Page 35 of Hell On Earth
“Think louder for the fury in the back,” Megan said. “Who are you supposed to call if Ashlyn shows up?”
Mags blinked at Megan then handed her a piece of paper with a number on it.
“Who’s it for?” Megan asked.
“I—” Mags shook her head. “I can’t remember.”
“Seems to be a growing theme. Ashlyn wants some chocolate.” She nodded toward the back, and Mags hurried to disappear.
Then she dialed the number and put it on speaker.
“Hello?” a man answered.
“Thanatos? I have Ashlyn,” Megan said.
She shook her head at me during the beat of silence that followed, and I kept quiet.
“Who is this?” he asked.
“We’re at the Threadbare Trader,” she said.
“You have no idea what you’re doing, fury,” he said before the line went dead.
Megan swore and disappeared in a flash, only to reappear a few seconds later.
“He’s already gone,” she said.
Mags returned with a large supply of chocolate, which Zotera paid for by turning one bar into gold. Mags' eyes lit with greed and gratitude.
“I will have more next week. Be sure to come back then,” she said as we left.
Megan rode home with us and waited until I pulled into the garage before disappearing again.
“You seem sad now,” Zotera noted as she followed me into the kitchen. “Is it because the troll was hurt?”
“No. Not that I liked seeing him hurt, but that’s not why I’m upset.”
“Are you angry with me?”
I hung up my jacket and shook my head at her. “I’m grateful you were there. I’m just feeling bad about interrupting Megan when she was obviously in the middle of something with Oanen. And maybe I’m feeling a little bad for myself. I’m happy that my friends have mates and are happy. Sometimes knowing that I’ll never have that makes me sad, though.”
“Why will you never have that?” she asked.
“My house is beautiful now, thanks to you,” I said, looking around. “But it’s still a prison. You heard Megan. I shouldn’t have left, and I knew it. I’m not safe anywhere but here. What kind of person would I be to ask another human to live this kind of life with me? I can’t do it. I won’t. That means I get to live the rest of my life alone, in fear of the day that I make my last mistake. When I think of that, it makes me a little sad.”
Zotera surprised me by hugging me. I returned the hug. It was good and comforting, but not the hug I craved.
“You’re not alone, Ashlyn. You’ll never be alone.”
I nodded, grateful that Hades had allowed Zotera to leave Hell with me.
“I’m sorry you were almost hurt today. If you hadn’t changed that truck…”
She patted my back. “Nothing would have happened. I promise.” She pulled away and smiled at me. “I’ll make you a chocolate cake. Eliana said that chocolate makes everything better.”
I watched Zotera hurry to the kitchen. Rather than offer to help and rain on her happiness with my glumness, I drifted to the couch and turned on the TV. While she baked, I tried to lose myself in mindless television for a bit. However, my thoughts kept drifting to Hades. Was he at the viewing pools? Was he watching me? Did he still think I was Persephone?
Rolling to my back, I looked up at the ceiling and pictured Hades looking down at me. I closed my eyes and remembered his face. The intensity in his gaze. The adoration.
