Hades Legacy (Hades Series #3)

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

My blood runs cold, and several thoughts run through my mind at once. Why would he say that? Does he know about the prophecy? How does he know about the prophecy? Who told him about the prophecy?

I try to compact all these questions down to one reply, just in case I'm overreacting to his question more than I should. I have my mother to blame for that little personality trait. My voices comes out as a petrified squeak. "Excuse me?"

He glares at me for a few more seconds, not saying a single word... before breaking out into a large grin. "I'm just kidding."

I blink in bewilderment. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. We don't get many demons up here." He laughs, and the whole mood in the room lightens considerably. Most of the people in the crowd go back to their own conversations, apparently deeming me not important enough to spend more of their time on. He sticks out his hand. "I'm Alex."

I stare at his hand as it hangs in the air between us. How did he know I was from the Underworld? "I'm not a demon."

"Dude, seriously?" Jasmine groans, giving him a look. "I'm pretty sure that's racist."

"No it's not. It's hilarious." Alex shrugs. He waves his hand around, raising his eyebrows at me. "Are you just going to leave me hanging, or do you not know how to shake hands?"

"No, I know how to shake hands." I reply slowly. "I'm just still trying to process the whole 'she's going to kill us all, she's a demon' thing."

"It was a joke. You know what a joke is, right?" He grins, his grey eyes twinkling. I stare at him, narrowing my eyes ever so slightly. He reminds me of someone, but I can't for the life of me quite put my finger on who it is he reminds me of. "Oh wow, you really don't know what a joke is, do you?"

"Alex, stop talking." A small Indian girl to his left commands, rolling her eyes. "Eric, where did you find this straggler and why did you bring her to the den?"

"This is Ellie, Ria. She's staying with me for the next couple of weeks." Jasmine replies, shooting her a small smile. "Chill."

"What does that have to do with my question?"

"Why do you want to know?" I shoot back before Jasmine can respond. Ria folds her arms over her chest, sizing me up.

"Because I don't let everybody and anybody Eric finds roaming the streets through here. You've got to pass my test first." She replies, and my eyes go round with understanding. She's the equivalent of Cerberus for Eric's house.

"Why?"

"If I let everyone and everybody through, then this place would collapse within a week from all the immorality." Ria says coolly. "So. Why did Eric bring you to the den?"

I hesitate, and she raises a brow. Though Ria only appears to be in her early twenties, I can tell from the wisdom shining in her eyes that she's much older than she looks. I still have no idea exactly who she is; she could be another goddess, for all I know, who goes by a newer and more modern name. Both Spencer and Eric seemingly do it, so I wouldn't put it past the other deities. She could also just be a nymph who's lived longer than most, but there's no way to tell in this moment in time. I decide in that moment to tell her the truth - well, half of it anyway - because from the way Eric is staying silent at my side, I can tell he's completely on her side this one. She's the guard, and he won't hesitate to throw anyone out who she doesn't approve of. "I convinced my parents to let me stay up here for a couple of weeks to experience what the surface was like, and apparently Eric decided introducing me to you all was an essential experience I needed to encounter."