Page 95 of Hades

“Ugh, are you five? Stop calling me ‘Auntie.’ You will call me ‘Lady Hades’ or ‘Your majesty.’ I rule the Underworld and it’s best that you don’t forget it.“

He laughs as he jumps side-to-side, trying to size me up. “Oh, Auntie. You will not be ruler for much longer. This place is mine, you just haven’t accepted it yet.“

This time, I laugh as I swing my scythe, stopping it just inches from his nose. “Oh, Ares, you know that you aren’t in Tartarus only because I thought you’d see reason when I beat you last time, right?”

“Enough talk, fight me,” he grits between his teeth.

I seem to have hit a nerve there. The God of War losing to a woman has to bruise the male ego.

He attempts to land a blow in my side. It’s easily deflected with a swing of the scythe. This time, I am the one who wasn’t thinking when I chose this weapon. It is great with reach but not in close combat.

“War,” I call, never taking my eyes off Ares.

“Yes, my love?” he replies with a grunt.

“Can I have one of your swords?” I ask.

“Anything for you, my love,” he replies and takes down his attacker before placing the steel in my outstretched hand.

We follow Hades’s directions but we don’t have to avoid Ares at all. He makes a beeline for her as if she is the only one waiting for him.

I am in the middle of my guys. It is cute how they think they need to protect me. As if I am not the one that saved their asses at Hermes’s compound.

So far, in a sea of black leather, Hermes hasn’t shown his face. That coward would most likely be hidden behind a wave or two of Ares’s men. There is no way he could be on the front line. If that asshole does show.

Seemingly, Stone speaks up. “No eyes on Hermes yet.”

How Ares controls his minions is beyond me, there is a tiny voice in the back of my head worried for Phoenix. Will he submit to Ares if it comes to pass? I shake my head, trying to rid those thoughts. We will have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

The first wave was almost upon us in a flash, but my reflexes are faster and the bolt around my neck is now anarcing sword in my hands. Mere seconds after, I notice that Nile has his trident and Stone is swinging his hammer around.

“Phoenix, you good?” I ask.

He nods and raises the sword that War handed him in the living room, as if it’s proof that he is, indeed, ready.

Nile side steps towards me as the other two step forward, without taking their eyes off the army. “I know you can fight better than the three of us. But for my sanity, please stay behind us.”

“What about a compromise? Side-by-side. If you think I can just stand behind you and watch you fight, you’re crazy,” I say back.

He huffs, “Fine, but I don’t want you to see you running off to take on like fifty guys.”

“Do I have ‘stupid’ on my forehead?” I joke.

This gets a smile from him as he settles in next to me.

“This shit is about to go down,” Stone comments.

My blade is sending little sparks of electricity in the air as the enemy advances. I call on the powers I received from my parents and the wind picks up a little at first. I will it to start swirling and whip harder around the foot soldiers. At first, none of them seem fazed by it until they are having trouble with their footing.

That’s the moment we attack. Metal clangs on metal as swords clash with shields. I’ll give Ares credit, he does know now to train his men.

In a blur of blue light, the first few waves fall, the souls have taken them down without any help from us. This same light seems to surround Hades and she does a little bow and it disappears as fast as it came.

“Fuck, I’m glad we are on Hades’s side,” Stone comments.

“That’s no lie, but we can’t expect that to happen with eachwave of men. We have to keep our guards up and fight as we promised,” I remind them.

“What does she need us for if the souls here can do that?” Nile asks.

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