The Darkest Promise

by Gena Showalter

  Trained, not tamed.

  Each of the hounds bared razor-sharp fangs while giving Cameo the stink eye. Did she look like a grab-and-go snack? Oookay. Moving on. She picked up the pace, turned the corner--

  And smacked into William the Ever Randy, Hades's son.

  Ever since the object of William's affections had wed another man, he'd been crazed. A madman with a short--cough nonexistent cough--fuse.

  According to the ladies of the house, William was the reason Hades had lost the first battle with Lucifer.

  He glared at her with eyes bluer than any ocean. "Watch where you're going, Misery."

  "Sure thing. But you had better watch your tone," she snapped. "Why are you man-pouting, anyway? Why aren't you out fighting for your girl? Time is short and--"

  He flinched, and she pressed her lips together. Right. Lazarus could tolerate her voice, but few others had the fortitude. While here, she had to watch her mouth.

  "Her coward of a husband has hidden her from me." William raised a half-empty bottle of whiskey to his lips.

  The demon snickered. Don't consider it half-full?

  Does it matter? The bottle is refillable.

  Gulp, gulp, gulp. With his free hand, William wiped his mouth. "Anyone ever mention you sound like death?"

  "Only everyone," she muttered.

  "Well, you do," he grated, perhaps not realizing she'd agreed with him. "Now get out of my way before I'm forced to cut through you." Despite the threat, he stumbled around her when she remained in place.

  His shoulders brushed against hers, his sorrow pulsing over her skin. Misery purred with delight.

  A hot tear slid down Cameo's cheek. "William," she called.

  He shuddered but ignored her, and then he was gone.

  With a sigh, she continued forward--and nearly smacked into another warrior.

  Sabin, keeper of Doubt, glared down at her. "I know what you're planning, and I'm not on board. I forbid you to leave! We need you with us, searching for the box."

  "You forbid me?" She sputtered with indignation. "Tell me you're joking."

  The big, black-haired warrior with battle-hardened features flinched, just like William, irritating her. "You know I have no sense of humor, Cam. Come on." He forced her down the hall and pushed her inside his bedroom. "Let's talk about this in semiprivacy."

  The beautiful Gwen stood in front of a rumpled bed, chewing on her bottom lip. Her strawberry blond locks were piled in a messy bun on top of her head, and her petite body was packed inside a tiny tank and shorts shorter than anything Lazarus had given Cameo.

  Sabin pointed an accusing finger at her. "We just got you back. We--"

  Cameo punched him in the face.

  As his head whipped to the side and blood dripped from his lip, Gwen cheered. The Harpy loved her husband, but she loved girl power, too.

  In the heavens, Sabin had been appointed general of Zeus's army. Lucien, too. They had called the shots, two big, bad Papa Smurfs to Cameo's Smurfette. They'd continued to call the shots here in the mortal world. Well, no longer! She was taking charge of her life.

  "Nice right hook. You've improved, and I'm impressed." He rubbed two fingers into the knot she'd left behind. "But Juliette is trouble. We don't need more trouble right now."

  "She hurt my friend, and she will pay." Knowing Sabin would freak if she mentioned her plan to return to Lazarus, even for a single night, she offered no more.

  "Your friend. You mean Lazarus, the man our brother beheaded." He peered up at the ceiling and muttered, "Please tell me the woman I trained isn't so foolish."

  Whispers of uncertainty drifted through her mind. What if Lazarus only wants to be with you to punish Strider? What if he's sleeping with someone else? What if--

  She threw her arms into the air. "Put a muzzle on your demon. Now."

  "Sorry," he mumbled.

  "Look, I know you're worried about me, but I'm a big girl. I've got this." She patted his cheek. "I love you even though you're an asshole, and I will return." After she'd spent a night with Lazarus, lost in a sea of passion.

  "Yes, but will you return in one piece?" Sabin quipped.

  "No promises."

  "If you attack Juliette," Gwen said, "the entire Eagleshield family will come after you."

  "I know the risks. I don't care." Lazarus had told Urban the best gift to give your date was the severed head of an enemy. Cameo would present him with something even better--Juliette's hands.

  He lived for vengeance, and she would give it to him.

  Trying to buy his affections? Misery tsk-tsked. For shame!

