Yesterday I did something incredibly stupid. I woke up early in the morning and drove to an outpatient surgery center and allowed someone to slice into my throat and remove my tonsils. On purpose.

I haven’t had surgeries before. Not really. I had my wisdom teeth removed when I was eighteen, but I’ve had so many teeth extracted before then that I couldn’t make make myself view that as an actual surgery. I had my daughter, but that was kind of inevitable. She was coming, hospital or not. Humans have been having babies longer than doctors were around.

I kind of figured if I ever went under the knife it would be an emergency situation. Not something scheduled, driven to with intent, and planned for. As I was planning, I read everything I could online and came to a realization. I also have a blog. True, it’s for my books, but my readers might have had their tonsils removed and could have awesome advice to share. Or they may need it in the future. So might as well put this up here if I’m going to write about it. And I’m a writer. That’s kind of my thing.

So yesterday morning I woke up starving. I’m always super hungry in the morning, but I couldn’t eat anything after midnight so breakfast was out. I have to give my husband, the nicest guy in the world, credit. He woke up earlier than me so I wouldn’t have to watch him eat breakfast. I pretty much just rolled out of bed, got dressed, brushed my teeth and hopped in the car.

We arrived at 6:30 and I filled out some paperwork then hung around until 7:30. Then they took me back to get me prepped. I changed into a hospital gown and robe and then they stuck me a few times trying to get an IV in.

I don’t have veins, by the way. They aren’t sure where my blood comes from, but it’s never been anywhere easily accessible. But this hospital was super nice. They numbed me first before poking me with the IV, so at least I didn’t feel them digging around. I will say though, the numbing stuff they used, novacane , burned for like minutes after the IV was in, so if I had normal, easy to find veins, I don’t know that it would be worth it.

Then they brought in my husband to say good luck and ran me through a series of questions before administering an IV cocktail. They rolled me back to the operating room and knocked me out. I woke up to a nurse calling my name really, really loudly, and whoosh, I was in a recovery room asking for something to drink because my mouth was dry. They dosed me with dilaudid, which is like ten times stronger than morphine, gave me an ice collar, and I slept for a bit, chatted with my husband, and slept some more between lots of cups of orange gatorade.

Two things really surprised me right off the bat. They offered me soda, which I was not expecting. And I could talk. Normal sounding even. It didn’t hurt. Throughout my stay at the hospital, which lasted until about 2:00, the most I felt was like I had a very mild, scratchy throat.

I started feeling it on the way home though. It’s a thirty minute drive, and my husband ran a bit late coming back to get me because he had to pick up my daughter from school and the pharmacy took awhile. My advice, ask for one last dose of pain meds forty minutes before you expect to leave because they can’t give them to you within thirty minutes of leaving. But once I took my pain meds (liquid loratab, which stings a bit going down, so chase with gatorade) I was fine. I set my alarm for seven (you take the pain meds every four hours) and took a nice long nap.

Thanks to some awesome internet advice, I knew to have a big glass of gatorade (I tried water, but my mouth tasted too weird, I needed flavor, plus no mushy foods until day two, so the electrolytes are probably good for me) by the bed, a humidifier running, and an awesome husband who swapped out my ice packs every hour or so. I woke up at seven and wasn’t in a rush to get to my pain meds, but I took them right away anyway because I didn’t want that to change, stayed up until my next dose of pain meds, and went back to sleep. I set my alarm for four hours later each time I took my medicine, even at night, took big sips of gatorade anytime I was awake enough to think about it (especially before and after the pain meds) and swapped out my ice packs every time I woke up.

The humidifier makes a drastic difference. I know this because mine ran out of water at 3:00 and I was too lazy to refill it. When I woke up at 7, there was a massive difference in how dry my mouth was. The thing you really, really, really want to avoid is your mouth getting dry. Like at any cost. Drink constantly while awake. It hurts a bit to swallow but once you do it enough, it’s really no worse than a sore throat (except for that like 20 minutes between doses of pain meds, it’s a bit more painful then).

