The Darkest King (Lords of the Underworld 15)

I recognize this suit. Hades changed his appearance on the reg. To him, clothing doubled as a weapon. William had seen him wear everything from a tux, to black leather, to crocheted underwear and decorative beard beads. Just depended on his audience. He only wore the suit when he wanted to look like a partner in a law firm and swindle someone.

When Hades dismissed Green with a tilt of his chin, Green looked to William, one brow arched. He nodded, and his son left, shutting the door behind him.

Am I to be the swindled? If Hades had heard about the unicorn and hoped to use her as a weapon...

William curled his fingers around the arms of his chair, his claws cutting into the leather. “What’s going on?” He loved and admired Hades, yes, but he also recognized the male’s faults. Hades was power hungry, zealous in his determination and blinded to anything outside his endgame—whatever his endgame happened to be. He rarely shared his goals with anyone.

“I’m here to discuss war business.” Hades leaned back, getting more comfortable. “Counting us, we have nine kings of the underworld, two princes, a princess, three horsemen, thirteen Lords, a minor goddess, the keeper of nightmares, a hellhound trainer, the son of a gorgon and dragon-shifter, not to mention the Harpies, the queen of Titans, the queen of Fae, a seer who peers into heaven and hell, and a Sent One. We even have the Red Queen. We should be unstoppable, and yet we have failed to neutralize Lucifer, a piece of shit with only legions of demons at his disposal.” He scoured a hand over his weary face. “If we lose this war, we do not deserve to live.”

Agreed. Harpies were as bloodthirsty and strong as unicorn-shifters. Sent Ones commanded armies of angels and assassinated demons. Everyone else had powers and abilities beyond imagining. They should have this in the bag.

“His demons outnumber us ten to one,” William pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter. We should have defeated him already.”

Hades wasn’t wrong. “If we want different results, we’ll have to do something different.”

“Exactly. I have a plan to reduce his numbers, giving us a bigger advantage.”

“I’m in.” The bastard had grown into the world’s most prolific rapist. Gender, age and species never factored into it. He tortured and murdered with abandon, leaving no one safe. Rumors suggested he liked to sneak his minions of disease out of Hell just to infect humans. “What do you need me to do?”

“We’ll get to that. But first.” Hades flashed a scowl, there and gone. “Earlier today, I consulted my mirror about your list of decoders.”

The mirror. A magic glass with Siobhan, the Goddess of Many Futures trapped inside it.

“Are you sure we can trust her to aid us?” William asked. She blamed Hades for her captivity.

Same as Sunny blames me for hers.

What had the unicorn said? As a guest, I reward. As a captive, I punish.

How did she expect to punish him?

“Yes and no,” Hades said. “Either way, you need to know what Siobhan showed me.”

“Which is?”

“A blue-haired woman holding a vial of poison. According to Pandora, you have a blue-haired woman among your captives.”

His brow furrowed. “Poison means what exactly?” That Sunny would poison him? Good luck. He’d already confiscated her locket. That their current path was toxic? Too bad. There would be no turning back. That he was destined to die by her hand? Okay, yeah, that one raised concerns, considering the curse.

Voice as hard as steel, Hades said, “I want the blue-haired woman killed, William. Today. Before she has a chance to poison you.”

A denial rushed across his tongue...a denial he brutally murdered before it escaped. One, a denial would only rally Hades’s determination, and two, Hades might decide to take the matter into his own hands. When it came to his few loved ones, “murder the threat” was his go-to answer.

There was only one proclamation that would make the king back down. “Keeley says Sunny is not to be harmed for two weeks, because the girl is...my lifemate.”

Hades valued Keeley’s insight. Interest gleamed in his eyes as he sat up straighter. “Keeley told me your lifemate has the power to destroy us all.”

No wonder the king had wanted Gillian murdered, too.

And wasn’t this more evidence of Sunny’s connection to him, and another reason to kill her quick? A muscle ticked in William’s jaw. “If she has the power to destroy us, she has the power to destroy Lucifer as well, aiding us.”

“But why risk it?” Hades white-knuckled the arms of his chair. He was that concerned for William’s safety? “Keep your vow. Let me kill the girl...and burn your book. Mates are overrated, anyway.”

“No!” William bellowed. Cheeks heating, he repeated more calmly, “No. For the next two weeks, no one, and I do mean no one, is to touch, harm or even yell at her.”

