The Awakening of Nyx

A Trident Trilogy

Savannah L. Zher

The Awakening of Nyx

Copyright © 2024 by Savannah Zherebnenko

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ISBN 9798330208883

Editor: Taylor Robinson

Cover Artist: Jaqueline Kropmanns

To my daughter who had her own demons too early in life.

I love you.

Playlist

Just Pretend – Bad Omens

Medusa – Trinity Kirkland

A GOOD DAY TO D13 – Arankai

Sympathy – Too Close To Touch

Every Time You Leave – I Prevail, Delaney Jane

FEEL NOTHING – The Plot In You

Home – Prismo

Honest – Song House, Kyndal Inskeep

Making Eyes – Archers

If It Means A Lot To You – A Day To Remember

Falling In Love – Dennis Kruissen, Drew Love

Sweet and Dark – Miles Hardt

Throne – Bring Me The Horizon

Love In The Dark – Adele

Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper

Blood Sport – Sleep Token

What do you want from me? – Bad Omens

Follow You – Bring Me The Horizon

Differences – Ginuwine

DEAD THRONE – Arankai

NO FACE – Arankai

To Build A Home – The Cinematic Orchestra, Patrick Watson

Wash. – Bon Iver

Are You With Me – nilu

Electric – Alina Baraz, Khalid

Past Lives – BORNS

Give – Sleep Token

hostage – Billie Eilish

The Scientist – Coldplay

Chapter One

Ares

“The trident—” 

Water slams into me, cutting off my speech. The frigid ocean that Poseidon has unleashed upon us engulfs me entirely. All light ceases to exist as the water pressurizes around my head, trying to drown me. All of a sudden, the rope at my wrists loosens, freeing my arms from behind me. Blindly, I swim to Amethyst, but the current keeps tugging me back until I’m pinned against the jagged rock, nails scraping until they’re raw. The stone cuts into my cheek as my head cracks against it, but it’s the least of my worries. Only able to hold my breath for so long, my mouth sputters open, gasping for oxygen that’s not there. My throat and lungs burn as I inhale the salty water. As my vision fogs and my limbs grow weak, I drift farther from Amethyst. She’s a smart woman and I can only hope that she’ll put the pieces together in time to save herself.

The water around me falls back, cascading down my body in rivulets. Heaving, I barf out the water and then I’m gulping down sweet breaths of fresh air. I wildly look for Amethyst, thinking that I was swept far from her. But I’m still on the same rock. She’s done it, I think as I find her next to me. In the chaos, she’s somehow made it to me and achieved what I was trying to tell her to do.

Poseidon must’ve panicked when he saw what she did, thinking that this was the end of her, but little does he know …

The trident lodged in her abdomen glows a bright gold, pulsing with a hunger that I’ve never seen before. It licks up every drop of her blood, absorbing it into itself. I watch in rapture as the pulse seems to slow everything around us. The air is charged with static, making our hair stand up, even my sodden strands. None of us move toward Amethyst, knowing that this ancient power that’s manifesting will end us with one step toward her. The trident hisses a warning to stay away. To not disturb her until this transformation is complete.

Hades stands back, his gaze focused in anticipation, as if he knows what’s about to occur. And maybe he does. He did have a hand in her reincarnation.

Poseidon clicks his jaw into place with fear and hopelessness as he falls to his knees while watching what the trident does to Amethyst, waiting for it to eat her soul. Maybe in different circumstances I would’ve pitied him.

The air fizzes as the trident picks up its pulsing to a speed that a normal eye wouldn't be able to detect. And then her soul leaves her body, merging with its remnants located within the trident. Once combined, her soul—now complete—pushes back into her chest. The trident crackles like thunder as lines form at its pronged tips and travel down the base. Light bursts forth and then it explodes, shards of the trident spearing through the air. I squeeze my eyes shut as a piercing white light shines after the burst. A gust of razor-sharp wind blows strategically between us.

The flash of light is quick, and as it fades away, I open my eyes. The rocks on the beach are no more, turned to dust, along with the shells that were present. A deep crack indents the cliffside, turning it into a cavern. Even the ocean recedes, as if in fear of the power unleashed.

At my feet lies Amethyst. She appears lifeless, but as I reach down to pick her up, I notice the slight rise and fall of her chest. Not a shard of the trident remains, its purpose of storing the fragment of her soul no longer needed now that it's found its rightful home. With a grunt, Poseidon pushes me back, reminding me of a greedy toddler who never learned to share. My arms ache to hold her and jealousy tingles down my spine, a snarl bursting from my mouth.

“Uh, what is that?” Hades questions.

Shifting to see what Hades is referring to, I look out to the horizon and realize that the ocean wasn’t receding in fear. It was preparing for something much worse. The tide has been pulled back, exposing kilometer upon kilometer of the ocean floor. And at the end of it all stands Hera.

The last puzzle piece clicks into place.

It was never Amethyst who was the ultimate weapon.

The water rises and the earth rumbles as an ancient being begins to wake from his trapped slumber.

Panic buries itself within my chest, fluttering up my throat. But I don’t let it consume me. Pushing it down, I say to Hades, because I know Poseidon won’t be reasonable, “We need to leave before Chaos emerges from his prison.”

Hades tilts his head, eyeing me as if he’s seeing me for the first time. He opens his mouth to say something, but it’s Poseidon who speaks. He bares his teeth as he seethes, clutching Amethyst to his chest. “We? Hades and I will be leaving with Amy. There is no we.” There’s a glint in his eyes, that of a crazed man who thought he lost everything. But I don’t care. I can’t leave her. I refuse to allow us to be separated after all that we’ve gone through to get here.

Grinding my teeth, I school my features into stone as I lie. “She’s still connected to me. If she wakes without me near, she’ll have a mental break.” And then I smirk at him. “I’m sure that’s not what you want after finally getting her back.”

He holds Amethyst tighter to him and my fingers flex, wanting to separate them. She groans in pain. Can’t he see that he’s hurting her? I don’t know how much longer I can keep my face void of any emotion. I’ve perfected the art after being around Hera’s madness for so long, but Poseidon seems to be another story. It’s taking everything in me to not lunge at him and rip out his throat for his selfish manhandling of her. The feeling is foreign, but I gladly accept it like a man deprived of food. With my curse completely broken, I’m ravenous for these feelings of love that I’ve never felt before. 

I must not be doing a good job of hiding my bloodlust at Poseidon touching Amethyst, because Hades takes a step between us and says, “Amy is much stronger than you give her credit for.” Shadows ripple at his feet in warning, but also as a dare. Like he wants a reason to deny me being near Amethyst.

Just then, a raven dives into Hades, flapping his wings against his face. I don’t move as the bird turns its attention to me, perching on my shoulder. Its talons dig into my skin, drawing blood that soaks into my shirt. Hades’ body tenses in shock. He tilts his head again, eyebrows scrunched together. “Curious. How very curious.”

Letting out a huff of impatience, I jerk my head towards the incoming waters. “Chaos is stirring.” I point to Hades. “You know it.” Then to myself. “I know it. But him?” I don’t point to Poseidon, but Hades knows who I’m talking about, nonetheless. “He has rocks for brains. Not the brightest and I don’t have time to argue with him about the finer details of how we’re all going to die if we don’t leave this very moment.” That’s the most I’ve ever spoken to anyone, and I feel winded from the mental effort. I’ve only ever felt at ease talking to Amethyst. There is something about her that made me feel relaxed. She is easy to be myself around and I love her sassy mouth. That is, until the end … I hate thinking about what I did to her. But I bask in it because she doesn’t deserve for what I did to be forgotten. Internally shaking myself from my self-loathing, I watch the dot of my mother on the shore spread her arms open in sacrifice.

“Your decision, brother,” Hades says as he turns to Poseidon.

The King of the Ocean looks at me with malice crystalizing his turquoise eyes. “Come, but only because I want to give Amy the satisfaction of ending your life. Because when she wakes up, that’s the first thing she’ll want to do.”

Without wasting another second, Hades withdraws a passage stone from his pocket and throws it to the ground. Red light sparks forth, whizzing in a circle until a solid ring forms, showing an image of the Underworld. Poseidon is the first to go through, with Amethyst still in his arms. I go next and hold out my hand to the bird. “Uh, not sure how to do this, but if you’re coming with me then I’ll need to hold you.”

The massive black bird reaches forward, pecking lightly at my finger. With a low caw of approval, it lowers its head. Slowly, I maneuver the bird in my arms, holding it beneath my chest. “Are you a boy or a girl?”

As if understanding me, the bird lets out a cackle. I shake my head, a smile splays on my lips. “It doesn’t matter.”

I look back and see a giant tsunami rushing in over the entire length of the shore. With only seconds to spare before the water hits us, I pick up my speed through the passage, knowing that Hades will need to come through the other end to close it before the water comes through as well.

Chapter Two

Amphitrite

Doto sighs longingly at the mermen who shift their spears in a fighting formation. “You’re so lucky, Amphitrite.” Her light blue legs squirm together, conveying that she likes what she sees.

Playing with the pearl necklace, I look at Poseidon, who’s leading the squadron. Watching my husband as his muscles flex has become a favorite hobby of mine. Today is the first day my sister has joined me. “I know,” I say, tossing my hair over my shoulder. “I have the perfect life.”

Doto sighs again, and I click my tongue in annoyance. “You know, you are my sister, and although you aren’t as beautiful as me, you’re still a catch. Go ask one of the guards to come to your chamber. They would find it an honor.”

Her face turns red in embarrassment. “I don’t want to sleep with a merman.”

“Are you sure? They really know how to—” I lean toward her with my fingers pointed in a V at my lips. “Eat fish.”

“Ew, Amphitrite.” She shoves me away. “You’re a queen now. Does Poseidon know how vulgar you are?”

Rolling my eyes, I sit back in my chair. “Grow up. It’s not like I’m speaking this way in front of my subjects. And it’s just sex. Everyone does it.”

Doto sits in silence, her eyes not leaving the mermen as she ignores me.

“Doto. Doto. Doto. Doto,” I say as I kick her shin from under the table.

She whirls on me, baring her teeth. “What?”

“Oceanus, save me,” I mumble to myself and then louder to her. “When was the last time you got laid?”

“Seriously?” Her eyes bulge out. “Is that all you care about?” Having enough, she stands up and stalks out of the training room.

Snapping my fingers, a servant is immediately at my side. The water nymph, resembling a crustacean, asks, “Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Send a merman to my sister's chamber tonight. Tell him that her fins are tense and need to be loosened.”

The nymph nods his head, his whiskers shifting between us. “Anything else?”

Poseidon catches my attention, sweat dripping between his pecs. “Actually, there is. Send a merwoman to my chamber as well.”

The servant doesn’t look confused or bashful at my request. It’s not the first time Poseidon and I have asked for an extra companion to share our bed. Although my king only touches me, he loves watching another woman give me release. Blowing Poseidon a kiss, I get up and leave the room, making sure to swish my hips. Looking over my shoulder, I revel in Poseidon’s eyes glued to my ass. Oh, how I love looking this good.

Poseidon’s temple that the humans have made is littered with offerings from the sailors and families whose men are out at sea. Candles made of soy and salt cast long shadows across the temple floor. A bundle of wild celery sits at Poseidon’s marbled feet, wrapped tightly with a strip of wheat. One offering catches my eye. A little straw doll made from tiny hands with a note that reads, “Please bring Papa home.”

Little do they know that it’s me who answers their prayers and not the “god” that they pray to. Poseidon doesn’t like getting involved in human affairs, but I feel it’s the least we can do as higher beings. Why can’t we work together to bring prosperity to this earth?

The shuffle of feet has me hiding behind Poseidon’s likeness. I didn’t travel here with the guards because it’s my little secret from him. One that he has forbidden me from doing. Years spent as his wife and this is the only thing that I’ve disobeyed him on. Doto believes me to be an unworthy queen, but she has no idea of the things I do for this world.

Light footsteps draw nearer, and I press myself further into the statue, wishing that I could disappear. Even though I’m the Lady of the Sea, I’m still different. And history has proven that humans can’t handle “different”. I hardly know how to defend myself. If I’m caught by one of those humans with a closed worldview that sees little value to my life, then that’s the end for me …

I shudder at the thought. Nymphs have a long lifespan but we’re not immortal like the Genesis. Suddenly my nighttime excursion feels like a terrible idea and dread curdles in the pit of my stomach as the footsteps stop in front of the statue.

“Come out, child. It is only I.”

Recognizing the voice, I step out from behind the statue. “Hera,” I admonish as my lungs collapse. “You gave me the worst heart attack.” The clam bracelet at my wrist clinks as I raise a hand to my chest. My heart beats wildly against my open palm.

Hera opens her arms and I walk into them. My crown of deep sea jewels scrapes against my scalp as it presses into her shoulder. “The Earth speaks to me of an incoming war,” she says. “When are you going to learn to defend yourself?”

Letting out a breath, I release our hug and reach for her hands. Her eyes are a warm shade of concerned brown, while her lips are tightened in disapproval. “The ocean says the same thing,” I agree, squeezing her hands in mine and sighing. “I’m nervous for my community.”

Smiling softly, Hera leads me out of the temple and into the moonlit night. Not a soul walks the cobblestone streets, but a warm breeze passes through, indicating the upcoming summer. “We all are. No matter the generation, war seems to be inevitable.” She shakes her head and a loose curl falls from her braid. “What would you do if you found out the man you married is a monster?”

I bark out a laugh. “What’s with the sudden change of subject?”

“Poseidon goes hand in hand with war.” She shrugs.

“Stop with your jest, Hera. Poseidon always chooses what’s best for our realm. He is the epitome of chivalry. Never the monster you accuse him of being.”

Hera squeezes my hand. “Oh, child. There is so much for you to learn, but not enough time.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

She ignores my question and instead says, “There’s a woman I’d like you to meet.”

Hesitantly, I ask. “Who?”

The air shifts, sending me a scent of snakes and tears as Hera answers. “Medusa.”

I stop short. “You’re introducing me to the leader of the Gorgon Maidens? Are you trying to get me killed?”

Hera lowers her head to where she’s eye level with me. “Medusa is a dear friend of mine. One who is misunderstood. Just because she can turn those around her to stone doesn’t mean she is to be feared.”

“And what about the countless men her and her Maidens have killed for sport?” I glower, standing my ground. “You believe it’s right, what they do?”

The stone beneath my feet cracks in anger, a jagged line stretching from us to the end of the street. “Don’t be naïve to the poison your husband spews.” Hera’s grip on me tightens as her nails dig into my wrists in warning.

I flinch against the pain, and Hera quickly rubs her thumb over the marks, healing me instantly. Taking a step back from her, I cross my arms over my chest and say indignantly, “Poseidon would never lie to me.”

Putting her hands up in defeat, Hera takes one careful step toward me. “I only ask for you to hear her story.”

I lift my hand, stopping her advances. With my nose raised, I look down at her and sniff. “I thought we were friends.”

She takes my hand and presses my opened palm against her heart. “We are more than that, Amphitrite. You know very well that we are women living in a man’s world, where our voices are only ever heard in the shadows. Don’t tell me that Poseidon sees you as an equal, because then why else would you be keeping your trips to the human realm to help them a secret?” Her voice softens as she pleads, “Please. I’m asking you not as a friend but as a woman, laid bare, naked as the day I was born.”

