Page 79 of Queen of Darkness
Hades shook his head. “Whatever. I suppose it makes no difference. You can’t escape.” He snapped his fingers at two of the Enkk. “Take them to guest quarters and ensure they aren’t disturbed. When they are done, summon me.”
Wordlessly, the four-armed demons moved to carry out his orders, one of them opening the door so we could leave. While they didn’t communicate with each other, they seamlessly positioned themselves with one to guide and one to follow us, ensuring we did not sneak away.
“And feed them,” Aaron said as he passed Hades, pointing at his team. “We’re all on the same side here.”
“For now,” Hades agreed, motioning to the remaining Enkk to carry out the command and provide food.
I hoped he would provide theproperfood. If we were going to storm Elenia’s palace, I needed the entire team to be in peak form. That meant they needed blood.
“We could use some, too,” I commented.
“Anyotherrequests?” Hades said dryly, not denying the request.
“Not yet.”
The god grimaced, then flickered out of existence without another word, off to tend to his realm. Hopefully, that would involve sending out the word to raise an army like the one we’d seen marching out of his stronghold upon our arrival.
As we climbed the steps out of the dungeons into another part of the vast subterranean complex at the heart of Hades’ realm, my heartbeat sped up. Just what was I committing myself to? Vampires didn’t deal in human lifetimes. Aaron was already twelve centuries old. He could live twice that again if nothing killed him. And now I would bind myself to him for as long as we both lived.
Which could be a very, very long time indeed. Was I ready for this?
Sensing my hesitation, Aaron took my hand and squeezed it before locking his fingers through mine.
“You can say no.”
“It’s not that Iwantto say no,” I said, not pulling my hand away. “But I don’treallyknow what I’m getting myself into by saying yes. This is all so new to me, Aaron. I don’t know things. Am I making the right choice? Do I evenhavea choice?”
“Of course you have a choice,” Aaron said instantly. “I will not force you into this.”
I tightened my hand on his. “I’m not talking aboutyou, Aaron. If I don’t do this, Hades doesn’t give us his army. People will suffer and die because of it. People who don’t deserve to.”
“Like your mother,” he said softly.
“Yes.”
“Whatever you choose, I will support you,” he said. “I will fight to the end if need be. If we have to try to storm the palace, the two of us, then I will fight by your side. I am yours, Joanna Alustria, and no one else's.”
The Enkk led us from the staircase into a hallway. We followed behind in silence, Aaron letting me muse about the decision ahead. There was no need for him to say more. I knew how he felt. The rest was up to me.
“What happens to me if you claim me?” I asked.
“We would be bound. Our minds joined.”
“So, we would know what the other is thinking?”
“Feeling,” he said. “To an extent. It deepens the connection already there.”
“Oh.”
“It would also mark you as mine to any other male vampires. If they bit you, for any reason, it would burn them,” he added, as we came to a halt in front of a door.
How the Enkk knew where to stop was beyond me, but it was evident that this was the guest quarters we were assigned. They waited for us to open the door and then moved to stand on either side of it.
We were still prisoners, it seemed.
“Would you have any control over me?” I asked, surveying the room.
“No,” Aaron said, doing the same.
