Page 102 of Hell’s Weapon

“What the fuck is going on?” Cameron rasps. The knife Tacita used on him has affected his vocal cords, but he just about manages to talk.

“We’ve given you one final audience,” Hades answers him, acting as though the two of them are merely conversing casually in a bar.

“I have nothing left to say.” Cameron spits at Hades’s feet.

A second later he is engulfed in flames.

“How dare you disrespect me!” Hades reprimands him as Cameron starts screaming in burning pain.

“Oo, I love when he lets his passionate side out,” Khaos croons in my ears. I shoot Tarron a look, our eyes sharing the same slight fear at our Lord’s wrath.

Sixty-Two wails like a banshee until Hades pulls the flames away, vanishing them as quickly as they erupted.

“You think you can break me? It must drive you mad to know I will not betray those that recruited me,” he pants.

“We do not need any more information from you, Sixty-Two. You have said enough. This was merely to demonstrate what happens to those who betray me, betray this realm and seek to harm those in it.” Hades speaks to Cameron but also addresses the rest of them.

“Then get on with my punishment,” Cameron pushes.

“Fine,” Hades snaps. “Sixty-Two, you will be sentenced to spend the rest of eternity in Tartarus.”

Hades opens a portal beside Cameron, and I take my cue. Stepping up onto the stage I walk over to where the traitor is nailed to his post. With little care I rip the binding nails from his skin as he whimpers and drops to the ground. His body might be reanimated but it does not hold any strength.

Hoisting him up, I begin dragging him towards the portal that will deposit him at the processing centre at the entrance of my domain.

Through pained cries, Cameron does manage one last shout to the crowd below. “Just to let you all know, I am the insurance policy.”

I pause my movement as his words make impact.

“What do you mean?” Hades asks, voice a deathly level tone.

“I may have killed far more than the recruit they put in place before me, but I am not the main contact they have. Be warned Hades. They come, and they will conquer!”

Hades points at the portal and I move swiftly, carrying Sixty-Two through to his new residence where I shall take great pleasure in overseeing the pain he’ll endure for the rest of time.

Chapter 31

Milo

“He can’t touch you anymore, Sweetheart,” Wyatt soothes as he gently runs his fingers along the skin of my hip. They’d found their way under my clothing as soon as he’d tucked me into his side when we left the canteen this morning.

“He wouldn’t fucking dare,” Tacita growls through clenched teeth from my other side.

Still, I can’t stop the trembling as we watch on.

I can’t handle it, the punishment is brutal, even if I understand it for the crime being committed.

My breaths become shallow as Hades sets Cameron on fire and he screams with the agony he must be feeling.

I don’t want this.

Wyatt and Tacita press even closer against me. I want to run but I also can’t look away.

“I am the insurance policy,” Cameron shouts over the crowd before the Head Officer– Garrick, the other quarter in my new family–drags him through a portal to spend forever being tortured.

The crowd erupts into whispers, my eyes scanning across gathered contestants. Even the guards start talking because of the revelation.

“What the fuck does that mean?” Wyatt demands, although his voice is low enough only the two of us will hear.