“Ruby, there are random questions, and then there are your random questions,” Cooper lamented, clearly fearing where my outburst was headed. “I think there should be an entirely different classification for those.”
“She's the wife of Hades,” replied Lyla from the kitchen. “She was essentially imprisoned in the Underworld with him, although she did eventually find a way to escape him for six months out of every year to be with her mother.” When she walked into the living room, all eyes were on her. Sensing the growing confusion, she took it upon herself to explain. “What? Just because I was a stripper doesn't mean I'm stupid. My brains didn't exactly fall out when I was hanging from the pole, now did they?” Cooper growled faintly at the mention of her previous career. He still wasn't handling that well apparently. “I loved Greek mythology in high school. I had a great teacher; I paid attention.” She turned her impassive gaze to me before continuing. “Is that helpful, Ruby?”
“Kind of...”
“What else do you want to know about her?”
“So, if she was Hades' wife, that would make her the goddess of the Underworld, right? Did she have any special powers or, you know, whatever?”
“I think that's a bit unclear, historically speaking, but some stories spoke of her way with magic.”
“What kind of magic?”
“Curses,” she said plainly. “Death magic.”
“Oh.” I knew that whatever color my face normally held was draining from it rapidly. I needed to get out before Cooper started in on me. “Interesting,” I drawled, feigning mild curiosity while I reached for my purse on the entry table. “Okay, thanks for that, Lyla. I'm officially making you my go-to girl whenever I get challenged to a game of trivia against Sean...again.” I turned the doorknob quickly, hoping to make a clean getaway.
“Ruby?” Cooper called out from behind me. A jolt of adrenaline shot through my body.
“Yeah, Coop?” I dreaded what he was going to ask me next―what I was going to be forced to explain in front of everyone.
“Are you coming home tonight, or will you be going straight over to Sean's?”
It was so not the question I expected him to ask, which I appreciated.
“Not sure. I'll let you know.”
“If you go over there, can I have your bed tonight, love?” Alistair asked from his post on the couch.
“Sure, Ali. I'll see you guys later.”
With those parting words, I exited the apartment, forcing myself not to run down the stairs, though my body desperately wanted to. I took the steps at a normal speed to not arouse any suspicion. But I already had suspicions of my own. Whatever Scarlet had gotten us involved in could not have been good. No matter how I tried, I couldn't put a good spin on the word curse.
Death magic didn't sound too stellar either.
I pondered various situations over and over in my mind while my other half said nothing. She didn't take the bait once. Even when I muttered aloud to myself that I should run it past Sean, she never even stirred. It was as if she was hiding in a corner, knees tucked in tight to her chest in an effort to go unnoticed. I knew she was there, and she knew that I knew, but nothing could draw her out. Scarlet was very much like a toddler. She was at her most dangerous when silent and out of sight. I had learned that lesson quickly while watching Alan's little boy, Louie, once. After one quick bathroom break, I had come out to a living room covered in shredded paper towels and a half-eaten piece of Styrofoam. From that moment on, I had learned to respect the havoc-wreaking powers of a child hellbent on doing something stupid. Apparently, I needed to do the same for Scarlet.
“I really am going to ask him,” I whispered into the crisp morning air while I reached to unlock the door to the shop. “But I would rather hear it from you. I know you know this is going to come to light eventually, Scar. In our case, the past isn't going to stay in the past, regardless of how desperately you try to keep it there.”
What you fail to understand, Ruby, is that, whether or not you learn of what I endeavored to do, the reality is that it didn't happen. The deed remains undone. So you can dig and dig until your curiosity is sated, making yourself crazier than you already are in the process, or you can leave it be. It's your choice, and Lord knows that you'll choose the path of most resistance, but I'm telling you now, it's moot. Even if you get the answers you want, they'll only serve to fill your obsessive mind with more to contemplate. Even though the issue is dead, you can't let things go.
