Hades must have looked like a raving lunatic running from room to room swinging his sash at every movement that caught his eye. If there was anything he refused to abide, it was spirits inhabiting his home. While it rarely happened, most of the instances could be traced back to Melinoe, and Hades often wondered if Gaia had put the cunning goddess in his path to test him. If so, he had failed spectacularly.

Hades's study hourglass was nearly spent when he returned there, and he had found no trace of the spirit anywhere. Not even a hint of lemon verbena lingered in his study. Surely the spirit had been responsible for triggering his senses. So, how had he missed the gut feeling? What kind of magic was at work here? Hades didn't want to entertain the possibilities, but it had to be done. After dinner, when all the children were tucked into bed, Hades retired to his chamber. Lexi was preparing for sleep, and she offered him a sympathetic frown as he shuffled to his chair, slumping into a defeated sprawl.

"Still no sign of the spirit?" she said.

He groaned as he kicked his boots onto the hearth and stretched out his legs. "He's probably taking refuge outside the walls, but he'll have to return soon. A spirit does not last long exposed to the underworld."

Lexi sat down across from him, putting her feet up on the armrest of her chair and crossing them. "Maybe he headed for Melinoe's place. Can a spirit survive a trip that long? Josef seemed pretty skilled."

Hades sat up and looked at Lexi around her feet. "Josef?"

Holding her lips tight, Lexi tried to look offended by Hades's tone. "He introduced himself to me."

"And what else did you have time to discuss besides his Norse ancestry and his golden hair?" Hades tweaked his eyebrows as he continued to hold Lexi's attention around her feet.

"We didn't discuss his hair, Hades. We talked about Melinoe being a manipulating witch who has him pinned under her thumb. I know you think my compassion gets me into muddy waters, but even you will agree that spirits deserve respect."

Hades grudgingly conceded as he leaned back in his chair. "That's a fair point, but I'm within my rights to be angry at the scoundrel for evading me. I have a hunch this spirit isn't what we think he is, and it has me contemplating something you might find disturbing."

It was Lexi's turn to peer around her feet to look at Hades. "Disturbing, how?"

Hades was prepared for her question, and feeling renewed, he rose from his chair to step onto the hearth, kicking away his boots to clear a path. He always thought better with the fire at his feet, and he wrung the sash between his fingers as he began his oration. "First, we need to consider the evidence against our houseguest...Josef."

Hades paused to let the spirit show himself. Few spirits could resist the call of their own name. Of course, there were exceptions. "He is an ancient spirit with ties to Melinoe. That's strike one. And he has managed to evade the lord of the underworld, so he's clever or imbued with magic. I'm guessing it's both. You say you can hear him speak. This is an enhanced skill for any spirit. Finally, he can vanish on the spot, which means Josef is not garden variety."

"So, what variety is he?" Lexi sat up to stare at him attentively, as if she had finally realized the seriousness of the situation. Unfortunately, the news wasn't good. Melinoe's fascination with the macabre, coupled with her sexual appetite, had brought Hades to a conclusion he hated to admit.

"My best guess is, Josef is an incubus."

Lexi snorted as she shook her head. "I don't think so. He and I talked about that, and he didn't admit to being one. Besides, he has no wings."

"Wings can be cloaked. You said he wore one."

"But he put the cloak on after I saw his..." Lexi paused long enough for Hades to cut in.

"Saw his what?"

"His chest. I would have seen wings behind him."

Hades pinched the bridge of his nose, letting the sash dangle in front of his face. "I need you to tell me everything about Josef, Lexi. What he did. What he said. Start with the first time he appeared to you."

Lexi wore a guilty expression as she fidgeted in her chair. Hades knew guilt was an emotion she didn't bother much with. Clearly, this spirit had gotten to her, which made it all the more urgent. "You and Ink were taking the spirits to the Lethe the first time I saw him," she said.

"Was he clothed or unclothed?"

Lexi inhaled deeply before breathing out her answer. "Unclothed."

"And you didn't find that odd?" he argued. "Spirits are imbued with an ethereal sheath unless they're skilled at manipulating their form. Was he hovering or standing?"

"Neither. He was lying down."

"Lying down? Where?"

Hades didn't like the look Lexi offered as she teased the corner of her lip. "In our bed?" she squeaked.

