Guardian

Thump thump thump thump

Thump thump thump thump

Officially the worst sound I could ever hear in my entire life. The sound of heavy, powerful footsteps that vibrated the very floor that I was kneeling on. Each gigantic foot, size twelve to be exact, fell across the marble floor like the sound of Thor’s hammer beating the earth. The sound resonated in my ears and made the hairs on my neck stand on end. The sound of a powerful being making his way down the hall of his extravagant modern designed mansion, a mansion not far from the very gates of the Greek underworld, and the home of Hades.

Those footsteps sent goosebumps flying over my skin and instantly my guard was up as the footsteps drew nearer and nearer, coming in time with my heart that thundered in my chest like a violent storm of emotions that I had trouble reigning in.

I scrambled from the kneeling position near the tall floor length window that looked out into the beautifully designed, yet eerily gloomy backyard patio of expensive patio furniture. The chains that connected my ankles to the bed post, joining the chain that led to the metal collar around my throat, all jingled in a symphony of imprisonment and alarm. I went to the large black canopy bed, like a dark forbading tomb at the center of what was supposed to be a bedroom, but looked more like a Marilyn Manson music video.

I ducked underneath of the bed, pushing aside the silk covers as I crawled as far back as I could, near the head of the bed, with two black nightstands on either side, but I’d already learned they couldn’t protect me.

I stayed curled up, my nails scraping on the floor as I crouched in the darkess, listening intently as the footsteps slowed to a complete halt. I held my breath, heart pounding, ears ringing with the unbearable silence before the sound of the wooden door scraped open and the heavy footsteps came in, followed by the sound of the door closing behind them.

I peered beneath the silk covers that hung over the bottom of the bed, staring at a pair of large black boots that added two inches to the monsterous six foot five creature that wore them. The boots were tall, knee high, with skull and cross bones buckles racing up the sides, their eyes like soulless pits that made my skin crawl.

“Blaine,” A throaty baritone voice called, “Come out, come out wherever you are.” He was teasing me again, trying to be playful and sweet and that’s what I hated about him more than anything. The way he played with me as if I were a toy, and I was so tired of being treated like a toy. A lifetime of servitude against my will, because my whore mother would rather sell me than take my place. This monster was just one of many who used me and played with me and tried to break me.

And he could be as handsome as he wanted, but there was no denying that he was the devil incarnate.

The huge Gothic boots thumped toward the bed and I scrunched myself as far back as I could to keep away from the edges, but it didn’t matter because the bed shook for a moment before shooting away from me, moving to the window that I had occupied myself with earlier.

My eyes widened and I jerked my head up at the beast that called himself my master.

Cerberus.

The ancient powerful creation of Hades, the sole guardian of the gates to the Underworld. He towered over me like the headstone to a grave, tall with corded muscles that were hugged tight by a cropped leather jacket that lay open to reveal a scrumptious torso rippling with powerful muscles and pecs that begged to be suckled, abs that pleaded to be used as a buffet table. Skin a healthy warm shade of olive, hair as black as the dark abyss that he was created from, and eyes as red as the blood that he constantly drew from me for his sick pleasure. A pair of tight black leather pants with chains lacing down the sides, jingling when he walked, hugged a pair of long muscular legs that could hunt down even the hardest to catch prey.

A smirk spread across his lips, his red eyes narrowing with a look of hunger and a tongue that flicked across his bottom lip with anticipation for what he had in store for me.

But I wasn’t a slave.

It didn’t matter what the brand on the underside of my foot meant. The intricate Celtic knot design meant nothing to me. I was born free and I would die free, I would live free.

He reached for me and I spun out of the way against the night stand and went to take off to the bed where my chains connected to, but Cerberus caught the chain that went to my neck and tore me back, choking off my air and crushing my windpipe as he pulled me into his arms and wrapped them around me like boa constrictors crushing the life out of me.

