The Trouble with Hades

Chapter 22

I entered the gate quicker than I had yesterday, earning a nod from Mother. Her silent approval meant a lot, considering it had been so different not that long ago.

Carsten was ahead of us, talking to Mother as we walked towards the doors to the portal. Slowing down, I pulled on Anzide's hand. He turned and tilted his head with a curious look.

"Why do we need to have houses in the portal?"

"They are there if we need to leave Earth, like when they're fighting. If something happens and we're the only ones left standing in an area that is home to the losing side, we're going to be in trouble. They made a rule that if we're living in an area that is experiencing unrest, we either have to move to another country or return to the portal. Technically, though, we're supposed to live here and visit there. You're one of only a few who have a connection to the land-based immortals."

"So, now that the blood war has begun?"

"In theory, we should return, but it has been discussed and noted that for the war to end, you must be present for it. Otherwise, the land will enter into a void, and it becomes extremely taxing upon any Eternal in the area."

"But you were in Hades during the void."

"Yes, and how often did you really see me?"

I shrugged, remembering how we thought that Brad had upset Anzide by highlighting the truth, and he left because of it. Now, though, I wasn't sure if it was the case.

"How do you think James coped?"

"From my understanding, not very well. You heard what he said. He was missing out on all those souls. James has taken on a reaper role. It's not like the human vision of the grim reaper but more like a collector. The duty of a demon reaper is to collect the souls of the dead, consume them, and take them to the beyond. To ensure that they do a proper job, a demon reaper is altered to feel a sense of fullness when they consume the souls. Most demons say that they feel hungry but that's just them being dramatic. With Hannah taking all the souls, James was left with virtually nothing. It was not her duty. James had been assigned Hades. She could have been in a lot of trouble if James decided to create waves."

"Do you think it's why she left without saying anything to Drakkus?"

"Undoubtedly."

Mother turned off to another path, leaving Carsten waiting for us at the junction. He smiled and gestured to the doors to the portal that were opening for us.

"Today, we're actually going up the stairs. To the left is the sparring room and to the right is the training room."

We entered the portal, and I checked in at the mailroom. There was no mail waiting for me, and I made Anzide check for himself too. I didn't know what to think or feel. Was no news good news? Did I really care?

"Hey, the library. Does it have any books about adrenaline?"

Carsten turned and pursed his lips, clearly thinking about it.

"I'm not certain. Why do you ask?"

"Every time I get a surge of adrenaline and it drops off, I end up throwing my guts up. I just wanted to know if there was something that I could do to stop it from happening."

"Well, I don't know for sure, but I will put a request in for you later. For now, we have to get a move on because we have been allocated a time, and if we're late, they won't extend it."

Reaching the top of the stairs, Carsten turned to the left.

"I thought we were training."

"Sparring offers a real-world view. We're going to simulate the forest near your house, as it was agreed that it is likely that Drakkus would want to hide the war from the humans."