by K. F. Breene
Harding put out his hands. “April Fool’s?” He laughed. “I fooled you, I’m sorry. You have to understand, I’m not technically supposed to interfere in the lives of humans. That’s the agreement I made not long ago with my brothers. Well…not long ago by my standards. A few of your lifetimes, at least.”
I put my hand to my head, dizzy again. Disbelief rolled through the soul link.
Harding put out his hand to me, and I flinched away.
“We don’t have time to walk through spirit right now, Alexis, but I’m going to give you energy so you and your Demigod don’t pass out on me.”
I furrowed my brow but let him touch my shoulder, a real hand, not spirit. Then again, he’d always felt real to me—more so than any spirit should.
Energy flooded me.
“What the hell is going on?” I whispered.
He took his hand back, and I sucked in a breath, feeling better than new. Kieran straightened a little more, and I could sense the energy had transferred to him through the link.
“Here’s what the hell is going on. We are related.” He grinned at me. “I am”—he pointed at Magnus—“that guy’s dad, many, many moons ago. His mother was very pretty. I couldn’t resist.” He gestured between us. “Makes our interactions a little gross by your standards, I grant you, but just remember that by my standards”—he shrugged—“it’s just another day.”
“Wait…” My mind went blank, the enormity of what he was saying starting to sink in. “You’re not… You can’t be…”
“Yeah.” He spread his arms wide. “I’m Hades.”
24
Alexis
Everyone in the room except for Bria and me dropped down to a knee, their heads bowed, paying their respects to one of the three most powerful gods. I realized my mouth was open, but I didn’t know what to say. I honestly hadn’t even really believed the gods existed. Theoretically, sure, but they’d been away for so long (lifetimes and lifetimes) that part of me had wondered if someone had invented fake people to go with the magic that had existed as long as humanity. It was easier to understand the magic when you had a myth to go with it.
To have one of them standing in front of me, claiming he’d sired my biological father… Saying he’d been training me!
There were no words.
“First, I just need to…” Harding—Hades!—turned and spied Red’s spirit up against the wall. He put up his hand and beckoned her closer with his finger. She came as if pulled. “Time to say goodbye, love. You’ve had a good run, but you should’ve died in Lydia’s mansion. You felt that, right?”
Her eyes were tight and her mouth had reduced down to a thin, tense line. She nodded.
“Wait a minute,” I said, finally finding my words. “No, she shouldn’t have. She was fine. She’s not too far gone. I can still save her!”
Hades shook his head slowly. “Not this time. No, her time came and went. I didn’t have the heart to take her when you were dealing with your daddy issues. She knew she was on borrowed time. Why do you think she sacrificed herself?” Comfort and the feeling of protection washed over me, and I knew it was his magic. “I’ll watch out for her, Alexis, don’t worry. And when you’re skilled enough at your craft, you can come visit. How does that sound?”
I knew I didn’t have a choice, so with tears stinging my eyes, I nodded.
“You were excellent,” I said to her. “You did a really excellent job. You’ll be missed.” Tears slid down my face. “I’m sorry to—”
She held up her hand. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Most magical people would give their left tit to have been in my place, even if they had to die for it. We were trained for battle, and that’s exactly what you gave us. I felt alive when guarding you. Thank you. And now, look”—she hooked a thumb at Hades—“I have an in. Can’t beat that.”
“Warm fuzzies all around,” Hades said sarcastically. A moment later, she was gone.
My body shook with suppressed sobs, but I held strong. I couldn’t go to pieces yet over losing another of our people. I couldn’t let guilt surge up and steal my focus.
“Okay, what’s next?” Hades looked around the crowded room, all eyes on him, no one speaking. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in this kind of scene. I’ve missed it, I’ll be honest with you. A golden throne and someone to feed me grapes would be just the thing.”
I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, wiping my renewed tears. I still couldn’t find words, not for any of this.
