Hades (16 page)

Someone knocked on the door, and then Lilliana’s voice filtered through the thick wood. “Cat? Are you awake?”

Cat groaned. “No.”

Lilliana’s soft chuckle drifted into the room. “Azagoth wants to see you in his library.”

A cold fist of
oh shit
squeezed her heart, and so much for her libido. It was more dead than Hades had been yesterday.

“I’ll be right there,” she called out.

It took her less than five minutes to dress in a pair of cut-off shorts and a tank top––she wanted as much skin exposed as possible in hopes that she could sense Azagoth’s level of anger in the form of evil. Not that knowing would help her any, but it could at least mentally prepare her for disintegration or something.

Gut churning, she hurried to his library, finding it empty. She took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs, and just as she settled in, Azagoth entered.

She trembled uncontrollably as he took a seat. “Hades told me what happened,” he said, getting right to it. “I know that letting the unauthorized souls into the Inner Sanctum was an accident. What I don’t know is why you didn’t tell me when it first happened. We could have prevented all of this.”

“I know,” she whispered. She tucked her hands between her knees as if that would stop them from shaking. It didn’t. “I should have. But I was afraid. I thought I could fix it on my own, but then I got trapped and couldn’t get back...it was all a big mistake.”

One dark eyebrow shot up. “A
mistake?
It was a colossal fuckup that could have caused destruction on a global scale. And after the recent near-Apocalypse, having millions of demonic spirits loose in the human world would have damned near started another one.”

Her eyes burned, and shame in the form of tears ran down her cheeks. “Are you going to kill me?” Or worse, give her a place of honor in his Hall of Souls, where she’d scream forever inside a frozen body. She wasn’t going to ask about that, though. No sense in giving him any ideas.

Azagoth gaped. “Kill you? Why would you think I’d kill you?”

Was he kidding? “You’re sort of known for not giving second chances. And for disintegrating people who piss you off.”

He appeared to consider that. Finally, he nodded. “True. I’ve never denied that I’m a monster.” He jammed a hand through his ebony hair and sat back in the chair, his emerald eyes unreadable as he took her in. “You’re a terrible housekeeper, Cat. You’re always breaking and misplacing things, and I doubt you even know what a vacuum cleaner is––”

“I’ll do better,” she swore. “I’ll try harder and work longer hours. Please don’t––”

“Let me finish,” he broke in. “Like I said, you’re a terrible housekeeper. But you’re an excellent cook. Zhubaal and Lilliana have watched you with the Unfallen, and they both agree that you’re also a great teacher. You’re eager and enthusiastic, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone try as hard as you do to get things right. It’s that quality that led you to fix the mistake you made by letting the human into the Inner Sanctum. I admire your determination, and I like having you around. So no, I won’t kill you. Besides,” he muttered, “Lilliana would mount my head on a pike if I did that.”

Cat sat, stunned. He admired her? Liked having her around? Even more unbelievable, the Grim Reaper was
afraid
of Lilliana. “I––I don’t understand. What are you going to do to me?”

“Nothing. I think you’ve punished yourself far more than I ever could.” He smiled, barely, but for him, that was huge. “I can hire someone else to clean if you’d rather do other work in Sheoul-gra. Just let Lilliana know, and she’ll arrange it.”

Relief flooded her in such a powerful wave that she nearly fell out of her chair. She could barely function as Azagoth came to his feet in a smooth surge. “I’m glad you’re back, Cataclysm. Lilliana was inconsolable.”

Inconsolable? Warmth joined the flood of relief. Lilliana truly cared about her. Oh, Cat had had friends in Heaven, but no one had worried about her. Okay, sure, they didn’t worry because Heaven was a pretty safe place, but even when she’d gone to work with Gethel, no one had expressed concern. When she’d been found guilty of colluding with a traitor in order to start the Apocalypse, her friends and family had been sad, angry, and embarrassed, but to say that they’d been distraught or inconsolable would be a huge overstatement.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “But before you go, can I ask you something?”

He gave a clipped nod. “Ask.”

