Hermes (Frozen Origin #2) (12 page)

Hermes took advantage of Keven’s distraction and pulled Doc into the hallway with him. Only her hands were tied so he sent her to Hades while he continued to watch hoping for a chance to take Keven out without risking Cher. Hades slipped up behind him silently looking at him waiting for a signal. Hermes shook his head, they would have to wait.

Keven yelled, a blood curdling sound. “Where did the bitch go?” He asked Cher.

“I don’t know, maybe she needed to go to the bathroom.”

Keven grabbed Cher by the arm dragging her to where Doc had been sitting. He looked into the hallway where Hermes and Hades stood. “Looks like the god that doesn’t care about you has brought a friend to help save you.” He chuckled like a lunatic. “If you don’t want her dead, you’ll give yourself up. I’ll take the two of you to a nice facility where they will take good care of you.”

Keven held the gun near her head while he spoke. Hermes thought if the gun would just slip a little lower he would risk grabbing it. Gods were fast, very fast. “You’ll never get away no matter what we do. Origin will kill you as soon as we arrive at the facility. They know you tried to cheat them. Disloyalty is punished by death.” Hermes told him hoping to distract him.

Hades was getting antsy, it was clear he wasn’t going to wait much longer. Hades stepped up to where he was beside Hermes. “You’re alone and you have a hostage of no value. We came for the other female, she’s our doctor. You can give up if you want to live, or die trying to hold on to your weapon.” Hades said in a cold tone that sounded so believable. The gun dropped just a little as Keven tried to decide if Hades told the truth. He
didn’t seem as sure as he had been to begin with. He had to wondering what if they didn’t care if his sister lived or died?

The gun slipped down just a little more but before Hermes could move, Cher went into action. She grabbed Keven’s wrist jerking it so hard the sound of bone breaking echoed through the room. The gun fell to the floor before Cher slammed her elbow into Keven’s stomach. She stepped slightly away as she turned toward him while he bent over in pain. She grabbed his head and forced it down as she raised her knee into its path
smashing his nose and forcing a scream out of him. Hermes and Hades stepped forward grabbing Keven and pulling him away from her.

Once they tied Keven up, Hermes stepped over to Cher intending to hold and comfort her. She moved away from him shaking her head. “Please, Cher, I can’t stand to see you hurt like this. Just let me give you what comfort I can.”

“You would only make me hurt more.” She said and it made his chest burn painfully as she turned away from him denying the bond he knew they had. He knew she was his whether she admitted it or not. He would let it go for now, but he would have her back in his arms before long. He had to since he couldn’t live without her anymore.

Cher fixed everyone food and they all ate and relaxed as much as they could. They were sitting around piecing everything together when a knock sounded on the door. Ben went to answer it since it was his house. He came back leading a female and a male that smelled like a god back to them.

“Erebus, is it you?” Hades said with excitement he rarely showed. “I thought you dead years ago.”

“It is me
, brothers. They moved me where one scientist worked with me. This was my guard, Maria, she helped me escape.”

Hades and Hermes hugged him. The gods were close like family and this was a happy occasion.
Erebus filled them in on how they had ended up her with them. Cher brought them food and Hermes thought she was so good to see to everyone’s needs. He would soon take care of hers and he wouldn’t let her put him off long.

“Ben, we appreciate you helping and we’re sorry for what you had to go through. We’re going to go now, we all have to get on our way.” Cher said as she hugged Ben and his boy. Fabian said his goodbyes too and Hermes thought he saw sadness in his eyes.

“How will we travel?” Hermes asked Cher.

“I’ll call Larry and he’ll take us to wherever we need to catch a ride to Olympus.”

“We’ll have to get back to Washington.” Hades said without taking his eyes off Doc.

They divided themselves between the three rentals and Cher tried to avoid Hermes but ended up with him anyway. Doc ended up with Hades and she sat there in the passenger seat glaring at him. They made it to the airport ahead of the pilot and waited in the office.

“What will they do with Keven and his friend?” Cher asked breaking the long silence that had lasted since they had arrived.

“They’ll question them and how helpful they are will go a long way in determining their treatment.” Hermes replied.

“Keven won’t cooperate.”

“You might be surprised by how he’ll be when he realizes he’s at our mercy and we know who and what he is.”

“What is he?”

“He’s worked with Origin for years torturing and sometimes killing gods suspected of trying to escape. He’s on our wanted list, near the top.”

“I knew he was trouble, but I never knew how truly cold and unfeeling he was. I wish I had never found out.”

The pilot came and he got the plane ready for takeoff. He headed into the office where they were waiting for him. “Time to go. It’s going to be tight quarters, this is nearly capacity for the plane.”

Cher sat up front with the pilot, something that drove Hermes crazy. He was cramped in the small space, it wasn’t made for a big guy like he and Hades were. By the time they landed, he was ready to kiss the ground and he would bet Hades was too. The plane for their much longer flight was already waiting and it was much roomier. The prisoners were tucked away in back and Cher couldn’t escape him now. He slid into the seat next to her and he refused to let her move.

“What do you think this proves?” She asked him.

“You are mine.”

“I am not yours. I am someone with no value.”

“Hades was just trying to maneuver Keven into a better position. You have always had value, especially to me.”

She snorted. “Tell me another one.”

“I’m not lying to you. If you’ll give me a chance I’ll prove to you just how much you mean to me.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a nap.” She said leaning back her seat and turning off her light. She was effectively freezing him out. Out of the conversation and out of her life. Hermes had never felt more frustrated in his life than he did when he dealt with his female.

