Marked By Hades (Entangled Embrace)

by Monroe, Reese

  Justin set her dainty hand on the harsh floor and stood. He peeled off his leather jacket and wove it through the bars until it lay over her upper body. Much the way he’d given it to her when they’d first met in that convenience store. “I’ll be back, szép.”

  He stomped up the stairs and into the bright kitchen. A spread of breakfast foods filled the table, and he reached for a plate. “Start talking.”

  “She had the ring, that you know.” Theo filled his plate with fruit and pastries. “But we’re hearing whispers that the demons lost the other Artifacts.”

  “Hearing whispers? What do you mean?”

  “While you were down there, we raided another compound here in the States.” Theo descended onto a chair, Sadie directly next to him.

  “We?”

  “Halena, me, and Sadie.”

  “Halena?” Justin’s gut twitched. He’d remembered the anger in her eyes when he’d found Yvonne.

  Theo dipped his head. “She’s determined to end this now more than ever.”

  “Great. She’s pissed, isn’t she?” Sadie slouched. “That’ll make her even more fun to work with.”

  “Yes, love, that’s how she works, but back to the matter at hand. We grabbed some minor demons and got some information before we sent them packing for Hades.” He bit into a cinnamon roll. “They had two other Artifacts.”

  “Had?”

  “Exactly. Dyre had been the one who told Pario the location of the ring.”

  “But she’d lied. The ring wasn’t there.” Justin grinned, hope flickering.

  “Exactly. And upon Pario’s return to the main compound, which that bugger minor demon would not divulge the location to, the other two were gone.”

  “She’d taken them?”

  “That’s my guess.” Theo nodded. “And now we have her.”

  “Which means we might have the location to the other two.” Justin sagged into his chair as he let the information sift through his muddled brain. “That means we’ll have three if we can get the ones Dyre has. The demons have no chance in Hades of overtaking Lucifer even if they find the rest of them before we do.”

  “Exactly. We could sit on our butts and not even bother with the remaining ones and be fine.” Theo grinned. “Of course, we won’t do that. I want all of them safe in my possession, or another Gatekeeper’s possession, so we can keep order.”

  “But first we have to get her to tell us where the other two are.” Sadie reached for an apple. “And she probably knows where the other ones are as well since she’s in with Aggie.”

  “Was.” Justin finished off his third doughnut and reached for his coffee. “She’s not Yvonne, though, so we can’t trust her.”

  “No.” Theo cleared his throat. “She’s Dyre. I’m sorry, Justin. Until we talk to her, feel her out, we have to assume she doesn’t even know of her human self, Yvonne. That she remembers nothing about your relationship.”

  “How is that possible? She was human…well, mostly…before she traded herself in for your return. And if she’s fully demon now, why isn’t she tripping our triggers?”

  “We’re working on that. Beckett mentioned something about the punishment being lifted and the damage or side effects it might have caused.”

  Justin pushed away from the table and stood. He moved to the windowed wall beside the kitchen and stared out into the bright morning. Trees hemming their property swayed in a subtle breeze. It was nearing the end of March, so it was chilly out still, but the beauty betrayed the cool air.

  “Did you know they picked the name Dyre for a reason?” Theo asked. “She was soft. They considered her a horrible demon because of the humanity that followed her into demonhood.”

  “Do we know her story? From when she was human?” he asked.

  “Not yet. She’s about two hundred years old, which I learned from her when I was captive,” Sadie said. “But as a human, there’s not much out there that I can find yet.”

  Justin turned around. “Then I guess I’ll just have to ask her. She didn’t remember anything about her demon life when she was human. Now that she’s demon again, she can talk. Maybe she’ll remember her transition.”

  “I wonder if she will remember anything of her time with us.” Theo finished off his second plate of food.

  Justin shoved a hand through his knotted hair. It was then he felt the grime. He hadn’t taken a shower since they got back and still wore remnants of his short-lived battle with Pario. Time to clean up and get back down to Yvonne. “Theo. Can you do me a favor?”

