Mark had woken early to find Alex sitting outside his bedroom door, and when Mark questioned him, Alex waved him off, saying that he’d explain at a later time. They had started to make a search plan to locate Ben, but just as they were mapping out the streets, Alex’s phone rang.
Ben didn’t explain much, only that he’d gone willingly and had left without a problem and was waiting for a ride at a café nearby. Mark zoomed through the streets, making his way to the freeway via the gentle voice of the GPS, and he tried to calm his nerves.
He was used to Jude being in danger, but this time it seemed that something had gotten inside of him. Alex was absolutely terrified, and Mark was in agony not knowing what it was. Obviously something had happened with Apollo, but in the time they’d been around the Greeks, none of them had been able to pose any real threat to their person. Torture and pain, yes, kidnapping, sure, but all of that would eventually heal. Whatever this was, it was bad, and Mark couldn’t even begin to figure out what was going on.
Mark came to a near screeching halt in front of the coffee shop where Ben was standing, drinking slowly from a large, white paper cup. The detective looked exhausted, dark circles around his eyes, hair disheveled. His the suit he’d worn to the crime scene was clean, but he wobbled and stumbled a bit as he came to the car and got in.
As he settled into the seat, Mark got a heavy whiff of alcohol and he immediately wondered what the detective had been up to all night. He said nothing, however, as Ben got situated and he put the car into drive, hurtling out onto the street, nearly desperate to get back to Jude and find out what was going on.
Ben looked a bit green as Mark took corners a little too quickly, and out of politeness, Mark eased up on the gas a little as they entered the freeway. “Are you going to tell me where you were?” Mark finally asked as they sped down the road. He tried not to sound like a chastising parent picking up a child after a night of escape, but he failed.
Ben sipped on the coffee, looking at Mark out of the corner of his eye for some time. Eventually the detective sighed. “With Hades. Didn’t Andrew explain any of it?”
“Most of it,” Mark said, “but we had a bit of trouble while you were out drinking with your devil friend.”
Ben would have been irritated by the comment, but he was instantly concerned about the rest of the group. “What kind of trouble? Nike?”
“No,” Mark said, shaking his head and taking a long pause. “We discovered the security footage of Greg’s office. It wasn’t…pretty. Nike still has Olivia, though we couldn’t tell from the video if she survived, but it was ugly. Greg was destroyed by that portal.”
“Asclepius told me some of it,” Ben said, looking like he might be sick. He took a deep breath and rubbed his hand around his mouth and down his chin.
“Well, either way, we know what went down there, and we know that her plan A failed. So at least that’s on our side.”
Ben gave a nod and looked out the window a while before he spoke. “And her plan B?”
“Not sure,” Mark said, and his voice took on a hard edge when he said, “but we think she might be starting with Jude.”
Ben’s gaze moved over to Mark sharply and he frowned. “How so? Is he okay? Did she take him?”
“No, but we were paid a little visit by a friend of hers.” Before Ben could ask who, Mark continued, “Apollo showed up last night and put some sort of…I don’t know…spell or whatever the gods call it, on him. He’s been completely incapacitated since then.”
Ben’s breath hitched and when Mark glanced over at him, he saw the detective had gone rigid and pale. Obviously the name had an effect on Ben, but Mark didn’t know why. If Apollo had been in their apartment all night, it wasn’t likely Ben had run into him, and in all honesty, this was the first the group was hearing of Apollo.
“You got very quiet,” Mark commented.
Ben cleared his throat and glanced over at him, his eyes shifty, telling Mark that the detective was holding something back. “Sorry. It’s been a long night and I have a lot to mull over.”
“Are you going to share with the rest of us, or keep it to yourself?” Mark asked irritably. He was tired of the secrets, of people deliberately being kept out of information. It was partly how they’d gotten into this mess in the first place, and Mark was worried that if they all couldn’t trust each other, they would never make it out alive.
“I, er,” Ben said and gave a little laugh. “It’s all kind of weird, to tell you the truth. I’m most worried about Stella. Or, er…Persephone, or whatever I should call her.” He let out a stressed laugh and shook his head. “This is all so damn confusing.”
