replied. “Hades didn’t do anything scary.”
Beatrice laughed. “I never thought we’d end up with men who deserved praise for not being scary.”
“You never expected to end up with any man,” I reminded her. My friend had been a complete loner until I’d entered her life.
“She couldn’t imagine a man more perfect for her than me,” Lucifer announced.
Beatrice rolled her eyes and ignored him. “On that note, we’ll let you head home. I’m sorry Lucifer interrupted you.”
“Don’t apologize for me,” Lucifer told her.
“I wouldn’t if you didn’t give me so many reasons to apologize for you,” she teased before walking off.
Lucifer grinned as he followed her.
Hades’s eyes moved to the elevator and then back to me. I took several steps back to make sure I was out of his reach. I didn’t need to be a mind reader to know what Hades had in mind.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he drawled.
“I can tell you where I’m not going,” I replied with a laugh. “No matter how adorable you look, I’m not going back into that sex box.”
“Sex box?” Hades asked with a bark of laughter. “Did you just call Lucifer’s elevator a sex box? And did you honestly say I’m adorable?”
“Yes, and yes,” I replied, taking two more steps back.
“Are you going to make me chase you?” he asked, his lips curling into a delighted smile.
“Make you?” I scoffed. “You’re the mighty Hades. How can I possibly make you do anything?”
“But you are about to run, aren’t you?” he asked.
I wanted to assure him I wasn’t going to run to keep the game going longer, but my squeaky voice would give away the lie. Instead, I quickly cast a binding spell before I turned and ran.
Chapter 80
Hades
I laughed at my own gullibility. The little witch had caught me off-guard with the binding spell. I’d expected more teasing and verbal sparring as she edged farther away. The binding spell hadn’t even occurred to me.
“Clever witch,” I murmured as I waited for the effects of the spell to wear off. It said a lot about how powerful she was that the spell lasted so long after she left the room. From what I’d been told, a binding spell only worked for most witches while they were looking at the person the spell was cast on.
As soon as the spell broke, I began walking down the hall. I already knew where Persephone was heading, so there was no rush. There were enough guards to keep her safe on the way back to my place. I was going to enjoy our game, draw out the anticipation.
When I arrived at my home, I found no sign of my witch, but the guards had already told me she was there.
“Come here, Persephone,” I called out.
“I don’t think so. You’ll have to catch me!”
I stripped out of my shirt as I walked in the direction of her voice. My wings were spread out behind me as I stalked down the hall toward my bedroom.
“Oh, Persephone,” I called out. “Where are you? You can’t hide from me.”
I got no response, so I decided to check my bedroom first. The balcony door was open, but the curtains were drawn. When I pulled them back, I saw her, standing on the balcony in her purple robe with a broom in her right hand.
“Is that what I think it is?” My voice was rough with arousal. Most people probably wouldn’t be turned on by a flying broom, but I wasn’t most people. Persephone was the only person who knew I was a Harry Potter fan. The idea of flying with Persephone sent a thrill racing through me. While I’d flown with her in my arms, flying beside her would be a totally different experience, one I was definitely looking forward to.
In response, she smiled at me as she straddled the broom, giving me a great view of her bare leg.
“Are you wearing anything under that robe?” I asked.
“You’ll have to find out when you catch me,” she replied as the broom began to rise from the ground.
I could have caught her easily. My wings were already out, and she wasn’t moving fast as she rose into the air. But where was the fun in catching her too quickly? When she flew across the sky on her broom, I took flight and pursued her. She was a smart witch who’d spent a lot of time studying the map of Hell. She headed toward the beach, an area that would still have plenty of light and few dangers as the sun was setting in other regions.
It wasn’t much of a chase. I followed close behind, watching her red hair fly in the wind, and enjoying her laughter when a flock of Avillea passed by us.
“They’re so pretty,” she told me. “What are they called?”
I’d always considered the multi-colored birds annoying, but she was right about their beauty. “Pigeons,” I replied.
“They are not called pigeons,” she insisted.
“I’ve always called them Hell Pigeons because they shit on everything,” I explained. “Most call them Avillea. They’re much worse than pigeons. Not only do they shit everywhere, but their feces can burn holes in stone over time. Imagine what it does to wood.”
Persephone sounded a little nervous when she asked, “Can it burn through skin?”
“No,” I assured her. “It will make you smell like a garbage heap. They’re best admired from a distance.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied. “You aren’t trying to catch me, are you?”
Up ahead, I spotted what I’d been looking for. The small cabin close to the beach was where I went when I needed a break from everything. The powerful spells made it impossible for most to see.
I increased my speed and snatched her off her broom with one arm, while I caught the broom with my free hand. Her squeal of surprise made me chuckle before I leaned in to whisper, “I’ve got you. Now, it’s time to find out what you have on under that robe.”
Chapter 81
Persephone
A shudd
er went through my body, and much to my own surprise, I even felt my heart fluttering.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked as Hades flew down toward an open area that looked barren and uninviting. Surrounding the area there were several dead trees, some with hideous birds perched on them. A shadowy, grayish figure was huddled near one of the trees. When we approached, he reached out with nearly transparent hands, making me forget my original question. “What is that thing?” I didn’t usually panic when it came to the demon realm, but the creature by the tree frightened me.
“Don’t be afraid,” Hades soothed. “It’s part of the spell I have on this area. This is my retreat. It’s where I go when I need to get away from everyone. You’re the only one, other than the demons who helped cast the protection spells, who even knows of its existence.”
“That thing is terrifying,” I replied softly. I wasn’t one of those witches who believed she needed to put on a brave face all the time.
“Yes, it is,” he agreed. “The spell is designed to frighten people who approach this area. We’ll be inside soon.”
He landed and hurried me into the cabin. I wasn’t convinced the feeling of dread would disappear that quickly, but it did. The cabin was as sparsely furnished as Hades’s home had been before I’d started working on redecorating it. The space was open and about the size of my apartment. He had a television, a recliner like the ones at his home, a sofa long enough for him to lie on, and a large bed. There was also a small kitchen and a door that likely led to a bathroom.
When I turned to face him, he pulled me close and leaned in to brush his lips against my throat. “That was one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen.”
“Did I make all your Harry Potter inspired fantasies come true?” I asked with a teasing grin.
“Not all of them,” he replied. “We should probably save my sorting hat fantasy for later.”
“Sorting hat?” I asked with a giggle. “I was expecting you to tell me you were disappointed I didn’t bring a wand.”
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