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When I first came here, I must admit that I found it intimidating, but now, it’s just annoying as fuck. We try to avoid coming here at all costs, but there are always times, like now, that we need answers and only one man can give them to us. Especially with regards to the green ash.
Spinning on the spot, I turn to face Talon and Alexi, who are both staring at the huge fucking house that stands behind me. It looks completely out of place with its deep blue walls and floor-to-ceiling windows, but I wouldn’t expect anything else from the God of the Underworld.
Without wasting any more time, Alexi knocks on the large wooden door, the noise echoing around us as we stand and wait. It’s no surprise when he doesn’t answer within a minute, or two, or even five, but we don’t knock again.
After an eternity passes, Alexi begins to grow agitated, slipping his hands into his pockets as he taps his foot impatiently while Talon starts to slowly pace in front of the door. Seeing the two of them lose their patience so quickly sparks annoyance inside of me too.
“Why does he always have to keep us waiting?” Talon grunts, spinning on the spot to pace in the other direction before repeating the motion as I sigh.
“It’s mind games, man. That’s all it is. Power, control, setting the pace to make sure we know we're here on his terms and all that shit.” I shake my head disapprovingly as I heave another deep sigh.
“It is.” The voice is all too familiar as the three of us look up to the small balcony that sticks out above the door, finding the man himself staring down at us with a grin teasing his lips. “Watching and waiting to see what people will say about me is also far too entertaining, if you ask me.”
I roll my eyes as a grunt sounds from Alexi’s mouth. “Of course,” he grumbles, impatiently raking his fingers through his hair as Hades makes his grand entrance by stepping off the balcony edge and floating down to the ground.
His God-complex is so big it almost knocks me off my feet, his ego far too large, even for such a huge house. Asshole.
“What is it I can do for you gentlemen? Your message seemed urgent.” He steeples his fingers together, cocking his brows at the three of us as he rakes his eyes over us one by one.
“It is,” Alexi bites, making Hades’s eyes sparkle with a glimmer of anticipation and mischief.
Before anyone else can utter a word, Talon tosses the item in his hand toward Hades and he catches it, the slapping sound of flesh on flesh making me cringe as I watch Hades look down at the body part in his hand.
He doesn’t drop it in disgust or glare at Talon, instead holding it up a little higher so he can get a more detailed look at it. After a few moments pass, he sighs, looking back at the three of us with the flesh still in his hands. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for.” He almost sounds bored and that pisses me off.
“You’re looking at a fake Mark of Death,” I grumble, before forcing myself to inhale and exhale slowly, the pounding in my head worsening as my brows pinch together. Not that Hades is paying any attention. His focus is back on the flesh in his hand, the mark much closer to his face as he observes it.
“Ah, yes, I see. The ember,” he states, like it’s a quiz that we’re here for and I roll my eyes as Talon groans and Alexi sighs.
“This is the fourth one we’ve come across, Hades. This is the third one out of the four that has been cut from their body and delivered to us in one way or another,” Alexi explains, trying to give Hades the bigger picture.
“We also found it with this,” Talon practically growls, tossing the vial of green ash at him this time and, again, the god catches it without lifting his gaze.
Hades twirls the vial in his hand without looking to see what it is as he observes the skin a moment longer before finally lifting his gaze to Talon.
“You know, it never ceases to amaze me how much gall you have with me. As if I’m not Hades, God of the Underworld.” There’s a hint of charm in his voice and not a single touch of malice, which surprises me. Like it impresses him, almost, but that doesn’t mean he’s not pissed off beneath the surface. If this man is anything, it’s unpredictable, and we’d do well to remember that.
With a sigh, he turns his attention to the vial in his hand, his eyes giving nothing away as he looks between both items before settling his gaze on Alexi’s.
“Do you have an explanation for this?” I ask, fed up with the pauses and bullshit that doesn’t lead us directly to an answer.
“For what?” He quirks a brow at me once more, like he’s almost confused why we’re here.
“Why the Redvellions keep appearing with these fake fucking marks and this time we stumble across the green ash too, and we all know that comes from one place and one place only.” My agitation is noticeable in my tone, revealing a hint of my emotions, which only irritates me more.
“Hell,” Hades answers, again, like it’s a damn quiz, and I’m losing the fucking will to live.
“The deep dark corners of Hell,” Talon clarifies, but Hades doesn’t do anything to acknowledge him.
Silence descends over us, Hades's gaze flicking between the flesh in one hand and the vial in the other, while the three of us observe him, waiting for any kind of response.
“Hmm… the fourth mark, where is that one?” His question makes my brows knit together, but it’s Alexi who manages to respond first out of the three of us.
“What do you mean?”
I subconsciously take a small step closer to them, my head tilting slightly to the side as I try to figure out where he’s going with this.
“You said three out of four have been removed from the bodies, where is the fourth?” He looks at us pointedly once more as the three of us glance at each other. My heart rate increases at the thought and my throat dries with worry.
