Bars? A cage? He was in a damned cage? What…why…? Before the thought could fully form, he saw that William, unconscious and bleeding, was outside the cage and being carted away.
Dread slapped at Kane, cold and hard and stinging. He reached out, his hand shaky, and tried to shout for his friend. Wake up. Fight. But no words emerged.
Kane swallowed, his throat filled with sawdust. And damn it, his head throbbed like a son of a bitch. His stomach threatened to heave at any moment, his body jostling left and right, left and right.
The cage was being wheeled through a cavernous hallway, he realized. Then dizziness flooded him and he closed his eyes. He measured his breaths, hoping the spinning would stop. The air was hot, humid and layered with the scents of rot and sulfur.
Rot. Sulfur. They could mean only one thing. Hell. He was being taken deeper into hell.
His demon roared.
Kane cracked open his lids and glanced at his surroundings, slow and easy this time. He spotted horned, winged monsters beside his cage. They had scales rather than skin, and glowing red eyes.
Demons. Minions.
The roaring in his head turned to laughter. His demon was genuinely amused. That was not a good sign.
He must have groaned. One of the creatures glanced in his direction and scowled, flashing long, white saber teeth. A moment later, a clawed hand reached inside the cage and batted at his cheek, splitting skin.
Once more, Kane slipped into oblivion.
ONE ITEM LEFT ON HIS LIST, and then he could go after Sienna, Paris thought. All he had to do was find Viola, the minor goddess of the Afterlife and discover how a man like him could see the souls of the dead.
Word was, she frequented a bar in the heavens. He was headed there now. As he stomped along the streets, he withdrew his phone and sent his man Strider a text.
I release U from UR vow
He pressed Send and pocketed the phone. After what he’d learned from Arca about the dangers of the two realms he’d have to enter—and the possibility of never leaving one of them—he wasn’t willing to risk his friend’s life. Especially since the guy had just married his Harpy. Yeah, he’d gotten a text from Strider with the happy news.
I’ll never have that, he thought hollowly. Rather than wallow in despair, however, he opened himself back up to the darkness now constantly frothing inside him. So much darkness. A mist, sweeping through him, turning him into a cold, hard bastard.
Hurt…kill…
Good. He needed that coldness, now more than ever.
No matter what, he would save Sienna—even at the expense of his own life.
Glossary of Characters and Terms
Aeron—Former keeper of Wrath
All-Seeing Eye—Godly artifact with the power to see into heaven and hell
Amun—Keeper of Secrets
Anya—(Minor) Goddess of Anarchy
Arca—Messenger goddess
Ashlyn Darrow—Human female with supernatural ability
Atropos—One of the Three Fates; snipper of threads
Baden—Keeper of Distrust (deceased)
Bait—Human females, Hunters’ accomplices
Bianka Skyhawk—Harpy; twin sister of Kaia
Cage of Compulsion—Godly artifact with the power to enslave anyone trapped inside
Cameo—Keeper of Misery
Cloak of Invisibility—Godly artifact with the power to shield its wearer from prying eyes
Cronus—King of the Titans, keeper of Greed
Danika Ford—Human female; All-Seeing Eye
Dean Stefano—Hunter; right-hand man of Galen
dimOuniak—Pandora’s box
Galen—Keeper of Hope
Gideon—Keeper of Lies
Gilly—Human female
Gorgon—Immortal with snakes for hair and the power to turn man to stone with only a glance
Greeks—Former rulers of Olympus, now imprisoned in Tartarus
Gwen Skyhawk—Half-Harpy, half-angel; daughter of Galen
Hades—One of the rulers of hell
Haidee—Immortal; former Hunter
Hate—A demigod and keeper of the demon of Hate
Hera—Queen of the Greeks
Hunters—Mortal enemies of the Lords of the Underworld
Juliette Eagleshield—Harpy; enemy of Kaia
Juno—Harpy; ally of Kaia
Kaia Skyhawk—Harpy; sister of Bianka, Taliyah and Gwen
Kane—Keeper of Disaster
Klotho—One of the Three Fates; spinner of threads
Lachesis—One of the Three Fates; weaver of threads
Land of Cinder—Home of the Phoenix race
Lazarus—Imprisoned immortal consort of Juliette; son of Typhon
Legion—Demon minion; friend of Aeron
Lords of the Underworld—Exiled warriors to the Greek gods who now house demons inside them
Lucien—Keeper of Death; leader of the Budapest warriors
Lucifer—Prince of darkness; ruler of hell
Lysander—Elite warrior angel and consort of Bianka Skyhawk
Maddox—Keeper of Violence
Medusa—Most famed of the Gorgons
Mina—Goddess of Weaponry
Moirai—AKA The Three Fates; three immortal females who weave destiny
Neeka the Unwanted—Harpy; ally of Kaia
The Odynia—also known as “the Garden of Goodbyes”; Rhea’s heavenly realm
Olivia—An angel
One, True Deity—Ruler of the angels
Pandora—Immortal warrior, once guardian of dimOuniak (deceased)
Paring Rod—Godly artifact, container of souls and granter of abilities
Paris—Keeper of Promiscuity
Phoenix—An immortal with the power of fire and the ability to raise the dead from its ashes
Reyes—Keeper of Pain
Rhea—Queen of the Titans; estranged wife of Cronus; keeper of Strife
Sabin—Keeper of Doubt; leader of the Greek warriors
Scarlet—Keeper of Nightmares
Sienna Blackstone—Deceased female Hunter; new keeper of Wrath
Skye—A pseudodoctor; wife of a Hunter
Strider—Keeper of Defeat
Tabitha Skyhawk—Harpy; mother of Taliyah, Bianka, Kaia and Gwen
Taliyah Skyhawk—Harpy; elder sister of Bianka, Kaia and Gwen
Tartarus—Greek god of Confinement; also the immortal prison on Mount Olympus
Tedra—Harpy; ally of Kaia
Titans—Current rulers of Olympus
Torin—Keeper of Disease
Typhon—Father of Lazarus; immortal with the head of a dragon and the body of a snake
Unspoken Ones—Reviled gods; prisoners of Cronus
Viola—Minor goddess of the Afterlife
Warrior Angels—Heavenly demon assassins
William—Immortal warrior (and god among gods—or so he says)
Zacharel—A warrior angel
Zeus—King of the Greeks