My fingers curl against her warm skin, and through it, I can feel her and every woman of the earth that she represents. Mothers, daughters, wives. Young and old. “Okay. I’ll talk to her,” I agree, not realizing that would be the beginning of my downfall.

Chapter Three

Amy

My fingers are the first to move. They twitch against the solid arms that hold me in a vise. A pulse thrums against my ear, screaming of insecurity and fear that chant, mine. Mine. Mine.

Power thrums through my veins, distracting me for a moment from the tight embrace. It crawls under my skin, itching to be free from its fleshy prison. The power is raw and swirls within me, similar to how Chaos felt through the mind link. Untamed and barely restrained.

Inhaling deeply, trying to catch my breath, I’m surrounded by lemon and the sea. I sigh out in bliss at the intoxicating scent of home. But as I come to my senses, memories of my past lives as Nyx and Amphitrite flood my mind, wiping away the tranquility I feel in Percy’s arms.

The smell of home suddenly doesn’t smell so sweet anymore. Instead, what were blissful memories have turned tainted at the reality of what Percy did to Medusa. It obliterates any love I have towards this man pressed against me, his pulse beating in my ear, mine. Mine. Mine.

I stiffen in his arms and with the realization that I’m awake, he moves. But he doesn’t let me go. Instead, he holds me even tighter against his chest and through a hoarse whisper, he says, “You’re finally awake.”

“Percy.” I groan as I try to push myself away from him. “I. Can’t. Breathe.” I grunt out each word, loathing that his body is glued to mine like a second skin. Disgust overwhelms me and I feel that if he doesn’t let me go this second, I’ll barf.

Reluctantly, he releases me. His muscles shift and tense as he struggles to have any separation between us. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Finally free, I move away from him, leaving a very visible gap between us. I don’t look at his eyes. In fact, I look everywhere but at him. I don’t want to. Not when the urge to rip out his throat is so strong. Instead, I focus on one of the sconces embedded in the far wall. The flame flickers a bright orange, its sisters adding enough light to brighten the room. It feels like it was a different lifetime ago when I was last in this bed with him. But I guess it kind of was. Now the memories are tainted, and I don’t know what to do with them.

“Does he still have a hold on you?” he asks, his voice laced with restrained anger. But not at me, toward him.

I close my eyes and think about my time with Ares. Am I still broken? Does it still feel like if he were gone, I’d be lost forever?

No … I no longer want to throw down my life for him. But I did … I did fall in love with him …

Tears sting my eyes. Tears of self-loathing for loving someone other than Percy. Even if Percy did the unthinkable, I didn’t know those things at the time I was falling for Ares. I want to say yes, that Ares has a hold on me because my heart still beats fiercely for him. But it’s not the type of hold that Percy is asking. So I open my eyes and stare into his turquoise shades that swirl with deep blue. “No,” I say. “Whatever he did to me, it broke after I stabbed myself with the trident.” 

The exhale that leaves him is one of relief and the planes of his shoulders relax. He reaches for me and I flinch away from his touch, my lip curling in distaste. Frowning, he drops his hand on the pillow. Searching my eyes, he tries again, but this time, instead of going to cup my face, he moves his fingers to trace over my hair that is fanned out across the pillow.

I move away from that also, sitting up to be cross-legged on the bed. Eyebrows furrowed and eyes filled with hurt with confusion, his mouth pops open. Before he can ask me about why I’m avoiding his touch, I ask, “What’s going on in the world above?” For I already know what’s been unleashed. I can feel his unchained presence like a second skin weighing down on everything that I’ve ever loved. Waiting to take it all from me.

He coughs, trying to hide how deep my denial of him is hurting. “It’s been silent. For someone who created the universe, he’s sure been quiet.”

I hum, “He’s weak.” Biting my lip, I think about whether I should tell Percy that I have all of my memories back from my past lives and that Chaos didn’t create the universe alone. But a hot stone lodges itself in my throat, holding me back from voicing that. Instead, not wanting to leave him in total darkness, I inform, “There was a diary written by Nyx. It explained that she had locked him in a prison.” My fingers grip the duvet as I follow the line of Percy’s jaw, thinking of slitting it clear across. “It happened during a time when the human race was still young. So, he’s been asleep for quite a long time and because of that, he’ll need to build his strength back up.”

Percy doesn’t say anything, only stares at me with longing. He drinks me in, memorizing every little detail. Can he tell that I’m no longer the woman he knew? That during my time as a captive, I did things. I had hurt others and there were times when I enjoyed it. Enjoyed the pain that I caused, and the pain that was inflicted on me.

Like a wounded animal, I warily lay back down, suddenly tired. Words that should be spoken between us are left unsaid. I wish we could go back to when things were easier. Back when I yearned for his touch instead of inching to be away from him. Back when I was just Amy, and he was the boy on the beach who loved chocolate.

He looks better than the last time I saw him. And I hate him for it. He’s more rested. At ease. The dark circles under his eyes are gone, no longer giving him a haunted look, and his grown out beard has been trimmed.

My stomach rumbles. It’s loud and clearly yells for food. How long has it been since I last ate?

Percy’s mouth splits into a grin. “You were always one to forget to eat.”

I use this as an opening to gain more space between us and hop out of bed. I bite over my shoulder, “Kind of hard to eat when you were trying to drown me.”

His face falls at my comment. He doesn’t reply, knowing that there’s no sass to what I said. Only a vehemence at him purposefully hurting me. I turn back to the door and walk out, not waiting for him to follow.

Chapter Four

The Underworld has not changed since I’ve been here last. The unnatural light shines bright above, signaling that it’s “day”. Percy stays by my side but keeps his distance, contemplative and worried as he stares at me through pinched brows. His honey blonde hair is tied back with a leather at the base of his neck, making him look more like a Greek deity than the ocean boy I once knew him as.

Ignoring his presence, my hands brush against the lush ferns that sprawl out into the walkway. A walkway that I now know the full story of from my recovered memories.

There’s a pop. It rings in my ears. Deafening and yet silent.

I open my eyes to a world of darkness, but there’s a presence besides me. It moves, pouncing atop me, tearing and cutting. Mending and nurturing.

Confused, but wanting to survive, I fight back.

The presence laughs and I laugh back, suddenly enjoying this game we play as we clash through this vast nothingness. Over and over he rips me apart, only to mend me again until I have learned to do what he does.

After healing a slash down his middle, I see a flash of his teeth in an upturned smile before he strikes, sinking his canines into me. It’s sharp yet soft. Moaning at the pain lancing through me, I arch my back into him. Suddenly, this game has turned addictive, and I want more. Is this what I was made for?

“More,” I beg as I press my form to mold against his.

His smoke collides with my shadows, obliging as we tumble together through this realm. Slowing us down, he ends our game. “You shall be called Nycta. My new pet.”

It takes me a moment to find my voice, but when I do, I ask, “And what shall I call you?”

“I am Chaos.” His smoky hand caresses down a tendril of my shadow. “I was lonely, so I made you in my likeness. And now together we’ll create the universe to rule side by side.”

Blinking out of the memory, I look down at the walkway that has turned to Hades and Persephone’s story. A tale of Hades' misery after I died, only for his soul to be complete with Persephone, bringing life to the Underworld. I don’t know the history of Persephone’s lineage, but she must be a descendant of Gaia, who I created from my womb to nurture the universe. Chaos always spoke of balance. So to balance out life that I had given, he created death.

Hades knew the truth of Nyx, yet my father didn’t. The history that he had told me was one of Chaos being the creator of the Genesis and that Nyx was one of the first Gen that represented night. But now I know that it’s something Nyx had done on purpose. She wanted her hand in creation to be forgotten.

The familiar eating hall comes into view with its white-washed clay columns. Two flower nymphs sit at the steps, creating crowns out of bell flowers. Their skin is varying shades of green and brown, mixing together like moss on bark.

The younger one sways her head back and forth after the crown is placed atop her head, between her long, pointed ears. The flowers jingle, creating a joyful sound, and the nymphs laugh at the merriment it brings. The older nymph’s eyes crinkle at her companion, but when she looks up to see who’s approaching, her mouth drops and eyes widen. She stands abruptly, grabbing the other nymph by the forearm to hoist her up into a standing position.

“Good morning,” the older one says while bowing, speaking in the forgotten tongue. She looks to check if the other is following her lead and when she sees that she hasn’t bowed to me, she grabs her by the back of the neck to bring her down. The little one grumbles in confusion, not sure what’s going on.

“I’m so sorry. She doesn’t know better. Please forgive us.” The older one speaks again, her voice sounding like swaying stems in the wind.

“What is this about?” Percy asks, taking in the nymphs’ unusual reaction.

I cut him off, waving him away as I lean down to be level with the nymphs. “You may rise, my children.”

They straighten. Still crouching myself, they’re much shorter than me and our eyes meet. “Your crown is beautiful,” I say to the younger one. “What’s your name?”

Her eyes are bright and full of wonder as she answers, “Clotharine.”

“Ah, a perfect name that fits a perfect nymph.” I run my finger along her crown. A cascade of chiming bells follows.

She blushes at my compliment, her cheeks turning rosy beneath her rich green skin. It reminds me of soft flower petals. Delicate and sweet. Turning my attention to her elder, I ask, “I take it Hades or Persephone informed you of who I am?”

She nods her head. “Yes.”

“Do you know if everyone was told?” It seems impossible for the world to know that Nyx is back, but with Hades, anything is possible.

“Everyone that dwells here in the Underworld knows who you are.” She glances at Percy quickly and then back to me before saying, “All of the nymphs, that is.”

I smile at her and wink. “It’s a surprise.”

Nodding her head again, she doesn’t question why I haven’t told Percy of who I originally was. She fidgets on her feet, anxious to leave but knowing that she can’t until I dismiss her. When I straighten my legs, the older one comes to my abdomen and Clotharine to my knees.

“I’m famished,” I say to them.

“Is that why you’ve come to the hall?” Clotharine asks.

“Yes,” I answered her. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to the crepes before Hades eats them all.”

“Of course,” the older nymph says, reaching for Clotharine and walking down the rest of the steps.

“I hope to see you again!” Clotharine chirps, straining away from her companion’s grasp.

I hear the other nymph scold her but can’t hear exactly what she says, only the stern tones of an elder, teaching a young nymph etiquette when talking to someone like me. I inwardly sigh, already longing for the days when I was a nobody, graphing the sea floor.

“Why did you go along with that nonsense?” Percy asks, no longer keeping silent now that the nymphs are gone.

Groaning, I rubbed my temples in irritation. “You’ll find out soon,” I say dismissively, and then ignore his irritated growl as I finish climbing the steps up to the hall.

The long wooden table is set up with an assortment of food. We’re the first ones to arrive for breakfast and I fill my plate up, feeling like I haven’t eaten in weeks when it’s only been a day. Percy does the same, but he doesn’t pile his plate as high as mine. He doesn’t judge me for it, but I wish that he would. It’d give me another reason to hate him.

As I take the first bite, Hades walks in. He wears his go-to white toga with his dreads pulled back in a similar leather tie as Percy’s. Golden strands weave through his dreads, highlighting his ebony skin that flushes with the fading light of the sun. A little something that he inherited from his mother, Hemera.

“Don’t tell the others, but Hemera is my favorite.”

Chaos chuckles in my ear as he watches the Genesis that we created care for the universe. “And why is that?”

He nips my earlobe, and I sigh contently into him. “Because in the light, all truth is seen.”

I blink, and Persephone enters behind Hades. She chose not to wear his favorite article of clothing, and instead has on tight burgundy yoga pants with a matching sports bra. The shade pairs exquisitely with her chocolate coloring. Her hair is pulled back as well, showing off her pointed ears that are tinged with green.

Both of them stop abruptly when they see me and bow deeply, showing their respect. My lips quirk up halfheartedly.

“What the fuck is going on?” Percy mutters into his plate.

When Hades rises out of his bow, I am greeted with a shit-eating grin.

My upper lip curls in response and I snap, “I told you not to bring me back.” 

Persephone looks between me and Hades, and then at the knife clutched in my hand. She smiles mischievously before she grabs a plate of her own and starts placing an assortment of food on it, piling it even higher than mine.

Hades’ smile drops as he becomes serious. “Even after finding my soulmate, I still owed you that.”

Focusing my attention on the biscuits and gravy before me, I aggressively cut into it. Through clenched teeth, I voice, “The universe doesn’t need me anymore. You should’ve left me instead of harvesting my soul for future births.”

Percy turns to me, setting his fork down against the plate. “Births?” he asks, catching onto my plural use of the word.

I don’t answer him, instead I shove food into my mouth, chewing and imagining that it’s Hades’ head. My initial attraction and easy companionship with him now make sense. My soul recognised him and still loved him. But it’s not the same type of love I had for him when I walked as Nyx. Time has dulled it to friendship.

“You haven’t told him?” Hades asks me with a look of amusement.

I glare at him and hear a snort from Persephone. If circumstances were different, I’m sure we would become great friends.

He rolls his eyes at me and then says, “Brother, this may come as a shock to you, but before Amy was Amphitrite, she was also Nyx.”

The hall becomes eerily silent. I glance at Percy to see him looking at me, hurt stricken across his face.

“Surprise,” I mumble through my food.

His turquoise eyes wash over in a deep blue, turning almost black. Melancholy. Hurt. Betrayal. I see it all in his eyes and yet I’ve grown numb to him. But I explain, pointing to Hades with my knife. “He decided not to give me up.”

“Never gonna give you up,” Persephone sings, shimmying in her seat.

“Never gonna let you down,” Hades vocalizes back, unable to help himself.

Holding back the urge to sing along with them, I fold my lips between my teeth and blink at Hades, surprised that he’s kept up with pop culture.

Sitting across from me, he composes himself and leans forward across the table. “After everything you had given, you deserved your happy ending,” he says softly.

“Happy ending?” I scoff, no longer amused. “My happy ending was death. And now your foolishness has unleashed Chaos.”

Percy’s stunned silence is palpable, but no one pays him much attention as Persephone adds to the conversation. “You’re Nyx, the most powerful out of all of us. You can easily get rid of Chaos again.” She enunciates the word again, like it’s that easy.

Turning my attention away from Percy, I look to Persephone and then to Hades. “You’re all ignorant to the fact that I am caged in this body. I have my original power back, coursing through my veins like a livewire, ready to be unleashed. But what I once was is trapped in this body.” I bite my bottom lip, debating a lie, but opting for the truth. “Well, not trapped, but subdued. I can’t kill Chaos in this state.”

“Why didn’t you kill him when you had the chance?” Percy questions, his feelings written all over his face.

“Because he was still my master. I wasn’t strong enough to kill him, only put him to sleep.”

Percy nods his head, trying to understand. “You act like we need to get rid of him. But why?”

The food turns in my stomach at what will become of this world—the last of everything we created—if Chaos wins.

Unable to speak, Hades does for me. “Chaos is unhinged. He embodies his name. Everything he feels and does is twisted because he’s in a constant war with himself. For example, he loves Nyx, but just as fiercely, he abhors her.”

My food loses all flavor, tasting of ash in my mouth. I reach for the glass. Its sweat clings to my fingers as I raise it to my lips and swallow the cold water in deep gulps. “The universe was still intact when I put Chaos to sleep,” I whisper, staring into the bottom of my empty glass. “I was his, but … then there was Hades. And Hades was everything I was missing. When Chaos found out what was between us, he meant to murder Hades. And of course I couldn’t allow that to happen.”

“Amen,” Persephone praises.

