Chapter 8
Hades
Human Realm
“Orcus.” It’s my fifth attempt at grabbing my brother’s attention. And like the other four times, he ignores me, too lost to his mind to hear me.
Given how I initially responded to his words, I understand.
Because my instinct was to check on Serapina, to ensure I still felt her.
Which required me to go deep inside my soul to locate our link.
Feeling it thrive allowed me to breathe.
And sensing she was still safe inside my maze granted me the ability to focus.
At least until I experienced her pleasure.
It was like a blazing sun that nearly yanked me back to the labyrinth, her ecstasy a call to my Alpha instincts.
But my brother’s rigid stance and glowing red eyes forced me to remain on this jagged cliff.
It’s been… a while since the macabre scene vanished around us. Thus, I’ve had time to analyze everything in sight, all while Orcus remained utterly still.
What I can’t determine is how a mirage lured my brother here or why the creator of that image would choose this location.
There are numerous Alphas capable of such tricks, Morpheus being one of the best. He’s an obvious suspect, given that we were just with him.
But Morpheus isn’t cruel.
He might think little of my intentions with Serapina, but he wouldn’t drag Orcus into our personal battle.
Though, Morpheus would attempt to distract me if he felt I was a danger to our mate. The notion has me checking on Serapina again, only to feel another blast of energy flood our soul bond.
Energy underlined in a completed mating link.
To Maliki.
“Fuck,” I breathe, my palm pressing into my chest as pain lances through my heart. It’s not… it’s not unpleasant. Just… unexpected.
Born from not being there to witness their connection.
Underscored by the very real likelihood that Maliki and Serapina probably didn’t want me to be part of their union.
None of my mate-circle members trust me, and being away from them isn’t helping matters.
I thought obtaining answers would prove my objective, but all I’ve done thus far is disappear. If I could return to Pandora’s Box to finish what I started, I would. However, I can’t leave Orcus in this state. He’s unprotected. Unaware. Hurt.
I… I also need to know what’s happened. Because while Alina and Serapina may not be related by blood, they’re still sisters of the heart. A fact I haven’t acknowledged as well as I should have, perhaps. But I’m recognizing it now.
If Serapina learns that her sister went missing and I did nothing to help find her, she may never forgive me. And I really don’t need to add to my list of mistakes.
Right. So why here? I think again, scanning the Italian coastline. And who sent—
Orcus snaps from his daze with a growl and grabs my arm, much like he did in Pandora’s Box. Except, rather than utter his mate’s name, he simply mists us once more.
My jaw ticks, my inner Alpha not appreciating the manhandling from my brother. But as the familiar Gothic corridor of my palace is revealed around us, I find my lips curling downward instead.
“Took you long enough,” a familiar voice drawls.
My brow furrows as I find Reaper casually leaning against a column etched into the hallway wall, utterly unperturbed by the skull adornment mere inches from his head. Given his Death Fae roots, I suppose that’s to be expected.
What isn’t expected, however, is his nonchalant presence. “What the fuck is going on?” I demand.
“I would like to know the same,” Orcus says.
Reaper frowns at my brother. “You said to meet here if we ever lost contact.” He glances at me.
“Did he suffer a blow to the head? Lose balance in the sky and hit a tree?” He brightens like he’s just found a new favorite weapon.
“Oh, no, please tell me you punched him.” His focus flies back to Orcus. “And you punched him back?”
“No one has punched anyone,” I interject. “Not today, at least.” I shake my head. “What are we doing here?” I look at my brother. “And why did you tell me you couldn’t feel your mates?”
“Because I can’t,” he says through his teeth. “Returning here was our backup plan should we become separated.”
“Ah, so you do remember the emergency procedures. Maybe—”
“Why can’t I feel you?” Orcus interrupts, cutting off Reaper’s words.
“Well, I’m not a genius, but I imagine it’s because we’re not actively touching,” Reaper drawls.
Which causes my brother to growl, “Where is Alina?”
“I’m here, Alpha,” Alina says, her voice soft yet carrying down the hall.
Orcus takes one look at her and mists to her side, his hands on her face as he pulls her into his much larger form, his wings folding around her to shield her from view.
The pair of them engage in whispers that I purposely try not to hear, my attention returning to Reaper.
“An Alpha losing touch with his circle isn’t a joking matter. ”
The Death Fae’s expression doesn’t change.
No remorse.
No guilt.
Not even a hint of fear or resignation.
Just a slightly unhinged look in his silver-blue eyes that never quite leaves.
“There are a lot of rules when referring to Alphas and mate-circles, Hades,” he says, his tone uncharacteristically serious and at odds with his insouciant behavior. “Forgive me if I don’t look to you for examples of what to do and what not to do.”
With that, he disappears into a cloud of smoke that dissipates into the walls.
My jaw ticks.
He acts inappropriately in response to Orcus’s valid concerns, yet I’m the one who ends up reprimanded.
“You know, I’ve always liked Reaper,” Morpheus says, appearing beside me. “He’s a wise Death Fae.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “If you’re here to chastise me for leaving Pandora’s Box, save it.” I look at the God of Dreams. “But please tell me you were able to talk to Demeter.”
“Sadly, I was not,” he replies, his vibrant gaze on Orcus down the hall. “And now I need to speak to your brother about it.”
“My brother?” I echo as a question. “Why?”
He lifts a shoulder. “Follow me and find out.”
“Morpheus,” I begin.
But he’s already walking away from me and toward my brother, who is still in full Alpha form with his wings curled around Alina.
“I’m not sure what caused you both to leave without an explanation or why it brought you here. I’m just glad it didn’t take me long to find you, because I have questions.” Morpheus’s voice carries down the hall, ensuring my brother hears him.
“I wouldn’t—” I start, trying to warn my cousin not to interrupt.