  "Cameo--"

  "I'm going, and that's final." She stomped from the room.

  To her surprise, Viola waited in the hall, dressed in a leather catsuit, ready for battle. Princess Fluffikans danced between her ankles.

  "Is the mission to fight Juliette Eagleshield still a go?" Viola asked.

  How had she known?

  Well, it didn't take a mind reader to learn the answer. Torin. His mics and security cameras were everywhere. Plus, he knew Cameo better than most. He'd seen her at her lowest and even helped her pick up the pieces. Despite their failed romantic relationship, he loved her, wanted the best for her. Wanted her protected. Whether he'd known Cameo's plan to speak with Viola or not, he'd acted accordingly.

  "It--" Cameo jolted. A butterfly had just fluttered down the hall to land on the goddess's shoulder. A sign of impending doom.

  Or coming success, according to Lazarus.

  Deep breath in, out. The sign--good or bad--didn't matter, she decided. Her goals were too important. She couldn't back down.

  She nodded. "It's absolutely a go."

  15

  "Be the monster other monsters fear."

  --Eternal Truths for Every Man

  Lazarus returned to the portal. He dismissed his soldiers, preferring to be alone with his crazy.

  The mortal world was only five steps away. His enemies were there. Cameo was there.

  He'd gone three days without her. Far too long. A fact that baffled him. The last time they'd parted, the separation had grated but he'd managed. This time, he wasn't managing. His mood grew darker by the second.

  His conversation with Rathbone continued to play through his mind, torturing him.

  "Will you hunt her?"

  "You know I cannot leave the spirit realms."

  "You are Lazarus, only son of the Monster, yes?"

  "Yes."

  "Then I know no such thing."

  The warrior believed Lazarus could pass through the portal without ending up in the void? Why? How? Nothing had changed. He--

  Not true. Many things had changed. His alliance with Hades. Had it strengthened him? The pull the portal now had on him. Why? The apple hanging from his neck...a living being might or might not be trapped inside it. Another means of strength? The magic mirror. Since it had revealed possible futures to Cameo, he'd brought it with him. Maybe it had the power to reunite him with his woman, maybe not.

  Desperate enough to try anything.

  But. More of his veins had filled with crystals. Soon he wouldn't be able to hide the transformation from others. A certain weakness.

  If he ended up in the void, he would lose precious time. Another immortal could take over his realm, steal his army. When he returned, he would have to waste even more time fighting the new king.

  If he ended up in the mortal world, he would have to give up his army, anyway.

  He bit his tongue until he tasted the metallic tang of blood. He would have to wed a queen sooner rather than later. There would be no faster way to regain the power he would lose.

  Was a chance at vengeance worth the risk? No. He could wait, as he'd always planned to wait, for Hera and Juliette to die and end up in the spirit realms.

  Powerful immortals died every day. He was proof.

  Was Cameo worth the risk, considering he couldn't keep her?

  No need to ponder the answer. Yes. Cameo was w
orth any risk, and the irony wasn't lost on him. She hosted Misery, but only she could make him happy.

  With one hand, Lazarus picked up the mirror. With the other, he reached into his satchel, and withdrew a freshly squeezed Amazon heart.

  *

  Cameo and Viola strode into the Downfall side by side. The immortal nightclub was located in the third level of the heavens, where evil and good often collided. It was owned by three Sent Ones. The walls and floor looked to be made of thin, white clouds, allowing the occupants to peer at the black sky and bright stars both beyond and underneath the building. An astonishing phenomenon, since those clouds were solid to the touch.

  The scent of liquor, sex and clashing perfumes hung heavy in the air. The heat had been jacked up, either to encourage drinking or stripping. Probably both.

  Cameo spotted the mirrors on the ceiling and groaned. Every demon came with an array of flaws, and mirrors were one of Narcissism's. Anytime Viola caught sight of her reflection, she became entranced. Anyone could attack her, and she would never see it coming, wouldn't even react until far too late.

  "Don't look up," Cameo told her. "Please."

  "Why?" Of course, Viola attempted to look up.

  Cameo pinched her chin and held her gaze. "Trust me."

  "There's a mirror, isn't there?" The goddess chewed on her lower lip. "Surely I can afford a single glance...I'm so pretty."