“I had just given birth to our child when a few of the Genesis rebelled against what I did.” I look up from my glass to Hades. “Three years.”

Hades’ eyes twinkle. “They were a good three years.”

Persephone rubs soothing circles on Hades’ back, and he leans into her touch, humming under his breath.

“Now with him awake,” I continue. “He’s going to be replenishing his energy and by doing so, it will destroy this planet.”

Percy inches forward, the heat of him brushing against my bare arms. “What kind of relationship with Hades?” His tone is quiet, but it’s laced with a possessiveness I never quite noticed before.

I see Hades roll his eyes at his brother before I close my own. Taking in deep breaths, I count to ten to help myself remain calm. I’ve been through worse, but Percy’s perceived ownership over me feels like nails dragging across my brain. His proximity is becoming too much and at any given moment, I know I’ll lash out at him.

“We used to fuck.” I can hear the smirk in Hades’ voice. He was always one to tease. “Hence the words our child in her story.”

Before the conversation escalates any further, I open my eyes and ask, “Where’s Ares?”

“I thought you said you weren’t attached to him anymore,” Percy accuses.

The chair behind me falls as I abruptly stand, no longer able to be near him. “Did you kill him?”

“No. I left that for you to do.” He smirks at the image that produces.

I deflate in relief. He’s alive. “I will not be offing him. So wipe that asinine grin from your face.”

“Why the hell not?” Percy barks, his chair mimicking mine as he pushes himself up.

I look down my nose at him, breathing heavily through my nostrils. Or at least as down as I can with him towering over me. Standing my ground, I turn my head from him to Hades. “Where is he?” I ask, ignoring Percy entirely.

Hades raises a brow but answers, “The most secure place there is. The cave.”

“You’re not going to him,” Percy orders.

“I bloody hell will.” Stepping away from his overbearingness, I speak to Hades and Persephone. “Tell him he’s being a bigot.”

“You’re a bigot,” Persephone says immediately. Ten points for team Persephone.

“Really, brother, give her some space. I know you just got her back, but she obviously has some stuff to sort through. Back off.”

Percy turns to stone at those words. At the command from Hades. “When you decide that you still love me.” He exhales through his nose and I swear I see steam. “No, when you realize all that I did to get you back—to save you from that monster—I’ll be waiting in our room.”

He whirls, leaving the dining area. His back muscles are bunched up in a ball of fury, rippling with a self-control that’s about to snap. Good. That makes two of us.

Chapter Five

Ares

The air is damp. So thick with condensation, I can barely breathe. It wasn’t originally like this when I was brought here. The air was dry, with a simple island in the middle of the cavern surrounded by a lake. The empty water parted for me as Hades instructed me to go to this island. And then when I made contact with the fine sand, the plant lady—Persephone—grew vines. They burst from the water's depths, unruly, with thorns sharp enough to sever a limb. The added cage really was unnecessary. Even if they hadn’t set up extra precautions to keep me caged, I wouldn’t have tried to escape. I came here willingly, after all.

I came here for her.

Drawing circles in the sand, my ears perk at the familiar voice. One of starlight and endless night. Her voice is the sweetest lullaby. Even before she broke my curse, her voice always brought contentment and peace. Something that I hadn’t felt in hundreds of years.

The brambles slither away, slinking back under the water's surface at Amethyst’s command. In the dimly lit cave, I find her immediately. Ghosts that I hadn’t seen guarding me blink back to wherever they wander at the flick of her hand, dismissed from their duty. Her fingers are slender and delicate. There’s a sureness to them that was never there before. Her raven hair falls straight behind her back and over her shoulders. I rake over every inch of her, soaking in all of her details like a parched man who’s found a well filled to the brim.

I’m so lost in her beauty, I hadn’t noticed that the water parted for her. Only when she’s standing right in front of me do I realize that she moved. The moles dotting across her ivory skin remind me of forgotten worlds waiting to be explored. Her lips part as she bites the bottom one, a habit she has when she’s lost in thought or right before she’s about to tell a lie. Losing control over the desire to nip at them myself, I look into her eyes to deter those thoughts.

The world fades away as I lose myself in her irises that are no longer moss-green but are now a deep purple. A sliver of her original eye color remains as a thin ring around her pupils. She slowly blinks at me, processing what’s happening between us. Galaxies form in her pupils, wanting to burst free until she blinks again and they recede back to wherever they exist in her.

There’s a ringing in my ears and then a loud pop at the sound of her heavy breathing. She feels it. She knows what this means. But she’s holding back. No matter how much I want to claim her. To fuse our souls in the blood bond that only soulmates can do, I get that animalistic desire under control because she clearly doesn’t want that right now. Hell, she might be here to kill me like Poseidon had offered.

“You hurt me.” Those three simple words from her soft pink lips break me. I shatter under the weight of them as she looks away.

Clenching my fists, wishing I could go back in time to take it all back, I admit, “I hate myself for it.”

She shrugs. “You didn’t know how else to break your curse.”

I shake my head. “I didn’t do it for the curse. It was a bonus, but I did it because of the diary.” The words spill out of me as I try to explain. “On the last page, you specifically wrote that if Hades brought you back, that your soul needed to be complete. Something that you had fiercely underlined, explaining that if you died completely to where your soul was destroyed, Chaos would awaken. And from what I read, we didn’t want that to happen.”

She sighs, looking down at the ground, her feet kicking up the sand. “My awakening still brought him back anyway.”

“Hey.” I tilt my head, trying to get her to look at me. When she does, I say, “We’ll get through this.”

She searches my eyes, and when she finds what she’s looking for, she nods her head. “I—” Her brows pinch as she struggles for words. “I—” She tries again before shaking her head.

“Amethyst,” I encourage softly, taking her hand in mine, hoping that she won’t deny this contact.

Her eyes shutter closed, and her breathing becomes rapid as her body melts from my touch. The fire within me awakens and I internally slap myself. Get your shit together.

“I’m so mad at you.” She chokes, her eyes squeezed shut.

I can’t keep this distance between us anymore. Not when I’ve hurt her like this. I did that, and I can’t—I need to fix this. Tugging on her hand, I bring her to me while running my hand through her hair to press her head against my chest. My other hand releases from her to wrap around her torso. Amethyst doesn’t protest my hold on her. Instead, she lets out a strangled sigh of relief and hesitantly holds me back.

“I’m yours, Bunnicula. Do whatever you want to me and I’ll take it. I’ll take it all.”

She snorts and peers up at me. “If I did that, then you’d die.”

Cupping her chin, my thumb brushes against her cheek. She’s soft, with skin as smooth as porcelain. “Then kill me.”

Her eyes narrow, looking like a kitten out for vengeance. Pushing herself from me, she crosses her arms. “I need Alice.” And then a beat later she adds as an afterthought, “If she’s still alive.”

I feel empty without her in my arms. Like an addict, I need more of her. My body aches and I already feel myself having withdrawals. A tremor moves down my arm. I clench my fists. Will this feeling relent if we ever do the blood bond? Is this the true reason why Hera chose to drink blood, because it numbed her attraction to her soulmate when she refused the bond?

“Knowing Alice, she’ll be alive.” That prompts Amethyst to give a small smile, and I continue. “I know where to find her.”

“How?” She sounds hopeful and I’m glad that I can give her that feeling. Anything to replace what I have destroyed between us.

“After I stole the diary from her and read it, I went to her. I broke into her mind and forced her to tell me where her loyalties lie. I had to know what her end game was. And it was Hera. She wants her dead. And I want her dead as well. So we’ve been working together, trying to figure out how to get your soul that was in the trident back to where it belonged. Then, right after the battle in Nevada, we had a feeling that Hera was going to play her final piece, so we decided on a meeting place if we ever got separated.”

Amethyst eyes me, almost accusingly. “Did you know what she wanted when you were torturing me?”

I flinch. “Of course not. I had a hunch that she wanted to bring her dad back to life, but I had no idea how she thought she was going to do that. I thought maybe she was delusional enough to think that once you were her puppet that you could somehow do it. But even though I had …” I close my eyes, breathing in and accepting what I did by saying those words out loud. “Even when I had tortured you to where you were broken, just like she wanted, it was really me who was being played. Because in the end, I still did what she wanted by having you stab yourself with the trident. She somehow knew that doing that would wake up Chaos.” I open my eyes to look at her. “And now I know for a fact that she wants Chaos to end this world because she thinks once that happens, the universe will restart. And with it, there will be a universe where Oceanus exists again and they can be reunited.”

“That’s not how that works,” she mumbles.

I shrug my shoulders, itching to be closer to her. “That’s not what she believes.”

Sighing, she turns to exit the cave. “You’re a free man, Ares,” she says, not looking back. “But I would appreciate your help in retrieving Alice.”

Following her through the tunnel, I say, “I’ll need some supplies and a plane ticket.”

“I’m sure Hades has a private jet somewhere. And what supplies are you thinking of?” she asks, side-eyeing me.

“A grenade launcher. Maybe a knife. Definitely a nuke,” I tick off on my hand.

“Planning world domination?” she asks, a smile flickering across her face.

I smile back at her, and she quickly drops her grin. “I don’t need much. Mainly cash,” I say. “It’s easier to maneuver around the world without having to manipulate everyone to let me eat and do things for free.”

Amethyst hums in approval. “You can go to the dining hall before you leave. Hades will inform you of how you’ll leave and arrive from here.”

“And what will you be doing?” I ask.

“While you do my dirty work, I’ll be lazing about, enjoying what the Underworld has to offer me.” She looks up at the glowing worms as she says this, her hand reaching out to touch one.

“Typical,” I jest.

Coming to the entrance of the cave, Amethyst opens the door. The light shines atop her raven-colored hair, making a halo of purple. Looking over her shoulder, she turns serious. “Please be quick. And try to avoid Percy.”

“You’re not coming with me to the hall?”

She raises an eyebrow. “I told you. I’ll be preoccupied with what the Underworld has to offer me.”

Chapter Six

Amy

It’s dark in the hot spring, exactly how I like it. Only one sconce is left lit, flickering gently from a nonexistent breeze. Leaning my head back against the slab of stone that’s cut into the wall to fit a person to relax into, I allow myself to think of Ares. I know I should end what this is between us, destroy the bond. But I can’t bring myself to do that. There’s a side of me that craves what he did to me. That wants to relish in the pain. And that side is winning over the small part of me that is still human. That’s why it’s winning, though, because there’s only a sliver of humanity left in me. I’ve become an animal. A mass of energy that is just as unstable as Chaos. No one knows that, though.

Keeping a tight leash on my power has been exhausting, hence why I need the solitude of the springs to ground me back to normal. Resisting the urge to claim Ares was the most mentally straining thing I’ve ever done. But sending him off by himself to retrieve Alice was just as physically hard. My soul doesn’t want him gone, but my mind … I don’t know what my mind wants.

Footsteps pad against the stone floor and I stiffen, knowing who they belong to. I let out a heavy sigh, full of frustration and exhaustion. I just can’t seem to get a break.

Percy stands at the edge of the pool, searching for me. Even though I’m shrouded in the shadows where the lone sconce’s light can’t reach, he knows I’m in here. Letting go of the towel around his waist, he steps down into the water. My jaw clicks as I look away from his naked form, the slight movement sending ripples across the water, alerting him of exactly where I am.

As he wades closer, he can make me out better and his eyes take in my own nakedness. The water comes to my waist as I sit on the indent of the cave, lapping around my hips. When his eyes meet my breasts, I wrap the shadows tighter around me, blacking out my torso and chest so that he can’t ogle what’s no longer his.

He frowns and then looks at my face. “Talk to me,” he begs, halfheartedly reaching out his hand.

Not moving from my spot as he comes to sit next to me, I ask, “Do you remember the name Medusa?”

He tilts his head in confusion. “No?” But something about his tone seems off. His voice is raised slightly, as if he’s lying.

I grind my teeth. Of course. “That’s funny, because she seems to be unable to forget about you.”

“What are you talking about?” He shakes his head warily.

Not able to hold back my disgust with him anymore now that we’re on the topic of what he did, my lips curl into a sneer as I spit out, “She claims you raped her. Right before your marriage to Amphitrite. But Amphitrite knew, and that’s why she betrayed you and her people. She. Couldn’t. Stand. You.”

“I—” His bottom lip wobbles as it opens and closes like a dying fish gasping for air.

“Do you remember now?” I quip.

“I wouldn’t call what I did rape,” he mumbles.

I scoff at the audacity. “Oh? Pray tell?”

“She made advances toward me first.”

“And?” I look down my nose at him, something that I’m seeming to perfect when it comes to this male. “Go on, I’m waiting.”

“And so I carried it through.”

“You carried it through? Even after she changed her mind and said no?”

“No … yes. I mean—” Percy runs his hand through his hair, speechless.

“I can’t even look at you,” I say through a tired breath. After everything we’ve been through, it’s come to this. It makes me wonder if I would’ve still accepted him back when I was naïve and ignorant of the world around me. Maybe if he was remorseful for what he had done. But I’m not that person anymore.

He was old enough to know better. He was old enough to respect women.

“Are you really going to let some fling that happened years ago ruin what we have?”

Did he really just say that? My tiredness turns to a cold rage that simmers in the bottom of my stomach. “Some fling?” I seethe. “She said no, and you still forced yourself upon her. That’s called rape!” My voice turns shrill at the reality of what he’s admitting. “Aren’t you ashamed? Do you have any idea how that act ruined her?” I search his eyes, begging him to show me that the man I thought I knew is still in there.

But he doesn’t see that what he’s saying is wrong in every sense. “Well, it turned her into one of the Gorgon Maidens that’s mad with blood.” He shrugs his shoulders, bored with this conversation. “So if that’s what you want to describe as ruined.”

There it is. The most damning thing he’s ever said. “Are you even listening to yourself right now?”

He rolls his eyes, oblivious to the damage he’s done. “I don’t understand why you’re getting worked up over it. Looking back, yeah, that’s something I shouldn’t have done. But times were different back then. Men took what they wanted.”

I freeze, my skin prickling with pins. First at my toes and then in a rush, they travel up to my skull. The ice turns to heat until I am washed in a rage so maddening that all I see is red. “Stop. Talking.” I say, full of venom. “It may have been years ago for you, but to the person who it happened to, they’re still living with it. The ghost of your hands are still on her, haunting her. Can you comprehend that?”

Still oblivious of the line that he’s crossed and the danger he’s in, Percy reaches for me.

“Don’t touch me,” I warn, standing up to get away from him.

“Amy,” he coaxes as he uses the water to tug me closer to him. My bare chest rubs against his own, making me feel disgusting and hopeless. But I’m not hopeless. Not anymore.

Opening my mouth, I scream. I scream out all of my anger, hurt, and betrayal he’s made me feel and the memories of Rubeus that this situation brings up. And then I sink my teeth into his chest, tearing into his flesh. Percy pushes me back, and I take a chunk of him with me. Spitting out the skin and muscle that I’ve stolen from him, I call upon the shadows, encasing us in total darkness. But being who I am, I can see in the dark. Unlike Percy, whose eyes are wide open in panic as he frantically moves his head around with his arms outstretched.

“I don’t understand!” he bellows. “Why are you allowing this to destroy us?”

His voice is like an annoying fly buzzing around my head. Bzz. Bzz. No longer do I find him comforting. Now, all I wish to do is silence him.

