Zerina woke to the sun outside her window and Jinx gone. She went to the closet that she had discovered was full of clothes when Grimm had thrust her inside the bedroom. That had been after her first meeting with Hades. It was a meeting she would never forget.

The stories her mother had told her as a child concerning Hades eclipsed seeing him in person …

“Broni, you know you will see her again,” Zerina comforted.

Broni nodded. “I don’t know why I’m crying.”

“Because your part in her life is at an end. She no longer needs you to fight for her, and that is hard for you. I feel your sadness. I was part of her birth, saw life enter her, and it was with sadness that I saw this happening, but we can do nothing else, other than assist. We cannot interfere.”

Both women watched as Cara spoke to the little spirit, though neither could hear her words.

Zerina made an offer she had never made before. “Would you like to help escort her?”

“How is that possible?” Broni questioned.

“With Cara’s help, we can travel with her to the doorway. Mother is at the council; she won’t know until her return.”

Broni smiled. Zerina was always trying to please those she loved. She was the most powerful of the three, often not able to show emotion at the decisions her job demanded.

Zerina’s gift was to find the right spirit for their physical forms. Present at the birth of each child, she often had to make decisions that Broni didn’t know if she could make, especially if the soul would be entering a home where it would not be properly loved or cared for. Zerina often said those required stronger souls, because they had to survive despite those hardships.

Cara turned and held out her hand, and Broni took it, instantly becoming ethereal. She then realized Zerina was holding her other hand. Linked, they were now able to see Adoni’s spirit.

“Are you angels, too?”

“We are not angels; we are Moirai.”

“Moirai?” Adoni questioned.

“We are your guides through life. Zerina was with you at your birth, Broni helped and protected you through your physical life, and I am Cara. I am here to help you to your new afterlife.”

“Am I being punished for disobeying my mother? She told me I was never to ride alone, but it was such a beautiful day that I could not resist.”

“It had nothing to do with you disobeying your mother. It is time for your beautiful spirit to move forward to a new life. Do you remember when you and your mother moved to a new village? How frightened you were? How much you came to love your new home?”

“Yes, but my mother was there,” Adoni whispered.

“Your mother cannot be with you yet; it is not her time. When it is, you can greet her, and she will not be as frightened. You will be able to introduce her to all your new friends. But this time you must be brave on your own, Adoni. I promise you have nothing to fear.” Cara read her thoughts. “Broni will look out for your mother, as she has protected you.”

Broni spoke up, “I have been by your side during your many illnesses. The night you escaped the fire that burned down your home, I made sure you awakened in time to escape. I give you my word; I will protect your mother.”

Reassured, Adoni turned to Cara. “I’m ready.”

Cara and the others slowly began to slip away, carried away in what seemed like rushing wind but wasn’t. Movement became nothing more than a moment in time until it seemed as if they were walking in the sky itself with bright stars surrounding them.

Broni understood now why souls could become lost. There were so many directions and bright lights glittering in the darkness. The vastness of it all would have been overwhelming without Cara’s help.

Without hesitation, Cara guided them through the darkness, leading them to a destination that only she knew.

Adoni suddenly tried to break free and move toward one particularly bright light, but Cara tightened her grip on the girl, moving her forward.

“That doorway is not yours, Adoni.”

“But I want to go there. It’s so beautiful.” Adoni became petulant. Being young, she was attracted to the beautiful doorway.

“It is, but yours is just as beautiful.” Cara inexorably moved the girl forward. It was as if there was a path only she could see.

Suddenly, a bright light was before them. Cara stopped before they came within touching distance, mere inches away.

“It’s not as large as the other one.” Disappointment and fear were the emotions Cara sensed within Adoni, as well as something Cara couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Darling, the size doesn’t matter; only what is inside. Your doorway is just different than the other, not better or worse.”

Adoni nodded, relieved. “Will I see you again?”

Cara turned and looked into the bright light, studying it for several minutes. “Yes, you will see us again and soon.”

