Chapter One

Storm

I can't have heard Rival right? Hades? God of the Underworld that Hades?

"You're fucking Hades?" Loki questions, thankfully sounding as sceptical as I am, "Hades, king of the Underworld, the one that's been fucking missing that Hades?"

Grey, or Hades, nods his head, "Yes."

"She's not dead?" Zev asks, a desperation in his tone that we all feel and just breezing past the god of the Underworld thing. To be honest, right now, I'd rather know how sure he is that Farren is alive because it didn't look like that was possible.

Grey shakes his head. "No, as King of the Underworld, I feel every soul that passes. I know the names of everyone, and she is not dead. Yeal made it look that way to stop us from going after her."

"We can go after her?" Killian asks a thread of hope in his tone.

"Fuck yes." Grey replies.

"I'm going to need more of an explanation?" Rival asks because, of course, he needs more information.

"Well, this journey is not going to be easy. We will have time to talk, but I also need to explain some things before we go, and we can do that back at the castle."

"Let's get going then," I say, aware that my cheeks are still damp, thanks to thinking we had lost Farren. "Let's go and get our girl back."

Because that's what she is. She's ours. We all love her, and we would all die for her.

My head whips towards the door as a powerful magical presence makes itself known and is heading in our direction rapidly.

"What the fuck now?" Mayhem curses.

"Ah fuck," Grey curses, which makes this whole situation even more concerning than it originally was, which is saying something, because that presence storming towards us rapidly is fucking terrifyingly strong and angry, and I say that while in the presence of Mother fucking Hades who is a god!

To be honest, the power level is close to Hades, but it's not entirely on the same level. I think what makes it concerning is the fact that whoever it is that's kicking off that amount of power is angry as fuck too.

"Ah, fuck?" Loki asks, looking at Grey incredulously, "We have a freight train of power, angry power heading straight for us, and your first reaction is a far too casual; oh fuck?"

Grey smirks, looking slightly amused, before he says, "Just let me deal with him. It would probably be best if you all stood behind me until I've had a chance to talk to him."

"Normally, I'd argue that we are more than capable of standing next to you and not behind you in this situation, but this time, I'm not arguing," I reply, already feeling on edge and desperate to get going so we can save Farren. Looking at the others, I order, "Everyone behind Grey, now."

I didn't really need to order them since they're all making their way behind a rather imposing-looking Grey as he lets a little more of Hades out to play.

I'm not going to lie, he's intimidating as fuck, and I'm pretty fucking glad that he's on our side.

Whoever is kicking off the enormous amount of power must be just outside of the door, but Loki thinks it's the perfect time to lean forward and ask, "Should we call you Grey or Hades? I'm confusing myself in my own mind, and I need something to stick to."

I could smack him, and I will do so for his timing, but I have to admit that I'm doing the same thing, and switching between both names, it would be nice to know exactly what he would like to be called, although I could've waited until after we've dealt with the powerhouse coming for us.

"Hades," he replies, "it's been far too long since I've been able to use it. It's nice to hear my true name spoken. Now, stay quiet and stay behind me, he's fucking mad."

"No shit," Loki scoffs and then promptly snaps his mouth closed when the rest of us glare at him.

What feels like death is quickly approaching, but even so, I feel the pressure in the air change as Poca suddenly growls, stops his pacing, and then just disappears. I think we all know where he's decided to go.

"Can he reach her?" I ask Hades because he's the only one who can possibly know the answer.

Hades shakes his head, although his eyes stay on the door as he replies, "No, he won't be able to crossover unless he's escorted, dead, or extremely powerful."

"So he's about to come back super fucking angry then," Rival mutters.

"Not the angry I'm worrying about right now," Reaper mutters.

"Me neither," Zev agrees, tensing as the massive powerhouse gets even closer.

Fuck.

The giant doors to the hall blast off their hinges, and not only that, but they disintegrate into dust. I finally get a good look at the supernatural behind the massive amount of power as he walks through the gap left by the exploded doors. His black and blood-red wings are arcing above him, and his eyes are blazing, but so are his hands as hellfire dances over his arms like old friends.

"Hello, friend," Hades greets him sounding far too relaxed for the fucking situation.

"Seriously?" Loki hisses. "That's how you're going to greet the most powerful high demon I've ever encountered; who's charging at you because we've decimated his army?"

"Whoa, Friend? What do you mean, friend?" Zev hisses, completely ignoring what Loki has said as he adds quietly, "I didn't fucking see this."

Hades chuckles, clearly finding us freaking out more entertaining than any of us are finding the situation.

When the giant and extremely powerful demon just carries on blazing toward us, Hades sighs,

and I feel his magic grow even more, which I didn't think was possible before I can question what he's doing, it becomes evident because the freight train of power pauses in his steps.

"Hades?" he questions.

Hades just nods his head, drawing back some of his power which I'm damn grateful for because fucking hell it is intense. I thought he was strong before, but his power level now is literally off the fucking charts.

