Hades also had two powers, he could control the dead and demons, and he was master of the earth and the riches contained within. I think I’d have rather had the second ability. If I only had a small portion of his power, I probably wouldn’t be resurrecting anyone, but there had to be more to it than just being able to order dead people around, or I wouldn’t be able to protect myself from dangers, much less others.

  The whole idea felt ridiculous, but I couldn’t deny the truth of what just happened, if I did, that would mean I was crazy.

  “Your brother?”

  Her face shuttered, “I’ll handle that greedy worthless piece of shit myself.”

  Wow, that told me my slutty tantric witch had a sting.

  “Alright, as far as I can see you hold all the power in this deal, save restoring your soul to your body and denying your death with mine?”

  She bit her lip, and nodded, “True, but I would not go back on my word, nor would I give you up as an ally for all the benefits I’d already listed. You wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again, and besides me pledging my body to you it seems likely there will be others in time as well. It would be a new life, no punch clock, no worry about money, and all the pleasure you could handle.”

  That sounded too good to be true, but I knew better. Empty sex would get stale after a while if she didn’t fall for me and me for her. No matter how hot she was, or how good in bed. At some point, I’d move on, and she wouldn’t have to break her promise. Which would leave me powerful but destitute again and looking for a job with that timeclock.

  “It’s not that simple, and you know it. If you don’t fall for me, you’ll get tired of fucking me, and you’re counting on the reverse being true as well which will make me walk out at some point. Part of the alliance is me keeping you sated and full of witch power, magic, so at that point you could throw me out without breaking your word. Life is complicated, and while I imagine I could happily fuck you every day, several times, for several months, it’ll get old if deeper feelings and a true relationship doesn’t evolve.”

  She blushed, which pretty much verified everything I’d just said. It also didn’t make her evil, everyone manipulated, and I had no doubt she’d have happily been my personal slut for the duration.

  My wisdom there was a hard-won thing. I’d been left smarting by the so-called fairer sex before, and my eyes were wide open in this strange situation I found myself in.

  “What do you want?” she asked cautiously.

  I said, “A slightly modified deal. I’ll give it a try, we’ll both agree to be allies for as long as we desire to, and we’ll promise on our word that betrayal won’t be a factor. If either of us wants out of our alliance, we walk away friends. You tell me who I am and help me learn my power and get me ready for this world, and we both help each other with enemies. Everything you lined out, but with honesty instead of your clever cutesy manipulations and bald offers of being my sex toy.”

  She grinned, “You’re even smarter than I thought, most men tire of me if we fuck too often. I am not a cold person, I can be very warm, but as I said no man has won my heart. I can agree to that, but that’s the same deal as before, just with a more realistic outcome. So, what’s the modification?”

  I suspected that was because she was so… available. If I wanted to win her heart, it wouldn’t be by fucking her into submission, it’d be outside the bedroom. In her eyes, there’d always be another cock to make her scream and scratch that itch. Unlike those gangbangs though, I’d be with her every day, which would give me a chance to do that. I don’t think she’d even considered that, or even had a clue why those men hadn’t won her heart. It was her lifestyle, bang and go was no way to build a friendship or a solid basis for a deep relationship.

  At the moment, I wasn’t even sure I wanted to try. I didn’t know her as a person after all, I just knew she was rich, hot, and mine until either one of us called it off. We might be incompatible, I might end up disliking who she was as a person, but only time would tell on that.

  It was also the strangest thing I’d ever heard of, which meant it almost had to be real. It was far too outrageous an offer to be a scam, if that made sense.

  “Yes, a small transaction separate from the alliance, so if and when this is over between us, I don’t become homeless and destitute walking out of your door. While I’m with you I’ll not be using the money for that transaction, you’ll support me for my protection and the power I give you. Point being, you’ll pay me a flat fee for stopping your death, and for waking you up. At that point, we could even go our own way, although I am willing to try the alliance for all the reasons you stated, including the sex. You’re gorgeous.”

  She smiled, “Alright, I can agree to that, and thanks.”

  I waved a hand dismissively, “I’m sure you’ve heard it before, a simple shallow truth, you’re a stunning woman but that kind of thing is empty. You’ll know it when I give you a real compliment.”

  She blushed again. Apparently, I’d flustered her, more than once already, unless it was artful, and I really was just her mark. But I didn’t think that likely. I was poor and homeless, unless she was an idiot, and I didn’t believe she was, this couldn’t be a honeypot scheme.

  “So, how much?” she asked.

  I said, “I don’t want to take advantage of your desperate situation, but I have my own life to worry about. What’s it worth to you? I don’t even know how much you have. This isn’t blackmail, that would be distasteful, I’d never hold your life above your head, but if and when we split I’ll need enough for seed money for my next venture or until I find another job. Your life is also worth something, I won’t be denying death to everyone in the hospital, after all.”

  She smiled, “I have some Swiss bank accounts my brother isn’t aware of. One of them has five hundred thousand dollars in it, and it’s yours if that’s enough?”

  I nodded, “Arrangements?”

