Death nods. “My father called me to him. He felt the power surge and suspected that Gaire was dead. I filled him on what happened. He has a proposal for you.”
“Me?” I frown.
Death chuckles, “Yes, you.”
“Um…okay. What did he have to say?”
“Nothing bad. You killed Gaire fair and square, but…” Death presses his lips together for a second, “he’s offering you Gaire’s position.”
“As Head Huntsman?” I can hardly believe it. My eyes are wide. I’m shaking my head in disbelief. This is the last thing I expected.
Death nods. “Yes, it’s a prestigious role. It comes with great power.”
“Are you going to take it?” Rage is frowning. His eyes are bloodshot. He looks a little worn.
“I would go from being Gaire’s bitch to being Hades’ bitch. No, thanks.”
Death pushes out a breath. “So you’re turning it down?”
I nod.
“You don’t have to think about it?” he adds. “I can go over all of the numerous benefits the position would—”
“She said that she doesn’t want it.” Rage sounds annoyed. “Why are you pushing this?”
“Death’s father told him to push it. He doesn’t have a choice,” I explain to Rage.
Death’s cheeks turn pink, and his jaw tightens.
“Oh…I see,” Rage says.
I shake my head, “You don’t have to go over the benefits. I don’t care about any of that. I don’t want the position. Please thank your father for the kind offer.”
“That’s good. You made the right decision.” Death looks relieved.
“You definitely don’t want Hades as your boss,” Rage says, his eyes blazing.
“What did you want to ask me?” Death says, looking at his watch. “I doubt I have much time left before I’m summoned.” He narrows his eyes, looking pissed off. “My life is a fucking toilet,” he mutters to himself.
Rage sits up, leaning against the headboard. “You and I need to have a talk,” he tells Death. “I saw something when I was in my power haze. Something crazy. Something that might explain some things.”
“Oh?” Death looks interested; he leans forward. “What did you see?”
“I think I know how your father is controlling you.” Rage tells Death how he saw an entity clinging onto him. He describes the eyes, the tail…it’s horrific.
“A demon,” Death whispers. “A fucking demon, and it’s here now.” I see his throat work. I see his eyes fill with disgust.
“That’s terrible,” I say. “Oh, Death...I’m so sorry.”
Death just sits there looking defeated.
Then I have a thought. “What about me?” I ask Rage. “Does it work the same with hellhounds? Did I have a demon too?”
Rage shakes his head. “No. You didn’t have anything that I could see.” He turns back to Death. “The demon is big. It’s like an inky black shadow. It’s clutching onto you tightly.”
“That’s disgusting! It’s…” He shivers. “I need to get rid of it.” His throat works again.
“I’ll help you if I can,” Rage tells Death. “We all will.”
“This is my father’s doing.” He roughs up his hair. “Fucking Hades.” He clutches his stomach, like talking badly about his father physically hurts him.
“Must be,” Rage says.
“I’m so sorry,” I tell Death. “I know how it feels to be controlled by someone else. To be under their thumb. In your case, it’s so much worse.”
“Forget the monster in the closet…or under your bed…I have one attached to my soul…to my lifeblood. I have one living inside of me.” He shivers again. His eyes look tortured. “I have to go.”
“Wait, I—” I start saying, but Death is gone an instant later.
“Poor guy,” Rage says, slumping back against the headboard. He looks at me.
I look away. I’m not ready to have this conversation. I don’t want to hurt Rage, but it’s inevitable.
“I think you’ve probably figured out that I’m in love with you,” he says.
“I’m so sorry,” I blurt. “I didn’t realize it. When I told you to use your power, I didn’t realize you would have to obey. That’s what happened…I’m right, aren’t I?”
Rage nods and gives me a half-smile. “It looks like this whole ‘fall in love with a hellhound’ thing works both ways after all. Even if the guy isn’t a hellhound as well. When did you know?”
“I suspected when you did the things I asked you to do. I told you to use your power, and you did. I told you that you were in control, and you were. The moment you grabbed him, I could feel his hold on me break, but I think that had to do with your powers.”
“I think part of my ability is suppressing other people’s power,” Rage says, “I can see things…I can see magic. I could see Gaire in his invisible form. I could see the door or portal from which Death teleported. I could probably tell you where he came from. I could see that demon.” His eyes are lifted in thought. “It was freaky.”
“I’m sure. I can’t imagine. I’m grateful you trusted me. That you didn’t try to fight it.”
“I do trust you, Nia.”
“You absolutely can. I won’t take any kind of advantage of you.” I shake my head.
He gives me a sad smile. “I wish you would.”
I choke out a laugh. It quickly dies a thousand deaths.
“I think that the way this love business is supposed to work is that two people are supposed to fall in love with one another. They become bound to one another. They give some of their control to the other person, but it’s supposed to be beautiful, equal, and balanced. We could be all of those things, Nia.”
I’m choking up. I want the things he’s saying. They make my heart feel lighter, but at the same time, I’m suffocating. “I…I can’t be bound to someone else so soon. I trusted Gaire, and I was wrong. I haven’t loved him for an age, but I only just escaped him. You are the kind of man I could easily fall in love with. I would fall so much harder…so much faster, but…” I chew on my bottom lip.
“You don’t want to,” he finishes the sentence for me.
“No, I’m sorry…I just can’t. Not right now. I’m not ready.”
“I understand.” Rage cups my chin and lifts my face so that my eyes meet his. He’s smiling. “You do you. Go find yourself. Do what you need to do. Know that I will be here if you decide you want to try.”
I put my arms around him. I bury my head into his chest. I feel his hands on my back. I hear his heart beating. I wish so hard that I was ready. I pull back. “I need to go back home. I miss my family. I need to learn how to breathe again.”
He lets me go.
24
Rage
Later that day…
Storm clouds are gathering. It feels appropriate. The sky is becoming heavy with pending rain. I hear a crash of thunder in the distance. I look up as I push my hands into my pockets. Letting go is fucking hard.