“How are you here?” she asked. “What happened? Is Hades asleep again?”
“No,” I said, pulling back. “He’s not. I proved my humanity, and he sent me back with Zotera.”
I looked at Zotera and motioned for her to come inside too.
“Hello, Megan,” she said with an uncertain smile.
“Why did he send you here too?” Megan asked.
“Megan,” I said in a clearly scolding tone.
She shot me a sheepish look. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Zotera, you’re welcome here. I’m just trying to get caught up.”
“Father wanted me to have a chance to explore the human world,” Zotera said, drawing Megan’s attention again.
The look I gave Megan warned her that was enough explanation for now.
“I’m really glad you’re back,” Megan said, wisely not pressing further. “I’m sorry I had to leave you there.”
“It’s okay. I understand why.”
Oanen walked into the kitchen. He wore a pair of sweatpants that hung low on his hips and nothing else. I’d seen him like that countless times and had, at one time, thought him very attractive. Now though, I only saw how he wasn’t Hades. He lacked the extra broadness in the shoulders and a few more inches of height. And the golden glow. The sexy smirk. The dark hair and the intensely focused gaze.
The floor under my feet gave the slightest rumble before quieting, and I realized Oanen and I were staring at each other.
“Sorry for the intrusion,” I said.
“It’s okay. I heard we had company,” he said. “I didn’t expect to see you, though, Ashlyn. Welcome home.”
“Thanks.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“Hold on,” Megan said. “Before you explain, let me get Eliana on the phone. She’s going to want to hear this too.”
Eliana picked up on the second ring, sounding breathless.
“Is this a bad time?” Megan asked with a smirk.
“No. Not at all,” Eliana said at the same time Fenris, a werewolf I knew, said, “Yes!” in the background.
Megan chuckled and looked at me.
“Sorry, Fenris, but Eliana is going to want to hear this. Ashlyn’s back.”
“What?” Eliana said. “Are you serious?”
“Yep. She’s standing right here.”
“Hi, Eliana,” I said.
She started to sniffle, and I heard Fenris murmur something in soothing tones.
When the druids had accidentally sent me to Hell, Megan had been in New York with Oanen, and Eliana had been trying to get rid of her mother. Eliana, a young succubus struggling to embrace feeding as her kind fed, had still been very single. Obviously, a lot had changed in the weeks I’d been gone.
“I’m so sorry,” Eliana sobbed. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“You didn’t. I know it wasn’t your fault. The druids were amateurs. Obviously. And Megan already said they’ve been mind-wiped, so they won’t ever be able to use that spell again. It’s okay. I promise.”
