Soulless. That’s what it was. She’d rather die than spend eternity in such a place. Not that she’d be given another opportunity to take the offer Hades had put forth. In the books she’d written, the offer had come once and, if denied, Hades resorted to more deadly tactics to get his way.
“See, it’s from a woman named Kellsie Morris. She says that the legend is real and if I’d like to talk to her I can call her at that number.”
“Let’s call her. Maybe I can speak with Marko. He might have information vital to our survival.”
Araminta got her phone and placed the call. It rang four times and she figured it would go to voicemail on the next ring. But before it could do so, a woman answered. “Hello.”
“Is this Kellsie Morris?” Araminta gripped her phone, very aware of Leander hovering beside her, his massive frame tense with anticipation.
The voice turned wary. “Who wants to know?”
She licked her dry lips. “This is Araminta Davidson, and I think you might be able to help me with a rather large problem.”
“Ohmigod, you freed one of them. Which one?”
“Leander. The lion,” she added in case Kellsie didn’t know the warrior’s names.
She heard yelling in the background as the other woman called for Marko. “Marko is coming. How much time do you have left?”
Araminta glanced at the clock on the mantle. “Five hours.”
“Too long.”
She didn’t need Kellsie to tell her that. There was something in the air, a thickening, a growing menace that made her want to run and hide in the closet like a frightened child. Except there was no hiding, not from Hades.
“Marko is here and he wants to talk to Leander.”
She held out the phone to Leander. “Marko wants to talk with you.”
Leander took a deep breath and shook his head. “Can you make it so we can both hear whatever he has to say?”
She nodded, pressed the necessary button to activate the speaker and placed the phone on the table in front to them. Then she nodded at Leander.
“Marko. Is it truly you?”
“My friend.” The voice was deep, more a bass rumble. Leander was visibly overcome with emotion. He tilted his head back and swallowed hard.
“I never believed I would ever hear your voice again.” Leander leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. “How did you defeat Hades and break the curse?”
Araminta leaned forward too, not wanting to miss a single word. Before Marko could reply, the phone suddenly went dead. The silence was deafening. “What is wrong?” Leander demanded.
She picked up her phone and hit redial. Nothing. “I don’t know. This shouldn’t be happening.”
“Hades.” Leander sprang to his feet and held up his right hand. A gigantic sword appeared, the sharp metal blade gleaming as he circled the room.
Araminta checked her computer screen only to find it blank. “Computer is down too.”
“The time of waiting is at an end and the time to fight is here.” Leander sounded as though he was relishing the coming battle. She’d much rather run until the clock ran out and they were safe. She was a thirty-year-old romance writer, not some crazy female action hero. The height of excitement in her life had been attending the writer’s conference. And look where that had gotten her.
If she lived through the rest of the day she might never leave the house again.
Buck up, she scolded herself. She’d lived in obscurity her entire life, never making waves, never leaving a mark on the world. Here was her chance to be a part of something bigger than herself. The fate of the world was at stake. She’d written the darn books so she knew the truth of the matter. If Hades managed to get the support of even one more warrior, he’d probably have the power to stage a takeover of the world before the other members of his pantheon even knew what was happening.
Hades would then be the most powerful of all the Greek gods and he would be unstoppable. Only the warriors of the Lady were here on Earth and had been for so long that the other gods and goddesses accepted their presence in this realm. Their being freed hadn’t raised a blip on their radar.
But why hadn’t they noticed when two of the warriors had been destroyed? Definitely something to ponder if she survived the next few hours.
Hades was not happy. And when he wasn’t happy everyone around him was miserable. Mordecai was no exception. He stood with his hands loose at his sides, ready to protect himself if the god suddenly decided he was expendable. Mordecai hadn’t survived this long only to lose his soul and his life because Hades was in a foul mood.
“How could this happen?” Hades was dressed all in black, as usual, the Armani suit tailored to perfection, the linen shirt smooth and crisp, the silk tie understated. Personally, Mordecai didn’t know how the guy could be comfortable wearing the tight garb. He much preferred his khakis, boots and a T-shirt, but to each his own.
Mordecai shrugged. “Luna was too impetuous. She assumed because Leander acted interested that he was. The guy’s a lion. He plays with his prey before he kills it. He’s also extremely protective of those he considers his.”
Hades glared at him and paced from one end of the room to the other. “I need another warrior. You’re not enough.” He sneered, but Mordecai didn’t rise to the bait. His ego was much too healthy to be bothered by such a small slight.
“You need at least one more warrior,” he agreed. “Two would be better.”
Hades glared at the mirror into other realms and watched as Leander circled the tiny living room of Araminta’s home. What remained of Luna had appeared in Hades’ antechamber not long ago, and since then Hades had been on the warpath. He’d killed the poor demon who’d brought the remains to his attention. Mordecai assumed he didn’t adhere to the adage of not killing the messenger.
“And they actually made contact with one of the other warriors.” Hades pointed at the mirror as if it would tell another tale simply because he willed it. The mirror showed what was, not what the viewer wished to see.
Mordecai leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, confident that Hades wouldn’t try to kill him yet. He still needed Mordecai alive, plus he’d gotten the worst of his anger out when he’d slaughtered the poor unfortunate messenger.
“Modern technology is a bitch. It’s not like the old days when we’d have to send up a smoke signal or wait for days or months for a messenger to arrive. Just be glad that the Lady hasn’t found them. She could transport them to anywhere on the Earth with just a thought.” It might not be a wise thing to do, but Mordecai wanted to see how Hades would react when his failure was tossed in his face.
The god glared at him and smoke literally rose from his body, seeping out from beneath the cuffs and collar of the suit jacket. “The Lady is weak and lost somewhere in a godforsaken forest. No one remembers her name anymore, let alone worships her. She will not gain any power, therefore she is of no consequence.”
Mordecai inclined his head. “As you say.” Better to placate the god, for now. “Is it time to take the fight to Leander? He is the most fierce of all of us, even more so than Roric.” He’d always wondered why the lion hadn’t taken leadership of their group from the tiger. He was more than capable. But then some people didn’t want to lead, were content to follow. Mordecai was not one of those people.
Hades strode to the far end of the room and threw himself down onto his throne. The dark wood gleamed in the candlelight that flickered from the enormous iron candelabras ringing the room. The shimmering light caught Hades’ face, illuminating it. The god’s handsome face appeared sinister and sly, more true to his actual nature.