Rage and blinding hatred sped through me so fast that I barely knew what to do with it, except scream at the monstrosity that refused to release me. The hatred poured into my veins so easily, like cake mix into a bowl, only it felt more like liquid fire. I snarled and went to sink my small fangs into the monster’s arm, but he shoved me roughly to the floor before I had the chance. I whirled around to attack him, but he caught me by the shoulders and pinned me down.

Panic rose into my throat and made the voices in my head shriek with rage and horror. He always did this, whenever he was preparing for sex. He would pin me down and force me anyway he wanted to and it seared me to the core of my blackened soul. I bared my fangs at him in warning, but as usual, he just ignored me with this mischevious smile that told me plainly he didn’t give two craps what I thought of this.

“Get off me, you freakin’ jerk!” I shouted wrathfully, feeling the heat of my powers surge forward to defend myself, but the magic chains constricted on me and I hissed, falling back on the floor, writhing as little electrical sparks of magic shot into my skin and stung me for trying to use my powers. I gritted my teeth as Cerberus held me down, his hands grasping my wrists and pinning them to my chest, his other hand braced near my head on the cold marble floor.

He stared down at me with an intensity that made my skin crawl. I curled my lip before spitting at his face. He cursed under his breath, but didn’t let go of me, much to my displeasure. He just used his other hand to move down to grab at me between the legs. I lunged forward and bit him on the space between his thumb and forefinger.

“Bitch!” Cerberus exclaimed in pain, releasing my wrists to whack me over the head. I let go instantly as pain exploded in my skull and my head snapped to the side as Cerberus sat back, still straddling me as he cradled his wounded hand, but it healed just a couple seconds later, good as new, not even a scar laying in its wake.

Then he went back to struggling against me and because of the blow to the head, my vision was shifty and I was dizzy.

But it didn’t matter how much I fought.

I always ended up in the same humiliating position, my legs forced apart and Cerberus buried between them, right up to the hilt, throbbing inside me. I writhed and fought, even with him pistoning his hips against me. Pain shot up my back and the sting of my muscles ripping to make room for him, all of it gave me a horrible headache. Even worse was that Cerberus’s lust was driving me insane. My body instantly reacted to the strength of it. I gasped, breathless as Cerberus made eye contact with me.

I hated it when he tried to look at me when he did this. No one else had made that effort and it infuriated me that he tried to. I wasn’t sure what he meant to gain by meeting my eyes, his red ones glowing like hot embers in a fire. And his lust only fueled my ability to pick up on emotions. I felt his lust ten times worse, breathless as he continued to piston his hips in a sharp, rough rhythm that burned me. My muscles felt like they were turning to pudding as I finally slumped back on the floor, unable to fight any longer.

And that’s how he worked.

He forced me into submission until my emotional abilities picked up on his and I had no choice, but to go along for a ride that pleased my body to no end, but seared through my soul like a hot dagger. While my body whimpered and panted, wriggling desperately to feel more, my soul screamed for vengence. The only thing that made me hornier was imaginging my fist shoving through Cerberus’s chest, ripping his heart out, and feeding it to the lowest of creatures-- maybe his worthless father.

My body couldn’t take the abuse anymore and gave out. I felt a cry escape my lips as I shuddered in release, eyes squeezing shut to block out those intensely staring red orbs. Cerberus never made a sound when he came inside me. He didn’t even grunt or moan or anything. Just kept his mouth shut and arched into me, trying to reach further into the depths of my weakened body. I felt like a corpse as I laid there, Cerberus finishing up his job before getting to his feet so he was standing over me.

I wanted to get up and attack him, rip his hair out and shred his face with my fingernails, but my body was too tired. I just laid there, trying to catch my breath as the blinding lust Cerberus felt for me faded inside me. I was left feeling cold and sick to my stomach.

I managed to glare up at him, cursing his very existence as he zipped up his pants, reaching up to run a hand through his hair before brushing it over his shoulder.

