Fates' Folly Read Online Free PDF Page B

him to come face to face with
Hades.
    "I could tell from the moment you opened your
mouth that you were the biggest asshole I've ever met," I said,
unable to stop myself.
    Hades slowly stood up, the muscles in his jaw
visibly tightening as he clenched his teeth. His pale complexion
warmed as tiny blood vessels filled to their capacity, spider
webbing across his face, and his eyes narrowed, turning from a warm
blue to a cold black.
    My body started to tremble from fear, and
again, the voice in my head said to run, hide, flee- anything to
save myself. I took a deep breath through my nose, ignoring my
inner panic. I had no wish to die a second time, especially since
I'd probably be at Hades’ mercy, but I would not run, I would not
cower and I would not look away.
    Hades continued to smolder. The smell of
decay and fire filled my nose, mouth and lungs, until I felt
strangled with it. My vision blurred, and my body began to convulse
harder as Hades raised his hand above my head.
    "You're absolutely right, darling," said a
soft feminine voice.
    Suddenly, there was air to breathe and my
body, which had been constricted in fear seconds before, relaxed.
So much so, that if it wasn't for Riley's painful grasp on my arm,
I would have collapsed to the floor. I was still looking up at
Hades, but now there was a woman caressing his shoulders as she
gracefully fluttered around him.
    "I would never have believed someone as
outspoken as this young woman would be your concubine," she said,
now pushing him back down on the giant leather floor pillow.
    Hades closed his eyes as she kneeled behind
him and started running her fingers through his hair. The woman,
who I was positive was Persephone, Hades' wife, then looked right
at me and winked.
    She looked ordinary. Tall and slim, straight
shoulder length brown hair, a heart shaped face with oval shaped
blue eyes, a pert narrow nose and a pink bow shaped mouth- she was
pretty, just… ordinarily so. No bombshell that would seem fitting
to Hades' looks. Yet, I stood there watching while she soothed
him.
    "My darling husband," she said, still
massaging his head with her fingers, "has been under a lot of
stress. So few mortals believe in us now, he must work tirelessly
keeping our existence in their thoughts. And now he has lost one of
his soldiers and gained an unknown, untested responsibility. I'm
sure you can understand how it has pricked his temper a bit."
    Hades took her hand, and with a tenderness I
would have thought impossible of him, kissed it. "Thank you," he
whispered. Then, still holding his wife's hand, eyes now back to
deep blue, he turned to Riley and me. "I understand why you acted
as you did Caisus Black, but now I am left with a ward, and I still
have a rogue soul collector on the loose."
    "I will find Sebastian," Riley said.
    Hades smiled. "I know you will, and before
Peter gets his saintly hands on him." He turned to me. "I would
like nothing better than to stick you in Tartarus and never see you
again, Myra Jane Collier, but as my wife has reminded me, you are
my responsibility- one that cannot easily be hidden away with Zeus,
The Fates, and all of Olympus watching my every move."
    Persephone leaned over to whisper in Hades'
ear, bringing a slow predatory smile to his face. Still staring at
me he said, "Riley, you will see to her training so she may
eventually take Sebastian's place. And to show her readiness to
serve as one of my Assassins she will be ready to prove herself at
the Olympian Trials."
    Riley took a deep breath, then answered, "I
will do my best."
    Hades laughed, "No Riley. She will prove
herself to be more than adequate, or I will prove how much of an
asshole I can truly be. Leave."

Chapter 3: Cookies and the Cosmos

    Riley and I skedaddled out of Hades' lair.
I'm not really sure what skedaddled means, but my high school art
teacher use to say it, and I liked her- and the way it sounded much
better than hauled ass.
    Carrie started asking questions as we