32. Tacita
Tacita
I’d wanted to take my knife and plunge it in the other side of that bastard's neck. Just seeing Cameron again has Milo terrified and it takes several minutes for him to calm down once Garrick leaves with Cameron in tow. Even though Garrick had warned us, Milo was trembling as soon as we’d entered the courtyard.
What I wouldn’t give to have more time with that bastard. Maybe I’ll convince Garrick to let me have regular torture sessions with him once the games are over. It could be a fun activity we do together. A weekly date night.
As I try to soothe Milo, I also survey the crowd in front of us. Noting each of the contestants' reactions. With Cameron’s last statement hanging over us, I’m instantly back on edge.
This isn’t over.
And whilst the pool of players is significantly smaller now, we haven’t had a single lead on any of them. Everyone has been a suspect for one reason or another, but it was only with the murders that we managed to shrink that list down.
Whoever the other spy is, they’re playing it smarter.
Seffy and Rio make their way over to us and start speculating with Wyatt, as I continue looking for anyone acting suspicious. Cameron basically outed them so they must be feeling edgy. A couple of contestants aren’t gossiping like the rest, I mentally log their numbers to look into later.
“Will you try and catch them?” Seffy asks me quietly.
Her and Rio also know my true identity now, to some extent. After they saw me fly Milo out of the forest the other night, I had to tell them something, and give them enough to stay quiet.
They know I’m a demon, that I work for Hades. They don’t know about the Death Bringer. Although, maybe they’ll put it together now it seems I’m going to have to don that role once more within these games to help figure out who else is here as a spy.
“Yes,” I answer Seffy.
Garrick returns through the portal, and as he seals it, Hades calls for silence once more. Khaos joins him this time and I hook a questioning brow as our eyes meet.
He simply smirks in return, which is never reassuring, and reaches into the satchel he has strapped across his body. He pulls out a little clear vial, my confusion only growing as to what he’s about to do.
“With that horrid business taken care of, we can move on to the real reason I was meant to be here today,” Hades calls across the crowd.
There’s an air of excitement, and trepidation, amongst the guards standing around the edges of the group. They clearly know what’s going on. Why don’t I?
“It has been decided that for the third and final round we are going to temporarily awaken your demonic sides.”
My stomach dips. What?
The contestants don’t normally receive their powers until they pass all three games. I immediately seek Garrick’s gaze as I shoot him a why the fuck didn’t you tell me this look which I hope portrays my annoyance.
He clearly gets the message and has to cover his mouth with his hand, pretending to rub his stubbled jaw, to hide his laughter at my outrage.
Fucking bastard.
“My husband has been working on this for a while. Each of you will drink a potion that will grant you temporary powers. You will need to drink it each day to maintain the magic and continue accessing your supernatural abilities.”
An excited hum spreads throughout the humans. Giving them powers means they’ll be able to defend themselves better should the Angels attack. But it’ll also make whoever is the traitor amongst them stronger.
Or maybe their body won’t be able to handle the opposing sets of magic… My brain shuttles through what I know of our magic versus that of the Angels. The Dark Angels started out in heaven after all. They all say the magic changes as they make the fall, their powers feel different afterwards.
The Angels can wield the elements, where we can’t. Some of the Dark Angels can wield lightning, or shadows, but they lose their elemental magic. Demons have heightened senses, the variety in species, and the greater ability with potions and healing that the Angels have never mastered.
If the spy has been imbued with some sort of telekinesis, it may not mix well with whatever magic Khaos is about to use on them.
I guess we’re about to find out.
Hades steps aside to let Khaos take over, although he doesn’t go far. Whilst Khaos is very much capable at handling himself, Hades is a possessive asshole, and rightly so. The easiest way to bring him down would be to threaten the love of his life.
Khaos is quick to command us all, barking orders and demanding those closest to the stage go up and collect their potions.
There’s a buzz of energy as vials start being handed out. The guards start directing the crowd, and forming a route across the stage so those who have theirs are corralled on the other side. From my position, I watch as a few inspect the liquid before sipping it. A couple down it like a shot.
“Oh fuck yes!” Wyatt bounces on his feet as our little group shuffles forwards. “This is going to be epic!”
“Do you think we’ll be able to shift?” Rio asks, his excitement equally infectious.
