Page 46 of Monster Song
River
S
omething was going on, and no one would tell me what. I expected my father to stick around after the enormous battle so we could get to know each other better, but none of his legions had gone back home. Every time I left my bedroom, I was tripping over some type of demon. They were all perfectly lovely, but they weren’t acting like they were just having an Underworld vacation while I had some bonding time with my father.
No one would tell me what was going on. Hades was either in meetings with my father I wasn’t invited to or spending time with Persephone. My father kept insisting it was Underworld business, and even though I had helped before, he wanted me to stay out of it this time.
My monsters were totally avoiding the subject with me, but they weren’t being kept in the loop either. They weren’t invited to the meetings with Hades and my father, and they had no idea why Hephaestus hadn’t come back either. He should have destroyed all his weapons by now. I knew the demons would have handed them over.
Unless there were disgruntled monsters that kept theirs and we would have another uprising on our hands, I couldn’t figure out what was going on, and I hated not being able to figure out puzzles. My monster would change the subject when I started a long-winded rant about it, but they were asking questions. They wanted Hephaestus back too, and they needed to know if their fellow monsters had held onto a weapon that would kill Hades and Persephone.
They were still Persephone’s bodyguards, but she wasn’t going out anymore. She was alone with Hades, or she stayed in her bedroom like she knew she was in danger. They took turns guarding outside her door. They tried asking her, but she was loyal to Hades through and through. He didn’t want anyone to know what he was planning, so she wouldn’t spill. All she would say was that Demeter was really dead, and that drama was over.
There was a new drama brewing. I knew it. I wanted to help with it if I could. I’d be useless fighting a monster, and I saw what Hephaestus’s blade did to Demeter. I didn’t particularly want to find out what it did to a half demon or one of my monsters.
Still, as much as I enjoyed antagonizing him, I didn’t want Hades to die. I didn’t want someone to turn on Hephaestus with that blade when he agreed to live in the Underworld just to be with me.
I knew I might not be able to help, and I totally realized this was Hades’ domain, and he didn’t have to tell me a damned thing. It was the not knowing that was driving me crazy. It was stressing me out. Did I want Hephaestus to stay away if those weapons were still out there, or did I want him here with me? It was those thoughts that were keeping me up at night.
It had been two weeks since I killed Demeter. I now had a swirling red mark on me from Demos that warmed when I was near fire, but we hadn’t set another room on fire. I’d always wanted a septum piercing, but was worried about how clients would react at work. I was now sporting one in my nose from Kimon. His mark seemed to make me a little stronger physically around him.
We were all sitting in my bedroom, throwing out theories. Pavlina and Demos were getting along much better and could even take the same shift now. They were both gone and stationed outside Persephone’s door.
Someone flung my door open, and I didn’t even have to look up to know it was Hades. Everyone else in the Underworld was civilized enough to realize I was dating four monsters and a God and might be naked. Hades just didn’t care, even though both my father and I had said something about it. I didn’t even snap at him for it this time because he hadn’t come barging into my bedroom since the Demeter mess was over. If he was doing it now, maybe he was ready to tell us what the fuck was going on.
“River, I have good news. Hephaestus will be back within minutes, and he would like to see you alone. The rest of you, Persephone is having someone do her hair. Stand guard and keep her company.”
Hades turned on his heels and stormed out. He didn’t tell us a damned thing about what was going on, but I had a feeling Hephaestus would be honest with me. If he was coming back, then that meant it was safe, right? Hades was allowing a hairdresser to see Persephone. Maybe all the weapons were accounted for.
Gods and their ability to appear and disappear. I tried to walk out of my bedroom and ended up face first in Hades' chest. He was like a brick wall, and I ended up ass planting on the floor. Hephaestus shoved Hades aside and rushed to me. He pulled me to my feet and gave me an enormous hug.
“Be careful!” he barked at Hades.
“Me? She’s the one that ran into me.”
“She’s asked you not to go barging into her room without knocking.”
“I think you can agree we were both barging, Hephaestus.”
“You’re an Olympian. You barge harder than she does.”
Hades threw up his hands.
“I give up. You got your time. Use it well.”
Demos and Kimon both kissed me on the way out.
“Enjoy your time with your God, baby bird.”
“Find out what the fuck is going on,” Demos whispered.
When they shut the door, I turned back to Hephaestus. He looked tired, and I noticed he was favoring his good leg. I touched his cheek.
“Are you okay?”
He cradled my face in his hands and rested his forehead on mine.
“Can we not talk about Olympian business tonight? I’d rather just enjoy being with you. Can I be your big spoon this time?”
