"The essence of lying is in deception, not in words."

- John Ruskin

                                                                                         ***

Sirius watched Hades warily as the god took a step forward, then stopped, his black eyes glittering. That grin was still splayed across his face as he drank in the sight of his ticket to freedom laying on the stone floor in front of him. Then, his gaze slid to Sirius and he raised an eyebrow.

"I'm actually impressed," Hades said. "I was sure you were going to try something...stupid."

A chill spidered its way down Sirius' spine, but he didn't allow himself to so much as blink. Hades brought a hand to his mouth, thoughtfully tapping a finger against his lips as he raked another, almost puzzled look over the Hellhound.

"Does she really mean so much to you?"

"I—what?" Sirius asked, confused. That wasn't even close to what he'd expected the god to say.

"The Huntress, is she really worth all of this?" He waved a hand at Sirius, indicating the still-healing cuts and bruises on display. Genuine curiosity colored Hades' tone.

Sirius frowned, slumping back on his heels. What a stupid question. "Wasn't Persephone worth everything you did?"

Hades threw back his head and laughed, the sound bouncing off the stone around them. "Well, yes. But she's a goddess, Sirius. Eternal spring—lovely and powerful. If you're trying to draw a comparison, I'm afraid to say I can't see the similarity."

A million retorts and insults crowded in behind his teeth, but he choked them down. Beside him, Alex gave a tiny whimper, her breath still painfully ragged. His gaze darted down to her, then back to Hades. "Yes," he snarled. "Yes. She's worth all of it. She's worth more."

"Mm," Hades hummed with pleasure. "You shouldn't say things like that, Sirius. It makes me want to put them to the test."

"You've tested enough," he said through gritted teeth. "I brought what you wanted. I held up my end. It's your turn."

Hades clicked his tongue reproachfully. "You haven't held up your end of the deal quite yet."

Sirius opened his mouth angrily, then checked his tongue as he cast his mind back to his last face-to-face conversation with the god. The blood drained from his face, making his cheeks feel like ice. "You said all I had to do was bring her here." He gestured down to Alex. "You said if I brought you what you needed, you would let us leave."

Alex made a small sound of protest. Of betrayal. Sirius kept his gaze carefully on the god in front of him.

Another grin split Hades' face, his dark eyes dancing with delight as he looked at the Hunter. "I suspect, my dear, it's a little too late to warn you not to trust Hellhounds. Frightfully slippery creatures." He laughed, his attention flicking back to Sirius. "I imagine the only reason he didn't spill your throat in Purgatory was because he didn't know if that would be good enough."

Sirius looked away, hunching his shoulders a little. He had considered that.

He had considered everything.

The god gave him a smug smile. "Perhaps she hasn't spoiled you as much as I first believed. How perfectly dreadful of you, Sirius—trading one girl for another." Hades took a few more steps forward, then stopped, a thoughtful cast coming over his features.

He looked at Alex, then at Sirius. He pursed his lips slightly before running a hand over his bone-white hair. The rings on his fingers glittered in the low light, catching at Sirius' vision and irritating his eyes.

"Very well, Sirius," he said on a theatrical sigh. "I suppose you've held up most of your end. I suppose I can do the same. Besides, I think I want you...obedient." He winked. "I'm still betting on something stupid."

Before he could demand that the god explain what he meant, Hades snapped his fingers.

Sirius swayed forward, nearly falling over when Galloway stepped out from behind the god. He snarled and fought against the weight still pressing on him, somehow managing to heave himself to his feet. Hades frowned and flicked his fingers, sending Sirius crashing back down to his hands and knees.

A small whimpering sound made him fall still. Sirius pushed himself back onto his heels, drinking in the sight of her. Dark shadows still circled her eyes and her skin was salt-white, but she didn't seem as sick as Hades had led him to believe. She was conscious, for one. She wasn't trembling or stumbling. She wasn't bleeding. She wasn't even bruised. Her blonde hair once again fell down below her shoulders, thick and shimmering with strands of gold in the candlelight. 

She was staring at him with an expression he couldn't quite understand. All he really knew was that she wasn't looking at him with fear or even a hint of the madness he had seen in her before.

His heart leapt when she took a step toward him, but Hades grabbed her arm, stopping her. Her teeth flashed in a snarl that echoed one of Sirius' own, but she didn't attempt to throw Hades off. The god's eyes danced back and forth between Sirius, Galloway and Alex. The Hunter was still on the ground, struggling to breathe.

"Bring her to me," Hades whispered, shoving Galloway forward.

She stumbled but didn't hesitate when she walked across the room. It startled Sirius when she stopped right in front of him, ignoring Hades' hiss of displeasure. Galloway dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around him. Sirius stared blankly over her shoulder for a long time, his mind unable or unwilling to process what was happening. 

He didn't think he would survive this particular disappointment.

