Bringer of Death (Cruel Gods 1)

Chapter 61: Hades-The Party

"They're late." Macaria scrunched her face in that I'm annoyed look while playing with the red shackles around her wrists. This little girl had seen so much death in her life that even in the afterlife she's unaffected by potential danger. If only Kore didn't have that same detachment, she'd be more weary of what they were planning to do, safer, but then again it's that same little unexpected reaction to things, that defiance...

"Rarely do parties ever start on time little one." Thanatos said standing tall next to her as if he was her personal guard, while he was Kores. He wondered if not being King anymore truly affected him, or if he enjoyed seeing his own heir take the throne. Not the made up god throne that he was crowned with now, but the title that was truly offered by the very underworld itself.

If it were him, Hades wouldn't mind. Hel, seeing Kore thrive in this role was unexpected. If he'd seen the little bug Macaria surpass them he'd gladly crown her himself. The throne, this world, it was all never truly meant for him and yet somehow it was exactly where he was supposed to be.

The food and drinks were set along the long dining tables in the dining hall. They had to gather as much as they could without taking too much of their stores with the doors being sealed. After tonight, that hopefully would no longer be a problem.

Thankfully they had a certain asshole who could turn water into wine so their plan was to liquor everyone up and give bite sized snacks to cast the illusion of eating a lot. One of Dionysus best suggestions.

Kore and Thanatos had casted the shadows and mist throughout the land, hiding as much of the greenery as they could but they still had to rely on the furies to invade the gods minds. Hades had lined the perimeter with a wall of fire. Not too tall to be intimidating but enough to make it look as if it was always there. A beautiful fiery accent no one would question the underworld had.

Macaria's face shifted at the steps echoing behind them. Kore followed her gaze to the man in the doorway.

Ares.

A blast of fire whipped out of him faster than any thought before. When he thought of stopping, he didn't. The god would die for what he did to Kore. The very woman that pulled his arm down to stop the flames, now.

He looked at what he wanted to be a burned corpse, not dead-only because he's immortal, instead a wide smile greeted them that didn't match that strong jaw.

"I thought this was a party. That's not very welcoming." He pulled out the familiar invitation, "Did you really think I'd come to this thing without protection?" He tapped the white tunic he wore making it clank. "I figured you'd have a grudge for your whore so I had it fire resistant. Brilliant really."

A deep rumble came from somewhere deep in his chest. The change was quick. One moment he was behind Kore, the next Ares dark shaved cut appeared. He'd seen exactly what Ares had done to Kore, picking her up and mounting her on that tree by those dark wings. He reached for his neck and slid the knife across it roughly but that familiar guttural cutting slid across too fast.

Ares tsked. The world shifted and he was next to Kore again.

No slit marked his throat, no fire burned his skin, how was this man so protected?

Soon, King. She said in that calm low voice that usually calmed him down. How could she be so calm right now? In his presence? Hot blood coursed through him. Hel, it could be the fire circulating through him, waiting to strike that piece of shit again.

He wasn't gentle gripping her hand, he was seething. Eyeing Ares from across the room he gripped tighter, possessively. Call her a whore but she was still his.