“Get up,” He told me, as if that were an easy thing to do, “We’re going into Styx today. I have to pick up a few things before that stupid representative of Hades’s shows up.” I curled my lip at him and went to kick him, but he easily sidestepped it. He went to the window to peer out before looking back at me to see that I hadn’t moved. He rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. Pain cut through me sharply as he healed the wounds he’d given me, but it still hurt like a bitch.

As soon as the pain of healing faded, I leapt to my feet and went to run for the door, but he was behind me in an instant, catching me around the waist and throwing me around into the corner of the room where my head collided with the stone wall there. I trembled for a second, blinking past the darkness that threatened to cave in on me from the impact.

“We’re going,” Cerberus deadpanned, “And I’m definitely not having you go in that.” He pointed to the torn shirt that I wore. I looked down at it, then up at him with a glare.

“You’re the freakin’ prick face who gave it to me.” I sneered. Cerberus rolled his eyes as I stood up. He snapped his fingers and the shredded shirt was gone. I hated it when he did that. A whole new outfit adorned me in a way that was supposed to make people think that Cerberus spoiled me, but he really didn’t. Unless rape and abuse counted as spoiling me, then I was a spoilt little slave.

The outfit he’d given me was made of deep red silks. A red turtleneck with openings over the shoulders to show them off, and loose transparent sleeves that fell to my elbows. A pair of gold slave cuffs went around my wrists, encrusted with red rubies. A black pair of tight leather pants that led to the gold slave cuffs around my ankles and a simple pair of black lace sandals, probably from his time period. He’d even been so nice to put my hair up into a ponytail and style my hair so my bangs fell across my face in a way that was probably supposed to look sexy, but it pissed me off.

“Those cuffs,” Cerberus said, pointing to the ones on my wrists and ankles, “Will shock you severely if you try to use your magic, and if you get within ten feet away from me, they’ll teleport you right back to my side. I even made them all pretty for you. I think red matches your hair.” I curled my lip at him and spat at his feet, but he didn’t say anything to that.

It irritated me that he was starting to ignore my retaliations. Granted, he ignored it before when I fought him vigorously when he would rape me or beat me, but he also used to slap me and kick me if I showed him disrespect. Now he ignored it. It’d been happening ever since the incident in the Labyrinth.

Ah, yes. My new favorite place because it drove all the sons of Hades to madness.

Just two months ago, we’d all been trapped in Daedalus’s Labyrinth in the mortal realm. It’d actually been an entire year that we’d been missing and during that time, the Titans, that the sons of Hades were set to protect the world against, escaped into the world and were in hiding as they tried to recover their lost powers. Along with them were the infamous Atlantean gods, the Khalian, who were also on Hades’s hit list.

It’d been two months since we escaped the Labyrinth and things had gotten very tense. It even unnerved me a bit. Persephone had returned to the Underworld, so Hades was once again a tender soul as he doted heavily on the wife he actually kidnapped and was already related to-- she was his niece, but Greeks didn’t really give a crap about incest or homosexuality.

Already seen in Cain and Abel’s relationship. Those two were as sinful as they come.

But I, too, came from a period of time when homosexuality was actually revered. My people believed that homosexuality was the purest form of love. Straight couples married for the sole purpose of procreation. But two men, two women, could not procreate together and that meant they were truly in love.

What a crock of shit.

My people were smoking something severe. It was probably what killed them all off, well, except the Romans. They had something to do with that too.

Unfortunately, Cerberus started making his way out of his room. I stayed behind, hoping he was lying about the cuffs, but a second later, I vanished from the room unwillingly and appeared beside Cerberus, who gave me a shit-eating grin that made me want to rip his eyes out and feed them to him. I just glared at him, still too tired to do anything more than that. I was forced to follow him down the hallway and into the main lobby, an elaborately designed room with an L-shaped staircase, glittering marble floors, and a large glass door that led to the backyard, another leading to the front.