I did have two semi-major moments of pain. The ride home was not fun, and I kept having to couch just before I went to sleep that night. Coughing is not fun with two gaping holes in your throat. But weirdly, switching from drinking out of my cup straight to a straw calmed my throat down enough to fall asleep. I wouldn’t use a straw much/at all. But the way I was swallowing must have been bugging something and changing that up helped.

Today, so far so good. I’ve probably talked to much and need to knock that off (hence the blogging) because just because I feel up to talking doesn’t mean I won’t regret it when the meds wear off. Keeping near the humidifier, taking pain killers every 4 hours, and drinking lots of gatorade. I’m still starving but can’t have anything other than clear-ish liquids (they said the gatorade counted) until later this afternoon and no mushy solids until tomorrow :(.

If I’m up to it, I’ll write tomorrow. But in the meantime, you may see me online a lot, but I may not be responsive. Don’t take it personally, life is a bit fuzzy right now. Got any advice for recovery? I hear it gets worse around day 5.

Blurb: One bullet is all it took to transform eighteen-year-old New Yorker Jordan Amador into the last hope for souls of the dead. However, it also transformed her into a cantankerous asocial waitress with a drinking problem.

Jordan accidentally shot and killed a Seer: a person who can communicate with ghosts, angels, and demons. Worse still, she did so on the eve of her own awakening, making her the last Seer on Earth with no one to guide her. As penance, God gives her two years to help one hundred souls with unfinished business cross over from Earth to the afterlife or she will go to Hell. Just as she approaches the deadline, Jordan finds her hundredth soul: a smart-mouthed poltergeist named Michael whose ability to physically touch things makes him distinct from her usual encounters with the dead. However, the deeper she delves solving his sudden death, the more she realizes something sinister is on the horizon.

With time running short, Jordan stumbles across a plot that may unravel the fragile balance among Heaven, Hell, and Earth. Her life is plunged into chaos as she is hunted by demons that want to use her valuable Seer blood to bring about the end of the world and discovers that these creatures have a frightening connection to her family bloodline. Plus, the budding romance between Jordan and Michael makes it harder for them to let go of each other so he can become part of the eternal black parade.

My Review:

I really enjoyed this book. It had fantastic character development and a plot that just kept on coming at you. In fact, I really felt like I read an entire series by the time I got to the end. Not in a bad way, the book is divided into three different parts, and the author completely could have split the story into a trilogy and probably expanded and done a few short stories as well instead of selling it as all one novel, so this was actually a surprisingly good deal. Each part had fantastic build up, great world building, and characters that kept you invested. I loved Jordan and Michael and actually, now that I think of it, all the minor characters. The villains were suitably evil and scary, and the final resolution was epic.

My only complaint was something I actually liked most of the time. This book is full of pop culture references. The ones I got, I loved, but there were times when I felt like I was missing something because I didn’t understand the reference.

Otherwise, a fantastic read. It’s urban/Christian fantasy, but I at no point felt like I was being preached at. I don’t think the book went as irreverent as Supernatural did with its angels, but it’s more along those lines then say…a Peretti novel. In a bookstore it would more likely be found next to Kim Harrison (and let me tell you, it ranks right up there with the Hollows, seriously, if you enjoy Urban Fantasy, give this book a try.) And while it’s not in the YA genre, I’m pretty confident any of my readers that enjoyed Persephone would enjoy The Black Parade. Give it a try. It’s completely worth the read.

Mary Preston!

Blurb: The lofty realms of Olympus and the once-fertile land of Hellas are in chaos due to the wrath of a mother gravely affronted. The truth, however unpleasant it is, must be faced. And in the Underworld, Hades must face the repercussions of his actions. Can Persephone ever forgive him?

Persephone must find a way to make her life her own, but that is easier said than done. Caught between two worlds, she will have to make a stand for her destiny…

My Review:
Great end to a great series. The third book is just as strong as the first two. M.M Kin created well researched, detailed settings, wrote fantastic descriptions, and wonderfully complex characters. In particular, the character of Persephone developed amazingly over this series.