  "Sure. Take a glance. Make yourself vulnerable to everyone in the club. You could become an immortal pinata. Every girl's dream!"

  A shudder rocked Viola on her hooker heels. "Right. No glances. We're here to find a delicious beefcake and--"

  "No! To find the Harpy. Juliette. No beefcake." Wasn't like anyone would tempt her. As long as Cameo remembered Lazarus, he would be her standard of measure. No one could hope to compare.

  Viola wiggled her brows at a bear shifter. "Maybe a slice of beefcake?" Fluffy sat at her feet, snarling at any male who passed. "I'm hungry for a distraction."

  "Well, consider today low-cal, gluten-free and one hundred percent vegan."

  A man she'd never met looked at her, looked away, then lurched and stared at her. He ran his tongue over his lips as if he could already taste her kiss.

  He didn't want her, not really. Yesterday, after she'd made the decision to spend a night with Lazarus, desire had begun to simmer inside her. Desire she now radiated, right along with sadness. The men she'd come across had responded...enthusiastically.

  When this one walked toward her, his graceful glide suggesting he was a vampire, she held up a dagger in warning. He grinned with relish, revealing fangs, and kept coming.

  She said, "Want to have a discussion about deep and meaningful things?"

  As her voice drifted over the music, he cringed and backed away.

  "Yeah, that's what I thought," she muttered, hiding her hurt behind a blank mask. I'm man repellent.

  Misery laughed with his customary glee. Lazarus is glad to be rid of you.

  She swallowed a cry of distress. The demon loved peppering her with statements she couldn't currently dispute. An insidious weapon in his arsenal of evil.

  Would Lazarus be happy to see her? Or had he realized he was better off without her?

  "Friendly tip," Viola said from behind her hand. "When the cute man wants to flirt with us and pay for our drinks and appetizers--Hey, do you want to split cheese fries?"

  "No. What's your friendly tip? I shouldn't talk?"

  "Don't be ridiculous." The goddess waved a dismissive hand. "I was going to suggest you steal his wallet before you talk."

  Not exactly bad advice.

  Cameo did her best to block Misery from her thoughts as she scanned the club. A live band played atop a dais in the corner, women's underwear strewn around their feet. On the dance floor, males and females of every immortal race writhed together in wicked harmony. Multiple bartenders manned an overly crowded bar.

  One of the bartenders--a handsome man with pink hair--spotted Viola and dropped a glass. The color drained from his face, leaving him pallid.

  "Do you know him?" Cameo asked, pointing. He had a very distinctive look. Tears of blood were inked into the corners of his eyes, and a steel ring protruded from his lower lip.

  "I wouldn't say I know him. I'd say I once destroyed him," Viola replied, her tone breezy but her eyes tortured. "I'm sure he bears me no hard feelings."

  A list of things Cameo trusted more than Viola's assurance: gum on the bottom of the tables, an armed enemy at her back and a dinner buffet hosted by Lucifer the Destroyer.

  The bartender hurried through a door in back, vanishing from sight. Within seconds, another male appeared. White and gold wings arched over his shoulders. He was a Sent One. Cameo had never met him, but judging by the telltale white hair, scarred alabaster skin and red eyes that proclaimed his identity, this was Xerxes. One of the club's owners.

  His gaze landed on Viola and narrowed.

  "Do you know him?" Cameo pointed. If the demon assassin had a beef with Narcissism, he'd have a beef with Misery, too.

  "Definitely not." Viola bent down to pet Fluffy behind his ears. "Now. What was I saying? I'm sure you were hanging on every word."

  Cameo watched with dread as the Xerxes moved his gaze through the club and gave an almost imperceptible nod to--

  Another Sent One, who plowed through the crowd, heading straight for Viola. Cameo stared at him, amazed. He looked...he couldn't be...but his image never changed. Wavy black hair, vibrant blue eyes and chiseled features usually only found in feminine fantasies--or in the reflection of William the Ever Randy.

  They couldn't be twins. This guy appeared younger and less hardened by life. Well, that, and he had magnificent white-gold wings.

  No way William was related to a Sent One. No way, no how.

  The male stopped in front of Viola and grinned a sinner's grin. Exactly like William. "Hello, ladies. I'm Axel, the man of your dreams."