  She said, “I’ll take care of it first thing, as soon as we can get to a computer. I’ll transfer the funds. I’d suggest you open an account at the same time. A transfer that large to a U.S. bank will interest the IRS and perhaps the FBI. Tomorrow, we’ll also pay off your apartment, but I’d prefer to buy you a whole new wardrobe and burn your current one. We’ll also start working on your powers.”

  I laughed, “Alright, just don’t torture me.”

  She winked, “Trust me, you’re pretty hot yourself, but your style and quality of clothes don’t really work with it. It won’t take me long to pick the stuff out. I already know what you need that way, no endless browsing, I promise. After that, I’ll reclaim my house and deal with my murderous brother.”

  “He wasn’t happy with half?”

  She sighed, “He’s an evil and selfish little shit, our parents made me executor. He did get almost half, but it’s under my control until he’s twenty-five with limited trust withdrawals on his spending. I think my parents hoped that he’d grow out of it and grow up by that age. Obviously, he wasn’t happy with that, or getting only half, so he tried to kill me. I don’t mean evil and selfish in a typically sibling rivalry kind of way, my brother is entitled, arrogant, and has killed before to solve his problems. I loved my parents, but they were blind when it comes to him, and even I let too much shit go merely because he was family. But he took a step too far this time.”

  “Cops?”

  She shrugged, “He has magic, he covered it up. The doctors have no idea why I’m in a coma and all the usual tests for poisons came up blank. He won’t be so lucky when I get my hands on him.”

  Yeah, I got the idea she was going to kill him, or quite possibly something worse, but anyone that poisons their sister for money probably deserves to die. I wasn’t going to worry about it, in any case. She was hot, available, but also a powerful witch and clearly was no one to dismiss.

  “Hospital, and what do I do? Since we have an agreement, can you tell me more now about my side of things? I mean, you say I have the power, but I’ve never used it before outside of ten minutes ago when I sent them all away.”

  She nodded, “St. Johns. You’re obviously the son of the god of the underworld. You have command of the dead, spirits, and likely demons as well. You won’t have his power over earth or riches, and your power over spirits will be less powerful. Resurrection is probably out of the question, which is his strongest power there, not that he’d ever use it or give up a soul. Using your power is a simple matter of focus and intent, if you want my soul in my body, and to deny death taking me, I will wake up.”

  I said, “I figured something like that, save the last. How will that help, will I threaten to have my enemies haunted? That doesn’t seem very intimidating?”

  She giggled, “That’s cute. No. Souls are power, and they’re malleable, not really human bodies, they just appear that way. I also don’t think your father will be happy you have this aspect of his power. He’s very jealous about the dead because that and the earth itself is the source of his power. Likely he’ll find out soon enough, as soon as all those ghosts you’ve been collecting the last five years start talking down there.”

  “Collecting?”

  She said, “Demigods get their power around the end of puberty, which I assume was sixteen for you. Their power quickens when it does with a little guidance. Yours didn’t, because you weren’t aware of what you were or of our world. I suspect just its existence was binding souls to you if anyone died nearby. And you just sent them down to judgement in mass, to either be sent to Tartarus, a lesser hell, or the Elysium fields. It was your anger and frustration that finally quickened you, which was lucky for me.

  “I would suggest, when you use your power, pull from Tartarus or one of the other hells. He may be less likely to get upset by that than you pulling souls out of the Elysium fields who have earned a reward in the afterlife, just to power yourself. And always send them back when you’re done.”

  “Power myself?”

  She nodded, “I don’t know what yet, but I suspect that’s how it works. You’ll be able to not only control them but use them defensively and offensively in some way. Summon them from the underworld with your power and will, and then… harness them toward some end. We’ll have to experiment, it may enhance your physical body, give you a narrowly defined magical power or even a more diverse one like a witch.

  “It’s impossible to say, but I’ll help you figure it out. Souls are also malleable and spirit, you may be able to create armor or even a sword out of them. There’s a lot of things to try, but as the son of one of the original five gods you’re going to be very powerful. Your father is likely to be the first of your enemies, or at the very least he’ll try to recruit you and force you into the underworld.”

  Well… I was pretty screwed. That sounded distinctly unpleasant.

  “And you volunteered to help me against my enemies?”

  She giggled, “Support capacity only. I won’t be fighting monsters, demons, or demigods anytime soon, or ever. I can help guide you, heal you, help you train, but clearly you’re the brawns in this alliance, I’m the beauty and brains.”

  “And the breadwinner.”

  She tilted her head, “True to a certain extent, but you’ll be earning the money I give you access to, never doubt that. Even if the fucking stops being a job and we’re in a true relationship,” I could see her doubt in that last statement, “then you’ll be earning it in other ways.”

  “How do I pull from Tartarus, and not the Elysian fields.”

  She said, “Same way you’ll fix my body and reintegrate my soul. Intent and focus. When you pull souls to you focus on the ones being punished in the afterlife, and that they’ll be bound to your will. Power is easy, magic is hard. Your demigod power will be very intuitive and easy to use, though it will require practice in learning to focus your mind and to get… faster at doing things. Witchcraft is harder, weaker, yet much more diverse as a rule. You may be capable of that as well. I don’t know yet, but we’ll focus on your power first, and explore that once you’ve perfected the other.