He laughed. “You had no idea who I was, I know. I thought maybe your Demigod would catch on, but he’s so young, and I’ve changed my image recently. What do you think? Like it?” He framed his face with his hands. “Only that clever little Necromancer figured me out. It was the whole ‘spirit in a cat’ shtick—Possessors inhabiting a body wouldn’t be able to get through your magic, even in a cat, and neither would they be able to communicate with you through the animal. Animals can’t talk, you know. It was a little far-fetched, but you lot are so ignorant when it comes to my magical type. I figured I’d take a chance.”
I looked around until I found Bria, leaning against the stage next to a kneeling Jerry. “You knew?”
She shrugged. “I suspected based on legends I’d heard, so I did some research. He appeared to me when I was about to take the info to you.”
My body had gone numb with shock. “And you never said anything?”
“You needed training, and he’s the only one that understands the full gamut of your magic. He said he’d stay if I kept silent. I figured it was a good trade, though it made it tough to convey the seriousness of the Damion issue.”
“Yes. I’m rather amazed you didn’t spill the beans on that one.” He winked at her. “That’s why I like you best.”
I could not believe her ability to keep a secret. She’d gotten drunk since then—several times, in fact—and still she hadn’t uttered a word. The woman was a vault.
“But…why me?” I asked, not knowing what else to say, half wondering if I’d gotten knocked out and was dreaming.
“Yours is my favorite kind of magic.” He snapped, and a recliner appeared behind him. He lowered to sitting and then gestured for me to do the same. A wooden chair had poofed into being beside him.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Really? A wooden chair and you get that? If you’re holding a grudge because of the cat thing, I’ll remind you that you chose to be a cat. That wasn’t my fault.”
He laughed. The wooden chair turned into another recliner. “I do so love working with you. You’re so accommodating…until you’re not. It tickles me to find out what annoys you. I chose the cat because I thought you liked cats. How was I supposed to know you hadn’t decorated that office? Speaking of, have my gifts grown on you?” He gestured at the cats. Chaos still lay curled up, not moving. Havoc sat by his side, licking his head. “Oops.” He waved his hand, and Chaos roused, mewing. “Don’t worry about them; they’re undead. I can teach you how to rouse them when they suffer a mortal wound. They’re hellcats. Cool, right? I know I usually do hellhounds, but…well, it’s our little inside joke. It suits you and your pajamas.”
My frown deepened. No one around the room even swayed or shifted their weight, still on their knees with their heads bowed. It was like he’d frozen time for a moment. Or maybe he’d just frozen them.
“As I was saying,” he went on, “yours is my favorite kind of magic. It is light and dark, death and rebirth, healing and killing. It has so many facets, but it has been misused for so long, those wielding it being mistreated.”
“But why me? Why not Harding—Damion?” I gestured to his spirit, frozen like everyone else.
“I haven’t shown much of an interest in the human lands of late. I didn’t know about him until they caged him in my domain. His mind had been altered at that point. They’d tortured him, turned him into the worst embodiment of your magic. It was a shame, really. But then I learned of you. You can thank dear old Dad for that. He kept making treks
through spirit to peek at you, and finally my curiosity won out and I followed. There you were, a little budding Spirit Walker. He didn’t know that at first, of course, and when he did…” Hades gave Magnus a sly look, my father still frozen in place. Could he see or hear what was going on? “He tried to grab your spirit at one point so he could hold it hostage until he could grab your body, but oops, you were protected. I’ve always been good at cock-blocking.” He bit his lip, tamping a delighted smile. “He’s been wondering why he could get so close in spirit but not close enough. Now he’ll know. Riddle solved.”
So he could hear, then.
My heart sank. Riddle solved indeed. The inaccessibility of my spirit was the only thing that had kept Magnus from grabbing me physically. He’d hesitated because of Valens. But once Valens was out of the picture…
I blew out a breath and leaned back, tears crowding my vision. “Thank you,” I said, “for protecting me. He didn’t kill me before he knew my magic, and he has saved me a couple times… Right? That was him and not you?”
“He helped and saved you of his own free will, yes. There are layers to that onion.”
