Page 88 of Muzzled

“I think we’d all like to know.”

Hades’s voice filled the reception hall and the brothers straightened immediately, turning to face their master as the doors shut. Watching his boss cross the floor, he slid his ring under his chiton, took a knee, and locked his attention on the wall.

Bo and Alex fell into position at his side. He could feel them watching him as Hades sat in his throne and reached inside his cloak, pulling out a familiar crumpled paper splattered with dried blood.

“Alexandros, Boreus,” Hades called out, unfolding the contract and smoothing it across his thigh. “Your conditional freedom has been granted for the lifespans of your partners.”

Bo’s head tilted down in suspicion. Alex took a deep breath and stood, his stance wide.

“Upon your permanent return to Hades alongside your wives,”—he paused to give Alex a harsh stare—“your duties will resume in a limited capacity to be determined at a later date.”

“I didn’t sign for shit,” Bo stated, mimicking his twin’s posture. “Alex?”

“Nope.”

“So if I didn’t sign that, and Alex didn’t sign that, I’m going to guess Ryan’s signature is somewhere around the big blood stain at the bottom. And I’m going to guess he’s also given up something big in exchange for ourconditional freedom.”

Hades held the contract out until Alex finally reached over and grabbed it, his expression darkening as he read it over and passed it to Bo.

“Thefuck!” Bo spat, tossing the contract at Hades’s feet and turning on Ryan. “You signed your goddamn immortality over? Your thoughts? Did you even read that shit? You gave him full control over your fuckinghead, Ryan. Why the hell wou—”

“No way this contract stands,” Alex interrupted, stepping between them. “It’s like, duress or something. It was signed before we flew in, Bo.”

He remained on his knee, waiting for his master’s stoic expression to morph into anger while his brothers ranted and raged, all levity from moments ago erased with the wrinkled contract laying on the marble floor.

“Orion.”

Running his thumb along the outline of his ring, he rose to his feet, his brothers tight to his side as his boss stood and crossed the floor, scooping up the crumpled paper.

“A trade,” Hades stated, handing him the contract. “Your loyalty and service on your terms in exchange for your silence.”

His hand clenched in a viselike grip on the paper, and he eyed his master warily. “My silence.”

Alex shifted his weight, as though preparing for an attack, while Bo’s back hunched a fraction.

“The Pirithous line is wiped from the earth. You fulfilled your duty.” Hades took a step away from them. “All of you.” Turning his back to them, he strode to his throne and collapsed onto it, tucking stray strands of his black hair behind his ear. “I assure you, I have come into this negotiation with a great deal of thought and an even greater deal of advice.” He sprawled out, his less-than-regal posture at odds with his Lord of the underworld status. “Scheduled rotations. Weekly boundary sweeps. Contractually bound monthly banquets with allowances for annual festivals.” Shaking his head, he chuckled humorlessly. “Punishments for breaching made for an enlightening conversation with Dio.”

Waving at the river, Hades sat up a little straighter. “But what do I need a guard dog for? Three or four souls a year?” He met his eyes. “You’ve served me with loyalty and obedience, protecting me and mine without hesitation or question since you were a pup. In return, I bound you to me using the safety of your brothers, threatened the woman you love, and laid a curse at your feet, which culminated in recent unfortunate events.”

His face hardened and Hades looked toward the abyss, where the shades moved in the shadows.

“Remain at my side,” his boss finally said into the quiet. “Orion, you’ve been my unofficial second-in-command for millennia. With a formal declaration of status, you will gain the freedoms of an unrestricted deity in our realm. Freedoms which will extend to Boreus and Alexandros.”

He glanced at the twins and folded the contract in half. “You already have me tethered to you until my death with this contract,” he stated, carefully aligning the edges of the paper and smoothing them down. “How do you benefit from making me a free agent?”

“I was recently informed hungry dogs will not be loyal. They will go where they’re fed.” Reaching between his throne and Seph’s, he pulled up the tangled collection of collars and leashes he kept close. “You’ve had a taste of freedom. I would be a fool to think withholding that freedom now would ensure your allegiance.”

One by one, he handed the leashes and collars to their respective owners.

Ryan stared at his for a moment, wrapping the chain neatly around his hand. “You said you wanted my silence. My silence for what?”

Hades’s eyes flicked to the doors. “Do we have a deal?”

Nodding, he rose to his feet. “We do.”

“My wife must never know I heard of your engagement before she did.”

Chapter Thirty-Five

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