Flinging my arm to him, more shadows shoot out of me and I plunge them down his throat. There’s a beat of silence and then he thrashes. He reaches to where he last saw me, clawing at his throat as he’s trying to breathe. His choking sounds become music to my ears.

Walking up to him, I turn the shadows into a thick rope and wrap it around his body to hold him in place. Caressing the shadows plunged down his throat, I hissed into his ear. “Learn the word no.”

I don’t drop the bindings and allow him to breathe until I’ve left the room. One that I’ll never set foot in again. So much for a relaxing bath.

Chapter Seven

Ares

The outskirts of Pompeii are flooded with tourists. Their laughter and talk of history floods my ears as I exit a tour bus. To the north of the city sits the volcano that the nymphs used to end the war against the humans during that time. The mountain slumbers but still remembers.

The sun shines down with the warning of summer approaching. Its rays warm the top of my head as the chatter of the tourists turns into a low buzz the closer I get to the sectioned-off portion of Pompeii.

Not in the mood for mind control, I maneuver around a security guard, stepping over a caution barrier that reads non entrare. The clay street leads me to a narrow alley, its tall walls cutting off the sunlight. A lone mouse scurries across, followed by a black cat. Both disappear around the corner where bits of grass grow. Even amongst the rubble, life always finds a way.

To the mortal eye, the end of this alley looks like nothing but a blank wall. A dead end. But magic is something you can smell, and to one who wields it, this specific wall is dripping with it. I give a quick glance over my shoulder to make sure the guard hasn’t strolled this way before walking through the wall. The magic ripples over my skin, first my toes and then the crown of my head, washing me in an ice bath. If I stop, it’ll cement me in the space between.

Through, I stop and look around at the old Pompeii. A memory made into reality of what the city used to be before the eruption. How this place of quiet solitude stuck in time came to be, no one knows. But one who stumbles across it will find a capsule of what once was.

The entryway to a middle class house stands before me. Columns line the courtyard in the shape of a rectangle with an olive tree centered in the middle. Clay pots of brown and black rest at the base of each column. Herbs are planted in them, sending a breeze of rosemary, marjoram, and thyme floating over to me. Mingled with their scents is that of fresh bread. In the distance, I can hear the sound of children’s laughter as they play in a nearby outdoor bath.

I don’t even need to close my eyes for the memory to seem real. But if I took an almond-shaped olive from the branch and placed it on my tongue, it’ll burst with a blend of salty and sweet flavor, only for it to disappear before I could swallow it.

“Took you long enough,” Alice says, leaning against the doorframe. She’s clean and dressed in acid washed jean shorts with a tan crop top that exposes her navel. A breeze sends her curls brushing against her high cheekbones.

“I see you’ve stolen some unsuspecting human’s clothes and used their shower while you were at it.”

“How’d you know?” she asks playfully, pushing her shoulder off of the frame.

Inspecting around me, I say coolly, “I find it off that you chose here to meet when Pompeii was the turning point for you to go all boogeyman on the humans.”

She rolls her eyes but solemnly says, “I thought it would be a good test to see if I’ve actually changed.”

“Have you?” I ask with the least bit of interest.

Her piercing blue eyes find mine. “I have.”

Before I can ask if it’s the humans she no longer hates or this place, the ground rumbles, sending me stumbling forward. Pots fall over, spilling soil all over the courtyard. But the laughter from the children remains, unperturbed by current events.

“I didn’t realize that Mount Vesuvius was this active.” I muse once the ground stops shaking.

“It’s not the mountain,” Alice says in a foreboding tone. “Ever since Chaos woke up, the earth has been distressed. Can’t you feel it?” Her palms are pressed against the ground, fingers slightly curled. “Every time it happens, it’s like she’s screaming for help. The tremors were small at first, but now they’re getting bigger. Each one stronger than the last. Each one more catastrophic.”

“What does it mean?” I ask, worried for the answer.

“I don’t know.” She shakes herself. “But whatever is happening, it can’t be good. He’s doing something to the earth and I bet you it’s exactly what Hera wanted.”

I curl my lip at the mention of her name. At one point in my life, I had called her Mom. She doted and told me stories about her dad. How she was only fourteen when he died. Even then she was deranged, but being young, I couldn’t see it. Then I was cursed, which erased any love she had for me. And in turn, as part of my curse, I was incapable of loving her back. Only the memory of what we used to feel and knowing what we were to each other kept us together for so long. I was lost and had hoped that a mother’s love would break my curse, but it never did. I guess some mothers’ love isn’t unconditional.

“Well,” Alice says, bringing me out of my past, patting the dirt from her knees. “Has she sent you here to kill me?” Her face is like steel, accepting her fate.

I don’t have to ask who she means. Alice’s face softened when she said she. My heart picks up at the image of Amethyst’s creamy skin beneath my fingers. “To retrieve you, actually.”

Her eyes narrow. “So that she can watch as the light leaves my eyes herself?”

“I don’t think she wants you dead.” I eye her, lifting my lips into a smirk. “For now, at least.”

Alice lets out a breath and unfolds her arms that were straining, waiting for me to tell her that her best friend wants her dead. “Well, what are you waiting for? Whip out the passage stone so that we can be on our merry way.”

Frowning, I think back on Hades seeing me off alongside Amethyst. “I wasn’t allowed one.”

She snorts, finding this comical. “So she doesn’t trust you either? Welcome to the team.”

I look at the fist pump Alice has waiting for me and leave her hanging. “More like the men in her life,” I grumble.

“Oooh, I do love a good competition.” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively. “Hades is moody but loyal. Poseidon is playful. And you.” She points at me. “Maybe she’ll want all of you in her bed.” Her eyes twinkle in mischievous glee at the idea of her friend having an orgy. “Let me know when it happens so I can get the popcorn started.”

But I don’t find her jokes funny. The thought of Amethyst’s soft curves being worshiped by anyone other than me brings a fury so ancient and destructive that I could breathe fire from my lungs. “Alice,” I warn, barely restraining my anger as my teeth grind together.

She goes quiet. The laughter leaves her face as she realizes that her teasing has gone too far. “Oh, shit,” she says as it dawns on her what Amethyst means to me. What she is to me.

I close my eyes, breathing in and out slowly, thinking of nothing but Amethyst. Her smile. Her silky straight hair. And her eyes. Those gorgeously beautiful eyes that are more captivating than a siren's call. Universes exist within them, waiting to be unleashed.

My anger abates, calmed down by the images of my soulmate. Opening my eyes, I stare at Alice and say, “We have a pit stop to make before we see her.”

Chapter Eight

Amy

Time never existed in the Underworld. Weeks feel like days. Days like months. Once upon a time, no light existed in this realm. Only a darkness so thick that you could taste it on your tongue. And now … much has changed. At least he now tries to stay in tune with the outside world when it comes to the passing of time. But still, the fake lighting is unnatural. No sunset. No sunrise. Just a simple switch. Off. On. Day. Night.

Wanting to be away from everyone, I opted to have my lunch outside. I couldn’t bear another meal with Percy breathing down my neck. His newfound hatred for me is palpable, and vice versa.

The smell of the braised pork reminds me of home, of Rosa’s cooking. It’s just like hers. The texture. The flavor. I moan as the meat assaults my senses, almost melting on my tongue. What would I give to have a taste of her cooking again?

All of a sudden, I no longer want food. The pork sits at the bottom of my stomach, spoiled and rotten as melancholy takes over. What happened to her after my father’s death? And where would she go? I had never found out what kind of nymph she was. But given that she was in my father’s service, I assume she’s a mountain nymph like Alice.

Sitting at the edge of a lake, I look at the man-sized plants that border the water. Their petals form tubes with their tops open, waiting for their next meal. A burning sensation sits in my chest, throbbing. It feels as if it’s beating. Spreading across my chest and then sucking back in toward my sternum. In and out. In and out.

Rubbing at the spot, I mutter under my breath. “This is some terrible heartburn from the pork chops.” And then a thought occurs to me because, why waste food? I look at the surrounding plants and muse aloud. “From the size of you, I’m going to guess that you like to dine on things larger than a fly?”

Not expecting a reply, I jolt in surprise when the plant nearest me flaps its lid three times as if saying, Whyyes. And if you don’t mind, I’d love to eat you.

I blink at it, the burning in my chest forgotten. “Flap twice if you’re hungry.”

All of the tubular plants with open lids open and shut their mouths twice.

“Okay, well. This isn’t how I was expecting my day to go.” Laughing under my breath, I cut the rest of my pork into smaller pieces. “I don’t have enough for everyone, but …” Tossing the bits of pork into as many plants as I can, I say, “Bottoms up.”

The few that I am able to feed close their lids, satisfied. Or so I think. Not a moment passes before their lids fling open and the pork shoots out of their tops with a distinct noise of disgust.

“I thought I raised you better than to waste food,” a warm, familiar voice scolds.

“Ro-Rosa?” I stutter, not believing who is standing before me. She still looks the same. Her figure is plump and cheeks rosy. “Is it really you?”

The corners of her eyes crinkle as she smiles at me. “Yes, my little sea star.”

Tears spring to my eyes as I run to her. “What are you doing here?”

She welcomes me into her arms, holding me tightly as if she thought that she’d never see me again. Pushing me back, she takes my face in her hands and looks at every inch of me. “Though you have changed, you remain the same.”

Her thumbs wipe away my tears and I ask again, “Why are you here?”

Her smile turns sad, pupils dilating as she gives my cheek a gentle slap. “Hades enjoyed my cooking so much that he asked me to come here after …” She trails off, her eyes going vacant.

“The bastard. I was supposed to steal you away,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

But Rosa doesn’t allow it. “I was sent to check on you since the past few days you’ve been moping.”

“Ah, so it wasn’t that you missed me?” She lets go of me, and I sit on the ground, staring out at the lake. Its water ripples and I glimpse the end of a mer creature’s tail slipping under.

Sitting next to me, she takes my hand in hers and says, “Tell me. What troubles you?”

I blow out a heavy breath. “What doesn’t?”

I am met with silence and a firm hand as Rosa waits for me to confide in her. My mouth opens several times as I try to grasp the feelings and memories warring within me. Things that I try not to think about. But I feel that if I keep ignoring them, I’ll burst.

“I don’t feel like myself,” I finally say. “When the first portion was added back to my soul, I kept being told by others that I was the same as Amphitrite. And I would vehemently deny it. We were separate. Or at least that’s what it felt like. But now that I’m completely whole, I regained all of my memories of my past two lives as Nyx and Amphitrite.” I fiddle with the hem of my toga, wishing that I was in sweats. “And now …”

“And now you don’t know who you are?” Rosa asks.

I shake my head. “It’s not that. I know who I am. It’s … It’s accepting who I am. Because I’m not the same. Not anymore. I’m no longer just Amy.”

She removes her hand from atop mine and brushes her fingers through my hair, making me feel like a little kid again. “At your core, you’re the same.”

Folding my lips in, I close my eyes and rest my chin on my knees. She doesn’t understand and I could never tell her the truth of how much I crave pain. “You’re right, Rosa. You’re always right.”

“I know, little sea star. I know.” She begins humming the lullaby my mother used to sing to me, and I lean into her, letting her believe that I’m the same and not the monster that I’ve become.

Chapter Nine

Pulling up the bottom of the toga, I walk to the edge of the Underworld to pay an old friend a visit. I still favor a comfortable pair of sweats and a loose tee over these togas that Hades is obsessed with. Doesn’t he realize that you can’t fight in this? Although that’s probably the furthest thing from his mind. And it’s cashmere. I internally roll my eyes. Togas were made in a simple cotton, but Hades had to go and make it fancy.

I rub the fabric between my fingers.

It is soft … and nice, I suppose.

No, no. I shake my head to dislodge that thought. You will not fall victim to the impracticality of a toga!

Even with time, some things never change. Hades’ micro-management over what is to be worn in his realm being one of them. I originally came out here to strangle Hades for not providing anything other than togas upon togas because I’m tired of wearing them, but the smell of wrongness in the air brought me to the edge of the Underworld.

Coming to the steps, I stare down at Styx’s cold waters. They’re calm and they even look pleasant. But I know with a single step within, your soul will get eaten. Never to be reborn again. She’s a being similar to my own power, but lacking the ability to create.

Holding onto the thick rope that’s attached to the cliffside, I take the first step down and trip, my feet getting tangled in the loose fabric of the toga. Thank fuck I was holding onto the rope.

“Stupid. Freaking. Clothes.” I bite through clenched teeth as I hold the skirt portion up. My free palm in front of me, I blow onto it and a pair of scissors appears. Except they’re not scissors made of metal and plastic. I’m not that magical. Instead, they’re made purely of flame. Green and blue licks my fingers as I hold them and cut into the fabric. But I am magical enough that the flames don’t burn me, and only singe the toga enough to cut and not set it on fire.

Flicking my wrist in the air, the scissors disappear, turning into smoke that gets lost in the wind. I turn to the cut article of clothing in my hand and do the same, burning it until it’s just smoke and ash floating away.

“Much better.” I smile, clapping my hands free of that ridiculous portion of garment.

The stone steps leading down to Styx take me the same amount of time to descend as they did the first time. And when my sandaled feet land on the pebbled ground, I frown. The wrongness is much stronger here, smelling of decay. As if the souls in her river are rotting.

“Styx,” I call out. Not in a shout, but clear, and an octave above a whisper.

As if waiting for me, the river ripples as the back of a large snake comes to the surface. Scales of brown and gray mottle her skin, looking battle-worn and aged. Before coming to the shallows, she twists her torso and dives. When the pointed end of her tail disappears, a woman emerges at the bank. Water laps at her ankles, exposing naked skin made of scales. With elongated nails, she scratches at her arms hard enough that she draws blood.

“Too little. Too little.” Styx chants in a feverish craze. Her yellow slanted eyes are wild as she bounces from one foot to the other.

“What’s too little?” I ask, tilting my head. This isn’t the Styx I remember. She’s dull, with barely any flesh on her. Her ribs protrude and her cheeks are hollow. Not at all looking like the vibrant beast I once knew.

“Three hundred and seventy-eight. Too little. Too little.” Her silver blood drips into the water with a plop as her nails dig deeper.

“Styx, stop it. You’re hurting yourself.” I reach out my hand, wishing I could do something, but am unable to step foot into the river.

“I’m hungry!” she screeches, lunging for me.

Not expecting an old friend to act like this, I stand there like an idiot as she throws herself at me. Her intent is evident, with bloodlust coiling around her irises in a tornado of hunger. I lift my arm up in defense, but before I can form a shield to protect myself against her, she slams into an invisible wall. Dropping to the ground in a hard splash, she screams. The sound pierces my ears and I scramble to cover them.

With one last screech, her body distorts, and she’s a snake once again. She bares her sharp fangs at me, Hissing before slinking back into the water's depths.

There’s a single bell, and then Charon emerges from the mist. He tilts his head, clicking his tongue. The wall that I thought was invisible shimmers and then disappears.

His boat stops at the dock and he taps his staff against the worn wood. Hundreds of spirits fly from his staff in a swirl of condensed smoke, heading to purgatory until Hades gives them their sentence of rebirth or final death.

Walking up to the dock, I think back to the last time I saw him when I was Nyx. The maternal instincts I once had for him are fleeting on the wind. Barely there. Two lifetimes after that, those instincts have been forgotten. But a wisp of love for this child that used to be mine still remains. Except he’s not a child anymore. Time does what time does best and has altered him.