I nodded, not sure how to feel, but this behavior was in character for my father. I understood it. In some ways, I felt more comfortable than I had after that confusing dinner.
Hades’s expression grew serious and he leaned forward. “There is goodness and badness in us all. You are mostly good, however. You are a shining light in this muddy magical world. I know how close you came to joining my kingdom just now, but I couldn’t interfere until I knew, without a doubt, that you were the defender I had hoped you would be. I allowed Damion the added power. I made him more powerful than you because I wanted to put you to the test. I wanted to see what you would do when faced with the absolute worst situation. And you didn’t give up. You turned to your guiding light. You turned to goodness.
“You relish the magic that can heal people, and you use it when most magical people wouldn’t bother. You stop from killing whenever possible, and you defend the wholeness of the magic I love so dearly. You defend those in spirit who cannot defend themselves. It is your goodness, with a splash of sin, that does your magic justice. You are the first true Spirit Walker in many a long age. For that, I will reward you—”
“Wait.”
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere at once.
“Ah, fuck,” Hades said, and leaned back again, put out.
A bright light blinded me for a moment, and electricity made my hair stand on end. When the haze cleared, a man stood before me in a crisp red velvet robe with a golden belt and a golden wreath around his large shoulders. His incredibly handsome face was all planes and angles, like it had been chiseled from stone. His power trumped Hades, a touch more robust, just like the man.
One name flashed through my mind: Zeus.
“I’m dreaming,” I said softly, not able to stand or bow or do any of the things I should’ve done given freaking Zeus had touched down before me. “I must be dreaming. This isn’t real.”
“What are you doing here, Zeus?” Hades asked. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”
“The question is, what are you doing here?” Zeus replied, and Hades snapped another seat into existence, which Zeus didn’t take. “You’ve been leaving the underworld often of late. Is this why? Have you been dabbling with the humans?”
“Brother, really, what are you wearing? A velvet robe? Hello, glory days.” To Zeus’s prolonged stare, Hades pushed out of his chair. “I’m just making sure the best kind of magic isn’t sullied by humans. What’s it to you?”
Thankfully, Zeus ignored the dig about the “best” kind of magic. I didn’t want to be dragged into a family matter between ethereal beings.
“We agreed to leave the humans to their own affairs for a while and see what happened,” Zeus said.
“Yeah, we did, except Poseidon went and turned someone into a Demigod. I’m just taking my turn, that’s all. Fair is fair, isn’t that what you preach?”
Hades snapped his fingers and Kieran shuddered, animated again. He bowed his head in reverence, emotions rolling through him so fast I couldn’t catch them all. The theme I caught just fine, though—heart-stopping shock and joy.
Hades pointed at him, and Kieran’s eyes widened.
“His mom gave birth to a healthy baby boy, level-five magic. I looked it up,” Hades said. “Does that feel like level-five magic to you?”
“Poseidon,” Zeus called, and his voice was like thunder, rolling through the room, rattling my bones.
The air chilled just a little. The scent of salt water drifted in, and a man followed in its wake, stalking through the doors, his long, wet hair draped over his muscular shoulders. Water dripped down his perfectly cut chest and onto the wide golden belt around his waist. A sort of skirt flowed around his legs, green and blue, almost like seaweed turned into fabric. His built thighs peeked out of it when he walked, and a rush of heat ran through me. Apparently I had a type, and that type was of the sea.
“What in Hades’s flamethrower are you wearing?” Hades asked, his handsome face contorting into mocking disbelief.
“Using your own name in vain?” Poseidon asked in a deep voice. “How simple of you.”
“Says the guy who couldn’t be bothered to buy a whole dress and instead chose half a skirt to save a few bucks.” Hades huffed out a laugh. “That’s probably not even real gold on your belt.”
“What do you want?” Poseidon asked Zeus, sparing a glance for Kieran as he walked by. He did a double take, and guilt and then indignation crossed his face. He’d done something naughty, that was clear.
“Well?” Zeus asked, gesturing at Kieran. “Did you do that?”
