let Persephone die and monsters suffer not to risk his lover. What kind of realm was I from, anyway?
“I’m sorry, River. I want to know everything about you, but this place needs help. I need to iron out some details with Hades. I’ll be returning to Hell to meet with Bael to discuss what Hades and I talked about. When I return, hopefully, it’ll be with a solid alliance with Hell.”
I got it. I totally did. He wanted to get to know me now that he knew I existed, but he was doing this in the best way possible. I was learning exactly what kind of demon my father was. He could have easily demanded Hades release me. Hades kidnapped me once, but my father could have kidnapped me again back to Hell. It certainly would have been safer than leaving me here.
He wasn’t doing that. He didn’t even ask me if I wanted to go with him. He must have known his blood ran through my veins and I would want to stay and help. So, he was giving me as much help as he possibly could. He brought his own fucking army, and he was working on bringing more. He even had a plan for making sure Persephone lived through her rescue.
And that meant a lot to me. If he had shown up puffing up his chest and demanding Hades release me or acted arrogant about the help he was bringing, he would have lost me for good. He might be a duke, but he was just so down to earth. I wanted to get to know him better. I knew that had to wait, but it would happen.
My monsters surrounded me as we walked back to my bedroom. I loved their monsters, but it was nice seeing their human faces. It didn’t hurt that they were all drop-dead gorgeous.
Kimon slipped an arm around my waist.
“How are you, baby bird?”
“I like him. I wasn’t expecting most of what he said, but he seems cool.”
Tryphon was walking to my left as a man, but I felt one of his tentacles wrap around my waist. Tryphon was walking sex with his long blue-green hair and silver tattoos. I love that he painted his fingernails and toenails and wore some sort of flowing robe. And yeah, I liked his tentacle around my waist too.
“I don’t know what Hell’s terms are for helping us, but Hades will agree to it if it keeps Persephone and the Underworld safe.”
I got the feeling my father might want me to live in Hell with him when this was over. While I could understand it wasn’t like what everyone talked about back home, and I wanted to get to know him better, I had my reservations. What kind of kings ruled it that they wanted things from Hades before they would help? Was it not enough that people were suffering here?
“Never underestimate a woman who wants something. I’ve never met her, but I get the feeling this Solron will get her way,” Pavlina said.
“Not every woman is the equivalent of a mental bulldozer, Pavlina,” Demos said.
“No, but we can smell our own. You just wait, Demos. We’ll have our shadow demon.”
I mean, Pavlina wasn’t wrong. My father was the only demon I’d ever met, but she was right. I could be a mental bulldozer when I wanted to be. It was probably why I liked Pavlina so much.
I liked all of them. We were out of that jail for the time being, and there was a big, comfy bed I could sleep in now. There was also a huge, flat-screen television in my bedroom. I’d been ignoring their little flirts with me, but why? There was something I liked about all of them. Maybe they could get along long enough to pretend this was just a normal night back home.
“Can we all pile in my bed and snuggle while you introduce me to Underworld television?”
“I get big spoon!” Pavlina yelled.
“No way,” Kimon said. “Big spoon goes to the biggest one of us, and that’s me.”
Tryphon just tossed his green hair over his shoulder.
“I don’t mind being River’s little spoon if it means snuggling with her.”
“Well, I don’t want to snuggle with any of you except River,” Demos huffed.
Well, that was new. I thought Demos hated me or feared me. This was clearly not going to go well. I wanted all of them, and I couldn’t choose. I wouldn’t come between them. Even if Demos and Pavlina