Chapter nineteen
Aedonaeus
We sleep on and off between sex the next day. Neither of us mention our marriage. It’s just a piece of paper that still lies shredded on the floor of the kitchen. It’s the symbolism of it. Josie came back of her own accord, drove her name into my skin, and let me claim her. That’s the biggest sacrifice she could ever make. I gave her my soul in return.
We haven’t left the bedroom, but I can only imagine what the massacre in the kitchen looks like. Someone is going to have to clean up the mess. It’s obviously going to be me.
I slip out of the bed and head for the kitchen. It looks kind of like a crime scene. There’s glass everywhere, not to mention the blood. When I gave her the ultimatum, I thought it may have been too aggressive. I could only think of the worst-case scenario. She was just busy torturing a traitor. Now my name is carved into her chest. The world feels like it’s finally spinning in the right direction.
I’m not soft by any means, but I cherish Josie. There is so much more for us to talk about, but I don’t want to ruin this space we’ve created. I keep pushing off the box. Hades will be irritated, but frankly I don’t give a fuck. He won’t be happy that I hastily married an insane person, but I think he saw it coming. Fate is a dreadful mistress. I haven’t thought about that conversation, but it will be better to have it sooner rather than later.
I pick up the gala invitation lying on the floor and toss it on the counter. Cordially invited, as always. It almost feels like a trick, or some sort of trap. Hades says the box will be at the Gala, and that we must do everything in our power to acquire it. It’s what I was discussing with Minos and Hermes when Josie tore into the place.
I’m not sure if she wants to tell people we’re married yet. She doesn’t have long to break the news. We’re going to this gala. Prince Aedonaeus and Princess Josephine, the future king and queen of the Underworld.
As I’m sweeping up the last of the shards, Josie pads down the hallway.
This girl who is a personified tornado of erratic darkness is my wife. My name is bright red, standing out on the clear skin over her heart. My dick starts to get hard, and my body protests. I’m so fucking sore and my muscles are tired.
She breaks the silence. “I’m going to see my sister today. And maybe Stafford.”
I’m starting to get jealous. She’s already mentioned him too many times to make me anything but. Not only that, but he knows the things she hasn’t said to me, and that’s going to fucking change.
“I’m sure they’ll take it well when you tell them you have a husband you married in secret.” I dump the glass into the trash.
“Vivian will be happy for me. I’m sure she would expect nothing less.”
“Is she going back to the Republic, too?”
Josie stays silent. She’s unsure. Take and take and fucking take, she had said.
“And Stafford?” I add, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Frankly, I don’t give a fuck.” That tells me nothing. “He’s going home,” she adds. “Without me.”
“If you’re going to leave to see your sister I’m going with you.”
“No,” she says sharply, vehemently shaking her head.
“If it’s not me, then the brutes. I’ll let Hermes and Minos know.”
“Definitely not.” Always independent.
“Why don’t you invite your sister over?” I offer. I don’t want her to go anywhere alone with a target on her back. I’m not letting her out of my sight.
Josie considers what I’ve said. “Okay,” she says slowly.
“I’ll have the brutes drop by an invitation.”
I open the fridge to figure out what I can make, and it’s empty. It’s the Universe telling me that I need to speak with Hades.
“Can you trust them?”
“With your life? Yes. They have sacrificed themselves for much less. They are to me like Vivian is to you.” The number of times they have saved my life is astronomical. They’re my brothers.
“Fine,” she agrees. Thank the fucking Universe.
“Good. Are you hungry?”
She leans her forehead on my chest. “Starving.”
“I have to go speak with my father. Be here when I get back?”
I hate how hopeful I sound, but I guess I’d better get used to it. I want it to be a command, but it comes off as a question. I did promise her she could come and go as she pleased. If she chooses to go and doesn’t want anyone to accompany her, they’ll just have to do it discreetly. She goes to her bike and starts to move it into the foyer.
“Yeah, I’m moving in. So, I’ll be here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do you not want me to?” Question with a question. I go to her and wrap my arms around her possessively.
