Chapter X

Chapter X

Bakkheia

Hades was distracted, his mind on the final moments before he’d left Persephone in the queen’s suite of his palace the night before. The broken note in her voice tortured his thoughts and clawed at his chest. That night, he’d watched her from his balcony, wandering through the garden. She fit so perfectly among those flowers, like his soul had known to make it for her before she existed.

Even then, with all the knowledge that their fates were entwined, he could not manage to talk to her, to make this rift between them right. In some twisted way, he feared comfort would only seem like he approved of her actions, and he wanted her to know the consequences of dealing with gods.

“My lord?” Antoni queried, and Hades looked up, meeting the cyclops’s gaze in the car’s rearview mirror. “Apologies. We have arrived. Would you like for me to wait for you?”

Hades had asked Antoni to take him to Bakkheia. He’d decided to put this anger to good use and confront Dionysus over his involvement with Acacius, and he preferred to arrive in a mortal fashion, as it would announce his presence. Not only that, but teleporting into a god’s territory was usually frowned upon, though Hades would have been able to do so, given that he shared control of the Upperworld with his brothers.

“That won’t be necessary,” Hades replied. He would choose a far quicker exit when he was ready to leave the God of Wine’s territory.

Antoni looked at him in the rearview mirror.

“Pardon the observation, my lord, but you seem…off tonight.”

That was an effective way to describe how he felt.

He was off . He had been since the night Persephone had confronted him about Leuce, and things had spiraled from there. Now he agonized, replaying every decision he’d made prior and since, and he felt ridiculous.

A horn blared as an impatient driver pulled in behind them, and Hades curled his fists at the sound.

“Apologies, Antoni,” Hades said and stepped out of his limo. As he did, he straightened his tie and turned his head toward the waiting car. The driver’s eyes widened, and he backed up into the vehicle behind him in an attempt to flee.

That was a satisfying enough punishment for Hades, and he strolled to the black doors of Bakkheia, illuminated on either side by strands of red light. The bouncers, two large satyrs, allowed Hades past with only a nod, though he knew they’d already alerted Dionysus of his presence the moment he stepped out of the car. And while he hoped that meant he wouldn’t have to go in search of the god, he had a feeling Dionysus was going to make this very difficult.

Once Hades stepped through the doorway, he was greeted by a loud and crowded club. The music was so loud, it vibrated his bones. Red laser light cut through the darkness and billows of white smoke clouded the air. It was supposed to be hypnotizing, but Hades found it suffocating. He edged along the dance floor to the stairs and headed to the second floor, where it was quieter and far more intimate. A few people leaned over small tables, talking in hushed voices, while some shared space, taking up large plush chairs to kiss and explore. Then there were some who openly fucked, the darkness unable to mask the sounds of pleasurable intercourse.

No one seemed to mind, not the exhibitionism or the voyeurism, but Hades had no intention of lingering. Being on this floor reminded him of how badly he’d wanted to comfort Persephone when he’d taken her to the Underworld. He’d wanted to touch her, kiss her, caress her. He’d wanted her to find pleasure in his arms, but he’d left instead, and now the distance between them felt like a hopelessly deep and jarring chasm.

He continued down the hall, which was wide and full of seating. A wall of windows overlooked downtown New Athens, providing a glittering backdrop for the sin that took place here.

Dionysus had a unique repertoire of powers, among them the ability to inspire madness and ecstasy, and he could apply them to myriad situations—from the murderous to the erotic. It was no surprise, given that the god was the first to create wine, a drink responsible for lowering the inhibitions of many mortals. At the root of it, Dionysus was the cause for much disruption, and he reveled in the chaos.

It was just one reason Hades preferred to keep his distance, yet here he was, seeking him out for the discord he’d caused.

He came to the third floor, reserved for private suites. The hall was dark, and doors bearing red numbers ran the length of it. There was an energy to the air that put Hades on edge, and while he knew part of it had to do with being in another god’s territory, there was something darker beneath—a desperation that called to death. He may have ruled over that realm, but it was unnerving to feel how it lingered within these walls.

Hades paused before the seventh door and entered.

