Chapter 16
CHAPTER 16
H ades couldn’t ever remember having as much fun as he was showing his mate around the underworld.
“What’s that?” Frederick pointed to a large house. The house looked sad and neglected, like a forgotten old manor, all dark and depressing, the same as the area surrounding it. The grounds looked like a shop with items scattered here and there.
“That’s the house of lost and forgotten things, of lost hopes and dreams,” Hades said.
“That’s sad. Do they just stay around here forever?”
Hades nodded. “They do. It’s rare for someone to remember or find their lost hopes and dreams, or special items. The house is much bigger on the inside so it can hold everything.”
“It’s a shame there isn’t a curator of sorts to catalogue this and try and reunite them with their owners. I’m sure all some people need is the right support to find their hopes and dreams again, or indeed if they have moved on from them, put them to rest so they’re not just languishing here, alone and unloved, and the owner filled with regret.”
Hades looked at him in astonishment. “Now there’s a thought.” Hades pulled Frederick close. “You, my wonderful consort, are going to be a big help. I’d never even thought of doing something like that.” He leant forward and kissed Frederick.
They pulled back and Frederick smiled at him. “I bet you probably know the right people, demons, gods, whatever, to oversee that.”
Hades grinned. “I have some ideas. I can ask my brother for a few recommendations as well. We could even have angels and demons working together.”
Frederick laughed. “Have you been watching Good Omens?”
Hades looked confused.
“Never mind, when we have time I can show you.”
“You can. We need to go,” Hades said urgently, suddenly whisking Frederick and himself away.
They arrived in the Fortuna pack gardens and saw Blake and his friends gathered around a fallen man.
“So, what do we do?” Blake asked, pushing some of Phil’s hair off his face. “Do we just take him back to their bedroom and leave them, lying on the bed, until they die?”
“I can help them,” Hades said, walking to their side.
They turn to look at him.
“How can you help?” Ash asked him, sniffing.
Paris knelt down beside him and put his arms around his mate.
“I can take them to Elysium. Their souls are good, and they lived good and happy lives,” Hades explained. “I’m sorry to say their life threads have been cut and neither of your friends have many more breaths left in them.”
Blake wiped at his eyes. “Will you take their souls and leave their bodies? Then we can hold funerals for them.”
Hades nodded solemnly. “I will.”
Nick gave a sad laugh. “Phil was always certain the Grim Reaper would come for him when his time was up. Full on Reaper, black robe and scythe.”
“You’re right, Nick, he was,” Jason agreed softly.
“Do you want me to call Han here?” Hades asked.
“Han?” Ash repeated.
“Thanatos. He prefers to be called Han – he secretly wants to be Han Solo,” Hades said with a smile.
“Phil would have loved that,” Blake said, clearing his throat.
Suddenly a Grim Reaper was standing next to Hades, scythe held in his hand.
“Wow,” Puff croaked out from behind them. “The Grim Reaper is real?”
Han pulled his hood down and smiled at Puff. “I am,” he said, before turning back to look at the friends, the smile falling from his face. “Hades called me for your friends. I can take them safely to the underworld to rest in Elysium.”
“Do we call Nancy over to say goodbye to her parents?” Jason asked.
“I would,” Martha said, having been called over by Blake via the pack link. “She slips in to see them all the time. If she doesn’t say goodbye, she might not believe they’ve died. She’s strong. If we explain everything she’ll understand. What I don’t understand is how Phil is outside.”
“We’ll explain everything later, Mum,” Blake said. “Can one of you zap Phil back to his room, so he and Clara can take their final breath together?” He looked at Han. “Is that okay with you?”
Han nodded. “It is.” And just that quickly, Phil vanished.
“No, Daddy,” Nancy shouted from Demi’s arms, tears streaming down her face.
Demi carried her over and put her down.
She ran to Blake. “Uncle Blake, where did my dad go?”
Blake pulled Nancy close. “Sweetie, your dad is back upstairs with your mum.”
“He was awake, he woke up.”
“Not really, Nance. Your father was infected with dark magic. Ares got the magic out of him, which is why he fell unconscious again.” Blake took a breath.
“Nance,” Nick said, touching her shoulder. “Your mum and dad are dying. That man in black right there is here to help your parents’ souls go and rest in peace.”
Nancy sniffed. “Is it because of what Alpha Tom did to them?”
“Yeah, sweetie,” Blake replied. “We’re going to go and say goodbye to them. Do you want to come with us?”
Nancy nodded. “Please.”
“Good girl,” Blake said, standing up and taking her hand.
“Blake, all of you, take all the time you need. Tudor and I will look after everything for you,” Puff managed to croak out.
“I’ll prepare food for you in the formal dining room, so you can all grieve together,” Oz said.
“Thanks, Oz, Puff, Tudor,” Blake said.
“Alpha, the time is near,” Han said gently.
Blake nodded. “Thank you. Do you want to come with us?”
“I will,” he replied and followed the group of friends, their mates, Martha, and Nancy into the house.
They saw Ajax rushing over to them. “Blake called me.”
“You’re no longer needed, Ajax. Clara and Phil are about to die, they have all gone to say their goodbyes,” Frederick told him.
“I wish there was something we could do,” Tudor said, for once stopping at that.
“There is,” Frederick added. “We make sure things run smoothly until they are able to return to work.”
“Phil has been friends with them since they were little, and Clara when she met Phil,” Hades said. “To lose both of them at the same time will be heart-breaking for them.”
“I hope Alpha Tom burns in the darkest pits of Tartarus,” Puff croaked out.
“He is, Puff, don’t worry about that. He will suffer an eternity of pain and misery and burn until he’s on the cusp of fading out of existence. He’ll then be healed so his punishment can start over again. That’s his punishment everyday from now until the end of time,” Hades told him.
“Good,” pretty much all of them replied.