"I was so scared to believe," she said against his ear, her voice low and rough. "I was so scared you were just another lie."

Swallowing hard against the sudden pressure in his throat, Sirius managed to shake his head. "I'm not," was all he found to say. "I'm real." 

The words were clumsy, barely making it past his tongue. He was afraid to even so much as blink, sure it would scare her or send her spiraling back to screaming insanity. He was almost positive that any movement of his would bring back that broken, wrathful creature who had placed her hands around his throat with every intention of choking the life from him. Or—worse—that blank, doll-like thing she had been before he left for Purgatory.

As Galloway held him, her fingers digging into his back, Sirius stared at Hades and tried to understand the drastic change he was witnessing. Hades—for his part—just rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and leaning against a nearby pillar. Apparently, he was feeling generous on the cusp of victory.

"I know," she murmured, her fingers stroking his hair. "I know you're real."

Sirius blinked several times, frowning. "You do?"

When her lips touched his cheek, Sirius shuddered and pulled away slightly, struggling to raise his arms. He cradled her face with shaking hands, staring into her eyes, searching for cracks. Looking for a lie. Galloway placed her hands over his, thumbs stroking down the backs of his palms and over his wrists.

"Yes." She turned her head, kissing his palm.

"How?"

Lips quirked into an almost-smile, she let her eyes fall half-closed as she pressed a little harder against his hand. "I just do."

A scoff came from Hades, but Sirius didn't care about the god's presence in that moment. He didn't matter. Hell, nothing mattered. Not a single damn thing. Not when she was looking up at him like that. Especially when he thought he'd never receive such a look ever again.

Unable to hold himself back any longer, Sirius leaned forward to bury his face against her neck, inhaling deeply. Sunlight. And silver. Gasoline and apples and gunpowder. Tears blurred his vision as he realized this was no illusion. He pulled back, swiping his thumb along the elegant curve of her cheekbone. Her eyes were tired, but no longer looked so fractured. She looked...if not well, then at least whole again.

"What happened to you?" he asked, drinking in the sight of her. "You're... okay?" He didn't know what else to say. He very much doubted she was okay, but had no idea how to ask the things weighing heavy on his mind.

His gaze kept returning to hers, continually searching for anything that might hint at deception. For any flicker of that blind, mad rage or catatonic blankness he had seen in her at first. Briefly, he glanced up to see Hades leaning against a bejeweled pillar. A bored expression was painted across the god's face, but even he couldn't hide the triumph and excitement in his eyes every time he looked at Alex.

Alex, for her part, had stopped struggling. She was watching Sirius with large, green eyes, a question splayed over her fine features. He didn't have an answer for her. Not one that would be acceptable.

A shiver of dread ran through him, but he couldn't bear to pull himself away from Galloway.

When she opened her mouth, it drew his complete attention again. A part of him nearly flinched back, waiting for her to scream at him or possibly attempt to kill him again. But all she said was, "I'm...I'm not sure. I mean... I don't know."

A snicker floated toward them, making Sirius' lip curl in a snarl. Again he glanced at Hades, just to find that they now had the god's full attention. Galloway stiffened and turned slightly, keeping her arms around Sirius. She shook her head, pressing herself a little closer to him. Sirius turned unconsciously, so that he was more firmly between Galloway and Hades.

"You do," the god all but purred. "You just don't want to say it."

It took a ridiculously long time for him to comprehend what Hades was hinting at. His insides turning to ice, Sirius turned back to Galloway. "What did you do?" He grabbed her shoulders when she refused to look at him. "Galloway, what did you do?"

He hadn't considered this possibility. Why hadn't he considered this?

Because you thought you were the weak one, a little voice in his head whispered. Not her.

Her eyes flashed as she returned her gaze to him. "What did you?" She cupped his jaw and turned his face back to where Alex was. "I think we've established I'm not the only one willing to make deals, Sirius." Her lips tightened into an unforgiving line. "Or willing to break promises."

Sirius swallowed hard against the lump in his throat at the sudden flash of movement in his peripheral. He refused to look, keeping his eyes firmly on Galloway's. For her part, she didn't look angry. Just sad. He wasn't sure if that was worse. 

A scent like silver and sawdust, clean leather and an autumn forest filled the air. It was joined seconds later by pomegranates and blood, hot sand and more silver. Sirius swore silently, his thoughts flashing toward Logan. Would the witch know when to cut his losses, once he realized Rick and Caleb were nowhere to be found down below?

A sharp intake of breath from Alex let him know her thoughts were moving in the same direction.

When he couldn't pretend any longer, he let his gaze slide away from Galloway's silver-mist eyes. Caleb and Rick knelt behind Hades, both bound and bloodied. Both with their eyes fixed on Alex. Sirius flinched when Galloway whispered, "Why would you bring them here?"