Inside, the suite was dim, but Hades did not need any more light to know what was occurring before him. Dionysus relaxed in a large chair, arms stretched out over the back, while a woman knelt between his legs, working her mouth and hands over his cock. There were other people in the room too, all engaged in various sexual acts, and Dionysus’s magic hung heavy in the air, magic that had worked these mortals into a frenzy, unable to think of anything but their carnal need to fuck.

“Hades,” Dionysus said in acknowledgment, and as he nodded, the gold coiled in his hair glinted in the light.

“Dionysus.”

“Excuse the display,” he said. “Just making sure everything is in working order, given I have been plagued with dreams of castration.”

“How unfortunate,” Hades commented.

He shrugged. “I quite like the pain.”

Of course he would, Hades thought.

“I’ve been expecting you,” Dionysus said with no hitch in his voice despite the woman’s vigorous work between his legs.

Hades was not surprised. “You’ve been busy, from what I hear.”

“What have you heard?”

Hades only waited a beat before responding. “A lot,” he replied.

“From which you have made a lot of assumptions.”

Hades raised a brow. “I do not assume,” he said, though there was an element of guilt that accompanied those words as he recalled how much he assumed when it came to Persephone.

“Isn’t that why you’re here?”

“Look who’s assuming,” Hades replied. “And here I thought to give you the space to explain yourself.”

That was the first comment to break Dionysus’s cool facade. His eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers curled, then he sat up and his gaze fell to the girl, still valiantly engaged in her task.

“Leave,” he commanded.

She looked up at him and obeyed, allowing his cock to slide from her mouth. She rose, using his knees for support, and left.

“I would apologize,” Hades said, “but it does not appear she was able to hold much of your…attention.”

Dionysus’s lips flattened, and he stood to restore his appearance. He was just as tall and large as Hades. He wore a gray suit with purple accents, and his hair was long and braided.

“Usually I am not deterred by exhibitionism, but you tend to have an unnerving effect.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It isn’t,” Dionysus said flatly, navigating around entangled bodies as he made his way to the bar, where a glass of wine and a glass of whiskey already waited.

Dionysus handed over the whiskey.

“Since you’ve come for a visit, I hope you’ve brought along my eye.”

“You illegally bought the Graeae. The eye is no more yours than they are.”

“You missed the important part—bought and paid for.”

“You missed the illegal part,” Hades pointed out.

“What makes you think it was illegal?”

“Who does anything lawful on the black market?” Hades countered.

Dionysus took a sip of his wine and set it aside, watching Hades.

“I did not buy the Graeae. I bought their services. Imagine my… surprise when they arrived without their eye and no ability to do what I need.”

Hades was skeptical. “And what did you need?”

Just then, the woman Dionysus had ordered to leave earlier burst into the suite.

“She’s dying! There’s a girl in the bathroom, and she’s dying!”

Hades and Dionysus exchanged a look before leaving the room, scrambling for the restroom located at the end of the hall. Dionysus was the first to enter, throwing open the door with such force that it crashed against the wall. There, on the tiled floor, lay an unconscious woman whose life force was indeed fading, and the only reason she had yet to pass was due to the efforts of another woman who hovered over her, administering CPR. Hades recognized her immediately.

Ariadne.

“Get out of the way,” Dionysus commanded, kneeling beside the woman.

“Fuck you!” Ariadne shot back.

“I said move!” the god roared, and Ariadne fell back, wedged between the wall and the countertop.

Dionysus produced a syringe from the inside pocket of his jacket and stuck the needle straight into the muscle of the girl’s arm. When he was finished, he reached for Ariadne, dragging her back to the girl by the wrist.

“Do your compressions until she’s breathing again.”

She blinked, stunned, and while it took her a second to comply, she resumed without argument.

Shocking , Hades thought.

A few minutes passed, then Ariadne spoke. “She’s breathing.”

At that, the doors opened and two men entered, each lifting the woman up by an arm draped over their shoulders.

“Where are you taking her?” Ariadne demanded, rising to her feet. “She still needs medical assistance.”

“My, you are presumptuous,” Dionysus said.

“You expect me to believe you will see to her care?”

“I saved her life!”

“Excuse me? You are the reason she was in that state.”

“I don’t recall telling anyone to overdose.”