He turned out his light and leaned back his chair. At least he would be sleeping next to her, it was something. The ride was relatively short seeming probably because it had been comfortable. They had slept until they were woke to eat then they had slept some more. You would think they would feel rested once they arrived but he felt more tired than ever. He looked around at his fellow travelers and they all looked as tired as he did.

The walk to the facility seemed long but that might be because with humans along, it was slow.
Doc, Cher, and Fabian weren’t too bad, it was the other two that caused all the problems. It wasn’t even on purpose, they were in bad shape and just couldn’t keep up. Hermes and Hades finally tossed them over their shoulders and took off as fast as they could go leaving the rest to keep up as best they could. It was a relief when they finally came to the hidden door that led down to where Cronos was. They waited for the rest of their group to catch up before they opened the door and followed them in. Lights popped on automatically as they stepped in the elevator Zeus had decided to install. They had both objected to it thinking it a security risk, but right now they were grateful it was there. Both were eager to get away from Keven and his friend because of a sickly smell that clung to them.

He mentioned the smell to Cher and she had said it was the odor produced by a rotting soul. He felt so sad for her and had only wanted to wrap her in the safety of his arms, but she had pulled back from him. It had shown him in no uncertain terms that she was withdrawing from him more by the day. He needed
her and his body ached for her and her alone. Her scent could both relax and excite him, he lived for a smile from her, and he would fight the world for his right to be with her.

Zeus, Sierra, and several others waited for them when the elevator door opened. Doc hurried to Sierra and they hugged so tight, Hermes wondered if either woman could breathe. Zeus had two of the gods with him take the prisoners away. Fabian hung close to Cher’s side as if he could protect her against gods. Cher stood ramrod straight, but not frightened as one might think. She had an air of acceptance like a sacrificial virgin who knew she would not escape her fate. He wondered what she was expecting that brought out those feelings in her. Maria, the ex-guard, had taken her young daughter back from Erebus who had carried her in for her.

The little girl was around two years old and looked just like her mother. Her Hispanic ancestry had given her pitch black hair, black eyes or at least the darkest of brown, and a deep tan color to her skin. She smiled as only an innocent babe with no knowledge of the cruelties of life could. It was almost enough to make Hermes smile too until his gaze fell back to Cher. His mate, he had no doubt that was what she was, had denied him. He remembered a time Zeus had been nearly insane because Sierra had done the same, but she had given in so he hoped Cher would too.

His need for her was great, his body sensitive, his cock ached to be immersed inside her yet he had to control his desire until he could make her realize she was his.
Mates belonged to each other, it was wrong when they were kept apart. He saw Zeus looked at him with sympathy, he had picked up on what was going on without being told.

Erebus stood awkwardly to one side as if waiting for a judgment to be passed down. Zeus approached him and gave him a hug. Erebus seemed stunned, before hugging him back. “Welcome home, brother!” Zeus told him.

“I am glad to be here.” Erebus said but Hermes noticed he didn’t say home. It was no surprise since Erebus had told him they had moved him often and he was sure it would be some time before Erebus would feel at home.

Zeus now moved to Maria who looked nervous. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing him back to us. I will speak to you later, for now rest, eat, and clean up.” He motioned to one of the gods with him. “Take her to her room and see she has anything she needs.”

The god motioned for her to follow him and he took her away. “She’s not yours?” Zeus asked.

“No, but I care for her and want to see her and the child well treated. The child was used to keep her loyal. She was sent in by the military as a spy but
Origin has spies of their own. The scientist that kept me, used her. The child was his but it didn’t stop him from threatening the child to keep her in line.”

“She will be treated as one of our own, the child as well.”
Zeus motioned to another god who took charge of Erebus leading him away.

Zeus came to stand in front of Cher and it didn’t take a god to see Cher was concerned. She held Fabian’s hand as she bravely faced Zeus. Doc had come to stand near by and Sierra stood next to her mate. Hermes moved closer to his woman, because she was his no matter what she might think.

“Cherish, I presume?” Zeus said and it was obvious that amusement filled his voice and his face. Cherish nodded, but the worry didn’t go away although it did ease slightly.

“Tell me what you wish us to do for you.”

“I just want a safe place for Fabian and me to live until Origin is completely destroyed.”

“A small enough request easily granted. Are you sure there is nothing else you want?” Zeus’s gaze shifted to Hermes and back quickly.

“No, I can see to all our other needs.”

“Very well. Hermes will see that you’re settled in and have what you need, but I will need to speak to you after you’re rested to get the whole story.” Cherish nodded then looked at Hermes. He took her arm and led her away. Zeus wanted her on the third level with the demons which didn’t please Hermes. She was too beautiful and desirable to be left where a demon might take advantage of her. He had heard stories of their abilities with women and he didn’t want her near them.

Unfortunately, what he wanted didn’t seem to matter. He led her down the demon’s hall as more of them spilled out of their rooms to check out the latest female at Olympus and one of the few actually allowed around them. he came to a halt when one stepped out in front of them.

“Who’s the lovely morsel, Hermes?”

“My mate, Lucifer.” Cher’s head jerked up and she watched them closely. Was it because he had claimed her as his mate, because of the name Lucifer, or because of the wings that were almost hidden on his back?

Lucifer took a deep breath and a serious look came over his face. “Your smell isn’t on her like a mate’s should be. Are you sure?”

“She thinks to deny me, but I’m sure.”

“I don’t suppose you know that I can hear both of you? Maybe you’re just accustomed to being rude and don’t know any better?” Titters of laughter broke out among the demons.

“I think I like her, Hermes. Maybe she might like me better than you?”

“Over my dead body, demon.”

“Excuse me, I’d like to get to my room so Fabian can sleep.” All attention was now drawn to the boy at her side. Lu smiled and that made Hermes even more nervous.