"It's been a long time," Hades replies, emotion in his voice. It's evident that these two are close, or at least they used to be.

"I'll fucking say, where the fuck have you been?" the high demon practically demands as he strides toward Hades, and we all take a step back just in case.

I mean, they seem friendly, but if something kicks off, none of us are strong enough to be in the middle of it.

"It's a long story, and it's one that I suggest we have back at the castle. We have a rather pressing matter that we need to get to. Are you in?" Hades asks him.

The higher demon grins, his smile sharp, "Of course I fucking am. Want to introduce me to the men who fought beside you and decimated mine?"

His immediate agreement instantly tells me just how strong of a friendship they have. This demon didn't need any more information about what the problem was or what involvement was required from him; he just agreed, and I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that Grey, I mean, Hades, that's going to take some getting used to. I don't think that his immediate agreement has anything to do with the fact that Hades is King of the Underworld because of the way he so casually spoke to him.

I do tense slightly at the way he asked that question. I mean, we have just killed his men, and now that he's mentioned it, he's reminded me that the whole of the Shadowlands is terrified of him, and from what we have heard, for good reason.

Hades quickly introduces us and then gestures to the higher demon as he says, "And this is Khaos, my righthand demon and leader of my armies."

It actually hadn't occurred to me that the freight train of power could be Khaos, and I think the only reason that we managed to convince him that he doesn't need to smite us on sight is that he recognised Hades' power if it hadn't been for that I'm confident that we would be dead. I think we would've been screwed if he couldn't have released it.

"Well, shit," Kill mutters, "that explains a lot."

"Former leader. Nice to meet you all. If Hades calls you friends, then I have no reason to doubt the kind of supernaturals you are," Khaos starts, his eyes flashing with knowledge as he starts bouncing on his toes.

Like Loki, I get the feeling that he struggles to stay still; however, I think it may be even more extreme than it is with Loki.

"I have a question," Kill starts, and I know exactly what he will ask. I would stop him since Khaos is extremely powerful, and it wouldn't be wise to piss him off, but I want to know the answer too, and if I'm honest, I'm not getting any bad feelings from Khaos.

"Go ahead?" Khaos asks, curiosity in his eyes.

"You don't seem bothered that all your followers are dead? Or, more specifically, that we killed them." Kill phrases his words like a question, but it's not really. It's more of a statement.

Khaos shrugs, "Because I'm not. By the fucking way, one of those motherfucking pussy arse princes managed to control me?"

Hades clears his throat, "Yes, brother."

There is caution in his tone that instantly has us tensing again. We all feel it as Khaos's power starts to grow, and I remember just how formidable Hades said he was. His wings unfurl, showing their impressive wingspan, as his body engulfs in hellfire, colours that I haven't seen before.

"Er, Hades," Loki starts, "maybe you want to fix that? He's pissed as fuck."

Before Hades can say anything, at this point, I think it would be difficult to reason with him anyway; Poca reappears. He takes one look at Khaos, and I expect him to disappear again because to be honest, if I could, I would in this situation. Instead, I swear he sighs.

"Did Poca just roll his eyes?" Mayhem mutters incredulously.

"Pretty sure he did," Reaper replies, the growl of Ryu slightly evident in his tone.

We all watch in shock as Poca grows in size and stalks toward Khaos. He jumps in front of him with a bone-shaking growl, and I step forward, wanting to rescue him from Khaos's wrath. Farren would be heartbroken when we got her back if Khaos had killed him, and murderous. We will be getting her back.

It turns out that my interference isn't needed though as Khaos is once again pulled up short.

His head tilts to the side as he studies Poca, and then he grins, kneeling down and giving Poca some love. Even Hades looks confused.

"Cerb, my old friend, I almost didn't recognise you. What are you doing up here?" Khaos asks, only adding to our confusion.

"Wait, Cerberus?" Hades questions.

My eyebrows hit my hairline as Poca sighs. Magic covers him and obscures him from view, and when we can finally see him again, I am shocked at his appearance. Standing in front of us is the three-headed dog from all of the legends, and he looks formidable. His swirling patterns that were built into his fur and that glowed when he was in his hellhound form are now swirling with the different colours of hellfire. It looks impressive, and he is kicking off a hell of a lot of power.

"You know what, I don't even want to go there right now," I say and then add more urgently, "Can we please go back to the castle and discuss how we're going to rescue Farren?"

"The princes took one of yours?" Khaos asks, violence flashing in his eyes.

"Storm is right. Come on, let's head back." Hades says and then clicks his fingers; just like that, we're back at his home, in one of the massive drawing rooms.

"Dude, please tell me you couldn't have done that the entire time?" Loki asks.

Hades shakes his head, "No, I could only move me. I wouldn't have been able to move all of you."

"Is the silencing spell completely lifted?" Rival asks curiously.

Hades thinks about it for a second, no doubt checking in with his magic to see, "I think so, but I'm not going to know for certain until someone asks me something, and I can't reply."