Hades slitted his gaze. “So you hold out hope this Sunny will break your curse and what? The two of you will live happily ever after?”

No. Yes. Maybe? Minus “ever after,” of course. But what kind of (temporary) future could he build with the woman who derived little pleasure from his kiss, trusted no one and insulted him regularly?

Wild and crazy? Problematic? Fulfilling?

You won’t know until you try.

“Help me help you, son,” Hades said. “Do not be the fool who romantically pursues the woman predicted to end his life. Do burn your book. I know curses, and I’ve never sensed one in you.”

“We’ve talked about this. You can’t sense the curse, because it hasn’t activated. First, I must fall in love.” He lifted a pen and repeatedly whacked the edge of the desk. “Forget the girl and the book.” For now. “Tell me why you rescued me as a boy.” The only topic guaranteed to shut down any conversation, anywhere, anytime.

He’d made the request before, but he’d only ever received a nonanswer: I wanted to, so I did. Fact was, Hades did nothing without an ulterior motive. A fact William greatly admired. Why give if you weren’t going to get?

Glowering now, Hades rubbed his fingers over his beard stubble. “We’ve talked about this,” he said, mimicking William. “I won’t discuss this topic. Explaining my reasons might result in a genuine curse and lead to your death.”

But how? Why? William dropped the pen, leaned back in his chair and locked his fingers behind his head. “All right. Tell me why you made me vow to avoid the Sent One named Axel.” The one I suspect is my brother.

“You know why,” the king snapped. “The day you meet Axel, a part of you will die.”

So confusing! “What part of me? Why?”

Silence reigned. Hades’s lips pressed into a thin line.

Frustration stormed through William. Sometimes, the desire to know his brother all but choked him, their separation making him feel as if a part of him were already dead.

He longed to talk with the Sent One. Were they similar? Or opposites? The warrior longed to talk with William, too; he’d been searching for William for over a year, had even questioned the Lords about his whereabouts. But, he owed his life to Hades. He owed everything to Hades, and loved the man unconditionally. If he had to eschew his past to keep his father happy, he would eschew his past. Plain and simple.

Tone guarded, Hades said, “Axel still searches for you.”

“And I still avoid him,” he grated.

“Good boy.” The king stood and adjusted the lines of his jacket. “Before I go, we have a final piece of business.”

Great. Wonderful. He performed a royal wave. “Let’s hear it.”

“I requested a meeting with Lucifer to discuss a truce. Tomorrow morning, eight sharp. You will attend.”

“A truce?” he roared, jumping to his feet. The chair skidded behind him, slamming into the wall.

“Don’t worry, my son. He’ll show up, but he won’t accept. Exac

tly as I hope.”

Though William had too much on his plate already, he unveiled his coldest smile. “I’ll attend. For a price. Just like you taught me. Do nothing without requiring something in return.”

To his surprise, Hades smiled. “I know just what to offer.” A large, jagged crystal appeared on the desk, a rainbow of color trapped inside. “That is a Sphere of Knowledge.”

“I know what it is.” He’d seen pictures. There were four in existence, each one specializing in a different type of knowledge. “I just didn’t know you’d acquired one.”

Pride smoldered in Hades’s dark eyes. “A recent purchase. This one reveals cold, hard facts about anyone or thing. Like, say, a lifemate. But I caution you to choose your questions wisely. You are only allotted ten.”

William grinned. He could learn a lot with ten questions. “How do I operate it?”

“Easily. Simply ask it a question, and it will respond.” With a wink, Hades flashed away, moving from one location to another with only a thought.

William glanced at the crystal, trembled like a puss and decided to pour himself two...three...four fingers of whiskey first. By the time he’d polished off the glass, he’d steadied. He made a list of his questions, then refocused on the sphere.

Gripping the arms of his chair, he asked the first. “Why did Lucifer slaughter the unicorn-shifters?”

Light shot from the tip of the crystal, an image taking shape inside it. A tiny pixie with white hair, gold skin and translucent, glittery wings. She hovered there, devoid of emotion. “A powerful oracle told Lucifer a unicorn would aid you in his defeat. Desperate to negate the prediction, he led legions of demons to the Realm of Mythstica, intending to slay every unicorn in existence. Only, he failed in his endeavors. There were six survivors.”

William licked his suddenly dry lips. So much to unpack. A prediction about Lucifer’s defeat. But only with Sunny’s help?