N. Walters - Pride of the Lion

“Then you shouldn’t have sent them,” he countered.

Hades laughed and Leander barely suppressed a shudder. There was something about the god that made him want to grab Araminta, toss her over his shoulder and run. Hades was too sure of himself, too confident. Leander glanced around, wondering if there were more demons coming.

Then he wondered why the humans living in the neighborhood weren’t peering over their fences. Araminta’s backyard might be filled with mature trees, but surely someone had heard something with his roars and the demons’ cries. He quickly glanced to his right and then to his left but saw no one. His acute hearing told him the four of them were alone.

“Oh, no one will bother us.” Hades flicked his hand toward the sky. “I’ve got a force field around this house. No one gets in or out unless I will it.”

Araminta stepped out to his left side and he had to fight the urge to shove her behind him. “Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of getting the warriors to join you?” She sounded so composed all he could do was stare at her. “After all, won’t Zeus and the others notice such a display of power?”

Her jeans and top were ragged with rips and holes burned into the fabric from the demon’s blood and saliva. Her hands were red and sore and he wanted to roar with the injustice of it all.

“Intelligent question, Araminta. I knew you were different from the others.” He frowned and shook his head as if disappointed “Just not smart enough. I thought you’d be happy to be rid of the warrior in exchange for the fulfillment of your dreams.”

Araminta chewed on her bottom lip, looking worried. Leander took a step closer to her, wanting to be close enough to protect her if Hades tried anything. And then there was Mordecai. He glanced at his former friend and found him standing in the shadows watching the drama unfold.

She tilted her head to one side and her braid fell over her shoulder. “You sound so familiar.”

Leander stiffened. That couldn’t be good. What connection had Hades made with her?

Hades’ smile made Leander uneasy. The god gave a short bow. “Allow me to introduce myself. You know me as Sam Black.”

Araminta stumbled and Leander caught her with his left hand.

“My agent?”

Leander looked from one to the other, trying to understand the implications. It seemed Hades had infiltrated Araminta’s life long before she’d freed him.

“Yes, Araminta. I’m the one who got you your big publishing contract. I’m the one who pulled your career out of mediocrity. You couldn’t have done it on your own. Without me, you’d still be nothing.”

Araminta was reeling from this latest development. Almost being killed by a demon and watching as Leander brutally dispatched the creature had been more than enough for her already frayed nerves. But this, this was the final straw on the camel’s back.

“Why me? I don’t understand. Why send me the dreams to write my books? Why get them published? Why get me to go to the writer’s conference? Why the elaborate setup?”

Hades looked pleased, as though she was some kind of prize pupil and he the willing teacher. “Once again, intelligent questions, my dear.” He tugged on the cuffs of his shirt and aligned his suit jacket. “This pesky little detail called free will. I can influence, but I can’t make a person do something they don’t want to. Unless, of course, they sign over their soul to me in a contract.”

“I didn’t do that.” She struggled to remember the terms of her contract with her agent. That only had to do with her books and not with her. Still, she couldn’t allow herself to relax.

She longed to throw herself into Leander’s protective embrace. Even now, even knowing she’d been in league with his enemy, albeit unknowingly, he was beside her, ready to defend her.

He truly was one of a kind. The world needed him if they were going to survive this bid for world domination by Hades. The sad truth was, she was expendable, while Leander was not.

She might not have the muscles and power to fight Hades, but she did have something else—brains and common sense. If she could keep him talking long enough, keep him entertained, maybe the clock would run out on the curse and they would both be free. It was all she had to cling to.

“No.” Hades tapped a finger against his jaw. “No, you didn’t do that. I couldn’t take the risk. If I tampered with your soul in any way, it might have kept you from being able to free the warrior. I needed you untainted until you set the lion free from captivity.”

There was some satisfaction in that. Not much, but some. Depression hit her hard when she realized her entire publishing career was a sham. The devil himself had sold her books to a publishing company. It had nothing to do with the books she’d written from the stories he’d sent to her in dreams.

Her aspiration of being a successful writer shattered, but she shook off that disappointment. She started to speak, knowing she had to keep Hades talking, but he held up his hand to silence her. “Enough. I know what your game is. You want to keep me talking until time runs out on the curse. Smart girl, but not smart enough. That’s not going to happen.”

Hades turned to Leander. “Last chance, lion. If you join me I release the girl, free and unharmed for the rest of her life.”

“Don’t do it.” Araminta grabbed Leander’s arm and shook him, or at least tried to. It was like trying to shake a mighty redwood. Leander wasn’t moving. “He’s either lying or he’s got a loophole.” She thought fast. She’d written about the other two warriors and knew how Hades thought. “He said for the rest of my life. I bet I’d have some sort of unfortunate accident right after you leave. Maybe get hit by lightning or a bus or something.”

Hades laughed. “What an imagination you have.” His features tightened as he turned his attention to Leader. “Time is running out, lion. Tick tock.”

She stepped in front of Leader and dug her fingers into his shoulders. “If you do it I’ll never forgive you. You need to fight to free yourself. The world needs you.”

“How very tedious.” Hades was no longer amused. Araminta could feel the waves of anger emanating from the god.

“How about this then. Leander, give me the girl and you can go free. You can find your fellow warriors and meet me again on the field of battle after I conquer this little planet. I may not be able to attack you ever again if you somehow break the curse, but that only holds as long as you leave me alone as well. Attack me after you are free and all bets are off.”

Leander stirred and Araminta knew he was going to toss Hades’ offer back at him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would protect her, give his life for her. She loved him too much to let him do such a thing.

“How about I go with you if you promise to leave Leander alone for as long as he lives. No matter what happens in the future,” she added as extra protection.

“Yes, I’ll leave him alone forever.” She started to sigh with relief until Hades added, “Unless we meet again when I launch my takeover of the world. If he fights then, all bets are off.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip. There was something wrong with his offer, but she didn’t have time to figure out what was bothering her, and it was better than the alternative—Leander’s death. And probably the best and only offer she was likely to get from the god. Time was running out.

“Araminta, no.” Leander dragged her to his side and placed one large hand over her mouth to keep her from speaking. She tried to fight him, but his hold was unbreakable. She stomped her foot down on one of his and he didn’t even flinch.

“This is boring and is getting us nowhere.” Mordecai stepped out from the shadows. Between one breath and the next, he attacked. Leander shoved Araminta aside and she fell, barely catching herself with her blistered hands and stopping her face from hitting the ground. While Leander’s attention was turned to her safety, Mordecai struck hard with his sword, stabbing Leander in the side and yanking his blade upward, opening up a huge wound. Blood poured down Leander’s side, painting his chest red in seconds.