Cara tried to hide the apprehension she was feeling from the girl, but Zerina and Broni knew something was wrong.

“Go, Adoni. My sisters and I must leave, and I want you safe before we go.”

Zerina and Broni began to feel a disturbance around them. Broni’s instinct to protect Adoni again flared within her, but she was unable to move, holding each sister by the hand. If she released Cara, she and Zerina would be lost in the dark maze, but if she released Zerina, then she would be lost alone.

Cara pushed Adoni toward the light, and as soon as she entered it, she disappeared. Then Cara turned toward her sisters. Clasping Broni’s hand tighter, she hurried through the darkness.

“Do you feel the disturbance?” Cara spoke quietly.

“Yes, we must hurry. Someone is following us.” Broni kept her voice firm, not wanting her sisters to feel her impending sense of doom. Her feelings were never wrong; they had saved more than one soul.

“No one should be here. I am the only one able to follow these paths.”

“They are following us. They wish to destroy us.” Broni’s battle instincts were surging through her body. She wanted to stay and face the approaching enemy, but would not risk her sisters’ safety.

“Whatever happens, we cannot release hands. You will become lost and disoriented without my help,” Cara spoke hurriedly, feeling the danger draw nearer. She was practically running through the corridor. “Can you tell what it is?”

Both women shook their heads as Cara rushed along the unseen path with her sisters desperately trying to keep up.

“We’re almost there.” Cara could see their doorway just ahead.

They each prayed to reach the doorway before whatever danger stalking them struck.

They were inches away when they were suddenly hit with a power surge, knocking them apart.

The next thing Zerina knew, she was shivering in the frigid air, crouching low behind a large trash container in a parking lot. With trembling fingers, she brushed her damp tresses away from her face. She was so cold. How was she going to survive without warmth or shelter?

She was terrified, tendrils of danger had the hair at the nape of her neck rising. The shadowy figure that had chased them through the Halls of Death was near.

She gazed around the dark parking lot, trying to come up with a plan. Her appearance alone would raise questions that she wouldn’t be able to answer without her sanity being questioned. She also didn’t want the one who was responsible for her predicament to find her, so she decided to stay hidden until she could come up with a plan to find Broni and Cara.

The freezing cold that was slowly making it impossible to move left no doubt in her mind that she was now mortal. Her powers were gone.

The large building she was hiding in the shadows beside was a hospital, the structure easily recognizable, as it was one of the few structures she could visit on earth.

She shook not only from the cold but the fear of children being born during her absence. They would be soulless, mere shells, until they grew into demons and begot devastation among the humans.

She shakily reached out, bracing a hand on the large metal trash container, forcing herself to rise from the damp concrete.

Seeing that the parking lot was briefly empty, she made for a side door where she had seen employees enter. Reaching the doorway, she prayed to Mother that the door would be unlocked.

Thankfully, she had gone back in time far enough that the doors didn’t have to have a code punched in. At first, she thought it was locked. Then her fear gave her the adrenaline rush she needed to open the heavy door.

The empty hallway was filled with carts of dirty linens.

The sound of another door opening startled her. Seeing a door to the side, she rushed inside and closed it behind her softly. Her breaths sounded loud in the dark room.

Tiredly, she leaned against the wall, holding back the desire to burst into frightened tears.

Zerina forced herself to gather her scattered wits and begin to piece together who was responsible for the treachery that had placed her and her sisters, Cara and Broni, in danger.

A slight movement behind her had her freezing in place. Then an icy-cold body pressed against her back.

A terrified scream parted her lips, but before it could escape, a hand closed over her mouth.

Zerina struggled against the cold hand covering her mouth. Kicking backward was useless, since her feet were covered in soft slippers.

“Be still.”

The command didn’t pacify her fears.

Increasing her struggles, she almost managed to break away, when she was pressed harder against the dark cloak he was wearing. It hindered her efforts to get away as he wrapped it around her, enveloping them both inside.

