Blood of Retribution (18 page)

“Point taken,” Kallen says.  “However, we have been pulled into a trap of your making.  When you gave to our enemy weapons to aid in her attack, you doomed our souls to this fate.  Our will is not free as we seek a way to repair the damage done.”

Hades looks vaguely uncomfortable.  He knows Kallen is right but he’s not going to admit that.  “There is always more than one outcome for every situation based on the individual choices made.”

“As you are, I am quite sure, infinitely cleverer than our mere mortal minds will allow, I believe you are able to see things this way.  We, however, are not.”  I can’t believe Kallen said that with a straight face and just barely a hint of sarcasm.  Even Persephone has a small smile on her face in applause. 

Hades leans back in his chair and temples his fingertips.  “Yes, that is a quandary for you.”  If the table wasn’t so wide, I could kick him. 

Instead, I ask, “Why did you make a deal that didn’t involve Tana’s soul?  I didn’t think you did things like that.”

“Yes,” Persephone drawls, “that is an answer I would like to hear myself.”

Hades is trying not to squirm in his chair as his wife bores holes in him with her eyes.  “I have been known, from time to time, to broker such a deal.”

“Then that must have been before my birth,” Persephone says.  There is danger in her eyes.  Hades had better sleep with one eye open tonight.

“You’re sleeping with her, aren’t you?!” I exclaim.  Kallen turns shocked eyes to me which is why he doesn’t have time to react when the table explodes in front of us.  He and I are flown backwards all the way to the dock and splinters are raining down in the cavern.  Persephone is a little pissed at the moment. 

“Is this true?” she demands.

“To make things worse,” I yell to her, “Tana has oozing sores on her head.” 

Kallen clamps a hand over my mouth but he’s too late.  We hear everything in the cavern being shattered into minute pieces.  Persephone’s voice carries through the caverns of the Underworld as she screams at her husband.  Threats against his manhood are the common theme and many colorful twists on how this could occur are spewing from her mouth impressively.  I never would have thought there would be so many ways to castrate a man.  Kallen is cringing at my side.  I don’t think he realized that, either.

After a good fifteen minutes, things start to settle down.  Persephone’s curses and threats have calmed to a dull roar and there are no more sounds of things breaking.  That could be because there’s nothing left to break, but still, I consider it progress.

Kallen must as well because he rises from the ground and holds his hand out to me and helps me up.  “We need to tread more carefully,” he whispers.  “Let’s try not to destroy the Underworld before we have a way out,” he murmurs.  I just grin.  I think my way will get us faster results than dickering with Hades.  Wrapping his arm around me and tucking me close, Kallen and I walk cautiously back to the cavern and peek inside.  Hades is thunderstruck as he faces his wife’s ire.  Sure glad I’m not him at the moment.

Cautiously, and not too loudly, I say, “Excuse me.”

Persephone’s head whips around and for a split second, I think she’s going to kill me.  She doesn’t.  Instead, her eyes calm about half a degree and she says, “Enter.”

Kallen and I step as far as we can into the cavern without the risk of getting splinters or glass shards in our bare feet.  “I hate to bring this up, but is this a good time to ask a few questions?”

Kallen’s arm squeezes me so close that I can’t breathe.  I glare up at him but he ignores me.  “We understand that this is a difficult situation.  If you would prefer we return later, we will understand.”  Later?  Where the hell are we going to go until ‘later’?

“You will ask your questions now and then you will be given safe passage back to your realm.”  Persephone glowers at her husband, daring him to say otherwise.  He doesn’t.

“Ask,” Hades growls, eager to take his anger out on someone. 

Since I am still being squeezed by the boa constrictor that is Kallen’s arm, he starts the conversation off.  “What is Tana planning to do next?”  Just saying her name makes lightning flash in Persephone’s eyes.

I’m afraid Hades isn’t going to answer.  He takes a long time to think over his response, but eventually, he says, “Her plan is to put the Fairy realm in chaos by eliminating the ruling class, inciting civil war.  Then, she will rise and assume control.”

“That’s ambitious,” I squeak out in a strangled voice.  Kallen loosens his grip a little bit so I can talk. 

Not amused, Hades says, “Indeed.”

“Tana comes from a strong lineage, but her magic is not great enough to force her way to the throne,” Kallen says.

“Unless her magic is bolstered,” Persephone says,

“You would have helped her?” I ask Hades.  Well, duh.  Of course he was planning to help her.

“I saw merit in her plan.”

“How many souls would you have received?” I ask.  That’s the only currency he deals in.

There’s a glint in Hades’ eyes now.  “All of them.”

“I don’t believe you.”  The words just jumped from my lips like kamikaze pilots, I swear.  Why else would I tell an Olympian god that he’s a liar?

He feels the same way.  “Despite the promise from my wife, your passage from this place is not guaranteed.”

I’m back to being squeezed by Kallen’s boa constrictor arm.  “What Xandra meant to say,” wow, I’ve never wanted to take his voice away as badly as I do right now, “is that we are not able to conceive of this possibility, not that you are incapable of performing such a great feat.”  So not what I meant to say.

