Page 33

“This is great, thank you.” I sat down before they could request a table in the back. The last thing I wanted was to get stuffed in a corner on my first day out of prison.

Grimacing at each other, they sat down, and the host handed out the menus.

Things were a little tense at first, but then they relaxed. The food helped. Still, they took turns searching the sidewalk and street—two eating while one kept watch. This was done without discussion or any indication of when it was time to switch posts, as it were. They simply knew.

“So, you mentioned that you're friends with one of the Cerberus mates,” Lex said. “How did you meet?”

Without hesitation, I said, “I escaped the Underworld and possessed her.”

Cyrus sputtered into his coffee.

“You what?” Lex asked.

“You heard me. I was an escaped soul. I possessed Wren, but eventually, we became friends. I helped her improve her looks and her life. We had a symbiotic relationship going. That is, until her Cerberus tore me out of her and sent me back to Hades.”

“Holy shit,” Jake whispered. “You're telling the truth.”

“You were . . .” Lex shook his head. “You were the very thing that we hunt.”

“That's right, boys.” I smirked with my Angie lips. “I'm one of the few souls smart enough to sneak past the first Cerberus. Me. All by myself.”

“How did you get to the Blessed Isles?”

“Oh, so just because I outsmarted a Cerberus and possessed a human, I'm a bad person?”

The men blinked rapidly.

“I didn't go there at first, okay?” I grimaced and sipped my café au lait. “I did something profoundly awesome while I was dead. Even better than escaping Hades. Although, I think I should get some recognition for that.”

They looked at each other, then at me.

I didn't elaborate.

“Well?” Jake growled.

“Well, what?” I lifted a brow.

Always keep them eager for more.

“What was this awesome deed that you did while dead?” Cyrus motioned to me.

“I saved Wren.”

“Wren?”

“Yeah, my bestie. The woman I possessed. Sheesh, keep up.” I rolled my eyes.

Jake made an aggravated noise.

“Here you are!” Our server—a cute girl in her twenties—set down our food, announcing each plate as if it were a guest at a royal ball. Her eyes were wide, and a flush rode her cheeks. She kept smiling. “Uh, is there anything else I could get you?”

“No, thank you, sugah,” Cyrus said, his stare still on me.

“Okay, well give me a holler if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” I said. “This looks wonderful.”

As if she just remembered me, she flinched, then smiled at me. “Great! Enjoy!” Then she ran away.

I cut into my chicken fried steak with glee. I was four bites in before I realized the men weren't eating. I looked up. “What?”

“Wren!” Cyrus huffed. “How could you save Wren if you were dead?”

“I'm awesome, that's how.” I cut another piece of chicken fried steak.

Lex put his hand on mine—the one holding my fork—and pushed it down before I could put more food in my mouth. “What did you do, Salina?”

“Why?” I grinned. “Are you worried I'm cooler than you? Or that I'm lying?”

“You're not lying.” Jake grunted as if to confirm his statement and then started eating.

Using my free hand, I grabbed a beignet from the communal plate in the center of the table and took a big bite. Lex let go of my fork-hand and sighed as he sat back. That's right. Here's another lesson, boys. Don't fucking rush me.

I took my time chewing, then licked powdered sugar off my fingers—through much male groaning. At last, I took a sip of coffee and cleared my throat. They perked up.

“Wren's Cerberus got into a fight in their Cerberus form,” I said. “One of them was killed.”

“Oh, fuck,” Cyrus whispered. “That's the worst thing that could happen to a Cerberus.”

“They'd all be dead,” Lex added.

“Yup. Except that Hades was there, and he kept the other two alive while Wren went into the Underworld to bring back her man's soul.”

“Holy fuck!” Cyrus looked at his packmates. “Did either of you hear about this?”

Jake and Lex shook their heads.

I took the opportunity to finish my beignet. Then I had to clean my fingers again. Then sip my coffee. The boys waited patiently through it all. Lesson learned. Good boys.

“So, there I was in the Asphodel Fields when I saw Wren. My Wren in her living body. A group of centaurs had caught her.”

Jake growled.

“Yeah, they don't you guys either.” I made a face. “She was wearing Hades's amulet too. It was bad. So, I scared some striges, sending them off in their general direction and startled the centaurs. They dropped her, I grabbed her, and got her away.”

“That won you a place in the Isles?” Cyrus asked.

“I haven't finished yet.” I grimaced at him and then took a slow sip of my coffee.

Cyrus rolled his eyes.

“Now, where was I? Oh, yeah. So Wren told me why she was there and how she needed to get to the Blessed Isles to—”

“Hold on. We go to the Blessed Isles if we die?” Lex asked.

