Pride of the Lion

Epilogue

Leander pulled Araminta down onto his lap and smiled. He couldn’t believe he was sitting in the living room of Roric’s mate with Marko and his woman beside him. Araminta had put her life on hold, packed up the car with their luggage and Percy and headed across the country. Thankfully, her neighbor, Mary Jo, had agreed to watch the house while they were away. Mary Jo had taken one look at him the first time they’d met and given Araminta a strange hand-smacking gesture, which Araminta had later explained was called a high five. Araminta’s friend approved of him and their relationship.

It had taken them three days to get here, but neither of them had minded the long hours in the car. It gave them time to talk and to share more about their pasts. He and Araminta had arrived in North Carolina yesterday and he was pleased that all three women had become fast friends.

None of the women knew exactly what being immortal meant. They could not conjure weapons and clothing as the men could. Nor did they have enhanced strength to help them fight. But they would live forever. The only thing that would kill them was beheading. There was no way back from that. But Leander didn’t know if Araminta’s body would heal as quickly as his would. He thought it would, considering how quickly her wounds had healed, but it wasn’t something he was willing to test. It was a constant concern. He hated to have her out of his sight.

“What will we do next?” It was Marko who asked. He and his mate, Kellsie, had flown out from California to be here with them. Kellsie sat on the arm of his chair, playing with the bear’s long hair.

“I’ve got a theory.” Araminta sat forward, but Leander kept his arms looped around her, making sure she stayed put.

“What?” Aimee asked.

The two women had bonded over the stories they were writing. Aimee was creating her graphic novel and Araminta’s second book was about to be released. She might no longer have an agent, but the publisher still wanted the rest of the series. She’d been working day and night on the third book in the series and hoped to have it finished within weeks. Both women had had dreams about Hades and the curse and had spent hours comparing notes. Their stories were similar, but there were enough differences to keep them guessing as to what was truth and what was fiction.

When Hades had been trying to bargain with them, he’d said that if they attacked him then he was no longer bound by his word not to harm them. Leander and Araminta had talked about it and both agreed they thought the god was lying. After all, Hades had agreed to leave them alone if they broke the curse. They, on the other hand, weren’t bound by any such an agreement. All they’d had to do was break the curse and reap the reward—freedom and a guarantee that Hades could not harm them in any way. And that guarantee of protection included the women who’d freed them as well.

Leander wondered if this was Hades’ way of trying to keep them out of the coming fight in order to protect their mates. Definitely something he needed to think on some more and discuss with his fellow warriors when the time was right, but not tonight. Tonight was about renewing bonds of friendship and making new ones.

“In the first book I wrote, there was only you and Roric.” Araminta waited until everyone nodded and then continued. Leander wondered where she was going with her line of thought. If he’d learned anything in their short time together it was to not underestimate his mate’s intelligence.

“But near the end of the book, I wrote about you mentioning your favorite movie actress. One who just happened to be in horror movies. The name was fictitious, but I was wondering if it happened in real life.”

Aimee nodded. “I’m a huge horror movie fan and have got Roric hooked on them.”

The tiger smiled at his mate. “I still do not understand why the people in these movies do not fight back.” He turned to Leander. “They have no instinct for strategy, but the popcorn is good.”

Kellsie laughed. “It’s supposed to be fake, Roric. Sometimes I live and sometimes I die. It’s the nature of the movie business.”

“So you mentioned Kellsie by name?” she asked Aimee.

“Yes, I did,” Aimee confirmed.

Kellsie’s laughter died. “I think I see where you’re going with this.”

Araminta inclined her head. “Did you read one of my books or mention me to Marko?”

“I was reading the first book in the series, the one about the tiger, on the movie set where I met Marko and freed him.” Kellsie glanced at her mate. “You know what this means?”

“That Araminta has already met the woman who will play a part in the final chapter of this tale.” Marko’s dark-brown eyes studied Araminta, and Leander fought the urge to growl at his friend. He did glare at him though, but the bear did not look away.

“I’ve thought about this a lot. It was a long drive here.” She sighed and Leander wished he could do something to help her figure things out, but she had an agile mind and he knew it wouldn’t take her long. “I know I must have met the woman who will free Arand. I just don’t know who she is.”

“Have you met anyone new lately?” Roric asked. He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs.

“That’s the problem. I’ve met too many new people. Luna Starquest’s readers’ weekend was filled with new people.” Araminta shivered and Leander pulled her tighter against his chest. He knew she was remembering how close they’d both been to losing their lives.

“Maybe if you made a list it might help?” Aimee suggested. “Keep it to people who really made an impact on you. It would have to be someone memorable.”

“Was there anyone there you’d been wanting to meet?” Kellsie asked.

“Only Luna.” Araminta rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “And that didn’t work out quite as I’d planned.” Everyone went silent. They’d all shared their harrowing battles and narrow escapes with Hades the night before.

“Think,” Roric prompted. “If what you say is true, then it had to have been someone you wanted to meet. Someone you were drawn to.”

Araminta stared at the people sitting around the room and wondered how in the world she’d gotten here—six people, all immortal, all bound together by a war and a curse that began about five thousand years ago.

But it wasn’t over yet, and that was what was driving all of them. Both Kellsie and Aimee were watching her and she could feel their silent encouragement. It was great to know two other women who were going through the same thing she was. It gave them plenty to talk about, although their talking time had mostly been limited to all six of them in the same room. Their men were just as possessive of them as hers was of her.