“You’ve grown,” I voice to his mind once the spirits have all left.

He tilts his head, his amber eyes glowing through the cheesecloth-like fabric. Enough holes for him to see, but not enough for someone to glance what lies behind the cloth. I can feel his eyes assessing me, and then he leans down to the crook of my neck. His cloak’s hood whispers against my shoulder, skimming against my exposed skin. He inhales deeply, taking in my scent. His lungs rattle anciently.

Charon rises back to his full, towering stature, his skeleton hands gripping his staff. “You seem to have done the opposite, Mother.”

I smile, glad that he could smell that it’s me in a different body. Shrugging, I glance up at him. “It was your father’s idea to bring me back.”

“Mmmm.” He groans out loud, swaying on his feet. The boat rocks underneath him, the waters splashing just below the ridge, begging to pull him under.

“Charon?” I say out loud, my fingers wrapping around his wrist to steady him. Instead of feeling bone though, I feel flesh. A memory flashes across my mind.

Soft plump baby skin.

Amber eyes glowing, looking up at me.

A giggle with chubby fingers wrapped around my pinky.

Hot tears landing on him as I whisper against his forehead, “Everything I do is for you. I love you, my sweet Charon.”

Bringing me back to reality, Charon breaks the last memory of him I have as Nyx as he says, “I feel the balance of the universe is off.”

Releasing my grip from him, I step back, thinking about what that means.

“This world soon won’t need me,” he says.

I scrunch my eyebrows, not liking where this is going. “What do you mean?”

His boat creaks in distress as he takes his staff and pushes off away from me, gliding him back from the shore. “What world will need me when there’ll be no more souls to guide to the afterlife?”

“Charon,” I warn.

He gives a heavy sigh. One filled with weariness. “The souls are calling.”

I watch in dread as his boat continues to go back to the other side, where more souls are waiting for him, the messenger for the endless cycle of rebirth.

As the mist thickens and I’m no longer able to see him, his broken voice carries across the water. “It’ll be nice. I’m so tired …”

Chapter Ten

Not feeling at all pleased with how my conversations went with Styx and Charon, I head back up in search of Hades. How can he not sense what’s going on? It’s his realm. He should know that Styx isn’t being fed enough souls. Which is odd. If she’s not receiving the correct amount of tainted souls that can’t be reborn, then where are the rest going? And how long has it been going on to turn Styx deranged?

Too long …

I’m so lost in thought, the steep steps leading me to the Asphodel Fields are a blur. A gust of wind blows through the field, sending flurries of dried wheat drifting up and over the ledge. I close my eyes, breathing in the scent of spring. There was a time when the Underworld only smelled of sulfur, When it was dark and gray. But now the place is awash in colors of varying shades. Flowers bloom where once they never could. Persephone’s touch has turned the Underworld into an oasis. A place fit for the Afterlife.

As if my thoughts could conjure her up, Persephone stands at the end of the gem path, waiting for me where the fields meet her tropical paradise.

“Persephone.” I nod, noting how she smells of jasmine and water lily with an undertone of fresh soil.

She bows more deeply than me, revealing a set of chocolate, pointed ears tinged with green. When she comes back up, her face is reserved, like she’s holding back. But her eyes sparkle in idolization. A side of her that she didn’t let me see during our meals together.

“Is it weird for you?” I blurt. My cheeks heat, spewing the first thing that comes to mind because I hate that look. It’s the reason why I allowed the world to see me as less. I had wished to be nobody. I had wished to cease the worship and all that had entailed from my followers.

Persephone laughs, sounding like the bells from the flowers that the nymphs were making crowns out of. “I’d ask what exactly you mean, but I know.” Her wide smile turns soft, the corners of her eyes slanting in a way that Gaia’s used to. Oh, how I miss her. It makes me want to hold Persephone tight because to do so would be like holding a piece of Gaia.

“And to answer you, no. It’s not weird.” She holds out her arm in invitation.

I eye her and the arm beckoning for me to hold onto it as I weigh the truth in her words for a moment. Biting my lip, I link my arm with hers and argue, listing them off my finger. “But Hades and I were lovers. We have a child together. He brought me back after getting with you. How does that not bother you?”

She gives me a knowing smile, not at all perturbed by what I said. “Because our love is different,” she states. “He is mine. In the end, he’ll always choose me.” She says it with a light heart, with no menace directed towards me. Just stone cold facts.

It makes me think of Ares …

“But the love he has for you is different.” She carries on as she steers me farther down the path in the direction of where Hades metes out judgment. As if she knows he’s who I want to see after my trip to the river. “We are soulmates. You were simply not. But he still loves you. Albeit, it’s now more of a paternal friendship.” She shrugs her shoulders. “He respects you.”

I scoff at that. “Before the full combination of my soul, I doubt he respected me. That man was so salty about my ignorance. But now that I am me.” I wave down my body sarcastically. “I’m sure he does.”

Persephone shakes her head. “He respected you even when you were just Amy.”

That comes to such a shock that it’s hard to believe. What could someone like him respect in human me? At the time I was just a human who turned Genesis, knew nothing about this world, and was also powerless. I was ignorant and quick to anger. I was a child with little life experience. What was there to respect? Absolutely nothing.

The open coliseum with its white marble pillars comes into view. The hall is swarming with the dead, looking more cramped than usual. We’ve arrived at the tail end of it, where the buzzing of whispering souls has hushed.

Sitting on his throne with the five pointed crown atop his head, Hades looks tired. His eyes are a solid black as the magic of the crown courses through his body, giving him five extra abilities. With the flick of his wrist, the souls vanish, sent off to wherever Hades deemed them fit. With them gone, he has a clear view of us. Taking the crown off, he tucks it into a pocket of his toga to be stored in some infinite space, like the backpack Clio once drew my jian from.

With his sole focus on Persephone, he strides over to us and takes her face in both his palms. Tilting her head up, he kisses her. Drawing her in, like her very essence gives him life. I look away when a soft moan escapes Persephone, her lips parting.

Interrupting their affection as I stare at the empty center, I muse, “This week's batch seems a little more than the usual.”

Reluctantly withdrawing his lips from his soulmate, Hades gives her one last kiss on her nose and then her forehead before drawing her into his side. With his hands gripping her round hips, he says, “I did my weekly judgment yesterday. This,” he waves to the empty building. “Is from an hour ago. A mass murder not done by humans.”

Persephone scrunches her eyebrows in confusion. “I don’t remember enacting a natural disaster?”

Hades smiles adoringly down at her and opens his mouth to correct her, but I beat him to it. “It’s Chaos,” I state.

Hades shakes his head. “Not quite. From what I heard from these souls, it’s Hera.”

“Hera?” My voice raises an octave. “What is she doing?”

“Throwing a tantrum.” He rolls his eyes.

“But why?” Persephone asks, just as intrigued as me.

“I’m sure we’ll find out soon,” he replies, rubbing at his temples and then his eyes go solid black. There’s only one thing he can do that would turn his eyes that color without donning the crown. And that’s communicate with Cerberus.

When his eyes revert back to their normal light brown with golden flecks, he smirks. “And soon has arrived.” Giving Persephone another kiss atop her head, he warps away, leaving me standing there in an angry ball of pent up confusion.

Persephone sighs dramatically. “I hate it when he does that.” Turning around to leave the coliseum, she says over her shoulder, “He’ll be at the gate.”

Chapter Eleven

Hades stands at the edge of the Asphodel Fields as his fingers graze over funnels of wheat, patiently waiting. Percy is next to him, shifting on his feet in agitation. His eyebrows are pinched as barely contained anger ripples down his body. He glances at me, and slightly frowns at the distance between us.

Persephone glides over to Hades, her lips turned down in a pout. “I hate it when you do that, my love.” She shimmies into his side as he squeezes her against him, hand rubbing up and down her arm.

“My apologies.” He chuckles, tilting her chin up and kissing her upon her rosebud lips. “We have company that I wanted to make sure to greet on time.”

She licks her lips, eyes questioning whether she should be concerned or not for said company as her attention darts from Percy to Hades.

Hades rolls his eyes. “He’s being dramatic.”

A head of black hair pops up from the stairs that lead down to the river. “I feel like you love the moans of suffering, Hades, because if you didn’t, then there would be a different way of entering your domain other than climbing these damn stairs.” Alice huffs as she hoists herself up the last step, her feet landing on the ground in a plume of dust. Her gaze immediately finds mine, her mouth opening as she sighs, “Oh.”

Face blank, I avoid her shocked stare by looking over her shoulder, craning my neck to get a glimpse of him faster. Alice notices and ducks her head, moving to the side.

His dark auburn hair is the first thing I see. Even under the light of the Underworld, a halo of reddish gold shines at his crown. And then he’s over that final step, attention only on me as I pass the others, meeting him halfway, a peacock subdued in his arms.

Percy gives a quiet snarl of possession that I ignore.

“Really?” Hades drawls to Percy. “Read the room.”

With the peacock still held in Ares’s arms, I ask, “I told you to retrieve Alice and instead you come back with Hera’s pet as well?”

Ares smirks, his eyes lighting up with mischief. He looks all too much like a little boy bursting with a secret. “He’s not just a pet,” he says conspiratorially.

Guess. His eyes glow in silent communication.

Narrowing mine, I stare at the peacock, sifting through all I heard during my captivity.

My ravens had said he smelled human.

And then those words that Ares had said to Hera, that at least she hadn’t turned him into a bird like she did to—“Alek?” I ask as everything clicks together. But there’s one thing that doesn’t make sense. “Why?”

Ares’s smile turns feline. “Hera’s soulmate.”

Hades whistles at the same time Percy spits, “Bullshit. No one would do that to their soulmate.”

“Like you would know,” Alice taunts.

“Don’t speak to me, traitor.” Percy’s lips curl, exposing his canines.

Alice doesn’t flinch at the insult. Instead, she sticks out her tongue and flips him the bird.

Ignoring them, I glide my fingers over the limp neck of the peacock's blue feathers with hues of purple and green. “Have anywhere to chain up our guest?” I ask no one in particular.

Hades raises his eyebrows, knowing that I’m talking about the bird. “I might,” he muses. And then he turns his head to Alice, nodding to her and then to Ares. “Do I need extra chains for these guests?” There’s no malice in his tone, only mild curiosity and concern.

I smile, showing him a full set of teeth. “No.”

He raises an eyebrow, questioning my judgment of two people who once served Hera.

“Bite me,” I say sweetly to his mind, easily breaking through his shields. 

“Call me Daddy, and maybe I will.”

I choke, not expecting that reaction from him. He carries on out loud, a triumphant smirk lighting up his face. “I may have extra rooms for them.” And then he snaps his fingers, the peacock disappearing from sight.

Ares’ piercing gaze catches mine. Before I can look away, a typhoon of emotions swirl within me, slamming into my chest one right after the other. Longing. Pain. Denial. Arousal. A need to hold him so strong that I clench my fists to keep from reaching out. My breathing becomes erratic as my soul fights against my mind. Bond! It screams.

“What the fuck is going on?” Percy demands, noticing my distress.

Distancing myself from Ares, I shake my head, willing these instincts to stay at bay.

Understanding dawns on Hades’ face as he opens his mouth and then shuts it at Percy’s blatant hostility.

“This is to be kept from Percy,” I warn to him through the link.

Hades slightly nods his head. “My lips are sealed. Although it’s quite obvious.” And then he smirks, eyes coated in bittersweet mirth. “I’m happy for you.”

“Don’t be,” is my only reply before I close the bridge between our minds.

“Are you going to answer me? I thought you said he doesn’t have a hold on you anymore?” Percy’s in my face, his cheeks puffed out.

Ares snarls, the sound deep and primal. A sound of warning to back the fuck off.

“He’s got it bad,” I hear Alice whisper conspiratorially to Persephone.

Ares moves to push Percy back from me, but before he can, Hades grabs Percy by the shoulder and hauls him away. “I think a cold plunge would do you good,” he says, patting him on the back. “Your face is looking a little flushed there, brother.”

“Hades,” I call out, a thought coming to mind.

He raises his brows in question, looking over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Where’s Thalia?”

His eyes slant downward as a sad smile graces his lips. “She’s been residing near the Acheron river.”

Ares’ arm brushes against mine as we walk to the river to find Thalia, and a sweet coolness flows up my arm and to my chest, easing that burning sensation to a mild throb.

Brooding over what I’ll say to her, we stay in silence. It’s quieter in this region of the realm. There’s no buzz of ghosts nor insects. Just silence. It’s almost unnatural.

A small breeze carries over to us, bending the grass along the Acheron river. Feet at the edge of the river, I stare down at its slow, gliding waters. My vision tunnels as a balm of peace wraps around me, sticking to my skin like honey.

Taste me, The river beckons.

A tempting offer, but I blow out a heavy breath, ignoring its call. Frowning, I look down at Ares’s hand clasped around mine in a tight grip. Not enough to hurt, but enough for me to not move another step.

His pupils are blown wide in panic. “I’m still here,” I soothe, my free hand smoothing over his.

He grunts, pulling me away from the bank of the river. “Never do that again.”

I roll my eyes. “I created the damn thing. Its coaxing of sweet nothings doesn’t affect me.”

Ares scoffs, unconvinced. “You staring into its depths like a lovesick pup says otherwise.”

“I was simply enjoying the feeling of peace it offered,” I argue.

Not letting go of my hand, he averts his gaze from the river as we walk along it.

“How did you know to avoid looking into the water?” I ask.

He side-eyes me, one eyebrow raised, suggesting that I’m dumb for asking. “All Gens are warned of the Underworld's rivers. We know that they are just as sentient as we are and to steer clear of them.”

“If you know the danger, then why did you follow me?” I ask, truly curious.

Ares stops, tugging me to a halt. Staring down at me, I get lost in his silver eyes as they melt into a molten metal. Ice skitters across my skin as the feeling of being unable to breathe consumes me.

Bond, My soul commands.

He watches me intently as the tips of his fingers trail up my neck ever so gently. I shudder under his touch, the burning sensation lessening as my body careens for more. Tracing the edge of my jaw, he leans forward, our gaze never straying.

“Nothing will ever keep me from following you.” He’s so close that his lips brush against mine with each declaration. “Nothing will ever keep me from you. Only you hold that power, if you so wish.” With the feeling of his lips whispering against mine, accompanied by his vow, a small whine travels up my throat, my mind caving to my soul's wants.

Ares groans. But just as he tenses his body to rid that small space between us, singing carries over to us from atop a nearby hill.

What I came here for dumps over me like an ice-cold bucket of water, sending my spine stiffening and reality kicking me in the face. I step back away from Ares, trying to put distance between us. He growls, hating what I’m doing. “Don’t you dare run from this.”

I close my eyes, choosing to run anyway. To hide and slip away from what this is.

“Amethyst,” he orders, but at the same time it sounds like he’s begging. And it breaks my heart.

His hands are at the back of my neck in a firm grip and I open my eyes to glare at him. Before the snarl to get his hands off rips out of me, his lips crash against my forehead.

“Please.” His voice is strong, but I hear the pleading under it. “Don’t run. I can’t bear another day without you.”

The heat rising within me simmers as I relax back into his body. “Okay,” I whisper, not knowing what I’m agreeing to. To not fight what we have? I don’t know anymore. All I know is that I don’t deserve this.

He holds me for a beat longer, his thumb brushing against the back of my neck before he releases his hold on me. “That sounds like Thalia.”

