Page 60 of Claimed
Stefan, to his credit, didn’t fully gasp behind her. It was more of a furious hiss of air that he choked off before it could make a sound.
“A new heart.” Hades echoed, but she could tell the god was as surprised as Stefan.
“That’s what I said.” She took a few steps forward, if only to keep Stefan from clutching her back to him, though she certainly didn’t mind the impulse behind that move. How had she gone from feeling so alone in that stateroom shower, to blacking out under the pounding water, to waking up in the arms of a man who was defying a god to keep her safe? Whose life was she even living?
She didn't know, but she was in no mood for it to end anytime soon.
“The way I see it, your magical kingdom needs people to defend it. People like Stefan here, who are willing to go the extra distance. I could be one of those people. I could serve. Even if I can't be a full-on demigod because I wasn’t born with the right blood, I could serve fierce and strong. If you've been watching me at all, you know I'm telling you the truth.”
“Nicki…” Her name sounded strangled on Stefan’s lips, but Hades merely stared at her.
“You’d pledge yourself in service to me for a new heart?” he rumbled.
“I mean, as long as you’re not an ass about it, sure.” She winked. “But more to the point, I'd pledge myself to Oûros, to the gatekeepers, and I’d absolutely be willing to serve as your ambassador there. I understand from Stefan that you scare the shit out of most all your descendants, and that's really too bad, because people should face their fears, not run away from them. I don't run away. But I can't solve this heart thing on myown. And maybe you can't either, and that's okay. I don't think healing is one of your fancy powers, but I wanted to try.”
“I also don’t bring back people from the dead,” Hades growled, showing some teeth. “That’s the domain of the demigod Asclepius, more the fool he.”
“And yet, I’m not dead.” Nicki lifted a hand. “No, no, don’t try to deny it. We wouldn’t be having this conversation if I was dead. We’re having it because you’re getting impatient to liven this place up a bit, pardon the pun, and because you want my awesomeness on your team already. And I get it—I’m amazing.”
Behind her, Stefan coughed a half-swallowed laugh.
“But I’m not ready to die yet, so I think my offer is a solid one. I help keep Oûros safe, get plenty of windsurfing in, and have a heart that isn’t quite so tricky—assuming Hephaestus knows what he’s doing. As a bonus, I serve as your ambassador—doing whatever it is that your demigods do, as long as it isn’t anything too squicky. Stefan here can enter your realm at will, and he can pop me over for a chat whenever it’s convenient, so the communication channel between us will remain open. Far as I can see, it's a win-win.”
“And when you do pass on, mortal?” Hades asked, his words a rumble. “Nothing I can do can fully stop the passage of time. The lives of mortals are short and fierce.”
She shrugged. “Only when we do it right. But I need your help, I think, to stay the course. I’ve done about all I can on my own, and I just need things to break my way on this one.”
Hades shifted his attention to Stefan. “Step forward, demigod,” he rumbled.
Stefan did, his body ramrod straight, and the god of the Underworld looked between the two of them. “You agree to teach her to serve?”
“No.”
“Stefan!” Nicki protested. Without thinking, she turned and punched him in the arm, hard. The sudden strike made him flinch and Hades’ booming laugh rolled back the mists, revealing a wide, verdant patch of green grass beneath him, with peeks of light breaking through the swirling clouds high above.
A second later, the mists swept back, and Nicki put her fists on her hips, scowling at the intractable demigod. “Oh, come on, Stefan! I can’t believe you’re not willing to?—”
“Enough.” Hades cut her off, suddenly sounding happy enough that she glanced his way. To her surprise, he grinned at her. “But it is the demigod’s choice as to when and how you will begin your service to the gods. You, fiery comet, will not remember this conversation until that time. There is no other way.”
“Right.” She snorted. “Pretty sure I’m not gonna forget this.”
“Hades…” To her surprise, Stefan sounded choked up again, but the god merely crossed one fist over his chest, tapping his heart.
“You honor me by bringing her here to plead for her life, demigod. She honors me by offering to pledge it to me. I honor you both for your steadfast hearts. Begone before I change my mind.”
Everything went black.
Forty-Six
It was another several hours before the yacht slipped out into the Alaçati Bay, and Stefan turned away from the sunrise peeking over the horizon. The delay had been tedious, but not dangerous, in the end. Typical bureaucratic nonsense to ensure they had signed the right papers and paid the right fees before Turkey was willing to let them go. There’d been no mention of Ari or of the vagrant escape on the southern ridge, not a peep from Omir or any other Turkish official about anything going awry on the sleepy June night.
Sleep wasn’t something he’d had much of through it all—catnaps only, with reports coming in from all directions… not to mention the gift that Hades had given him. What in the world was he supposed to do with that? Nicki had woken up in his arms in her stateroom with no memory of what had transpired in the Underworld, and a subsequent check of her vitals—which he’d pushed her on since she’d fainted again—showed absolutely no change in her readings.
They wouldn’t show any change, he thought. Hades might not end up doing anything regarding her heart that she couldn’t have done by medical doctors, the god simply wasn’t going to accept her into the Underworld until she was ready. He did havesome sway over such things, as Lord of the Underworld. And if he really wanted more ambassadors in Oûros…
He shook his head. He needed to work through all thisafterthey safely delivered the prince.
The weather for sailing was clear. There should be nothing to obstruct their speed. They wouldn’t race home, wouldn’t draw attention, but at least they wouldn’t run into any storms. He didn’t know how Ari would handle a storm at sea, given how his odyssey had begun nearly a year ago.