“Of course you do. Where else would you go after serving a god?”

“I just never thought about it.” He shared a look with the others.

“What? Rethinking life? Seeing death as early retirement?” I lifted a brow. “I'll tell you what. I'll meet you there.”

“Don't even joke about dying, Salina.” Cyrus rubbed a hand over his face, massaging his eyes. “Fuck.”

“Okay, shit. Relax,” I muttered. Then I went on, “Anyway, I led Wren to the bridge, which is guarded by a hydra, and told her about the hydra.

My part was done. I was going to leave her to it, and I did, but I ended up watching over her from the trees.

I knew she wouldn't do well without me. That girl was a mess before I possessed her.” I shook my head.

“Salina,” Lex growled.

“I'm getting to it. For fuck's sake, learn some patience,” I huffed.

“So, off Wren went to save her man, certain that Hades's amulet would stop the hydra from attacking her.” I rolled my eyes.

“I told her the thing had nine heads. Nine heads mean nine brains and nine times the chance that one of them wouldn't give a fuck about Hades's amulet. It also meant eighteen eyes. And she had to cross a crystal bridge. Crystal. As in transparent. But did she listen to me? No, she had to go save her man. She was in love, and love makes you dumb.”

I took another sip of coffee while the men grimaced at each other.

“Wren thought she was prepared, but she froze as soon as she saw the monster. I mean, yeah.” I shrugged.

“It's fucking terrifying. Nine heads! Big, monstrous, sea serpenty heads full of sharp teeth.

And they were all focused on Wren. There she was, looking like the little bird she was named after.

Prey to a massive predator. Well, as pathetic as she is, Wren's my girl. She and I are tight. There was no fucking way that I would let her face that thing alone. So I ran out to the edge of the water and shouted at her to buck up, buttercup.”

“Buck up, buttercup?” Cyrus snorted a laugh.

“It's my thing.” I glared at him.

He stopped laughing.

“You see, I hadn't told her who I was. I didn't want that weighing on her, you know?” I swallowed past my suddenly dry throat.

Emotions rose. I wasn't prepared for that, but I forged on.

“When I said that, she recognized me. And it bolstered her courage. She held up her amulet and pulled a Gandalf—you know, 'You will let me pass.’”

Jake scowled. “That's not what Gandalf said.”

The other two gaped at him.

“What?” Jake huffed. “That's not the line. Gandalf said, 'You cannot pass.'”

“I thought he said, 'You shall not pass?'” Cyrus asked.

“No, he's right,” Lex said. “It's misquoted a lot. He says, ‘You cannot pass.’”

“Oh, my God, are you done?” I growled. “Do you want to hear about my awesome deed or would you rather discuss elves and hobbits?”

The men hung their heads.

“No, we're good. Go on,” Cyrus said.

“So, anyway.” I rolled my eyes. “It didn't work.

The hydra didn't give a shit about that amulet. But Wren had one more trick up her sleeve, or rather, in the amulet. There was a tiny dagger hidden in that thing. My girl pulled that dagger and faced off with—” I had to stop, my throat constricting as the scene whooshed into technicolor detail in my mind.

There Wren was again, looking so little, so fragile compared to that monster. But she didn't back down. Not my Wren.

“Salina?”

The name was drowned out by an older one, screamed in terror.

Aggie!

Wren wasn't scared for herself. That terror was all for me.

I remembered it so vividly. Her hair—a bright red flag against the pale sea, waving about like a banner of war.

She looked incredible, even with that fear etched on her face.

Because beneath it was bravery—bravery born of love.

Seeing her like that had changed me. Something shifted.

Clicked into place. I saw the greatness in humans.

In love. And I wanted it. But I knew I would never have that.

The closest I'd come was protecting what Wren had.

So, that's what I would do. I was going to make sure my girl got to her man.

“Salina?” Cyrus's voice slid through my memory and wrapped around me like a blanket.

My throat unclenched and I found that I could speak again. “She looked so small.” The scene continued to unfold in my head, the words to describe it falling from my numb lips. “And I knew she needed me. So, I picked up a piece of coral and I threw it at one of the hydra heads.”

“Holy fuck,” Lex whispered.

“That got its attention. But Wren didn't move. So I told her to run. She ran. But one of those damn heads lowered across her path. I had to do something more drastic. If I didn't, my girl was going to die. So, I got on the bridge.”

“No,” Jake said, as if he could change the past.

“Yup. I went on that bridge and shouted at the hydra. 'Hey, asshole! Look at me, I'm going on the bridge,' I said. Or something like that.” I shrugged, acting as if I didn't know, word for word, what was said in those last moments of my soul's life.