Page 48 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Ares and I ran to the book as Hermes flipped to my page. In bold letters, Hades God of the Underworld column stood. It had everything that had ever happened to me over the years. When the Underworld was established, significant events and even when I stole Persephone from her mother. As I scrolled down the page, there was a picture of Persephone in the background holding onto a bright angel. Zeus and Selene were standing in front of me, holding me back.

Instead of focusing on my utter embarrassment, I looked to the angel. Gabriel. "This isn't Malachi," I said out loud while we all looked at each other.

"Why do I remember Malachi as her mate?" Vulcan spoke, confused. Loukas stood quiet in the corner; his expressions changed with the rest of us talking. He started to rub his head as he was thinking.

"Speak up, Loukas." I walked towards him. Loukas backed away slightly as he realized I was walking towards him. He was still scared shitless.

"I had a terrible thought." His voice shook. "What if Malachi had a spell set to make everyone believe that he was Persephone's mate? The spell could be breaking, and that is why he needs Hecate."

"If the spell has lasted this long, I doubt the spell is breaking. Malachi wants to do something else," Hermes spoke up again. "Gabriel has been walking around the heavens all this time and doesn't have a clue Persephone is his. Malachi and Gabriel even act like good 'ole pals."

"Whatever this is, it hasn't lasted for long," Ares interrupted. "Why would he have taken Selene and Hecate now? Whatever was cast on the gods has only recently changed our thoughts of who Persephone's mate really is. No one has seen Persephone either, have they, Hermes?

Hermes shook his head. "Nothing out of the ordinary; she stays to herself anyway. The last sighting of her was a few weeks ago with Malachi. So, she isn't being held captive. I can follow up and see where she is."

"What do we do now?" Vulcan gathered the coffee mugs from the table. No one touched a thing; we were too busy in our own thoughts and the desires to figure out why two goddesses could be missing.

"We can watch Malachi's patterns, see what he's after. I have a feeling Jillian somehow ties into this, and I want to know why," Hermes pulled out a small black notebook and started to thumb through the pages.

"Jillian stays out of this," I growled. "I don't want her near the bastard, and she can't leave to go anywhere without me." Hermes paid no mind to my threat and ripped part of the parchment.

"Here, Malachi and several angels frequent this club on Friday nights. We should all go, disguised completely different than our strip club cover." I gritted my teeth. Did he not just hear what I fucking said?

Loukas's back straightened as he looked down the hallway.

"My Lord, there is a chattering noise going on in Jillian's room." I pushed past Loukas and practically ran down the hallway, only to be greeted by Jillian staring up at me with her beautiful green eyes.

"Hades!" she squealed as she pounced on me. Jillian introduced me to her little friend, a Phantomtail known for its disappearing tails and taking care of lost spirit animals and humans. Cerberus had joined us, and he hates those fuckers.

"They go around lighting shit on fire, emotionally attaching themselves to certain souls." Cerberus could go on for days how annoying they are, but I could already tell Jillian had an emotional attachment to the little guy. He was cute in some girly sort of way.

Cerberus whimpered as Jillian cradled the Phantomtail to her chest, cooing at it like it was a little baby.

"But I'm the best boy. I'm the baby," he whined while Jillian huffed at her horrible predicament. All these males were around, biding for her attention, and she still didn't understand any of it. Jillian continued to pet the little rat that I told her she could keep. Let's be honest, though, he wasn't going to leave her side; he had already grown his attachment to her, and I couldn't zap him into dust because it would upset her.

"What should we call him?" she quipped as she hopped on the bed. My shirt rode up her thighs, so she was barely covered. Just a little more, and I would be able to see the lips I was really after. My heated stare was caught on quickly as she pulled down the shirt more.

"Sorry, I got so excited I didn't finish dressing," she blushed as she nuzzled the Phantom tail. I'm getting jealous over a damn squirrel. Can't she pet me like that? Fuck, it is getting me hard already.

"Now you know how I feel," Cerberus whined again as he put his paws over two of his heads.

"We?" I asked. "It is your animal."

"But he's our baby. We have to take care of him together." Cerberus started laughing in my head as I held back a laugh.

"Our baby?"

"Yup, we take care of Cerberus together, and now this guy, so we name him together," she spoke confidently. I leaned my head back on the bed and threw my arm over my stomach while Jillian sat thoughtfully. "How about Fluffy?" Cerberus started laughing out loud but covered it with a choking sound. The little Phantomtail didn't look amused and glared at her.

Stretching my chin and sitting forward, I pulled Jillian to my lap, and the little Phantomtail sat in her hands, glaring at me. I could feel the soft skin beneath my hands as I trailed my finger over her thighs. "What about Blaze?" Jillian gasped and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"That sounds so much better. Fits his surroundings too!" Jillian pecked me on the cheek while Blaze puffed out his chest.

"You are great at naming our animals. I bet you would be great at naming babies too!" Jillian blushed as she kissed my neck. I stiffened as she spoke about children. Part of me wanted to roar out in triumph that she would think of me naming children, our children.

Then the other part of me slumped in defeat. "Angel, did you know that the God of the Underworld is infertile?"

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