“I want nothing more. It just seems out of character for you.”
“My place got broken into and everyone is gone so there’s no reason for me to go back.” She brushes over it like she does with every other terrible bit of information.
“I don’t appreciate how you throw words out there as if they should be an afterthought.”
She leans over the counter, pushing her breasts up. “Get used to it.”
“I’ll come back with food.” I stroke her hair and kiss the side of her head, taking in her scent of jasmine and pear.
“Mmk,” she mumbles. “I’m going back to bed.” Josie trudges down the hallway and disappears into our room. It’s ours.
While I want to marvel at her, the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll return. In the lobby, Samuel has a smug look on his face, but he doesn’t say anything. Somehow, he knows.
“Send Minos and Hermes to Vivian’s. We’re inviting my wife’s sister over. Then send them to her. I want eyes on her at all times.” He nods his head and scrambles for the intercom system without any inquisition. That’s what I fucking like about him.
It doesn’t take long to get to the palace since it’s around the corner. I pass the guards and weave my way through until I make it to Hades’ office. The door stands open, and he sits at his desk with his head in his hands. I knock, and he looks up, motioning for me to come in. I close it behind me and sit across from him.
“What is it?” He peers at me. I grab a handful of candy from his desk and pop one into my mouth, buying myself a few extra moments.
Tearing off the bandage seems like the best thing to do. “I got married.”
“To Josephine?” He doesn’t seem surprised.
“Yes.”
Hades leans back in his chair. “No invite? Persephone will be furious.”
“It was a last second affair. I think she’ll understand.”
“I don’t blame you.” There’s understanding on his face.
“I want to ask you something,” I begin. “She’s like me. The symbols.”
“I was afraid of that.” He comes around the front of his desk and leans against it.
“The box has the same symbols,” I continue.
“It does.”
“Why?”
He avoids my piercing gaze. “I’m not sure where to begin.”
“Try.”
“I stole the box.”
“No, the box was stolen,” I correct him.
“Depending on who you ask, I stole it first,” he sighs. “I was forbidden to be with your mother by Gaia. I was young, angry, and stupid. Like me, Gaia liked to keep things. Secrets. Objects…People. I stole the the box, kidnapped your mother, and fled here.”
“What happened?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
“The Remnant and witches were already here at the time. The war with my father and the other Titans was ending in Olympus. Gaia was throwing them here as punishment and closing the gates. Complete and total chaos broke loose. That was when the Burning began alongside a war. I don’t know who she was, but there was a witch. She said if I gave her the box that she would end the turmoil. I was young, naive, and tired of fighting, so I agreed. I met Cerberus through her, and he assisted in dragging the Titans into Tartarus.”
My stomach drops. “Your father started the Burning?”
“No, he was blood thirsty. Didn’t give a fuck about Magic. I don’t know who went after the Remnant. I didn’t want them to die. It all happened so fast. I tried to stop it, but by the time I created order, the witches had been burned, the Titans were in Tartarus, and the Remnant had hidden themselves away in their own territory. That was when they created the Republic. They saw me as the one who brought the Titans.”
“How did Gaia acquire the box?”
“I don’t know, but I should have known better. That’s why they hate me. They believe that I stole it from them, murdered them, and took the Underworld and drained it of Magic. If I had known how important it was, I would have never given it away. They think I tried to kill them over it.”
“What does any of this have to do with me?”
“One day, the witch who I gave the box to, arrived asking me for a favor. She gave it back to me and asked that I keep it safe along with you. You were injured and in a coma. I was nervous at first. I even considered killing you after everything that had transpired, but Persephone immediately took a liking to you. You fulfilled that part of her that always wanted a child, and you didn’t seem like a threat. I couldn’t say no.”
His shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath before he continues. “I got curious and tried to open the damned thing, but it wouldn’t budge. That was when I began my deep dive trying to learn Remnant history, but there really isn't much on the subject. I put it in the vault, hoping to hold onto it until I could find answers.”
“And then someone stole it.”
He nods. “Yes, then someone stole it.”
