Inescapably Hellbound (Spells That Bind Book 5) Page 16

  “I’m not the only guard who’s tired of Lucifer’s restrictions. The fallen angels can go into the prisons and do whatever they want, but we’re punished for having a little fun with the prisoners. Why should it matter if we offer contraband items as prizes in fights or for sexual favors?”

  “It shouldn’t matter what happens to the prisoners,” I assured her. “Lucifer doesn’t appreciate you.”

  “I want more power. All the demon guards do,” she told me. “We’re tired of doing Lucifer’s grunt work.”

  I would ask why she didn’t just leave her job at the prisons if I didn’t already know the answer. She wasn’t interested in following the rules. If she left her job at the prison, she’d likely commit a crime that landed her in one.

  “I can give you more power.” I could give her power, but I wouldn’t. Once the demon served her purpose, I’d kill her. Her loyalty, and that of her demon friends, couldn’t be trusted. “I need people who are willing to fight on my side. They can be prisoners, guards, or anyone else, but they must hate Lucifer.”

  “There are plenty of demons who hate Lucifer,” she assured me.

  “I don’t need demons to fight,” I snapped. “What I need is for you to recruit fallen angels. I also need to know everything happening with Hades’s little witch. My spies are good, but I need to find someone closer.”

  The demon frowned. “So, the rumors about Hades chasing after a witch are true?”

  “You told me you know Hades,” I snapped.

  “I do,” she began cautiously. “Since I work in the detention areas, we talk. He’s spoken to me many times.”

  “But not about anything involving his personal life,” I finished for her. “You had better prove useful in finding fallen angels to fight for me.”

  “That I can do,” she assured me. “As I’ve said, there are many in the prisons who hate Lucifer and would love to see him dead. He’s made a lot of prisoners and guards angry lately.”

  I wasn’t convinced the demon could deliver on her promises, but I was certain she’d try. She craved power like a drug, something I understood. “Don’t disappoint me,” I warned as I took flight. The demon was motivated, so maybe she would come through. If she helped me, I might not kill her. The thought almost made me laugh. Who was I kidding? I was already thinking of excruciatingly painful ways to end her existence. The cold always put me in a killing mood.

  Chapter 55

  Persephone

  Hades was stopped by a spell when the elevator doors opened. There was enough kick to it to send him stumbling back and cause sparks to flash around him.

  “Are you kidding me?” I demanded. “You not only banned Hades, you put a spell up so he can’t enter?”

  Julia was the only one in the lobby, and she appeared genuinely baffled by what had just happened. “Joey!” she shouted.

  Joey strolled out from one of the conference rooms and raised an eyebrow in question.

  “Do you know anything about the spell on the elevator?” she asked him.

  Joey looked just as confused.

  “Lucifer,” Hades said as he stood in the elevator studying the magic. We all turned to look at him, and he continued. “The magic is in the elevator itself, so Lucifer has to be involved.”

  I was fuming as I fished through my purse for my phone. “Just wait until I tell Beatrice what Lucifer did. How dare he hurt you! That overbearing bully has no right to do something like this.”

  Hades and Joey were both laughing, while Julia looked unsure of how she should approach me.

  “What is so funny?” I demanded of Joey and Hades.

  Joey answered first. “It’s hilarious that a little witch like you is going to get an even smaller witch to tell off the devil. You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that.”

  “And you?” I asked Hades. “Are you laughing because you think I’m too small to take on Lucifer?”

  Hades grinned. “We both know you’re no match for Lucifer. I was actually laughing at the whole situation. Lucifer did a lot to prevent me from kidnapping you at work, but he didn’t put any spells on your apartment complex. That seems a little sloppy for Lucifer.”

  “Maybe he didn’t want you fighting in the Bliss offices,” Julia suggested.

  “Whatever the reason, this is a nasty spell,” Hades remarked as he rolled his shoulders. “I think he may have singed my chest hair.”

  “He will not get away with this,” I ground out.

  “Calm down,” Hades told me, taking a step toward me before remembering the spell and stopping himself. “Lucifer’s done much worse to me when we were fighting to blow off steam. This is no big deal. I’ll talk to him about having the spell removed before I pick you up tonight.”

  I nodded, still planning to call Beatrice. While I wanted to kiss Hades goodbye, it would be unprofessional, so I smiled and said. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Call if you need anything,” he told me.

  Joey inhaled deeply and called out to Hades, “Congratulations on your curse finally being broken.”

  The doors closed before Hades could respond.

  I sighed and sat at my desk. “I am so glad I don’t have to deal with the werewolf sense of smell all the time.”

  Chapter 56

  Persephone

  “I’m sorry, but I must have misheard you.”

  I couldn’t think of another response when the angel of death showed up at my place of employment and asked if he could take me out to lunch.

  “This was a bad idea,” Azrael muttered before turning to leave.

  I quickly got to my feet and hurried around my desk to grab his arm. “Wait! I’m sorry if I made you feel like I don’t want to be around you.”

  He turned to regard me with a curious expression. “You’re nothing like I expected when I first learned I had granddaughters.”

  “Were you expecting angry women in goth attire?” I asked.

