Free The Devil You Need by Sam Cheever Page B

partner but Emo just
returned it with a stoic expression. I knew that look. He was dug in. Nobody
would be altering his decision. Whatever that was. I smiled when he turned my
way.
    Myra touched my father’s hand as if to say let it be then answered my question. “If Dialle is in Hades that would be very bad. We
need to get him out of there. As quickly as possible. He’ll not only lose his
soul if he stays, he’ll most likely die. He’s not built for that kind of
darkness anymore. Not after walking in the light for three years.” Her clear
blue gaze held mine, carefully devoid of accusation. But she didn’t need to say
or even think the words. They were in my mind anyway.
    What she meant was, after two years of being tied to me. And
now he was set adrift, an empty vessel with a hole in him the same size as the
one I harbored inside me. By taking himself to Hades he’d made sure only one
thing could fill that void.
    Black, oily evil.
    I shuddered. Every minute he spent there would take him
further away from the man I knew and loved. Further from the hope of a future
together. “We’ll leave as soon as I’ve recharged my power.”
    Darma stepped forward, touching my arm. “Astra, you don’t
have any powers. And we don’t even know if he’s there.”
    I glanced at my aunt. No one had told Darma about my
temporary fix. “ You’ll be my power, Darma.” My sister looked at me as if
I was mad. “Think of me as a battery you need to keep charged. I’ll explain
while Myra gives me what I need to get started. And as for Dialle’s location, I
know he’s there—in my heart—but even if he’s not, we have to check that off the
list of possibilities first because it’s the most dire one. He’s in the
greatest danger in Hades. So that’s where we’ll start our search.”
    Gerch nodded. “I’ll return to the court and retrieve as many
of my men as I can gather.”
    “Thanks, Gerch.” I touched his arm. “It means a lot to
me…and Dialle…that you stood by him despite everything.”
    Gerch stared at me for a long moment, his craggy mouth
thinning slightly. He looked as if he wanted to say something but he didn’t. He
finally just nodded and stepped back.
    Slayer’s voice pulled my thoughts away from Gerch. “Do you
want me to go to Olympus and get dragons?”
    I thought about this for a minute. It might come in handy to
have them, but it would also make passage into the Hell dimensions more
time-consuming. “I don’t think—”
    A horrendous crash sounded in the main part of the office
and, in the blink of an eye, everyone in my office was in battle mode.
    Brina and Slayer clutched their swords at the ready, Darma
had a ball of energy fizzing in each pale palm, and my father and Myra were
exponentially larger, their combined glow of power pulsing against my skin.
    Gerch was already running for the door, his own sword
clutched in his fist. I grabbed my knives and took off after him.
    I stopped in the doorway and gave the place a quick scan. I
didn’t see anybody in the main part of the office, but it appeared to be
raining in the center. Below where the skylight used to be.
    The window was currently lying in a shattered pile on the
floor.
    Sorry, mother Tweener. My bad.
    I rolled my eyes and turned to the assembly still behind me
in my office. “Stand down, everybody. It’s just Glynus.” Walking toward the
watery mess in the center of the office greeting area, I craned my head to look
up. A huge, elegant snout filled the space. Glynus’ head was tilted so she
could fix a bright-turquoise eye on me.
    Why is part of the ceiling lying on the floor, Tadpole?
    I was just trying to see inside but I might have
accidently stepped on it.
    She didn’t mean to do it, dragon fighter.
    I smiled. Glynus’ new mate was with her. Hello, Spence.
    Greetings, dragon fighter.
    I shook my head. I’d told the young dragon to call me Astra
repeatedly but he insisted on the formal title. Why are you two here?
    I came