I swallow several times and dread creeps up my spine. My mouth is dry. I didn’t know that a woman brought me here. Who was she? My mother? Are Josie and I both products of witches? Were we once in the same place? Did we know each other? It certainly feels that way. It would make sense why we were so drawn to each other. The box has something to do with that. I’m not sure of what to make of that other than to acquire it. We have to tread carefully. Someone on the black market wants it, too, and we know very little of how it operates.
“What about Josie?”
“Beautiful name.”
“What does this have to do with Josie?” I demand. My heart is pounding.
“Do you know where she came from?”
I swallow the lump in my throat. She said she had an accident and drowned. I know it wasn’t an accident. There is no such thing as coincidence. Not anymore. “The Republic.”
We stare at each other. Hades looks grim, and he’s white as a sheet.
“Is she a Rem?” His question is full of indecision.
“She is,” I confirm.
“We could maybe use that to our advantage. Create a conversation between our people. There is also the rumor that a grimoire is on the black market. I don’t know the content of it, but it’s our best bet to finding answers. I’ve already been through everything else I was able to find. It's probably in Tartarian Tongue, but it’s safer to have it, If we spend eternity decoding it, so be it. I’ve already fucked everything else up.” Hades shakes his head.
“My wife can.” Despite the turn of conversation, it feels good to call her my wife.
“Your wife can what?”
“It’s called Mondurian. She speaks it.” An eerie silence settles around us. The only sound is the fire crackling behind him. He bites his tongue and begins pacing.
“You should get back to her,” he finally says. “In a few days we will have this gala, and we will reconvene after. The box will be in the auction. We can start by acquiring it there. Maybe a grimoire will surface, too. I need time to think.”
“There’s more. Someone has been after her.”
“Fantastic,” he mutters. “All the more reason to keep her close. Go to her, Aedonaeus. For now, you’re both under our protection. I’ll post guards everywhere. I would imagine whoever it is will most likely be at the gala. Her marriage into our family will be a statement. Hopefully, it will buy more time or deter them completely. There’s nothing more we can do at this moment. Not until the box has been returned.”
The information Hades has given me weighs heavily on my mind. I don’t know if I should tell Josie just yet. I’m not sure how much she already knows. He said we could deal with it in a few days, and I want to believe that’s true. I stop by a restaurant across the street from our building and pick up food. Samuel waits nervously at the doors upon my return.
“Evening, sir. Is everything alright?” he chatters.
“I don’t want anyone in this building who isn’t authorized. If Josie leaves, she’s to be accompanied by Minos, Hermes, or myself. Understood?” I growl.
“Understood, sir.” He closes the doors behind me and locks them.
The ride on the elevator is daunting. The doors slide open, and I hear multiple voices followed by a scream. I round the corner in a frenzy to find the brutes with Josie. Minos is lounging on the couch, Hermes is perched on the top, and Josie is in a fit of laughter on the floor. Bottles of alcohol are spread across the table. They’re all fucking drunk; trashed by the looks of it.
“Oh nooooo,” Josie whispers, “My husband is home. Sit still, maybe he won’t see you.”
Minos starts snorting, but when he catches my glare, he stops. Hermes, on the other hand, pretends he is a statue. Always the joker.
“We stayed to see if you had been murdered.” Hermes slides off the top of the couch onto a cushion. “To find out that you got married in some weird violent fuck fest.”
“Didn’t even have a bachelor party,” Minos shakes his head.
“I think we’ve had enough of that for a lifetime.” I’m fucking serious. I want them out as quickly as possible before they cause a problem.
“Oh, yes. We’ve discussed your conquests,” Josie slurs from the floor and laughs again. It’s harmonic. She said they discussed the women I’ve slept with. Fuck.
“Wonderful. Thank you for stopping by gentleman. Goodbye,” I say through gritted teeth. “I apologize, love. Minos and Hermes seem to think our home is for their personal use.” I stalk into the living room ready to tear them from the couch if I must. They weren’t supposed to be partying, just staying downstairs guarding the elevator.
