Chapter 43

Cole

Beau Chêne, Mandeville, Louisiana

T hey were pulling apart when something tapped on the car. When they finally zeroed in on the noise, there was Hayden rapping on the driver’s side window, grinning like a dumbass.

“You guys gonna come in or are we going to have to do this little reunion in your car?” he mocked through the glass.

Cole grunted. “You sure you don’t want to leave? Deal with these morons another day or, y'know, never?”

“Too late to escape now, love. Unless you want to run over your best friend.” A grumpy look took over her face. “Which, I’ll be honest, I could be okay with. I’m still angry that he thought you would lie to get me into bed. Actually, come to think of it, let’s run him over.”

“You know he’s immortal, right? He'll recover just fine.”

“Oh, then that’s handy.”

His jaw dropped in amusement at his bloodthirsty little witch, perfectly willing to maim his best friend, simply because Hayden had the audacity to make sure Cole wasn’t a lying asshole. “You’re sexy when you’re protective.” He reached over again and kissed her hard, quickly. “But let’s get this over with.”

Once he was out of the car, Cole scowled at Hayden, who was grinning widely at him. “You dick. Way to ruin a moment. You’re lucky I didn’t let Evie convince me to run you over.” Hayden’s eyebrows drew together over his nose, but Cole pretended not to notice. Lowering his voice, he added, “In all seriousness, though, I need you to help me manage these fuckers. Evie’s nervous, and I will gut anyone who makes her feel even a little uncomfortable, family or not. So I need your help running interference.”

“I got you.” Hayden gave him a quick once over before Evie could round the car to them. “I never thought I would see you like this. Love is a good look for you, man.”

Evie rounded the car, and Cole took her hand, bringing it to his lips. As a unit, the three of them turned toward the house where half of the family was surreptitiously watching them through the expansive windows lining the front of the house.

As they walked up the stairs leading to the house, the curtains were drawn shut with startling speed. The three of them snorted simultaneously. “So subtle,” Evie commented wryly. “Wonder what they thought we were gonna do in the middle of the driveway?”

Hayden opened his mouth, a lascivious smile crossing his face, but Cole cut him off. “Man, don’t you dare say a threesome or, I swear, the cops will never find all your body parts.”

“On advice of counsel, I have no comment,” Hayden said instead.

They reached the front door, which opened to reveal Charles. Barely 15 years older than Cole himself, Charles wore his 51-year-old silver fox status with pride. “Come in, you three.” He ushered them in, clapping Cole on the shoulder before he looked down at Evie. “Welcome to my home, Evangeline,” he said, shaking her hand, his eyes warm on her face.

“It’s, um, it’s actually just Evie,” she corrected with an uncertain laugh. Cole, noticing her uncertainty, wrapped her into his chest, a gesture Charles noticed immediately. Neither of them cared, though, since Evie melted back into him, their joined hands sitting over her rapidly beating heart.

“Yes, of course.” Charles turned his attention to the man standing behind them. "Good afternoon, Hayden." His eyes dipped to the mint plant in Hayden's hands, his eyebrows rising in confusion.

"Hey, Charlie," Hayden greeted their host, brandishing the mint plant in front of him. "I have something for you."

"Oh? And to what do I owe this… " Charles' took the mint plant tentatively. "… pleasure?"

"It was my fault," Evie blurted before Hayden could respond. "I may have—well, I definitely did—have turned someone into a plant."

"Hmm." Charles turned the plant in his hands. "And did you have a reason for this drive-by planting?"

Hayden responded before Evie could. "It was Minthe."

Charles blinked. "I thought she was dead."

"Yeah, me too, but apparently not so much." Hayden shrugged. "She's been posing as our receptionist for the last few years and tried to get a little handsy with Cole today. And, thus, the plant."

"Ah, thus the plant." Charles repeated.

As Charles looked lost on what to do with the mint he was holding, a woman in her mid-thirties swept into the room. "Cole, cher ," she cried out, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You're home!"

"Hey, Magda," he greeted his uncle's housekeeper, a woman he had long suspected of holding a torch for Charles. "This is Evie."

"Of course you are, darlin'." Magda's smile grew wider as she drew Evie into a warm hug. "It's so nice to meet you." Beside them, Charles shifted and Magda's eyes darted over to him, gaze catching on the mint plant he held. "Umm, what's that?"

"Our former receptionist," Cole answered dryly.

"Oh, if that's all, then." Magda released Evie and seized the herb out of his uncle's hands. "I've been needing some mint, so I'll just take this into the kitchen with me." The plant leaves trembled, but she ignored the movement. "I have to head back in to start gettin' dinner ready anyways. Charles, why don't you take your family into the livin' room? You've kept them in the entryway for far too long," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked away.

At the admonishment, Charles jumped to attention and led them from the foyer past the sweeping staircase into the living room.

“Relax, Angel,” Cole whispered into Evie’s ear as they followed Charles. “The only time your heart should be beating this fast is when I’m inside you.” Her strangled chuckle was music to his ears. He drew a thumb down her neck, sneakily checking her pulse, which was already calming as he held her. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Remember. These are our people, and we can leave whenever we fucking want.”

