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ARES

“ N o!” Desmond shouted as the portal’s light flickered off and closed. He ran to where it materialized, waving his hand through the empty space.

The last thing we saw was Diana’s worried expression and Lucifer shifting into his true form, which means something terrible happened.

I’d say so, Voice agreed. That man is too vain to stray from his handsome humanesque form, so something fucked up is afoot.

Ugh! I took my spear, slashing at the air, even though I knew it wouldn’t make the portal open back up. In an act of pure frustration, I threw it at the wall. Most of it went through, with only the very end sticking out. Desmond recalled it, handing it back to me.

“Calm the fuck down, A-Bomb. Try mindlinking her,” he barked.

The voices in my head were shouting, ringing the alarm bells loud and clear.

Something is wrong with Diana!

She’s in danger!

Where is she?!

How can you get her pregnant if you can’t find her!

Guys, shut the fuck up! I mentally shouted at them. Once they fell silent, I focused on our mental link. It wasn’t off…but it was filled with static.

A-A-rrrrrrrrr–lp! It sounded like her voice, but I wasn’t sure what she was saying.

“I’m getting bits and pieces, but nothing concrete,” I reported. “You?”

“Nothing.” Desmond turned, looking over hundreds of troops, his normally stoic face an eruption of terror.

We lost our Diana. The guys. Judas. My favorite FIL.

A thunderous crash rang out through the auditorium, plunging us into darkness. Grunts, screams, and the zing of magic sounded as the smell of sulfur assaulted my senses. I casted a huge fire orb toward the ceiling, illuminating the entire room. Red’s soldiers, complete with their tacky red uniforms, attacked from all angles. The fighting called to the part of me that craved violence and thrived on chaos–who had no issue bathing in his enemies’ blood and painting the streets red with it afterward.

Game time! Voice rasped.

“Fuck yeah!” I screamed back, ignoring the odd look from Desmond as I gripped my spear.

Desmond shifted to his full demon form, his clothes shredding and falling to the floor. His red skin was taut over his bulging muscles and his black horns shone in the orb light. And his wings? They were fully spread and tight with tension. Shadows wisped around his groin, covering all his good bits. He looked lethal…and hot as fuck.

This isn’t the time to drool over Desmond, Voice reminded me. Get your ass out there and fuck some shit up. Then we gotta get our girl!

The crack of Desmond’s wings expanding snapped me out of my admiration. He flew out over the crowd of fighters, hovering toward the chapel ceiling. His red magic glimmered as he casted a shield to deflect attacks.

I magically amplified my voice loud enough to ring through the entire room so I could guide my troops.“SECURITY brEACH. TAKE NO PRISONERS!”

I sped into the frey at Greek god speed, zooming through the fighting to look for someone who needed help. The first degenerate intruder I encountered was a shifted werewolf. He stood over one of The Morrigan’s crow shifters, his fur and claws damp with blood. I pulled his tail, bringing him to the floor and plunging my spear into his throat. Snapping his head off was effortless. I set it on fire and spelled it to take down our enemies before boomeranging it around the room. Each soldier it touched burst into flames, their corpses crumbling to ash.

Fuck yeah, I see you A-Bomb, Desmond linked me.

As he flew over the battle, his shadows blanketed the fighting below, like a rolling fog, invading the noses and mouths of Red’s troops before suffocating them. His shadow magic may have been unpredictable, but it was killing it right now.

Oh, I see what you did there, Voice chuckled. The shadows are actually killing people.

A bog witch ran up to me and casted a swirling orb of power in my direction. She probably thought it would hit me, and she’d be the lucky duck who finally took out the God of War. Wrong . I caught it with one hand, set it on fire, and threw it at her. She ran, making it a whole one hundred feet before it engulfed her in flames.

On the far side of the room I saw my brother, Apollo, shining his blinding light straight into a lizard shifter’s face. The light intensified, causing his head to implode.

Where are Angela, Charlie, and Nonna? I linked him while skewering a couple of moon people with my spear.

I faded them out as soon as the light went out. They’re secure in their suite, he assured me. I loved my new family, but held a special place in my heart for my new grandmother. Nonna–and her meatballs—were a gift to this earth, and she needed to be protected at all costs.