“What?” I ask, shaking my head from the whiplash of soul against mind.

“The singing.” Ares tilts his head in the direction of the grieving notes echoing through the valley.

“How can you tell?”

Taking my hand, Ares leads me to the voice. “I’m the youngest out of all my siblings. When I was a child, Zeus would allow me to be around his daughters.” A sad smile touches his lips as he thinks back on the memory. One that I’m sure included all of his sisters. All of whom are now gone, with only Thalia left. I squeeze his hand in mine, giving him a silent reminder that I’m here. That he can trust me with his most treasured memories. He looks down at me, his lips turning from sad to grateful. And something a little more … Something that makes my heart flutter in warmth. Peace, but a different, softer kind than what the river had to offer.

Ares brings the back of my hand to his lips in thanks. The gesture sends my heart even further into a flurry and I bask in the feeling, my soul preening. “I had long hair and my sisters loved to braid it. Thalia would sing while weaving flowers in it.”

I laugh at that and then sigh out, “I wish I could’ve seen that. A little Ares being dolled up by his sisters.”

“Out of them all, she was my favorite,” he admits.

We stop at a clearing where a thatched cottage is nestled between the river and the valley. The singing has stopped, but the smoke rising from the chimney indicates that she’s in there. I take a step forward and Ares’ fingers slip through mine.

Turning around, I look confusedly up at him. He shakes his head. “It’s not our time to reconnect.” His jaw ticks in regret. “Since the curse, I’ve done a lot of horrible things. I …” He trails off, lost at how to explain the deep loathing he feels toward himself. “I won’t be far,” he says, taking a step back in retreat.

My fingers twitch, but I keep them to my side as I call out. “Ares …”

But Ares shakes his head, taking another step back. “I’ll be on top of the hill. Take all the time you need. I’ll wait for you.” I’ll always wait for you, His soul promises.

Nodding but respecting his choice, I turn and walk onto the stone path that leads to the wooden door of the cottage.

“I was wondering how long it’d take you to come visit.”

My fist was raised to the door but never found its mark because Thalia opened it before I could knock. In a gown of gold, her tan skin glows in a sheen of bronze. Her chestnut hair is still the long flowing length like the last time I saw her, cascading down her shoulders in a thick blanket of warm tones of brown and honey.

Staring into her cat-like eyes, I bite my lip. “I was a little hung up.”

She gives me a small, knowing smile. “Come in.”

Stepping over the threshold, a stone hearth is lit with a cauldron bubbling inside. The aroma of rosemary and mint assaults my senses as I take a seat in one of the chairs in front of the hearth. A bed covered in a pink quilt sits in the corner. Roses are sewn into its edges and a glass of water sits on the nightstand. Bundles of herbs hang upside down from the cottage’s low ceiling, each at different stages of drying.

Seeing Thalia busy herself in her kitchen makes me not regret coming here sooner, but the uneasiness still remains. I had killed her sister. I didn’t know what I was doing. But still, even out of ignorance, Clio died by my hands. What would Ares think? Knowing that it was me, not Zeus, who killed her? What does Thalia think?

“Would you like some tea?” she asks, holding up a cup.

Thalia’s question shakes me from my thoughts. Tea? Clearing my throat of the dryness that suddenly took over, I look to her to say yes, but what comes out instead is, “Thalia …” My voice cracks. My hands ball into embarrassed fists as I wipe away the tears that slip from their prison.

Not acknowledging my plight, she turns and prepares the tea and adds a sugar cube to each porcelain cup. Erasing the few meters between her kitchen and me, she holds out the cup. I take it with the utmost gentleness, using it as a lifeline between us as I take a sip. The scalding beverage is a soothing reprieve as it coats my dry throat.

Sitting across from me, Thalia sips her own tea and then whispers, “I know.” She looks to the embers burning beneath the cauldron, portraying a woman who has lost everything and still chooses to live.

“I’m sorry.” The proclamation sounds false and empty coming from my mouth, but it’s the truth. “I’m sorry for everything because if I hadn't come back in this life, Clio would still be alive. I was so stupid and I’m so utterly sorry for that.” Another tear escapes, burning my cheek as it glides down, ending in a big blob at the bottom of my jaw before it drops into my cup with a plop.

Lost to the embers, she confides, “Out of us all, Zeus was the worst to her. In his eyes, she was the most beautiful, and he cherished that like a sick fuck. Some were jealous, but I … I enjoyed the freedom it gave me. Whereas our leashes were slack, giving us free rein around the world, hers wasn’t.” Thalia’s jaw cracks as she says, “Hers was so tight that she was locked in his goddamn castle between the mountains. No one was allowed to look at her besides us. And if any servant dared to look upon her, it was a slow death.” The laugh that bubbles out of her is bitter. “It was never my story to tell, but she’s dead now.” A mocking smile curls her lips, but it’s not directed toward me. “He would instruct and oversee her killing the servants who dared to look at her. It was her punishment for bearing the burden of beauty.” Her sneer toward the memory turns soft. Regretful at how long it had taken her to set her selfishness and fears aside. “She was one hundred when I took her away from him.”

One hundred years of cruelty.

“I remember,” I croak as the memory of Amphitrite flashes across my mind. How she had met the girls and devised a plan for them to escape. I grip the cup harder, restraining myself from reaching over and holding her hand in comfort. I don’t deserve to comfort her. Not after what I did.

Thalia nods her head, not questioning how I regained my memories from my past lives. Finally turning her attention to me, her gaze pierces mine. “Then you must know that I don’t blame you for her death.”

I open my mouth to refute her claim, but she speaks over me. “I blame him and you already avenged that. You’re not the one who plunged the trident into her abdomen. It was him. So don’t you dare carry that burden.”

Closing my mouth, I rapidly blink at her. “Oh, Thalia,” I cry out. “I’m supposed to be consoling you, not the other way around.”

She snorts, the old her from before all this death was laid before our feet peeking through. She pinches my nose. “I don’t need consoling. I need wine.”

Before I can laugh, the cottage shakes. The china rattles in the hutch and the creak of the beams moans against the strain of the earth.

“They’re getting worse,” Thalia states as the tremors quiet.

The tremors …

Closing my eyes, I inhale deeply, taking in the rosemary and mint the cauldron has to offer me. This is the first time I've felt them, but if they’re starting to affect the Underworld, it can only mean one thing.

“During dinner I want to hold a meeting. Will you join me?” I ask, opening my eyes to find Thalia staring once again at the embers. Her cup lies empty in her lap.

Mischief twinkles in her gaze. “War meeting?”

I shrug my shoulders, giving a grin full of teeth back.

Looking at the father clock behind me, she notes the time. “Dinner would be now.”

Growling, I stand up. “I always lose track of time in this bloody place.”

“Not a fan of the Underworld?” She snickers.

“Quite the opposite, actually.” I stop, my hand on the door handle. “You don’t have to come to this.”

Thalia crosses her arms, giving me her best glare. “Are you implying you don’t want me there?”

Shaking my head, I take her hand in mine. “Never. I’m only giving you the option to keep mourning.”

Giving my hand a squeeze back, she drops it and reaches for the door. “I can mourn after I avenge my sisters. Now, shall we?”

Chapter Twelve

Ares

My heart thunders against my chest as I pace back and forth outside of the cottage. She’s safe, I have to remind myself. But for the earthquakes to affect the Underworld? I don’t even want to acknowledge what it means. It’s partly my fault. If I hadn’t …

I hold in a growl, wanting to punch something. Anything. I did that to my soulmate, and it disgusts me. I’m disgusting. I could weep at how grateful I am that I didn’t completely break her, but it’s all the same. 

The creaking of the cottage door halts my pacing and I look up to come face to face with my sister. My breath catches in my throat as her eyes widen, taking me in. Standing up straight, my arms hang limp at my sides, not sure what to do with them but not wanting to fidget in front of her. I didn’t want our first meeting in centuries to go like this, but the need to be near Amethyst when the earthquake was happening was too great. Now I’m left with the dilemma of what to say to someone who is now a stranger.

The corners of her mouth work as she tries to come up with something to say. “Is it true that your curse is broken?” she finally asks.

How she has heard about it since she’s been cooped up in her little domain, I have no idea. But I nod my head, unable to find my voice. Unable to tell her how much she means to me.

“Ares,” she cries out, her eyes brimming with silver as she lunges at me. I catch her soft form as her head collides with my chest. She smells of caramel and as her arms wrap around my torso, squeezing until the air is squished out of me, I hesitantly lift my hands to place them on her back.

“I’ve missed you.” Her voice is muffled through my shirt, but I hear her all the same.

And when her words flare, not  with hate, but with a love that I don’t deserve, my shoulders relax and I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in.

Giving me one last squeeze, Thalia takes a step back and looks me over, frowning. “You’ve grown.”

My lips quirk up in a smirk. “I think it’s your old age that has shrunk you.”

Her frown deepens, eyes narrowing with it. Hands snapping, she produces a bolt of lightning—an ability she obtained from Zeus—and shoots it right for my chest. Laughing at her dramatics and knowing that she’s not serious, because she used to zap me all of the time when I was being an ass, I merely dodge the bolt. The lightning spears past me and erupts into the nearby hill, smoke rising from its impact.

A shriek brings my attention back to my sister only to find her on the ground, a thick shadow pulsing around her neck. Amethyst stands over her, her lips curled up in a snarl and her eyes a pure obsidian as she stares down at Thalia in rage.

Thalia gags under the tight shadow, her body squirming as she tries to remove it from her throat. If Amethyst kills her, then that’s it, there’s no coming back for Thalia.

Knowing that the soul bond between us has taken control over her common sense, I slam myself into her, taking us to the ground. Curling my body around her, I fall on my back with Amethyst against my chest. Her snarling increases. Fuck, she’s such an adorable little Bunnicula, even more so with her eyes devoid of any color besides black. But her shadows are still wrapped around Thalia, so I do the only thing that I know will allow her to release my sister. Pressing her face against my neck, I instruct her to breathe me in, hoping my scent will calm her down. Because what has taken over is the pure instinct of protecting what’s hers. Anything that resembles a human is gone. Only an animal sits atop me.

“I’m right here, baby,” I soothe while running my hands up and down her back. “Thalia was joking.” I feel the current of her power shooting into my palms and it’s a wonder how her body is containing this much raw energy without her bursting. When reading her diary, I learned that Nyx once had a different form. That she wasn’t born with flesh like us, but that she had used the shells of others to have a body. But now with her rebirth, her full power is somehow contained within this flesh, and she’s able to withstand the energy without it destroying her. How is she able to control it without going mad?

Amethyst growls at my sister's name, her body tensing atop mine. “Shhh, baby. She knew I’d dodge the bolt. I’m fine. Look.” I release her from my neck to have her check me. She assesses me, her eyes roaming over every millimeter. And as she sees that no harm was done to me, the black in her eyes fade away like the sun breaking through the fog, showing deep purple irises with a ring of moss-green around the pupil. So fucking beautiful. With my hand on her hip, I rub circles with my thumb over the sliver of skin through the slit of her toga. She mews under my touch and with her legs wrapped around me, putting her ass right where my crotch is, I get hard. But my erection is like a wake up call and as soon as it presses against her butt, she jumps up. Ruffled, but finally back to normal.

“Holy shit.” Thalia laughs. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

I close my eyes, grinding my teeth and try to get the blood flow back to my brain and away from my cock. I’d rather not have my sister witness me having a hard-on.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” Amethyst says as she goes to help Thalia up from her seated position on the ground. “It’s—” Amethyst cuts herself off, wanting to keep what we are a secret.

“You’re soulmates,” Thalia deduces in wonderment.

Amethyst frowns. “That’s not—”

“That’s how you broke your curse. She”—Thalia points to Amethyst—“broke your curse.” She whistles and Amethyst cringes. Her negative reaction is definitely getting the blood flowing away from my nether regions. I want her so bad, but it’s what I deserve. Even the friendship between us, I don’t deserve.

“Oh my god,” Thalia inhales in a high pitch tone. “Does Poseidon know?”

Like the wipe of windshield blades, gone is the uncertain woman before me. A quiet calm overtakes her as she squares her shoulders and looks at Thalia dead on. “He will not know until I tell him.” A threat laces her words, daring Thalia to choose Poseidon over her.

Thalia bites her bottom lip, humming in agreement. “Alright.” Nodding her head, she pats Amethyst on her shoulder. “You’ve got it bad. Try to keep that instinct under control before you kill one of us, eh?” She winks and snickers as she steps around us, following the path to the inner area of the Underworld.

Amethyst’s small hand reaches for mine and as I accept it, her shoulders relax. A silent conversation passes between us as I stare down at her.

“Are you okay?” she asks.

I smirk at her, enjoying that she’s concerned about my well-being. “Peachy, Bunnicula.”

“Ugh, I don’t think I can handle how cute you two are.” At Thalia’s words, Amethyst goes to release her hand from mine, but I hold tight to her.

“Just a little bit longer?” I ask her, not wanting to lose contact with her just yet. She chews on her bottom lip and my eyes zero in on the action. Bringing her knuckles against my lips, I plead. “Please?”

A star shoots across each pupil as her jaw slackens. “Okay,” she breathes out before shaking herself and following Thalia. Smiling to myself at this small selfish victory, I keep up with her so that she doesn’t have an excuse to let go.

Chapter Thirteen

Amethyst must’ve mind connected to everyone because they’re all sitting in the dining hall instead of coming in and out at varying times. I walk in first; the need to make sure the area is safe is too great to let her go in before me. Hades whispers something into Persephone’s ear, causing her to giggle as she squirms in her seat. Leaning into him, she nips at his jaw before turning to her plate.

Seated at the other end is Poseidon. And as I take my seat far from him, his lips curl up into a sneer. It takes half of me not to roll my eyes at him and the other half not to bash his head in, merely for knowing what kind of person he is. That he’s the type of male who, with or without consent, takes and takes, doing so because he knows that there are no consequences waiting for him. His cold turquoise eyes shift to my left, where Amethyst pulls out a chair. Not once does she look his way. Instead, she greets Hades and Persephone with a nod of her head before she sits down.

Giving Poseidon my best cheeky grin at having her choose me over him, I start dishing up grub for her. It feels good to be able to show emotions instead of trying to hide behind a mask. Just because I was cursed not to love and to be loved doesn’t mean I was a robot. I was able to still feel happiness, but more often than not, the emotion that played out more than anything else was anger. Anger at myself because my stupid decision caused me to be lonely. And anger at Hera, a mother who was supposed to love me no matter what. But maybe she’d never loved me at all, because isn’t a mother’s love supposed to be the strongest thing? I guess I was a trophy to her. A prize, just like how Zeus treated my sisters. 

Now that I’m able to feel love again, I never want to lose that. But at the same time, I don’t deserve for that love to be reciprocated. I hurt Amethyst so deeply that I know she couldn’t ever love me back. The way her body reacts to me is just the bond between us. It’s instinctual for her to be this way. Her soul wants me. Wants us to be complete with each other, but does her mind want the same thing? Or is that the reason she’s fighting this, because her mind is screaming no?

I swallow down the lump forming in my throat, reminding myself that I did this. That any misery that I feel is purely my own doing.

“Are there any updates on what’s happening above?” Amethyst asks, getting straight to why she called us all here.

Hades answers, “Chaos hasn’t shown himself yet, but Hera has been having a heyday.” He raises an eyebrow as he looks at me. “Especially after Ares took Alek.” He stretches his arms behind him, his back popping in response. “So I’ve been especially busy dealing with the unexpectedly increased death count.” The look he levels me is one of sass and annoyance.