“Indeed,” Hades says.  Appeased, he continues.  “Using the powerful magic of the Witch Fairy to release darkness into the realm, the souls residing in the Fairy realm will all be infected eventually.  Even the strongest among you.  Crimes will be committed that will darken their souls to the point they will be desperate to avoid judgment.”

“Which is where you come in,” I gasp.  My lungs are fairly depleted of oxygen because of the vice grip I am currently in.

Hades cocks his head and nods.  “Yes.”

“You plan to sully their souls then offer them sanctuary,” Persephone says with disgust.

I think he and Tana are planning a little more than ‘sullying their souls’.  “And while this is happening, her plan is to kill me, Kallen and the King so we can’t stop it.”  I wonder why Isla’s not on the list.  Actually, she probably is.  Tana just hasn’t gotten to her yet.

“That’s it?  That’s the entire plan?” I ask.  I think he’s holding something back.

“Hades,” Persephone says curtly when he doesn’t respond right away.  I don’t think Hades will be getting any for a quiet a while.

After an eternal silence, I can’t hold back anymore.  “The summer months must get pretty lonely down here.”  Persephone is allowed to leave the Underworld during these months according to lore. 

The implication is lost on no one.  I just threw it out there as bait but I think I may have nailed it.  Not only does Hades have a good chance of collecting the Fairy souls, he’s planning to take Tana as his mistress.  He’s been seduced by her.  I hate it when things get reduced to power and sex.

I want to get out of here before Persephone explodes again.  “Um, how do we call Charon back?”

A rising of Hades’ lips pretends to be a smile.  They should probably go to acting school because I’m not buying it.  “The ferryman may only escort souls one way.”

“Okay.”  I’m wracking my brain trying to remember if Hades said we could leave or if only Persephone had. 

“Is there another way out?” Kallen asks quickly when his mind reaches the same conclusion as mine.  Hades never said those words.

With a snap of Hades’ fingers, two of the lifeless souls appear.  “Take my wife to her bedchamber,” he says. 

Persephone’s pale skin becomes ruddy in anger.  “You bastard,” she screams as she’s escorted away.

“Now,” Hades says, when his wife is gone, “I can properly thank you for bringing your souls as gifts.”  He taps his chin with his fingers.  “Perhaps a trip to the Fields of Punishment will tame that tongue of yours, Witch Fairy.”

Oh.  Crap.  This is not good.  There is no way in hell, no pun intended, Hades is just going to set us free.  With another snap of his fingers, he nails the lids of our coffins.  Four lifeless souls appear to drag us away. 

We’re not going down without a fight.  As the souls near, Kallen balls his hand into a fist and strikes the first one.  His hand goes right through.  He didn’t even faze it.  So, it’s surprising when they grab onto us with firm, solid hands.  Neat trick.  Kudos to Hades for this.

“Let go,” I demand uselessly as I struggle violently.  Of course I’m completely ignored.

“Yes, do struggle.  That is so much more gratifying than surrender.”  The look Hades gives my body makes a low, dangerous growl emit from Kallen’s throat.

Desperation and fear surround my heart.  Time for plan B.  Closing my eyes, I call to my wings.  In vain.  They don’t come.  They must not be able to get to me down here.  Great.  I really am just giving Hades a show by struggling because there’s nothing I can do without my magic or my wings.  Even Kallen can’t free himself from the grips of these things and he’s a lot stronger than I am.

A light so bright shines through the cavern that Hades lets out a scream and covers his eyes with his hands.  At first, I think it’s my wings come to save me at last, but there’s no telltale pinches on my back, and when I reach my arm around, I find only back, no wings.  Who is this?  Did Rashnu only say she couldn’t save me in an attempt to keep me from going?

“Hades,” a voice says softly, “I have come to claim what is mine.”

Hades says something in Latin or Greek that I don’t understand.  The way he spits it from his lips makes me not want to know what it means.  “You have no right to tread here.  You have no rightful claim on these souls!” he shouts to the light.  “They came upon this place voluntarily.”

“My claim is of blood,” the Angel says and I finally recognize her voice.  But it couldn’t be her.  It couldn’t.  She’s Fallen right now.

“Your claim is false, there are none of your blood here,” Hades counters.  “Be gone from this place before I rise against you.”

Angels don’t really like to be told what to do.  The light in the cavern becomes even brighter and I really, really hope Kallen’s retinas survive this.  I don’t care about Hades’.  His can fry in his eye sockets for all I care.  Mine can take the light because of my Angel blood.  The blood I received from my grandmother.  The one who has come to claim me.

“You dare hold captive one of us and then you threaten violence.  You will answer to Zeus for this,” the beautiful Angel voice says.  Why didn’t I get Grandma’s voice?  And, whoa, Zeus really exists, too?  I don’t know why that surprises me if Hades is real, but it still does.

A snarl leaves Hades’ mouth.  “My brother has given me full dominion of the Underworld.  I do not answer to him for anything that happens here.”