Page 38 of Monster Whisperer
River was hanging out in the cell next to my pool with Kimon. Pavlina’s cell was right next door. Kimon was still encroaching on my territory and hitting on her. Like he was getting his snuggle time before I got my naked pool swim!
I heard Cerberus barking and making a racket, and that was when I knew Hades was here. River stood and went to the door. As soon as I could see her and Hades, I wrapped a tentacle around her waist and yanked her into my pool. It wasn’t how I wanted to get her in the water with me for the first time, but I could protect her in here.
“What the fuck, Tryphon?” she sputtered.
Hades immediately knew something was up. He cocked an eyebrow and started strolling through the cells. He stopped at Demos’s cell, then turned to look at my wet girlfriend and me. Well, she wasn’t my girlfriendyet.
“Where the fuck is Demos?” he roared.
River went to open her mouth, and I wrapped a tentacle around her mouth. I didn’t want her taking his rage. Hades stormed into her apartment and came back in yelling about Demos. A wet River wrestling with me trying to get my tentacle off her mouth. Oh, I liked it when they fought. Focus, Tryphon.
“Get your fucking tentacle off her mouth and let her speak, Tryphon.”
“Just do it, or it will be worse,”River said.
I let her go and set her on solid ground, dripping wet. Gods, did she look sexy all wet like that.
“He’s scouting. I found the secret passage in my apartment.”
Hades crossed his arms and glared at her.
“And you just sohappenedto guess the secret code to get him out?”
“No, I had help on that.”
“Traitor,” Hades shot at Cerberus. “Why couldn’t you wait? My scouts would leave in three days.”
River just shrugged.
“Because everyone said Demos was the best, and he had less of a chance of getting caught.”
“He is, but River, Demeter has threatened so many things with those collars, not even I know what they can do. Hephaestus works in a volcano, and the only way in is through a door he made. He never leaves. Demeter warned she has scouts, and if she sees me or anyone else from the Underworld trying to visit him, she will kill Persephone and every single monster in the Underworld. I can’t risk it. You could have just signed the death warrant for every monster in the Underworld and my wife because you just couldn’t wait!”
River just crossed her arms and raised her chin defiantly.
“Or saved them. Who has better odds of not getting caught? Some scouts you chose or a phoenix who has been scouting ahead for you and your wife for centuries?”
“This ismydomain! You don’t make decisions here, and you don’t get to overrule me. You aren’t a God, and you aren’t my wife. I brought here you because I thought you might be a voice for the monsters here and because it could bring me an alliance with Hell. That is theonlyreason you aren’t locked in a cell for your insolence,” Hades snapped, storming off.
River waited until he slammed the door and tossed her hair over her shoulder.
“Does he always get that pissed when he knows he’s wrong?”
“Don’t push him, my pet. Just because he can’t hurt you now don’t mean this situation is not tense, and he may snap.”
Hades came stomping back in.
“Demos was supposed to fight tonight. I don’t suppose he’s got a time frame for returning?”
Oh, shit. It had to be Demos tonight. Why couldn’t it have been me? They always opened a door that I could swim into the fighting ring to fight, and let’s face it, no monster could go up against a Kraken. I had every right to be arrogant about this.
River had the good sense to look a little nervous now.
“He said three nights. He won’t be back tonight.”
“Well, this was your big idea. How exactly do you plan to solve this?”
How exactly were we going to solve this? I’d volunteer as tribute if it got us out of this mess. I mean, I could eat again. Monsters weren’t nearly as satisfying as evil men, but if it meant Demeter didn’t know we were onto her, I could fit in dessert.
