Page 111 of Raising Hell
“What did you say?”
She lifted her hands. “Don’t kill the messenger. That’s what he said. Ashlyn needs to die. I have to be honest; that’s the opposite of what everyone’s been thinking, and it pisses me off that he’s trying to work with the Council to find a way to kill Ashlyn.”
The ground started to tremble. I didn’t wait for Megan’s look. I moved my hips over Hades’, pressing down at him while dipping my head to nip his neck. The shaking stopped, and he groaned as I worked on giving him a new hickey.
“Is this an attempt to manipulate me and distract me from my rage?” he asked.
“Yep,” I said, moving to a new place and nipping there. “Is it working?”
“Very well.” He guided my hips over his lap and groaned.
“Keep talking, Megan,” I said.
“Eliana would die if she was here right now. I’m no succubus, and even I can feel the heat. Damn.”
I lifted my head just enough to shoot Megan a dirty look. I wasn’t doing this to put on a show or feed the sexually starved masses.
“Right,” Megan said. “Sorry. Apparently, Thanatos is dangling a carrot. He claims he knows what’s happened to all the gods and is willing to share the story for their help in killing you. Thankfully, Mrs. Quill knows how much you mean to Eliana and said the Uttira Council said they wouldn’t help. However, Adira’s been missing since that meeting.”
I gave Hades a firmer nip and sucked on that spot. Nothing shook.
“So this Adira is plotting to have Ashlyn killed?” Hades asked, sounding relatively composed.
“Probably. In her mind, sacrificing one human to save the world is a very small price to pay.”
“She is not the one paying, though, is she?” he asked with deadly calm.
“No, she’s not,” Megan agreed.
I ran my tongue over Hades’ collarbone and flicked the little hollow at the base of his neck. He twitched underneath me, and his breath left him in a rush. I grinned, loving the effect I had on him, the powerful King of Hell.
However, all my self-satisfied humor faded when he tipped my head back and claimed my lips in a ravenous kiss.
A throat cleared.
He pulled away, kissed the corner of my mouth, then faced Megan.
“Forgive me, Daughter. She is a temptation I cannot resist.”
“I get it,” Megan said.
Dazed, I looked her way and caught her grin.
“Oanen does the same thing to me.” She shifted her gaze to Hades. “The other furies and I are continuing to look for Thanatos.”
“Kill him when you find him,” Hades said.
Zotera, who had been silent this whole time, made a whimper of sound. I twisted on Hades’ lap to look at her.
“Father, are you certain? Couldn’t your daughters be hurt trying to kill a god?”
Worried, I glanced at Megan and Hades. “Zotera has a point. Can a fury kill an immortal?”
“It would be difficult but not impossible.” He looked at Megan. “I suggest you find this Adira. If there is a chance she is working with Thanatos, she may be the key to finding him. Take care, Daughter.”
With that, he waved his hand and sent her away.
“That’s it? ‘Take care, Daughter?’ No words of advice on how exactly to hunt down and kill an immortal? What if she’s hurt?”