A cold sensation drew Hades's attention to his hand, and he realized he had twisted the sash so tightly around his fingers, they looked like eggplants. He quickly unraveled them without letting Lexi out of his sight. "What was he doing in our bed? And be specific."

"Well, I was taking a nap, and all of a sudden, Josef was there...behind me."

"Behind you! Naked!"

If Hades had been in possession of a wine glass, it would not have survived the hearth. As it was, he only had the sash, which he snapped against the stones, making Lexi jump. "Why didn't you tell me about Josef after you found him in our bed? Did something happen that you didn't want me to know about?"

"Nothing happened other than me jumping out of it like the sheets were on fire. Josef apologized and put on his cloak. Then he asked me to help him escape the underworld so he could return to his afterlife."

"Were you considering doing this?"

"Not without consulting you, but I wanted to judge Josef's character first. To see if his cause was worthy. Now that I've spoken with him a couple of times, I believe he's sincere."

"Sure, any spirit who slips into the sack with my wife has got to be sincere as fuck!" Hades slammed his hand on the mantle, making the hourglass shake. "You should have come to me about this as soon as I got home. This spirit is most likely an incubus. He meets the criteria. And I'm willing to bet there's more than an impressive dick hiding under that cloak."

"Really, Hades. It might have started out strange, but I don't think it's like that."

Hades had begun to pace again, and he cinched the sash around his fingers, ignoring the stabbing pain. "You wouldn't be able to see it yourself because he's lulling you into trusting him. It's a skill they all share, and it gets more powerful the longer an incubus or succubus is allowed to exist."

"But we still don't know if that's what Josef is. We don't even know where he is."

"Which brings me to that disturbing idea I had earlier." Hades held out his palm, letting the sash drape over it. "If I am going to keep you safe tonight, I need you to wear this to bed."

"You want me to wrap a sash around my waist? Like a spirit repellant?"

"An incubus repellant, and you won't be wearing it around your waist. I'll use it to tie your legs together, and maybe your wrists."

"Hold up." Lexi pushed out of her chair and met him on the hearth. "You want to bind my hands and feet so this supposed incubus can't have his way with me while I sleep? I think you're overreacting a bit."

As Hades prepared his rebuttal, he realized his teeth were clenched. He couldn't get words through them if he tried, which was no way to have a conversation with one's mate. With a deep exhale, he took the sash and slipped it around Lexi's back, using it to pull her body against his. Then he dropped a kiss onto her mouth, savoring her taste and her fragrance. He was reassured by the willingness of her lips as they swiftly responded to him, like she needed it too.

"You are my world," he told her earnestly. "My beginning and my end. I will do everything to protect you and our family. Please, indulge me this once, just until I am able to make our home safe again."

"You say once, but what if Josef stays hidden for days? I'm not sleeping tied up every night, Hades."

"If Josef is an incubus, he will not survive days without contact with a living being, and the most effective means is through sexual congress."

"Are you saying Josef will die without sex?"

"That is one way of putting it, but since he is already dead, his form will soon evaporate. And without the guidance of the Lethe, he will cease to exist."

"Really? If he doesn't take the boat, his spirit will be gone forever?"

"Josef's spirit was all but destroyed when Melinoe created him, if that's really what happened. Even if he takes the boat down the Lethe, his essence will likely not survive the transition."

Lexi's eyebrows rose. "That's awful. No wonder he wants to get the hell out of here."

"And return to his afterlife of feeding off mortals' sexual energy? Do you want to condone that practice, Lexi?"

"I'm not condoning anything. But how can we doom someone who has already been doomed?" Lexi offered her innocent wisdom as worry clouded her eyes, and Hades had to remind himself of her youth. It made her that much more vulnerable.

"There is a time when compassion means doing the right thing but not the easy thing," he said, hoping to appeal to her sense of logic, but based on the stiffness of her spine, she wasn't through making her point.

"Tell me, then? How do we decide what is the right thing?"

"We don't decide. The bylaws decide for us. Spirits enhanced by magical means are taken to the Lethe or allowed to wander the fields until they become dust." Hades took another deep breath, warming his nostrils, rallying himself. "If you don't want to be involved in the capture of this spirit, that's fine. I will deal with him as swiftly and discreetly as possible. But, in the meantime..." He pulled the sash from Lexi's waist and held it up. "If you don't want me inside you all night, I really wish you would grant me this one wish."