Page 67 of Queen of Darkness
“You can’t go?”
Aaron scoffed, then looked at me sharply, perhaps because he realized I was serious. “No, no, it has nothing to do with that. I’d go anywhere for you, Joanna.”
My stomach leaped into my chest at his simple proclamation.
“No, it’s not that. It’s taking you there. He’s a god. Abaddon is one of the demon kings. And he’s going to bepissedif you go back.”
“I know that,” I said, stroking his hair, which was now nearly finger length. I liked it longer like that. “We’ll just have to make him see reason.”
“Don’t you get it?” he insisted. “If … if hedoesn’t, if he refuses to listen to us, I can’t protect you from him, Jo. I can’t stop him from killing you. Or worse, throwing you into the pits … alive. I’m not strong enough.”
I practically wilted, somehow sad and irritated with him all at once, but also swooning. It was a confusing series of emotions. “Thisis what that outburst was about? Because you can’t kill Hades if he tries to hurt me?”
“Yes.” He stiffened a little, sounding stronger. “Ijustfound you, Jo. I’m still learning how to trust again, to let myself be open with you. If that’s taken from me now, I don’t know what I’d do.”
Wordlessly, I snuggled into him. I almost wrapped him up in my arms, but given how he was currently feeling about his masculinity, I let him hold me instead. Make him feel big and strong. It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t defeat a literal god. That wasn’t what I wanted from him anyway.
“I don’t need you always to be my protector,” I said, listening to his heartbeat and enjoying the gentle weight of his head on top of mine as his strong arms kept me close. “I need you tosupportme.”
“And I will,” he said fiercely. “I will follow you into the flames of the Underworld itself, Joanna. I just feel impotent that I might not be able to get you out if things go to, well, hell.”
I couldn’t begin to imagine what that must have cost to him admit.
“I think it’s a good sign,” I told him, laying a hand on his, letting our fingers intertwine.
“What? That I’m not strong enough?”
“Not that,” I said. “Stop it with that. I don’t want your protection. I want your support. Get that through your skull. But no, I was talking about your ability, your willingness, even to admit this. You’re opening up to me. Baring your soul. To me. Thank you for that.”
Aaron was silent. “He told you never to come back.”
“I know,” I said, sensing that this was his way of moving on, of accepting what was going to happen and changing the subject. “But I don’t have a choice. He’ll either see reason. Or we’ll make him. Somehow.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
I glared at Fenrir. “Really?Nowis when you’re going to ask that?” I gestured at the misty gray portal that would take us from Earth to our first step into the Underworld.
“Last chance to back out,” he said with a shrug, brushing aside a stray curl that had fallen onto his forehead.
Fenrir stood at the front, with the rest of the team strung out around us. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but having him along would make life much easier. He was the only one of us who could take a portal directly into the Underworld. Otherwise, we would have had to journey to another realm first. In the past, we’d gone through the vampire’s realm.
I didn’t much like that option now. A direct flight was far more appealing, especially since we were running out of time. My mother had been safely transported into Vir’s stronghold in the Direen, much to my relief, but she was swiftly running out of pills.
Can’t let Elenia put a Blood Letter on Mom before I kill that Queen Bitch. That would just be the definition of bad luck.
Only four days remained until the Wild Moon. While it seemed we would get lucky and my mother wouldn’t go through what I did, thanks to being off Earth, she would still return to normal without the drugs. And I wanted to be there for it. I wanted to meet her for the first time.
I shunted that thought aside. I’d spent too long thinking about what I’d say to her already, but that distraction could prove fatal. I had to focus on the task at hand. We were entering a hostile environment. Once Hades realized I was there, he would come for us. And we had to be ready.
“She’s ready,” Aaron said defensively when I didn’t immediately respond.
“I’m not backing down,” I confirmed as Fenrir glanced in my direction. “Whatever it takes to get to Elenia, I’ll do it.”
“Everyone double-checked?” Aaron asked, reaching out to squeeze my hand as the team sounded off.
I squeezed back, showing my appreciation for him sticking up for me. It was a relief to know that he had my back and was driving us forward as much as I was. We were in this together. Both had our reasons for seeking Elenia’s demise, which also strengthened our dedication to one another.
