Hades (22 page)

became deeper and more regular, and I knew he’d fal en

asleep. I sat cross-legged on his bed, watching over him as

a mother might over a sick child. I stayed that way until

weak beams of predawn light fel over the rumpled

bedclothes and Xavier’s eyelids began to flutter.

“Rise and shine, dol face!”

Who did that voice belong to? Xavier wasn’t awake yet

and he hadn’t moved or spoken in his sleep. It didn’t sound

like him anyway. I looked around me, but Xavier’s room

was empty apart from the two of us. A metal ic sound like a

door opening made me jump and a doorway materialized

in the room, a dark figure leaning against the frame.

Suddenly I knew what was happening. My two worlds were

blurring, which meant I had to act quickly. I had to get back

right now or Jake would wonder why I wasn’t waking up. But

why was it so hard to tear myself away?

“Sweet dreams, my love,” I whispered to Xavier. I bent

down to press my specter mouth against his forehead. I

didn’t know whether he felt anything or not, but he stirred in

his sleep and mumbled my name. I saw that his face had

cleared and he looked more peaceful. “I’l be back as soon

as I can.”

I forced myself to return to my body and blinked away the

sleep to see Jake watching me intently. He was dressed in

a fitted suit jacket over skinny jeans and looked slightly

rumpled. The sting of disappointment always fol owed my

return to Hades, but with Jake there it was even worse. I

couldn’t summon the energy to drag myself out of bed and

face another day as bleak as the last. So I decided to stay

curled under the covers, at least until Hanna came to coax

me out. Jake seemed undeterred by my lack of response.

“I didn’t realize you were stil asleep. I only dropped by to

give you this token of my affection.”

I groaned and rol ed over.

Jake casual y tossed a long-stemmed rose on the pil ow.

“Could you be any more cliched?”

He feigned indignation. “You real y shouldn’t insult me.

That’s no way to talk to your other half.”

“You’re not my other half! We are nothing except

enemies,” I said.

Jake put one hand across his heart. “Now, that hurts.”

“Is there something you want?” I demanded angrily. I

couldn’t believe I had cut short my visit for this.

“Someone’s in a foul mood,” Jake commented.

“I wonder why?” Sarcasm was hard to avoid when he

was being deliberately obtuse.

Jake laughed softly, his bright eyes boring into mine. He

slid closer to me so fast that I barely noticed the movement

until he was bent over me, dark hair fal ing over his

shoulders. His face was beautiful in the dim light, his

features refined. I was surprised at my ability to register his

beauty while at the same time hate him with as much

strength as there was left in my body. His bloodless lips

parted, and I heard him breathing fast. His black eyes slid

over my body, but instead of leering as I expected, he

frowned.

“I don’t like to see you so sad,” he murmured. “Why won’t

you let me make you happy?” I looked at him with surprise.

Not only did Jake persist in invading my personal space

whatever the hour, his insistence on describing the two of

us as a potential couple was becoming disturbing. “I know

you haven’t developed an emotional attachment toward me

just yet, but I think we can work on it. I was thinking it might

help if we took our relationship to the next level … ,” he

trailed off meaningful y. “We both have needs, after al .”

“Don’t even suggest it,” I warned, sitting up and glaring at

him. “Don’t you dare.”

“Why not? It’s a perfectly natural expectation. Besides, it

might improve your mood.” He rubbed his thumbs in slow

circles up and down my arms. “My skil s are legendary. You

don’t even have to do anything. I’l take care of you.”

“Are you delusional? I am
not
having sex with you,” I said

in disgust. “Besides, why do you need that from me? Don’t

you have your cal girls on speed dial?”

“Bethany, my dear, I am not asking for sex. That’s not

what I’m about. I can have that anytime. I want to make love

to you.”

“Stop saying that stuff and get away from me.”

“I know you find me attractive. That much I remember.”

“That was a long time ago, before I knew what you are.” I

looked away, barely attempting to hide my contempt.

Jake straightened and glared at me. “I’d hoped we could

come to a mutual arrangement, but now I see you might

need an incentive to help change your mind.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I need to find a more creative approach.” There

was an underlying threat in his words that frightened me,

but I wasn’t about to let him know that.

“Don’t bother. It won’t make any difference.”

“We’l see.” My conversations with Jake always seemed

to go the same way. He started by propositioning me with

something and when I fended him off, he turned vindictive.

We seemed to go around in circles. It was time to try a

different strategy.

“Too much would have to change for me to even consider

it,” I added. I hated that I was getting caught up in his

manipulative games, but I had no other choice.

Jake’s face lit up with anticipation.

“Such as?”

“For starters you’d have to start respecting my privacy. I

hate the way you barge in here unannounced whenever you

feel like it. I would like a key to my own room. If you want to

see me, you need to ask first.”

“Fine. Consider it done. What else?”

“I want to be able to move around freely.”