Leon was there, sitting in a black and white designed armchair, reading a Demonic Fashion magazine before he looked up and saw us. Leon was one of the few creatures on this planet I didn’t hate with a white hot passion. He was a very, lithely muscled man with dark chocolate skin designed with gold geometric designs. His dark mass of dreadlocks was tied back in a low ponytail with a navy scarf that matched his jeans, and a long black leather duster that made him look incredibly sexy. Not that I was into him, I just noticed these kinds of things.

“Are we headin’ out?” Leon asked, getting to his feet. Cerberus nodded as he conjured his belt with the sword hooked to it, not that he needed it.

“I wanted to get a last look outside before that rep shows up to ruin my day.” He answered. Leon nodded understandingly before he led the way out of the house. I just followed behind them, annoyed. I wanted to stay in the house. There was no way for me to escape with these damned slave cuffs on, and if I couldn’t escape, I rather curl up under the bed and plot another way to kill Cerberus.

And trying to kill him was damned near impossible.

I’d already tried six times and each time had failed miserably. I’d even asked Leon to at least try and slit his throat and Leon backhanded me for it. His loyalty to Cerberus was completely insane, but admirable in a weird kind of way. Still, it didn’t matter. He was in my way as much as everyone else.

We teleported from Cerberus’s home to the great bustling city of Styx. It was a port city owned by Cerberus’s youngest brother, Theo. The city was a giant colorful explosion of cultures. Demons and creatures from all over the world came to visit. It was like the New Orleans of the underworld. Music of all kinds, usually something exotic or jazzy, wavered through open windows. People moved from place to place, laughing and chattering and carrying bags from shopping at the most popular and exclusive shops. The air was rich with the scent of spices and perfume, masking the natural scent of the River Styx nearby.

I grimaced at the amount of people that passed us as we moved down the main street. It was different from the mortal world, the way it was set up. No one used cars. The streets were just full of people walking or jogging, setting up little booths. Occasionally someone would ride by on a bicycle, but that was about it. Why didn’t they use cars? I didn’t understand it.

The worst part was that everyone passed by me without a second glance. No one cared about the fact that I was enslaved to Cerberus. If anything, they were purposely avoiding me so as not to anger the all powerful mutt Cerberus. I glared at Cerberus’s back as he walked in front of Leon and I. Part of me wanted to rip his sword from its holster and plunge it into his back through his heart, but Cerberus was smarter than that. He’d break my neck before I even made it to the sword.

“Why are we here again?” I muttered bitterly, folding my arms over my chest. Leon frowned, his hand resting on the sword that hung around his waist, the sister sword of Cerberus’s.

“We need to stock up before the rep shows up. He’s basically one of Hades’s spies. One is being sent to watch over each son in order to report back to Hades.”

“So babysitters.”

“Yeah.” Leon agreed with a half-laugh. Cerberus wrinkled his nose at that, but said nothing as he led us into a large herbal shop. Herbs hung from the ceiling to dry, several sat in the windows of the shop to catch the artifical rays of sun that peered between black clouds outside. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched to the front of the store where a register sat and a fat man was manning it, looking suspiciously like Mario. At the front of the store, just before the shelves, was a small fountain spitting up red liquid that smelled a lot like dragon blood and made me sick to my stomach.

People were so sick and disgusting and cruel. They never changed. They saw something they wanted and took it without even stopping to think that maybe, just maybe, that something just wanted to be left the heck alone.

“Lord Cerberus,” Mario exclaimed, probably catching sight of Cerberus towering over all of his shelves as he made his way to the front of the shop, “It is a pleasure to see you again!” Cerberus flashed a charming smile that made me roll my eyes.

“Jorge, good to see you, my man. I’m here for a little guest shopping. According to rumors, my visitor is a sucker for Chinese tea and I thought, hm, who’s the best guy in the entire underworld to buy that from?” He said. Jorge chortled, placing a hand on his beer belly. I grimaced and stayed near the back of the store, towards the entrance. Not that I could leave anyway, I just wanted to stay as far from Cerberus as the cuffs would allow.