She was everything I’d hoped she’d become in the first two books. She became this strong, no-nonsense character that MADE every guilty party answer to every wrong they’d ever committed and possibly some they’d only considered. She grew into her powers, her body, and her confidence. I *really* enjoyed watching all the other characters in this series squirm.

I also thought the very ending, when time moved forward (phrasing carefully to avoid spoilers) was a nice touch. Very interesting take.

The only complaint I have to add, and this really is just me because I happen to like these gods, were the depictions of Ares and Aphrodite. I felt like every other character got super in depth development, but they were both pretty one-dimensional (which in itself is not a problem at all. They are minor characters, actually like sub-minor characters, it’s okay for them not to be developed, sometimes the pizza man is just the pizza man, you know? And there are a ton of books out there that *really* could have improved by letting the pizza man just be the pizza man) But they were one dimensional unfriendly characters. Aphrodite was pretty and shallow, Ares was violent and blustering. I just wanted more to them. Mythologically, they’re fascinating. Aphrodite was pretty and confident and embraced her sexuality in an era that *really* didn’t encourage women to do that. Ares was the god of war, that pretty much never won a single fight, was dumb enough to get stuck in a jar for a year, and is one of *the* only (greek version only) gods who not only didn’t rape women, but actively hunted down and destroyed rapists. But, I know there’s more in the works in this world so there’s still hope to see some major depth from these characters. I’m absolutely going to read anything that’s put out in this universe, because M.M Kin is a research queen. I’m really excited to see where this goes next.

In short, this was everything I could have hoped for ending this series. I can’t wait to see where this author goes next.

Have you ever heard of the Krampus? It’s a Christmas story everyone should know for their own protection. Because…

He sees you when you’re sleeping,
he knows when you’re awake,
he knows if you’ve been bad or good
so be good….

Or Else

For over a century this menace to society has been breaking into homes at night, and apparently watching you sleep. Even mice are paralyzed in fear by his presence.

No it’s not Edward Culllen, it’s Santa Claus. Nowadays we are not bought off by his gifts, and our children know better than to take candy from strange men.

What can you do to protect yourself from this holiday horror? Follow the simple instructions below and you can enjoy a silent night.

1) Write a letter pleading for your life. Explain what makes you valuable to society and why you should be passed over. Better yet, have your kid do it. Santa may have a soft spot for children. It worked on the Grinch. You can send Santa and email, call him, post to his Facebook page, or twitter.

2) Be on the look out for his misunderstood twin brother Krampus. Every year on the fifth of December this deformed creature roams the Alps ringing bells and dragging rusty chains as a harbinger of Santa’s arrival. (Go on, google it).

3) Know his whereabouts. Modern science allows us to track Santas movements. Simply type Santa into google maps or google earth to find up to the minute details on his location.

4) Deck the halls with boughs of holly: M Night Shamalan taught us that the beasts do not care for the color red. Red of course is the most proven way to deter Mr. Claus, but science has proven any bright color will do. Pay special attention to your roofs as strings of lights sometimes have the unintentional benefit of getting tangled in his sled.

5) Light the fire and hang your old socks. The heat and the smell may be enough to frighten Santa away from your abode.

6) Leave milk and cookies. If it doesn’t slow him down it may eventually lead to diabetes, protecting future generation from this night of terror.

Good luck! And have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!

Comment below with your own fun and creative way to protect yourself from the Krampus this holiday season for a chance to win an e-copy of Persephone. Winner will be chosen December 16th. 

The Unfinished Song (Book 1): Initiate by Tara Maya

DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL…

Dindi can’t do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi’s clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

 

AN EXILED WARRIOR…

Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn’t commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don’t kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father’s wars and his mother’s curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her… assuming she would even accept the help of an exile.

 

 

EXCERPT

Blue-skinned rusalki grappled Dindi under the churning surface of the river. She could feel their claws dig into her arms. Their riverweed-like hair entangled her legs when she tried to kick back to the surface. She only managed to gulp a few breaths of air before they pulled her under again. 

