Page 13 of Seeking Hades' Ember

Chapter 7

Hades

Jillian’s big emerald eyes investigated my fire and instantly melted it away. Only steam remained as I breathed in her scent. She smells of cinnamon and a warm fire, it comforted me to no end. Her angelic voice, her first real sentence to me, had my rage extinguished to just a mere smolder.

Her hand in mine squeezed me so gently it was barely noticeable. My hand could easily crush her and yet she continued to bring me reassurance that everyone had bad days. She was becoming the light of my darkness and she didn’t know the effect she has on me.

Jillian’s small grin started to fade and the small grip she had on my hand began to fall. “I’m…” she spoke but didn’t have time to finish because her eyes instantly closed and she fell. I quickly grabbed her and pull her into my arms as we sit on the floor by the massive window. The sounds of clacking Italian shoes enter the room along with heavy breathing.

“The fuck did you do?” Ares yelled. I didn’t look at him as I held her, stroking her hair as her heartbeat continued at a steady pace.

“She passed out, her body is weak,” I growled. I didn’t want to acknowledge it but in my cold heart I knew all of this, all her suffering was my fault. If I had only listened to Selene, I could have protected her, saved her from the life she has been living but my blackened heart failed to see reason. At the time I thought I didn’t need her, but now I do.

Picking her up gently, cradling her head into my chest, her arm was dangling at her side, I walked through the crowded doorway. “Where are you taking her, Hades?” Loukas spoke harshly. Stopping me in my tracks, I turned my head over my shoulder and glared at him.

Loukas was my demon; he may be one of the best demons I’ve ever created but he was crossing a line. He has had explicit instructions to never use my name in front of others. “The fuck you call me?” Black smoke started to fizzle around my body. Loukas step back and got on his knees and fell to the floor.

“I’m sorry, My Lord, please forgive me. I’m only thinking of Jillian.” I growled so loudly the windows shook along with broken China on the floor.

“If you have any value in your life, you will stop your obsession with her.” I grasped onto her tightly. “She is my mate and your future Queen. Do you understand me, demon?” Loukas continued to shake in panic. I’d gotten rid of his best friend only a few hundred years ago for calling out my name in public.

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry. Thank you for your mercy,” he begged. I continued to walk up the stairs and into the master bedroom. I didn’t want to let her out of my sight right now. She calms me and I’m sure our bond will only grow stronger when we stay close. However, duty calls and a plan to take her back with me needs to be in place.

Laying her on the bed, I put the covers over her to make sure she was comfortable before I headed back down the stairs. Loukas was sitting on the couch with his hands on his head while Ares, Hermes and Vulcan were talking in hushed tones.

“Meeting, now,” I demanded as we headed to the dining room. The dining room doubled as a conference room since I never had guests to dine with anyway. “Sit,” I commanded as they entered.

I leaned back in my chair; feet propped up on the table looking over the lighted city before me. Rubbing the stubble on my chin, I let out a large sigh while feeling the heated gaze of my ‘friends.’

“We leave back for the Underworld tomorrow; I’m taking Jillian with me.” Hermes stands to protest but I throw up my hand. “She will be safer with me than on Earth.”

“You’re right,” Hermes says, and I raise a brow. Is he fucking with me?“There has been a disturbance in the Celestial Kingdom.” Ares bangs the table.

“’Bout time! I’ve been itchin’ for a war!” Ares stands up and strips himself of his human form, now daunting his pelt and armor. His sword was at his side as he unsheathed it and banged his chest like a damn baboon.

“Down boy!” Hermes laughs. “There’s no war yet. I don’t even know what the disturbance is about, but I’m hell-bent on finding out.” Hermes was a messenger god, but he was also a spy. He never took sides unless completely necessary and even then, he tried to stay neutral.

“If you hear anything, let us know,” Vulcan speaks up. “Especially since the Helm has been gone for years. Who knows how long someone has been planning for a power struggle?” Hermes nodded to Vulcan.

“What of Jillian? Sheisyour mate, isn’t she?” Ares sat down, throwing his sword on the table. I began to stew; they may have known that Selene had told me about my mate being born but they didn’t know that I had the chance to see her birth, to know who she was, and follow her to protect her.

The guilt was eating me away. One day I’ll have to tell her, and I pray that day doesn't come too quickly.

“She is.” I willed a glass of whisky in my hand.

“And human,” Vulcan added. “Has that been done before for the gods?”

“For demi-gods but none of the original twelve have been mated with a human,” Hermes spoke. “Selene has been hunting souls for the perfect matches for the big 12 and usually they are paired with other gods.”

A loud scream came from upstairs and before it stopped, I was transported to the middle of the room. My fists were ready to fight off whatever was on Jillian only to find her in the middle of the bed, back to the headboard, shaking. “What’s wrong!?” I run to her, forgetting I could be the one she could be afraid of.

“H-how’d you get in here?!” she sobbed with a hand over her mouth.

“I was sleeping on the floor,” I lied. My voice as was as calm as I could make it. “What’s wrong?” The room was dark as night with no moon, but my vision was perfect. Her eyes were glassy, fingers shaking as she kept her hand over her mouth like she was going to scream again.

“I’m sorry,” she hiccupped. “It was dark, I had a nightmare, and I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t mean to, I swear…” her voice trailed off and I rushed to her side. Her body flinched at my sudden burst of movement and my aching heart broke. She was so damaged, and I did this to her. I stopped right in front of her and held out my hand. She took a moment but put her hand in mine.Progress.

I sat next to her, my eyes begging to ask if it was all right and she nodded slowly. Taking another step, I wrap my arms around her shoulders. They were stiff but relaxed promptly. “I won’t let anything ever happen to you again, Jillian, I promise.” Her green eyes again melted into mine. “Sleep, I’ll keep your nightmares away,” I whispered.

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