It should have annoyed her. After all, she was a modern, independent woman. But she kind of liked it, especially after the ordeal they’d been through.

Roric, his long black-and-white-streaked hair falling around his shoulders, was staring at her expectantly. And Marko was watching her with his intense brown eyes. Both men were tall and strong and handsome. It was strange to see the heroes from her books come to life. There were differences, but there were enough similarities to leave her feeling like she’d walked into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

Leander tightened his arms around her and she leaned into him, loving the way he snuggled her in front of his friends. He was big and macho and deadly, but he had no problem with public displays of affection.

Araminta brought her wayward thoughts back to the problem at hand. Who had she met at the conference? The list was long. Was there anyone who’d made an impression on her? When she thought of it like that, it was obvious. “The fortuneteller.”

“What?” Leander shifted her in his arms so she could see his face. “What fortuneteller?”

“It was after the book signing. Luna was still seeing fans, but there were a bunch of tarot readers and fortunetellers set up in another room for entertainment. I was tinkering with the idea of making the heroine in the final book of the series a tarot reader so I went for a reading. I wanted to see how she approached it so it would be more realistic in the story.”

“Do you remember her name? Where she was from? Anything?” Aimee was the one who asked.

Araminta struggled to remember the woman’s name, replaying the exchange in her head. “Wait.” She struggled out of Leander’s arms. “Let me up.”

He stood and deposited her on her feet. “What is it?”

“I’ll be right back.” She left them all in the living room staring after her and ran upstairs to the guest room they were using. Her purse was sitting on the chair in the corner. Percy grumbled at her as she grabbed her bag and hurried back out, but he didn’t follow her. He was content to lie on the bed and bask in a sunbeam coming in from the window.

“It’s in here somewhere.” Araminta dropped the bag on the coffee table and began to dig through it.

“What are you looking for?” Leander hovered over her, ready to be of assistance.

She looked up at him and smiled. “She gave me her card.” When he looked perplexed, she added, “Her business card, with her name and address on it.”

“That’s got to be it,” Kellsie proclaimed.

Araminta dragged out her wallet and searched through receipts. She really had to clean out her purse. It wasn’t here. The men were getting restless and anticipation filled the air. Where had she put the card?

She’d tucked it in the side pocket for safekeeping. “Here it is.” She pulled out the vellum card. “Sabrina Wolfe. That’s her name.”

“Where does she live?” Roric demanded.

“New Orleans.” She glanced at the others. “I guess that means we’re going to Louisiana.”

Hades looked away from the mirror and the cozy scene faded away. He hated those immortal warriors, but he hated the women even more. How dare those human women foil his plans? Not so human now though. They were all tinged with immortality that would only grow and strengthen as time went on.

Leander hadn’t died after all. How…disappointing. Hades wanted to kill someone. Anyone.

He stood and turned to the demon guarding his chamber door. Raising his hand, he released a yell of frustration and sent a bolt of lightning winging toward the unfortunate creature. It screeched and caught fire, burning to a crisp in seconds. It was poor compensation for Hades considering what he really wanted to do.

But retaliation against the warriors and their women was impossible. He’d agreed to the terms of the Lady of the Beasts when they’d struck their bargain and now he was stuck. If he or any of his minions attacked any of the freed warriors or their women, it would rebound worse on him, killing him. Something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

His blood boiled. It was rare anyone got the better of him in a bargain, and when it did happen it left him brooding for centuries. He couldn’t afford to be distracted right now. There were too many plans to make.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Mordecai walked into the room. The serpent raised one eyebrow in question as he stepped over the remains of the guard demon. “Trouble?”

Hades waved his hand. “It’s nothing.” He motioned to the mirror. “You did not kill the lion.”

Mordecai looked supremely unconcerned. Hades wanted to shake the warrior’s confidence. He was too sure of himself. “You failed,” Hades pointed out.

“No, I didn’t. I thought you wanted him alive to try to convince him to join you. He couldn’t do that if he was dead. The woman was disposable, the warrior was not.” Mordecai leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “It was the Lady manipulating the time continuum that messed things up.”

The warrior had a point, even though Hades would not admit it. “They know about the woman in New Orleans.”

“It doesn’t matter. All the pieces are in place, ready when you are, my lord.” The warrior added the two final words at the end as an afterthought. Hades gritted his molars together. Once this battle was won, he’d make the insolent warrior pay.

“What about the Lady?” Mordecai asked.

Hades waved his hand in the air and the black glass in the mirror changed, the scene growing lighter. The Lady of the Beasts appeared. She was seated beneath a large redwood tree, peering up at the sky. “She doesn’t appear to be too concerned about her remaining warriors, does she?” Hades watched Mordecai and was disappointed when the warrior seemed impervious to his barb. “The goddess is of no import. I will waste no more time on her. The end is at hand.”

Mordecai smiled, and it gave Hades pause. It was too much like the smiles he saw when he gazed at his own reflection. “Then all is as planned.”

Hades mentally called several of his fiercest demons to him, suddenly not wanting to be alone with the warrior. Which was ridiculous. Hades was a god, Mordecai an immortal warrior—strong, yes, but nothing when compared to the strength of a god.

“Yes. All is as planned. Let’s go.” Hades strode from the room. Mordecai glanced at the mirror in the corner and then followed.