 

She hadn’t appreciated how fast and deep the river was. On her second gasp for air, she saw that the current was already dragging her out of sight of the screaming girls on the bank. A whirlpool of froth and fae roiled between two large rocks in the middle of the river. The rusalka and her sisters tugged Dindi toward it. Other water fae joined the rusalki. Long snouted pookas, turtle-like kappas and hairy-armed gwyllions all swam around her, leading her to the whirlpool, where even more fae swirled in the whitewater. 

 

“Join our circle, Dindi!” the fae voices gurgled under the water. “Dance with us forever!” 

 

“No!” She kicked and swam and stole another gasp for air before they snagged her again. There were so many of them now, all pulling her down, all singing to the tune of the rushing river. She tried to shout, “Dispel!” but swallowed water instead. Her head hit a rock, disorienting her. She sank, this time sure she wouldn’t be coming up again. 

 

“Dispel!” It was a man’s voice. 

 

Strong arms encircled her and lifted her until her arms and head broke the surface. Her rescuer swam with her toward the shore. He overpowered the current, he shrugged aside the hands of the water faeries stroking his hair and arms. When he reached the shallows, he scooped Dindi into his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the grassy bank. He set her down gently. 

 

She coughed out some water while he supported her back. 

 

“Better?” he asked. 

 

She nodded. He was young–only a few years older than she. The aura of confidence and competence he radiated made him seem older. Without knowing quite why, she was certain he was a Tavaedi. 

 

“Good.” He had a gorgeous smile. A wisp of his dark bangs dangled over one eye. He brushed his dripping hair back over his head. 

 

Dindi’s hand touched skin–he was not wearing any shirt. Both of them were sopping wet. On him, that meant trickles of water coursed over a bedrock of muscle. As for her, the thin white wrap clung transparently to her body like a wet leaf. She blushed. 

 

“It might have been easier to swim if you had let go of that,” he teased. He touched her hand, which was closed around something. “What were you holding onto so tightly that it mattered more than drowning?”

 

 

LINKS

Tara’s blog http://bit.ly/12dFdNy

Tara’s Twitter http://bit.ly/162sCtE

The Unfinished Song on Facebook http://on.fb.me/1400mMq

Amazon http://amzn.to/15ciwYc

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/13yM5Dr

Kobo http://bit.ly/1aFhg1P

iTunes http://bit.ly/1baddhN

Smashwords http://bit.ly/17zK8Xn

 

Initiate is free everywhere except on Barnes and Noble (where it’s $0.99). You can download a free .epub version via Smashwords.

The blurb:

Captive in the Underworld, Persephone tries her best to resist the wonders of this mystical realm and the allure of its ruler. However, this is much easier said than done when the Underworld offers her freedoms she has never experienced, and Hades offers her pleasure the likes of which she has never known…

Meanwhile, in the land of the living, Demeter’s search for her daughter culminates in a devastating discovery that causes her to unleash her wrath on an unsuspecting world…

My review:

Again I have to praise M.M Kin for the sheer amount of research that went into writing these books. She has taken the time to make the setting as authentic as possible. I loved being introduced to all the Chthonic deities in the Underworld, including the ones that I found too ambiguous to include, like Styx who is a river and a goddess. The primordial deities are complicated, but Kin included them with so much skill I never found myself going, “Wait, but how would that work?”

I also like how, for the most part, modern speech was included in a way that felt natural. When setting a book SO deep in the past, it’s a real challenge to decide how you want the characters to talk. Especially since they shouldn’t even be speaking English, so there’s not a model for how they should sound. Thee’s and Thous would be just as inaccurate as likes and whatevers. So there’s this super delicate like between the characters language being modern enough to be accessable, yet formal enough not to take you right out of the story. For the most part, Kin handled this beautifully, and throughout the ENTIRE book, she handled it better than I could. She handled it so well that when that line slipped a bit too far to the modern side in the middle of the book, I noticed it way more than I would have had the language not been built in to the world with so much skill. There was a minute there, maybe 2-3 chapters, where every character was suddenly cussing like a sailor and the entire cadence of the dialogue shifted to completely modern speach. The situation warranted it, they were all pretty pissed at Zeus, but I found it a bit jarring. But it only lasted for a second and then we were right back in the middle of the balance.