“She’s being guarded,” Mark said, his tone going a bit dark. He wasn’t sure how much Ben knew at this point, but whatever it was, Ben had clearly been warned about her. “Andrew’s got her on lockdown.”
“Thank god,” Ben said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I take it you knew the whole time she wasn’t Stella, right?”
Mark gave a little shrug. “I was fairly hesitant to believe anything at first. In the end, she confessed it all to me, and I think Jude knew simply because he just knows these things.”
Ben gave a slow nod, his eyes flashing with hurt for just a moment. Mark sympathized. Ben had been kept in the dark and allowed to develop feelings for her, and she had betrayed him. He also had the feeling the betrayal went deeper than something between lovers, and that worried him.
“She’s been feeding Nike information,” Ben said eventually. “Not a lot, but apparently she struck a deal for my life. Nike would let me live if Persephone helped her with the portal.”
“What did Hades want?” Mark questioned, letting the rest sink in. The information, frankly, was terrifying, but he couldn’t let it affect his reason now. Andrew and Alex were aware of her enough to keep her held prisoner, and Mark felt safer with that thought in his head.
“I’m not sure,” Ben answered and wiped his face with his hand roughly. “I’m so damn tired, Mark. You know? I’m just…I’m so tired of running and hiding, and fighting this bitch who is just completely insane, and I’m tired of being lied to. I’m tired of being puppeted by these gods for reasons they won’t even give me. You know, I hadn’t dated since college. That was like almost two decades ago, because I just kept getting burned and I was so tired of it. I let in one woman, one, and this,” he threw up his hands, “this is what I get.”
Mark started laughing. He hadn’t meant to, it was wrong, and totally absurd, but the absurdity of the situation was just overwhelming suddenly and he couldn’t hold back. To his absolute surprise, a second later, Ben joined him. They both laughed until their sides hurt and tears streamed down their cheeks. Mark nearly had to pull the car over before he got control over himself, and he let out a big sigh, trying to calm down.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice still shaking just a little. “It’s not funny, it really isn’t.”
Ben waved him off, wiping away the tears. “Don’t be. It really is the most ri-goddamn-diculous thing I have ever been through. And trust me, Mark, I’ve been through a lot. I was just a regular human guy before I met you, but I’ve experienced some really messed up people. But this…well let’s just say the SFPD doesn’t have enough funds to pay for the amount of therapy I’m going to need when this is all over.”
Mark smiled a little sadly, the moment of mirth having passed, and the melancholy set in. Ben didn’t deserve this. He was a nice guy. Mark and Judas were cursed. Alex and Andrew were gods borrowing the bodies of humans. Persephone was a whole host of things that Mark couldn’t even begin to describe.
But Ben, he was just a guy. A guy with some unfortunate ancestors that dragged him into a situation for reasons Mark couldn’t begin to contemplate. He was just an average Joe and his life had been completely destroyed. There was no chance of him going back to a normal life, not after all of this. Even if he tried, Mark knew he would likely fall apart. He’d seen it over the centuries, happen to many who
fell into companionship with him. They lived hard, they died young, and Mark carried that guilt with him everywhere. He wondered how things would have turned out if he’d never bothered Ben in that hospital room. What would have become of Jude? Of Nike? Would they still have taken Abby?
He couldn’t let himself go down that road, he just couldn’t. Ben’s eyes had slipped closed and Mark let him have that moment of peace. He wanted to know the details of Ben’s meeting with Hades, but that could wait for the rest of the group.
There were other matters at hand. Apollo, for one, and what he’d done to Jude. Persephone, and what they were going to do with her. Mark knew something was up, but he wasn’t sure Alex knew that Persephone had been feeding Nike information. Did that mean Persephone had sold them out? Had she been the one responsible for Nike taking them in the first place?
Mark couldn’t stop the images of Jude lying on the cold, stone floor, writhing and screaming in pain, tortured by the laughing goddess as he bled from every pore. Was Persephone responsible for that? If Jude’s blood, his torture, was on her hands, then God help her.
