Page 32 of Left Hand of the Divine
He frowned, and his eyes were so dark I couldn’t decipher the emotions that were swimming in their depths. He brought his hands up to frame my face. “I do not know if it will help or hinder, but I am with you.”
My heart soared in my chest at his words, and a little flame of hope sparked in my chest. We might all actually get through this alive.
Chapter Eleven
Roux
We were all going to die.
The Council looked down at us from their lofty perches, surrounded by lesser Gods and other deities. There wasn’t an empty seat in the viewing gallery, and huddles of people stood crowded together wherever there was a space to stand. Word had clearly spread that not only had a Reaper been summoned but also that thisparticularReaper would be accompanied by the King of the Underworld, the God of Death and a Primordial.
Maybe I needed better friends…
Kidding. There was no one I would rather be facing Zeus with than the men at my side.
Zeus, on the other hand, looked like he was chewing glass. He looked like the smell of shit had wafted under his nose and stayed there. I also expected him to look older, but he looked like a slightly older version of Hades. There was grey peppered through his dark hair, and he had let a beard grow across his face, but he had the same lines and features as his brother.He was good-looking, but there was a severity about his mouth and a distasteful turn to his brow that made him appear much less handsome than his younger brother.
The chamber was full of whispers and finger pointing, curious looks and a bite of fear. The Gods sat in marble thrones – Zeus’ obviously being the biggest and gaudiest – in a semi-circle around the chamber. Only Hades’ throne, which stood to the left of Zeus, was empty because he stood next to me, showing a giant ‘fuck you’ to his brother. Erebus stood to my right and Hades to my left. The others were in a booth at the back of the chamber, and part of me was grateful they weren’t standing here under the direct gaze of the Gods. Intimidating didn’t even scratch the surface of how it felt. Fuck, I was going to hurl.
“Why is Ares looking at you like he knows you?” Hades whispered in my ear, his eyes never leaving the Council.
I looked at the God in question and found him watching me with amusement in his bright eyes. It always took me by surprise how fuckinghugethe guy was. How did the guy even fit into his little throne? “I may have partaken in the fights at his club.”
Hades huffed a laugh. “Of course you have. Next to him is Athena, then Poseidon, and Hera to the right of Zeus. If there is anyone to convince that we aren’t in the wrong, it’s Ares and Hera.”
“Hera? As in hiswife?” I blurted.
“Hush,” Hades admonished. “And yes, as in his wife. Theirs is not a happy marriage.”
“Really?” I said, disbelief making my voice high-pitched.
“Really,” Erebus said flatly. He looked delicious today, and my eyes were having a hard time staying away from looking at him. He wore a white shirt with billowy sleeves, open at the throat, a blood-red waistcoat and high-waist trousers that made him look like he’d just stepped out of a gothic Regency novel. I had to keep checking for drool, which Erebus found incredibly amusing.Asshat.
“But why?” I asked, dragging my eyes back to Hades, who was equally well dressed in a sharp three-piece charcoal suit. The pair of them made me feel incredibly underdressed in my standard Reaper uniform of combat boots, black trousers and tee and my long black Reaper coat with all the fun pockets for hiding weapons. I’d unfortunately had to surrender those when I stepped into the building, and I may have been a little impressed with myself at the fact that it took more than one box to store all of them in. I’d even had to hand my scythe in. Now though, I felt a little vulnerable.
“Because Zeus is a man-whore,” Hades said with a shrug. “He’s had countless affairs, fucked a number of women, and Hera has suffered through it all.”
Sweet Lord, the poor woman.
“Don’t feel sorry for her,” Erebus added, no doubt roaming around in my mind and listening in to private thoughts.
I threw him a scowl. “Stop that.”
“What?” he said, an innocent little smirk on his beautiful face.
“You know exactly what, but why shouldn’t I feel sorry for her?”
Erebus leaned closer and dropped his breath to a whisper. “Because she likes being Queen of the Gods and can be just as vengeful as her husband.”
Okay, I would bear that in mind. Don’t piss off the Queen.
“And you will find an ally in Apollo,” Hades said, pointing to a stern looking man with raven-black hair. Sitting on the floor next to his throne, with her feet dangling over the edge, was Raevyn, the Demi-God necromancer who was fast becoming a good friend. She gave me a thumbs up, and I felt a little of the unease settle into something a bit more comfortable.
Zeus stood from his throne, and the murmurings from around the room immediately stopped. “It is a sad day when kin turn their back on kin. Brother, it is not too late to take your place by my side, where you belong.”
Hades stepped forwards and casually tucked his hands into his pockets. Something I noticed he tended to do when he was trying to keep his temper in check. If his hands were imprisoned in his pockets, he couldn’t pull anyone’s head off. “Zeus. My place has never been by your side, and we all know it. I’m right where I belong, Brother.”
There was a collective gasp from the onlookers and the Council. A couple of the Gods, including Ares, smirked at Hades’ boldness.