I shrug my shoulders, not at all abashed by my choice to take Alek. “Leverage.”

But I didn’t use him to gain leverage against Hera. I brought him to Amethyst as a gift because I see her dark side. Something that had laid dormant in her but only came to life and grew that night in the woods. A night that had left her covered in blood, raw and exposed. But I see her. I see all of her and still love her for it. And if she takes Alek, and does to him what I know she’ll choose, then not even that will lower my view of her.

“Your leverage,” Poseidon spits, “is costing lives.”

Amethyst ignores him again, and it sends a wave of approval through me as I set her towering plate of food in front of her. I steal a piece of bacon from her plate, snickering when she says to my mind, “Bacon Whore.”

“I never want you to stop calling me that.” I smile widely as I try to snatch another piece of bacon, but she moves the plate out of my reach.

She turns her focus to Persephone, ignoring my heated tone. But I notice the slight hitch in her breathing. “I need you to ground and find where exactly Chaos is.”

Persephone nods her head, not at all aware of our internal dialogue. “I can do that. I’ve never sensed him before, though, so it may take me a bit to place where he’s at in the world.”

She nods her head. “I can show you later what he feels like to help you find him quicker. Now …” Her voice takes on a frigid edge as she stares at Hades. “Why have you been slowly starving Styx?”

Hades bristles, slowly setting down his fork. “You may have aided in creating this universe, but you don’t get to use that tone and insinuate bullshit when it comes to my domain.”

Amethyst doesn’t back down. “So you claim that you haven’t been cutting down her food supply?”

Breathing in and out slowly, his nostrils flaring, he says, “Every time I get a soul that will become a vrykolakas and even though there are few of us left, every time”—his voice softens, softening the blow he’s about to give to her—“I feed them to Styx.”

Amethyst’s eyes shudder closed as she takes in the information given to her. “Then why is she delusional for food?” Her voice cracks and I don’t know if it’s for the state she saw Styx in or for knowing that when we die, we don’t get reborn like she did because nothing is out there to withstand the essence of us. Maybe this is the final kernel of peace she’ll get for her father’s death.

Hades stills unnaturally. “What do you mean, delusional for food? You paid her a visit?”

Amethyst nods her head, opening her eyes to pick at her food. “She tried to eat me. Even though I’m caged in this body, she still should’ve been able to recognize me, her friend. But she was so …” she trails off, lost in what she saw. Shaking her head, she stabs her fork into her savory biscuit. “If you’re feeding her every corrupted soul that comes to you, then someone is keeping souls from you.”

“That can’t be possible,” Hades argues, but his tone is in disbelief. Like the longer he thinks about it, the more of a possibility it becomes.

“I told you I can’t kill Chaos with how I currently am.” Her voice has become a hushed whisper, steeped in grief. “And Styx could’ve eaten him with the amount of souls she had over the years, growing her strength, but now she’s too weak to do such a thing. He would end up consuming her rather than the other way around.”

The room goes silent as the reality of our options being wiped out comes crashing down. Even I am at a loss for how to fix this and I’m the one with the strategic ability.

Her chair screeches against the stone floor as she pushes herself away from the table, which gives me a view of Thalia, who looks at me with sympathy, like she knows something that I don’t. Without saying goodnight to anyone, Amethyst walks out, passing under the archways into the night beyond.

“Excuse me,” I say to no one in particular, getting up and following Amethyst.

Poseidon lets out another snarl of disgust. Is there anything else he knows how to do besides growl like a beaten down dog? I ignore him, but my lips quirk up as Thalia says to him, “Would you shut the fuck up?”

Chapter Fourteen

Amy

The tension leaves my body as Ares’s familiar footsteps catch up to me. I may have purposefully walked slowly in hopes that he would chase me, but he doesn’t need to know that. The calming effect his presence has is like a balm of melted chocolate, dripping down me in sticky sweetness. Gone are my buzzing nerves of irritation and here is the relaxing haze that only Ares can bring about. I should’ve asked for space, but I can’t seem to bring myself to utter those words.

When his stride matches mine, two souls not yet bonded but still striving to be connected, I take his hand in mine.

Mine.

I keep the thought to myself. He doesn’t need to know that I crave his touch. Not when he can undoubtedly guess at the internal war happening within me over whether to accept our bond or not. I still haven’t decided. I love him, but at the same time he had broken me. Had done those horrible things to me that I’m not sure yet if I can forgive him. But each hour that ticks by, I feel that block of solid withdrawal being chipped away. How much longer can I stay mad at him when all I want to do is have him own me, body and soul?

His thumb rubs over me in a silent thank you. Resisting the shiver that his slight touch elicits, I look forward and say, “I’m on my way to visit the sprites. I know they’re not your favorite, so I understand if you don’t want to be there.”

I see his frown in my peripheral as he hums in thought.

“I promise they won’t harm you,” I tease.

He shakes his head. “Amethyst.” My body vibrates at the way he says my name, wishing for it to be said over my skin. “Even before you said that, my answer is yes. No matter the danger, I’ll follow you.”

Furrowing my eyebrows, I stare at him then. “You don’t mean that.”

His eyes darken at my challenge, but his lips curve up into a smirk. “Watch me,” he dares.

Our footsteps have slowed as our gazes lock. I give him a smirk of my own and challenge him with heated promise. “I think I shall.”

His Adam’s apple bobs and I turn away from him, letting go of his hand in the process. Regretting the promise my tone conveyed, I pick up my pace, aiming for the field I had once stumbled upon.

So stupid. So stupid of me. Why can’t I make up my mind about what I want? Here, just let me take off my panties and scream, COME FUCK ME. I could seriously just—

“Are you okay?” he asks with a bemused chuckle.

I whirl around and my face smacks into the space between Ares’s pecs. Jeez, this man has a body of steel. My face bouncing back, I rub my nose as I stare up at him. His silver eyes flash in amusement.

“What?” I ask, cringing at my sore nose.

“You were flailing about.” He lifts his arms out, shifting them like tentacles. “Looked like you were having an aneurysm.”

“I was not flailing—” Narrowing my eyes, I stopped what I was about to say as his mouth broke into a grin and instead said. “You’re an incorrigible tyrant.” Rolling my eyes, I turn around, walking much faster than I did before.

Laughing as he picks up his own pace, he says, “Seriously, Amethyst.” There he goes again with my name. It encourages me to walk harder. My decision to share this space with him quickly dissolved. I’m not mad at him, just upset that no matter what he does, I want to jump him. Stupid soul bond doing stupid things to my body.

“There it is again,” he says, sounding in awe.

“Don’t tell me that I’m actually thinking these thoughts out loud.” I groan. It’d be just my luck.

“No.” He stutters for words and calls out to my retreating back. “Amethyst, stop.” 

Almost at a run now, I don’t look back as he calls out for me. I need space to think clearly. I don’t know what I want anymore.

“Amethyst, please.” His hand wraps around my wrist as he tugs me against him.

“What the bloody hell is it?” I whirl on him, frustrated with everything.

He laughs again, and though the sound should grate on my nerves, it does the opposite. “I can feel you,” he says through a smile.

“Yes, I can feel you too,” I deadpan as I lift my wrist between us that he’s still holding.

“No.” He shakes his head, still caught up in wonder. “I can feel you.”

Blinking very slowly, I grind my teeth. “Ares … again.” I shake my captive wrist in his face.

Taking his free hand and placing it over mine, he brings my hand to his lips and closes his eyes. Breathing me in, he lets out on an exhale. “I can feel your flight of anticipation mixed in with longing as I brush your fingers against my lips.” He opens his eyes, now awash in grief. “I can also feel the doubt and regret you have towards having those feelings.” He lowers our hands as he presses his forehead against mine. “Every emotion that swirls around that beautiful body of yours, I can feel. I can’t hear your thoughts, but with how strong your emotions are, I don’t need to. Not when your feelings are telling me exactly what’s racing through your mind.”

His words are a slap, and before I can step away, he whispers in a plea. “I don’t know how it’s possible.” A dark chuckle. “We’re not even bonded yet. But please let me have it. Let me have this piece of you.”

His breath mingles with mine, and in this small bubble we have created, I nod my head yes, not trusting my voice. Why can’t I say no?

“Thank you,” he breathes, kissing me on my forehead. He backs up, his smirk gone but triumph glowing in his molten silver eyes. “Now, where were we?” he asks as he opens his palm for me to lead the way.

Shaking my head at what just happened and still coming to terms that he can somehow sense what I’m feeling, I walk on wobbly legs to the field of sprites.

Ares is silent beside me as I stand at the edge of the field, respecting their space. Drooping bell flowers hang around the field in a circle. Their pollen chimes softly in the night breeze. The river rushes by, its inky waters showing nothing of what lurks below. Buzzing catches my attention and Ares tenses beside me, expecting the worst.

“Pussy,” I mumble to him under my breath.

“Don’t hate on a man with PTSD,” he admonishes with his hand to his chest, but then he quickly puts his hand to his side when a sprite flies to us. All joking leaves him as his face becomes unreadable. Jaw clenched, he watches me warily as a lone clothesless sprite lands in my open palm.

“Hello,” I coo in the First Language.

The sprite's skeletal legs curl around my thumb while its wings settle from their fluttering. As it stares at me with its milky, bulbous eyes, I gently take the pad of my pointer finger and caress down the sprite’s back. Its eyes close, savoring the contact. If the Genesis knew that sprites were practically kittens, then they probably wouldn’t be so frightened of them. In reality, they’re really just misunderstood creatures. But maybe I’m a little biased since I created them.

Arching its back, the sprite lets out a small mew. I can practically hear Ares’s eyes fluttering open and closed in shock at hearing the sprite meow. Like I said, kittens.

“I have a question,” I tell the sprite.

It blinks up at me dazedly, not at all wanting the pets to stop. But it nods its head, taking a seat, cross-legged within my palm. Elbows on its knees and face resting in its spindly hands, it tilts its head, waiting.

I look to Ares to check in with him. The shock is there but also a tinge of amusement. Like he can’t believe that I’ve tamed one of the most feared species out there. Feared to them, at least. Humans have no idea that they exist.

“Would you like to hold it?” I ask Ares through the link.

“No.” His answer is immediate and repulsion tilts his lips downward.

“Pussy.” I snicker again before turning my attention back to the sprite.

The sprite waits patiently, aware of my quick conversation with Ares. All-knowing in that way sprites are.

“I think I already know the answer, but I’d like to hear it from the source.” I stop and nibble on my bottom lip. I don’t need to know, this but at the same time, I really do. “When your kind cursed Ares, how was his curse meant to be broken?”

Standing up, the sprite brushes imaginary dirt from its legs before flying off of my hand. As lazily as a firefly, it drifts down and lands on my shoulder. Crawling up my loose hair, it holds onto a strand as it tells me everything into my ear. Its voice is fast and low, but I hear clearly what it has to say.

When it's finished giving me my answer, it pushes off, buzzing in front of me.

“Thank you.” My voice breaks as a lone tear slides down my cheek. Nodding its head solemnly, it flies off to where it came from. Back to a home beneath the dirt, where energy is at its strongest.

“Amethyst?” 

I close my eyes at the way he says my name. Like seeing me cry is worse than death for him and that he would do anything to make it better. His gentleness unleashes the dam and I fall to my knees, sobbing. Why couldn’t we have been different people? Had different lives? Maybe then we would’ve worked out. Maybe then our story would be filled with unrelenting love and laughter instead of blood and torture.

Confused but still wanting to comfort me, Ares goes to his knees beside me and pulls me into his chest. “Shhh. It’s okay, baby,” he soothes while rubbing the base of my skull.

But it’s not okay. None of this is okay. But I don’t care. For now, none of it matters as I cling to Ares, wishing my body would disappear into his. Why couldn’t we have been easy?

Releasing everything leaves me feeling hollow, but Ares’ steadying presence helps fill that void back up. The walk to my room is much quieter with the life living within the foliage gone to sleep. Once upon a time, I ruled this domain alongside Hades. My rule was short, but I don’t miss it. When I was Nyx, the Underworld was a dark, barren land. No life besides that of the dead, but they don’t count. I never had plans for improving it and never in my wildest dreams would I have thought to grow plants. But Persephone did. She turned this place into a retreat. One teeming with all kinds of life. A sanctuary not just for the dead, but for all others who seek asylum.

I hum in approval of her being soulmates with Hades, happy that he found someone that gives him more.

“What are you thinking?” Ares asks. With the last portion of my soul tethered back to me, causing me to gain back all my original powers, I can see his expression clearly in the dark. His face is open as curiosity furrows his brows.

My lips twitch. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

He rolls his eyes. “It kills me to be able to feel what you’re feeling but unable to understand why.”

“Poor baby,” I mock but share with him, “I was thinking about how nice Persephone has made this place. And I especially liked that she didn’t forget about the sprites, that she was smart enough to leave them a sanctuary.”

Ares grunts, nodding his head. “I wasn’t born yet before Persephone got her claws into the Underworld.” He smirks. “But it is beautiful.”

The walkway turns from gems to smooth stone as we near the entrance that’ll lead us down into the cavernous rooms.

“Why don’t sprites have genitals?” Ares’ question is so out of the blue that I almost lose my footing as I descend the stairs.

Holding onto the railing, I erupt in laughter. Needing to sit down before I fall, I wipe the tears from my eyes. “That’s a good joke.”

Looking over my shoulder, I see Ares standing over me with a deep frown. “It was a serious question.”

“Do you really not know?”

He sighs. “If I did, then I wouldn’t have asked.”

“I thought you were trying to be funny.” I snicker again.

“Do I look like I have jokes?” He raises an eyebrow.

I eye him, scaling up and down his body before I answer. “Sometimes you’re funny.”

He remains solemn as he deadpans, “Unintentional doesn’t count.”

Smiling brightly at him, I stand back up and continue down the stairs. My mood is suddenly better. The sconces whoosh on when they sense our presence. Their flickering blue flame casts deep shadows down the staircase.

“They don’t have genitals,” I explain, “because they’re non-gendered.”

“Sooo, then how do they mate?”

His ignorance has me barking out a laugh. “You sweet little child.” Ares flicks the back of my head and I scold him. “I take back little child, you’re a little bitch.”

He flicks me again, but this time, harder. “Ares!” I admonish, whirling around to flick him back.

He grabs my wrists, preventing me from doing so. His breath is hot against my ear and he says, “Call me a little child again and I’ll show you how grown up I am.”

I gulp as heat flares down my body at what he’s insinuating. Biting my lip, I resist the urge to push myself into him, molding his body with mine. Flaring my nose, I pull on my arms and he releases me.

“Don’t forget, you’re also a little bitch.” I cackle, jumping down the remaining stairs to get out of flicking distance. Hands up, I say quickly, “They don’t have genitals because they don’t mate. The earth creates them every few hundred years.”

“Why are they powerful enough to curse a Genesis?”

“Because I created them to keep the Genesis in check when I no longer walked this universe.”

“You knew you were going to die,” he states with a pointed look.

Coming to the base of the stairs, I make a left to lead me to my room. A new one that was never shared with Poseidon. “I never planned on coming back. The last planet of this universe doesn’t need me. There is no reason for my existence.” 