“I can so!” I countered, unlocking the door to the shop and pushing it open to a surprising scene: Peyta and Jay emerging from the back room with massive grins on their faces.
“You can what?” Petya asked with a giggle, turning to Jay. “I leave for a couple days and she's already back to talking to herself.”
Jay smiled down at her lovingly before lifting his eyes to mine. They were filled with reservation. Though Peyta may have forgotten what my solo conversations meant, Jay was all too aware.
“I don't think she's talking to herself,” he said kindly, wrapping his arm around Peyta’s shoulders to usher her into the main retail area. “Everything okay, Ruby?”
My hesitation in answering him did nothing to bolster his confidence.
“Yeah. Scarlet and I are working a few things out these days.”
His mouth pressed into a thin line.
“I imagine you are.”
It was easy even for me to forget that Jay had nearly died at the hands of my psychotic other half. When she had killed Matty that night in Sean's armory, her sanity died alongside him. Her wrath was unleashed upon anyone in her way, and Jay was the first in line. Scarlet was still an uncomfortable subject for me to broach around him. The need to apologize on her behalf was all-consuming.
“Jay—” I started with a sigh.
“No, Ruby. Don't say it. I know what you're thinking, but don't. It's not your fault. It's done. Let it go.”
See, even he understands the necessity of moving forward.
“He's a far more forgiving person than I am,” I mumbled to myself.
“Not forgiving,” Jay replied, having easily heard me. “Realistic.”
“Whatever you want to call it is fine with me. I just don't know how you're capable of it.”
“Because my life is filled with circumstances beyond my or anyone else's control. That is something I accepted long ago. I also learned that the line between ally and enemy is easily crossed when mitigating factors are introduced. Things are rarely black and white in our world, Ruby. Perhaps even Scarlet has her reasons for all that she does,” he said, letting go of Peyta to step toward me. “And know that whatever I feel or have felt about her, it never taints how I feel about you.” Wrapping strong arms around me, Jay pulled me into an embrace that rivaled the comfort that Cooper's offered. “You need to stop blaming yourself for things you can't control. Your martyrdom will be the death of you if you don't.” His eyes fell for a second before returning to mine. “And it almost was.”
How right he was. My need to keep others safe was precisely why I'd sliced my own throat instead of falling into Tobias' hands. If it had not been for Sean's mother, I would have died that night.
“You might have a point there, Jay,” I admitted, pushing away from him lightly. “But Scarlet still has some blanks to fill in for me. Maybe it's a character flaw of mine, but I can't let it be. And Sean can't seem to either.”
“Have you learned anything new?” he asked casually, though there was nothing casual in his stare.
“She's really talking to you again?” Peyta asked, coming to join us.
“She is, but she's as cagey as Sean can be, though for different reasons. He omits to keep me safe. She omits to save her ass.”
Jay looked at me thoughtfully before answering.
“Or maybe she's doing so for the same reasons.”
I could not keep the look of incredulity from my face. That was the last thing I expected to hear from him regarding Scarlet.
&nbs
p; “She went to Ares,” I blurted out, my disbelief of his comment driving me to justify my position. “And then to the goddess of the Underworld, Jay. I don't know how anything she hides from me now can be deemed in my best interest.”
Again, he thought carefully before speaking.
“Does Sean know this?”
“No. Not yet. I'll see him tonight. I figured it could keep until then.”
“Why on Earth would Scarlet go to Ares?” Peyta asked. It was a logical question from a logical girl. “She hates him.”
“Yet another answer I'm trying to obtain, P.”
“There has to more to this than there appears to be,” Jay added. “And you need to tell Sean about Persephone. In context. Whether he likes it or not.”
I exhaled heavily, walking toward the register. I tossed my purse up on the counter before placing my elbows atop it and resting my head in my hands.
“I hate going to him with only half of the story.”
“Understandable, but it's necessary. Persephone is not one to be trifled with.”