"Because I wasn't about to leave you to rot," he hissed, anger suddenly igniting in his chest. "I wasn't going to abandon you to this." He gestured around the room, encompassing Hell. "I wasn't going to let—" he shuddered, his voice grating in his throat like broken glass "—I was supposed to save you from all of this."

That earned him a strained sort of smile. Both of them knew he hadn't been quick enough to save her from anything. In all the time he'd spent dreaming of how this moment would feel, he'd always feared this version the most.

"Please," he said, voice nearly inaudible. "I didn't mean... I had to..." Sirius huffed out a defeated sigh and closed his eyes for a brief second. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her anymore.

Galloway bit her lip and Sirius whined, unable to stop himself from leaning forward. He all but turned to stone when she looked away. His breath stirred the pale, fine hairs around her ear. A low chuckle sounded through the room. From the corner of his eye, Sirius watched as Hades took the final few steps toward Alex.

Both Rick and Caleb struggled against their bonds, opening their mouths to shout, though no sound come from them. Rick spared a moment to shoot a vicious glare at Sirius, who turned his head away, just to be confronted by Galloway staring solemnly up at him. 

"I didn't want them here, Sirius," she whispered. "I didn't want..." She trailed off, sighing as she stood up. "It doesn't matter."

He supposed it didn't. 

Sirius wobbled to his feet, fighting against the pressure trying to keep him pinned down. Hades looked up from where he was still crouched over Alex, a frown on his face as he eyed the two of them. But he didn't do anything other than watch.

Tentatively, Sirius reached forward and grabbed her wrist, relief pouring through him when she didn't pull away. He gently tugged her closer. She didn't resist, but he didn't miss the reluctance that tensed her body. He tried to cup her face again, but she shook her head.

That fear he'd been harboring—that idea that she wouldn't love him after this—reared its ugly head, making him taste bile on the back of his tongue.

"You asked what I did," she said, her voice cracking a little. "I think you know what I did. What I always do. Even when I should know better."

Sirius sighed, everything in him starting to go still. He had been spinning his wheels for so long it was almost a relief to just admit to the fact that he was stuck.

"What?" he asked, voice flat and emotionless.

Galloway's eyebrows drew together, creating a delicate crease between them. She bit at her lip again, obviously mulling something over. She looked at Caleb, then toward where Hades was still crouched over Alex. The god lightly touched her chin, tilting her face more toward him. Sirius bit hard into the inside of his cheek, drawing blood in an effort to keep from doing or saying anything stupid. Rick's lips moved fast, the muscles in his neck cording as he obviously swore and shouted at Hades to leave his sister alone.

"I agreed," she said softly.

Caleb's head snapped toward them, his bitter-coffee eyes widening. He shook his head violently, once more trying to struggle to his feet. Galloway shrank back toward Sirius, who looped an arm around her waist, his fangs lengthening as he bared his teeth at Caleb, warning him off.

"I let him out, and he returns the favor," she whispered. "I agree to be part of the spell and don't do anything stupid and we're free. You, me, Caleb...anyone else you brought." She couldn't quite keep the accusation out of her voice. He understood how much he deserved it.

Sirius opened and closed his mouth several times, unsure of what to say. Finally, he turned to Hades. "What did you promise?" he snarled.

Hades stood up, looking wounded. "Just what your Huntress says." A devilish smile began to curl the corner of his mouth. "Upon my release, you and your pet Hunters and your darling witch go free."

There was a muffled thud and Sirius looked back toward the Hunters to find Rick had struggled so violently he'd ended up throwing himself to the ground. Hades rolled his eyes and twitched a finger toward him. 

"You bastard!" Rick screamed so loudly it made Sirius flinch. The Hunter wiggled forward a few more inches, his eyes blazing gold. "You swore. You swore she would get out of this fucking place alive!"

Sirius began to shake his head, but didn't get the chance to formulate a more elegant response.

"No," Hades said with a leer. "Actually you're the one he swore to get out of Hell alive." He snickered, locking Sirius' gaze with his own. "Shall I tell them what you put up as collateral to the dear old lioness?"

His heart pounding in his throat, Sirius rasped, "It doesn't matter."

"Oh come now." Hades bent and hauled Alex up to her feet. Her knees trembled beneath her weight, forcing her to rely on Hades' arm around her waist to keep her standing. "It always matters."

"No," he said, voice flat, watching as the gold in Rick's eyes burned brighter. "It doesn't." He turned to Hades. "Not anymore. Right?" Galloway shivered against him, though he couldn't tell if it was caused by the dead quality of his voice or the pleading look Caleb was giving her.

Smile deepening, Hades shrugged an acknowledgement. 

"The terms," Sirius said just as Hades raised a hand. The god cocked his head, fingers still ready to snap them all toward whatever gate he wanted opened. Sirius licked his cracked lips, his gaze darting from Galloway to Hades, then to Alex and Rick. "What were the terms?"