I loved the character development. All of the characters are fully fleshed out and three dimensional, though I don’t like most of the characters. That’s not a knock on the author, she made them authentically flawed. Zeus is a professional victim who ducks responsibility at every turn. I love how he’s so confused that Demeter won’t stop with the whole famine thing until he steps up and returns Persephone. He keeps trying to explain to everyone that will listen that he didn’t have a choice and oh, but Hades is scary and he doesn’t want to upset him, and not a single deity is buying it. Demeter keeps getting told she’s being irrational, hurting the humans for something a god did, but I’m completely in line with her way of thought. Zeus had ample opportunity to fix everything. She warned him, and she’s also not actively killing the crops, she’s just withdrawing her blessing from the land…which actively kills the crops. But why would she bless the land so Zeus and team can benefit from human worship? It sucks people are dying but those deaths are on Zeus’ head as far as I’m concerned.

Other than that place, where I’m completely on her team, this book made me realize Demeter is downright abusive to Persephone. Way over controlling, manipulative, and emotionally and verbally abusive. She reminds me a bit of Gothel from Rapunzel. But that behavior seems par for the course in this world because Hades is the exact same. I have a lot of issues with Hades. At the end of the day, no matter how I try to spin his character he’s a manipulative jerk who lies, misleads, kidnaps, and doesn’t pay much attention to the word no but is so proud and smug he points to the few things he did do right as proof he’s not a bad guy. Sorry, Hades. You don’t get kudos for NOT hitting, beating, or raping someone. If I heard him point out “yeah, I kidnapped her, but I’m not mistreating her,” one more time….grr. If it wasn’t for the fact that Persephone is just as frustrated with that attitude as I am, I would have thrown the book down awhile ago. But she is, and in that you can see how talented M.M Kin is. The reader isn’t supposed to side with Hades, we’re supposed to see the flaws in his logic, HADES just can’t see the flaws in his logic. When she writes any of the gods POV she is SO deep in their POV that you see exactly how they convince themselves they are not in the wrong here and that is so realistically done. Persephone’s pov is like the normal, every day person as she looks around at the pantheon, and that perspective alone makes her a likable character, but she’s also strong and smart and likable completely on her own merits.

I’m really curious how book three is going to go, because I really want to see Persephone put everyone in their place.

Eva won the halloween blog hop and chose a copy of Persephone for her prize 🙂 Congrats Eva!

Today is my birthday! Yay for getting…older and stuff. To celebrate I’m sharing my favorite scene from the Persephone series, which just so happens to be a creepy scene set on Halloween. Share your favorite creepy moment from a book in the comments below to enter to win either a copy of any one of my ebooks, or (if you already have them all) a Daughters of Zeus/Persephone canvas bag. I also signed up for this awesome Wicked Warriors blog hop so that my awesome readers can get a chance to win a kindle!

