Page 69 of Going to Hell
“Release him.”
The soft defeat in Hades’ tone had me hurrying into the room.
I wasn’t thinking of my bare feet or the blood. It slicked the stone and had me slipping and sliding in seconds. I went down hard and popped right back up only to go down again. My dress clung to me wetly, but I didn’t look at it.
Panting and repulsed, I took more care standing the third time.
Slowly, I made my way to the creature and unlocked his first arm. He held still, and I fought not to tremble as I released the other two limbs on that side. My heart was racing by the time I moved around him to release his fourth arm, and I hoped he wouldn’t try to kill me for what my look-a-like had done to him. His limbs were a mess and his fingertips nothing more than bloody nubs.
As soon as he was free, the quills stopped moving and dropped to the floor. In the absence of the wet rasping sounds, the drip-drip-drip of his blood into the pool on the floor became more pronounced along with my rapid breathing.
Despite my terror, which he had to have smelled with me standing so close, the creature made no move to get up. I backed toward the door, and once there was enough distance between me and Creon, I glanced at Hades, who had remained in the hall.
He watched me with a bitter expression that made my stomach churn. Yet, if I had to choose between an angry Hades and a bleeding six-armed monster, who probably wanted revenge, I’d take Hades any day.
He was the devil I knew.
Or was getting to know.
When I was close enough for Hades to touch me, he reached out and wiped some blood from my cheek. We both glanced at his red fingers. He looked as disturbed as I felt.
“Can you heal him like you healed me?” I asked.
“You want me to heal him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
I gave him another version of my “what the fuck”.
“He’s bleeding all over the place.”
“Ah.” Hades’ gaze swept over me. “Of course.”
Between one breath and the next, the wet heaviness of my dress disappeared, and I risked a look. My gown was as pristine as it had been before entering the room. I turned to check behind me and saw the blood was gone. Not a trace marked the stones or poor Creon, who was slowly sitting up and warily watching me.
“Come,” Hades said. “There is work to do.”
As Creon stood, Hades’ hand settled on my shoulders. He steered me back into the hall so Creon could pass. The giant’s footfalls vibrated through the stone at my feet, and he was so big he needed to duck to leave the room.
Zotera watched him leave then looked between me and Hades.
“Mother was hungry,” she said just before she turned to follow the giant.
“Is that true?” Hades asked, turning me to face him.
“A little. But I’m fine waiting until we find my uncle’s soul.”
Hades frowned. “First, you delay our union with this game, and now this? We have an agreement. If you starve yourself, the contract is broken.”
I did not want to know what would happen if I broke a contract he made with Persephone.
“I’m not trying to starve myself. I swear,” I said, ignoring his union comment. As far as I was concerned, it was a non-issue. We weren’t unioning ever because I wasn’t Persephone. “I just really want to find my uncle.”
“Finding the soul does not displace your hunger. You must eat.”
From the corner of my eye, I saw the room change. The scent of stew hit me a few seconds later, and my stomach rumbled.
