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“See? They’re not as stupid as they look,” she quipped. “They understood just fine.”
Clara really did amuse me. She’d do well in my court if she didn’t hate me so much.
“Everything she said is true,” I said, then proceeded to fill them in on all that happened in the short period of time I’d been gone. I finalized the storytelling by enforcing the fact that neither she nor her cousin could be harmed.
When I finished, Abyssian lowered his voice, glancing at Clara from his periphery. “Caius, you’re a”—he paused, looking back to me—“you can’t have a mate. That’s not possible.”
“Apparently it is. And I suspect she’ll be joining us soon.”
With his elbows on the table, Pollux hovered over it and placed his head in his hands, running them through. “You can’t be serious right now. You brought some witch—no offense?—”
“Offense taken, rudeness,” Clara said, giving him the middle finger. “I don’t know if that gesture works here, but in case you don’t know what it means?—”
“I know what it means,” he ground out. “I wastryingto be nice.”
“Did you have a point?” I asked, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand.
He glared at her, then continued. “You bringClaraback to Tartarus, and now the guardian, the actual guardian, is coming here, with the half of your soul she still guards fully intact inside her, and you’re going to . . . what? What’s the plan?”
“Okay, maybe I spoke too soon. He doesn’t seem to get it,” Clara mumbled.
Pol exploded out of his chair and went to face her. “Gods, woman, do you always have to be so infuriating? I haven’t done shit to you.”
Clara slammed her palms on the table and stood up, meeting the fury in his eyes with a powerful rage of her own.
They were chest-to-chest, standing only a hairsbreadth apart. “Look here, fucker, I was dragged through a portal to Hell by your boss over there, so while you haven’t personally done shit to me, you’re one of his minions, so you are one hundred percent going to take the heat with him.”
“What the hell for?”
“I don’t know! For existing!” she shouted in return.
I rubbed my temples and groaned, but Abyssian stood up, sliding gently between them.
“Hey,” he drawled, holding his hands up in a non-threatening manner. “Can we call a truce? You’re short tempered right now, and rightly so, having been dragged here and all, and me and Pol, we’re just a teeny bit surprised and trying to swallow this new information. Can we get some things figured out first, then we can attack each other?” He flashed a smile, and added, “Or you can just attack Pol, which I find thoroughly entertaining.”
Abyssian was charming, and always had been. Apparently his smooth words and easy looks won her over, albeit for what I assumed would be a brief time.
She crossed her arms, shifting her weight back onto one leg as she appraised him. Finally, she gave a single nod and extended her hand, accepting his offer, and they shook. I didn’t miss the fact that they held on for a few seconds longer than would have been necessary.
“Great. Now that we’re all acquainted and running under a temporary white flag,” Pol began, pointedly ignoring Clara and only addressing me, “what in the actual hell is going on?”
Before I could answer, a crackle of energy rippled over my skin, and my lips curled into a smile.
My mate had arrived, fury and fire in her wake.
Chapter11
Reagan
Ifully expected to enter Tartarus and be assaulted with the oppressive heat of fire and the overwhelming scent of brimstone.
Instead, I walked through the portal and straight into what could be best described as an atrium. Deep blue ferns lined the pathway, and ivy the color of amethysts crawled up the onyx walls. Pomegranate and persimmon trees added contrast with their pops of red and orange as fruit grew in abundance.
“What in the . . .?” I whispered to myself, raking my fingertips over the lush leaves as I trailed the walkway.
Two guards met me at the end, crossing their spears to form an ex. “No one may enter. Return back to your world.”
I sighed, and Eres chuckled internally. “Your . . . whatever he’s called here, is expecting me. I’m Reagan.” They exchanged a quick look, dipped their chins, then moved to let me pass. “That’s what I thought.”
