Date With Death (Welcome To Hell) (8 page)

Abruptly, all the sensations left him and
,in a blink, before him stood three cloaked figure
s—
Atropos in white for the purity of new life, Lachesis in a rainbow of colors for diversity, and black, of course, for Clotho, bringer of death. How cliché. Not that he said so. He did after all require their aid.

Keeping that in mind, he remained on his best behavior, calling upon the courtly manners he’d not used in millennia.
Mictain bowed before the beings who had taken the shape of women for eons and hoped they had not read his earlier doubts, for this close to him, the power radiating from them was thick and unmistakable.
I’m surprised Lucifer hasn’t tried to break them up. This kind of power all gathered in one place has to make him nervous.
Not his problem, though. He had more important things to worry about. “Fair ladies, thank you for granting me audience. You do me great honor,” he said with a second deeper bow. With Satan, he had an open friendship that could stand the test of stress and harsh words, but with the Moirae, whose powers were vast, and their moods uncertain, he extended every courtesy.

“Speak your purpose.” With their hoods drawn over their features and the voice, an eerie whisper, coming from all around him, he couldn’t tell who’d spoken.

“I need helping finding a witch, a half-human named Marigold. She’s been taken from me.”

“Not taken so much as claimed by her father,” a higher
-pitched voice said with a titter.

“
Taken,” he asserted. “From my home and against her wishes.”

“The rights of a father supersede those of a lover,”
countered a husky voice that crawled down his spine and made him shiver.

“He’s not a father. She’s never even met him. He abandoned her before her birth.”

“And yet kept his eye upon her.”

“And did nothing to protect her when she was attacked,” he retorted.

“We see blood and mayhem should you choose to pursue her,” the whispery voice warned.

Those words chilled him. “Who gets hurts? I don’t give a damn about anyone else so long as I get Marigold back unharmed.”

“From great need comes power. In the midst of battle, understanding dawns. By the blood shall arise that with the power to ream the world in two.”

Mictain ran his hand through his hair
, ruffling it
. Bloody Fates and their riddles.
“Okay, great. I’m sure that was a fabulous puzzle. But I’m not a bloody human, so I’d appreciate you dropping the act and just telling me where she is.” He’d sort out the prophecy later and pra
y—
to himselfsince he was after all a go
d—
that the blood they spoke of wouldn’t belong to Marigold.

“
Find her you will, atop the mount.”

“Mount what? Horse? Hilltop? Volcano? Could you be a little more specific?”

A loud sigh answered him. “Listen, our DVR’s broken and we’re missing our soap. Your girl’s on mount Olympus. Is that clear enough? For payment, we are to be named honorary aunts for the children you will bear together. Now go away.”

Say what? Before he could ask, t
he Fates disappeared in a swirl of smoke, and Mictain shouted, “Thank you” as the powdery mist floated back into the cave. Their words stunned him.
Children?
He hadn’t thought that far ahead, but of course, if he continued to have sex with Marigold, the possibility existed. But he’d mull over that scenario later. He needed to prepare to storm the Olympian gods’ playground. What fun! He couldn’t remember the last time he’d launched or led an assault.

He’d
require some help, though. Those Olympians tended to be violent, inbred snobs,which probably explained why Marigold’s fathe
r—
whichever god he wa
s—
had an issue with her taking up with him. A tanned Aztec wasn’t exactly a toga-wearing buggerer.

Too fucking bad. Mick would wage a celestial war if forced so he could get Marigold back.
She’s mine whether her daddy likes it or not. Time to call in my army. They could use the exercise.

Warm sunshine awoke
Marigold, the rays of bright light dancing across her skin. She opened her eyes to the view ofa frescoed ceilin
g—
a very disturbing one with beings engaged in perverted acts she was pretty sure weren’t physically possible. She sat up only belatedly remembering her injuries. To her shock, she realized she felt fine. A quick glance down and pat of her body showed her healed and dressed in a short white robe.

“What the
heck?” Last thing she remembered, she’d been on the losing end of a battle with demons. Then her lover arrived to the rescue. Was she in Mictain’s home? She hopped out of bed and took stock of her surroundings. White walls, white bedding, and heavy, dark furniture.
And let’s not forget the freaky artwork.
Somehow, the room didn’t appear to be Mick’s style, and yet, the last thing she remembered was him charging to her rescue.

Did I die?
Had she in some really odd twist ended up in heaven? Nah. Even she wasn’t dumb enough to believe a witch—and one who’d stolen her fair share of mascara as a teenager—would ever make it past the pearly gates.

But if I’m not up in the clouds then where am I?
Spotting a window, Marigold strode over to the immense aperture flanked by sheer curtains that fluttered before a cool breeze. Her jaw dropped as she gaped at the view.

Fluffy clouds topped with gardens and palatial homes stretched before her.
Despite her belief, it seemed the impossible happened. “How the hell did I end up in Heaven?” she exclaimed.

“Not Heaven,
Mount Olympus, home of the Olympian gods,” replied a deep voice from behind her.

Letting out a startled yelp,
Marigold whirled and beheld an old man, tall of stature with craggy features partially hidden by his flowing white beard and hair. Forget tempering her language, not with her heart pounding in fright. “Who the hell are you?”

“I am Zeus, King of the Olympian gods, and your father.”

If he expected his announcement to impress her, he was in for a surprise. “So you’re the guy who knocked my mother up and abandoned her?” Marigold’s voice came out even, surprising considering the rage boiling inside her. Finally, she’d found the object of her hate for so many years,and he stoo
d—
temptingly s
o—
within reach of her wrath.