“Mom, I’m home!” I dropped my book bag on the floor by the door. I didn’t have a lot of time to hang out at the house. I was due in the Underworld soon.
“Mom?” I rounded the corner into the kitchen, anticipating my after school snack. Sure she couldn’t be trusted to tell the truth, and she was scheming and manipulative, but she always made a good snack.
A Reaper was sitting at the table in her place. I came to a surprised stop, aware of two other Reapers slipping behind me. “Where is she?” It took more effort than I cared to admit to keep my voice from trembling.
The Reaper picked up a note from the table and read in a ridiculous falsetto voice. “Persephone, went to Buford with Minthe to shop. Cookies are in the oven. See you in the morning.”
I threw a quick glance at the oven to make sure the house wasn’t going to catch on fire. It was off, she must have left them in there just to keep them warm.
Shit. Buford, Mall of Georgia, the Melting Pot, and outlet malls. Mom would be home late. Again. She’d been out almost every day lately. It was all our fighting, I realized with a sudden clarity. She was avoiding me too, just like everyone else.
“Looks like we have you all to ourselves,” the redheaded Reaper said with a grin.
I shrieked in pain as one of the Reapers grabbed me from behind, fingers digging painfully into my ribs. Something in their touch was different. I actually felt it. Not just a tearing feeling at my soul, but actual hands on my actual flesh.
It hurt like hell.
“Happy Halloween,” one of the Reapers hissed.
I screamed as they dragged me through my house. One of the Reapers bumped into a chair and knocked it down. That never happened. Were they corporeal?
“Let me go!” I lashed out and actually managed to land a blow on one of their shoulders. It hurt me, I was still touching him after all, but for a second I thought I saw the Reaper wince.
“Swear fealty to Zeus.”
I shook my head and he wrapped his hand around my neck, sending shock waves through my body. I couldn’t breathe. I clawed desperately at his hand, and his grip tightened. I felt myself getting dizzy. He released his hand, and slammed me into the wall. “Swear fealty to Zeus!”
“No!”
His fingers dug into my jaw, and he lifted my chin until I was staring into his eyes. “You think this hurts? We’re just getting started.”
His lips found mine in a cruel, bruising kiss, tearing at my soul. There was no desire in his kiss, no attraction at all. It was just supposed to hurt. I struggled against the pain, trying to kick my way free, but the other Reapers shifted, one grabbing me roughly by the arms, the other taking hold of my legs so I couldn’t lash out.
Light sparked in the redhead’s fingertips. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it couldn’t be good. Suddenly his fingers passed through my flesh. My screams ricocheted off the walls and one of the Reapers clapped his hand over my mouth. With strength I didn’t know I possessed, I wrenched free. I was out the door in a flash and halfway to the driveway, car keys in hand, when I smacked into a solid wall of flesh. I shrieked and fell backward, scrambling away.
“No! Please! Don’t!” I lashed out blind with panic.
“Persephone! Stop, it’s me!” Hades pulled me to my feet and I threw myself into his arms. Hades! Hades was here. The Reapers wouldn’t touch me if I was with him. I wouldn’t have to feel that horrible pain again.
“What happened?” Hades held me at arms length, and looked me up and down. “You’re as white as a sheet! Are you okay? Persephone, talk to me!”
I tried to answer, but couldn’t stop gasping for breath. Horizontal lines zigzagged in my vision. My high pitched whine sounded in my ears, and my knees gave way. Hades caught me before I hit the ground. He glanced toward the house then back at me, and swore.
“Okay, okay…” he kept his voice soothing, but I could hear the panic beneath his words. He pushed my hair off my neck, fingers fumbling for a pulse.
“What?” He gasped, drawing back.
“Is she okay?” The red-headed Reaper emerged from the house, trying and failing to sound concerned.
My grip tightened on Hades, and I glanced around for the other two Reapers.
“Is the house clear?” Hades demanded. When the Reaper nodded, he hoisted me into his arms and walked toward the house.
“No!” I tried to get free but a wave of dizziness pushed me back into Hades’ arm.
“It’s okay.” He flung open the door, and looked around before laying me down on the couch. The Reaper followed on his heels, looking concerned.
“Put your feet up.” Hades demanded, grabbing the sofa pillows and stacking them under my feet. He pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over me.
“What’s wrong with her?” the Reaper asked.
“She’s in shock. Where’s Demeter?”
The Reaper indicated the note on the kitchen table. Hades snatched the note, and made a disgusted noise. “‘What happened?”