“So I hear,” I muttered.
Telling Sean will do nothing.
“If you don't tell him, I will,” Jay said sternly. “I mean it.”
“Fine, but if he has a fit about it, I'm totally throwing you under the bus.”
“Deal,” he said with a playful smile.
With the conversation concluded, Peyta made her way over to me, hugging my arm while she looked up at me with a childlike grin on her face.
“Oh boy,” I mumbled. “What are you angling for?”
“So the wedding is this weekend.”
“I know. Your mom told me.”
Her expression fell at the mention of her mother.
“Yeah...mom.”
“She's still not doing well with this, is she?”
“Understatement.”
“Figured.” I paused for a second, letting her nervousness encircle me slowly. “What can I do for you, bride-to-be?”
“I was hoping that you might want to help me get ready? Do my hair and makeup? You know...a little quality girl time.”
I'd forgotten all about GT. It had been a long time since we'd had any. It sounded amazing.
“Will there be food?” I asked jokingly.
“There can be.”
“I've never met two women who can be so easily bribed with food,” Jay observed.
“Listen. If you lived at my house, you'd know that food is a scarce commodity these days. I'm lucky if I get a full meal in.”
“So you'll be there?”
“Sure. What time?”
“Well, the 'wedding' starts at nightfall, so maybe around two or three?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Excellent,” she said, taking Jay's hand in hers and heading toward the front entrance.
“Wait! You get what you came for and then you bugger off? That's crap!”
“Sorry, Ruby,” she giggled. “I've got some last minute things to get, and Jay has to head back to London.” Her joviality died out at the mere mention of the city.
“Still no luck on Trey's end?” I asked Jay while he pulled Peyta in close to him and held her.
“Not yet. We've got someone special coming in to go over the burial sites. Sean's hoping that he can find something that was missed.”
“The advantage of having brothers with various powers.”
“Exactly, but it's a long shot at best. We all know it, but it has to be tried.”
“Why now? Why not have him evaluate things when they were fresh?”
He hesitated for a second before answering.
“He's hard to track down. Ask Sean. Maybe he'll tell you.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Doubtful. You know what? It's not important. I just hope this guy can find something helpful.”
“Me too,” he replied grimly. “Me too.”
“We probably won't see you before this weekend,” Peyta chimed in. “Take care of yourself until then. I need you.”
“I'll be there no matter what, P. Promise.”
“Good.”
With a goodbye wave, the two disappeared out the front door, leaving me to a day that would undoubtedly be full of clusterfuck contemplation and, hopefully, some sales. I needed the distraction that paying customers provided. I needed to pretend my life was filled with something other than mystery and impending doom.
* * *
The day was slow but steady, and it kept me relatively busy and my mind occupied. I even made enough to contribute a decent chunk of money to the Feed the Werewolves Fund. But at the rate those boys were emptying the pantry, it wasn't going to get me that far.
Though I felt calm and at ease while I counted up the cash in the drawer, that feeling quickly faded when reality set in. The conversation I was going to have with Sean when I arrived at his place—the conversation that Jay had demanded I have—wasn't likely to go well. I would have tried to avoid it, but Jay was right, as always. That trait of his was getting really annoying.
After I closed up the shop, I headed out into the streets of Portsmouth to walk the couple blocks to Sean's building. The wind was whipping through town more briskly than usual, which caused me to quicken my pace.
In a hurry to anger Sean?
“I wouldn't have to if you'd just tell me how Persephone factors into things.”
My telling you won't lessen his fury, Ruby. Her name will not be a welcome one, no matter what the context may be.
“You aren't leaving me with any options. I'm going to ask.”
Do as you must, though I think you may find your beau has a far different reaction than the one you expect.
Her words were a soft purr, but they carried a warning. I didn't bother to respond. If a battle of wills was what she wanted, I knew who would win. For all my stubbornness, even I didn't possess her ability to play chicken without flinching.