“If you’re meant to be a shifter, I’m sure it’ll awaken that side of you,” I tell him. I’ve been to many of the awakening ceremonies and it’s always a laugh seeing the new demons take their animal forms for the first time. Some of them don’t naturally take to four legs right away.
“I don’t want to shift. They won’t force us, will they?” Seffy wrings her hands.
Milo looks equally concerned as we move forward again.
“How could you not want to turn into a predator?” Wyatt looks genuinely perplexed.
“If deep down you really don’t want to be a shifter, I think it’s unlikely that you will be one,” I tell her reassuringly. “Your demonic side normally reflects your personality.”
“Are you about to be doubly badass?” Wyatt drops his voice to ask me.
I have to laugh. “No, the potion won’t do anything to me.”
Although, I sober quickly as I wouldn’t put it past Khaos to slip me something–the lust potion from last year flitting through my mind.
“But you can’t shift to your demonic form.
Everyone will know you were born and not awakened like us.
” My heart does a weird little skip and heats my chest at him reminding me of a fact I am very much aware of.
He’s looking out for me and that isn’t something I’ve had before, except for my parents, and maybe Hades and Khaos.
“I’ll just pretend to be a witch,” I tell him, as I step into his body so I can inhale his scent, needing some contact. “They don’t shift.”
As soon as it’s our turn, Khaos takes far too much delight in shaking Wyatt’s hand. “Thirty-Nine, I’ve heard so much about you.” His grin nearly has me growling.
“You have?” I say through gritted teeth at the same time Wyatt lights up in delight.
He doesn’t elaborate, simply handing Wyatt his vial, “I think you’ll enjoy this.”
Wyatt doesn’t hesitate in uncorking the tiny bottle and downing the clear liquid, right there on the stage.
“He’s eager. I like him already,” Khaos says to me.
Lowering the empty bottle, Wyatt shrugs. “What?”
Khaos chuckles, before talking as if I’ve disappeared. “You’ll keep her on her toes. That’ll be good for her.”
He pays equal attention to Milo, who shrinks under the attention. “You are the biggest surprise.”
Milo looks to me, seeing as Wyatt has been moved off the stage, and I stare Khaos down, daring him to say another word. Thankfully, he gets the message and quickly hands the vials out to the rest of our group, selecting each one from his bag carefully.
When he gets to me, the little glass bottle looks the same as everyone else’s but I see the glint in his eyes.
I eye it sceptically, lifting it to the light.
“Just drink it,” Khaos says, not reassuring me in the slightest.
Moving away from him, so the final contestants can get their potions, I walk across the stage. But instead of exiting via the steps, I move towards Hades.
“If your husband gives me four legs or fur right now, I will kill him,” I tell him flatly and hold up the vial I’ve just been given.
Hades takes a breath, and I see him eye the onlookers that are no doubt watching our interaction. No one else has dared approach the Lord of the Underworld as they’ve moved across the stage.
“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” his lips barely move as he replies, so that no one picks up on our conversation.
“How sure?” I have to forcibly stop my eyes from rolling, because we both know Khaos is as much his nature as his name. I push the bottle towards him.
Hades’s hand wraps around it, and he inspects the contents. He doesn’t show any reaction but I see a dark flash of his power as he drains something from the potion inside the clear glass bottle.
Handing it back to me he shoots his husband a smouldering look, shaking his head.
“Spoilsport,” Khaos mouths, to which of us I’m not sure but I give him the middle finger as I leap off the stage.
I drink the cool liquid as I rejoin the others.
“Did you really just walk up to Hades and talk to him?” Seffy’s eyes are wide as saucers.
“Yeah…” I elongate the word, not seeing the big deal. Especially as she knows the truth.
“He’s the most powerful being to ever have existed.” She sounds awed as she takes a sly look at the Lord’s back.
“Yeah, even the guards seem nervous around him. Well, most of them,” Rio adds.
“So? He has a lot of magic but he’s a good guy, he really cares about the realm and the people in it.” Not that I’d remind him too often of how much I admire him. He knows I wouldn’t work for anyone with less than the high standards he strives for.
“I’ve been reading up on his accession,” Seffy says.
“Really?” So far, that hasn’t been part of our curriculum.
“Yeah, the way he completely restructured the realm is fascinating. He totally deconstructed the distribution of wealth. He seems to really care about equal opportunity and playing to people’s strengths. Not what you’d expect from Hell.”
“It’s far from perfect,” I tell her honestly.