The Reaper shrugged. “She was sleeping and freaked out. Must have been a nightmare or something.”
I glared at the Reaper, cursing their ability to lie.
Hades turned to me. “Is that what happened? Did you forget to shield your dreams again?”
“No.” I barely managed the one word answer, my voice was so hoarse.
“So you’re trying to tell me this was just a run of the mill nightmare?” Hades asked the Reaper, his voice dripping with skepticism. When the Reaper shrugged, Hades asked, “Where are the others?”
“They went to get you. I stayed behind to protect her.”
“No one else was here? You’re absolutely certain.”
“Not that I saw.”
“Persephone, was anyone else here beside the Reapers?”
I shook my head.
Hades knelt, and pried the car keys from my grip. “So when she wakes up hysterical, grabs her keys, and runs out of the house, your plan was to let her get behind the wheel of a car?”
The Reaper narrowed his eyes. “What did you expect me to do, restrain her? In case you’ve forgotten–” He waved his hand in my direction. I flinched. “I can’t touch her.”
Hades’ hand shot out, snapping the Reaper’s wrist. “You’re going to want to start being honest with me.” He tightened his grip. “What really happened?”
The Reaper gasped, face paling. “I told you, she woke up and went nuts–”
Hades twisted the Reaper’s arm, using it to steer him into the wall. “Then why are there bruises around her neck?”
The Reaper’s eyes went wide. “I..I don’t know. Someone must have…” He trailed off, noticing Hades had gone very still, gaze riveted to the Reapers arm.
A single strand of my hair clung to the Reapers sleeve, shining like a golden beacon against the dark material. Hades yanked the Reapers sleeve back, exposing the scratches decorating the Reapers wrist.
“What did you do?”
“I can explain.”
“Did you touch my wife?” Hades’ voice was low and dangerous.
“Yes, but–”
Hades’ fist slammed into the Reapers face. A shield dropped. I blinked, staring at the place where Hades and the Reaper had been. My vision was swimming, I felt lightheaded, a wave of dizziness overwhelmed me and my eyes rolled shut.
“No you don’t.” Hades was beside me in a flash. I bolted upright, looking behind Hades for the Reaper. He was at the table, a shield had formed around him, gluing him in place. His face was puffy, like Hades had used it for a punching bag.
“It’s okay.” Hades’ voice was soothing. “It’s going to be okay.” He gently kissed my forehead, searching for echoes of pain and panic. His fingers traced a sensitive spot on my neck. I flinched, feeling the network of bruises laced around my throat from the Reaper’s grip. He pushed my sleeves to the side following the red impressions left by the Reaper’s fingers. His jaw clenched when he found the handprints on my side.
Healing warmth spread through his palms, erasing the pain wherever they touched. His fingers brushed the bruises on my leg, his gaze went dark. I could feel the rage coursing through him. He was like a powder keg, ready to explode. He took a deep breath, struggling to maintain his temper when his finger traced my lips. He clasped a hand to my cheek, probing further. For a second I could feel my soul as solid and certain as any other part of me.
“Gods,” Hades swore, as he assessed the condition of my torn and battered soul. I felt flash of power, and it fell back into place, whole and unharmed.
Behind him, the Reaper gasped for breath.
“What’s happening to me?”
Hades stiffened, and pulled away. He studied me for a moment, and I knew he wanted to make sure I was okay before he dealt with the Reaper. I nodded and Hades stood.
“I’ve brought you back to life.” Hades’ voice was cold.
“What?”
“Don’t get too excited. The condition is temporary.” Hades gave the Reaper a dark grin. “You seem like the type of guy that likes to experiment. You got real creative tearing my wife’s soul to bits. Surely at some point you must have wondered what it felt like.”
“N…no.” The Reaper looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn’t. Thanatos must have found some way to bind him. He looked to me, eyes wide in desperation.
Sucks, doesn’t it. I sat up on the couch, flashing the Reaper a savage grin. He read my thoughts on my face and gulped. “You don’t understand. It wasn’t just– I didn’t– There’s more–” His voice gave to an anguished cry when Hades reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.
“Please! Stop!” he screamed, writhing in agony.
“How many times did she say that?” Hades demanded. “How many times did you make her beg?” His hand turned white, and his hand plunged through the Reapers’ neck.
The Reaper let out a guttural cry.
“How long could a normal human soul survive this? Did you ever wonder that?” Hades shook the Reaper, he moved limply, like a rag doll. “Let’s find out.”
There was a bright flash of light, and the Reaper was gone.

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