She cleared her throat, more to buy a little time than to get the sappy emotion out of her voice. “I want something from you.” Azagoth cocked a dark eyebrow, and she revised her statement. “I mean, I would like something from you.”

“And what’s that?”

“Let Hades have some furniture.”

Clearly, Azagoth hadn’t expected that because the other eyebrow joined the first. “Furniture?”

“He’s been sleeping on a hard-ass slab of stone and using scraps of who knows what for other furniture. He made his own playing cards from bits of wood.”

“So?”

She shoved to her feet, ready to go toe-to-toe with him over this. Hades deserved as much. “Don’t you think he’s been punished enough?”

“You know what he did, yes? You know he slaughtered my son?”

“I’m aware,” she said gently...but firmly. “I know that must be painful for you. But I’m also aware that he’s been paying for that for thousands of years.”

Crossing his arms over his broad chest, Azagoth studied her. His green eyes burned right through her, and she wondered what he was searching for. “He wouldn’t ask for these things. So why are you?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Is that all?” he asked, and her stomach dropped to her feet.
He knew
.

“I care for him,” she admitted. “And he deserves better––”

“Than how I’m treating him?”

Oh, hell, no, she wasn’t falling into
that
trap. “Better than how he currently lives.”

When Azagoth smiled, she let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Fine. He can have whatever he wants for his home.”

She almost pointed out that his home was a damned crypt, but she figured that would be pushing it. So for today, she accepted the victory.

But she wasn’t done. Hades had fought for her, and now it was time for her to do the same for him.

First, though, she had someone to see.

Chapter Seventeen

“Can I talk to you?”

Cat stood in the doorway of Zhubaal’s office in the Unfallen dorms, her stomach churning a little. She really didn’t want to be having this conversation, but curiosity had always been her downfall. Like a real cat.

Zhubaal had been gazing out the window at the courtyard below where several Unfallen were playing a game of volleyball, but now he turned to her, his handsome face a mask of indifference. “About what?”

“I want to know why, ah...” Man, this was awkward. “That day, in your chambers...”

Leaning against the windowsill, he crossed his booted feet at the ankles and hooked his thumbs in his jeans’ pockets. “You want to know why I refused sex with you.”

Her cheeks heated. That had been a seriously humiliating thing. “Yes. Did I do something wrong?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong. I had my reasons.”

She probably shouldn’t ask, but... “Can you tell me those reasons?”

He stood there for a long time, his expression stony, his mouth little more than a grim slash. Finally, when it became clear that he wasn’t going to say anything, she shook her head and started to turn away.

“It’s okay,” she said. “I had no right to ask.”

She headed down the hall, made it about ten steps when he said, “I’m waiting for someone.”

Oh. She pivoted around to him as he stood just outside his office door. “Someone you know? You have a lover? A mate?”

He averted his gaze, and she realized that in all the months she’d known him, this was the first time he’d shown any vulnerability. “Not exactly.”

Not wanting to ruin the moment, she took a few slow, careful steps toward him, approaching the way she might a feral dog. “Did...did Azagoth warn you to stay away from me?”

“No.”

That seemed strange, given that he’d read Hades the riot act. “Why not?”

Gaze still locked on the floor, he replied, “Because he knows about my vow.”

“What vow?”

“That,” he said, his head snapping up, “is none of your business.

Touchy. But now she was curious. What kind of vow? She recalled his interactions with the resident Unfallen and all the visitors to the realm and realized that she’d never once seen Zhubaal with a female.

“Are you gay?”

He snorted. “Hardly.”

Come to think of it, she’d never seen him with a male, either. So what was his deal? He was waiting for someone...someone specific? Was his vow––

She inhaled sharply. “You...you’re a virgin, aren’t you? You rejected me out of honor.”

His gaze narrowed, and his lips twisted into a nasty sneer. “Do not confuse my lack of sexual experience with innocence or kindness, and especially not honor. Not when you tried to use me to rid yourself of your own virginity.”

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I’ll just go now. But Zhubaal...I hope you find whoever it is you’re waiting for.”

As she hurried away, she swore she heard a soft, “I hope so, too.”