“I’m trying to help warm you. You’re freezing,” his chilly voice sounded in her ear.

She had only met Grimm a few times over the centuries, yet she recognized his voice. It was hard not to. It dripped icily, as cold as the body against her.

She had always hated to see him when a child’s soul had met an end. Only three times had a child’s soul found its way to Hades. Each had been a reincarnated soul that had slipped underneath Mother’s guard.

Dark laughter filled the room. “I just saw Cara. They left me in a predicament.”

They? Her heart lightened to know that Cara was safe. But was he referring to Broni, too, when he mentioned ‘they?’

“Unfortunately, they took a soul that I was sent for, and now I have no way home.”

Grimm’s hand left her mouth. The moment of relief was short-lived when she felt his hands on her throat, tightening, preventing any sound she would make.

Struggling, she tried to break his death grip, as her oxygen-deprived lungs began to burn.

“Don’t worry; it will only hurt for a moment.” With cold precision, Grimm told her she was going to die.

Spots filled her vision, faltering her struggles as she lay limply against him, his grip never lessening. Her tear-filled lashes closed as the sound of her heart slowed then stopped.

He was right; she had felt no pain. The only thing she felt before she lost consciousness was his cloak enveloping her closer to his lean body as he lifted her into his arms, enclosing her in darkness.

Her last glimpse of anything was a doorway appearing and swinging open. Grimm carried her forward as a silent scream filled her head when she saw where he was taking her.

To Hades.

* * *

Zerina slowly regained consciousness to the feel of a cold, smooth floor against her cheek. Her vision swam as she tried to blink her eyes open, seeing the shiny black marble against her face.

Placing a hand on the smooth surface, she managed to raise herself to a sitting position.

“I see you’ve finally wakened.”

Her gazed jumped to the man sitting casually on a large desk a few feet from her.

“Rise, Zerina. Let me have a good look at you.”

She found the strength to stand, swaying unsteadily. The cold that had been assailing her moments before was gone, replaced by a heat building in her body from the tips of her toes in her thin slippers, gliding upward through her body until she felt as if she were burning alive.

She fell to her knees, clutching her belly. “Stop it!” she screamed.

“Too much?” The indolent seductiveness of his voice tore through her body, making the fire between her thighs unbearable.

A small scream escaped as she felt a rush of wetness leak from between her clenched thighs.

She might have been a virgin, but she was smart enough to recognize what had just happened to her body.

Hades stood, wearing a black silk dress shirt tucked into a pair of black slacks that didn’t hide the bulge that he was plainly unembarrassed by.

As he stood over her, Zerina tilted her head back so she could glare up at him.

“Mother will punish you for bringing me here!”

“Are you afraid, Grimm?” Hades didn’t even look at Grimm, who was looming next to her.

“Not really.” The caustic reply had her head snapping to the man who was removing his cloak.

Hades shrugged. “Oh well, I guess I’ll worry about that when she comes for a visit. Grimm, when was the last time my mother came for a visit?”

“Never.”

“I guess that’s why I had trouble remembering.” He traced a lean finger down her cheek, leaving a trail of fire. “Don’t worry; she won’t be coming any time soon. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other better. Much better ...”

Zerina jerked away from his touch. “Don’t touch me!” she snapped. “I demand you have Grimm return me to my home!”

His soulless eyes stared down at her in amusement. “What you want is not important. What I want is. Don’t worry, Zerina; I’ll make sure you’re very well taken care of.”

When he crouched down in front of her, she scooted back from his closeness, feeling like she was going up in flames, that the only part of her that her mother would retrieve would be her ashes.

How could women bear to touch the dark king? She had heard that a few of the goddesses had snuck down for a night of pleasure, many trying desperately to return for another, only to find the passage barred. Hades only allowed them one night in his bed. Therefore, many had found themselves wandering the earth, looking for an entrance that opened only when Hades wanted it to.

“My mother and father will come for me.”

