“Good. Will I get you in trouble by coming here? He saw me walk right in.”
“He won’t betray me.”
“He doesn’t owe his allegiance to Hades?”
“No.” She shook her head. “And he wants me more.”’
“Really? You’re not going to go for it?”
“Him?” She laughed. “The actual devil himself? No.” She shrugged, but there was something more in her eyes. “Not that I haven’t thought about it.”
“But he wants you badly?”
“Badly enough to put himself between me and Hades. It’s the only reason I can help you.”
“There’s a lot to that story.”
“You have no idea.” She looked me up and down. “But you seem different.”
I thought of the vision I’d had. Of all the terrible things I was fated to do.
Yeah, I was different. Knowing my future made me feel like a trash person, and it was probably radiating out from me. “Are there any seers in this realm? Ones who would be impartial?”
“You mean, one who wouldn’t turn you over to Hades immediately?”
“That’s what I mean.”
“No. Why do you ask?” She pointed to me, moving her finger up and down as if to indicate the entirety of me. “Does it have anything to do with what’s different about you?”
“Maybe. How much do you know about Hades’ end goal?”
“Not much. Didn’t know he had one, beyond just being the king here. He doesn’t exactly confide in us rabble.” She shrugged. “Mostly he just sweeps around like a terrifying shadow, using fear to keep people in line and spending far too much time cooped up in his castle.”
“He’s friends with no one?”
“Lucifer.”
“What about women? Does he like them?”
“He doesn’t like anyone. But if you’re asking if he’s interested in the opposite sex, no. Not that I’ve seen.”
“The same sex?” Was that what Lucifer was to him?
“Nope, not the same sex, either. He’s not like that. Doesn’t have those feelings.”
Not true. Yet, he was barely human. More machine than man, driven by one purpose. One goal.
“Doesn’t seem to have any feelings,” I said, more to convince myself than anything. Even though I knew it wasn’t true.
“Pretty much.” She gestured for me to follow her back to the main room. “Come on. Your potion is done. Have you thought how you’re going to get a drop of his blood?”
“No.” Memories of him commanding the army of the dead flashed through my mind. I certainly couldn’t fight him. He was far too powerful.
I was going to have to be clever.
I followed her into the main room, meeting the eyes of the black cat curled up near the fire. It stared at me like it could read my thoughts, then yawned, as if I were really boring.
The apothecary went to one of the tables and picked up a tiny glass vial full of brilliant pink liquid. She returned and handed it to me. “Add the drop of blood to this. Then give it to your friend. It will break his curse on her.”
“Do you know how I can get out of the underworld, once I’ve got the blood?”
She laughed. “No. If I did, I wouldn’t be here.”
“I think there’s a way out through the library. If I find it, I’ll try to get word to you, so you can go, too.”
“Thanks.” She smiled, then spun in a circle, gesturing to her amazing home. “But would I really leave all this?”
“Up to you. But there’s an amazing world out there. One with real sunshine.”
“I’ve heard of that.” Her gaze turned wistful. “Never seen it, though.”
“It’s magnificent.” I tucked the potion into my pocket. “Thank you again. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”
She nodded and walked me to the door. I reached for the handle to open it, but she pressed a hand over it, stopping me. I turned to her. “What is it?”
“Be careful, all right? You can’t trust Lucifer, and you definitely can’t trust Hades.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” I turned to go, then spun back. “Do you know where his quarters are? Or where he spends his time?”
“Top floor of the castle, in the highest tower.”
I nodded, mind racing with ideas. “Actually, could you help me with a couple more potions? I have a plan.”
She arched a perfect, ebony eyebrow. “Plans?”
“Big ones. But I need help.”
She leaned back against the wall, clearly interested. “Tell me about them.”
15
Hades
I stared blindly at the rows of books. Their gleaming leather spines were lined up in orderly fashion. They were my preferred texts—treatises on war and strategy and arcane magic.