Instead of looking at me, they both look to her for her confirmation. What the fuck?
“Let them stay,” she pouts. “Why not?”
“I like her,” Hermes’ crows.
“Why?” I sputter.
“I’m bored,” she shrugs. I remember the last time she was bored.
“I can think of a million other things that we could do,” I argue. The brutes are trouble when they're drunk. That’s the last thing Josie needs right now. I’ll punish them for it later.
“Aedon.” She bats her lashes, and I soften.
“Yeah, Aedon.” Hermes looks smug. “Let us stay.”
“Aedonaeus, to you,” I snap.
“He almost killed Minos for calling him that once,” Hermes whispers to her loudly. Minos looks disturbed by the memory.
“Are you sure you want them to stay?” I ask warily.
“Another,” she shouts, ignoring me and raising a glass up above her. Hermes immediately obliges, pouring something unlabeled into it. She scoots up and drinks it, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome, madam.” Hermes bows, but he topples over her instead and they descend into another fit of laughter.
I love the sound of it. I might be angry, but there is no denying that she fits in. Minos lifts himself from the couch and approaches me.
“They’ve been like that all night.” He shakes his head. “I like her. Hermes adores her. She’s perfect for a jackass like you.”
Josie’s head pops up over the couch. “I smell food.”
I raise the bag, and she ambles over the couch. I catch her before she spills onto the floor. “Eat something, love. Soak up whatever concoction they’ve been feeding you.”
“I will eat, but I will not be sober. Neither will you.” She takes the bag from my hand and replaces it with a drink. I don’t even know where it came from.
I try to protest but Minos holds the cup up to my lips and tilts it, forcing me to swallow the entire thing. Josie tears into the food, heaping some of the rice and half of the chicken onto a plate and handing it to Hermes. I’m not the only one who needed her. She’s crazy, but she’s also loyal. The type of person that takes care of her own. I shouldn’t be surprised. She's been taking care of Vivian all these years.
“Stop brooding. Come eat,” she commands.
Minos declines a drink, handing it to me instead. He has silently volunteered to keep watch. He must know something is up. Between the promise of guards, Sam, and Minos, I feel like I can let myself go a little.
Josie shovels the food in her mouth just like she did at The Alibi that night several moons ago. When she’s finished, she declares that we are going to play a game. I watch as she and Hermes make up some nonsense rules and run around like children. The drunker we get, the less sense we make. By the end of the night, Hermes is face down on the floor, Minos is seated in the armchair, and I’m on the couch with Josie curled in my lap.
“Married, huh?” Minos asks.
“Married.” I look down at Josie, her chest rising and falling with each breath.
“Who would have thought?” He shoves a foot into Hermes, but he doesn’t react, just snores.
“Certainly not I.” Definitely not. It wasn’t even a dream of mine. “How did it go with her sister?” I venture to ask.
He gives me a wary look.
“I presume it did not go well?”
“She’ll be here.”
“Good.”
“But it did look like they were packing things in a hurry, as if they were moving.”
This is bad fucking news.
“She has no one,” I tell him in confidence.
“I gathered that.” He’s quiet for a moment. “I see why you’re obsessed with her.”
“What makes you say that?”
“She’s…” Minos trails off in thought. He has spent the entire day with Josie, and his opinion is about to be laid out on the table.
I keep my voice even. “She’s what?”
“She is someone to be feared. Meant to be a queen.” I relax a little. “Her scars match yours.” My body goes rigid. I got the tattoos before Minos and I met. Before I met anyone.
“You’ve noticed them?”
He snorts like a bull. “We’re brothers, Aedonaeus. We’ve noticed them. We just had enough sense not to say a word.”
“Hades is worried,” I admit.
“Hades worries about everything.”
“This is different.”
He nods with understanding. “We’ll handle it.”
“You’re invited tomorrow, of course.”
“We were going to be here regardless,” he grins. “Josie invited us.”
I look down at the beautiful girl sleeping in my arms. “I don’t want her going anywhere without one of us. Preferably you, if not me.”