“I’m not afraid of your parents. Fate, I can handle, and Valentine cannot step foot in my domain. He can only go where love can exist. Hades has never known the emotion of love. Lust, greed, hatred … now those are all emotions I’m very familiar with down here. I plan on introducing you to some of them, especially lust.” His eyes dropped to the cleavage that her white gauze dress left exposed. “Especially lust.”

She slapped him across the face that was leering at her. “You touch me and I will …” Her words stuttered to a halt.

“What, Zerina? What could you possibly do to hurt me? I, on the other hand, have many ways in which I can hurt you. Some of them pleasurable. Some, not so much. I find I like the occasional bite of pain when I’m fucking. How about you?”

“You bastard. I’ll give you all the pain you want if you dare touch me!” Zerina threw herself at him. All the stress of becoming lost in the Halls of Death, terrified for her sisters, then having Grimm kill her were more than she could take.

In the blink of an eye, she found herself flat on her back, lying on the black marble floor with Hades on top of her, holding her hands in his and preventing her from striking him again.

“I haven’t had so much fun in decades.” He laughed down at her, mocking her attempts to hurt him. “You’re going to stay and keep me company for a while. At least until you begin to bore me.”

Zerina lifted her head until her mouth came close to his shoulder. Before he could guess her intention, she latched on, biting down … hard.

“Dammit.” Hades tried to push her mouth away from his shoulder, but she refused to relinquish the flesh that was starting to tear. One of her hands became free when he tried to push her away from his shoulder, and she raked it down his cheek, leaving bloody gouges.

Hades swore as he pried her jaw open and away from his flesh. Lifting himself to his feet, he then waved a hand to close the gaping wound.

“Are you bored yet?” She spat the blood from her mouth at his feet, spraying the shiny shoes.

His voice became deadly. “Grimm, take Zerina to her new bedroom.”

Zerina screamed out in protest when Grimm lifted her to her feet. She pounded her fists against his chest and face, forcing him to drop his cloak as she tried to break away.

Zerina didn’t see the fist coming until it struck her cheek. A blinding wave of darkness overwhelmed her, and she slipped once again into unconsciousness.

Hades watched as Grimm slung the beautiful woman over his shoulder without remorse then headed toward the large doorway that would lead his servant through his palace to the room he had picked out for her.

“Be gentle with her,” Hades ordered.

Grimm nodded, gliding over the floor.

“Oh, and Grimm, don’t ever dare touch her again. That spitfire is mine.”

Grimm’s face paled in fear. Nodding, he escaped before Hades could reconsider and give him a punishment it would take a century to recover from. The only thing stopping Hades from doing so was that Grimm had brought him his new plaything that he had plans to enjoy to the very depths of his greedy soul.

* * *

Deciding to wear something different than she normally would have worn, she put on a pair of jeans and a form-fitting sweater that ended at her hips. The humans she had seen when gifting a child a soul had changed through the centuries. These were so thick she didn’t understand why humans found them so comfortable. However, she didn’t want to give Hades another opportunity to examine her body through the thin gowns she usually wore.

From her mother’s stories, she had imagined Hades’ domain, but it was nothing like she thought. Instead, his castle was cold, which was another thing she missed from home.

“Why so sad?”

“Jinx! Where have you been?” Zerina went to the fairy, who was suddenly sitting on her bed, trying to touch her.

“What are you doing?” Jinx asked with interest when Zerina’s hand passed through her.

Sighing, she sat down next to her. “I was seeing if you were really here or still outside.”

“You could have saved the trouble and asked. It tickled when you did that.”

“Where did you go?”

“I went home. I was hungry. Unlike you, I don’t have anyone concerned if I am hungry.”

Zerina didn’t look at the table of food that she had ignored when it had appeared after she had dressed.

