find out. Wait until he got his hands on that little minx.
When Hades could speak without anger sharpening his words, he said, "I believe you've been misinformed. I told you that I would keep her for seven days to pay back my debt to you. My mind has not changed." His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, but at least his claws were gone. "You may come back and retrieve her at that point, if King Eros wishes."
"And what if he doesn't?" Linx asked. “What if he orders her to return to Earth?”
Hades ignored the questions because he wasn’t ready to confront the answers. He continued on as if Linx hadn’t spoken. "Until then, Taylor shall remain under my protection. Are we clear?"
Linx beamed. "Oh, I understand completely. The question is, do you?"
"Get out!" Hades bellowed.
The guard threw open the door and rushed inside, sword drawn.
Linx held up his hands, but his grin never wavered. "I was just leaving. Don't get your uniform in a twist," he said. "See you in a few days, Your Majesty." He bowed. Hades heard him chuckle on his way out the door.
The Dark King glared at Linx’s back until the cat was out of sight. Despite what he’d said to Linx, Taylor wasn't going anywhere until he deemed it so. Hades knew he was being unreasonable and abusing his power, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. "Bring me the Earth woman!"
“What if she’s not awake?” the guard asked.
“Then wake her! I want her brought to me immediately!”
"Right away, Sire!" The guard bowed and swept from the room.
***
Taylor stared at the communication device. From what she could tell, there hadn't been any messages left. Why hadn't Linx called her back? She'd expected to hear from him last night or at the very least first thing this morning. Did she somehow mess up the call? Maybe the device didn’t work.
What do you expect from something shaped like a rock?
Taylor had checked the device before she'd jumped in the shower, and checked it again when she got out. Nothing. No sound. No chirp. No message. Her towel was still wrapped snugly around her, when someone knocked on the door.
"One minute, I'll be right there." Maybe Linx hadn't bothered to call back. Maybe he just came instead.
She rushed to her closet, but before she reached it a guard she didn't recognize pushed the door open and entered her room. Taylor screamed and grasped her towel.
The guard flustered and looked around. When he spotted no enemy, he said, "You need to come with me." His gaze caressed the bare skin sticking out beneath her short towel, but his grim expression never changed.
"Let me get dressed first," she said.
He shook his head. "No! Now!" He grabbed her arm and led her out the door.
Taylor barely caught her towel before it hit the floor. "Where are we going that is so important that I couldn't get dressed first?"
The guard glanced at her, but didn't slow his pace. "The King demands your presence."
Taylor's heart jumped in panic. After his performance at the Pit and the daydream she'd had last night in her bathtub, the last thing she wanted was to face the Dark King.
"Then I definitely need to get dressed first." No way was she facing Hades wearing nothing but a towel.
Taylor dug in her heels, but the guard didn’t seem to notice. She might as well have been trying to stop a rhino with a butterfly net. The guard was on a mission and her wants and needs were not part of his vocabulary.
They stopped in front of a massive set of double doors. The guard raised his fist and knocked.
"Enter!" a booming voice called out.
The guard pushed the doors open and shoved Taylor inside. She turned to follow him back out, but he closed the doors in her face. "This is ridiculous! If you need someone to watch you screw your girlfriend again, pick someone else."
"Why in the Goddess did you contact Linx?" Hades bellowed, trampling her words.
Had Linx called Hades first? Why would he do that?
Taylor swung around to answer the King, only to discover
When Hades could speak without anger sharpening his words, he said, "I believe you've been misinformed. I told you that I would keep her for seven days to pay back my debt to you. My mind has not changed." His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists, but at least his claws were gone. "You may come back and retrieve her at that point, if King Eros wishes."
"And what if he doesn't?" Linx asked. “What if he orders her to return to Earth?”
Hades ignored the questions because he wasn’t ready to confront the answers. He continued on as if Linx hadn’t spoken. "Until then, Taylor shall remain under my protection. Are we clear?"
Linx beamed. "Oh, I understand completely. The question is, do you?"
"Get out!" Hades bellowed.
The guard threw open the door and rushed inside, sword drawn.
Linx held up his hands, but his grin never wavered. "I was just leaving. Don't get your uniform in a twist," he said. "See you in a few days, Your Majesty." He bowed. Hades heard him chuckle on his way out the door.
The Dark King glared at Linx’s back until the cat was out of sight. Despite what he’d said to Linx, Taylor wasn't going anywhere until he deemed it so. Hades knew he was being unreasonable and abusing his power, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. "Bring me the Earth woman!"
“What if she’s not awake?” the guard asked.
“Then wake her! I want her brought to me immediately!”
"Right away, Sire!" The guard bowed and swept from the room.
***
Taylor stared at the communication device. From what she could tell, there hadn't been any messages left. Why hadn't Linx called her back? She'd expected to hear from him last night or at the very least first thing this morning. Did she somehow mess up the call? Maybe the device didn’t work.
What do you expect from something shaped like a rock?
Taylor had checked the device before she'd jumped in the shower, and checked it again when she got out. Nothing. No sound. No chirp. No message. Her towel was still wrapped snugly around her, when someone knocked on the door.
"One minute, I'll be right there." Maybe Linx hadn't bothered to call back. Maybe he just came instead.
She rushed to her closet, but before she reached it a guard she didn't recognize pushed the door open and entered her room. Taylor screamed and grasped her towel.
The guard flustered and looked around. When he spotted no enemy, he said, "You need to come with me." His gaze caressed the bare skin sticking out beneath her short towel, but his grim expression never changed.
"Let me get dressed first," she said.
He shook his head. "No! Now!" He grabbed her arm and led her out the door.
Taylor barely caught her towel before it hit the floor. "Where are we going that is so important that I couldn't get dressed first?"
The guard glanced at her, but didn't slow his pace. "The King demands your presence."
Taylor's heart jumped in panic. After his performance at the Pit and the daydream she'd had last night in her bathtub, the last thing she wanted was to face the Dark King.
"Then I definitely need to get dressed first." No way was she facing Hades wearing nothing but a towel.
Taylor dug in her heels, but the guard didn’t seem to notice. She might as well have been trying to stop a rhino with a butterfly net. The guard was on a mission and her wants and needs were not part of his vocabulary.
They stopped in front of a massive set of double doors. The guard raised his fist and knocked.
"Enter!" a booming voice called out.
The guard pushed the doors open and shoved Taylor inside. She turned to follow him back out, but he closed the doors in her face. "This is ridiculous! If you need someone to watch you screw your girlfriend again, pick someone else."
"Why in the Goddess did you contact Linx?" Hades bellowed, trampling her words.
Had Linx called Hades first? Why would he do that?
Taylor swung around to answer the King, only to discover
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