Page 27

When I left my bedroom, I was dry-eyed and dressed in the least frilly dress I could find in the closet.

The hounds had provided me with clothes and they had gotten my sizes right, but everything they chose was for a southern belle.

Lace and pink cotton, that sort of thing.

I went with a silk tank in dusty rose and a knee-length cotton pencil skirt in deep green.

I felt a bit like a rosebud, but it was the best I could do.

There hadn't been a single piece of black clothing in the collection.

Not even a basic black dress. The barbarians.

My prim pink shoes didn't make a sound on the thick carpet as I entered the living room where the hounds were discussing Silas, Ace, and me. They went quiet long before I walked in, but my hearing was good, and I picked up the names before they shut down the conversation.

“Salina, I'm so sorry about Ace,” Cyrus said. “I wouldn't wish that on anyone.”

“He isn't dead yet. In fact, he is decidedly not dead. That's the point, isn't it?” I stopped before them and put my hands on my hips. “And the bond Silas has with him will break when I kill Silas.”

“Sure, if we can find him,” Lex said.

“And if we can catch him,” Cyrus added.

“We don't get to kill him,” Jake muttered.

“Why not?” I demanded.

“He's a god.” Cyrus shrugged. “He'll have to be taken before the Olympians, and they get to decide his fate.”

“Actually, Hades didn't say that we couldn't kill him.” Lex leaned back and pondered for a moment. “It's not against the laws. Not if we're defending ourselves or if we're trying to stop someone from hurting humans.”

“And he does hurt humans. That's a fact.” Cyrus nodded. “You're right. Maybe we can kill him.”

“You're missing the point, boys.” I sat down in a leather chair and crossed my legs. “You've crippled yourselves—put your best player on the bench.”

“Who? You ?” Cyrus made a face.

“Yes, me, you moron! Didn't Hades tell you? I'm the one destined to find Silas. It's the whole reason he bartered with me to come down here.” I paused. “Or up here. I'm not completely sure of the position of the Greek Underworld in relation to Earth.”

“Yeah, he told us.”

“That doesn't mean you need to be put in harm's way.” Lex looked at the other two. “Does it?”

All Jake said was, “Fuck.”

I snorted a laugh. “You can't keep me locked up anymore. In fact, it's better if I stay at my place. Then Silas could actually reach me.”

Jake growled.

“How am I going to unmask him if I never meet him?”

“Fuck,” Jake said again.

“I've already gotten close to him. I'd say maybe five feet.”

The men froze. Then, as one, they turned to stare at me.

“Oh, did I fail to mention that I had a stalker?” I inspected my nails as I went on.

“It was shortly after I got here. I saw this guy in a bar and had this weird feeling about him.

Then he stared at me as if I made him feel just as unsettled.

I thought he was maybe a lover from a past life.

But most of my past lovers are not souls I want to reconnect with. So I didn't approach him.”

“And it was Silas?” Lex asked.

“Yup. Later that day, I saw him standing outside my house.”

“Silas was outside your house?!” Cyrus leaned forward, looking as if he was about to get up and go on a Silas hunt immediately.

“Yeah, but he didn't do anything. He just stood across the street and stared at me.” I lowered my hand to my lap.

“As I said, I thought he was an ex. I told him to go away, and he did. I only saw him one other time.” I paused to consider telling them about that weird card reading, then decided against it.

They would not take well to the whole death-is-coming prediction.

“He didn't approach me then either. And it was the last I saw of him until today. That's how I found out who he was.”

“Why didn't you say something?” Lex demanded.

I shrugged. “I wasn't sure how you'd react. I didn't want you going all alpha on me and locking me in a tower or something. And I can't be locked up. I need to save Ace.”

Jake growled again.

“Jake, come on.” Cyrus gave him a look.

“I don't like him.” Jake crossed his arms.

“Jake,” I murmured. “Oh, my God! I just realized where you got that name. Jacob Black! Did you seriously name yourself after the werewolf from 'Twilight?'”

Jake, who'd been glaring at Cyrus, spun to face me. “No.”

I snorted a laugh. “Yeah, you did. A Hound of Hades named after a wolf from the sparkly vampire story. Oh, that's rich. Are you disappointed that I didn't choose Bella as a name?”

“I chose the name Jake because I liked it and it's my favorite writer's name.”

“Your favorite author?” That shocked me. “Who?”

“Jacob Grimm.”

“Jacob Grimm?” I blinked. “As in Grimm's fairy tales?”

“Yes.”

“First of all, why am I not surprised?” I rubbed a hand over my face. “Second, neither Jacob nor his brother wrote any of those fairy tales. They collected tales that had been passed down through the generations.”

“I know that. He's still considered the author. They had to write the book. They may have collected the tales, but they wrote them out. Gave them their own style.”

“So, what you're saying is that you like fairy tales. It has nothing to do with the Brothers Grimm.”

“I like their versions the best.”

“Can we move on?” Cyrus asked.

“No. Because liking fairy tales is almost as bad as liking Twilight.” I looked Jake over. “You are so disappointing.”

Jake's whole demeanor changed, his shoulders hunching inward and his expression crumpling. He looked down, and I suddenly felt as if I'd kicked a dog. The guy looked like he was going to start bawling.

“Nice,” Cyrus whispered to me.

“Hey, I'm just fucking with you,” I said to Jake. “Don't get pouty.”

Jake grunted, got up, and left the room.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

“We never had a childhood,” Lex said. “So sometimes we enjoy childish things. It makes us feel as if . . .” He shrugged.

“What about your past lives?”

Cyrus shook his head. “We don't remember them. Hades put our souls into fully grown bodies, just as he did with you.”

“But I got to keep my memories.”

“Yeah. Do you remember how shocked I was by that?”

“Oh. Yeah. Shit.” I looked at the doorway.

“It would help a little.”

I looked back at Cyrus.

“If you went and talked to him,” he clarified.

“Jake would like that.” He cleared his throat.

“I know you think we're alpha idiots, but the reason we chose such feminine things for your room and your clothes is that we were hoping for a little tenderness.

We don't want a submissive woman, and you don't have to mother us, but . . .”

“But it would be nice if I could stop being such a bitch all the time?” I lifted a brow.

“Fuck, do whatever you want, Salina.” Cyrus leaned back in his chair and looked away from me.

I got up and left the room.

Yes, I went to find Jake. I'm not a monster.