Page 68 of Sate the Darkness

“What is happening to the paradise I created?” she muttered.

“Your people seem to believe the gargoyle can solve their problems.”

“Gargoyles.” With a burst of temper, Gaia shattered the spear in her hand, tossing aside the splinters. “I’ll deal with this.”

“We would like to have the gargoyle back alive,” Hades informed the goddess.

Gaia stilled, a smile slowly curving her lips. “You’ll be in my debt.”

Without thought to her own safety, Bertha jumped to her feet. It was one thing to have Hades endure being ordered around like a servant, but there was no way in hell she was going to let him be in debt to this…this…bitch.

“No, Hades!” she cried. They would find Levet without the help of the goddess.

“Hush.” Gaia waved a dismissive hand in her direction, her avid gaze never wavering from Hades’s face. “We’re negotiating.”

Chapter 15

Levet pressed a hand to his tummy. It was churning, and not in a good way. In fact, it was downright icky. He’d spent a very long time taking pride in his ability to be a knight in shining armor. He might be the smallest gargoyle, but he was the one who’d saved the world. More than once.

Now he just wanted to be Levet. A tiny gargoyle who wasn’t expected to do anything beyond causing trouble and charming the females. The problem was convincing the stubborn, oversize bull that he wasn’t a mythical savior.

Scrunching his snout, Levet jumped off the railing. There was only one way to get out of this place, he grimly decided. He had to go to the original source of this disaster.

The seer.

With a flap of his wings he landed on the wooden planks and headed for the open doorway. There was a heavy thud of boots, and suddenly his path was blocked by his companion, who’d moved with unexpected speed.

“What are you doing?”

Levet sniffed. “I need to have very firm words with that seer of yours.”

“Why?”

“She clearly made a terrible mistake.”

“There was no mistake.”

Levet scowled. Why was the minotaur so big? He was taking up the entire doorway.

“Move, s’il vous plaît.”

“No.”

Levet lifted his hand, prepared to create a very large fireball that would singe the fur between the male’s horns.

“I do not desire to harm you but—” His words were rudely cut off as the male reached down to grab him by the horn. “Hey.”

“You are not leaving until you have performed your duty,” the minotaur growled, plopping Levet back on the railing. “Now do it.”

Levet waved his arms in the air. He’d never felt so frustrated. And that was saying something considering he’d spent his childhood trying to dodge a mother who wanted him dead.

“I’m telling you that the seer is defective.”

“There is nothing wrong with the seer.”

“Her visions are whack-a-beaver. I am no god.” Levet reached up to wipe away any fingerprints that might be marring the gloss of his horn. “Not that I am not blessed with many fine qualities,” he hastily added. He wanted to convince the male to send him home, but false modesty was worse than arrogance. So vulgar. “I am handsome, and talented and charming. But a god?” He flapped his wings in disbelief. “Fah.”

The minotaur stared down at him, his eyes dark with an emotion that was difficult to read.