“Go,” I retort, waving my hand before clicking my fingers. Hades, my hellhound, appears and I scratch his smoking black fur. “Who’s a good boy? Oh, who missed daddy?” I coo, and he barks in excitement, the floor burning under his paws. His eyes are as red as flames, his body almost skeletal.
“No pets,” the angel snaps.
“We keep you, and I’m betting you’re not toilet trained,” I fire back, ignoring him again as I stroke Hades.
“Serpent—”
“Angel, go and deal with your dragons, but I will not be joining you. They are old fools. They have power, but no drive to use it, though I do like the way they burn people. It’s quite the sight to behold.” I grin, sitting back.
Hades sniffs around the angel and he throws him a dirty look before stepping away. “I am not leaving you here, we need to put you back to sleep—”
I let my power leak out, filling the room with darkness until he can’t see. “I am not going to sleep!” I roar, and then pull it back until I’m sitting casually on the throne again. “Now go before I tire of you.”
Just then, Hades cocks his leg up and pisses all over the angel’s leg. It starts to smoke, his legs burning as he watches in disgust, then he turns that sneer on me. “Mark my words, Serpent, this will bring nothing but evil and bad to the world. You will ruin the balance and create chaos.”
“A little chaos is good.” I shrug.
“You are playing with fire, demon, I hope you know that,” he counters, and then with a haughty lift of his chin, strides away, with bits of hellhound piss trailing behind him.
How dignified.
“Good boy,” I praise with a grin, and Hades barks. “Let’s go, we have someone to find.” Standing, I smirk at the servant who is still pressed to the floor and then disappear into the beyond, ready to search the world for the woman who woke me from my sleep.
Let’s hope she realises what she called forth, because she isn’t getting away from me now. She can’t hide from me either in this world or the next.
The ghosts return a few hours later, but before they will give me the location of the sleeping council, they demand I feed one of them, claiming they used a lot of energy. It is just as horrible as the first time, so I am in a bad mood after.
“Tell me,” I snap, when the angry ghost steps back to his witch, tiring of these games.
“They are north, as far north as you can go. In the old mountains, Rejek, you have heard of this, yes?” one of them asks.
I nod, Rejek. Fuck, no wonder they are never disturbed. That place is said to be the resting ground of such evil that even stepping foot onto the black mountain will kill you. But if that is where I must go, I will.
“How do I get inside?” I inquire.
“There is a cave near the top and one at the back. The whole mountain is their home, but beware, there are traps and tricks, more than you could imagine, dragon. Now for the final part of your payment.”
I grit my teeth and hold out my hand, letting the last one feed. I feel weak after and stumble before forcing myself upright. I will not let them see me unsteady, or they will use it against me, maybe attack and take the rest of my powers. “Thank you. I shall take my leave now.” I bow and turn to go, but Loxley’s voice calls out, stopping me.
“Beware. You will find what you seek, but you will unearth more than you wanted.” With that cryptic piece of information, I depart their ship, leaving them to their ghost men and shivering as their stares follow me until I’m back in the car.
Rejek.
I will travel as far as I can in the car and then I’ll have to fly the rest of the way, stopping when I can to rest. It should take about two days as long as nothing goes wrong. Then I remember the dragon.
Punching the steering wheel, I let out my frustration. I do not have time for them, my mate needs me, but I know I can’t lead him back to her if he is looking for me. I wonder why, though, why now?
But I know my answer. They didn’t know where I was, and now they have felt me