Page 50 of Monster Whisperer
“We would make magnificent puppies,”Lis said.
Way too much information. Apparently, even Hellhounds liked to overshare. I didn’t even want to think about what that kind of mating would look like. I was a big advocate for spaying and neutering your pets. I wouldn’t even know the first thing about doing that to a three-headed dog or a Hellhound.
Lis trotted back to Demeter like she was pretending to be a good Hellhound. Demeter was making the same mistake a lot of humans did—that dogs were just stupid beasts loyal to whoever fed them. I had a feeling if Lis had a way home, she’d just burn Demeter and be done with it.
“Well, well. The canine dog approves of the human dog. I trust you can find a place to hide that where Hades can’t find it? I still think he will kill you, but it will beat him down a little, so I still win.”
“I will be using this knife,” I swore.
Just not on Hades.
Chapter 38
Kimon
E
very minute my baby bird was gone with that fucking Goddess was driving me mad. I knew I agreed to this plan, but now I hated it. Why did I think this was an outstanding idea? Demeter had gone fucking crazy, and Hephaestus forged most of the weapons that killed the monsters in the Underworld. This was a recipe for disaster.
I didn’t feel better until I saw a flash of light, and my baby bird came into view. My bull started raging when I saw Demeter had that dog from the ring with her. I rattled the bars of my cage and blew smoke out of my nose.
“Relax, Kimon. Lis is a friend. She’s from Hell, like me. She’s on our side.”
“Bull man, I have no intention of hurting you.”
“You hurt plenty of my kind in the fighting ring.”
“I just want to go home. And I wouldn’t mind mating with the sexy dog too.”
“Ew,”Pavlina said.“Don’t do that shit in here.”
Cerberus was totally love struck.
“When we mate, it will be under the full moon and a night full of stars.”
“Hide that weapon. I’ll expect a report in three days on your progress. You’ll either have gotten close or be dead,” Demeter said.
She flounced out the jail, and Hades finally appeared. Sparks were flying off Demos as he flew around his cell.
“Did you find out anything interesting?”
I had no idea what she was doing when she started digging around in her cleavage, but I wouldn’t have minded helping. She pulled two things out of her boobs. It must be nice to have storage like that. If I tried to hide anything in my loincloth, I’d get chafing.
“One of these is a device to contact Hephaestus on. He’s agreed to help us. The other is something that will neutralize the collars so you can switch back.”
Well, I’ll be damned. She did it. I knew she could. My baby bird was cunning. She’d outsmarted a Goddess. She had the help of the fucking Hell dog, I was sure, but she accomplished it.
“There’s a catch. There’s only enough in this vial for ten monsters. Obviously, the four of you, but I don’t know how to pick the other six.”
That was a big catch. There would be riots if she went down to the pits with just enough for six.
“What did you learn about the collars, my pet?”
“All they do is lock you in your monster form. Hephaestus actually thought they wouldn’t work and suggested another weapon. He didn’t think she’d be able to get the collars on and trapping you in your monster form would mean you would slaughter them easier.”
Well, fuck. I could have been killing them all this entire time. I didn’t have to kill my friends. I could have been destroying Demeter’s army. Someone let me out of here because I wanted to start killing people right this minute. I could stay trapped in my minotaur a little while longer as long as I got to crack some heads.
“So, first things first. I’ve been talking to all of you, and I’ve gotten to know you. I’ve come to care for you. I want to see your faces. Let’s use this magic so I can see you.”
