a grunt, Baden pulled at his hair. “You’ll be safe here, Katarina. You have my word.” He owed her, and he would pay his debt.
The beast began to utter a protest, only to quiet. The girl’s misery touched a chord in them both.
Silence met his pronouncement, somehow worse than a torrent of curses.
He’d brought Katarina to the fortress in Budapest. The other women would care for her, hopefully soothing her as they’d so often tried to soothe him; the men would guard her from any and every danger while Baden saw to Aleksander’s punishment. For killing the dogs, he would lose his eyes. To start.
Anticipation...
Suddenly the wreaths began to warm. Baden glanced down as a soft red glow pulsed from the metal.
Another summons from Hades.
Knowing what was coming, he raced to the door, shouting, “Maddox. Ashlyn. Anyone! Do not harm the—”
The fortress vanished, and the throne room materialized. Hades was nowhere to be seen. Nor was the siren. Instead, a black tornado swirled over the bottom step of the royal dais, a thousand screams assaulting Baden’s ears.
The tornado slowed...stopped, the wealth of black shadows thinning. Hades appeared in the center, standing over what might have been a body, the flesh and muscle picked off, the bone pitted. A bloody heart rested in his hand. He’d ditched the suit and tie in favor of a black T-shirt and leather pants, chains wrapped around both of his wrists.
From business formal to punk rock. The man was a chameleon.
Destruction played the quiet game, just as before, irritating Baden. “What do you want?”
Hades smiled, and there was blood on his teeth. “We’re just waiting on— Ah. There she is.”
A movement at Baden’s right. He twisted and came face-to-face with Pandora.
“You.” She scowled at him, her hair standing on end, her fangs beginning to grow. Claws extended from the ends of her nails.
Baden’s body expanded, preparing for battle.
“There will be no bloodshed in my throne room,” Hades announced. “Well, no more. Not today.”
His muscles locked onto his bones, preventing any kind of movement. The same freeze-frame clearly overtook Pandora, her expression strained as she fought the immobility.
Only when he made a conscious decision to stand down—won’t act, not here—did he gain his freedom.
“Now, then.” Hades stalked toward them. “You broke my only rule. You tried to kill my other slave.”
“You never said attempting to kill Baden was a problem,” Pandora replied. “Only that I’d be killed if I succeeded.”
How did he know of Pandora’s crime?
“Pippin.” Hades clapped his hands.
The white-robed man appeared in a puff of dark smoke. Like before, he clutched a stone tablet.
“Yes, sire.”
“What’s my only rule?”
“That there are no rules, sire.”
“And?” Hades prompted.
“And whatever else you decide, sire.”
“That’s right. Whatever else I decide.” Hades spread his arms, the very picture of smug masculinity. “I’ve decided even an attempt to kill each other is a punishable offense. You won’t be beheaded for it, even if you succeed, but you will be penalized—and wish I’d killed you instead.”
Baden swallowed a curse. “If you’re allowed to change your mind whenever you wish, how can we trust you’ll keep your word and liberate the winner?”
“Do you have any other choice?” The king pinched off a piece of the still-beating organ and popped it into his mouth. He closed his eyes, as if savoring the taste. “Spy is so much better than chocolate.”
Pandora flinched, and Baden frowned. Had she sent someone to spy on Hades?
“Send another one, Pandy girl, and you won’t like what happens.” Hades dropped what was left of the organ and wiped his hands together.
Well. That answered that.
“Now,” the king said. “You’re lucky I have a heart today.” He kicked the one he’d dropped like it was a soccer ball. “I’m going to go easy on you. For attacking Baden, you are hereby stripped of your point.” He glared at Pandora, daring her to respond. “And you.” He focused on Baden, his anger seeming to double.
Baden waved his fingers, all bring it. He would not apologize for defending himself.
“You have yet to acquire my coin.”
That was the male’s beef? “This particular task requires time. Your words, not mine.”
Hades winced on Baden’s behalf. “Time, yes. Eternity, no. To speed things up, Pandora will aid you.”
A roar rose from deep in his chest. Calm. Steady. With or without the game, Baden would be the one to find the coin and slay Aleksander. My point. My right.
“I’ll ensure Pandora can flash to the male. In the meantime, I have a new task for you.” Hades held out his palm and Pippin placed a piece of stone in the center.
The stone caught fire, turned to ash and when that ash drifted Baden’s way, he inhaled it.
New images popped up in his mind. A bearded man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. He had multiple scars on his arms. Thin straight lines, as if sliced by a blade.
Baden’s mind jumped the track to Katarina and her scars.
The pang returned to his chest. The pain she must have endured—
Stop. Concentrate!
New information continued to barrage him. The man was a sociopath, killing without concern for the age and gender of his victims. After every murder, he notched both of his arms as a memento.
Baden ran his tongue over his teeth. “What do you want me to do?”
“Bring me his head. Today.”
In the past, Baden had only ever killed during battle. And he’d never enjoyed it. This time, he thought he might cheer alongside the beast.
What gives you the right to be judge, jury and executioner?
Katarina’s words danced through his mind, and he frowned.
I have a mission to do, a point to earn. An evil act against an evil man.
Would Katarina understand? Would she castigate him for his actions?
Concentrate.
