Page 32 of The Catacomb King
Now I felt bad. To give him some space, I turned in a circle, evaluating the dried-out reservoir. A few godlings were literally lying in it, like they thought that if it started to fill up again, they’d be the first to have a drink. It was so pathetic it made my heart twist. They might be monstrosities, but their suffering was real. They just wanted to live.
“Well,youdidn’t kidnap the last woman,” I said finally. “Not if you weren’t alive yet. So why was it you who stole someone this time?”
Hades flinched.
I knew it. “You weren’t supposed to kidnap me at all, were you? That’s why the Vizeking was so angry. You weren’t supposed to make the decision about a tribute. It wasn’t up to you.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“So, what? Have you burned everyone’s only chance at a tribute for the next quarter-century?” Probably the Vizeking reallywouldhave rather had Josie. The thought made me sick and angry. I wasn’t even good enough to feed to a god as a meal. “There’s a chance the Monarch won’t even accept me, isn’t there? Because I’m not pretty enough, not special enough.”
“There’s one way to find out,” Hades snarled.
I had no idea what gave me the courage to tip my chin back and stare at him challengingly. “But you need me to eat your food first. Because otherwise there’s some chance I’ll get away. Well, fuck that, Prince.”
“You have no choice.”
“Oh, absolutely I do. I don’t pretend I can stop you killing me. But the absolute last thing I’m going to do is make it any easier. If you want to force-feed me and drown me, then you can fucking work for it. And there’s absolutely no way I’m working on this reservoir. Got that?”
He didn’t answer. His brow was drawn together, his body hard and vibrating like it had been when he’d talked to the Vizeking at the Lake. He looked so angry he couldn’t speak.
I was almost cowed, but what did I care? He couldn’t scare me any worse than he already had. Couldn’t hurt me any worse than he was already going to. And hedefinitelycouldn’t make me feel bad for him again.
“Great,” I said. “Then we’re done here.” I turned away. “I’m going back to the room.”
“You’ll never find it.”
“Then I’ll wander the halls until I starve to death. Who cares?”
He lost his temper. “PERSEPHONE!”
I whipped around and screamed, “HADES!”
I didn’t need my fucking spear. If he laid a hand on me I would claw his eyes out.
Fury boiled on his face. “It is forbidden for non-royalty to call me by my name,” he bit out at last. “Only my father has that honor, and my someday queen. You will call meYour Lordshipormy Lord, when you address me at all.”
I said, “Fuck you. Can I saythat” — I paused weightily — “my Lord?”
Hades did not answer for a moment. He took a very deep breath through his nose. Then he allowed, “There is… no protocol on that.”
Was he making anotherjoke?
It was actually funny, but I was in no mood for laughing. “Fuck you,” I repeated. “I’m going back to the room. You can take me there, or you can let me find my own way. Your choice.”
“How amusing that you think it is up toyouto offermea choice. Let me enlighten you, goddess. You are not going anywhere. You are to be fed to the Monarch in three days’ time. Before then, you will fill this reservoir with water. End of story. You may begin now.”
“You’re delusional. You kidnapped me. You’re a piece of shit.” I didn’t add,And I’m not a real engineer. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.“You can let me out, or you can kill me now. Your choice. But either way, I’ll go to the grave making sure there’s no version of this where you get what you want.”
“I could torture you.”
I quailed for a moment. Hades was enormous. Certainly he was strong enough to torture me. And he’d thrown me around plenty.
But as Elke had pointed out, he’d always made sure I landed on something soft.
So I said very honestly to the Prince of Darkness, “I don’t think you have it in you.”
Hades’s expression was stormy. But even he couldn’t argue. I knew it: He was a big softie.