I walked to the dragon blood fountain, frowning at the sign that was written in some ancient Aztec language, but the price was sixty-five million drachmas. I rolled my eyes at that, then frown at my reflection in the blood. I looked like a doll and it made me curl my lip.

“Oh my, you’re so pretty in red, fae.” The voice made me jerk my head up. It was a voice I hadn’t heard in decades and the first thing that came to my mind was strangling the stupid son of a bitch.

Standing on the other side of the fountain was a tall, slender man, build like a swimmer, with dark dreadlocks held back by a black silk scarf from his face. His dark brown eyes were ringed in thick black eyeliner, a well trimmed goatee dusting his chin. He wore a dark red and black marbled leather jacket and black jeans under a long black cloak, his bulky boots thumping as he walked toward me, but I moved to the other side of the fountain, glaring at him.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Ashter?” I sneered. Ashter wrinkled his nose in a way that I used to think was adorable, but considering the fact that I found out he was a no good dirty trickster god, nothing about him was adorable anymore. He cocked his head at me, leaning on the fountain before he dipped a finger in and licked it, shivering at the taste. I curled my lip at that.

Ashter was a minor trickster god from the Egyptian pantheon, but no one actually looked at him as a god of their pantheon considering he was the bastard son of Horus and some Sumerian goddess with a ridiculously long name. Like most gods, he liked to screw with everyone, yours truly included.

It was his fault I had ended up with Hades for almost three thousand years before Hades found out my biggest flaw and threw me at Cerberus without even telling said mutt what that flaw was.

“You’re not very good at greeting people,” Ashter pointed out, making me clench my fists and he waved for me to relax, but it only pissed me off further, “Calm those pretty little tits of yours, little fae. I came for a well-deserved visit.” I sputtered at that and it only seemed to amuse him even more as I went to grab his throat, but he vanished in a pillar of black smoke, then reappeared on the other side of the fountain, so there was something blocking my path. I glared at him wrathfully.

“You self-serving little weasel,” I spat, making Ashter pout, “How dare you even show your face to me after what you did.” Ashter looked at me incredulously, placing a hand on his chest in mock dismay.

“Why, Blaine, whatever do you mean?”

“Hades, you son of a bitch!”

“Ohh,” Ashter dropped his hand and shrugged now, running a finger along the fountain, then grimacing when he found dust there, smashing it off his fingers, “Yeah. My bad. I didn’t think the plan would fall through.” I was ten seconds away from destroying this entire shop and right when I wanted to use my powers to do so, an eletrical shock pulsed through my bones and I whimpered low in my throat, sinking to my knees, grabbing onto the fountain for support as the pain made my body ache before it faded.

“Ouch,” Ashter commented, not sound all that sorry as he watched me by crouching down to look under the fountain, “Those things are a total pain in the ass, huh? Well, it could be worse. Maybe. Kinda. Nope, your life sucks.”

“Because of you,” I spat viciously, struggling to my feet again, Ashter following me so he could watch with those intense eyes, “You told me you were going to help me escape from Balthasar, but you didn’t. He sold me. To Hades. For what I did.” Ashter said nothing to that, but he didn’t look remorseful either and that infuriated me further.

Before Hades, I had been staying with a very powerful human man who’d purchased me from a black market auction in the mortal realm. Balthasar had been driving me insane. He purchased me for the sole purpose of experimentation. Humans disgusted me the way they wanted to poke and prode things they didn’t understand. He would make me sick, then cure me, then make me sick again. He made me see things, made me go blind, everything he could. I had stumbled upon Ashter during my time with Balthasar, during a vacation to New Orleans. Ashter had been hunting down a human who’d stolen one of his sacred objects, a petrified fox heart. Ashter promised to help me if I could get the heart back for him, which I did, but when I went to the place to meet Ashter, he wasn’t there and Balthasar had found me and beat me before putting me up for sale on another black market auction. Hades had seen me and bought me on the spot.