"Can we please get to Farren now?" Zev practically begs.

That swirling pit of unease hasn't left my stomach, and the more I think about her being in the Underworld, the more worried that her being alive isn't going to be the case for much longer.

"You said that if she ran into someone from the Underworld, then it would be very bad for her?" Kill questions.

"Yes, and that's why we need to get going as quickly as we can," Hades replies, "They will have taken her back to the castle, and there are most likely still Helliers there that tortured us last time. They will remember her; she put up one hell of a fight, and the princes were particularly interested in her. When we escaped, we didn't exactly do it quietly, and Helliers don't forget."

"Wait, are these my Helliers?" Khaos asks, anger in his tone.

"Not yours any longer, friend. They don't hold your values now," Hades explains.

"Whose Farren? What were you doing in your own prison?" Khaos asks.

"Here," Hades says simply and touches Khaos's forehead for a brief moment.

Khaos's eyes widen as he studies Hades, "Well, that was certainly unexpected. I couldn't see Farren in your memories, but I understand what she means to you and what she's been through. I also understand that I owe her a debt for saving your life."

Hades looks confused, "What do you mean you couldn't see her? I showed you with no barriers."

"You did? Well, I couldn't see her," Khaos replies, not seeming to be too bothered by it. "So, that's how you broke the silencing spell on you?"

Hades shrugs, "Yeah, apparently nothing I nor any of the other very powerful supes I know . . ."

Mayhem interrupts him, his eyes widening, "Shit, you mean Gods, don't you? You know, Gods and Goddesses."

"Of course, he does," Khaos confirms before Hades can, "most of them aren't worth knowing though."

I'm not the only one who just stands and stares because, really, what the fuck are we supposed to do with that information. It's not only confirmation that the gods actually exist, which is something that everyone has begun to question over the last century or so, but it's also confirmation that there's one in front of us, one that we consider a friend.

"Holy shit, you're a God," Loki mutters, awe and shock in his tone.

Hades rolls his eyes, "Yes, but still me, and right now, the woman that we all love is quite probably being tortured and in grave danger. She can die down there, and since she hasn't turned up here, I'm assuming that they've blocked off her access to the Void somehow, and we all know that isn't good for her."

Fuck he's right.

Reaper says, "So, we're just coming straight out with it now that we love her?"

I catch Zev's smirk as he shrugs and says, "There really is no point in denying it, is there?"

Surprisingly, no one does, and although it's been a kind of known thing, no one has just come outright and said it. I'm surprised that I'm okay with it. I don't feel jealous or angry that they have feelings for her too. I know that relationships like ours are relatively common, but for some reason, I've always thought that it's a recipe for disaster and there has to be resentment and jealousy. In retrospect, it's probably because of the way my father treated his wives, including our mother.

As I look around at my family, which now includes Hades and Zev, I realise that none of those feelings are showing on any of their faces.

"I think maybe we should keep what we've just realised to ourselves for a while. Farren is skittish," Zev says, and we all realise at the same time that it's more than just a suggestion. "So, when we get her back, let's not tell her we all love her immediately."

No one has any problem agreeing with him, and I see the surprise flash in his eyes when we don't ask for details. I don't think he's going to get used to us not begging to know every little thing he sees any time soon.

"I don't love her," Khaos says with a slight smirk, his feet bouncing and his wings moving agitatedly behind him.

I feel like he always needs to be doing something, and this conversation is something that he is finding hard to reconcile with the Hades that he knew. He seems shocked as he looks at Hades, expecting him to deny it. Hades just smiles at him, which seems to confuse Khaos even more.

Zev's chuckle gains everyone's attention, and he smirks at Khaos, "Give it time, mate. Everyone gets enchanted by Farren."

This time, I have no idea whether he's saying that because he knows something or because it's simply the truth.

"Guys, we can figure it out later. I'm assuming that now Hades did whatever the fuck he did when he touched Khaos's forehead that he is caught up?" I ask. We've wasted so much time talking, and we need to find Farren.

"Yes," Hades replies. "So, what you need to know is that the princes have taken over the Underworld. They used to be my best advisors millennia ago, but they have been getting more and more power-hungry until they managed to find a spell strong enough to disguise and capture me. They drained my power regularly enough that it kept me weak, especially since they had already weakened me. They wanted access to my vault. I never gave it to them."

"Well, they sound like a bunch of giant dicks." Loki says very matter of fact.

"They're extremely powerful and power hungry, and Farren is in their hands. I can only assume that they've taken her to try and find me," Hades replies, fear and anger warring in his eyes.

"It's not your fault," Mayhem tells him. He then quickly switches gears, his voice dark and filled with promise; he adds, "I am going rip those princes limb from fucking limb."

"I like them," Khaos grins.

"I thought you might," Hades chuckles.

Zev's eyes flash white and then fill with surprise, "It's a good job that you like us." He then quickly changes the subject, "But back to Farren, how do we get her out?"