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“What in the devil are you doing here?” he pushed through his teeth.
“You took what does not belong to you. We are here to take her back.”
Her. Eloise.
Hades opened his mouth to say something, but a crash and high-pitched screams diverted his attention. The man twisted in his arms, taking advantage of Hades’ distraction, and ran off.
Hades did not care about that man anymore. The hell was on fire.
* * *
Eloise woke up early in the morning to strange noises outside her bedroom. She sat up, squinting in the half-light. What was happening?
The noises intensified, taking a frightening turn. It could be anything in Hades’ mansion. Men below could be too drunk and having a fight. Other criminals could be raiding this place, and she could be snatched again, only to a far more sinister place. She had never seen a raid in her life, but it didn’t sound appealing.
What if it wasn’t other criminals? What if Ford had come for her, and they were fighting to get to her? The thought brought chills down her spine.
Eloise quickly got out of bed, lit a candle, and put on her day gown. She peeked out of the room, only to realize that her guards weren’t in their usual place by her door.
Oh, Lord!What was going on? And if they weren’t there, it could only mean two things. Either Verity had tricked them again to get to Eloise, which she doubted very much, or whatever was happening downstairs was more important than Eloise’s safety.
Eloise took a step back inside her room. Was it even smart for her to peek out? If Ford had come to get her, surely the guards wouldn’t leave her alone. But what if they were under attack?
Perhaps she should lock the doors and stay inside. And then what?
Eloise shook her head.Do not be a coward!
She tiptoed to the main staircase and peered through the banister. The women were running around, carrying cloths and water, but it didn’t seem as if anyone unfamiliar was on the premises.So not a raid.
Eloise hurried down and entered the main hall.
The view that greeted her made her freeze with her mouth open. A half-dozen men were lying on the floor, groaning in pain. They were black with soot, a few of them were bleeding, and some had burns on their bodies. The women and a few other men were bandaging the wounds and carrying hot water, spirits, knives, and other strange implements.
She stepped farther inside, and the moment she did, she felt a harsh, burning gaze on her.
“Go back to your room!” Hades boomed from her left.
She jumped in reaction and turned toward him. He stood there, in his shirtsleeves, covered in blood and soot. He was holding a man against his side. The man was bleeding from his arm, and Eloise didn’t know whether Hades was stained with that man’s blood or his own. Was he injured as well?
Hades leaned down to settle the man on the floor.
“What happened?” Eloise ran toward the bleeding man, picking up a clean cloth on the way.
“The hell… It was raided.”
“By whom?” Eloise lowered to her knees.
“Fucking Shadows. But our men”—he looked around—“and women did not stand down. This is the result. Candles fell off the sconces and burned down the main floor.”
Eloise ripped the sleeve off the man’s shirt and looked at the wound. It didn’t seem serious, but she needed to wash it and bind it.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Hades said. He paused and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“I can help!” Eloise said irritably. A woman walked by her with a pitcher of water, and Eloise asked her to pour some onto a clean cloth and proceeded to clean the man’s wound.
Hades threw an all-encompassing gaze over the hall, then squinted as if looking for someone.
“Master!” someone called, and Hades threw one last intimidating glance toward Eloise before rushing away.
