Chapter 30 Garrick
Garrick
The podium built in the courtyard displays the carcass of number Sixty-Two. Cameron is splayed on a cross, the grey-blue tint of his skin marred with several open wounds. Including the one my beautiful goddess left in his neck.
The Angels’ spy would’ve already been shipped to Tartarus if I’d had my way but Hades had insisted on making an example of him. And so he’d resided in the cells until the second game was over.
Only thirty-two players remain, including Tacita. Between the killings and the second round, the numbers of residents in the compound seems sparse compared to just a few weeks ago.
Today was Hades’s address ahead of the third round. And perhaps the start of the true chaos. Hades, Khaos, and I had this planned from the beginning, but I hadn’t yet told Tacita to the alteration I’d made to the games.
“Are we ready?” I ask Tarron as I move over to the platform.
“Yes, are you?” Tarron chuckles, knowing that whilst I am behind this twist, I have not exactly been looking forward to it.
“Let’s just hope there’s not many shifters amongst them.” I groan.
“Shall we round them up?” Teddy bounds up and looks between us.
The contestants are all in the cafeteria, eating breakfast and unaware of the macabre display we’ve set up for them, well most of them. I have warned Tacita and her boyfriends about the body we’re about to make a spectacle of. She will just be surprised by the second half of the proceedings.
“Yes, thank you Teddy. Go and fetch them,” I order and he scampers off.
“He’s doing well,” Tarron says, and I find myself nodding.
I’m still thinking about how I can reward the team working the games this year when contestants start filing out of the main building. Conversations cease as they notice the dead body behind me on the raised stage, and quickly erupt once more as they recognise it to be one of them.
Tacita and Wyatt are amongst the last to join the group, standing at the back with Milo between them.
The smaller framed male leans against Wyatt’s chest but his fingers are entwined with my Goddess’s.
I long to go to her. It’s only been a couple of days since Milo left the infirmary but I have been too busy to spend any time with Tacita.
And with no fresh murders the Death Bringer has had no need to be around the compound either.
We managed a quick and desperate kiss after one of her classes yesterday but that has been it and I am burning to touch her again.
Her hair is down today, those vibrant colours blowing in the gentle breeze we’ve been blessed with. I want to run my fingers through it before wrapping it around my fist and fucking her senseless.
Tarron pokes my side to break me out of my fantasies and my senses come back to me to find smoke dissipating off the stage, Hades and Khaos now standing in the centre, Hades already addressing the gathered crowd.
“Today marks a celebration. All of you, well done on making it this far.” Hades walks the length of the stage as he talks. Khaos moves to one side to give his husband room. He ducks down to sit on the wooden platform, his legs swinging beside me.
“Are you lot ready?” he asks, grinning like a Cheshire cat, radiating an air of delight that has nerves striking the walls of my stomach. “This morning should be such fun.”
“We are prepared,” I tell him. “Are you able to stay on to help any witches amongst them?”
I have rearranged the staff duties yet again to make sure we have at least one of each supernatural breed free for tutoring for the next couple of days.
“Indeed, I cannot wait.” Khaos beams at me. “I’ve never taught before, but I think it’s something I’ll be good at.”
“Before we get to the next game, however,” Hades continues above us.
“I wanted to provide a little reminder to anyone who thinks they can cross me and get away with it. I am sure you’ve all recognised who is on this stage with me.
Number Sixty-Two, it has come to light, has been working as a double agent.
He has been feeding information to the Angels in the Heaven realm for the purpose of destroying us all. ”
A few gasps can be heard across the gathered crowd. But it is the anger emanating off the two assassins at the back, and the way they close together that I pay attention to.
“How?” number Eighty-Six calls.
“Why don’t I let him tell you himself?” Hades gestures at the corpse and with a pull on his power, Sixty-Two gasps, his body coming to life with the magic Hades flows into it.
“What the fuck is going on?” Cameron rasps. The knife Tacita used on him has affected his vocal cords, but he just about manages to talk.
“We’ve given you one final audience,” Hades answers him, acting as though the two of them are merely conversing casually in a bar.
“I have nothing left to say.” Cameron spits at Hades’s feet.
A second later he is engulfed in flames.
“How dare you disrespect me!” Hades reprimands him as Cameron starts screaming in burning pain.
“Oo, I love when he lets his passionate side out,” Khaos croons in my ears. I shoot Tarron a look, our eyes sharing the same slight fear at our Lord’s wrath.
Sixty-Two wails like a banshee until Hades pulls the flames away, vanishing them as quickly as they erupted.
“You think you can break me? It must drive you mad to know I will not betray those that recruited me,” he pants.
“We do not need any more information from you, Sixty-Two. You have said enough. This was merely to demonstrate what happens to those who betray me, betray this realm and seek to harm those in it.” Hades speaks to Cameron but also addresses the rest of them.
“Then get on with my punishment,” Cameron pushes.
“Fine,” Hades snaps. “Sixty-Two, you will be sentenced to spend the rest of eternity in Tartarus.”
Hades opens a portal beside Cameron, and I take my cue. Stepping up onto the stage I walk over to where the traitor is nailed to his post. With little care I rip the binding nails from his skin as he whimpers and drops to the ground. His body might be reanimated but it does not hold any strength.
Hoisting him up, I begin dragging him towards the portal that will deposit him at the processing centre at the entrance of my domain.
Through pained cries, Cameron does manage one last shout to the crowd below. “Just to let you all know, I am the insurance policy.”
I pause my movement as his words make impact.
“What do you mean?” Hades asks, voice a deathly level tone.
“I may have killed far more than the recruit they put in place before me, but I am not the main contact they have. Be warned Hades. They come, and they will conquer!”
Hades points at the portal and I move swiftly, carrying Sixty-Two through to his new residence where I shall take great pleasure in overseeing the pain he’ll endure for the rest of time.