Page 24 of Hades

Cain and Kat share a few glances as if they’re having a full-on conversation without words. For a moment, I wonder if they are somehow telepathically connected, like shifters are in all the books I’ve read.

“Can you tell me about Hades?” I ask Cain as I pull out the chair and sit. “Is hereallythe god of the Underworld?”

Cain nearly spits out his coffee at my question. “God is a real strong word, and he’s been… abroad for quite some time,” he adds.

“Abroad? Like in Europe?”

“Not exactly.” Cain lets out a long sigh and looks over at his wife, who is now engrossed with their kids, trying to get them to eat breakfast. “He’s been on another field of existence. Same place Kat is from.”

“And that’s where, exactly?”

“It’s hard to explain. But essentially, there is an entire other Earth, or plane of existence. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t accidentally stumbled across it. But apparently, that’s where he’s been, for a while anyway.”

I let out a loud laugh. “Now who’s the crazy one?” I exclaim, expecting him to let me in on the joke. Instead, he raises one white eyebrow. “You’re serious? How do we get there?” My curiosity is high, and I want to know everything. Yet I feel that Cain is reluctant to spill the beans, so I revert to my previous question. “So, Hades doesn’t live here?”

“No one had seen Hades in over fifty years. He just showed here up here yesterday.”

Math was never my strongest subject, but Hades doesn’t look old enough to be out of his thirties, let alone be gone for over fifty years. “How old—” I stop myself because I want to ask how old Hades is, but then it dawns on me that Cain must also be older than he looks, to even remember. “Never mind,” I correct myself.

“Where are you heading when you leave?” Kat thankfully interjects. The subject change isn’t smooth, but I’m glad for the distraction.

“Boston, actually. I’ve never been and decided to move across the country and get as far away from California as possible.”

“Ohmygod. You’re from California? Me too!” she shouts, practically leaping out of her seat. “I knew I liked you. Where in Cali?”

“Ummm, Sacramento—”

Kat lets out a squeal that I’m sure only wolves and Hellhounds can hear. “We were practically neighbors. I lived in Timber Cove.”

“In a different California,” Cain mumbles, and Kat playfully sticks out her tongue. Immediately, the two children sitting at the table do the same. “Good job, Mom,” he teases, and she blows a raspberry in his direction, which their two children try to imitate.

“Anyway, we’re Cali girls. And if you’re heading to Boston, you should look up Kennedy. She’s amazing. You’ll love her.”

“Is she…” I pause, trying to find the right words, but decide to go with what I know. “Is she a shifter like you?”

“No, she’s human, I think.” She looks to her husband for confirmation, but all he does is give her a shrug. “Long story, but she has a medical practice out there, and I think she’s specializing in non-humans, or at least she’s trying.”

I’m still trying to process everything around me, and Kat is talking as if it’s no big deal that humans aren’t the only ones walking the Earth and, I guess, the Underworld.

“Well, Argos and I will probably head out around lunchtime. I only planned on staying one night. But I feel such a connection here, I hate to leave. Is that weird?”

Kat places her hand over mine. The gesture is small, but I don’t feel alone for the first time in longer than I care to remember. Yesterday she was a stranger that I came to for help, and today, she’s my friend.

“We all get that feeling when we suddenly start to fit in, and you are always welcome to return. Cain and I don’t live here right now. As you can imagine, we need some land to run with these four. We’re up in Washington state, and you’re always welcome.”

“Thanks,” I say before digging into the breakfast before me. “Can I ask you something?” Kat nods in response as she takes a sip of her coffee. “How do you know I won’t tell everyone about this place and you?”

Kat doesn’t even hesitate. “I don’t, but something inside me tells me you won’t. You should also call and talk with Alastor. He’d be the best person to talk to about Hades and anything else.”

She pulls out her phone from her bag, and we exchange information. She even sends me Alastor’s contact, though I don’t think I’ll be using it any time soon. I hug her goodbye, not sure if I’ll ever see her again. It saddens me to think that, but the reality is, if they live in Washington and I live in Boston, that’s a heck of a trip to make, even if we were the best of friends.

Argos and I don’t have much to pack, so gathering stuff in our room only takes me a few minutes.

“Ready to hit the road?” I ask him as I grab his leash.

HADES

I feel like astalker standing outside the JDL Hotel and watching Aradia and Argos leave. I’m even hiding across the street in case she decides to take a walk down the strip. My possessive nature flares up when she stops to talk with the demon manning the door. I let out an audible growl that has the woman standing next to me backing away, a wise move on her part.

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