  “No, well, not exactly,” he admitted.

  His response made me giggle. “You really expected me to be moody and gloomy.”

  His smile was genuine when he responded. “Yes, I definitely pictured someone less cheerful. I still find it hard to believe you’re my great-granddaughter.”

  I nodded my understanding. “This must be as shocking for you as it has been for me.”

  “I doubt my shock comes even close to yours,” he replied. “I knew it was possible I could have fathered a child. You probably couldn’t have ever guessed that you were descended from the least desirable of the archangels.”

  My first instinct was to comfort him. I’d already heard that the other angels shunned and looked down upon Azrael. He had to be lonely. His role was also not an easy one. Still, something told me that would be the wrong approach with Azrael. He didn’t need anyone to feed into his emo personality. “I’ll have lunch with you as long as you promise we can skip the pity party.”

  “Pity party?” he asked, his brow creased in confusion.

  “Even if you’ve never heard the term, you must be able to pick up on the meaning,” I told him with an eye-roll.

  He laughed and admitted, “I know what you mean. I’m not used to people being this open with me.”

  “If we’re going to spend time together, you should get used to it,” I told him.

  “I’d definitely like to spend more time with you, Persephone.”

  Chapter 57

  Hades

  After getting Lucifer to remove the spell from the elevator, I’d decided to surprise Persephone by taking her out to lunch. As it turned out, I was the one surprised when I arrived at Bliss only to discover she’d already left for lunch—with Azrael. After his brief meeting with Persephone and Demira, I’d expected him to keep his distance.

  I heard the murmurings as soon as I entered the witch deli where I’d been told Persephone was having lunch with Azrael. Most witches in the deli likely didn’t recognize Azrael since he looked different than in the photos of him. The angel of death w
as either shown wearing a black hood that completely hid his features, or in his more natural angelic state. I was easily recognizable to anyone who’d taken a class on fallen angels or the demon realm in witch school. There had also been several photos taken of me during my recent visit to the Council of Witches’ offices.

  “Hades,” Azrael greeted me in a bored tone.

  Since Persephone had her back to me, she hadn’t seen me enter, and she’d been too engrossed in her conversation with Azrael to notice. Turning toward me, she smiled. “What are you doing here?”

  The question might have sounded rude if she didn’t look so happy to see me. “I wanted to surprise you by taking you to lunch. It seems I should have asked if you had plans first.”

  “Azrael stopped by the office,” Persephone explained. “I guess he wanted to surprise me, too. Why don’t you grab a sandwich and join us? Or you could eat the last half of mine. I couldn’t resist getting a cup of clam chowder with my sandwich today.”

  I sat at the table and took the half-sandwich she’d offered. There was something very intimate about sharing food. I liked it. What I didn’t like was Azrael’s presence. “I thought you were going to let Persephone decide if she wanted to see you again.”

  Persephone pinched my thigh under the table.

  Azrael shrugged. “That was my plan.” He offered no further explanation before focusing on Persephone. “So, your mother owns a store catering to humans?”

  This was news to me, and I suddenly felt bad for not asking more about her life among humans.

  Persephone nodded. “I’ve heard that some witches move away from the witch community and rarely use their magic again, but my parents both use their magic often. My dad was mostly responsible for my training growing up, but he also helps my mom with the spells at her store.”

  “Isn’t it against witch rules to sell spells to humans?” I asked.

  “It is,” she replied. “Those rules only apply to witches who are members of a council. Once my parents broke with the council, they had more wiggle room, but they could still get in trouble for selling dangerous spells or spells that would reveal who we are. My mom’s store sells products to aid in natural healing. She also helps new mothers with childbirth when there are complications. The local midwives realize she’s more than human, but they don’t admit it out loud. She’s actually considered a midwife in the community, even though she’s never taken any classes.”

  “That’s an interesting career choice for a witch,” Azrael remarked.

  “It makes sense,” I added. “You were all living among humans and became a part of their community. Your family cares about them and wants to help in any way they can. How long do you think your parents will continue living in that human community?”

  “Not much longer,” Persephone replied. “They’re already getting comments about how they never age. In the beginning, they were only staying there to hide me, but it’s become their home.”

  “Where do they plan to go next?” I asked. “Are they going to rejoin the witch community?”

  “What a horrid thought,” Azrael muttered.

  “Why do you dislike witches so much?” Persephone asked him.

  Azrael looked taken aback by her question. “I don’t dislike witches,” he insisted.

  “Every time I bring up anything related to the witch council, you cringe,” Persephone pointed out.

  “I’m not sure that means Azrael has anything against witches,” I argued. “I cringe when I think of your council.”

  “Usually, when I’m tasked with guiding the soul of a witch to their final resting place, they end up pissing me off,” Azrael explained. “I’ve lost count of the number of times in the last year I’ve had a high-ranking witch argue with me about inane details or insist they receive special treatment. I’ve even had witches insist I change clothes. The lazy fucks should follow the light like most do. Then, I wouldn’t have to deal with them. Witches are a pain in the ass.”

  Persephone giggled.

  “It’s not funny,” Azrael insisted.

