Page 22 of Monster Song
Demos
I
loathed sleeping alone and knowing Pavlina was in there with River. Yeah, I trusted River about as far as I could throw her when she first showed up in the Underworld. Only monsters could talk to other monsters like that, and I could sense from her she wasn’t one of us. I didn’t know what she was, and yeah, I said some nasty things to her because I just wanted her to leave.
An unknown creature I couldn’t burn with so much else going on in the Underworld? I wanted that as far away from me as possible. I didn’t get why my entire team didn’t see her as dangerous. They were all falling over themselves to kiss her ass, and I thought they looked like fools. I knew I was the only one that would come back if she ended up killing us all.
But she grew on me. It didn’t matter what I said to her, she never had a Pavlina reaction towards me, and if I were honest now, I totally would have deserved it. I could be an asshole if I thought someone deserved it. For a time, I actually thought she did.
She really didn’t. I had a lot of time to think while I was watching Demeter’s temple. She didn’t ask to come here. Hades kidnapped her. She could have totally lost her shit when he brought her down to a prison full of monsters. I didn’t deal with hysterical women very well. If she started shrieking and crying, I would have been cursing those collars all over again because I didn’t have hands to shove a pillow over my head and ignore it.
I’d never met a human who saw one of us for the first time and immediately didn’t run away screaming or trying to kill us. Maybe that’s why I didn’t like her at first. She wasn’t adequately scared of us, and that wasn’t natural. Things in the Underworld had changed for us, but she was an outsider, and she should have at least had the decency to look a little afraid.
My opinion changed the more she refused to just up and leave. She really was just trying to help and get answers about herself. She’d brought more allies to our side than Hades did, and after I got here, I thought Hades could do anything.
I was pacing my bedroom going crazy. It wasn’t just that I wanted to see River; it was that fucking Pavlina was in there with her. I could tell River liked Pavlina too, and if Pavlina could even smell the hint of someone wanting her, they usually ended up naked.
I wanted to go barging in there and demand my own alone time with River, but I knew she wouldn’t like that. And I had no desire to see Pavlina naked. Sure, Pavlina was gorgeous, but she’d eaten people for less, and I had no desire to get eaten by a massive spider because I accidentally saw her tits.
I heard a soft knock on my door, and it better be good because I left word with anyone who would listen not to disturb me unless it was necessary. Hades had the best wine in the Underworld in his lounge, and we all drank a little too much, trying to get to know Hephaestus. I could honestly say I liked him, even though he made a collar that trapped me.
I flung my door open.
“What?” I yelled.
I immediately regretted it. River was standing right there,alonewith her hand poised to knock again. Would I ever stop fucking things up with her? All she did was cock an eyebrow at me.
“Bad time? Should I come back?”
“No, I’m sorry. I’m just a little hungover. Is there a meeting?”
She just gave me this serene smile like nothing ever bothered her except the Olympians. She wasn’t scared to deceive them or even throw fire at them. I think that was why I liked her.
“No, you’re going into the arena tonight. I know Stheno is onboard with not fighting you and turning on the crowd, but it’s still dangerous. I know you all can handle yourselves, but this is dangerous. I thought we could have breakfast, then snuggle for a little while. There’s no one here to compete for big spoon.”
I ran my fingers through my hair and let her in.
“I hate fighting Pavlina for big spoon,” I grumbled.
“Breakfast should be up soon,” she said, coming into my private chambers.
Breakfast was actually there right away. And she remembered my favorite sandwich for breakfast and had it brought up. I’d never been married, and even the few times I thought I was in love, no one bothered to remember I hated breakfast food. Scrambled eggs were just so basic, and I preferred my bacon with something and highlighting the flavor instead of just plain. She probably didn’t know this, but the fact that she remembered I said I loved this for breakfast meant a lot to me.
I looked at what she was eating. I needed to learn her favorites if I would treat her like a queen. If she chose me, and having breakfast with me was a good sign, I planned on spoiling her rotten. That meant learning every detail, including how she took her tea so I could bring it to her in bed.
I pretended like I wasn’t studying her plate while trying to preen in my chair. I slept in my boxers, and I still wasn’t dressed. She hadn’t asked me to put trousers on, so I planned on getting some extra preening in because all phoenixes were beautiful and liked to show off.
She had the exact same sandwich I did on her plate, half an avocado, and cut up fruit. Someone blabbed about my full morning breakfast. I was guessing Tryphon. Pavlina would never help me, and Kimon was competition. Tryphon seemed to want to be one big happy relationship with all of us. Hephaestus barely knew me.
I watched her pour cream and sugar in her coffee to learn the exact amounts. So, she was a coffee girl instead of tea. That wasn’t a deal-breaker. I liked coffee sometimes too.
“Someone has been whispering in your ear about my favorite breakfast. You didn’t have to have the same thing.”
“Well, this sandwich has a French name, and I’ve never had it before. If you were alive in ancient Greece, then got sent to the Underworld, I guess I’m just wondering how a French sandwich is your favorite. And I want to taste it to see why.”
I just laughed.
“Demeter would like everyone to think Persephone is some sort of prisoner here until she rescues her to bring her back to Olympus. It’s not true. She used to go to Earth all the time to shop. Persephone is quite fond of Paris, and so am I. Every time we go, Persephone comes back with bags full of things, and her bodyguards come back with a new favorite food. We get a hold of the recipe and bring it back here. The Underworld has a wide variety of cuisines now.”