Three thousand years as Hades’s personal bitch. When Persephone wasn’t around, he’d beat me because he was angry. He didn’t even like men. He was obsessed with Persephone. He would blind fold me and tell me to change my voice to Persephone’s. But when he found out I was broken, he was enraged and tossed me at Cerberus, who welcomed me with open arms and open fly. He took me the first night he had me.

No matter how much I had clawed at him and screamed at him, he didn’t stop. Cerberus was nearly as bad as Hades, and all my other masters.

I’d been bought and sold, bought and sold.

“You are a slave, mon petit, and that is all you will ever be.”

Those words darkened my heart. I felt like I was just carrying a heavy stone in my chest.

“So anyway,” Ashter said, making me snap my head to glare at him, “Sorry about not contacting you for so long. The mortal realm is a mess.” He gestured with his thumb to the ceiling. I scowled.

“It’s been a mess down here too, jackass.” I snapped. Ashter nodded.

“And it’s because of that, that the mortal realm is in a frenzy. The humans are dying faster. They’re becoming infected with the rage of the gods. Mothers are killing their children, fathers are killing their wives, brothers and sisters are stabbing at each other’s backs. It’s like an episode of The Vampire Diaries.” He added, wrinking his nose. I rolled my eyes as I managed to compose myself again and I rubbed at my arm that I had banged on the side of the fountain during my fall.

“I haven’t seen that,” I said dryly, “The last time I was in the human realm, there was no television, and I’ve only been able to catch glimpses of what Hades allowed me to see. Cerberus doesn’t even let me watch TV.” Ashter grimaced.

“That’s horrible. How can you live without the telly? Aw, man, you’ve missed so much. There’s a prophetic show called The Walking Dead. It’s like the humans know what’s gonna happen. The dead shall rise and-- Wait, I didn’t come here to discuss modern television, fae.” He added with a scowl. I rolled my eyes. This was why Ashter’s pantheons, both Egyptian and Sumerian, had disowned him. He had the attention span of a gnat and the intelligence of a dead squirrel.

“I came to offer you a deal...” Ashter began, waving his hands out dramatically. I glared at him, holding my hands up in defense.

“Oh no,” I started, making Ashter pout, “Not this again. Those are the exact words you told me before you screwed me over. You can take your words and shove them so far up your sphincter that you burp them for eternity.” Ashter gave me a weird look.

“You have such a charming sense of imagery. I can’t possibly imagine why anyone wouldn’t love you.” He said. Once upon a time, his comment would have stung me, but now I didn’t really give two craps whether or not he loved me or not. I didn’t care if anyone loved me.

In my world, there was no such thing as love. No one cared about you. They could smile and say sugar sweet words that made your legs quiver, but there was no real love there. The only thing that mattered in my world was freedom. That’s all there was.

“Listen,” Ashter tried again, making me roll my eyes as I tried to avoid him by going down an aisle of herbal remedies for the flu, and Ashter was right at my heels before he swung around to stand in front of me, “This one’s not a fluke this time, fae, for real. I have something you’ll want to hear.”

“Save it for another poor sap that’ll believe the crap you’re spewing.” I sneered and went to shove him, but he vanished and I stumbled, then whirled around to see him standing beside me, whipping out a gold goblet. I scowled at it. It was etched with ancient Greek words, a spell from the looks of it.

“This,” Ashter said sweetly, waving it around in my face, “Is what remains of an ancient Atlantean weapon. It’s one of the few things in the world that can pretty much kill anything, and control anything.” I scowled, opening my mouth to argue with him that I didn’t care for it, or need it, until I suddenly remembered something.

In the Labyrinth, Abel had read a ritual that was used to control the two remaining Khalian in existence. The ritual required the capture and murder of five Titans, to absorb their powers. Next, to kill one of the first humans, that being Abel. Next was to create an oracle of light that could predict the Khalians’ movement. Then obtain a weapon of Atlantis that could be used to kill the Khalians. The final two things were the blood of a fae and the heart of a god of death. At first, it had only been the blood of a fae that unnerved me. The fact that Ashter was waving a freakin’ weapon of destruction around freaked me out of even more.

