Page 86 of Hex
“Elegant, as usual, Finnegan.” A man with a glowing bronze aura, similar to Hekate, rolls his eyes, his own curls a lot tighter than Finnegan’s. They’re blonde, too, instead of the beautiful blue of the other kyn.
“The question we should be asking is how does this being exist and why are you entertaining the idea of keeping it alive, Grandei Atlantis?” Zhang turns his golden eyes on me and grins.
It holds promises of pain, and if I could step backward, I absolutely would.
“Let me kill her now and we’ll be done with it.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hack
I’m keeping tabs on every one of those fuckers suggesting my chosen should be killed. Starting with Zhang. I will peel off every one of his scales—one by one—and watch him bleed out while my brothers steal his belongings from his home. He can blow his fire all he wants, it won’t do shit to us demons.
When Hekate suggested a punishment, I nearly lost my fucking shit. Slay and Pierce had to hold me back from storming out. Slash, my favorite brother now, was ready to go to battle with me.
“Do you believe that guy?” Slash is pointing to the giant television taking up a whole wall at the back of Samhain’s office, lips curled with disdain. “Fucking dragons. I remember when he first started out and asked us to be gentle with his father’s soul.”
We all grunt, the memory from a few centuries ago fresh in our collective minds. Zhang’s father had been Dei of the Fyreborne for longer than we can count, those fuckers live forever. Hell, Zhang himself is five thousand years old but he’s only been a Dei for around eight hundred of them.
“I don’t think he was ready to be a Dei, he was having too much fun on Earth, studying at all the best schools the anthros have to offer.” Pierce’s tone is the opposite of judgmental and I’m going to ignore the respect it holds for that motherfucker.
“He’s doing his job. With no horse in this race, he’s following the Rule of the Moirai.” Sitting in Samhain’s gigantic chair, Slay puts his feet up on the desk, crossing them at the ankle. He doesn’t bother to expand on his comment and I get that he’s being objective because none of us are capable of thinking straight. Okay,I’mnot capable of thinking straight, the others are slightly more coherent.
“I don’t give a shit if she decapitated the entirety of the fucking Thirteen. She was protecting herself and Danika.” I take my eyes off the screen and point an accusing finger at Pierce and Slay. “Hell, she was protecting you two as well.”
“No one is denying the reasons, Hack. Slay just means—”
I cut Pierce off. I don’t need to hear another word from his treacherous mouth.
“I fucking know what he meant, brother. But I’m telling you, if they execute her, I won’t be held accountable for my actions. And none of you will stop me.” I don’t need to add that my control will be gone, my morals a thing of the past. If anything happens to Sage, my demon side will be the only thing about me that exists and forgiveness won’t be an option.
“I have to say, Regina surprised me.” Slash speaks like he’s trying to figure out quantum physics, his voice is low and his brow is furrowed in concentration. “If she were in on Rafi’s plan, wouldn’t getting rid of Sage be to her advantage?”
I growl then throw some award-looking trophy sitting on top of the credenza clear across the room. Nobody isgetting ridof Sage. For a short second, the crash against the wall and the hole it leaves behind are oddly satisfying.
“Shit, Apollo is speaking.” Pierce points to the screen then lowers himself on the high-backed chair, elbows resting on his knees and fingers steepled at his mouth.
My head turns so fast I’m surprised I don’t get whiplash. This is important. Apollo is just one voice, but he’s always been fair and even tempered. It’s why Zeus appointed him Dei instead of going himself. That, and because that bastard is too busy fucking his way through the worlds to care about ruling anything but his dick. I’ve lost count of the number of times Hera has told him to fuck all the way off.
“If we all could approach this matter with logic and facts, I think it will be much easier to come to an agreement.” Apollo commands the room, even more so than the Grandei, who has always held his status over everyone's heads. “Before the tragic event, the investigation shows that Rafi had, indeed, broken the rule of the Moirai.”
With my fingers entwined over the top of my head, it’s taking every ounce of self control to stay standing and not run out of here. I’m hanging on by the threads of my sanity and it won’t take much for them to snap.
On the screen, Apollo opens a leather-bound file, papers neatly stacked inside, as he searches for whatever it is he needs.
“It all starts with the murder of a witch…” He runs his finger down a page then nods. “Yes, here it is. Trina Galdur.”
Rafi’s brother cuts in, a sneer curling his lip. “That was a lamia’s doing from what the witness reports say, so I don’t see how it has anything to do with my brother.”
All eyes turn to Regina, who doesn’t flinch nor pale. “Gentledei, I am not the keeper of all my kyn. Contrary to most sitting at this table, I do not micromanage the daily lives of my monsters. That being said, the appropriate punishments will be doled out for these unfortunate killings. You have my word, Dei Hekate.”
Hekate nods in appreciation, a small smile ticking up the corners of her mouth.
I cock my head to the side and before I can speak, Slash blurts out, “What was that?”
There’s no answer to that question, yet, but something is off. Something is not as it seems.
“Be that as it may,” Finnegan, the Dei of all shifters begins, his blue…everything almost blinding in the orange glow coming from the windows. “I find it difficult to tie the murder of this witch to Dei Rafi. He has no control over the lamia.”
