Probably not. The only person who could lift his spirits was an entire world away, probably fucking his uncle right this very minute.
His mood slid deeper into darkness. He clenched his jaw and drummed his fingers along the stone surface of his desk. The tracking device in Cynna’s arm had been a diversion, so that she and Nick would think that was how he was monitoring their escape. But he didn’t need it to know where she was or what she was feeling. Thanks to his blood, which now circulated in her veins, he was privy to her emotions. And those emotions—those disgusting, abhorrent emotions—were currently fucking with his plans.
His sweet Cynna felt strongly for Nick. Yet instead of being overjoyed by that feeling, she was currently brimming with anger, something that infuriated Zagreus beyond reason. Until he felt the burst of joy and excitement he knew came only from that useless emotion Argoleans and humans called love, he couldn’t tell if his uncle had truly fallen for her yet.
He loathed the fact that he needed that to happen, but breaking the son of a bitch emotionally was the only way he was going to harness Nick’s powers once and for all. Still…the thought of Cynna fucking the bastard, of her enjoying it, of knowing that she was falling in love with the asshole made Zagreus see nothing but blinding red.
“Did you think you could double-cross me and I would not find out?”
Startled out of his rage by the sound of the menacing voice, Zagreus jolted and glanced to his left, where Hades sat in a chair in the dark corner of the room, his black-as-sin eyes like daggers boring into his son.
Fuuuuck. Play it cool.
Zagreus glared right back at dear old Dad. “You’ve got nothing better to do than bother me? Things must be slow in the Underworld.”
“Don’t play coy with me, son. Where is your female? The one you so like to fuck in this deplorable lair you call home?”
Zagreus’s blood heated, but he forced himself not to react. “Around.”
Hades pushed out of his chair, his gaze never once wavering from Zagreus’s face. “Your female is in Argolea with my prize.”
A bead of apprehension slid down Zagreus’s spine. “Why would you ever think that?”
“Because I have spies within the Argolean Council who keep me abreast of what’s happening in their realm, and the two were recently spotted there together.” He slammed his hands on Zagreus’s desk, making Zagreus inch back from his father’s rolling, heated fury. “There’s no way they could have escaped from your control unless you let them go. The demigod’s powers may continue to grow, but he’s not as strong as you. Not yet. Not unless he breaks. And something tells me if you released your bitch with him, it means you’re about to claim something that does not belong to you.”
Zagreus’s pulse pounded hard as he stared up into Hades’s enraged face. As a god, Zagreus was immortal. His father couldn’t kill him even if he wanted to. He couldn’t even strip him of his powers. But he could destroy everything Zagreus had built, and he knew where Cynna was located. In retaliation for what he considered betrayal, Hades wouldn’t hesitate to take the only thing Zagreus really cared about.
“I’m not waiting to claim anything,” Zagreus lied. “This is all part of my plan. He cares for the female. Physical pain didn’t break him. Sexual pain didn’t seem to faze him. Emotional pain is the only thing that will work. The female is on our side. In fact,” he went on, extending the lie, “this was all her idea. As soon as the demigod falls in love with her, she’ll alert me. My presence will signal the ultimate betrayal. And that will be enough to finally break him the way we want.”
Hades eased back, his eyes full of distrust. But Zagreus knew the god wanted Nick more than he wanted anything else. And this explanation—even if not completely true—made perfect sense. He breathed a little easier. Yeah, he might just have lost Nick’s powers for himself, but if he played his cards right, he could keep his lair and Cynna too.
Rage covered Hades’s features, and he slammed his foot into the floor. A massive earthquake shook the tunnels, knocking over the stone desk, dropping pictures from the walls, making rocks crumble from the ceiling and crash against the ground.
Zagreus lurched back from being pummeled by falling stones. When the shaking finally subsided, Hades’s booming voice roared through the cavern.
“I will not be fucked with. I warned you what would happen if you double-crossed me.”
“I’m not double-crossing you,” Zagreus lied, pushing to his feet. “He’s going to break.”
Hades stalked forward, forcing Zagreus to scramble back until his spine hit the wall. The god-king of the Underworld glared into his son’s eyes.
“You’re right, he will. But you, my lecherous son, will never claim him. And when he finally breaks, Krónos’s powers will transfer to me. I want him back. Now. If you ever want to see your precious bitch again, you’ll do exactly as I say. Gather your satyr army and be ready to march at midnight.”