Poseidon’s shoulders sagged just a little. “I couldn’t ignore the situation. His mother was a great favorite among my people. Everyone lamented her ill treatment. Given your…rules, I was forbidden to interfere. What was I supposed to do? There was unrest. It had to be resolved. I merely gave a gift to her son, like a birthday present.”
“It was our mutual agreement, and you don’t think giving her son the gift of Demigod magic was interfering?” Zeus boomed.
Poseidon straightened, his expression hard. “It calmed my waters, and no, it was not interfering. I did not alter his mother’s future—she had made certain choices, and I left her to her path. The child’s future was yet undecided. I gave a kid a present, that’s all.”
My heart beat faster. My gaze settled on Kieran. I wouldn’t have agreed to see him again had he not given a present to my sick child. A blanket. Maybe Poseidon had done something greater than padding Kieran’s power—maybe he’d turned him off the path Valens had set for him.
If I hadn’t already been shell-shocked into paralysis, I would’ve fainted from the sheer enormity of all this.
“It’s not like he can say boo,” Hades said, hooking a thumb at Zeus. “He freed one of his favorites. That was definitely interfering. My people were all set to welcome the guy in, teach him how good sex could actually be, and lo and behold, he was ripped away by the god of thunder himself. Imagine…” Hades tsked. “Guess how many times he’s been laid since? Guess. Zero, that’s how many. I don’t think you did the guy a favor.”
Dylan unfroze, and his eyes widened immediately. He braced both hands on the floor and bent over them, his forehead nearly meeting the hard wood. “Your Almighty. I am humbled and honored to be in your presence. Please accept my gratitude.”
Zeus nodded at him before turning back to his brothers. “See how he greets me? Proper respect. You should do something about your line.” He nodded at me.
“My line is good. Much more fun.” Hades crossed his arms over his chest. “If you insist on stalking me and lurking like a creep, Zeus, you’ll have your secrets exposed. You saved one, cheapskate over there elevated one, and I’ll have my turn. I choose her.” Hades pointed at me.
“Yes, but I didn’t meddle, I just saved one of my own. Someone else poisoned them
,” Zeus said.
“That’s what meddling—” Hades threw up his hands. “Whatever, I don’t care. This is happening. I’m taking my turn.”
“There are a lot of sassy women in this age. I wouldn’t mind…meddling a little,” Poseidon murmured, looking me over. “I bet they’re good in bed. My line is weakening in the human world. It’s time for some new blood.”
“Hands off, fancy dresser,” Hades said, shooing Poseidon away from me. “This is your grandson’s betrothed. They frown upon grandpa fucking in this age. Find someone else.”
“You should talk,” I said, wanting for all the world to leave this room before it got any more awkward.
My face heated further when Hades winked at me and said, “I know, right? I won’t tell if you don’t…”
“Fine, yes.” Zeus nodded slowly, looking over the room. “Yes, okay, maybe a little…meddling is warranted, but in the future we mustn’t do it as gods. We must assume human appearances and hide our true nature, as much as it grieves me to say. I hate going incognito. There is no glory in it.”
Poseidon gave Zeus a dead stare, and I knew that was his version of rolling his eyes. He nodded at Hades before turning and strutting for the door. As he passed Kieran, though, he paused.
“Human, what is the name she finally settled on for you?” he asked, his voice gruff, as though he hated that he cared.
“Kieran. Against my father’s wishes, she named me Kieran.”
Poseidon nodded. “Good. Make sure you are worthy of her. Songs are sung about her still. She is sorely missed.”
“Yes, sir,” Kieran said, and then bowed low, like Dylan had done.
Zeus looked at Hades. “Just the one. Do not get carried away or I’ll be back.”
A wide smile crossed Hades’s face. “You need to catch up on modern media, brother. You have no idea how ridiculous you sounded just then. Though it matches your ridiculous look, so…”
Distant thunder rolled through the sky. Lightning flashed within Zeus’s turbulent stare, and then he was gone, electricity and light pulling him from the room.