Instead, I climbed the flights of stairs, allowing her words to detract from my resolve to tell Sean what I knew―or didn't know, as the case seemed to have been. I was met with a smile when I crested the last few stairs, Sean having come out to greet me on the landing. Unfortunately for me, my lack-of-poker-face stifled his enthusiasm a tad.
“Are we going to have one of those evenings together?” he asked, ushering me into his home and over to the couch.
“I hadn't planned on it,” I replied, plopping myself down in the most unladylike way. “I'm just going to blurt this out before I lose my nerve. What do you know about Persephone?”
Even his casual front couldn't hide the rigidity that overtook his body the second her name was uttered. It was not a good sign.
“Why do you want to know about her?” His voice was controlled, but I could sense his tension and mounting anger. I hoped the latter wouldn't be aimed at me.
“She came up the other day. I figured you might know something about her.”
“Do not play me for a fool, Ruby,” he said, his voice cautionary. “Persephone does not just come up in casual conversation. Why do you want to know about her?”
“All I want to know is why someone would go to her?”
“Someone like who?” he pressed, sitting down too close to allow me to think clearly.
“I don't know. You? Me? Anyone really.”
“For most, going to Persephone means you wish to make a deal of sorts,” he explained, unable to keep the darkness from his eyes. “A deal with the devil, so to speak.”
“Oh.”
“And someone like you would never go to her,” he furthered, leaning toward me for emphasis, though none was needed. I could feel his warning like it was my own heartbeat.
“And someone like you?” I prompted, doing my best to move his attention off of me. Strangely, it worked, though not how I expected.
His eyes narrowed slightly while he assessed my question.
“I thought we agreed to leave things in the past, did we not?”
For a second, I found my
self completely confused, my mind clamoring to find an appropriate response to his question.
“We did...I know that, but I―”
“Then leave it be, Ruby.” He pushed off the couch and walked away to the kitchen, leaving me to contemplate his bizarre reaction and Scarlet's warning. She knew he wouldn't take my questioning him about Persephone well, but how had she known this? How could she have known? I started to get the sneaking suspicion that I was in a perpetual game where everyone else had the pieces to the puzzle and I had none.
“Sean, I'm really sorry. I don't know what I did to upset you, but I really wasn't trying to. I just―”
“I can see that you weren't, Ruby,” he said softly, leaning heavily on the kitchen counter. His back remained to me. “That is a name that does not fall well on my ears. I have spent centuries trying to erase her from my mind. Bringing her up tonight has not been helpful in that endeavor.”
“It's just that―” I started before cutting myself off that time. Clearly getting answers out of Sean on this subject was going to create more problems than it would solve, regardless of Jay's insistence. I was going to have to go to others for information on her, and I knew just the man to go to. Unfortunately for me, I'd just delivered a huge “fuck you” to that particular man. Gavin wasn't going to be in a hurry to help me out, and frankly, I wasn't in a hurry to ask him for it. He had been so quick to alert me to Persephone's involvement in the first place; I wondered, if I made him think that he was sticking it to Sean by providing more information, perhaps he would elaborate on a few more details. Two could play his game. He wasn't the only one who could manipulate when need be.
For the moment, I shelved my desire to know and focused on what was most important―the man in front of me. The complicated being that I was madly in love with. Right or wrong. Good or bad. We had found a way to come together, and I would be damned if something or someone was going to pull us apart. Especially another woman.
An awkward silence hung between us, begging for one of us to break it. Yes, finding out what Scarlet did was a priority for me; there was no denying that. But accomplishing that at the cost of wedging something between Sean and me was too much. I needed to change the subject quickly. I couldn't remember a time when Sean and I were able to just be. All we did was dance with drama. While it was an impossibility to wish away whatever mysteries remained unsolved and their impending ramifications, I simply wanted to have a night when normalcy reigned supreme. When tragedy didn't have to barge in and take a shit on my life and the people in it.
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