“Now, sweetheart…they’ve just got here. Come inside,” Twelve says. I get the distinct impression that she’s lonely. “Would you like something to eat? Drink?”
“We’re starving.” Death smiles at Twelve.
“I could murder a steak…or a pizza…just about anything you put in front of me.” Tri winks at Twelve. He can’t help himself.
“You should leave,” Hades says, sounding gruff. “Especially you.” He points at Trident.
I have a feeling this could go belly-up, and quickly. I hope Death knows what he’s doing.
“Don’t listen to my grumpy husband. You’re all guests in my house.” Twelve hooks her arms with Nia. “What do you say we go and get you something to wear?”
“Okay.” Nia looks up at me.
I look at Death, and he gives an almost indiscernible nod.
I let Nia go. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
Her eyes are huge. Her honey-colored irises are locked on me. Even as Twelve puts her hand on Nia’s arm to lead her away, her eyes stay on mine.
“You’re gorgeous,” Twelve says. “What’s your name, hon’?”
“You have some explaining to do,” Hades says to Death as soon as the women are out of earshot. “You’re putting me in the middle of something I don’t want to be in the middle of.”
I understand the sentiment, even if I no longer share it.
“You have an amazing home,” Tri says, looking around. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Trident.” He grins at Hades like we’re in a bar. We’re not, not even close. We’re in the Underworld, about to have a drink with Hades.
“I know who you are. Son of Poseidon.” He gives Trident the once-over. “The spitting image of your father, who is also a prick.”
Tri’s mouth falls open, but he has the good sense not to retaliate for once in his life.
“And you’re the son of Ares…” He smiles at me. “It’s uncanny.”
Death and Night look a lot like their father too. Come to think of it, Gaire has the same look. The same eyes. Where Night and Death still have some warmth within their depths, Gaire does not. “Don’t bleed on my carpet.” Hades’ eyes narrow on mine before lowering to my chest.
I look down. My shirt is sliced open. My skin too. The wound is still bleeding. My shirt is sticking to my skin. It’s wet and sticky with my blood. The cut isn’t bad. It would have been healing by now if it hadn’t had been made with a silver blade. It’s not like that fucker needs silver. He can fight well enough without it. Gaire is a bully, just as Nia warned. He’s also strong; like nothing I have ever experienced before. I think he was toying with us, which makes it even worse. I think he could’ve killed me in a few seconds.
“That doesn’t look great,” Tri remarks.
“Your eye is swollen shut.”
“It’ll be halfway back to normal in ten minutes.” Tri waves his hand.
“Back to my original question…what are you doing here?” Hades’ eyes are blazing. He directs the question to Death before turning his eyes on the two of us as well.
“My friends needed help,” Death says. “I’m helping them.”
“No! The hellhound does not need your help,” Hades bites back. “She needs to go back to her master…where she belongs. End of discussion.”
“What about what Nia wants?” I ask, feeling irritated.
“It doesn’t matter what she wants. Gaire is her master, and that is the end of that. She was stupid enough to fall in love with a Huntsman.” He snorts. “She should have known better. You need to take her back immediately.”
“That’s not the end of that,” I snap. I know I should watch my step, but fuck that! “Gaire treats Nia like shit. Less than shit. He doesn’t deserve to be her master. What’s up with this master bullshit, anyway?”
“It’s not bullshit,” Hades says. “It’s order. I will have a word with Gaire about his treatment of the dog.” I can see that he won’t. It’s clear as day.
“She’s a hellhound shifter…not a dog.” My voice is low.
“If it barks like a dog. Wags its tail like a dog…” Hades shrugs. He’s smiling. What a prick! No wonder Night has cut him out of his life. I think Death would do the same if he wasn’t beholden to Hades in that weird way. I wonder for the hundredth time how that happened. “I would suggest you leave. That you take Nia…back.” He says her name with emphasis. Like he’s doing me a favor or something.
I think Death must see the way I’m glaring at Hades because he intervenes. “Your wife would be upset if we left early,” he says. “I know you like to keep her happy. Us being here is doing that right now.”
Hades glowers at Death. He shakes his head. “A drink and a snack, and then you’re leaving. I can make your life hell.”
I notice that Death doesn’t say anything.
Hades takes our drink requests. It’s surreal. I ask for a whiskey because it’s been one hell of a day. Tri wants a beer. Death asks for a frozen margarita. Hades rolls his eyes and mumbles something about a cocktail being a drink for a pussy, but heads to the bar, which is outside next to the biggest swimming pool I’ve ever seen. It has water spouting from all angles. Like a fountain and a pool all in one. There are more roses and lavender.
“How did you know Gaire had found us?” I ask Death.
“What the fuck was that?” Tri asks, looking unusually freaked out. “I didn’t even see him coming.” He’s talking about Gaire. He touches his eye. “One minute we were… I don’t even remember what we were doing. I remember being fine and then waking up on the lawn outside a castle with the mother of all headaches. Are you sure you’re okay? That fucker flayed you like a fish.” His eyes are on my chest.
It’s throbbing a little. “Hardly flayed me. I’m fine. It’ll heal soon enough. I can’t believe he used a silver blade on me…and that invisibility bullshit.”
“Invisibility?” Tri is frowning hard.
“Gaire can make himself invisible,” Death says.
“That’s a separate power to being able to teleport?” Tri asks.
“I told you he has the ability,” I deadpan.
“You did?” Tri frowns. He obviously took a harder knock than I thought.
“It’s separate from teleporting.” Death nods his head.
“Okay, so Gaire’s fast as fuck. Can hit like a freight train. Then there’s his powers of teleportation and invisi-fucking-bility. What am I missing?” Tri runs a hand through his hair. His left eye is now slightly open. It’s a nasty shade of purple.
“You missed the fact that he’s quite comfortable slicing opponents open with a silver sword,” I say. It’s an unspoken agreement among non-humans to stay away from silver. We tend to avoid weapons in general. It’s an unspoken rule. A gentleman’s agreement between non-humans. Gaire is no gentleman. It’s safe to say he’s a bastard of the first order.
“Gaire doesn’t follow any rules,” Death says. “He plays dirty. He has a win-at-all-cost mentality. He gets a kick out of torturing and belittling any who come up against him. That’s why Hades loves him so much.”