Read Online Spellcrash by Kelly McCullough - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly McCullough
Ads: Link
information from him.”
“We have our own window into Raven House,” said the alien voice. “One of my . . . little sisters is there, providing a feed.”
“I was thinking of something more direct and—” Hades was interrupted by a chiming sound.
“Hang on a moment.”
He waved Megaera back out of sight of the camera, then turned directly toward the screen and tapped the button on his mouse. A picture opened within the corner of the one we were watching, a tiny window showing us what Hades was seeing on his computer. Zeus stood there, in all his buff, bronzed, frat-boy glory. Athena stood beside him, looking even more deliberately drab and invisible than usual—most of the time she eschews flash in favor of the power of going unnoticed.
“Hades,” boomed Zeus. “So good to see a brother looking so good. We don’t talk nearly often enough. My fault really. It’s always business, business, business here on Mount Olympus. You know how it is, right?” He winked. “Anyway, I want you to pop on up and have a drink or three with me. Athena has had certain things about the situation with Necessity and that Raven boy brought to her attention, things that I thought we really ought to discuss.” Chaos and Discord! Didn’t anyone have anything better to think about than me? I know I did.
“When can you get here?” said Zeus.
Hades nodded. “May I ask about your sources first? I’m kind of busy at the moment.” Athena looked sideways at Zeus. He nodded, and the goddess of wisdom reluctantly opened her hand, creating an image of Cerice in the space above it. Great, my ex was about to sell me out to the powers that be . . . again. I leaned forward then and began very gently smacking my forehead against the table.
“Does this get worse?” I asked Thalia. “Because if it does, I don’t want to know about it.”
“There’s still a tiny bit more that you need to see.”
“All right.” I sighed and sat up.
Melchior restarted the playback, which he had again paused while I was distracted.
“Oh my,” said Hades. “Yes, I think I’d better come through ASAP. Just give me a few minutes to clear my calendar.”
“Agreed,” said Zeus, and flickered out.
“Come see this,” said Hades.
Megaera came around to stare over Hades’ shoulder at the screen. She was followed a moment later by—
“What is that ?” interjected Fenris.
“Spinnerette,” replied Thalia.
“Really?” asked the wolf.
I understood his confusion. This one took a very different form from the spider-centaurs Necessity had usually employed in the past. A twelve-foot scorpion with a woman’s upper body and head where its stinger should have been. The scorpion part of the creature was the exact shade of poison ivy.
The tail would have run about eight feet if it hadn’t ended in a woman. It was deep green for the first three feet, then slowly paled as it climbed the belly and breasts of the loosely human female form that tipped it. Her face and shoulders were an olive shade that wouldn’t have looked out of place in any city in Greece, and her hair was short and black.
Her arms mirrored her torso, shading steadily toward the intense poisonous green of the scorpion as your view moved downward. The backs of her hands had some of the same chitinous quality as the main scorpion body, and her middle fingers ended in wicked, hollow claws. Adding to her gruesome aspect were the sharp vampirelike fangs at the corners of her mouth. A feature that probably explained her inhuman accent.
“What is that you wanted to show us?” she asked as she slid in beside Megaera.
“This.” Hades tapped a button and quickly replayed the video call from Zeus.
When it hit the picture of Cerice, Megaera growled, “Damned fake Fury. She knows she’s not supposed to move on the Raven yet. We’re going to have words over this.” Megaera lashed out with one clawed hand as though she wanted to gut Cerice’s image. A hole
“We have our own window into Raven House,” said the alien voice. “One of my . . . little sisters is there, providing a feed.”
“I was thinking of something more direct and—” Hades was interrupted by a chiming sound.
“Hang on a moment.”
He waved Megaera back out of sight of the camera, then turned directly toward the screen and tapped the button on his mouse. A picture opened within the corner of the one we were watching, a tiny window showing us what Hades was seeing on his computer. Zeus stood there, in all his buff, bronzed, frat-boy glory. Athena stood beside him, looking even more deliberately drab and invisible than usual—most of the time she eschews flash in favor of the power of going unnoticed.
“Hades,” boomed Zeus. “So good to see a brother looking so good. We don’t talk nearly often enough. My fault really. It’s always business, business, business here on Mount Olympus. You know how it is, right?” He winked. “Anyway, I want you to pop on up and have a drink or three with me. Athena has had certain things about the situation with Necessity and that Raven boy brought to her attention, things that I thought we really ought to discuss.” Chaos and Discord! Didn’t anyone have anything better to think about than me? I know I did.
“When can you get here?” said Zeus.
Hades nodded. “May I ask about your sources first? I’m kind of busy at the moment.” Athena looked sideways at Zeus. He nodded, and the goddess of wisdom reluctantly opened her hand, creating an image of Cerice in the space above it. Great, my ex was about to sell me out to the powers that be . . . again. I leaned forward then and began very gently smacking my forehead against the table.
“Does this get worse?” I asked Thalia. “Because if it does, I don’t want to know about it.”
“There’s still a tiny bit more that you need to see.”
“All right.” I sighed and sat up.
Melchior restarted the playback, which he had again paused while I was distracted.
“Oh my,” said Hades. “Yes, I think I’d better come through ASAP. Just give me a few minutes to clear my calendar.”
“Agreed,” said Zeus, and flickered out.
“Come see this,” said Hades.
Megaera came around to stare over Hades’ shoulder at the screen. She was followed a moment later by—
“What is that ?” interjected Fenris.
“Spinnerette,” replied Thalia.
“Really?” asked the wolf.
I understood his confusion. This one took a very different form from the spider-centaurs Necessity had usually employed in the past. A twelve-foot scorpion with a woman’s upper body and head where its stinger should have been. The scorpion part of the creature was the exact shade of poison ivy.
The tail would have run about eight feet if it hadn’t ended in a woman. It was deep green for the first three feet, then slowly paled as it climbed the belly and breasts of the loosely human female form that tipped it. Her face and shoulders were an olive shade that wouldn’t have looked out of place in any city in Greece, and her hair was short and black.
Her arms mirrored her torso, shading steadily toward the intense poisonous green of the scorpion as your view moved downward. The backs of her hands had some of the same chitinous quality as the main scorpion body, and her middle fingers ended in wicked, hollow claws. Adding to her gruesome aspect were the sharp vampirelike fangs at the corners of her mouth. A feature that probably explained her inhuman accent.
“What is that you wanted to show us?” she asked as she slid in beside Megaera.
“This.” Hades tapped a button and quickly replayed the video call from Zeus.
When it hit the picture of Cerice, Megaera growled, “Damned fake Fury. She knows she’s not supposed to move on the Raven yet. We’re going to have words over this.” Megaera lashed out with one clawed hand as though she wanted to gut Cerice’s image. A hole
Similar Books
