“But didn’t you say that she lives in the Underworld?” Brennan asked hesitantly. “We’re not dead. How would we go about getting there?”
“You could do it the old fashioned way,” Gaia suggested with a shrug.
“You mean the dead way,” I clarified. Gaia smiled as she nodded.
“It’s not so bad,” she answered. “You’d never age.”
“I never age as it is,” I replied wryly. “I’ll think we’ll go in another direction. Hades took me with him awhile ago. We went straight to the Underworld. We were able to bypass the ferryman, the gates, the Judgment room, everything. I’ll just summon Hades.”
I shrugged like it was no big deal, like interacting with the god of the Underworld was a normal, everyday thing. Like he didn’t want to keep my soul in the Underworld with him forever, like he wasn’t sexy as hell and almost impossible to resist.
I sighed. If you were going to live, you might as well live dangerously.
Chapter Sixteen
“I knew you’d come to me sooner or later, little kitten,” Hades purred smoothly. He stood proudly in my dream, looking exactly like a rock star. He wore an unbuttoned white silk that flowed around his wrists, black leather pants and a black cloak that seemed to swirl around him even though there was no breeze.
“Don’t misinterpret,” I warned him, circling him cautiously.
Even while I was dream-walking, I didn’t want to turn my back to him. It just didn’t seem wise. He smiled as he realized what I was doing. His teeth were brilliantly white in contrast to his olive skin.
“I simply need access to the Underworld. I’m not here for you.”
“You certainly know how to sweet talk someone,” Hades replied glibly, before his handsome features hardened slightly. “Why should I help you? What could I possibly have to gain?”
“Mormo,” I uttered softly, watching Hades face. “Mormo has eluded you for years. How do you think that looks to the outside world? The god of the Underworld has been outmaneuvered.”
Hades’ face clouded over for a scant second before he recovered and I felt a small bit of satisfaction. It had been a calculated gamble, but I had been right. It did bother Hades that Mormo had always been one step ahead of him.
“Do you think that I haven’t allowed Mormo’s freedom?” Hades asked smoothly. “At any given time, I could have located him and brought him to me in manacles and chains. But I did not. Why? Because you have never upheld your side of the bargain and appeared in front of me.”
“Why should I have had to?” I asked gently. “I never did anything wrong. Mormo is the one who sacrificed me. I never gave my permission.”
“I didn’t need your permission,” Hades replied grittily, although a fleeting expression of something… remorse?... passed over his face. “I’m the god of the Underworld and I do what is best for my kingdom. I’m sorry, little Empusa, but you would have been better for my kingdom than Mormo’s black soul.”
“But that’s neither here nor there,” I answered thickly, trying not to allow emotions to well up and make me cry. “You gave your word in front of every Olympian. You have to uphold it now.”
Hades shook his head impatiently. “We’ve been through this. I am perfectly willing to do so, but there is that tiny complication with your Moonstone and your life. I assume you want to live so the Moonstone cannot be destroyed and that is my one condition for reversing Mormo’s curse. I’m sorry, Empusa. Surely you can understand my position. We’re at a stalemate.”
“I’m not here to beg you for leniency,” I snapped. “I’m not here to discuss that situation at all, actually. I’m here to ask for your help.”
He looked amused.
“My help? Pray tell, how can I be of service to you?” he asked sardonically and I saw a brief glimpse of impatience. He masked it quickly, though. He was very accustomed to being charming and smooth no matter the circumstance.
“I need to enter your kingdom,” I said simply. “I only wish to speak to Harmonia and since she cannot leave but to visit her parents in the Spiritlands, I wish to go to her.”
“And you don’t wish to meet her in the Spiritlands. Hmm. I wonder why? Could it be that you do not trust my brother, Zeus?” Hades pondered, his brow wrinkled just slightly as he thought. “It is wise to tread lightly around him,” he added in approval. “I can understand why you don’t wish to travel there.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust Zeus, per se,” I replied carefully. “It is just that I know that my existence is a small thing to him. I’m not sure if he still holds a grudge against my mother for helping the Fates… and you… and I don’t wish to appear in front of him until I hear that all is well on that front.”
“That is fairly wise, little kitten,” Hades answered approvingly. “Fine. I will help you. I’ll accompany you to the Underworld so that you can meet with Harmonia. What is it that you wish to see her about, anyway?”
“That’s not really your concern, is it?” I snapped, then thought the better of it. “I mean, she and I went through a similar trauma. I was trapped in the Underworld and so was her daughter. I’d like to discuss it with her.”
Hades stared at me thoughtfully and I knew that he was rifling through my thoughts. I tried my best to block them, simply because I didn’t like the idea that he was in my head. His lips twitched as he read that thought, but he concealed his smile.
“Alright, Empusa,” he said softly, placing his hand on my shoulder. His touch was appealing, but I ignored it as best I could. “We’ll do it your way. I don’t really need to know your purpose in seeing Harmonia. It’s of little consequence to me.”