Monster Whisperer - J.B. Trepagnier Page 0,34

bull rumbled in contentment when she leaned back and nestled into my arm. Maybe we could eventually work up to that snuggling I wanted.

“Is this ever going to make sense?” she sighed.

I knew exactly how to help her now that we knew what her gifts were. Well, not totally, but enough to get some more answers.

“You can find lost things, correct? Technically, your father is lost since you’ve never met him. River, where is your father?”

I felt her entire body tense.

“He’s in Hell.”

She relaxed and shook my arms off. I wanted to pull her back, but I would always give her space when she needed it.

“He’s in fucking Hell? The only thing I know about Hell is that fallen angels and demons live there. It’s supposed to be this fiery inferno of eternal torment, but if Charley and Finn came here without a scratch on them and seemed happy and in love. Maybe everything I knew was a lie, but that doesn’t answer what I am. If witches and warlocks live there, then anything can.”

“We know nothing about Hell either, my pet. Hades said your father is trying to get permission to come here and give you answers. Let’s focus on what we do know. We know where Persephone is being held prisoner, and we know where the key is. We should act.”

“No, what Hades said makes sense. Let him send his scouts. If we play our hand too early, you could lose your queen. We still don’t know what those collars do, and that’s not something my gifts can tell us.”

“I can scout,” Demos said. “Charley and Finn said the enchantments they put on these cells make it look like we are locked inside. If River can let me out, I can fly high enough not to be seen until I get close.”

So, Demos was finally being Demos again. I’d always known him to be a brave warrior until a certain raven-haired beauty who was immune to his fire walked into our jail. I didn’t understand why she put up with his shit. She seemed to have endless patience. I wanted to break his neck and hope he had a better attitude when he was reborn in flames.

“The pigeon finally makes himself useful.”

“Won’t that be too dangerous?”

Even if I wanted to break his neck, I didn’t like Pavlina’s little barbs at him. Sure, Demos could be insufferable sometimes, but he was also a brave warrior who had died for our cause more times than I could count. He always volunteered for scouting duty, and he was amazing at it.

“Even I can admit the pigeon makes an amazing scout.”

“I’ll make a bet with you, Pavlina. If I pull this off, you never call me a pigeon ever again.”

“It’ll be hard, but if you find something useful, I vow never to call you a pigeon again.”

Eventually, those two would find something to bond over and stop throwing barbs at each other. I had no idea what it was because they had been doing this for thousands of years, but maybe baby bird was that thing. Their arguing had long gotten old.

“Shouldn’t we wait on Hades?” River asked.

Tryphon just laughed, and when a Kraken laughed, it was creepy.

“Hades won’t tell us a damned thing. He knows we will go get her, and he’s too worried about pissing off your father.”

“If my father is from Hell, wouldn’t it be bad if Hell and the Underworld went to war?”

No, but it would be so beautiful if they worked together to beat a deranged Goddess.

Chapter 24

River

I

trusted my monsters that Demos was one of the best scouts in the Underworld, but how does one defy a God and a Goddess that want to keep the monsters where they are and keep me out of this fight? I was learning I had all of these gifts, but sneaking a phoenix out of jail wasn’t one of them, and that could seriously come in useful right about now.

“My pool feeds to a river. I can’t fit through the gate to get out, but my tentacle can. If Demos doesn’t mind drowning, I can get him to the other side.”

“Can we avoid scenarios that involve my death?”

“That will not work. We should avoid killing Demos since it’s painful, and we still have to get him back into the jail.”

“But it’s so much fun when the pigeon dies.”

“Pavlina,” I warned. “Be nice to Demos.”

If a substantial Black Widow spider could pout, Pavlina was. I had to think. There had to