“No? Then why do you carry Narcan?”

“Will you two shut the fuck up?” Hades snapped, unable to take any more of their verbal sparring. He had work to do, and they were both fucking around.

Both Dionysus and Ariadne looked at him.

“What the hell are you doing here, Detective?” Hades asked.

Dionysus narrowed his eyes as she responded.

“What does it look like?” she countered. “And where were you? I didn’t see you jumping to help us save that girl’s life, God of the Dead .”

“I highly doubt you wanted my intervention, Detective. It’s in the name.”

Silence followed his comment, and Ariadne crossed her arms over her chest.

“I take it you two are acquainted?” Dionysus asked tightly.

“We met briefly when Detective Alexiou accused you of trafficking women. Care to explain?” Hades thought they might as well cut to the chase. He saw no reason to keep Ariadne’s secret, given that she had obviously decided to continue her own investigation. “By the way, it seems you had no trouble getting into Bakkheia on your own, Detective.”

She glared.

“Trafficking women?” Dionysus asked, and Hades noted an edge to his voice that Ariadne did not seem to pick up on. Perhaps that was due to her line of work. He was certain she was used to being lied to, as well, much as Hades was.

“Megara Alkaios has been missing for two weeks,” Ariadne said. “Her friends say she came here and never left.”

“That is one woman,” Dionysus pointed out.

“I have reason to believe you’re also responsible for the disappearances of many more.”

“Does reason equate to evidence, or is that just your opinion of me, Detective Alexiou?”

Hades knew very well she had no evidence and yet he found her response particularly amusing.

“If you were innocent, you would have said so, yet I don’t hear you denying a thing.”

“I’m not interested in gaining your favor,” Dionysus replied.

“Well, you should be interested in gaining mine,” Ariadne snapped.

That made Dionysus laugh, and he took a step closer to the mortal woman. Her head tilted back in defiance, and the tension between them grew as he asked, “Are you saying you have something to offer, Detective?”

“ I have a lot to offer,” said Hades, once more interrupting. “Including a stay in Tartarus if I have to hear this exchange any longer.”

“No one said you had to stay,” Ariadne shot back, glaring at Hades, then returned her gaze to Dionysus once she heard him chuckle. “Is something funny ?”

“Oh yes,” he said. “Something is definitely funny.”

A woman entered the bathroom and hesitated at seeing it occupied by the three, but her expression quickly morphed to interest, and she sauntered inside.

“Want a fourth?” she asked.

Ariadne lifted the hem of her dress and drew a gun. “Get out.”

The woman’s eyes widened, and she fled just as Dionysus’s hand clamped down on the weapon, wrenching it from Ariadne’s hands.

“Tsk, tsk, Detective. Don’t you know the rules? No weapons in the club.”

“I see you pick and choose your morals.”

“Like all gods,” he said, and his eyes traveled down her frame. “Hiding anything else under that dress?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“By the gods, I think I’m going to vomit,” Hades said.

“Now you know how the rest of us feel about you and your lover,” Dionysus said, finally looking at Hades.

He clenched his jaw at the comment, which only succeeded in reminding him once more of all the mistakes he’d made in the past couple of weeks.

There was a beat of silence as Dionysus placed Ariadne’s gun inside his coat. “Follow me.”

Dionysus left the bathroom first, and Hades gestured for Ariadne to follow.

“Ladies first,” he said.

“What a gentleman,” she replied dryly.

They followed Dionysus down the hall to an elevator tucked away in an alcove off the staircase. Once inside, he took out a key that gave him the ability to choose a level below the first floor that was unmarked. Hades wasn’t surprised to discover that this club had a basement. If he had to guess, it had an underground tunnel too and likely connected to other properties owned by Dionysus.

As he suspected, when the door opened, it was to a large, concrete tunnel. A stripe of fluorescent lights ran down the center, casting the place in a painful, yellow light.

“Is this how you smuggle contraband into your club?” Ariadne asked.

“No,” said Dionysus, stepping past her. “We bring that in the front door.”