Gripping the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grasp, Mark took the road even faster. Cars became a blur, and the tires squealed lightly as he took the off-ramp at break-neck speed. It was time to be back at the apartment. He wanted the rest of the information. He wanted to be near Jude and make sure his companion was okay. He was ready for this to be over, to lure Nike, to take her out, and be done with it. The time had come for this to end, and whatever it took, Mark was going to see that happen.
Chapter Eighteen
Ben woke slightly dazed as Mark pulled into the parking lot of their most recent apartment building. He was groggy, over-tired and his body ached from head to toe. He needed a hot shower, a heavy meal, and a good sleep. He thought two of those were doable, though the sleep part would likely have to wait until either Nike or he was finally dead.
Mark walked quickly ahead, leaving Ben to stumble along after, and the elevator seemed to take an agonizingly slow pace up to their floor. Mark hurried out, Ben slower as every step he took sent shooting pains into his back. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to make it, but when he remembered Stella was behind the apartment door, his adrenaline fired up, giving him a second wind.
Mark put the key into the lock and shoved the door open. Assaulted by the smell of morning breakfast and hot coffee, Ben stepped into the overly warm space and saw Alex on the chair, and Jude prone on the sofa, his face white and dripping with sweat.
Ben shut the door and locked it, concern flooding into him as Mark rushed to Jude’s side, falling down to his knees. He reached out and touched his forehead, and his head turned sharply to stare at Alex. “He’s burning up,” Mark said.
“I know,” Alex replied. The god looked over at Ben with dull eyes and gave him a short nod hello. “I’m glad you made it home in one piece.”
“I hope Andrew explained to you that I was in no danger,” Ben said shortly, though he tried to keep his tone neutral. Alex had no response for him, merely turning his eyes back to Jude, so Ben ventured into the kitchen and poured himself coffee. There were biscuits and a pan of slowly clotting gravy on the stove.
It wasn’t the best meal, but it was what he needed. He popped a plate into the microwave and then brought it back out into the living room. Meanwhile, Mark had fetched a cool cloth and was rubbing Jude down, though it didn’t seem to have any effect.
“What’s wrong with him?” Ben asked thickly through a mouthful of the flaky biscuit.
“I’m afraid he was attacked by Apollo,” Alex said. He had his fingers steepled at his lips, and his brow was furrowed deeply. “I’m not sure how long it’s going to last. Normally the humans he infects go into a state of euphoria and then die.”
Jude gave a groan and tried to pull away from Mark, but the immortal held fast to his companion. “Since he can’t die,” Mark said, his voice tight with worry, “what’s going to happen to him? He’s practically cooking in his own skin.”
“I have someone looking into the matter,” Alex said, his voice still dull and flat.
“It was the love spell thing, right?” Ben asked.
Alex looked up sharply. “Sorry? What do you mean love spell?”
“Well, I know you don’t use spells, per se,” Ben said a little impatiently. He took a swig of coffee before continuing. “Hades told me all about him, about Apollo. He’s not a god like you guys; he’s something else. He’s corporeal, he has wings. An Angel, I guess. He can also put that sort of love voodoo on people. Make them all crazy and obsessive. Stella…Persephone…whatever…she used to have it, too. She used it on Hades. He explained to me the basics of what happens when that mojo stuff is used on another being.”
“And how does Hades know about Apollo’s abilities?” Alex asked sharply.
Ben rolled his eyes a little. “For the most all-knowing, all-powerful guy here, you really don’t know?” The look on Alex’s face told Ben perfectly well that he didn’t know. Ben smirked, just a little, and said, “Hades is one of them, the Angel things. He’s corporeal. He doesn’t have the love thing, though. His abilities are different. He sees the dead, I guess. As for Persephone, he said that Apollo is her father and she acquired some of his specific abilities.”
“We were made aware of that little fact last night,” Alex said grimly. “Andrew is with her now.”
“Did you know she’s the one who fed Nike information?” Ben asked. It was a question he really wanted the answer to, so he did his best to come across without sounding like he was accusing Alex of anything. Bringing up Persephone was causing him to feel all the swirling emotions he just wasn’t ready to deal with, and he had to keep himself calm or they wouldn’t make any progress in their current situation.
