“A god.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
Crap. I’d known it was true. I’d felt it. But hearing it was scary as hell. Yet she wasn’t dead, according to her. Hell, maybe she was and didn’t know it. And maybe I was dead.
Nope, nope, nope.
My mind skittered away from that topic like a frightened Chihuahua. I didn’t even want to think that way.
“What’s he like?” I asked. “Likes, dislikes. Hobbies. Does he build miniature train sets, for example?”
“Likes and dislikes?” She looked at me like I was insane, completely ignoring the bit about miniature train sets. “He is Hades. No likes or dislikes. Just his obsessions.”
“Obsessions?” My tone sounded far too keen.
Her eyes flashed with wariness. “I’ve said too much.”
“Of course not!” I smiled, hoping I looked reassuring. “I’m just curious. Idle chit chat, you know. Is he really as inhuman as he seems?”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Not an ounce of emotion in him. He’s not human, of course.”
As cold as I thought. “No, certainly not. He’s a god, after all.”
“He’s not like them, either.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s something different about him. All the servants whisper of it.”
A shiver raced down my spine. “Different? How so?”
Her mouth snapped shut. “I can say no more.”
The ice was getting thin. I needed to backtrack, quickly. “Do you have any suggestions for what I should wear to dinner? He said the wardrobe had clothing in it.”
She smiled and rose, clearly more comfortable. “I do indeed. Let me go set something out for you.”
“Thanks.”
She left the room, and I dunked myself under the water, scrubbing up as quickly as I could. My mind raced as I worked, putting together all the pieces that I’d learned about Hades. It was no small amount, but I was unsure what to make of it.
I rinsed the soap from my hair and opened my eyes. A black bird sat on the windowsill staring at me. The creature was big enough to be a raven.
“Beatrix?” There was no way it could be my friend. The fact that it was a raven meant nothing. They were probably like pigeons down here.
The bird tilted its head at me, curious.
“I’ve got something!” Kerala appeared in the doorway, holding up a slinky black dress.
I turned to her, heart racing.
If the bird was Beatrix, Kerala wouldn’t be able to tell. The maid gestured for me to follow and returned to the bedroom.
Fortunately, the bird stayed put on the windowsill. I climbed out of the bath and grabbed one of the fluffy towels. Wrapping it around myself, I called, “I’ll be right out.” I looked at the bird, hope flaring wildly in my chest. “Please don’t leave. I’ll be just a moment.”
The bird just stared at me, and I felt like an idiot.
I hurried out into the main room, spotting the beautiful glittering dress draped across the bed. It looked quite skimpy. I raised my eyebrows at Kerala. “You have racy taste.”
She grinned. “Good taste. You’ll look amazing at dinner.”
Dinner.
At the word, my stomach grumbled. Hunger gnawed at me. Damn it, this was going to suck.
Thirst would get me sooner than hunger, though.
“Does the water in this realm travel through others?” I asked, remembering what Lucifer had said.
“It does indeed. Why?”
“That would make it safe to drink, wouldn’t it? Since it is not from this place, drinking it would not require me to stay here.”
She nodded, a slow frown furrowing her brow. “Yes. You really don’t want to stay, do you?”
“I don’t. I have a life back home. A friend who is ill.” I thought of the bird waiting for me. It might be Beatrix. But I needed to take a moment to ask. “Do you know anything about the dark mist that follows Hades? I think it poisoned my friend.”
Fear flashed in her eyes. “Of course not. I must go.”
She whirled and ran. Before I could say anything, she was out the door.
Damn it.
I turned back to the bathroom and hurried inside, hoping to find the bird still on the sill.
I glimpsed black feathers, and relief rushed through me. “Please tell me you are Beatrix.”
The bird hopped two steps forward on the wide stone still, then flew into the room. Magic swirled, and the bird transformed into a woman with wild dark hair and brilliant blue leggings.
“Oh fates!” I threw my arms around her. I barely knew her—calling her a friend was truly a stretch—but I’d never been so grateful to see anyone in all my life.
Beatrix hugged me close, then pulled back. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Mostly.” I looked her up and down. “How are you here?”
“Great question.” Her brow creased. “I don’t know.”
“What do you remember?” Beatrix was new to Guild City, a new supernatural with unfamiliar powers. Anything could happen. “You’re not dead, right?”
A year ago, after she’d been murdered, she’d transformed into a raven, her latent magic saving her from true death. Her friend Carrow had brought her back only a month ago.
“No, I’m not dead.” She looked at her arms. “Pretty sure I’m not. I remember feeling you disappear from Guild City. I was sitting with Mac, and pop!” She snapped her fingers. “Your presence was gone.”
“You could feel that?”
She nodded. “It was weird. And I had this instinct that if I transformed into a raven, I could find you. And I was right. I imagined you, and here I am.”
“Probably because that form is linked to death, and I’m in the Underworld.”
“Are you dead?”
I swallowed hard. “I hope not. Underworlds are separate planes of existence. They’re often inhabited by the dead, but the living can visit, too. So I think I’m still alive.”
“I can try to bring you with me back to Guild City.”
“How?” Excitement flared.
“I don’t know. I’ll sit on your shoulder and transform, then imagine going back, just like I’ve been doing.”
“Let’s try it!”
She nodded, and her magic swirled once more, transforming her into a raven. Her feathers glinted velvety black under the light as she flew, landing on my shoulder. She was heavier than I expected. Her claws dug into my flesh, pain stinging.
Her magic flared, bringing with it the scent of a fresh breeze. A moment later, she disappeared from my shoulder.
Disappointment dragged at me. Damn it.
A few moments later, the raven reappeared in front of me, transforming quickly into Beatrix. A frown creased her brow. “Sorry. No luck.”
“Thanks for trying.”
“Why are you here, anyway?”
“I was kidnapped by Hades.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You were what, now?”
I told her the whole story, starting with returning to the library and trying to find the mist to save Mac and ending up here.”
“Holy crap, that’s crazy.” She backed up to the couch and sat heavily. “I’ll never get used to this weird world.”