Page 114 of Chaos
A man in a hood came ambling toward us, his steps slow and shuffling. Grim was careful to keep his hands in his pockets when it became clear that the guy had no intention of moving out of our way. We both did our best to shift to the right, but he still managed to fall into me. I caught him and carefully helped him upright.
Brilliant blue eyes captured mine as wholly as the hand fisted into the fabric of my shirt. “Stop wasting time.”
“Pardon me?”
But apparently that was all he had to say on the matter, because he was already on his way once more.
“Bloody crazy,” I muttered, brushing off my shirt.
“Let’s get inside. I don’t like the way it feels out here.” Grim knocked on the nondescript door and waited for the bouncer to answer.
A small window on the door slid open, and Grim simply said, “Manhattan.”
Without any fanfare, the door clicked open, and light spilled out into the alleyway.
“After you,” Grim said, pulling it open so I could walk in.
Calling this place a club was a bit of a misnomer. There was no music, no crowds, no scantily clad servers offering drinks or other delicacies. Just a simple hallway leading the few who knew of this place’s existence to a series of private rooms. I had little doubt that all manner of deals had been struck behind thesewalls. The kind of deals where world leaders found themselves assassinated or wealthy men mysteriously ended up dead in their hotel room due to an ‘overdose.’
I didn’t need anyone to tell me which door to open. Hades always used the same one, and I expected nothing had changed.
“Took you long enough,” the man himself said as Grim and I stepped into the room. “Shut the damn door and let’s get this over with. There’s too much going on for me to be away for long.”
Grim eyed the space carefully, but it was only the size of an average living room. And there were no hidden doors, meaning there was nowhere for anyone else to hide. “Just you tonight?” he asked.
A furry white head popped up in Hades’s lap, followed by a loud bark.
“Just me and Asshole.”
“Is that . . .” I started.
Hades jerked his chin in a nod. “Grab a seat.”
“He’s so cute and fluffy. It’s a very different look for you, Cerberus.”
The dog growled and snapped at me, even though there was no way he’d reach me. “Careful, now. He’s likely to come over there and piss on your leg if you keep picking on him.”
Grim took a seat at the round table, and I joined him. “What is this all about, Hades?”
The man in question steepled his fingers and leveled his gaze on us. “You four are the key to stopping this apocalypse.”
“Tell us something we don’t know,” I muttered.
Hades’s focus narrowed on me. “Is that so?”
I waved a hand. “Why don’t you keep on with this big speech you’ve so clearly prepared, and I’ll let you know when you get to something new.”
“Well, I’d hate to simply repeat old news. How ’bout you tell me what you know, and I’ll chime in when it’s something I don’t.”
Grim sighed. “Why am I constantly surrounded by children?”
“The world is ending, the Princes are being released, and Lucifer is amassing an army. If he doesn’t get his antichrist, then it will be a war to end all wars.” I gave him the shortened version because I didn’t want to bring Merri into this until it was absolutely necessary. This was definitely Hades, but he could still be on Lucifer’s side.
Hades leaned forward in his chair. “The antichrist?”
“Yes,” Grim added. “He’s got two ways to win this thing. One, fight. Two, breed. The latter ensures him an instant victory.”
Hades let out a low whistle and sat back in his chair, one hand rubbing his jaw. “Why does it always come down to procreation?”
