Page 4 of Monster Whisperer
“If all three of Cerberus’s heads licking you at once doesn’t have you believe, do I need to burn you with this a little?”
He started taking menacing steps towards me with blue flames flickering in his hands. I moved like lightning. I grabbed the pitcher of water off the side table and dumped it on his head. I didn’t want to risk this not being some fucked up dream and getting burned.
He stood there with water dripping down his pale face. The fucker started laughing at me.
“I like you. Everyone in Tartarus is afraid of me, but a human veterinarian dares to douse me with water. You’ll fit in just fine down here.”
“I don’t want to fit in fine here. I want to go home.”
“I’ll make you a little wager, River. I’ll bet you want to know why you can hear animals more than you want to go home. Stay here for six months and keep some animals alive for me. I’ll answer that question for you, and then you may change your mind about where you want to live.”
“I have a business and people who count on me. In six months, my business will be foreclosed on, and my clients will have moved on or lost a beloved pet.”
He sighed and looked totally put out with me.
“I’ll pay the mortgage on your precious building and send one of my vets. They will put out a story you are not there because you are recovering from an illness. Problem solved.”
“Problem not solved. You kidnapped me!”
He just looked at me coolly.
“I require a vet. You’re a vet. Problem solved.”
Cerberus jumped on me and placed his huge paws on my shoulders. I looked deep into those intelligent brown eyes.
“There are creatures here who need you. He says six months, and he’ll give you an out. He’ll tell you why you can hear me. I’ve never met anyone I can talk to before. Please?”
I sighed and scratched him behind his ear. I was probably totally insane. I knew I wasn’t hallucinating. I could feel Cerberus’s nails digging into my shoulder. I’d stumbled into something deep and dangerous. I had a three-headed dog standing in front of me, so this guy had to be Hades.
Maybe I could do some good down here and treat some sick animals. Perhaps I’d learn something about how to treat animals when I got back.
“Can I trust him? Will he keep his word and send me back if I want?”
“Hades always keeps his word. Things are happening in Tartarus right now that he has no control over. He really does need a vet. Just ignore the fact that he can be an ass sometimes.”
Cerberus let himself off my shoulders, and I walked over to Hades. I didn’t care if he was the God of the Underworld. He still kidnapped me. He could have asked. I would stay, but there were things to get my off my chest. I punched Hades right in the jaw.
“I’ll stay, but I have issues with how you got me here, you dick.”
Hades grinned at me and rubbed his jaw. My hand hurt like hell. Who knew punching someone in the face hurt so much?
“I hope you’ve gotten all those issues out of your system. I’ll send someone to treat your hand. Eat your breakfast. I’ll send for you after you’ve eaten and showered to show you why I need you.”
Hades stalked out of the room. Cerberus wouldn’t go when he called him. He stayed with me. Hades threw up his hands and left. He may have kidnapped me, but his demon dog was now loyal to me.
Dick.
Chapter 3
River
I
would say this for Hades. He certainly kidnapped me in style. The room he was holding me in looked like some sort of fairy tale bedroom, and when I was brought food, it was better than any meal I’d eaten before. I didn’t trust Hades, but I trusted Cerberus. I remembered the stories of Hades and Persephone. I would not eat this food and get tricked into staying here as she did.
Cerberus assured me the food was safe, and Persephone was perfectly lovely. She could come and go as she pleased and wasn’t a prisoner here. I was trying to get to the bottom of what I knew about Greek mythology while I filled my belly. I was starving.
“Persephone wasn’t tricked into staying here. Hades saw her picking flowers and romanced her. She came willingly. Her mother raised all manner of shit because she didn’t agree with her daughter’s choice of husband and started causing draughts that killed people to make her come home. The pomegranate seed is a lie to appease Demeter. It allowed Persephone to keep her relationship, and Demeter stopped killing people. It’s been millennia, and Demeter is not happy with the arrangement anymore. That is why Hades is acting the way he is. I wouldn’t have stayed loyal to him this long if he always acted this way.”