  “Anything, brother.”

  “Dig up everything you know about this Pario.”

  “You read my mind.” Theo grinned.

  “Because once we get some answers from Yvonne—er—Dyre, we’re going to find him and kick the shit out of him!”

  …

  The spider scurried along Dyre’s bare fingers. It didn’t seem scared of anything, as if unaware she was evil. A demon from Hades.

  The feel of its tiny legs on her skin was refreshing, though. Those long leather gloves were so confining, but she did revel in the warmth of the leather jacket she woke up with.

  And the scent attached to it. A spice she couldn’t identify, but there was a hint of bergamot to it. She settled into the cot she lay on and watched the tiny bug shuffling over her skin.

  “So, the spider lives, despite you touching it.” The male voice shook through Dyre so much she flicked the tiny creature from her hand and shot up on the cot.

  The man who’d been sitting outside her cell before strode in. Shiny wet hair danced along his shoulders. He wore a clean white T-shirt that hung over loose, but snug in the right places, jeans. Combat boots added a flare of danger to his casual outfit.

  And that crooked smile screamed, Try me…just try me.

  Oh, she wanted to. In more ways than one.

  She coughed through the thickness in her throat, hoping she could talk without sounding a fool. “What do you mean?”

  “Before, you couldn’t touch anything without turning it to dust. Even plants and tiny animals.”

  “You knew me during my punishment?”

  A pained expression crossed his stunning features, but he quickly shook it away. “Yes.” He sat on the chair in front of the cell and clasped his hands.

  Thick, strong fingers wove together, and her heart spiked a few notches. What would they feel like holding her? Touching her?

  She crossed her legs on the cot and rested her forearms on her bent knees. What she wouldn’t give for a shower. It felt as if she had an inch of grime on her. Especially when she found herself on the floor, near the bars. How disgusting. But even more disconcerting, she couldn’t remember getting there, let alone what she’d been reaching for through the bars. “Did you kill Pario?”

  The guy shook his head. “And I hear he’s pissed at you.”

  “Good.” She should feel some allegiance to him since she’d been sleeping with the demon for decades, not to mention he was older and stronger than her, but she didn’t trust him. She didn’t trust anyone. Not after what Agares had pulled with her. Despite how much she enjoyed being touched and touching, Pario was never tender. His touch was laced with possession and dominance.

  She hated that.

  “Are you hungry? I could get you some food.”

  “I’d rather have a shower.” Letting a seductive grin claim her lips, she leaned forward, exposing a little more of her best assets for him to peruse. “I could use some help getting cleaned up.”

  He shifted in his seat, and a wave of heady arousal swarmed her. It triggered a deep ache in her belly. Her fangs lowered, and she closed her eyes as a flash of his wet, naked body sent shivers along her spine.

  “I’ll get you some things to clean up with.” He shifted in his seat again. “But first, tell me what you know about the Ring of Episteme.”

  “You’ll have to earn that information.” She licked her lips. “About that shower…”

  “You sent
Pario on a wild goose chase to get it. Why?”

  She sucked in her bottom lip, toying with the ring as she weighed her options. If she told this Shomrei her plans, he might be able to help. Then again, the last time she trusted someone he’d stabbed her in the back.

  This guy, though, seemed responsive to her seduction. Maybe if she tried a little harder he’d cooperate, let her clean up, then she could find a way out of here. Damn it, other than sitting here, staring at his fine face, she didn’t have many options.

  “Where are the other Artifacts?”

  She picked at the stray thread protruding from the edge of the jacket she wore. “Is this yours?”

  He dipped his head.

  Why would he give her his jacket? This Shomrei was strange. Not so tough like Theophilus, yet just as dangerous-looking.

  “Tell me about the other Artifacts you hid.”

  “Don’t know what you’re talking about.” She gulped.

  “I think you do, Yvo—Dyre.”

  She pushed out of the cot and darted to the bars. “What did you call me?”

