Page 48 of Ignited Spirits (Haunted Magic #3)

IZZY

“ Y ou want to find a way to lure my insane mother here? Back to this plane filled with the only people I care about in this fates-forsaken universe?” Hades asks incredulously, a touch of anger lining his voice.

Well, when he puts it that way, it doesn’t sound like a great plan.

He’s tapping his foot on the white marble floor as he waits for my answer. He has one elbow resting on the plush blue armchair he’s sitting in, and the other tapping a rhythm on his black suit pants.

We’re in yet another room in Hades’s excessively massive wing of his castle.

This one has bright stone floors, a navy armchair and matching set of sofas, and a low, whitewashed coffee table.

Cheery pillows were scattered across the upholstered seating, and fresh flowers sit in a simple vase on the table, making the whole place seem inviting.

“I mean, yes?” I ask rather than state. Sighing at myself, I buck up because Hades and his outrage is by far the least scary thing I have to deal with.

“We need to get her off Earth before she figures out how to drain it. I assume if she knew how to drain Infernus , she’d already be here, doing it.

We can’t let her get that power, so we need to get her away from Earth. ”

Hades frowns at me, not seeming convinced. “Once you have my homicidal, power-crazed spawn point here, what is your plan, earthling?”

I shrug. “Kill her.”

Hades rolls his eyes so hard I’m surprised they don’t get stuck.

“Gee, earthling, what a brilliant plan. I sure wish I had thought of that. Oh, wait, I have! And it’s impossible because my mother is one of the originals of this plane.

She’s already more powerful than a normal cura could ever be, even without fucking doubling her power.

” His voice is a shout at the end as he shoves his hand through his navy hair.

I’m sure most people would be peeing themselves from getting yelled at by the king of Hell, but I know he’s only raising his voice because he loves his family so much.

Levi opens his mouth to blast his brother, but I put my hand on his leg to tell him to hold off. He snaps his mouth closed and grinds his teeth as he tries to let me handle it, which I appreciate. He slings an arm around my shoulders, offering wordless comfort.

“That’s why we’re going to drain her. No power, no problem,” I tell him, keeping calm to avoid escalating anything.

Hades opens his mouth to yell at me some more before snapping it closed. He does that a few more times before he finally asks, “How are you going to do that?”

“With a potion. And that terrifying blade you gave me.”

I pull out the blade in question from the belt of my dress and set it carefully on the coffee table. The lack of pockets in these borrowed gowns is starting to irritate me. But I can’t deny that I feel kind of badass in the all-black one I’m wearing today.

After capturing Giles two days ago, we all took the rest of the day to recoup and just be. It was a nice change of pace from the nonstop crazy to have a slow day with my mates, family, and Seph, Poseidon, and Zeus. Hades joined us for dinner in the evening after he was able to get away from work.

It was a weirdly domestic and peaceful day that felt really out of place with everything going on. But if we just keep going without any chance to rest, we’re going to be too drained to take down Lua.

Shaking myself out of my thoughts, I grip the scabbard with one hand and the handle of the blade with the other. As I carefully start pulling the knife out of its sheath, Hades shouts, “Careful, earthling!”

I jump and drop the blade on the coffee table in front of me, horrified by whatever I was accidentally going to do with the overpowered knife.

My eyes dart up to his, wondering what I was doing wrong, when I see him grinning at me. It’s then that I realize he was just messing with me.

I mime strangling him as I growl in frustration. “You’re an asshole. I hope someone tells you that at least five times a day so you never forget it.”

He tips back his head and lets out one of his rare, genuine, full-belly laughs. “I know I am. Strangely, enough, I really don’t give a fuck. It’s refreshing having someone call me on it, though.”

“You know, I’m pretty sure if I drained you and stole your magic, I’d be closer in power to Lua than I am now.” I tap my chin as I pretend to consider shanking Hades. “That would definitely help with defeating Lua.”

Cain grins from his spot on the other side of me. “Want me to hold him down for you, angel?”

“I’ll help,” Levi growls, still scowling at his brother.

Hades cackles in delight before pinning me with his gaze dancing with mirth. “Yeah, but then you’d be the ruler of Infernus , and it’s a terrible gig. Awful hours and shit pay.”

I can’t help my snort at that. “Hmm, I guess I’ll hold off on draining you. I’m way too young to be tied down at a nine to five.”