She felt bad for the woman who spent much of her time alone, ostracized by both her magic and fairy kin. Neither of her kind wanted to accept Jinx, so they didn’t. Her homeland had rules that magic and fairies weren’t allowed to mate. Mother had made the rule to prevent them from conceiving a child. A child like Jinx who had the power of both worlds. Merlin and her mother had broken the rule, and they both had been punished by losing their powers until Mother had relented when Chronos had intervened. Merlin and Chronos were confidants, as her own mother was to Mother. Mother embraced Jinx when she was born, but it didn’t prevent her from being shunned by both families.

“I would if I could. It’s hard to feed someone who’s not really here.”

“It’s all good. I ate. I went to your mother’s castle and told her I was still looking for you.” Jinx made herself more comfortable on the bed.

“You didn’t tell her where I was?”

Jinx rolled her eyes. “Of course not. I told you I wouldn’t.”

“I know you did. I just don’t want my mother and father hurt because they are afraid for my safety. Did she look well?”

“Fate always looks beautiful. Destiny was there, and so was Valentine.”

“My father was there?” Maybe her, Cara, and Broni’s disappearance would draw them back together. She had never lost hope that her parents would reunite.

“Cara was there.”

“Cara was there? At my home?” Zerina asked excitedly.

“Yes, her and her husband Jericho.”

“Cara is married?” Zerina’s eyes filled with tears. She had always dreamed of being by her sisters’ sides when they wed.

“Yes, and he’s hot.” She made a sizzling sound, placing a thumb on the palm of her other hand.

“Who is he? Which god did she marry? Was it he who returned her home?”

“Aren’t you going to eat your breakfast?” She hopped off the bed, going to the table to stare down longingly at the bounty that Hades had sent her.

“No, I’m not hungry, and you’re not either—you just ate. Tell me about Cara!” she demanded.

Sitting down at the table, Jinx tried to grasp a piece of bacon. “I’ve always wanted to taste human food. What does it taste like?”

“Jinx!”

“Okay, okay!” She finally turned her attention back to her. “Cara married a human. She met Jericho Hawk when she was stranded on earth. Fate said they fell in love when she stayed with him while trying to find her way back home. Morgana tried to kill them, but your brother stopped her.”

“Thor?”

“You have more than one brother?”

“You know I don’t,” she snapped, wanting to shake the fairy silly for drawing out her explanation.

“You have no sense of humor.” Jinx gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “Yes, it was Thor who carried them home. Cara had been made mortal, so he killed them both, making Cara Moirai when he returned her and Jericho to Fate’s castle.”

“As a god, Thor had the power to return Cara’s power, but how did he carry Jericho?”

“You want me to explain or not?” Jinx made a face at her interruption.

“Please.” Zerina went to the table, taking a piece of bacon and chewing it in enjoyment, just to irritate her.

Jinx narrowed her eyes at her. “You’re not worried that, if you eat something from earth, you won’t be able to return home?”

“That’s an old wives’ tale.” Taking another bite of bacon, she sat down at the table. “Tell me about Jericho, or I’m going to eat the waffles.”

Jinx appeared at the table, staring down at it longingly. “It’s a good thing you’re my friend, or I would put a spell on you to make those waffles go to your hips.”

When Zerina reached for the waffles, Jinx started talking again.

“Jericho is a demigod. Of course, Cara didn’t know that until Thor carried them home and Fate told her.”

Zerina wanted to cry in relief at her sister being home and finding a mate worthy of her.

“Fate also told me that Broni has been found and is living on earth with her new husband. She won’t be able to return until Mother allows her punishment to end. Seems like she’s been going back and forth in time with Chronos’ help.”

“Is she safe?”

She shrugged. “Depends on what you consider safe. I wouldn’t want to be mortal and face the challenges she has. But Broni has always enjoyed fighting battles, so I’m sure she feels right at home. I’m sure the handsome man she married is keeping her warm,” she joked.

Zerina didn’t think anything that Jinx had told her was a joking matter, but she could no longer control her emotions, knowing her sisters had been found and were safe.

“Why are you crying?” Hades materialized beside her chair.

