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“Is this not the privy?” the man slurred.
Hades cocked his brow and squinted his eyes. Lord Ian McAllister was standing—or rather, swaying—in the doorway.
“Did you get lost, my lord?” Grace asked in a low, soothing voice as she stood.
“Yes, I left the private rooms, and well… I need to alleviate some other need.” He grabbed himself between his legs in a crude gesture.
Hades narrowed his eyes at the intruder menacingly.
“Let me show you the way, my lord,” Grace said in the same calm tone of voice.
She threw a glance back at Hades, and he nodded. They were done for today. Hades would not be able to sit through any more issues she had to bring up. He’d have to deal with one thing at a time.
Hades thought about Grace’s words for a moment before walking toward the door.
He peeked his head and saw Lucien taking his place in front of the door.
“Where’ve you been?” Hades barked. “A drunken lord just stumbled through this corridor.”
Lucien looked after Grace–who entered her office after escorting the drunk–puzzled.
Hades directed his gaze heavenward. “I need you to do something. Send a couple of men to watch after William.”
“Watch the bastard?”
Hades nodded. “Carefully. He is wily. He will find out if they are not careful.”
Hades did not think William was a traitor. However, he was not naive. And he was not about to doubt Grace’s instincts. He had sent William on a mission, which gave him the perfect opportunity to spy on him. William would be doing his inquiries, while Hades would be doing his.
“Of course.” Lucien pushed off the wall.
“Do not leave this post unattended,” Hades growled.
Lucien looked around in confusion, while Hades slunk back into his room. He locked the door, slowly walked back to his chair, sat down, and leaned back.
Finally, silence.
* * *
Laughter roared down the corridor as Hades made his way toward his room. He had gone home soon after talking to William. The usual celebration had resumed in the main hall, which Hades managed to sidestep successfully. He expected to enter the full silence that usually greeted him in his corridor. However, this time it was different. He walked farther and noticed that the guards were gone from outside of Eloise’s door. He frowned.
The door was partly open, and light spilled out of it, so he carefully peeked inside. The picture before him made him scowl harder. Sal, one of the guards he’d assigned to guard Eloise, was sitting on the floor beside Verity, laughing good-naturedly. Garric stood by the side of the hearth, a frown of disapproval on his face. At least one of the men seemed still loyal to Hades.
Then came a beautiful, melodic voice.
Eloise was reading to them. She acted out the parts, changing her tone and intonation with every sentence.
Hades froze in his tracks. The boulder lodged in his throat, his mind traveling to a time when Ava used to read to him.
Her voice wasn’t as melodic as Eloise’s. Ava had a slight rasp because of the trauma she’d experienced as a child. She wasn’t very good at reading, either. Her voice didn’t flow over the lines as Eloise’s did. Her voice was choppy. She often stopped to repeat the incorrectly pronounced word or figure out how to read it. She was not acting out the parts or changing her intonation. She was trying hard to get the word correctly. She didn’t like the pastime. She would rather do something else, something real, she used to tell him.
But in order to do real things, she needed education. Of that, Hades was certain and unswayable.
First, Grace was the one to teach her, but as his wealth grew, he had hired the best tutors. Ava still rebelled and insisted she was old enough, clever enough to help Hades out with his ventures. She didn’t seem to understand that that was exactly what Hades was trying to avoid. The only way she agreed to read was if she was reading to him. For some unfathomable reason, she wanted to spend time with Hades, so he relented and spent a few evenings a week with her in the library as she attempted to read aloud.
He wanted to encourage her to study. If she did, she would be able to get away from the criminal circles Hades dealt with. She needn’t rely on Hades’ hell income. Her life wouldn’t be confined to bawdy houses, hells, or factories. She’d be free to travel the world, perhaps marry suitably. Or do something else. Anything else she wanted.
Tears burned at the back of his eyes, and he curled his fingers into fists. He wanted to provide the best future he could for her. Instead, it was stolen away. He turned to leave, but a melodic voice stopped him.