She nodded and squared her shoulders, walking into the room like the queen she was.

When they entered the spacious living room, Cole ground his teeth to see eleven people already seated on the plush furniture. The Aidoneus family had spent generations finding gods who had achieved immortality during the Shade Wars and whose powers were beneficial to or could be associated with the Underworld, all in preparation for the reincarnation of Hades and Persephone. Of course, these people weren’t easy to find and not only because they didn't want to be found. Many of them had taken on mortal-sounding names to blend in with the humans. However, over millennia of intense searching with a lot of help from the Moirai and some luck, the Aidoneus’ had built an odd, jumbled extended family of extremely powerful immortal deities. There were, of course, exceptions like Cole and, now, Evie, but the two of them would achieve their immortality once they stepped foot in the Underworld and took their place as its rulers. At least that was what the Moirai had said when a young Cole had asked why he could become immortal without collecting all of the missing shades like Aidoneus and Kore would have had to do. Since prophecies made very little sense to start with, he took their word at face value.

All in all, they gathered around twenty immortals over the years, all prepared to swear fealty to the Underworld's rulers once they reincarnated and take their role in the Pantheon. And it looked like Charles had invited the vast majority of that twenty. With each introduction of both the god's name and their power, Cole grew more irritated.

Hayden was, of course, the god of sleep (and dreaming, if they were being technical). There were the three Moirai, the goddesses of fate: Addy, the eldest sister responsible for the threads of life, Essi, the middle sister who apportioned designated lots of life, and Cleo, the youngest who cut life short. Charles himself was a powerful warlock. Seated among the members he saw most regularly, though, were others with whom he was far less familiar. Cate, the goddess of magic and witchcraft. Alex, Meg, and Isabel, the Furies. Ash, the god of pain, and his demon wife, Orphne. Phoebe, the goddess of nightmares. Aria, the goddess of curses. And a dark-haired young woman he didn’t recognize that Charles introduced as Nyx.

Cole turned to Hayden. “Who the fuck is that?”

Hayden stage whispered back, “Y’know, Nyx, our law clerk that you made cry?”

Cole squinted in confusion. They had hired her? He didn’t even recognize her. “Why is she here?”

Charles interrupted the less-than-subtle exchange with a pointed look. “Nyx is the goddess of night.”

Cole glanced at Hayden with a look that said more clearly than words, then why the fuck is she clerking for us? Hayden simply shrugged in response while Charles continued speaking, ignoring them both, as he had since Cole was a child and first latched on to the much older Hayden as a much-needed best friend. “Cole is my nephew, the reincarnate of the great Hades himself. As I understand it, he has brought a guest with him. Cole? Would you do us the honor of introducing your friend?”

His flesh prickling in frustration at his uncle’s formality, Cole stepped forward, bringing Evie with him. Charles already knew who Evie was. It was absurd to put her through this dog-and-pony show before she had the chance to get to know his close family.

Although Evie’s eyes were wide as saucers, that was her only sign of nerves; her shoulders were drawn back, her chin set at a pointed angle. His Angel looked every inch the queen she was. His queen. “Everyone, this is Evie Dyeus.” Murmurs filled the room as many of them recognized her last name. Like Hayden, most of them had closely followed her father’s sensationalized murder trial. “She is the reincarnation of Persephone.” He glared daggers at his uncle—this could have, should have, waited until she was more comfortable—as he announced, “And my beloved queen.”

The room erupted. Some cheers, some surprised profanity, some shouted questions. Evie drew into his side, somehow making it look like a coordinated gesture of love rather than the seeking of comfort that it actually was. “Just ignore them, Angel,” he murmured into her ear. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. “They’ll probably settle down soon.”

“I know,” she whispered back, face tilted up to his. “I’m okay, I promise. I just… I wasn’t expecting quite so many people. This is your family, Cole. It kind of matters to me whether I make a good impression.”

Even though the room was still chaotic, with everyone shouting over everyone, Cole leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “After my parents died, these people became my family, yeah. But you’re my family now, Angel. And it matters more to me that they treat you well than that you make a good impression on them.”

Her eyes went glassy just as Cate walked up to them. Looking over Evie’s head, Cole greeted the goddess while Evie collected herself. “Hi, Cate.”

“Good afternoon, Cole,” she greeted him warmly then looked down at Evie, still wrapped in his arms. “Evie, it is lovely to meet one of my kin.”

“One of your—” Evie wrinkled her nose, a clear sign she was shuffling through the overabundance of information Charles had shared. “The goddess of… ”

“Witches, my dear,” Cate finished. “Among other things. You might know me as Hecate.”

“Hecate?” Evie yelped. “Holy mother of witches, it’s you! I thought you were a myth.”

“All myths have a basis in fact.” Cate smiled. “You are a witch, yes?”

“Yes, I am.” Evie stepped towards the woman, only for Cole to drag her back into his side. She could talk to whomever she wanted, but he needed to keep touching her. His possessive gesture didn’t phase her. In fact, she seemed to barely notice it. “How did you know I'm a witch?

Cate’s answer was drowned out by Nyx, who had sidled closer to them, shouting, “You’re a witch ?”