Zerina quickly brushed her tears away, debating to tell him what Jinx had told her. When his eyes turned toward Jinx, she decided to tell him.

“Jinx just told me that Cara and Broni have been found.”

“Ah … so they are tears of happiness.”

“Yes. You could have told me if you wanted to,” she said accusingly.

Hades sat elegantly down at the table, placing a napkin neatly over his dark pants. “I would have, but I wanted to save you the heartache of searching for a way out of my domain to find Broni.”

The idea had already occurred to her, but it would be impossible without his help. Even if she found a way out of his domain, she would need to find which time period Broni was living in. Again, she would need Hades’ help if Jinx wasn’t able to create a spell to transport her to Broni.

Being mortal had its limitations; one of them being distance. If Broni was on earth, the distance might be too far to travel on foot. Jinx might be able to help on earth, but she wouldn’t be able to help her return home. Only Hades or another god could.

A thought occurred to her, one that she tried to push back, trying to block Hades from reading her mind.

When he sent her a sardonic look as he made himself a plate from the serving dishes, she knew he already had.

“You wouldn’t want me and Thor to get in a battle over you.” Hades placed a waffle on her plate, covering it with syrup, before serving himself. Waving his hand over the food that was left, it disappeared, and so did Jinx.

“Where did she go?” Zerina asked, worried about her safety.

“Eating. It was rude to eat it in front of her without letting her join us.”

“Let me go. I won’t tell Fate or Mother you kept me imprisoned.”

“You don’t really believe Mother doesn’t know where you are, do you?” Hades took a bite of his food, chewing it thoughtfully as he waited for her answer.

“She doesn’t know. Mother doesn’t have the power to see inside your castle.”

“No, but she does have the power to have seen that you were taken by Grimm, and she knows that you haven’t left.”

Zerina didn’t try to eat the food that Hades had placed before her. She had hoped Mother would intervene.

“She won’t.”

“Quit reading my mind,” she snapped. “You’re just as irritating as Jinx.” Looking up from her plate, she saw that Jinx had reappeared, her face filled with hurt. She disappeared again as Zerina glared at Hades.

“Don’t blame me. You’re the one who said it.” He finished his food without sympathy.

“She won’t come back.” She rose from the table, going to the window and giving Hades her back.

“She’ll get over it and come back. She’s used to being hurt by those she cares about.”

He made her feel even worse.

Refusing to beg him to let her leave, she then realized she just had when she had thought of it. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to block her thoughts from him.

She then felt him behind her before he touched her, taking her wrists and pulling her hands away from her hair.

“There is no way to block your thoughts from me.”

Being so close to him, and his touch on her wrists, had her biting back a moan.

Jerking away, she went to sit on her bed, then decided that was the last place she wanted to be with Hades so close. She went back to the table, placing it between them. “If you’re not going to let me go, then you can go.”

She didn’t have time to react before he transported himself to her side, jerking her to him.

The heat of his body had her nipples pebbling under her sweater as her breasts were crushed against his chest. She refused to look away from his furious expression.

“I can bring you to your knees with a single thought. Don’t tempt me to prove it to you by allowing yourself to continue your charade that I don’t affect you. I can make you do anything I want. Things your virgin body hasn’t even dreamed are possible.”

“You can force me to do many things.” She made herself stand still, ignoring the growing wetness between her thighs. “But even a god can be hurt,” she cooed, licking her bottom lip suggestively as she jerked her knee upward, forcing Hades to release her as he doubled over in pain.

She didn’t run, knowing her door was locked. Bravely, she simply waited for Hades to straighten, staring at him defiantly as he took a limping step toward her.

“You just made a mistake you’re going to regret.” With a wave of his hand, Zerina found herself being transported. She closed her eyes to combat the feeling of vertigo as his power surrounded her. When she felt ground under her once again, she opened her eyes.

Even Mother heard the screams that came from the bowels of the earth, causing the heavens to weep along with her.