* * * *

Zhubaal watched Cat disappear around a corner, his heart heavy, his body numb. She had been his single moment of weakness, the only one in nearly a century.

It had been ninety-eight years since his beloved angel, Laura, had been cast out of Heaven. Ninety-eight years of searching for her in Sheoul and getting his own Heavenly boot in the ass in the process.

Cat had come to him in a moment of weakness, on a day when he’d despaired that he’d never find Laura. But even as he’d kissed Cat, touched her, started to undress her, Laura had filled his thoughts.

As young angels, he and Laura had made a blood-pact to be each other’s firsts, and he’d kept that vow, even after she lost her wings. He’d searched for her, eventually losing his own wings, but still, he remained faithful. And then, even after he discovered that she’d been slaughtered by an angel, he’d held onto that pact like a toddler with his comfy blankie. After all, her soul had been sent to Sheoul-gra, and he’d figured he could find her there, even if he had to get himself killed to do it.

At least they’d have been together in the Inner Sanctum.

But fate had intervened in the form of Azagoth, who had needed a new assistant, which gave Zhubaal access to privileged information about the residents of the Inner Sanctum.

Then fate threw him a curve ball.

He was too late.

Laura had, indeed, been a resident of the Inner Sanctum’s 1st Ring. Until Azagoth reincarnated her thirty years ago.

Pain stabbed Zhubaal in the chest. His Laura was out there somewhere. She was a different person with a different name, but she was still his, and he wouldn’t break his vow until he found her.

Unfortunately, he was now bound to Azagoth with a vow just as binding as the one he’d made with Laura. He could leave Sheoul-gra, but only for a few hours at a time, which made searching for Laura––or whatever name she went by now–– next to impossible. Especially since Azagoth refused to give any specifics regarding her status, her parents, or even her species.

As a fallen angel, she should have been born only to a fallen angel to become either
emim
or
vyrm
, but Z had learned long ago that there were very few rules that couldn’t be broken. For all he knew, his Laura could be feeding on offal and lurking in garbage piles as a Slogthu demon.

The big question was whether or not he’d recognize her. Surely their bond had been strong enough that he could see his Laura in whoever she’d become. And if she’d had the rare good luck of retaining her soul-memory, she could remember bits of her previous life. If so,
she
might even be searching for
him
.

Sighing, he went back inside his office, but he didn’t feel like working anymore. He wanted to be out in the world, scouring the realms for Laura. He was a fool and he knew it, but dammit, he’d made a vow, and even if he couldn’t have the angel he’d fallen in love with, he wasn’t going to break the pact with someone he didn’t love. He’d hurt Cat, and he felt a little bad about that, but he hadn’t loved her. Cat deserved better. Laura deserved better.

He wasn’t sure what he deserved, but he knew what he wanted.

He was just losing faith that he’d ever get it.

Chapter Eighteen

Cat spent the next two days plotting ways to convince Azagoth to lighten up on Hades. Lilliana had volunteered to help, and Cat gladly took her up on her offer. The trick, Lilliana said, would be to make him think it was his idea. As Cat had suspected, he could be incredibly thick-skulled when it came to certain things, like offering second chances.

She opened the door to her apartment, intent on paying Lilliana a visit. But instead of facing an empty hall, she found herself standing mere inches away from Hades. Heart pounding with surprise and excitement, she stared.

“Hades,” she gasped. God, he looked good, so good he stole her breath. Wearing nothing but form-fitting, color-shifting pants and black boots, he filled the doorway, his massive shoulders nearly touching the doorframe. “What are you doing here? You’ll get in trouble––”

He was on her in an instant. His mouth came down on hers as he swept her into his arms, crushing her against him. His hand came up to tangle in her hair, holding her in place for the erotic assault. Forbidden, shivery excitement shot through her, and her core went molten.

“I don’t care,” he said against her lips. “I need you. I
burn
for you.”

She moaned, her heart soaring at his words as he pushed her toward the bed. But as her knees hit the mattress and they both fell onto the soft covers, she wedged her hands between them and pushed him off.