They followed him, and the tunnel led to a balcony that overlooked a large, warehouse-type room. It was accessible via a set of metal stairs. Several long tables ran the length of the space, and there were a few other cozier seating areas, some of which were occupied by women who were reading or cleaning weapons. There was a whole wall of shelving dedicated to leather-bound books, and another wall was taken over by a large screen that was currently displaying news streams from across New Greece. Several dark archways were located intermittently about the room, and Hades found himself curious as to where those led.

“This brothel looks terrible,” Ariadne said.

“I didn’t realize you were an expert,” said Dionysus.

“It’s not a brothel,” Hades said.

“So now you’re the expert?” Ariadne said.

“Megara,” Dionysus called, ignoring her.

A woman looked up from one of the seating areas. It was evident she was the same girl from the photo Ariadne had presented to Hades earlier in the week—auburn hair, round eyes, slender frame. She had been reading a book, but when her name was called, she set it aside and stood, bowing.

“My lord,” she said.

“This detective thinks you are in trouble,” he said. “ Are you in trouble?”

She shook her head and answered, “I am not in trouble.”

Hades sensed no lie, but Ariadne moved ahead of the two gods.

“Do not lie for him,” she said. “If he kidnapped you, you must let me know.”

“He didn’t,” she replied. “I came here of my own free will.”

Ariadne’s brows furrowed, and Hades saw that her shoulders fell. “I…don’t understand.”

The woman looked confused, her eyes slipping to Dionysus, who said, “You do not have to tell her if you do not wish.”

Ariadne’s frustration must have boiled over, because she plowed ahead. “Look, I’m a detective with the Hellenic Police Department,” she explained. It was the wrong thing to say, because every woman in the room looked up then, and Hades felt their collective apprehension, fear, and venom. Ariadne must have noticed it too because she hesitated. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

“Because they don’t want to be found,” Hades said, and before Ariadne could speak, he stopped her. “Is it so hard to believe, given what you’ve seen? These women are in hiding.”

“Did anyone happen to tell you where I was before I went missing?” Megara asked, and her voice trembled. “The hospital. It was my third visit. I decided it would be my last.”

For the first time all night, Ariadne had nothing to say—but Hades did. He had a lot to say.

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you’ve done this purely from the goodness of your heart,” Hades said to Dionysus.

“What are you implying?”

Hades vanished and appeared behind one of the women, who had been cleaning a knife. In an instant, she was on her feet, and as soon as Hades appeared, the blade was at his throat.

He stared at the woman, no hint of fear in her eyes.

“Right,” Hades said and took a step back. “So you’ve trained them.”

Dionysus shrugged. “Why not give them the ability to defend themselves?”

“And assassinate your enemies. Two birds, one stone, right?”

The god did not respond.

“Are you saying you have an army of female assassins?” Ariadne asked.

“Well, this has been most satisfying,” said Dionysus. “But you have worn out your welcome.”

“Only just now?” Ariadne asked.

“That mouth really is something else,” said Dionysus.

That made Ariadne smile, but in a way that communicated her disgust with the god.

“As much as I’d like to leave and never return,” Hades said, “you’ve yet to answer my question.”

Dionysus stiffened, and Hades felt everyone in the room tense around him. He got the distinct impression that Dionysus’s assassins were poised for attack.

“I’d reconsider,” Hades said. “Not even your assassins have a chance against death.”

“Fine,” Dionysus gritted out. “You want to know? I’ll tell you.”

“Fucking finally,” Hades gritted out, relieved.

It had only taken discovering one of Dionysus’s weaknesses, which he was certain were few and far between. The God of the Vine was not overt about those he cared for, because it made them targets—it was a lesson he’d learned long ago, as he was a son of Zeus and had been the target of Hera’s wrath for the majority of his life.

“I needed the location of a gorgon named Medusa,” Dionysus said. “There is a rumor going around in the market that she has the power to turn men to stone. As you can imagine, that is quiet a useful skill in the hands of a mortal.”

“One you want for yourself?” Ariadne asked.

“If I wanted to turn someone to stone, I could without a gorgon’s gaze,” Dionysus replied. “Shall I give you a demonstration?”

“Or you could finish your explanation,” Hades interjected, his patience gone.

Dionysus and Ariadne were still glaring at each other when he continued.