  He stood, eyes wide. Fear mixed with an intense longing roared over his features. It triggered a tingle deep in her stomach. He cupped his neck and a faraway look stormed in his eyes.

  “Tell me!” Heat exploded through her chest. Had he been with her during her punishment? How? He was Shomrei.

  “Yvonne. I know you as Yvonne.” His shoulders sagged. “We met when you were…human.”

  She froze, her lungs refusing to work. Memories danced around the edge of her consciousness. If only she could grab one. Were they memories of him? She gripped the cold bars and tugged.

  “Let me out of here, Shomrei.” Despite her strength, the bars didn’t budge.

  “Tell us where you hid the Artifacts you stole from Pario, and maybe we will.” He stepped forward. “And the others. You know where they are, too.”

  She didn’t, actually. Agares had used the Thata to splice to the ends of the earth searching for them, and he didn’t tell her everything. “Let me out, and maybe I’ll talk.” She threw his very words right back at him.

  A flicker ignited in his blue eyes, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

  “What are you smirking at?” She wanted to reach through the bars and smack that sneer off his face. Or just kiss him until she couldn’t breathe.

  He shook his head and inched closer. Nearly within reach.

  “Pario will come for me,” she said. “He’ll kill you all.”

  “I’d like to see him try.”

  “He knows much magic. Dark magic.”

  “From Aggie, no doubt.”

  She stood ramrod straight. Shit.

  “We know about him, Dyre.” That damn sexy grin teased her body into a hot mess. “And again, I say I’d like to see him try.”

  She reached through the bars to grab the front of his T-shirt, but he snatched her wrist. A growl ripped through her, and her fangs dropped. He pinned her with a stare and drew in a deep breath.

  Her lungs expanded as his did as if they had to breathe at the same time. Connected. His nostrils flared, and a wave of calm swept through her.

  “Tell me where you hid the Artifacts,” he whispered. “And I’ll let you touch me some more.”

  Her heart pinged her rib cage.

  “I know it’s what you crave. What you need.” His voice went deep. “Especially when you were human, Yvonne.”

  Her chest ached with want. Need. Tears stung. “How?” How did he know all of this?

  “I know a lot about you. More than you realize.” His voice cracked, his facade weakening. Was he lying? Or was that pain she sensed from him? There was something more to what he said. Deeper. On a primal level even she recognized.

  “Tell me what you remember about your punishment.” His grip loosened, yet he didn’t release her. She reveled in the warmth radiating from his firm touch. It took everything in her to refrain from closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. “And when you went to Pario.”

  “Nothing.” She cleared her throat, focusing on his hand around her wrist. Pario often grabbed her like that, but it was more about possession. Dominance. This Shomrei cradled her wrist with a surprising tenderness. “What’s your name?”

  His jaw clenched, and that pained look swept through his eyes again. “Justin.”

  “Mmm.” The name soothed her as well as his touch. “I don’t remember anything before waking in Pario’s bed. Only what I’ve been told.”

  He released his hold on her and stomped to the door that led into this dungeon. He jerked his arm back and punched it. Cracking bones and squealing metal rent the air, and Dyre jumped back, her hands to her throat.

  Rage vibrated off him. “In…his…bed?” he gasped between breaths and kept his back to her as he palmed the now-dented door. The tips of his fingers blanched as if he were trying to push through it. Tear it apart.

  “I’m his. That’s why I know he’ll come for me.”

  Justin whirled around with a roar. He stomped toward her again, and she backed away, despite the fact that the bars separated them. The rage in his eyes made it seem that the bars wouldn’t stop him. Nothing would. “What do you mean his?”

  “I bear his mark.” She cupped her side. He’d branded her while she slept, woke with the stupid mark. She wasn’t even sure how it’d happened, considering demons healed scar-free.

  Justin’s attention went to where she held her side. “Show me.”

  “No.”

  “Don’t make me come in there and force you.” His voice rumbled with the truth of that threat.

  She lifted her leather bustier to see the purple line on her flesh.

  “That’s just a knife wound.”