But he talks right over me.
“Orcus, I need to know every detail surrounding the day you caught and imprisoned Demeter,” he says. “Because she’s not in Pandora’s Box.”
I freeze.
And my brother slowly pulls back from Alina. “Ares released her?”
“No. He suspects she was never really there, that her imprisonment was some sort of elaborate mirage.” Morpheus stops a few paces away from my brother and slips his hands into the pockets of his pants. “Or she escaped.”
One of Orcus’s wings remains tucked around Alina as he faces Morpheus. “You’re telling me Demeter is no longer in custody. That she somehow managed to escape Pandora’s Box… again?”
I wince.
Because yes, Demeter was supposedly imprisoned eons ago after the Omegas disappeared. However, her recent antics in the Monsters Night dimension made it clear that she’d escaped Ares’s cells long ago.
Or…
“Or that she was never imprisoned, yes,” Morpheus replies, finishing my thought. “Which is why I need all the details surrounding her capture.”
“Maybe her escaping is what I sensed,” Alina says, her focus on Orcus. “Or the mirage was a distraction?”
“Mirage?” Morpheus echoes.
“Orcus felt something from Alina that led him—us—to the Human Realm, where we found his mates covered in blood and surrounded by a bunch of unconscious Betas,” I reply as I reach his side. “But it wasn’t real.”
“Alina’s call was real,” Orcus corrects me. “But then she created a defensive shield around all of us to block Demeter, not realizing it also cut me off from her and the others.”
Alina’s cheeks blossom with twin patches of red. “I’m sorry. I—”
Orcus yanks her into him with one palm around her nape and silences her words with a kiss, one born of passion and appreciation.
I understand it, as I would react the same way had Serapina manifested such a barrier.
“Never apologize for protecting our circle and our daughter,” he says softly against her mouth. “You followed your instincts, just like you should.”
“But I made you worry.”
“My worry is nothing compared to my pride in you, little one,” he whispers. “You’re amazing. And I love you with the fury of a million suns.” He kisses her again, this time forcing me to look away.
Because I want that—that sense of fulfillment and trust. I used to have something similar with Persephone, but not quite this fierce.
I always feared she would break beneath my touch, her delicate nature what I expected and cherished from her as an Omega.
But Serapina has opened my eyes to what I didn’t know I needed—a strong mate, one who could be my equal.
That’s what Orcus has in Alina. She didn’t need him to come to her aid. She saved herself and her mates.
And from what I understand, she acted similarly in her home realm, too, when battling Demeter.
Orcus helped, but Alina started that fight by shattering Demeter’s mirage.
Something tells me that Serapina would attempt to do the same, especially given everything that she now knows.
Unless her flame sizzles out, I think, recalling how meek she became earlier when discussing her expected fate. How she not only assumed that I would replace her fiery spirit with my long-lost mate, but also accepted it without a fight.
My lips curl down, not liking the memory at all or how it made me feel.
I don’t want to lose Serapina.
She… she isn’t Persephone. And while part of me mourns the loss of my past Omega, another part of me is relieved.
It’s wrong.
It’s confusing.
And it isn’t something I have time to ponder now.
Not with what Morpheus just revealed. Demeter isn’t in Pandora’s Box. Which explains how she’s been able to reach Serapina in my underworld.
“I need to go resecure the labyrinth,” I tell Morpheus, thinking through all the security framework and wards that require attention.
No one should be able to enter my woven world.
However, Demeter has more than proved to be a unique adversary.
A realization that has me locking gazes with my brother. “I know we decided to split up before, but the parameters have changed.”
He stares me down for a long moment, then dips his chin once in agreement. “There’s safety in numbers.”
“Something I’ve commented on for eons, alas…
” Morpheus utters the words as though speaking to himself, his gaze distant.
“Anyway,” he goes on before I can comment, his blue-green eyes meeting mine in an instant.
“The three of us will go together, as I still want details on Demeter’s capture. Orcus can elaborate while we work.”
“We?” I arch a brow. “It’s my labyrinth.”
“As you said, the parameters have changed,” he tells me, his voice resembling steel. “And not just in regard to Demeter.”
I suddenly have the urge to growl.
Because I could take that comment a myriad of ways.
But I’m done concerning myself with Morpheus’s intentions.
Instead, I simply reply, “Fine.”
“Sera will be there, right?” Alina asks, her focus on Orcus. “And she’s… she’s definitely okay?”
“I haven’t seen her myself, but Hades says she’s fine.”
Alina huffs. “Like he would know.”
“She’s fine,” Morpheus echoes, his voice soft. “I wouldn’t be standing here if I felt she was in danger. I also have complete faith in Maliki to properly protect her.”
“Why wouldn’t I know?” I ask, ignoring my cousin and focusing on the tiny female Omega. “Serapina is my mate.”
“Don’t you mean Persephone?” she counters.
My eyebrows rise. “Persephone’s soul and memories reside within your sister, but that does not make them the same.”
Orcus snorts. “Now he gets it.”
“Does he, though?” Morpheus inquires.
I shake my head. “Demeter is a direct threat to our mate. Whatever issues remain between us need to be set aside because Serapina’s safety is our priority. So either help me or fuck off. Choose. Now.”
Morpheus considers me for a moment, his expression sobering. “You’re right, Hades. My apologies. Orcus?”
My brother, who also wears a more serious expression now, leans down to kiss Alina on the cheek. “Tell Flame and Reaper that I’ll be back for you all soon. Pack warm clothes for yourself and our Thea.”
“How warm?” Alina whispers.
“Multiple layers and jackets,” I tell her. “Where we’re going is as cold as death.”
With that, I vanish.
Morpheus knows where I’m going.
He can grab Orcus and meet me in the tunnels.
I have work to do.