I stepped in and tried to horn my way into this hug action. I couldn’t just rely on having similar abilities to teach her. I had to be different than I was in any of my other relationships. I had to be there for her when she was upset. Iwantedto be. I didn’t like it when she was upset or afraid. I tried to make it better, but Kimon wasright there,Tryphon had a tentacle around her waist, and those wings on her back were massive.
“I think I’m stuck,”she finally said, using a voice we could understand.
Ah. So that was the rub. She must be totally terrified if she thought she was stuck like this, even if we all thought she was beautiful this way. Barbatos just took over and practically shoved Kimon out of the way. He grasped River’s shoulders and looked her dead in the eyes.
“Listen to me, River. Youare notstuck. This is just an unfamiliar experience, but soon, it will feel like second nature. You are magnificent like this. I’m so proud. Before I walk you through changing back, did you see your reflection in the mirror?”
“Yes, but I’m still trying to process the fact that I have a cat head and wings.”
Barbatos scratched behind her ear like she was an actual cat.
“Own it, River. There are some dukes in Hell that would kill for it. Bael is one of the seven kings that runs Hell, but everyone answers to him. He hasthreedifferent heads, River, and he’s one of the most respected men in our realm.”
Okay, I was going to have to make a trip to Hell at least once. On Earth, everyone hated the monsters and were continually trying to kill us. In the Underworld, it took a lot of time for people to trust us. Hades did right away, but the other people here didn’t.
It sounded like Hell was the type of realm where the scarier you looked, the more celebrated you were. I could get down with that.
“It’s just strange. I feel stronger like this.”
“That’s because you are, love. You’re stronger, faster, and your demon powers are much more robust. Now, let me teach you how to turn it off. You must practice this so it becomes second nature.”
“And you can whip it out in the bedroom,” Pavlina said. “Seriously, can we bring your demonic form out when we’re playing? Because you are fucking gorgeous.”
I was thinking the exact same thing. I think we all were, but only Pavlina would say it when River was terrified like this. I would never have brought up sex while she was scared, and I was an asshole to everyone.
It surprised me when River started giggling. If it were me and I was a woman who could beat Pavlina’s ass, I would have for saying that to me when I was terrified.
“Only monsters would find this sexy.”
Barbatos started laughing too.
“I don’t because it would be inappropriate, but if you weren’t already taken, I’d be fighting off several demons who want to play with your demonic form too.”
Okay, maybe I didn’t want to go to Hell. I already had enough competition for River without a bunch of horny demons trying to get in on the action.
“Just breathe out and tell your demonic form to go away.”
“That sounds way too easy, Barbatos.”
“That’s because it is. This is in your DNA, River. It’ll become like second nature with some practice. Your demon powers aren’t supposed to be the hard part about being a demon. The only reason they are now is that most demons aren’t topside anymore unless they are doing temporary jobs to meet you and guide you. They couldn’t tell me you existed for me to teach you.”
River didn’t comment, but Barbatos was right in a way. If demonic powers were anything like mine, turning into a bird and accessing my fire was easy. Controlling the fire was something I had to learn, but using it had been easy. Then again, I also grew up surrounded by my family to teach me.
I will give it to River. She wasn’t one of those whiny women I used to take up with. She had every reason to bitch and she didn’t. She wanted Hephaestus back too much. She got her shit together and did what she needed.
I could see her chest rising and falling as she tried to do what her father asked. We all had things that signal we were changing. I burst into flames when I accessed my phoenix. River’s was this swirling red cloud. I saw it when she first changed, and I almost started clapping when I saw it again.
She was doing it.That was my fucking girlfriend.
The swirling red totally enveloped her, then fizzled out, and I was looking at River’s beautiful human face again.
“What is that red stuff?” Kimon asked.
Barbatos just gave us this evil grin.
“Once River gets a little more comfortable, a weapon. I don’t think it will kill an Olympian, but it will kill just about anything else that gets in her way. Now, I’ve traumatized my daughter enough for one day. Why don’t we eat?”
I could eat, but was that what River needed right now? She was going crazy about Hephaestus, and we were throwing so much at her. Did she just need to snuggle for a little while? I wouldn’t even argue about big spoon as long as she was getting to relax.