  “I don’t scar.” She dropped the leather over her skin again. “He bears the same line on his palm. That’s how this came to be on my skin.”

  “He’s lying,” Justin growled. “That’s where he stabbed you when he stole you from me.”

  Her lungs seized. “From…you?”

  He dipped his head. “You’re mine, Yvonne. Not Pario’s.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  “I say we let her out.” Justin pummeled the kicking bag while Theo held it steady.

  “I don’t think that’s wise. She’s not Yvonne.”

  “But she hates Pario.” Over the past few days, he’d been down in that cell, watching her, trying to talk to her.

  “That may be so, but we can’t risk it.”

  “If we give her some leeway, she might cooperate more and tell us where she hid the Artifacts.” Justin spun and kicked the bag so hard a ripple of pain surged through his hamstring. “She refuses to say anything at this point.”

  More so, she toyed with him with her seductive smiles and sliding that delicious tongue over that sexy lip ring. He’d kissed those plump lips only once, just before he let her walk straight into Hades.

  “What if we promise to take her with, let her lead us to the Artifacts she’s hidden?”

  “She offered that.” Justin stepped away from the bag, panting for breath. No matter how much kicking he did, he couldn’t shake the picture of Yvonne in Pario’s bed. Having sex. She’d thought she was Pario’s. As in Pario’s Mate…if demons even took Mates.

  “I know you hate seeing your Mate in that cell, Justin.”

  “Mate?”

  “Yes. She may not be your Mate anymore according to the Ahavah Mark, but as Yvonne, she’d worked her way into your very protected heart the way no woman ever had. So, yeah, she’s your Mate. Hell, even as a demon, you still want her.”

  It was sick, but true. He wanted Yvonne—Dyre—with the force of a Mate still, even though they didn’t share a Mark any longer. Hell, he’d even touched her hand through the bars hoping something would ignite and make her human again. Make her his Yvonne.

  But The Great One was quiet, and there was no sign of Justin’s Mate returning.

  “Find anything about the punishment and how it was r
eversed?”

  “That’s the interesting thing.” Theo stepped out from behind the bag. “You hold this. Demon splices have been quiet of late, and I need to punch something.”

  “Thought Sadie helped with that.” Justin laughed as he grabbed the bag, preparing for Theo to pound it.

  “Watch it, J-man.”

  At least Theo had a Mate to be with to release some of the pent-up energy. There were only so many cold showers Justin could take.

  “Beckett and Halena have been digging into this and found that there was a Mekhash witch named Evania involved. Pario took Yvonne to see her, and somehow this witch broke Lucifer’s punishment and brought Dyre back.”

  “And dumped her right in Pario’s bed.”

  Theo stopped pounding. “What did you say?”

  “She woke up in his bed. Pario claimed he’d marked her and that she was his. She showed me her so-called brand, but it’s just the knife wound from when he stabbed her.”

  “Shit.” He shook his head. “But being a demon, she shouldn’t scar at all. Maybe the blade was tainted or cursed so it could leave a scar or mark of some kind.”

  “I’m thinking you’re right because he used that same blade on his palm to make a similar mark so he can claim she’s his. And we all know that he did it just to play on her desire to belong to someone.” Justin cringed at the thought of Yvonne sleeping with anyone, let alone a demon. And she’d been down there for almost three months. What else had been done to her?

  He burned with desire to be with her, to claim her as his so he could wipe away memories of anyone who’d touched her. He rested his forehead against the leather bag. God, he’d missed her.

  “Justin. It wasn’t Yvonne doing whatever she was doing down there.” Rough hands grabbed his shoulder. “We’ll get Yvonne back.”

  “And what if no Mark resurfaces?”

  “We’ll worry about that later. Let’s just focus on getting the Artifacts from where she hid them. Halena and Beckett are working on finding that witch.”

  “Halena.” Justin shook his head.

  The last time he’d seen her was when they were strolling through town, hand in hand no less, drinking coffee. She’d won the demon kill contest and picked coffee together as her prize.