Page 14 of Hades

“I got a glimpse of her, and I knew I couldn’t stay away. The moment I stepped through that gate, I was doomed. No matter what I do now, the pull to be with her will be too much to bear,” I admit as I stand, suddenly needing to move around. Fuck. What I actually need is to punch someone—hard. “It’s the same every time. I’m drawn to her like a moth to a flame. But if she for even one moment thinks she loves me…” I snap my fingers. “Just like that, her memory of me will be gone.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I don’t fucking know!” I scream out in frustration. “All I know is that I’ve tried for so many lifetimes to be with her, and everything I’ve done has failed. Your mother has cursed us to this… this hell, over and over and over again.” The rage I have inside builds until I can no longer control it. Balling my fist, I punch the brick-and-mortar column at the center of Asher’s office. Stone and debris scatter across the floor.

If I thought for one moment that we were alone, or our conversation wasn’t being monitored, that theory would have been squashed when Asher burst into the room.

“What the fuck!” Asher yells as he enters his office and heads directly for the ravaged pillar. “Can’t you destroy your place, you know, in your own fucking world?”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” I joke, shaking my bloody hand, which is already beginning to heal.

“Am I missing something? What world are you talking about?” Alastor questions, and rightfully so. I’ve only ever known of one person besides myself who could go back and forth between realities: Reaver.

Taking a moment, I ponder how to explain the seemingly unexplainable. I groan as I search for the right answer, finally, settling. I give him the most basic answer I can. “When Gabriel destroyed the world, Themis somehow caused a dual reality when she attempted to‘fix it.’”I add in a few air quotes for good measure.

The explanation for any of this makes no sense at all. But I’ve known of the existence of the two realities for as long as they have both existed, longer than I care to count. For many lifetimes, it acted as my refuge when I could no longer bear to be here, having the constant pull of Aradia beating me down.

“So what? You’re just able to go back and forth between the two? That hardly sounds fair.”

“I don’t know,” I snarl, ready to take someone’s head off at the insistent and ridiculous questioning. “Aradia and I were cursed before Themis attempted creation, or whatever the fuck she wants to call it. I stumbled across it completely by accident. Can we focus on why I’m here, specifically with you?” I point at Alastor, who still has a confused look on his face.

Glancing down at my watch, I check the time. I’m unsure where Aradia is staying, so I want to give myself enough time to get to whatever she is.

“Do you have someplace better to be?” Alastor questions, as if somehow, I’m on trial.

“As a matter of fact, I do. So, if we could hurry this along, I need to go.”

I watch as Asher scans the room. “You’re paying for the damage,” he says as he points toward me. “And you,” he addresses Alastor. “You need to bring us more Skull Wine as payment. And hurry it up. I do have a business to run,” he concludes before leaving the two of us.

“As I said, can you get to the fucking point?” I blurt out as soon as the door closes.

Alastor glares at me. At one time, we had been like brothers. But that time has long since passed. I don’t bother to sit back down. The quicker I can get out of here, the sooner I can be with Aradia.

“I need you to leave my sister alone.”

The words register but feel like a punch to the gut. I can’t just… leave her alone, at least not now. “That’s impossible,” I inform him without getting into much more detail than he probably wants. “Anything else?” I ask, my patience wearing thin.

He lets out a long sigh as he rubs his temples, a trait I’ve seen Aradia do numerous times.

“Look, I’m not saying forever. But maybe until we can figure out if me getting my memory back is part of your curse breaking or not. Can’t you at least do that for her?”

Frustration courses through me, and I once again ball my fist. But as I look over at the destroyed pillar with its rebar sticking out and the pile of crumbled masonry at its base, I do my best to contain my anger. I understand his concern. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember and tried every avenue to stay away. But the moment I see her, no matter what I do, the ending is inevitable.

“It’s physically impossible for me to stay away from Aradia once I’ve seen her. And especially not once she’s touched me,” I add, rubbing my chest where her finger poked me. “Even if I return now, the pull will be too great. I’d last maybe a few days. Longer, if I’m restrained,” I inform him as I go to the door, ready to leave this conversation behind. Before I can turn the handle, I feel his hand on my shoulder.

“If all you can do is a few days, give me that…please.” I can hear the desperation in his voice, and I know he only wants what’s best for Aradia, and that’s never been me.

There’s no point in answering him, so I don’t bother before I leave.

“Just give me a few days!” he yells, but I’m already halfway down the hall.

His words echo through my head as I enter the hot Vegas day. The strip is bustling with people, and the human stench is almost unbearable. The pull inside me is so strong that I wonder momentarily if Aradia is back inside the club.

The monster of a doorman, clearly a demon, gives me a pointed-toothed grin. “Looking for someone, sire?” he hisses, and I give him a raised eyebrow.Sire… who the fuck does he think he’s talking to. “You’re looking for the woman—the one being escorted by the Hellhound?” I give him a curt nod. “She went to the JDL,” he says, motioning toward the hotel entrance.

“Thanks.”

Walking into the hotel, I glance down at my watch. Five-thirty. A solid half-hour before I’m due to meet Aradia. Grabbing a seat in the lobby, I sit back in the stiff leather chair, ensuring I have a perfect view of the elevators. I want to be the first thing she sees as she exits. The cocky side of me knows that my pull on her is as strong as the one she wields over me, though she may never understand why.

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