I dropped enemy after enemy, until my entire body was splattered with blood and body chunks. I didn’t see Red. Either he wasn’t here, or he was somewhere else on the compound.

Have you seen Red? I linked Desmond.

He landed next to me before spidering his shadows to every corner of the room. They snaked out the door, up the walls, and through the air vents.

“He was here, I can feel some of his residual magic. But I don’t feel his presence anymore.”

“The only way he got in here was the rat. Whoever it is, they’re still on the compound…”

After what happened to the Costa Casino and the multiple attacks on the compound, Judas had assembled a team of experts to magically secure this place against the rat. We were on the team, and I could vouch it was tighter than a nun’s asshole.

How do you know how tight a nun’s asshole is? Voice sounded curious, with a tinge of mild disgust.

Because I went through a… hole-y phase …in the 1700’s , I answered him. Past me did a lot of deplorable things. His cackles rang through my mind, and I shut that shit down. I needed to focus.

“Finding a needle in a haystack might be easier than finding the culprit,” he lamented.

The fighting ensued, our soldiers finishing off the last of the stragglers. I whistled, getting the attention of a bear shifter to my right. He stopped mauling one of Red’s soldiers and waited for my order. “Tie that one up, bring them to the dungeon.”

“I have a feeling we’ll be busy later,” Desmond predicted with startling accuracy. His shadows curled up his biceps, winding their way around his chest as he flicked his wings closed.

Busy hands do the dirty work, Voice sing-songed to me.

“Right you are,” I agreed.

Apollo oversaw the coven’s disposal of the carnage while Desmond, myself, August, Charlie, Angela, Marilyn and Nonna gathered in our barrack. Desmond and I caught them up on everything that happened.

“So we don’t even know if they even made it to Hell proper,” August clarified.

“Judging by the expression on Diana’s face and the movement behind her in the portal, I highly doubt it,” I said.

“Red’s attack right after is confirmation enough for me. It was a distraction, so we couldn’t fix the problem. If I had to guess, I’d say he trapped them somewhere.” Desmond ran his fingers through his beard, rubbing his chin in thought.

“Hell is like Swiss cheese. A million hidey-holds…” I trailed off, deep in thought. “And our mindlinks aren’t working… And the only one she’s soul bonded with is with her, so that’s no use.”

I used to be salty as fuck about Feathers’ soulbond with Diana, and Bash’s claim mark. But now I understand that this family we created wouldn’t work without all of us. And it would take all of us to find her.

“I don’t know much about higher magic, but unless we can pinpoint where they are, they need to get themselves out of this mess,” Nonna crossed her legs, leaning forward slightly in her chair. “I have a feeling Diana will save them all.” Charlie nodded in agreement, grasping Nonna’s hand.

“Glad you’re so optimistic, Ma, but it isn’t that easy sometimes,” Angela fretted, winding her fingers together. “At least Judas and Bain are with her.” Marilyn hugged her sister, and Charlie brought them in for a group hug. All of us in this room were missing someone we loved.

There was a curt knock at the door, which immediately put me on high alert. I gave Apollo temporary access to our place, so he’d fade right in if it were him. Whoever was on the other side of the door was powerful enough to mute their magical signature and conceal their identity to magical beings around them.

Desmond aimed his scrutinizing gaze at me, weaving his shadows under the door. I can’t tell who’s there.

Loud knocking on the door got everyone’s attention.

“Ares, open the door!” Zeus shouted. Of course he’d come here and rub my face in our failure.

Against my better judgment, I let him. He wore a dove gray suit with a crisp white dress shirt. There were some small blood specks from the battle, but they barely detracted from his gold jewelry. Seriously, his thick chain gleamed so brightly it could attract a whole swarm of golden pixies. He was pretentious as fuck, as usual, dressing to impress. Hades followed behind him, in a much less showy ensemble. He still looked biker chic, but his jeans and white tee had no tears. His hair was slicked back, with a clean five o’clock shadow. He immediately beelined it to Angela and took her hand, kissing the back of it.

“ ómorfi kopéla , I am so sorry about what happened to your niece. We’ll do whatever it takes to find her,” he said in a deep, soothing voice I had never heard from him in my centuries of life.