  “It is from where we’re sitting,” I told him. “Not all witches are a pain in the ass. You never meet the easy witches because they probably just go into the light.”

  “He’s right,” Persephone agreed. “Of the witches I’ve met so far, I’ll bet I can guess the ones who’ll need your assistance, and I’d lose my patience if I had to deal with them.”

  “She called one of them a bitch,” I added with a grin.

  Persephone’s cheeks heated. “Don’t tell him about that!”

  Azrael’s laugh startled me. It’s not that I’d never heard him laugh, so much as his laugh was usually dry and humorless. “I wish I’d been there to see that.”

  “It was impressive,” I said with a laugh of my own.

  Chapter 58

  Persephone

  While I’d kept my concerns hidden, I’d definitely been worried that Hades and Azrael would fight at lunch. Ever the optimist, I’d hoped they would eventually get along, but I’d never have guessed it would happen so quickly.

  “She was something else with the council,” Hades told Azrael. “When I first met Persephone, I figured she’d be timid, but she’s even fought a demon while in a room with a powerful dampening spell.”

  “She is my granddaughter,” Azrael bragged.

  “You don’t get to take credit for my fighting skills,” I told him. “My parents were the ones who made sure I could defend myself without relying on magic.”

  “You’re right,” Azrael agreed, looking somewhat pensive. “When I first learned I’d sired a child, I never expected to feel this sense of loss over all the time I missed. I’ll never get to know my daughter in life. I’ve been tempted to find her soul, but I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”

  It had never even occurred to me that, as the angel of death, Azrael would have no trouble connecting with my deceased grandmother. “Why are you so worried about meeting her? It shouldn’t be that much different from meeting me.”

  “She might not remember her life,” Hades replied.

  “Oh! I hadn’t even thought of that possibility,” I admitted. “I’m so used to thinking of myself as a witch, I forget about the angel part. I guess my grandmother may have been reincarnated with no memory of her life. Wouldn’t someone have seen her if that was the case? I’ve heard angels are reborn as themselves, but with no memories. Do you think she’d forget who she is even if she’s not reborn? This could get confusing.”

  “It does sound confusing,” Hades agreed. “I’ve come across souls in the demon realm who had no memory of their life. They were all demons, so part fallen angel.”

  “That can also happen when the soul is too traumatized by their life,” Azrael admitted. “I’ve helped make that happen for some souls when they didn’t deserve to suffer an eternity with the memories of their life.”

  “Really?” Hades asked. “Don’t get me wrong, but you never struck me as the type to care if someone suffers.”

  “I don’t when the person deserves to suffer,” Azrael replied.

  Azrael came across as cold and uncaring, but he wasn’t as bad as most thought.

  Reaching out, I placed my hand on his. “Thank you for sharing that with me, and thank you for inviting me to lunch. I’m glad we’re getting to know each other.”

  “Me too.” He was about to say more when his phone buzzed. “That’s work, so I need to go,” he said without even looking at it.

  When I looked at the time, I replied, “I should get back to work, too.”

  “I’ll walk Persephone back to the office,” Hades told Azrael.

  “I can walk back to the office alone,” I reminded them.

  “Humor a couple of old angels,” was Azrael’s reply. “We’re both worried about you with the recent threats.”

  “Fine,” I relented. “This had better not continue after you accept that there is no threat to me.”

  Hades grinned and stood to pu
t a hand out to me. “You can always tell me off if I cross the line.”

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I asked with a laugh.

  “Very much so,” he murmured.

  “On that note, I’m leaving before I get the urge to kick your fallen angel ass for touching my granddaughter,” Azrael announced.

  “Not even a goodbye,” I muttered after Azrael exited the deli. “His social skills are even worse than yours.”

  “I’m sure you’ll train him, like you trained me,” Hades said with a laugh.

  Chapter 59

  The Strategist

  “We can’t keep hiding escaped prisoners!” Hera shouted as she stormed into my temple.

  “Keep your voice down,” I hissed. “We don’t want everyone to know what we’re up to.”

  Hera scowled at me. “There are nearly a dozen dirty, smelly fallen angels in my temple. I want them out.”

  My demon guard was doing an excellent job of recruiting fighters for the cause, but Hera was right about how annoying hiding them on Olympus was. If it weren’t for the fact that so many of the others were too confused to find Hera’s temple, we might not have been able to pull it off. Those who could find Hera’s temple never went there because she was an irritating bitch.

  “Don’t worry,” I told her. “I’ve already found a new place for our fighters to hide and train.”

  The buzzing of my phone interrupted our conversation. As reluctant as I’d been to get a phone, it made it much easier to communicate with my spies. “What is it?” I asked.

  “I saw the witch head into the deli across the street to have lunch with Azrael,” he told me.

  “Interesting,” I mused. “I guess he has taken an interest in the witch. Did you follow them in?”

  “No,” he replied. “She came in for lunch late and saw me leaving the deli. I was worried it would look suspicious if I headed back in. I saw Hades head in there a little later, so it’s a good thing I stayed outside.”

  “You’ve done well,” I praised. “Continue to keep me updated.”