“Beth, you don’t seem to understand how dangerous it is

out there. But I can tel the hotel staff to back off. See? I can

compromise.” He trailed a finger along my bottom lip and

smirked, pleased with the new developments.

“There’s one more thing. I want to go back—just for an

hour. I need to tel my family and Xavier that I’m al right.”

Jake laughed. “What kind of idiot do you take me for?”

“So you don’t trust me?”

“Let’s not play games. We both know each other too wel

and you’re no good at lying anyhow.”

I noticed a shift in his countenance and knew I shouldn’t

have mentioned Xavier. It always set him off.

“Have you noticed that time’s passing and nothing’s

happening?” Jake asked. “I don’t see a rescue team on the

horizon. Want to know why? Because it’s an impossible

mission. It might take them centuries to crack the right

portal, if they ever do. By that time, Xavier wil be nothing

but a maggot-ridden pile in the ground. So you see, Beth,

you don’t have a choice. If I were you I’d seize the day,

make the most of the opportunities in front of you.

Everything down here is yours for the taking. I’m offering

you a chance to be queen of Hades. Everyone would bow

down to you. Think about it, that’s al I’m asking.”

My stomach twisted into a knot. I didn’t know how long I

could hold out against Jake. He was so unscrupulous. I had

no idea what tactic he’d spring on me next. He’d been

around too long for me to have any hope of outsmarting

him. I just had to make sure he didn’t get into my head. It

was my only weapon. I had to stay true to myself and

remain spiritual y stronger than him. I closed my eyes and

focused on inviting positive thoughts.

I tried to visualize how my release from Hades might

come about. I imagined Gabriel and Ivy storming through

the gates of Hel and carrying me to safety. Their

enveloping wings, soft as satin yet powerful enough to

crush through wal s, would shield me. I imagined Xavier

with them, only transformed as an angel so that he had his

own beating wings. They reared behind him vibrating with

his power. Xavier was glorious in the form of an immortal.

Any man who saw him would pledge his undying loyalty.

The vision of the three of them, glowing agents of Heaven

coming for me, was the only thing that worked to calm my

fears.

On the downside, it made me painful y aware of my own

wings, bound tight beneath my clothing. I’d been so caught

up in my troubles that I’d neglected to think about them. I

wriggled uncomfortably, longing to set them free. Jake

regarded me with a suspicious gaze.

“You wil succumb to me, Bethany,” he said, sweeping

toward the door. “It’s only a matter of time.”

14

Messenger

THE next time I managed to project it was raining heavily at

Byron. The noise of the rain on the roof drowned out al

other sound. It fil ed the eaves and poured off them in

streams. It flattened the grass as if someone had been out

there with an iron and turned the garden beds to slush. The

noise woke Phantom from his sleep and drew him to the

French doors to see what the commotion was about.

Satisfied it was nothing that required his intervention he

returned to his beanbag and sank down with a prolonged

sigh.

Some sort of meeting was taking place. Gabriel, Ivy, and

Xavier sat around the dining table. It was littered with pizza

boxes and cans of soda—something rarely seen in our

house. They must have run out of napkins because they

were using a rol of paper towel. It told me that no one could

muster the motivation for the usual routines, and cooking

and shopping had been the first to go. Gabriel and Xavier

sat across from each other, both as immobile as stone.

Suddenly Ivy rose from the table and began to stack dishes

and put the kettle on, flitting from kitchen to dining room, her

white-gold tresses swinging in time with her movements.

Whatever they’d been discussing it was clear they’d

reached an impasse. They were al waiting for inspiration—

for someone to come up with an idea that hadn’t yet been

considered. But their minds were as exhausted as they

were, and it seemed unlikely. At one point, Gabriel opened

his mouth, as though a new idea had struck him. But then

he changed his mind about sharing it and his face became

distant once again.

Everyone froze when the doorbel broke the deafening

silence. Phantom pricked up his ears and would have

rushed to the door if Gabe hadn’t ordered him to stay with a

silent gesture. Phantom complied, but not without

registering his protest with a low whimper. Stil no one

moved and whoever was at the door rang again, longer this

time and more impatiently. Gabriel bowed his head and

sighed when his celestial gift gave him a sneak preview of

the visitor.

“We should probably get that,” he said.

Ivy gave him a questioning look. “I thought we agreed—

no visitors.”

Gabriel frowned for a moment as he zeroed in on the

thoughts of whoever was waiting on our front porch. “I don’t

think we have a choice,” he said eventual y. “She’s not

planning to leave without an explanation.”

Ivy looked as if she weren’t entirely comfortable with

Gabriel’s directive and would have liked time to consider it

further, but the tension in the room was so great that she

pressed her lips together and went to get the door. My

sister stil moved with swanlike grace, her feet barely

touching the floor. In contrast Mol y stomped into the room

with her face flushed and her strawberry curls bouncing on

her shoulders. When she spoke, it was with her usual direct

candor.

“Final y,” she said angrily. “Where the hel have you al

been?”

I was happy to see that Mol y hadn’t changed a bit, but