  “The truth of the gods and their continued interference and influence is a secret. You really don’t want to come to the notice of the king of the gods and annoy him by exposing our world, if you can help it. I can help you with that, wards and spells to hide the truth. Though you have an advantage that way over most, normal humans can’t perceive the dead, but they will see monsters or demons if you get into a fight with them.”

  “This just gets more and more surreal. So I should count my father as an enemy already?”

  She shrugged, “Potential. Your existence also might worry other gods. They don’t like it when your father mucks about on the surface, and some may assume you’re working as an agent for him in secret. There will be allies as well, so there’s no need to panic.”

  Nope, no need at all. I think I had enough, my mind had enough to chew on for now. There was still a ton to learn, but one step at a time. I had to get her back in her body, straighten out my old life, and then learn my power and my new one. There was one more thing I wanted to verify though, about what she’d said about her and our deal.

  “You can gain power from others coupling as well, can’t you?”

  Her face went slack, “Yes, how did you know?”

  I waved a hand, “You said there would be others besides you as well, that would be available to me in time, it was just a guess. Clearly, you were trying to seduce me with promises of a future threesome, but I wanted to understand why you would want that.”

  She pouted, “You’re too smart for my own good. But yes, and if we get another demigoddess into our bed, I’ll be so drunk on power I won’t know what to do. At the same time, it’s not just about the power, threesomes and more can be… a lot of fun. It’s also not odd in our world, polyamory, harems, the reverse, all very common in our world. The ancient Greeks were said to be very decadent, and there was a reason for that. It was informed by the gods whose libidos far outstrip humanity’s, some of them anyway, and they pass that on to their offspring. My grandmother foremost but the muses are all sluts too, and then there’s all the male gods who can’t keep their pants closed.”

  I laughed, “That pout is dangerous, but I’m onto you. So what would you classify ours as?”

  She pondered that, “A harem with you in charge, but with me as your queen and head of the coven in a business sense, with the hope of true polyamory on the table with no guarantees.”

  Right, more of that manipulation. Shove the idea of endless pussy and her being at my beck and call for fucking, with the possibility of creating true ties. The problem was she didn’t really believe that second part would happen, but her honesty was unquestionable in that baiting manipulation of easy and fantastic pleasure and sex.

  What I mean is, I wasn’t getting the impression the first part, the sex part, was at all a trick or something that wouldn’t happen. It was the latter part she didn’t see happening.

  As I said before, I also wasn’t sure I wanted it to grow to be more either, not yet, but the woman was far more than the simple fuck toy she was presenting to me, and not to be underestimated nor judged. She was smart, ambitious, intelligent, hot, and her availability fed her power and ambition. I’d also seen hints of ruthlessness. No, not simple at all, and I’d have to watch myself, but for the support in an uncertain future in a world I was clueless about, the money to straighten my life, and yes, even the sex, I was willing to go all in and worry about long-term possibilities over time.

  Worst case, I walk away a half a million dollars richer, and I’d have fucked the hot brunette for months. Not to mention getting an advisor for the supernatural world to answer all my questions. Not exactly a bad thing, even if that’s all it turned out to be.

  I also got the impression she’d never made this kind of arrangement before, no man other than a demigod would make it worthwhile to commit to a single male in her bed, even if in a business only nature. Before this, she’d just been fucking around with a stable of men, but this time she’d be just one of my many women. It was all different, and it was going to be interesting to see her lose that certainty that she was immune to attachments to men.

  That might sound arrogant, and probably even was, but it was also a very possible truth. Not a certainty, but a possibility she wasn’t seeing, if that made sense. At the very least, she definitely had my attention, and I didn’t judge her for her lack of inhibitions for sex in the past either.

  In fact, I suspected her shockingly forward slutty speech was a wall she was putting up.

  “Alright, St. Johns,” I stood up, it was time to save the damsel.

  She winked.

  Chapter Two

  The hospital had twelve floors, and she was on the fifth in long-term coma care. From what she’d told me she’d been moved a couple of days ago from intensive care on the second floor. I tried not to show it on my face as I saw her for the first time, her real body I mean. Her hot curvaceous body was completely obscured by the white sheet and blanket, only showing her lovely light brown hair and innocently beautiful face. She was really young, just nineteen and heart stopping beautiful.

  I not only hid my instinctive reaction to seeing her so helpless, peaceful, and innocent looking, I also pushed it down. Her pure innocent beauty was a lie. That didn’t make her a bad person, but as I’d said earlier, she was obviously a woman with deep ambition, power, and a degree of ruthlessness in her. She almost had to be, to make a deal to be my fuck toy and pay me for the privilege, so she could not only live but start to build her own coven and empire as she helped me, and we protected each other.

  In business.

  Not exactly romantic, but it was also a bit reassuring. It changed a too good to be true situation into something understandable.