He called her ‘beautiful girl’? Oooh, he’s got it bad , Voice teased.

Hades snapped his fingers, and an enormous bouquet of bloomed roses in various red, pinks, and whites appeared in his hand. Her whole face went red as he presented them to her. Nonna eyed him up, then gave me a sly smile. I knew she couldn’t read my mind, but I mentally promised to catch her up on all the gossip she missed as soon as we brought our girl home.

“ Patéras , what brings you by?” I tried my hardest to sound civil, because the last thing I needed was Zeus being Zeus and acting like a diva because no one paid him any attention. He cared for no one but himself, and I highly doubted he’d ever change.

“We came by to help,” he responded, his face set in a serious frown.

Fucking doubt that, I linked Desmond.

Agreed. Zeus only helps Zeus. His shadows swirled around his body, trailing along the floor a few feet away, a defensive reflex in case Zeus tried any funny business.

Zeus must think he’s a comedian, because he’s tried a lot of funny shit. But that ‘I’m here to help’ joke takes the cake, Voice cackled in my mind.

Not to mention he’s a fake fucker who cheats, lies, and steals on the regular, another, hoarser voice whispered from the very back of my mind…the place I usually stored my darker, less savory thoughts and never visited again.

Voice’s laughter boomed through my brain, making my ears ring. He ate his first wife, constantly cheated on your mom, fathered tons of kids out of wedlock, tricked Pandora into unleashing evil into the world, and overthrew his father. Should I say more? Sucks he’s not actually funny. More like a narcissistic sociopath with little to no regard for anyone’s life but his own, at best.

Zeus waved his hand to get my attention. “ Are you two going to stand there and stare or put us to work?”

“I want to know why you’re actually here,” I scoffed. “You only help yourself.”

“Yeah, and it helps me immensely to have Lucifer in power again. So whatever we can do to expedite that process, consider it done,” he growled.

“Our fucking family—the people we love ,” I shouted, making a sweeping gesture at Desmond and the others, “Are trapped in some secret location, with no way for us to find them. We don’t know if they’re safe, so excuse me if I don’t give a flying fucking pegasus about what benfits you!”

The anger boiling inside me burst, my skin catching fire. Roaring flames engulfed me and I thought of a million ways to make Zeus pay for his selfishness. A small, warm hand gently squeezed my forearm. Nonna peered up at me, and her soothing magic extinguishing my skin.

“We appreciate you, even if your intentions are less than valiant. I think I can speak for everyone here when I ask you to leave. Our family’s safety is what matters most to us.”

Zeus gave her a seething glare as static electricity fizzled around his hands. I wouldn’t put it past him to attack a being much less powerful than him for merely stating the truth. He didn’t care that she was no threat to him. Desmond’s shadows wisped around her feet and climbed up her limbs, encasing her in protection.

“Fine. But you better fix this shit, Ares. I refuse to lose because of your incompetence.”

“You lost a long time ago, father. You just haven’t realized what you lost. You can see yourself out,” I offered.

He stomped out of the room like an overgrown toddler, leaving a swirl of thunderous clouds behind. Hades shot a fireball at them, burning them up on the spot.

“I’d like to stay and help. I’m not here for the same reasons as your father. I’m here for you, anipsiós .” I couldn’t believe he called me nephew. Where was all that familial love when he left us to become a recluse on the river Styx?

LOL, he’s here to bang your brother’s girl, Voice cackled.

Obviously, but before he left, he was decent to me. We need all hands on deck right now, Voice. And it was the truth.

“I guess the family black sheep have to stay together.” I shook his hand, then brought him in for a hug. I whispered so faintly in his ear, no one could hear me. “If you hurt her or break her heart, I swear to the cosmos that made me, I will fuck you up. You’re not my actual uncle, and I’ll make you wish we left you in Styx.”

When I pulled away, the stunned expression on his face was photo worthy, so I took a good mental image I could share with Diana and the guys after they came home. And we would bring them home. Somehow.

Desmond sat at the small kitchen table, cracking his knuckles, then his neck. “Alrighty then, let’s get to business. Does anyone have ideas?”

We all stared at each other in silence. It seemed no one had a clue how to fix this.

This is going to be harder than we thought, Voice murmured.

Yeah, but mark my words, we will find her.