  Something William would have said.

  Cameo nodded a greeting, wanting to deluge him with questions. No reason to ruin his night.

  "Actually," Viola said, "I'm the woman of my dreams, and I'm in a committed relationship with myself."

  "I'm intrigued." He offered his arm, and the goddess accepted without hesitation, as if his admiration were her due. "Tell me more."

  "Prepare to be riveted."

  The two wandered off, their conversation soon drowned out by music. Some sidekick.

  "Viola," she called. "Stranger danger is real. You shouldn't--"

  Without looking back, the goddess gave her a thumbs-up. The people around her began to sob.

  Cameo's shoulders rolled in. She wouldn't go chasing after her friend, treating Viola the way Sabin had treated her. As if she were an invalid incapable of protecting herself. She would trust Viola to see to her own safety.

  Cameo turned her attention to hunt for her prey. Thanks to Gwen, she knew Juliette Eagleshield would be--there!

  Oh, wow, Cameo had forgotten how beautiful she was. Tall and toned with dark hair and lavender eyes. A man could get drunk looking into those eyes.

  The Harpy tossed back a shot, lifted her arms and shouted, "Woo-hoo." She wore a purple tank top and a miniskirt, the wealth of tattoos on her legs perfectly displayed. In several places, different symbols wove together, creating an optical illusion, making her skin look as delicate as lace.

  When Juliette threw back her head and laughed, a blade of envy cut through Cameo.

  Why would Lazarus want you, a pity party waiting to happen, and not her, a pleasure party?

  Cameo raised her chin. The answer didn't matter. Juliette had removed Lazarus's hands. More than once! Today Cameo removed hers.

  Determined, she closed the distance.

  Xerxes stepped into her path, stopping her. "Fights aren't allowed inside the club." His red eyes glowed, as ominous as they were unusual. Up close, his scars stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin, and it became obvious they were claw mar
ks.

  No help for it. She had to speak. "How do you know I plan to fight?"

  He flinched ever so slightly before motioning to her hand. "You are clutching a dagger."

  Was she? Oops. She couldn't recall palming one.

  Cameo sheathed the weapon. "Happy now?"

  "No." Moving with a speed she couldn't match, he claimed the dagger and its twin.

  Whatever. From head to toe, she was a weapon.

  "I'll keep these until you're ready to leave," he said. "No reason to play with temptation."

  "Fine. But just so we're clear, I'll shove those daggers in your eyes if you or your friends harm Viola."

  Surprise registered, softening his features. "No harm will come to her."

  She believed him. Sent Ones were incapable of lying.

  "Nor will any come to you," he added. "Unless you cause trouble here." He strode away, disappearing in the crowd despite his size and unique appearance, a feat that required talent.

  Well. Time to cause trouble.

  Finally Cameo reached the Harpies. Voice nothing but heartache and despair, she said, "Juliette the Eradicator."

  Juliette cringed, but quickly covered the action by arching a dark brow. "Cameo, Mother of Melancholy. I suggest you move along. Your friend killed my consort."

  She ran her tongue over her teeth. "He wasn't your consort. He was your slave. And why would I move along? I'm going to wipe the floor with your face."

  The Harpy tensed, even as tears filled her eyes. Actually, every Harpy at the table tensed. Six in total. Meaning, six pairs of watery eyes focused on Cameo and flickered with rage. We're off to a good start, then.

  "Look who decided to steal a pair of balls." Juliette flicked her tongue over the sharpened edge of an incisor, mimicking Cameo. "Too bad for you, we know the balls belong to Hades. We're on different sides of the war, and you think he can protect you. News flash. He can't. Make no mistake, I'll rip off your limbs and mail them to your family."

  The crowd of immortals caught wind of the argument and formed a circle around Cameo and the Harpies. The music came to a screeching halt and silence reigned. Then mutters began to rise from the throng.

  "Are you filming this?"

  "Is that Cameo, keeper of Misery? Five bucks says we're about to find out if blood is her best color."

  "I once watched Juliette pull out a man's spine--through his mouth. Cameo's going down."

  Everyone assumed the Harpy would beat her? Wow. That stung.

  Your loss will be humiliating, Misery said, and cackled.