Rolling his eyes, Hades said, "I know English isn't even so much as a third language for you, Sirius, but you've always been rather clever. The terms seem easy enough to understand."

"Specifics," he snarled, claws accidentally punching through the cloth of Galloway's shirt and scraping against the skin of her abdomen. She hissed in surprise and ripped herself away from him. Trembling, she batted at her waist like she was on fire, skittering closer to where Caleb was still kneeling.

Heart sinking through the stone floor, Sirius stared down at his hands. His wolfish features had never frightened her. On the contrary, they had often seemed to draw her attention. Provoke her. Excite her.

What else had her time in Hell changed?

"What were the terms?" he repeated quietly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his tattered jeans.

Hades waved an airy hand. "Oh don't bore me, Sirius. Not now." Again he raised his hand, ready to drag them all toward some other festering corner of Hell.

"We all leave as corpses?" he demanded, taking a step toward the god. His knees attempted to buckle, but he forced himself forward another step. Hades was watching him now with a narrow-eyed glare. "We leave Hell just to find ourselves in the middle of a goddamned volcano. What, Hades? What's the catch?"

Once more, the lord of the Underworld pouted at him. "Why must there be a catch?"

All Sirius did was stare at him until Hades sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine," he dragged the word out like a sulky teenager. "Perhaps I played with the idea of leaving you and all your charming little friends in the Marianas Trench, but I wasn't actually going to do it."

Sirius, Galloway, Rick, Caleb and even Alex all gave the god identical expressions of disbelief. Hades laughed, his sharp teeth glinting in the dull light. "I swear," he said, holding up his free hand like he was taking some kind of oath. "No more tricks. No more catches. You and all your friends go free. I get to spend summer for the first time in millennium with Seph on Olympus."

Silence met this pronouncement, everyone trading looks, each trying to decide if anyone else was buying the possibility that Hades was telling the truth. 

"Do you really think I'd make a bad deal, Sirius?" Galloway asked, voice little more than a growl. "Do you really think I would agree to anything that wasn't specific about the state we would be in once we got out?"

Sirius had to force himself to meet her outrage. "I think," he said quietly, "that after enough suffering, anyone will say anything to make it stop. Especially you when it's not you suffering. When it's friends, instead."

She held his gaze for a moment longer. It astonished and sickened him when she was the one to look away first. After taking a deep breath, Galloway looked at Hades and pointed to Alex. "She doesn't die. She leaves with us when it's over."

"Of course," Hades purred, making Rick finally stop struggling. He and Caleb exchanged puzzled glances. Hades shook his head contemptuously. "The spell doesn't call for death. Merely blood."

"Okay," Galloway said, squaring her shoulders and flicking her hair back from her face. "Okay, can we just finish this already?"

Hades once again raised his hand, looking utterly delighted. Sirius' stomach twisted at the sight, but he kept his mouth closed. His own plans and dealings had all ended in sheer, unmitigated disaster, no matter what he did. Putting his faith in Galloway wasn't a hard thing to do. Following her lead was second nature to him by now. It would be a relief to just do as he was told.

"I believe a few of your party are missing," a silken voice called from the edge of the staircase.

Galloway sucked in a shocked gasp, stumbling forward a few feet. Sirius caught her before she could get any closer. She clung to him, fingernails gouging into the skin of his arms as she made a little choking sound.

"I wouldn't wish my lord to be called a liar, simply because he overlooked a few wayward souls."

Slowly, Sirius turned to find Caydryn grinning at him, his indigo hair moving like liquid in a gentle breeze. At his feet, Logan and Alex lay unconscious, blood glistening on the witch's temple. The Fae prince frowned, shaking his head so that the silver thorns in his hair jingled merrily. "A poor trick," he said, glancing between the Alex Hades was holding and the one at his feet. 

Galloway was shaking now, straining toward Logan. "No," she mumbled. "No. No you wouldn't do this."

"Oh, my dear," Hades gave her a look that would have been sympathy from anyone else, but simply looked gleeful on his features, "what wouldn't he do?" The god then turned a frown on Sirius. "I must say I am disappointed. When I said stupid, what I really meant was grand. Perhaps pointless, but grand nonetheless. Is this all that clever mind of yours could conjure up?"

Sirius didn't bother answering. All he could wonder was if he'd once again managed to destroy everything Galloway had been able to accomplish.

Caydryn stepped lightly over Logan and came toward Sirius and Galloway. He gave a laugh like fickle wind when Sirius growled at him in warning.

"I told you my price, Hellhound," he said, ivory eyes glowing with unearthly light. "An ideal." He reached forward, clawed fingers snagging at Galloway's hair. "Faith, in this case." He smiled faintly and stepped away. "Watch as hers breaks."