Page 33 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

“We already know this,” Aaden says.

“Then you know as much as we do.”

I drum my fingers on the table. “If you were the King of Monsters and wanted to eradicate mankind. How would you do it?” Jed frowns. Aaden swings his laptop around to face us. My eyes widen, taking in the various pictures of hell.

“What if he plans to release the demons in hell?” Aaden asks. “With Lawrence’s help, he could rule them.”

Jed wipes his hand over his mouth. “It would be carnage for months, if not years. The war would be bloody, violent and brutal. A hundred years ago it would have been a swift defeat, now humans have enough technology to give demons a run for their money.”

“Plus they don’t have the support of the entirety of hell. According to Ant, the majority want the status quo. Those loyal to Lucifer won’t join the war,” I add. Something doesn’t fit, Lawrence wouldn’t bet on a losing side. If he has a plan, it’s a solid one. Perhaps more of Hell is invested than Ant realizes.

A loud pinging noise erupts from Aaden’s laptop. “Incoming, it’s Charlie,” Aaden says, tapping on the keyboard.

The large TV screen blinks on and Uncle Charlie’s face appears. He’s looking a little unkempt. He needs a beard trim, a good meal and twelve hours of sleep. I need the same, minus the beard trim, because who has time for that when the world is ending? “Who’s that?” Uncle Charlie barks, his eyes narrowing on Emi.

Emi waves, wiggling in her chair. “Hi, I’m Themis, but my friends call me Emi. I’m the goddess of justice.”

Uncle Charlie’s spine snaps straight and his face blotches. Oh boy. “The coroner.”

She nods. “Yes, it was an ideal way of keeping an eye on Natia.”

Oh crap, purple… his face is now purple. “And why would you do that?” he says in a steady tone. The calmer Charlie becomes, the more scared you should be. Emi either fails to see it or doesn’t care.

“She’s Pandora, the savior of humankind, and she didn’t know it. She was vulnerable. Also she asked me to.”

“Huh?” Natia Waterford, supplier of one word stupidity.

Emi swings to look at me. “I knew you in your original form. You asked me to look out for you when you were reborn.”

“Do you know why she was reborn?” Duncan asks.

Emi nods. “It’s for Natia’s ears only.” Zee growls, she glares at him. “It’s her past, if she shares it with you afterwards, that’s her choice.”

“Natia, you will report once you have the facts,” Uncle Charlie demands. Welcome to Mr Control, everybody. I decide not to comment. Anything pertinent to the mission, I’ll share. The rest is mine. Everybody eyes me with caution. They’re expecting me to explode at his bossy attitude. All it would achieve is an angry uncle and a pissed off me. Then I’d need to deal with my excess power. Inside, my child self is applauding my expert adulting.

Zee drags his gaze away from me to the TV. “Boss, any news on Typhon’s plans?”

Uncle Charlie strokes his mustache. “Nothing concrete, although there are rumors regarding the releasing of Hell on earth. I suspect they stem from his liaison with Lawrence, whose ambitions have been clear for a while.”

I twist my lips. A few weeks ago I thought he was dead. Instead, he’s been hunting me for years whilst Duncan has been running interference. It’s like a festering wound I don’t want to prod. On cue, my abdomen starts to ache. I run my hand over the star-shaped scar, a souvenir of my encounter with Lawrence years ago. He tried to shoot Duncan, I got in the way. I glance at Duncan who’s gazing at my hand, his forehead crinkled. Too many secrets, every time they bite you in the ass. If I’d told the guys about the key to the Jar I held, I would have never taken it with me. Archan wouldn’t have found it and opened the Jar, he wouldn’t be possessed and we wouldn’t be facing the end of the world. Choices. However, he would have still accused me of being Pandora, and murdered me, naked, after the most amazing sex of my life.

“I’ve got a few more leads to follow up,” Uncle Charlie says. “You should concentrate on the plan to put him down.” I nod, staring at the table. First, we need the key. “And, Natia?” My head snaps up. “I want a full report on your past.” The screen goes blank.

“Is hello, goodbye, please and thank you, dead in today’s society? Or do I hang out with arrogant assholes who think it’s below them?” I ponder.

“Everyone’s tense,” Duncan says.

“And Zac’s an ass,” Jed says, tuning into my meaning. He jumps up and strolls to the kitchen… hmm Jed’s cooking. Yum. Wait, it’s a distraction.

I leap out of my chair. “Food later, Smoothie. Right now we have a key to retrieve.”

He pauses from his perusal of the refrigerator contents. “He said he would give it to you after you get everything you need.”

With my hands planted on my hips, I tap my foot. “Right now, this is the only element I can get. I don’t want to waste time because Zac wants to be the most important and hold out on me. This is something I can fix right now.”

He slams the refrigerator door shut with a sigh and runs his hand through his blonde tipped hair. “Fine, we’ll search Archan’s apartments at the tower first.”

“We were at the house the last time I saw it.”

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