Page 42 of Queen of Tempests and Sin

‘But I’m afraid the convoy of guards sent after them… has been massacred.’

A sharp breath punched from my lungs. My knees nearly buckled.

Drakos looked ready to piss himself as he wiped a trembling hand across his clammy face.

‘Now,’ Hades intoned, and the room darkened with the weight of his power. ‘Tell us about Ixion. If you refuse, a brief visit to Tartarus will melt the resistance right out of you.’

Drakos’s voice rasped. ‘Y—you can’t do that.’

‘I think you’ll find we can do whatever we please, human.’ Si stepped forward with the grace of a jungle cat, his eyes shadowed by a tempest. ‘We are gods.’ His baritone voice brooked no argument.

Drakos gasped and grabbed his throat. ‘Start talking before I drown you in your own blood.’

Drakos choked, his body trembling under invisible pressure. Si’s magic was wild and tumultuous, just like his ocean. His thick, heady magic washed over me, and my stomach did worrying flips, causing my lady parts to tingle and flood with heat, dampening my panties. The bite mark on my thigh pulsed in time with my throbbing pussy.

Si met my eyes, his dark and knowing, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Godsdammit. He could smell my arousal. My glare sharpened.

Hades rolled his eyes like a bored teacher watching horny teenagers.

Shit. Can he smell it too? Where’s a hole in the ground when you need one?

Drakos wheezed as Si released him. He grabbed a decanter of amber liquid, pouring a glass with shaking fingers, then downed the liquor in one desperate gulp.

‘The office… Mayfair. The Pavilion Club. The company name was Cadmus.’ He sucked in a ragged breath. ‘I met with a woman… she called herself Basili⁠—’

His words cut off as his eyes bulged. He clutched his throat, collapsing to the floor.

‘Shit!’ I dropped to my knees beside him as his body convulsed violently. Foam bubbled at the corner of his mouth, and by the time I reached him, he was gone.

I stared at his lifeless form, waiting for the grief to come, but it didn’t. All I felt was the sting of fury… and disappointment that I hadn’t killed the bastard myself.

‘Poisoned. Probably magical. Probably Ixion,’ Hades muttered, staring down at the dead man. ‘Unfortunate timing.’ He released a long breath.

‘Guinn. Is she safe?’ I demanded as I jumped up. Si nodded slowly.

‘Ajax is bringing her back right now. Don’t worry, little assassin.’ I unclenched my fists as relief washed through me. ‘I’ll have a team scout the Pavilion Club and all Drakos’s known residences,’ he added. ‘Though I suspect the offices will be long abandoned. Does Drakos have more than this residence and the school in England?’ Si cocked his head, and I shook mine and raised a shoulder.

‘Probably. But none that I know of.’

‘Theseus will comb through his affairs. We will find them.’

I drew a steadying breath. ‘I want the school to continue… but not Scorpion House. They’re the assassin trainees. That ends now.’ I lifted my chin. ‘Guinn and I will return. I’ll take over as principal.’

‘No.’ The single word cracked like a whip. Si’s voice had the effect of snapping my back straight and sending a jolt of fear through me. The power in it was pure and godly. I met that commanding, authoritative gaze, and my jaw ached from clenching it so hard.

‘You don’t own me,’ I snapped. ‘No one controls me…You can go to hell.’

I sensed it was a rarity for anyone to disagree with the lumberjack of a god. He looked surprised, if an angry eye twitch counted as a reaction. Hades rolled his lips inwardly as a ghost of a smile touched his lips.

I turned to storm off, but Si moved so fast the wisps of hair around my face fluttered in the breeze he created, and the breath in my lungs stilled as his large hands cupped my cheeks.

‘Cordelia…’ His voice was lower now, urgent. ‘Ixion will assume I’ve killed you. That you’re no longer a threat. If you resurface, they’ll come for you—and your sister. Please… stay where you’re safest. Stay with me.’ I glanced at Hades, whose brows were almost touching his hairline.

‘Neither you nor Guinn will be safe otherwise, Little Red.’

My shoulders dropped. I hated how right he probably was. ‘Okay.’ Si’s grin lit his whole face, godlike and smug. ‘But…’ I pointed my finger at him. ‘I want Mrs Fitzpatrick to be put in charge of the school and do as I said. Close down Scorpion House.’ He nodded. ‘And give her funds for more teaching staff.’

‘As you wish, my lady.’ I suppressed a shiver as his warm breath ghosted over my cheek.