Los Angeles

Nic

I narrow my eyes and resist the urge to claim unicorns as my thing, unable for anyone else to take. Instead, I focus on Jace, who glares at me. Shrugging, I turn to Jackie as Jace shakes his head at it all.

"Oh, and you do give him the googly-eyes," I tell Rayah. "It's sickening, actually. The both of you. Just get into each other's pants already."

"You are going to die a very slow, horribly painful death," Jace mumbles expressionless. "I'll make sure of that."

"Empty threats," I say, half-smiling.

Jackie

I chuckle at Nic's remark and Rayah glares at him, "The only thing getting into my pants is money. So..."

I hit her and she hits me back playfully, "It's true."

I shake my head, "If you even..."

She shakes her head as well, "Already did."

"Ew!" I try to remove the mental images, "Um...Nic. I don't think this is a good idea."

"Sure it is," Rayah sighs, "C'mere Jacey."

Nic

Money in pants... what the hell's the problem with that?

Jace studies Rayah before hesitantly moving closer, looking as confused as I feel about the last few statements.

"What are you freaking out about?" I ask Jackie. "I don't understand."

"Please don't ask that question," Jace says, shaking his head to me. "I don't want to understand."

Jackie

I shake my head at Nic and know what Rayah's about to do. That goddess charm. Here it comes.

Rayah fixes her hair and stands, walking over to Jace and wrapping her arms around his neck. It's silent for the next few minutes before Jace finally fixes in on her eyes, just like every other guy. "Do you wanna kiss me right now?" Rayah whispers, biting her lip.

Nic

I'm all for playing people--I'd be a hypocrite if I wasn't, seeing as that's all I've ever done before now--but seeing it done to my brother ignites a flame in my chest. Instead of voicing it, I let Jace fight his own battles and force myself to watch his reaction.

He stares into her eyes for a few moments before blinking and bringing a hand to his temple, not in pain but discomfort and confusion.

"If you wanted an honest answer to that question, all you had to do was ask," he says in a near whisper. "Whatever that was... please refrain from doing it again. As good as the view is, I like having my brain in one piece."

He wets his lips and self-consciously shifts on his feet again, very aware Jackie and I are watching and listening.

"But yeah, I kind of do," he adds.

Jackie

I watch Rayah study him, it thundering, and I swear, "Your mom's pissed, Ray."

"I can see that," She glares at me, walking outside to see her.

I grab her before she can walk out there, "Not a good idea."

She starts pacing the room, lightning striking as I see somebody in th kitchen. A shadow.

My eyes widen, "Thats not your mom. Sh*t..."

Rayah sees the shadow and freezes, not moving, or breathing, or blinking.

Knowing if she did, he would bother us. And when Hades bothers someone, it's not bothering.

Nic

Jace moves closer to me at the sight of the shadow, and I move closer to Jackie. I take her hand again and let Jace take hold of my jacket sleeve. It's not out of fear, I know. My brother fears few things and some cocky god of darkness isn't one of them. We've seen too much for that to scare us.

He holds onto me because he needs to know it's real.

So I stop being a d*ck for one moment and "forget" to mention how childish he's being. Instead, I mask my own confidence and clear my throat.

"Hello there," I say. "Can we help you?"

Jackie

I cover Nic's mouth and he shows himself, smiling at Rayah mostly before speaking, "Darling! How have you been?"

She doesn't speak, knowing how to handle this. He tries to touch her and she flinches, breathing heavily. He then looks at me, and then Nic smirking.

I practically am about to faint, holding onto Nic. "Go away."

He grabs ahold of Rayah's wrist, her trying not to cry, "Now, now. Is that some way to treat an uncle?"

Nic

I gently remove Jackie's hand from my mouth and hold onto her just as much as she holds onto me. Jace lets go and stands on his own, sizing up the man in the shadows. He watches as he touches Rayah, and a strange glint in his eyes takes shape.

"Then tell us how we're supposed to treat you," he says calmly, keeping his eyes locked on her instead.

Jackie

"Like your uncle, because I am," He playfully teases Rayah, sniffing her hair.

I sneer and shake my head, "You are nasty."

He chuckles and looks at me, grabbing me as shadows decompose me into a picture on the wall. Rayah freaks out, crying and whispering something we can't understand. Hades looks at Nic, "Anyone else have something to say?"

Nic

I stare at the picture that was once Jackie for a few moments in almost horror before returning my gaze to the god in front of me. By the time I turn around, my face is lax and my eyes are hard. I leave no residue of any other emotion besides anger, perhaps a challenge as well.

"Yeah, I do," I say.

Jace shakes his head and tries to speak, but I silence him with a stare.

"How about you take your sorry-a*ssed, d*ck self back underground where you belong," I say. "You have no business with us. We aren't your heroes. We aren't your children. You aren't our patron. We owe you nothing, Uncle."

Jackie

I try to get out, not able to. My eyes wonder to Rayah and right when Nic says that, he cracks her wrist and makes her face go pale. Wait, was that her wrist or her arm?

She falls to the ground, eyes closing as she cries, "Holy, f*cking, sh*t."

"Is that so?" hades sighs, sitting on the couch, "Just makes me want to stay even more.

Nic

Jace rushes to Rayah's side and examines her arm, trying to figure out what's broken while quietly hushing her. I think to myself I must have a death wish before following the god into the living room and standing in front of him.

"Why are you here anyway?" I demand. "We pets to you or something? Toys? I thought the gods got over that after we saved their a*ses half a dozen times."

Jackie

Rayah keeps crying, hiccuping, and closing her eyes and Jace tries to figure out what's broken.
I find a way out of the picture and stay in the kitchen, the god dissapearing after saying, "You guys don't entertain me."

I walk out to Nic and hug him when He leaves, "It's all Ray. Had to f*cking make a deal with him."

Nic

I release a breath I didn't realize I had been holding when I see Jackie herself again and resist the unfathomable urge to pull her into a suffocating hug to be sure she's not just a trick left behind. Instead, though, I simply take her hand and focus on Jace as he dodges a punch when coming across the area that's broken.

"Sorry," he mutters. "Almost done."

I glance at Jackie again and shake my head.

"Who would make a deal with him? What for?" I ask.