This could work. We were so convinced we would have to kill everyone here, and Hades’s big plan wasn’t going to work.
I was so glad we were wrong because this was beautiful to watch.
Chapter 31
River
A
fter alliances were made and they built houses, the Olympians didn’t want us there anymore. No one said it, but I knew why. We still had our weapons just in case we needed them, and Olympians only knew how to defend themselves with magic. We all saw how well that played out before.
Pavlina wasn’t waving Athena’s head around, but it was still in a bag under the bed. I knew they trusted us and understood we kept our weapons if we needed them, but we weren’t required anymore.
There was now a council made up of Olympians and humans. Since they could make houses from magic, most everyone had one now. Alliances were in place, and Hera was ready to head off to London with her people. We weren’t needed anymore, and honestly, we were just in the way at this point since we weren’t intending on staying here full time.
We’d made friends with several of the Olympians while we were here. Hermes and Eros were great and adorable together. Hera was way nicer than I thought she would be. When she wasn’t helping or getting things ready for her move, she was trying to spend as much time with Hephaestus as possible. I was glad about that because it seemed to mean a lot to him.
It was time for us to leave. Goodbyes had been said, hugs were had, and Pavlina had her head. It was time to go home. Serafina and her men had already left, but she swore she would visit the Underworld when she was less pregnant. I also promised to visit her in Hell to meet her new baby. I had no idea if she’d be doing the whole demonic form reveal party with her child, but I figured I might as well see one since I missed mine, and the entire thing was still bizarre to me.
It was a fucking relief to be back in the Underworld, but it was bittersweet. Barbatos turned and pulled me into a hug as soon as we were back.
“River, I’m sorry. I’ve got some pressing Hell business to attend to. I have to go topside with a Tengu to get a Kitsune out of a magical prison. They sent her topside for her safety, and she had little to no guidance. She’s a Kitsune, so it was just a given she was going to misbehave a little. She took it a little too far and got herself arrested. Demons are always to be turned over to Hell instead of prison, but she was mis-classified as a fox shifter. We don’t know if she doesn’t know the truth about what she is, but she has corrected no one at Silverhold Detention Center for the Magically Delinquent. We have to get her out, River.”
I got it. I totally did. I knew he would have to go back eventually, but I didn’t think it was going to be so soon. Even if he had to go back right away, I thought we would go back with him and get a tour of Hell. I’d seen the Underworld, and I’d seen Olympus. I was so curious about Hell now after meeting so many of its residents.
I wasn’t that familiar with Kitsunes, and I had no idea what a Tengu was, but I had some questions.
“This Kitsune isn’t going to end up in some dungeon in Hell because she’s a criminal, right? You aren’t getting her out of prison for harsher punishment?”
Barbatos just threw back his head and laughed.
“We’d never punish a Kitsune for misbehaving. It’s in their nature, and this one is important. She’ll probably get taught how not to get caught next time.”
Demons were so weird, and I wanted to visit Hell now.
Solron flung herself at me and gave me this enormous hug.
“It was nice meeting you, River. This was the most fun I’ve had on vacation in ages.”
I think every last one of us would disagree that any part of this was even remotely fun, but I had gotten to know Solron. She was so fucking twisted, this was precisely her idea of fun, and that was why I liked her, even if I didn’t share the sentiment. I knew Pavlina liked her too because they did their little fist bump handshake they made up when Solron let go of me.
I grabbed Charley and hugged her because if it weren’t for her and her magic, I would long be dead. Demeter would have killed me on sight if it weren’t for the enchantment she gave me to wear around my neck. For that matter, Hephaestus might have too instead of hearing me out. I still hadn’t forgotten she healed Pavlina and Lis. I was going to miss that witch.
Finn didn’t talk much. I hardly knew him. I didn’t know if it would offend him or not, but I hugged him too. He nearly died getting that shot at Ares and had saved all of us. I was super fond of not dying, and none of my mates getting killed too. Now that things were settled, I would have to make Solron and Finn a nice care package for taking Ares out.
Before I knew, everyone from Hell had stepped into a portal and were gone. They didn’t say goodbye to Hades. I had a feeling he already knew. He joined us as soon as the portal closed. Cerberus and Lis came bounding into the room, and Cerberus was even more excited than usual. I thought it was just because we were back until he just blurted it out.
“Lis went into heat while you were gone, and I’m going to have puppies! Can you check her out?”
I inwardly groaned. I knew they would have some powerful, adorable puppies, but I’d already dealt with Cerberus when Lis was injured. I knew exactly what kind of neurotic, doting dad he was going to be. Still, Lis was a Hellhound, and Cerberus had three heads. Lis needed to be seen, and I would have to do an ultrasound to see exactly how many heads her puppies had. This could very well be a French Bulldog situation where she had to deliver via C-section, and I was already groaning about trying to have that conversation with a three-headed dog.
“Congratulations, both of you. Hades, you’re going to be a grandfather.”
“Excuse me?” he demanded.
“Cerberus and Lis are having puppies. I need to examine her because she might have difficulty delivering if the puppies have more than one head like their daddy.”
“You can be a daddy now if you want too,” Pavlina said. “Zeus is gone, and the new council doesn’t feel the same about new Olympians. Nemesis has already agreed to be a surrogate to Hermes and Eros. Dionysus and Apollo have mates, and I think they’ve already gotten started. Hestia has paired up with Erebus, and she’s said she has long wanted children. Phanes is a bit of a perv. I guess he pretended to be the God of Procreation for a reason. He’s offered to knock up anyone wanting children.”
The big, bad Hades just entirely lit up. He was this grumpy motherfucker when it came to me, but I knew he adored Persephone. And I just watched him visibly soften now that he knew he could have babies with no one invading the Underworld and sending them to the Pits of Tartarus. He had a soft side. It just didn’t involve me pissing him off.
“Do you hear that, my love? It’s finally happened. We can fill our castle with little Olympians.”
Hades got pissed off at me a lot. He didn’t like me questioning everything, and he loathed it when I challenged him. Did he think a bunch of children was going to be any different? I could be a childish adult, but I had nothing on a hormonal teenager or a hangry toddler. Still, I was happy for both of them. Maybe a baby would calm him the fuck down.
Persephone must have really wanted that baby. I wasn’t even remotely ready to have children, but I wasn’t nearly as old as she was. I couldn’t imagine being ready for as long as she had been and not being able to do it because your family is a bunch of psychos who would hurt a baby. Persephone was pretty much done waiting. As soon as she found out no one was coming to harm children, she dragged Hades away just as fast as he came into the room.