Page 101 of Hell’s Weapon

Wyatt has always been full on, and it seems his love is no different.

Garrick’s fingers find mine, pulling my attention to his face. I don’t think I find anything negative there but I give his hand a reassuring squeeze and adjust my left wing to give him room to step closer to my side. He dips to lay a kiss to my forehead.

I know we might have a challenge ahead of us to find a balance in the relationships we’re developing, and especially as none of us has much in the way of experience with them, but I cannot imagine not wanting any of them to be a part of this.

Chapter 30

Garrick

The podium built in the courtyard displays the carcass of number Sixty-Two. Cameron is splayed on a cross, the grey-blue tint of his skin marred with several open wounds. Including the one my beautiful goddess left in his neck.

The Angels’ spy would’ve already been shipped to Tartarus if I’d had my way but Hades had insisted on making an example of him. And so he’d resided in the cells until the second game was over.

Only thirty-two players remain, including Tacita. Between the killings and the second round, the numbers of residents in the compound seems sparse compared to just a few weeks ago.

Today was Hades’s address ahead of the third round. And perhaps the start of the true chaos. Hades, Khaos, and I had this planned from the beginning, but I hadn’t yet told Tacita to the alteration I’d made to the games.

“Are we ready?” I ask Tarron as I move over to the platform.

“Yes, are you?” Tarron chuckles, knowing that whilst I am behind this twist, I have not exactly been looking forward to it.

“Let’s just hope there’s not many shifters amongst them.” I groan.

“Shall we round them up?” Teddy bounds up and looks between us.

The contestants are all in the cafeteria, eating breakfast and unaware of the macabre display we’ve set up for them, well most of them. I have warned Tacita and her boyfriends about the body we’re about to make a spectacle of. She will just be surprised by the second half of the proceedings.

“Yes, thank you Teddy. Go and fetch them,” I order and he scampers off.

“He’s doing well,” Tarron says, and I find myself nodding.

I’m still thinking about how I can reward the team working the games this year when contestants start filing out of the main building. Conversations cease as they notice the dead body behind me on the raised stage, and quickly erupt once more as they recognise it to be one of them.

Tacita and Wyatt are amongst the last to join the group, standing at the back with Milo between them. The smaller framed male leans against Wyatt’s chest but his fingers are entwined with my Goddess’s. I long to go to her. It’s only been a couple of days since Milo left the infirmary but I have been too busy to spend any time with Tacita. And with no fresh murders the Death Bringer has had no need to be around the compound either.

We managed a quick and desperate kiss after one of her classes yesterday but that has been it and I am burning to touch her again.

Her hair is down today, those vibrant colours blowing in the gentle breeze we’ve been blessed with. I want to run my fingers through it before wrapping it around my fist and fucking her senseless.

Tarron pokes my side to break me out of my fantasies and my senses come back to me to find smoke dissipating off the stage, Hades and Khaos now standing in the centre, Hades already addressing the gathered crowd.

“Today marks a celebration. All of you, well done on making it this far.” Hades walks the length of the stage as he talks. Khaos moves to one side to give his husband room. He ducks down to sit on the wooden platform, his legs swinging beside me.

“Are you lot ready?” he asks, grinning like a Cheshire cat, radiating an air of delight that has nerves striking the walls of my stomach. “This morning should be such fun.”

“We are prepared,” I tell him. “Are you able to stay on to help any witches amongst them?”

I have rearranged the staff duties yet again to make sure we have at least one of each supernatural breed free for tutoring for the next couple of days.

“Indeed, I cannot wait.” Khaos beams at me. “I’ve never taught before, but I think it’s something I’ll be good at.”

“Before we get to the next game, however,” Hades continues above us. “I wanted to provide a little reminder to anyone who thinks they can cross me and get away with it. I am sure you’ve all recognised who is on this stage with me. Number Sixty-Two, it has come to light, has been working as a double agent. He has been feeding information to the Angels in the Heaven realm for the purpose of destroying us all.”

A few gasps can be heard across the gathered crowd. But it is the anger emanating off the two assassins at the back, and the way they close together that I pay attention to.

“How?” number Eighty-Six calls.

“Why don’t I let him tell you himself?” Hades gestures at the corpse and with a pull on his power, Sixty-Two gasps, his body coming to life with the magic Hades flows into it.