“I…did not,” Alex said slowly, his jaw clenching. “I knew she was up to something. I thought she was working with Hades, and that Hades was double-crossing her with Nike.”
Ben shook his head and set his now-empty plate on the ground next to his chair. He glanced at Jude, who hadn’t changed at all despite Mark’s efforts, and he sighed. “He’s offered us a deal, if we work with him. A way to get the jump on Nike. But we have to keep Persephone on lock-down for now. If she gets away for even a second, she’s going to spill her guts to that bitch and we’ll lose our edge.”
Alex perked up at the sound of a possible treaty, but he looked almost afraid. His eyes darted down the hall to where Ben assumed Persephone was being held, and when he spoke, the god kept his voice low. “I’m concerned about how she’s been able to keep in contact with Nike, and if she’d be able to do it from here. I can…persuade the information out of her, if I have to, but I was hoping you might be able to talk to her first, see if we can do this less messy.”
The thought of what Alex might do to her to draw out information made Ben go a bit queasy, but he knew that at this point, they had to do what they had to do. This was a no-holds-barred situation, and if they had to torture her, well she’d already left them without any other options.
“Okay,” Ben finally said.
“Alright, we can set her up, guarded, and you can talk to her once I’m satisfied that this place is safe,” Alex said and paused, looking around. He frowned and then asked, “What sort of deal is Hades willing to offer? It has to be worth our while to work with that slimy son of a bitch.”
“He’ll get us Nike, alone, if we agree to kill Stella and take Persephone through the portal with Nike,” Ben said with a shrug.
“That’s it? We kill off Persephone?” Alex asked, a confused frown passing over his face. “I’m confused.”
“It’s really pretty logical,” Ben said with a small shrug. “If you think about it, the poor guy’s been under her spell, locked to her since…well, since forever. I mean, shit, after a while the guy’s just exhausted and done. Honestly, how long have the two of them been together?”
“He’s always been in love with her as long as I’v
e known him. I just…I had no idea he was corporeal. No idea he was…” he trailed off, shaking his head again. “How could I not know? I’ve known him so damn long. So damn long. I was a companion of Apollo’s centuries ago.”
“I know,” Ben said, and when Alex looked surprised, Ben gave a shrug. “He told me everything. Literally. Everything.” He paused, giving Alex a look that told the god Ben knew all of his secrets now. There was no sense in pretending that Alex didn’t know exactly who and what Hades was. “He said that you borrowed the body of Artemis and you guys spent some time together. He said you and Apollo branded him the Devil and…well, other stuff. He’s got his own special sort of power, and if he doesn’t want to be known or found by you all, he won’t be.”
Alex took all of that in, but didn’t respond. Instead, he stood up and walked over to Jude, pressing a hand to his forehead. With an unhappy sigh, he turned to Ben and gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know what to do for him.”
“We can ask Persephone,” Ben suggested. “She’s Apollo’s daughter. She may have some remedy.”
“Would you trust anything she says?” Alex asked, crossing his arms over his chest and walking slowly toward the hallway.
Ben let out a small laugh and shook his head. “Of course not, but what choice have we got? He can’t die, and I mean look at him, I doubt it could get much worse than this.”
“It can always get worse,” Mark said, his voice gruff, “but Ben’s right. We don’t really have much of a choice.”
“Hades…” Alex started, but Ben shook his head.
“He thinks the only way to end the connection between him and Persephone is to kill her. Or send her shooting through the portal into the void, or whatever. Maybe we have to do that with Apollo, too.” Ben gave a helpless shrug and fell silent as Alex disappeared down the hall.
He was getting Persephone, Ben knew that much, and it made his stomach twist violently. He had to keep it under control. There was no sense in losing his cool, and the truth was, they needed her inside of the body until they reached the portal. He couldn’t let her in on his plans, and he most certainly couldn’t let on that Hades wanted her dead.
Cry, Nike! (The Judas Curse) Page 15
