Page 74 of Hell On Earth
“Megan? This is Elizabeth, Zayn’s sister. I think something’s wrong with Zayn.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Megan asked.
“He’s standing in front of me, but he’s not solid, and I can’t hear him. And he doesn’t like that I called you. He’s shaking his head and pulling his hair and keeps looking at the door. He’s freaking me out.”
“Can he hear you?”
“I think so.”
“Put me on speaker.”
“Okay,” she said a second later. “You’re on speaker.”
“If you did something stupid and got yourself unalived, I’m going to be really angry, Zayn. Hades isn’t after you. You look like someone he knew. Someone he would really like to get his hands on. However, he now understands you’re not the same person.”
“Did you say Hades?” Elizabeth asked.
“I did. Does Zayn look like he’s listening?” Megan asked.
“He does. He’s calmer.”
“Good. Zayn, I’m hoping you just cast some weird spell to hide for the time being. Once it’s worn off, call me. We still need you and have some new information to discuss.”
“He’s motioning like you should just say it now.”
“Thanatos, the God of Death, was Persephone’s ex-lover. So we have an ex-lover trying to kill Ashlyn, Persephone’s lookalike. But she’s not the only godly lookalike. You look like Zeus, Zayn, and Eliana looks like Aphrodite. And before you get your panties in a twist, none of you are godly. I’d feel it like I do when I’m around Thanatos or Hades. We all think it’s too oddly coincidental that the only two gods awake are after the same human and that we have more questions than answers.”
“He nodded,” Elizabeth said. “And he’s holding up two fingers. Two hours? Yep, he nodded again. I’m guessing you’ll hear from him in two hours.”
“Okay. Thanks for calling, Elizabeth.”
“Thanks for answering,” she said before hanging up.
“Well, since we don’t want to go back to Uttira and fall into whatever trap Adira has planned, who’s up for racking up the credit card bill and ordering enough takeout to kill an elephant?” Megan asked.
Fenris sniffled. “I think I love you, Megan,” he said, wiping a knuckle under his eye.
Eliana and Megan grinned while Oanen stoically shook his head.
“I think food sounds lovely,” Nicolette said.
* * *
Almost an hour later, I scanned the array of open takeout containers in amazement. Fenris and Zotera had ordered something from just about every nearby restaurant that delivered. Italian, Greek, French, Pizzerias, Thai, Vietnamese, Ethiopian… If the pair could order it, they did.
Zotera tried a bite of everything, and when she found something she liked, she had me do the same. I found so many new foods to love and couldn’t wait for her to magic them for me again. Even with only a bite, though, I got full quickly.
Not Nicolette, though. The nibbles she was pulling from the delivery people didn’t seem to be enough. She kept rubbing her stomach and frowning.
Jason answered the door for the most recent delivery and took the food while Nicolette paid and fed in the hallway. Eliana and Jason both watched Nicolette with concern as she returned.
“I’m fine,” she said after closing the door.
“How many times did I tell you the same thing?” Eliana asked with a sad smile.
Her mom smiled in return. “I’ll eat well once we return.”
I glanced at Megan and saw she was checking the time too.