Grinning at me, Hades says, “Very magnanimous of you, earthling.”

“It is, isn’t it?” I nod regally at him.

When he gets his amusement under control, he asks, “So how sure are you that this potion is going to work?”

“Somewhat sure, I guess? Maybe, like, sixty-three percent?” My voice doesn’t come out as confident as I want it to. It sounds about as unsure as I feel.

What if it’s not the right potion? What if we can’t figure out how to drain Lua? What if Giles, or whoever else, killed everyone who might know the answer?

“If that doesn’t inspire confidence, I don’t know what will,” Hades deadpans, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I huff. “Levi found the recipe by going through Giles’s mind. It’s supposedly what Lua has been using to drain all the mage kids. I don’t exactly have anyone I can test it on, so all I can go on right now is should .”

“I have no shortage of people you can drain. Make up the potion and let me know when you’re ready to test it.

If it works, then we can talk about your ridiculous plan.

” Hades glances up at the clock on the wall before standing reluctantly.

“I’m late for a meeting. When you have the potion made up, Leviathan will be able to find me. Try not to kill yourself making it.”

He strides out of the room without a backward glance.

“Why does he keep telling me that?” I ask no one in particular. It really doesn’t boost my confidence any when he keeps saying that. “Is ‘try not to die’ like Infernus’s version of goodbye?”

Levi chuckles. “No. It’s just Hades being Hades. And I think that’s his way of expressing care. He’s not very good at it, as you can tell. I don’t know how Seph puts up with him.”

“The same way you put up with my emotionally stunted self, I would imagine.” My mates all look very offended on my behalf, so I rush to change the topic before they can say anything. “So, how are we making the potion?”

“We could go to Anya’s,” Bishop offers. “She is an expert at potions.”

“That’s a great idea.” I pause as something occurs to me. “Why haven’t we taken her back with us, Levi? Doesn’t she want to go home?”

Levi shrugs. “She didn’t ask to be brought back. We can inquire if that’s what she wants when we visit her, however.”

Well, I guess that’s something else to ask her.

I feel kind of bad that we just forgot Gran on Earth in all the craziness. At least no one knows Gran in her Anya form is related to us, so she shouldn’t be in any danger. And pretty much the entire council is gone at this point, so I don’t even know who’s making the laws.

“Everyone ready to go now?” When no one objects, I open a rift to Anya’s shop, which is where I assume she’ll be, like she always is on Saturdays. And, well, every other day of the week, if I’m being honest.

I should probably start calling her by her real name, but it’s hard to get used to saying Melinoe after years of calling her Anya.

Levi walks through the rift first, followed by my wolves. Bishop waits with me. When I raise an eyebrow at him to go through, he shakes his head. “You first, sweetheart. I don’t like you being the first one or last one anywhere.”

“You’re wildly overprotective, St. James,” I grouse.

He smirks at me. “Yep, and it’s not changing anytime soon.”

At least he’s honest, I guess.

“We can go with you through the rift, sagana!” Russ’s exuberant voice sounds in my head.

My lips tilt up as I look down at my familiaris.

They’re in their rottweiler form, which I’ve started to think of as their stock look, even though I know it’s not.

I just see them most often like this. “Hey, guys. It’s always a good surprise when you show up.

” I pause for a moment as I think about something.

“Where is it that you guys go when you’re not with me? ”

“Everywhere,” Cer rumbles.

“Here and there,” Bear comments noncommittally.

“To eat ice cream!” Russ’s enthusiastic voice cheers.

I snort at the three responses that sound in my head at the same time. The only thing I really know now is that my hell dog enjoys ice cream. Or at least one of his heads does. “So, do you guys wanna come with us? We’re going to talk to Anya, or I guess, Melinoe, as you know her.”

The three heads nod. “We will go with you,” Cer tells me in his signature gravelly voice.

With that settled, I walk through the rift and out into the familiar shop. A wave of nostalgia washes over me when I’m hit in the face with the familiar smell of medicinal herbs.

I’m back at the place where I spent so many years, and everything is the same as I remember it, from the counter where I stood for hours at a time, to the shelves lined with glass jars, to the various plants along the top shelves.

While it’s the same, I’ve changed. A lot.

I’m not the same Izzy that used to work here. I’m not the same girl who thought the council finding out about my magic was the end of the world or who dreaded finding her mates. I’m not the same person who used to daydream about fading away, because I have so goddamn much to live for now.