“Understood.” Minos is the head of defense. He overprepares. Not much can get past him. He’s a brute to the highest degree. “Speaking of, the Remnant have left Asphodel. By all reports they are evacuating the entire kingdom and most likely returning to the Republic.”
“I know,” I sigh, scratching my stubble.
“How?” Minos looks bewildered.
“She told me. She’s Remnant.”
Awareness flashes in Minos’ eyes. He doesn’t say anything about it. He doesn’t need to. We’re both thinking the same thing. The Remnant hate us, as admitted by Hades a bit ago. Our marriage could be considered a declaration of war. She could be seen as a traitor to her own people. A Remnant and the Underworld’s finest in the same room. What a sight that will be.
“Did you tell her about Eris?” he asks. “She’ll be at the gala.”
“Not exactly.”
“Then I can assume you didn’t tell her that you and Eris used to have a thing?”
“I did not. There wasn’t a thing. She got me drunk enough to sleep with her. Anything past that was a delusion on her part.”
“I’m sure she’ll be very receptive to your wife,” he says sarcastically.
“She’s getting married. Why should she care?”
“Because she left after you rejected her.” Minos says the thing that has always perturbed me. The one thing I’m not sure Hades knows.
“Eris was delusional. She gave me presents, and I stupidly thought we were just friends. I didn’t realize she had feelings for me. If I had, I never would have let her talk me into fucking her.” I gag at the memory. The Mondurian tales that were stolen from Josie surface in my mind.
“In case, for some reason or another, she isn’t over it. Do you have a plan on how you will handle her?”
“There is nothing to plan.”
“Eris is slick, Aedonaeus. Say she is angry that you rejected her, she will act on it. You need to tell Josie that way she doesn’t come unprepared. I have no doubt she can handle it. If you don’t, then Eris will be able to exploit it. It’s my understanding that marriage is easier with honesty.”
“Is that how you ended up with a bastard son?” I retort. Minos is originally from Olympus. When Hades took over the Underworld, he came with him. We've never discussed why he left, but one drunken night he did tell me that he used to be a king, and that he stupidly slept with a beast of a woman. He got her pregnant and ended up with a bastard blood thirsty son who, to his horror, ate his prisoners.
“I ended up with a son because I’m an idiot. Because I wasn’t honest. I’m not sure if you recall, but it didn’t end well,” Minos reminds me.
He’s right. If I don’t tell Josie everything with Eris, even if I think it’s irrelevant, she will find a way to complicate my life. Strife is what she does best. “Fine. I’ll tell her.”
“You only have a few days.”
“I’ll tell her tomorrow then,” I huff. “Minos?”
“Yes?”
“Our lives are in danger. Josie’s in particular. I mean it when I say I want her watched. Indefinitely,” I warn. He gets the message and immediately nods.
“I should get this one to bed.” Minos rises and lifts Hermes over his shoulder, carrying him down the hallway. Their relationship is funny. You would almost mistake their camaraderie as romantic interest. I listen to Minos chastise a half alive Hermes, tuck him into bed, and close the door. He goes to the other guest room, and with a click they’re both in their own domains. Their residence here is going to drive me insane, even if it’s for my wife’s safety.
I extract myself from Josie and scoop her up. Her lids flutter open for just a moment before she settles into me. I put her in the bed under the covers, and she immediately curls into a ball, shoving her face under a pillow. The way she sleeps is a mystery to me. I don’t think she has ever just laid in a bed and slept in it. Always the floor or a chair or the couch, pushing herself until she passes out. After the conversation with Hades, sleep evades me. I go into my office instead and sit at my desk, thinking. The worst pastime.
I think about the things Hades did say. How he gave away the box for peace, and that same mysterious woman brought me to him. His gentle refusal to tell me how all of this involves my wife. I think about the symbols that line our skin, and the way she makes me feel. I think about the box sitting in the museum, and the exodus of the Rems. Then I think about the guards that must be outside by now, and Samuel downstairs. I think about how dangerous this situation has truly become. Mostly, I think about a world without Josie, and how I wouldn’t be able to live in it.