“Your mother was a mere mortal. You could not expect me to stay with her. I have duties,” he announced with pomp.

“So why couldn’t you bring her here?” Zeus didn’t recognize the flash in her eyes, the one that warned the storm was about to hit.

He looked incredulous. “What?
You can’t be serious? Bring my human lover here? My wife would have never stood for it.”

Marigold lost it. “You were married! You pig. How dare you cheat on your wife? How dare you
screw my mother over like that? Do you know she never got over you? Not only that, but she had to work like a dog just to keep a roof over our heads.”

Zeus initially reeled under her accusations, but he quickly regrouped and his brows beetled together as he roared back,” How dare you speak to me so disrespectfully? I am your father!”

“A deadbeat jerk is more like it,” yelled Marigold, moving to stand toe-to-toe with him.

Zeus growled. “I will teach you to respect your elders.”

“Get in line. Speaking of which, what did you do to Mictain?”

Zeus stepped back from her and smiled slyly. “Nothing, even though he deserved it for not protecting you. Nothing more than I’d expect from an Aztec dog.”

“It’s not his job to protect me. Now take me to him.”

“No.”

Marigold gazed upon the man who’d fathered her and wanted to scream with frustration. So much for her deeply buried fantasy of her father finding her and declaring he’d always loved and wanted her. She’d been right all along; her father was an ass. Mictain, however, wasn’t, and Marigold wanted to see him something fierce. “Fine. Then I’ll find him myself.”

“You will do no such thing. You are my daughter and as such you will abstain from consorting with one of his ilk.”

She gaped at him. “Excuse me? Did you just try to tell me who I may or may not date?” Marigold laughed. “Oh, that’s freaking priceless. Let’s get one thing straight, daddy dear,” she said closing the space between them. “You
do not
tell me who I may or may not screw.” She punctuated her words with hard pokes into Zeus’s chest.

It amused her to see his
face turn an interesting shade of purple. She expected a blistering reply, but instead, he turned and strode away. “I am the king of this domain. Your lover can’t reach you here, and good luck trying to escape. You need to be a full Olympian god to navigate the treacherous path between here and the world below.”

T
he door slammed on his way out and Marigold ran at it, yanking at the handle, which was, not surprisingly, locked.

She sla
pped the palms of her hands against the solid carved surface. “Let me out of here, you hairy has been.” No answer. “Rotten, freaking jerk. See if you get a Hallmark card for Father’s Day!” She kicked and pummeled at the hard panel to no avail. She whirled and eyed the room, looking for another exit. Spying the window, she sped across the room and looked out. The ground didn’t look too far down. She could probably jump. She braced her hands on the sill and prepared to heave her legs over, only to hit an invisible barrier.

“You can’t escape that way, dear.”

She didn’t scream as loudly this time, but the new intruder did somewhat startle her. Marigold whirled and found an attractive older woman standing in the room. She had brown hair touched with gray coiled atop her head and wore a long, beige gown cinched at the waist with a gold braided belt.

Great. Another Greek deity.
“And who are you? My long lost sister?” asked Marigold sarcastically.

“Actually,
given your parentage, I guess you could call me your step-mother. I’m Zeus’s wife, Hera.”

“Oh.” Marigold lost her anger in a second and instead eyed the woma
n—
a goddess if she remembered her mythology correctl
y—
with wary eyes. “Hi.”

Hera’s face crinkled as she smiled. “Don’t worry
, child, I’m not angry at you for your father’s transgressions, nor can I blame your mother. Mortals cannot resist the allure of a god.”

“S
o you condone his cheating?”

“Of course not. Don’t you worry
, I’ve gotten my revenge for his philandering ways.” The evil smile made Marigold grin in reply.

It also made her see
a glimmer of hope. “So you don’t agree with what he’s done? Great, then you won’t mind helping me escape.”

“Why would I do that when your very handsome suitor has come to claim you?”

“What? Mictain is here?” Hope beat in her breast along with a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Hera swept a graceful hand toward the window
, and Marigold turned around to look out. At first, she saw nothing, but a commotion in the distance finally caught her attention.

“See?” said Hera from beside her. “Your lover has come to free you from your father.”

Marigold couldn’t help the grin that stretched from ear to ear.
Mick came for me!
She lost her smile, though, when the sounds of clashing and yelling reached her ears.

“What’s happening?”

“They battle to decide who shall win you, of course.”

“But Mictain could get hurt.” The thought appalled her. The stupid lug had come to mean a lot to her over the last few days.
I will kill him if he gets injured trying to rescue me.

Hera held out her hand and a glowing light sparked into existence and grew until it resembled a hovering dinner platter. Its opaque surface cleared and Marigold beheld the battle as if she had a front row seat, replete with sound and smel
l—
an added feature she could have done without because hordes of sweaty men did not exude a pleasant aroma.

But she forgot that, captivated by what she saw. Good god, and she meant that quite literally, was that
Mictain swinging some odd thing that was a cross between a sword and club? Whatever it was, the weapon was deadly, and sliced with bloody efficiency.

But, a handheld weapon was no defense against a lightning bolt thrown at his back by her cowardly father.

Before he eyes, Mictain tumbled to the ground and didn’t move. Marigold’s heart stopped.

No.

Her lips moved silently as
Zeus moved to stand over his motionless body, and she could see the deadly intent on his face.

Understanding his intent, rage bloomed to life within her, a molten inferno that needed release.
“Like freaking hell!” With a scream of rage, Marigold blew a hole through the wall, her fury channeling power like she’d never imagined. Time to show daddy what she thought of his rule
s—
and to rescue her lover.