“Are you crazy,” I hissed at him, knocking his hand down and he almost dropped the stupid goblet before catching it again, “Get that thing out of here! My master is dead set on finding that thing and destroying it. If he sees you have it--”

“Calm down,” Ashter whined, “Seriously, don’t freak out. I brought it because first of all, it’s not a weapon anymore, it’s a drinking goblet. But it’s properties are still there. If you hold it and will your intent into it, whoever drinks it, well, your intent will come true. How do you think the Oracle of Tartarus became an oracle?” I stared at him incredulously.

“He drank from the cup? Who cursed it?”

“You mean who used it. And that would be the oh so friendly traitor of Cain’s. The half-Titan bastard that now sits rotting in the dungeon of Hades. He tricked the daemon into drinking from the goblet and it turned him into an oracle. But that’s not the point. Point is, if I give you this cup, you can whisper the death of your masterand it will come true.” Ashter whispered with a wicked grin. I hesitated at that as Ashter handed me the cup now. I took it by the two rounded handles that were designed to look like a couple of cobras. I swallowed at the weight of it. Like holding a college textbook or something. It wasn’t huge, but it was definitely enough to hold enough alcohol to make Cerberus a happy, and dead, creature.

I wanted to do it... But with magic came a price and I had learned that. I looked up at Ashter warily.

“What do you want for it?” I demanded. Ashter smiled innocently, reaching up to finger his lower lip.

“Actually, now that you mention it, there is something I kind of need you to help me with.” He offered, making me narrow my eyes. I should’ve thrown the cup at his face then and there, watching it bruise the smirk right off his lips, but his offer intrigued me. I couldn’t have my freedom, exactly. The brand on my foot would never fade. It was a curse. I was destined to live as a slave for all eternity, and whomsoever caught me and saw the brand on my foot, would be able to bind me and keep me forever, or sell me, or whatever they wanted to do with me. But if I could kill Cerberus, I’d be able to run away again. I’d be a fugitive, sure, but I wouldn’t be forced to hide under a bed to escape my master.

My heart soared at that. I wouldn’t have to sit in the room while Cerberus took other lovers. I wouldn’t have to lick his damned feel any longer. I would be able to... live.

“What is it you want?” I muttered. Ashter smiled secretly.

“There is another man in the dungeon of Hades who promised to give me something, but he can’t do it if he’s trapped, so I need you to go down there and open his cell. That’s it. Open it and get out.” He responded. I stiffened at such a ludicrous idea. Breaking into Hades’s palace was bad enough, but breaking in just so I could get down into the dungeons and release a prisoner?

“How do I know the jerk won’t kill me?” I demanded, tightening my grip on the goblet. Ashter smirked.

“He won’t hurt an innocent. My friend is such a softy. And he has a particular soft spot for people who are enslaved to the gods.”

“What’s his name?”

“Alexion.” Ashter whispered.

“No,” I blurted suddenly, shoving the goblet at him as I recognized the name, “I can’t do that.” Alexion was the name of the god killing Titan who had just about destroyed the entire world because of some stupid personal vendetta. I’d seen him before plenty of times. He was a tall, blonde man, devastatingly handsome and powerful, but extremely intimdating. He scared me shitless, and while I wasn’t going to admit that little detail, I was happy to admit that Hades would rip my testicles off and I already had a vital organ torn out of me. There was no way I was going to risk another disembowelment.

“Oh, don’t be such a scaredy cat,” Ashter mocked, shoving the goblet back at me, making me grimace, “He won’t hurt you, seriously. The only ones he wants to destroy are the gods.”

“Then why did he make a deal with you?”

“Because I promised to make his life just a teensy bit easier if he promised to get me in contact with an old friend of mine.”

