The Darkest Torment
Page 30

She needed a distraction. Like, now.
She stood, her legs even shakier, and pulled on the first oversize sweatshirt she found in the closet. I Would Die For Lucien was scripted over the center. Using a string she cut from a bow with a blade—there were weapons stored in an unlocked trunk at the foot of the bed—she anchored her hair in a ponytail.
Why hadn’t Baden hidden the trunk? Did he not fear her rage?
Whatever. She wandered through the massive home. No bedroom or sitting room was off-limits. There was an entertainment room fully stocked with all the latest technology. Antique furniture abounded. Portraits of muscled men wearing tiaras littered walls that were marred with cracks and fist-size holes.
At some point, she ran into Baden.
Keeping pace beside her, he said, “Aleksander is locked in the dungeon below. Pandora has done her best to steal him, but I’ve taken measures to stop her.” Satisfaction dripped from his voice. “Would you like to torture him?”
Yes, oh, yes. Would she actually do it? No. “Torturing another living being is something you and Alek enjoy. I have no desire to become a reflection of the men I despise.”
He flinched.
Different people stopped to speak with them and introductions were officially made, but she remained quiet, uncaring, and ultimately retreated to the solitude of the room.
Baden followed close at her heels. “Are you hungry? You need to eat. You’re—”
She climbed in bed and burrowed under the covers.
Over the next few days—weeks?—she developed a routine. She slept and, whenever her shattered heart pained her too greatly, roamed the fortress like a ghost. The residents soon became used to her presence and, for the most part, ignored her as thoroughly as she ignored them. If they even noticed her at all.
Once, she encountered a beautiful brunette with the saddest eyes she’d ever seen. The girl was young, perhaps even younger than Katarina. Some people called her Legion. Others called her Honey. Whatever her name, she kept her head bowed and her voice low, as if she feared being heard.
Poor thing. Katarina lost track of her, though, when she ran into Baden, who was in the middle of a conversation with Torin.
“She’s a liability,” Torin said. “She trains dogs for a living. And you know what that means, right? She relies on the canines to see to her defense.”
Baden rubbed the back of his neck.
She almost backtracked, determined to avoid him, but curiosity held her in place. How would he respond?
“The scars on her arms finally make sense. She’s been bitten. Repeatedly.” He paused for a moment, nodded. “If trouble comes, we’ll protect her like we protect the children.”
That galled. Not that she reprimanded him. His opinion mattered less now than it had the day they’d met.
“Trouble is coming,” Torin said. “From the info I’ve been able to gather, Lucifer is doing his best to take out Hades’s closest allies. So far, two realms in the underworld have been hit. It’s only a matter of time before the bastard comes after us.”
“Perhaps I’ll send him a message,” Keeley said as she strode into the room. “Mess with mine, lose yours.”
Torin chuckled as he wrapped his arms around the pink-haired beauty. “That’s my sweet girl.”
“No,” Baden said with a shake of his head. “No making out in front of the dead guy. I’m— Katarina? Do you need—”
She slipped away without a word.
A day—two? three?—later, she stumbled upon a conversation between a woman named Anya and the black-haired warrior named William.
“He shouldn’t have come back,” William said. “And he shouldn’t be digging into the history of the bands. We have to stop him before he finds out...you know.”
“Your secrets.” Anya rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. But it’s not like he’ll discover the truth. Hades ensured only lies are known about them, right?”
“A specialty of his. But you know as well as I that the truth is like the sun. It always finds a way to shine.”
“So what? If you try to stop Baden from digging, you’ll only pique his already piqued interest—and probably learn what it’s like to be split in two. Just leave him alone and let him stay here, okay. He hasn’t lost his temper more than twelve times.”
“A miracle, yes, but he’s only going to decline. Clearly he’s not laying pipe. If you know what I mean. Not playing hide the sausage. Not giving his new roommate a ride on the carnal—”
“Yeah, yeah. We both wish his girl’s favorite color of lipstick was penis,” Anya said with a shrug. “But it’s not, so we deal. The guys need him, and if they need him, he’ll fight to hell and back to ensure he’s here to help. You’re a man-boy so you’re as dumb as a box of rocks, which means you haven’t noticed he regrets leaving in the first place. And now, with the war between your daddy and Lucifer racing to level two...”
William sighed. “After Lucy’s defeat, I’m going to spank Hades for giving Baden those bands. Daddy Dearest should only be willing to die for me. I shouldn’t have competition for his affections.”
“Now you’re talking nonsense. Hades cares for no one but himself. Not even you.” Anya patted the top of his head. “You need rest. Why don’t you lie down and watch a movie with the lights off. And your eyes closed. And the TV off.”
Katarina padded off...and though she would never admit it, she searched for Baden this time. Where was he? What was he doing?
She had no luck finding him. In fact, he didn’t reappear until bedtime, and he was splattered with blood. After he showered, he made a pallet on the floor. All without speaking a word.
The next day, she overheard a conversation between Maddox, the warrior possessed by Violence, and Sabin, the warrior possessed by Doubt.
“How many points has he earned?” Sabin asked.
“As of this morning, eight. But Pandora has nine. Damn it!” Maddox punched a wall, which explained the many holes Katarina had found. “Hades has turned the Gentleman of Mount Olympus into a guilt-ridden assassin.”
“And that’s not even the worst of it. Baden says many of his points mark the death of a human possessed by—he still doesn’t know what. Hades called the creatures a gift. Monsters other monsters fear.”