“A few bounty hunters have put a price on her head, so I hired the Graeae to help me find her first.”

“So she can join your team of assassins?”

“They’re called maenads,” Dionysus said, then shamelessly admitted, “And yes.”

“As your weapon,” Hades said.

Dionysus shrugged. “Her power makes her dangerous. She’ll be on everyone’s kill list. At least here, she would be safe.”

“And what if that isn’t what she wants?” Ariadne asked.

Dionysus looked at the detective and answered, “Not everyone has the privilege of choice.”

Hades considered the information Dionysus had given him. If it were true, if there were a bounty on Medusa’s head, then it was just a matter of time before she was located. Still, he had questions. He was familiar with gorgons. He employed one—Euryale—to watch the doors to his lounge at Nevernight. Did she know Medusa?

“Why the Graeae?” Hades asked.

Dionysus stared.

“You have all these assassins,” Hades continued. “A roomful of people who can search and spy, yet you purchased the Graeae. Why?”

“I purchased their skills ,” Dionysus clarified, as if he thought that were somehow better. “And because they are sisters to the gorgons. If anyone would know where Medusa resided, it would be the Graeae.”

“And you think they will tell you?”

“If they want to keep her safe, then yes.”

“It seems she’s doing a fine job keeping herself safe,” Ariadne pointed out, which was true. No one had been able to locate her, and if they had, it was likely that no one knew because she’d turned them to stone.

Still, Dionysus was right. Power like that was dangerous. Mortals would want to harness it—mortals like the Impious or even Triad—while immortals would want to destroy it. It was just a matter of time before someone figured out how to capture her.

Hades looked to Dionysus. “What will you do if she doesn’t want to come with you?” It was an important question, one that Hades had to know the answer to before he decided how to proceed.

“I won’t force her,” Dionysus said. “But I have hope that her sisters will help convince her.”

“Take us to them,” Hades said, and before Dionysus could protest, he continued. “We’ll learn the secret together.”

Dionysus’s lips flattened. “You hardly have the authority to command such a thing in my realm,” he said.

“Last time I checked, the Graeae were not under your rule. Besides, I have the eye, and they cannot see without it.”

Hades expected Dionysus to protest—to remind him that he had bought and paid for the services of the Graeae—and while his jaw ticked as he gritted his teeth, he gave a harsh nod.

“Fine.”

Dionysus left the balcony, navigating to the floor where his maenads lingered, and led them through one of the darkened archways.

It turned out that they were dorms.

“I expected a dungeon,” Ariadne said as they passed door after door.

“I have one,” said Dionysus. “Though it’s not exactly what you’re imagining.”

Ariadne scoffed, and Hades rolled his eyes.

Finally, Dionysus stopped at one of the doors and knocked.

“What are we waiting for?” Ariadne asked.

“For them to answer the door,” Dionysus said. “They aren’t prisoners.”

But after a minute, no one had come, so Dionysus knocked again.

“Deino, Enyo, Pemphredo,” he called, and still there was no answer. When he opened the door, they found the dorm was empty. “What the fuck.”

Dionysus stepped inside the spacious room, which resembled more of a luxury hotel room with large beds, lush linens, and pleasing works of art. Hades and Ariadne followed. It was evident that the three sisters had occupied the room, as three of the four beds had rumpled covers and there were breakfast trays at the end of each, crowded with empty plates, glasses, and silverware, but the Graeae were nowhere to be found.

“You have a basement of assassins, and the Graeae still managed to escape,” Ariadne said.

“They didn’t escape,” said Dionysus.

Ariadne raised a doubtful brow.

“They were taken,” he said.

“Are you saying someone managed to steal from you?” she asked and glanced at Hades. “Twice.”

Dionysus’s body tensed.

“Seems your maenads aren’t doing their job.”

“It would be impossible for mortals, no matter how skilled, to go up against a god,” said Hades.

“You think a god did this?” she asked.

There was no other explanation. Three monsters had disappeared from their room without a trace.

“If not a god, someone with divine blood,” Hades said, knowing that demigods often took on powers from their mothers and fathers, which made the pool of culprits even greater. “The question is, who?”

Hades met Dionysus’s gaze, but he shook his head.

“I have no fucking clue.”