“Your deals don’t make any sense. I’m not doing this. Hades will catch me and destroy me more than I’ve already been. You can take your precious goblet and--”

“Blaine, baby,” Ashter crooned, making me glare at him as he approached me to sling an arm over my shoulders, his other hand stroking my hand over the goblet, “This is your freedom calling to you. All you have to do is open Alexion’s cell. You don’t even need to help him. I even have a secret entrance you can use to go inside so you don’t get caught. See how easy it is once you let me actually explain things?” I glared at him past my hair, then glanced over my shoulder toward Cerberus and Leon, who were too engrossed in something the shop keeper was showing them. I chewed my bottom lip, looking back at the goblet.

I could practically hear it calling out to me to use it. If I killed Cerberus, I’d be free of a master. I could take my chance and flee. The guardian of the gates would be dead and I would be able to leave the underworld and return to the mortal realm. I may not have any money, but I’d still be able to run around freely. I could even go to another realm and the Greeks wouldn’t be able to touch me anymore. Sure, the other pantheons valued faes highly as well, but at least I’d be in a different place.

“Come on,” Ashter crooned, nuzzling my ear and making me grimace at his touch, “Think about it. This new master of yours... Is he nice to you? Does he buy you things because he loves you? Is he like Henry? Well, before he cut out your--”

“Shut your mouth,” I snarled suddenly, breaking away from Ashter, who smiled innocently as I glared at him, “Don’t ever fucking say his name to me again.”

“Kinda sucks when half the people on the planet are named Henry.”

“If you don’t shut up, I’ll just smash your goblet and never help you.”

“And you’ll be trapped for eternity, eep. Make your choice,” Ashter teased, then snapped his fingers and the goblet vanished from my hands, reappearing in Ashter’s grasp, “Meet me tomorrow night here in Styx, at the fountain that’s two blocks down from the little prince’s home, if you decide to take this bargain. If you don’t, tough. Looks like Cerberus will be your longest master yet.” With that, Ashter vanished in a pillar of black smoke. I watched him go, a cold icy feeling sliding down my back as I stared at the spot where he’d vanished.

I clenched my teeth until I saw Leon approaching me and I instantly forced myself to relax. He’d be suspicious if I acted all pissy with them being gone. I glared at him anyway, though.

“Are you ready? Cerberus has what we need.” He added.

“I’m never ready.” I responded. Leon’s eyes filled with pity for me and for that, I loathed him. I didn’t want his pity. I didn’t want anyone’s pity. I had done nothing to deserve this, but Cerberus... He’d done nearly as much as Henry had. Pain lacerated my heart at the thought of my ex-master’s name, the third master to have handled me, and the first person I killed.

“Let’s go.” I said at last. Leon nodded and took me back over to Cerberus, who brightened the instant I approached and it sickened me. He was like a puppy, a sloppy disgusting horny puppy. He reached out, tracing his finger down my jaw line and I snapped my teeth at his finger, but he withdrew it before I could bite. I saw the shop keeper glaring at me furiously, and Cerberus caught it too. The tenderness in Cerberus’s eyes vanished and he backhanded me hard, but I didn’t even flinch.

Centuries of bitchslaps and I’d grown accustomed to them. I gave Cerberus a dirty look, ignoring the burning pain on the side of my face as Cerberus turned to the shop keeper, who smirked at me, pleased at Cerberus’s act of discipline. And that’s what made me hate Cerberus even more. Just when I thought I’d escaped his abuse, he’d turn around and jump right back into it because he was so desperate for everyone to pat him on the head and tell him he was a good boy for punishing the naughty fae slave.

“Cerberus...” Leon started, but Cerberus held up a hand for him to be quiet. Leon snapped his mouth shut, but he looked pissed. Unlike me, Leon could do whatever he wanted to Cerberus, because Cerberus adored the very ground Leon walked on. I wasn’t sure what their relationship was, but it certainly wasn’t master and servant.

But it didn’t matter to me.

Because Cerberus was going to die. If not before tomorrow night, then tomorrow night when I met up with Ashter because I couldn’t stand another damn day with this mongrel.Chapter Two