He wasn't fine. The next morning his fever increased and wouldn't break. He coughed so hard it was like he tried to push out a lung.
I couldn't stand watching him suffer like that and knew the last thing he needed to see was me being a blubbering idiot. Sniffling, I ran to the back alley and let the waterworks flow as soon as my back hit against the stone wall.
I slapped my hands over my eyes as my shoulders bounced from all-out sobbing. Sniff. Sniff. The faint smell of smoke wafted through the air. Was something on fire?
Slowly lowering my hands, I shifted my eyes. No one else was around.
"Oh, Megara. Dear sweet, Meg." A man's voice said from the shadows.
I pushed off the wall and made several circles, squinting my eyes at the darkness falling over the alley's far end.
Smoke circled at my feet as a dark robe appeared followed by gray hands with long, gangly fingers. He had an oblong face, yellow eyes, and a blue flame instead of hair. A lit cigar hung on the corner of his lips.
I gasped, slapping a hand over my chest. "Hades."
"You know who I am. Good. That'll make things easier." He wiggled his eyebrows. Plucking the cigar from his mouth, he twirled his wrist, and it disappeared in a spiral of smokey tendrils. He steepled his fingers.
"People don't normally recognize you?" I arched a brow. "I figured the flaming blue hair would be a dead giveaway."
"And she's a comedienne. Even better." A sinister grin pulled at his lips, revealing rows of pointy teeth.
"What do you want, Hades?" I folded my arms and jutted a hip.
"A dame who cuts straight to the chase. I like it." He disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared behind me.
My shoulders tensed, and I held my breath.
"Look. I like ya, Meg. And I couldn't help overhearing your little--" He swirled his hands around, floating circles around me. "--predicament."
"He's dying," I whispered.
"Oh, his life thread is taut, toots. You could pluck it like a lyre. Lucky for you..." He curled his fingers under my chin, smoke rolling over my neck. He tilted my head up until our gazes met. "I have an 'in' with the Fates."
Hope fluttered over my heart.
"What are you saying?" I asked, letting my hands drop at my sides.
"I, as King of the Underworld, can cut you...a deal." The word "deal" rolled off his tongue like snake venom.
My heart pounded against my chest. "I'm listening."
"Your darling boyfriend's life in exchange for--" He dropped his mouth to my ear. "You."
The skin between my eyes wrinkled, and I backpedaled away from him. "What in Tartarus are you suggesting?"
He floated toward me, backing me up until I pressed against the alley wall. "Two years of servitude."
I grimaced in disgust. "You want me to be your slave?"
He frowned. "You make it sound so barbaric. I'd call on you for favors at my will. Meanwhile, you get to stay here and shack it up with Hottie McTottie in there."
I wrapped my arms around myself, disgusted I was actually considering it. What choice did I have? He'd die if I didn't.
"What kind of favors?"
He dragged a hand over the blue flame of his hair and shrugged. "Eh, you know, your normal run of the mill business transactions. Errands. Betrayals. Maybe a dance or two." He winked.
Nausea bubbled in my stomach. I bit my thumbnail and paced the length of the alleyway.
Hades' yellow eyes shifted, watching me. Waiting.
"May I add this is kinda a time-sensitive situation? He's gonna croak in--" In a puff of a smoke, an animated sun dial appeared. "Thirty seconds."
My jaw dropped. "Thirty seconds?" I pressed my hands to each side of my head as my breathing grew erratic.
Hades looked between me and the sundial. "Time's a-wastin', Meg. What'll it be?"
I beat my palm against my forehead. Ambrose's life was quite literally in my hands. The responsibility was overwhelming.
"Ten, nine, eight," Hades counted off, the numbers appearing in the air in front of me in smoke flashes.
"Do it," I whispered, my shoulders slumping.
Hades appeared beside me, cupping one hand over his ear. "I'm sorry, a little louder, so the folks at home can hear you?"
"I said...do it." I lifted my chin, holding back the tears welling in my eyes.
Hades' eyes narrowed as a villainous grin slid over his lips. "Splendid." He swirled his hand, and a contract floated in the air in front of me. A black quill materialized from a waft of smoke, and he held it out to me between two fingers. "One signature. One life."
I sighed and took the quill, looking away as I signed my name.
He clapped his hands together. The contract and quill disappeared in a flash of orange fire. He lowered his face to mine, grinning like a hyena. "I'll be in touch."
In a flash of smoke and flame, he was gone. I blew out a breath and sprinted back into the house. Happy tears rolled down my cheeks at the sight of Ambrose sitting up, pressing his hands to his head and chest.
"Ambrose?"
He looked at me with wide eyes before bursting into laughter. "I don't know what happened, Meg, but I feel great. More than great."
I ran over and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his shoulder as I sobbed. "I was so afraid I'd lose you."
He pressed a hand over the back of my head. "I'm right here. And I'm not going anywhere."
A/N: Thoughts? Comments? Anything you'd like to see happen next? Let me know in the comments! :-D And please don't forget to VOTE if you enjoyed it!