I cried out again and dashed to his side, picking up his hand. His pulse still beat, although blood trickled from his nose.
“You!” I spit at Hades as he joined me by Brennan’s side. “You weren’t supposed to hurt him.”
“And what was I supposed to do, little one?” he asked innocently. “Ask him nicely to sit on this altar while I tied him here with steel cords?”
What came out of my mouth was more of a growl than a reply and Hades looked properly chastised. He quickly lashed Brennan’s wrists and ankles securely to the altar. I conjured some cotton padding and tucked it beneath the cords so that it didn’t cut into Brennan’s skin. Hades rolled his eyes.
“You’ve gone soft, Empusa,” he observed.
“Only where Brennan is concerned, so you should stay alert,” I warned him.
He smiled, not exactly the reaction that I was going for but I ignored him and turned my attention back to Brennan. Dabbing at his bloody nose, I pushed his hair out of his eyes and stroked his cheek.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into his ear. “It’s only for a little while, I promise.”
He didn’t move and didn’t open his eyes, although his heart was beating strongly.
“He’d better be alright,” I snapped at Hades.
“Or what?” Hades snapped back, losing his perpetual cool for once. “What will you do, Empusa?”
Instantly, the air in the clearing grew charged with his anger. The trees started rustling as the wind picked up from his energy. I quickly remembered who I was dealing with. Sometimes, it was easy to forget when Hades was trying to woo you. He made it difficult to remember that he had a very dangerous side in addition to his charming one. He was the god of the underworld for a reason. He had the ability to be very cold-hearted and ruthless when needed.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized, in order to defuse the situation. “I’m just worried about Brennan and about this entire situation. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
Hades visibly relaxed as he regained his cool composure. “It’s no matter,” he told me. “No harm done.”
The wind died back down, a crisis avoided. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now what?” I asked him. “Brennan is secure here so he can’t travel to Olympus. What do we do next?”
Hades turned to me, his handsome face a perfect picture of innocence. That expression instantly set me on edge.
“Why, Empusa, we continue with the game, of course. And to the best of Zeus’ knowledge, that is my reason for being here.”
“You know, he could so easily check on us here,” I reminded him. “He would see Brennan lashed to the altar and he would begin to wonder why.”
Hades was already shaking his head. “You’re forgetting. Your mother, in her infinite wisdom, arranged for that clearing to be sacred for you. Unless Zeus tries very, very hard, he cannot get into it. And trust me, my brother is so immersed in playing this game, he isn’t going to put that effort in.”
Hades perched on the edge of the altar and looked around at the clearing.
“It’s a simple little place,” he observed. I followed his gaze. It was simple. It was just a plain little clearing. But there was reverence here. You could feel it in the air. You could just feel that important things happened in this circle.
“What is my next challenge?” I asked firmly, raising my chin. “You said that you are here as part of the game. What does Zeus want you to do?”
Hades looked at me over the inert form of my boyfriend. His dark gaze was smoldering and I felt an instant sense of panic.
“Remember when Brennan had to withstand a siren?” he asked softly. His words instilled an instant horror and foreboding in my chest. I couldn’t speak, so I nodded haltingly.
“You must withstand the same. I’m your siren, Empusa. Can you withstand me?”
Chapter Fourteen
“No.”
Before I could even speak, Brennan had spoken one firm word into the night. I didn’t even know that he was conscious but he was staring at me now with a gaze the color of burning embers.
“Empusa, untie me.”
His directive was firm, his tone left no room for argument. It broke my heart. I wanted nothing more than to release his bonds and stand by his side. But I knew what he would do the moment that he was free. I shook my head.
“Brennan, I love you. I’m doing this because I love you. I would not be able to bear it if you died. I couldn’t live through it.”
“So, you’re trusting Hades?” Brennan was incredulous. He lifted his head as far as he could to look at me. “You wouldn’t trust him with your life, but you will trust him with mine?”
Guilt rushed through me.
“It’s not like that,” I mumbled. “I have no choice. Please understand that.”
“I understand that you’re allowing Hades to play you. You don’t know what would happen if I stand before Zeus. He might not kill me at all. He might find that my willingness to sacrifice myself is enough. I would rather trust Zeus than Hades. You’re foolish if you do not.”
I stuck my chin out. “Then I guess I am foolish. I do not trust Zeus any more than I trust Hades. They both have their own agendas, their own motivations. I am smart enough to know that, Brennan. You need to understand that you cannot trust Zeus, either. He’s not a benevolent grandfather. He’s a god- the god of all gods, and he didn’t get to that status by being a softie.”
For his part, Hades was standing by quietly observing. He stared at us thoughtfully before interrupting in a voice as smooth as caramel.
“I understand your angst, Brennan, really I do. However, I think at this point, the best thing to do is to just move forward. We have a task to complete. Empusa, are you ready?”
I shook my head. “No. Not really. What is our challenge?”
In my periphery, I could see Brennan straining at his restraints, desperately trying to break free. But even though he had mastered controlling his immortal strength, he wasn’t able to budge them.