I no longer have a purpose besides this one last thing to accomplish. And it’s unfair. My life as Nyx was full of pain and suffering. Those three short years with Hades are miniscule compared to the amount that I have lived. As Amphitrite, my life was cut short due to Hera twisting my sister's feelings into something much more sinister than jealousy. And then my current life … I was happy … My childhood was sheltered but I was happy … And then I became an adult and everything went to shit. Every person I have ever loved, I’ve watched die. Now that I have Ares, I don’t want to accept my fate. But if I don’t stop Chaos, then who will? My selfish choice to have a life with Ares would be futile, because Chaos would end up destroying everything and everyone that I love. If I don’t stop Chaos, then I’ll end up watching Ares die anyways …

“Don’t say that,” he says, halting me. Ares pushes me against the wall, caging me as he palms my chin. “There’s no purpose to my existence, yet there’s you. You give me meaning. You give me life.” Each word is like a commandment from his lips, telling me that what he says is law. “If I have meaning, then so do you.” His voice loses its firmness as his thumb rubs over my bottom lip. My knees go weak and I feel like I might pass out at his confession.

“What are you doing to me?” I whine, afraid of the control that I’m losing. I can’t let him in …

“Just loving you, baby. That’s all I’ll ever do,” his soft lips whisper against mine and I tremble under his touch, my fear of losing control growing.

Pushing himself off of me, I sag against the wall. A smirk plays on his lips as he enjoys the effect he has on me. But then his face turns vulnerable as he asks, “Can I sleep with you?” And then he clarifies. “Actual sleep. Nothing more. I … I feel like I’ll lose my mind if you’re not near me.”

I nod my head in understanding. He’s the only man I trust to not take advantage of the situation.

His shoulders relax as he takes my hand. “Lead the way.”

Letting out a long breath, I lead us to my room. Closing the door behind him, I do a sweep of the room to make sure no one else is in here. Finding no one, I seal the door with shadows.

Ares raises his brows. “Afraid someone will barge in?”

“Something like that.” More like I know Percy will try to visit me. I’m surprised I didn’t find him waiting here already like he has the past few nights.

Throwing myself onto the bed, I sink into the comforter. Ares does the same, copying my posture. The minutes tick by as I stare up at the canopy, wishing that the bed would engulf me.

Rolling to his side, Ares stares at me. “What’s bothering you?”

I purse my lips, not wanting to have this conversation but knowing that there’s no way to avoid it. Especially not after bringing him with me to get my answer from the sprite. He deserves an explanation.

When my silence is drawn out, Ares asks, “It’s about what the sprite told you, isn’t it?”

I nod my head, afraid to use my voice. Refusing to face him, I stare blankly at the canopy. His hand brushes down my arm, cooling my nerves and coaxing me to speak.

I let out a shaky breath. “You misinterpreted the curse.” His fingers still on my inner elbow. “When they said Night had to be broken, they did not mean mentally or physically.”

I hear his gulp and then he asks gruffly, “Then what did it mean?”

“It meant—” My voice cracks and I swallow to wet my dry throat. “It meant my soul. I was already broken when I met you.”

“But Night must be broken. Because without Night on the cusp of darkness, stuck in eons of twilight, the Vulture will never succeed,” Ares says, barely above a whisper.

I close my burning eyes as a tear slides down my temple and into my hair. “For eons my soul had been stuck in twilight, just a fraction of it missing.” The dryness in my throat has intensified as I try to hold back the tears. “Don’t you know, Ares,” I say bitterly, my lips curling. “A soulmate's love is the strongest thing out there. Not even your parents will love you as much as your soulmate will.”

I choke out a sob as the tears spill out of me and press my palms into my eyes until I see stars. “And you know? Even after all of the fucked up shit you did to me, I still loved you. But why? The bond wasn’t there because my soul wasn’t complete. So how the fuck did I love you?”

“Fuck!” I scream out as I roll over to get off of the bed, my face heating in anger and self-loathing.

Ares wraps his arms around me, tucking me into his chest before I can escape. I fight against his hold, but only halfheartedly.

“I hate you.” I cry as I melt into him, hating how good he feels. How everything within me pulses with content and settles with just a mere touch from him.

He nuzzles my neck, breathing me in deeply before saying, “Hate me all you like, baby, but I’m not going anywhere.”

My face is a hot, mottled mess as I wipe my puffy eyes, not saying anything.

“Hate me,” he says as he presses featherlike kisses along my neck and shoulder. “Because no one hates me more than myself. We’ll make a club out of it. You being the ringleader.”

Ares continues to kiss me gently until my breathing has returned to normal, and my crying has stopped. Hearing him admit what he thinks about himself breaks my heart and so I admit numbly, “I don’t hate you … I hate that I still love you.”

I feel his body tense behind me as his breathing stops and then he loosens his grip on me. Moving his hand to my hip, he begins massaging me until I’m lulled into a puddle of bliss. As he moves to my shoulder, I close my eyes and exhaustion takes over. I feel the weight of sleep starting to consume me.

But before I’m knocked out, I hear Ares’s hushed voice, “I should let you go for all of the hurt that I’ve caused you. But I’m a selfish bastard. And selfish bastards keep what is theirs.”

Chapter Fifteen

Something soft tickles my nose. A fly? I didn’t think the Underworld had them down here. Groggy, I bat it away only to hit a feminine hand. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up as my senses go on high alert at someone other than Ares being in the room. Grabbing their wrist, I pull the person down and form a knife-like shadow across their throat, only to relax and flick the shadow away as I open my eyes and register the dark curls and mountain river scent.

“I do love a good knife play, babe,” Alice teases in my ear.

Sitting up, I rub at my eyes, thankful for fast healing. I remember the mornings after a good cry of when I needed to give my face an ice bath to decrease the swelling. Another perk of being an immortal is that I don’t have to do a beauty routine every morning.

“How did you get in here?” I look to Ares, who’s still passed out. Soft breaths leave his slightly parted lips and his hair is mussed from tossing in his sleep. Adorable. I ignore the urge to run my fingers through his hair and instead fist the comforter.

Alice looks to my shadows that are covering the door. Putting her hand on her hip, she gives me a sultry wink. “I showed your shadows a good time, and then they let me pass.”

I roll my eyes but allow a smile to slip through. “No, you didn’t.” But I am curious why they let her through. I hadn’t realized they had a mind of their own. Or maybe in my subconscious, I had allowed it. Even after everything, I do trust her.

We’ve come a long way, and it makes me regret what I have to do …

She leans in with mischief in her gaze. “I didn’t, but I can give you one.” She looks down my torso. “That’s why I came here.”

Intrigued because I know she means a totally different good time that’s not sexual, I lift a brow. “What do you have in mind?” And then I look around for a clock but come up short. Even with the Underworld not having any electricity, you’d think Hades would put up a couple that are battery operated. “What time is it, anyways? I feel like I just fell asleep.”

“In terms of the area of the Earth that we technically reside on—” Her grin spreads. “Three o’clock, baby.”

“Ugh.” I groan, laying back down. “Bother me when it’s closer to morning.”

“Oh, no no no no.” Alice tuts, pulling the covers off of me. “Persephone wants you now.”

“Persephone?”My sleep deprived brain is slow to comprehend why she would want me.

She nods her head eagerly. “And so does Thalia. We’re having a girls’ night.” She says girls’ night all sparkly and I imagine sparks shooting from her lips as she says it.

Sighing, I huff. “Alright, alright. You have me at girls' night.”

Alice claps in delight and Ares stirs beside me.

“Shh,” I admonish before getting out of bed, careful to not move the mattress too much. As I stand up, I grab a silk robe and walk out with Alice, leaving my shadows to still block the door from anyone else entering.

“So,” I ask. “What are we doing?”

She jumps up and down in excitement, barely containing her glee. “We’re getting a full body spa treatment.”

“Oooo,” I say as waking up in the middle of the night starts to sound appealing. Last time I had one of those was when I was Amphitrite.

As we pass a pair of sleeping nymphs nestled within one of the enormous flowers, with the petals being used as a blanket, I breathe out. “I’m thankful for you coming to my aid.”

Alice looks at me quizzically as her pace slows down to match mine. She opens her mouth, decides to close it, and then looks away. Her brows furrow before she opts for something light. “Oh, I’m still waiting for you to kill me once I lose my worth,” she jests, but there’s an undercurrent of acceptance as if she also sees that as truth.

“Alice.” I grab her hand, stopping her arm from swaying. “I’m not going to kill you.”

She turns to me, her eyes wide in disbelief but also with a bit of hopefulness. “You’re not?”

I give her a small smile. “I love you, babe.”

She blinks at me and then blinks again, turning away as she wipes the back of her hand across her eyes. Sniffling, she says, “Didn’t answer my question.”

I laugh, tugging her along but not knowing where we’re going. “I promise that your death will not be done by me.”

Alice gives out a choked giggle. “So you’ll have someone else do your dirty work for you?”

I roll my eyes but the smile remains. Shrugging, I tease, “I have to keep you on your toes.”

She shakes her head but I notice there’s a lighter bounce to her step. And if she notices that mine remains heavy, she doesn’t say.

As a translucent ghost rips a piece of wax from my pubic area, I bolt forward, letting out a scream. Persephone giggles with a glass of ambrosia in one hand while another ghost gives her a pedicure. How they’re able to touch us and the world around them while our touch to them passes right through, I have no idea.

Alice lays next to me on her own table, face down. She groans with a bit of slobber dripping out of her squished lips as her ghost puts an elbow into her shoulder.

“Bloody fucking hell,” I grit as my ghost lathers on more wax. “Why am I doing this again?”

“Because,” Persephone sings. “You want your man to see you.”

“See me? Fuck! Please tell me that was the last one.” The ghost looks at me blankly before applying more wax.

“You have such a pretty little cunt, Nyxiepoo,” Persephone croons. She’s had little too much ambrosia if you ask me…

“Please never call me that again,” I whine as my pelvis cringes away from ghostly hands. But those ghostly hands hold me firmly as she rips the wax from me once again. I grind my teeth, this time not yelling out. “And please tell me”—I pant as I look over to Persephone who’s seated across from my wide open legs—“that you’re not looking at me.”

She giggles again, taking another sip of her drink. “What did you expect when you sat like that in front of me? You thought the ghost would cover you up?”

As the ghost pats down something else on me that’s not wax, I let out a sigh of relief. On shaky arms, I relax back onto my back. “Kind of,” I mutter.

Thalia walks past, a towel wrapped atop her head. “You guys really should try the mud bath it’s to die for—Oh!” She exclaims. “You have the cutest vagina!”

“She really does!” Alice pipes in the same time Persephone cackles, “I told you so.”

“Thanks for the body positivity, guys,” I mutter, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. And then I shift my head to look at Alice. “When did you see my nether regions?”

She snorts. “Never call your beautiful pussy that again.”

I eye her and she eyes me back and then we both burst out in laughter. “Seriously, though.” I ask. “When?”

“I stole a couple glances here and there during our research days.”

“You’re such a pervert,” I admonish, shaking my head.

She gives me a cheeky grin. “But you still love me.”

I give her the same smile back. “I really do.”

“Who wants ambrosia?” Persephone calls out.

“I’m on a cleanse,” Thalia says as she sits on my other side.

Alice is silent beside me, and Persephone raises her brow at us. I shake my head no as Alice sighs dramatically. “Thalia convinced me to do the cleanse with her.”

“I spoil you girls with pampered delicacies and none of you will drink with me?” Persephone pouts with a bit of guilt trip mixed in her tone.

“What kind of cleanse is that?” I ask, closing my legs and turning on my stomach to get a massage. The ghost doesn’t waste time as she covers me with a sheet and applies oil onto my back. The liquid is warm and her translucent hands are firm as she spreads it over my skin.

“The one where we treat our body like a temple,” Thalia answers.

“Kind of moot when you’re immortal and I practically am,” Alice grumbles.

Thalia gives her a pointed look. “Do you feel better not being drunk all the time?”

“I wish I was drunk right now,” Alice replies as she sighs out in alcoholic longing, a bit more drool dripping out of her mouth.

I snap my fingers as a thought comes to mind. “Persephone, do you think you could do your grounding thing right now?”

“You’re asking me to work,” she drawls, “in the middle of ghost Fabio here giving me the most orgasmic foot massage?”

Chewing on the bottom of my lips, I cringe. “Yes?”

“You owe me one, Nyxiepoo.”

I internally sigh at the nickname, but don’t say anything as Persephone shoos her ghost friend away. Setting down her glass, she sits cross-legged on the ground and closes her eyes.

“A little help,” she says pointedly at me.

Right. Connecting to her mind, I show her what Chaos feels like. I disconnect from her when she hums that she’s got it. Little moans escape us as we still receive our massages while Persephone works silently. I tense as Persephone lets out a gasp, and the ghost slaps me to relax.

“He’s eating the earth,” she says sadly. “It’s screaming for help.”

“I know,” I reply hoarsely, my throat turning dry at the lack of time we have. Shifting to sit up, I wrap the sheet around me and go to Persephone to rest my hand on her knee.

Her eyes open as angry tears spill out. “You will kill him,” she says with conviction.

Not wanting to tell the truth—that my likelihood of that is low—I ask her, “Where is he?”

“He’s on the other side.” She closes her eyes again, her irises flickering wildly behind her lids. “He’s … off the coast of the Arabian sea. Oh god.” She pants. “I can’t.”

“Come back to me, Persephone.” I grip her knee as my own panic sets in.

Gasping, she opens her eyes. Her pupils are blown and her chest rises and falls rapidly. “He sensed me. He …” She trails off and her body shivers.

“It’s okay,” I soothe as I bring her to my chest for a hug. She willingly accepts my comfort, craving warmth to distract her mind from what she felt.

“He’s eating so many souls. Why is he doing that?” Her voice is hollow, never having seen anything that devastating.

Thalia and Alice join us, Both wrapping their arms around us in a giant hug. Thalia reaches for the ambrosia and says, “I think I may actually need this.”

Persephone hiccups. “Who’s the alcoholic now?”

I laugh into her shoulder. “Let’s do a mud bath?” I feel terrible for ruining the spa night by bringing Chaos into this.

Persephone and Alice nod their head in agreement.

“I’m down for another one.” Thalia hums into the bottle of ambrosia.

Alice gets up and takes the ambrosia out of Thalia’s hands.

“Hey!” she shouts, jumping after Alice. “Don’t hog it all.”

“Says the one who’s drinking out of the bottle,” I chime in as I grab Persephone's hand and help her up. She stumbles slightly as she tries to catch her balance. “Maybe you should go lie down?”

“I actually would like that a lot. Suddenly, I feel like I need Hades to recharge me with some cuddles.”

I smile softly at her, holding her to me for support. “Hey guys,” I call out to Thalia and Alice’s backs. “We’re going to call it a night.”

“Don’t miss out on the mud bath on my account,” Persephone argues.

“I think I need to recharge as well.” I confide in her.

She hiccups and her frame pushes further into mine. Alice and Thalia both shrug and wave goodnight before fighting over the bottle. “Night, babes,” Alice calls.

“Try not to get too drunk,” I mother at them through the link.

“No promises,” they reply in unison.

Persephone’s head dips as she starts to nod off. Giving her cheeks a little slap awake, I tut. “Now, now. I need you to show me where your room is because you’re not sleeping with me tonight and I’m sure Hades would be disappointed with me if I left you out in a random field.”

This wakes her up. Bleary-eyed, she directs me to her room. And thankfully, they’re just down the hall from me, so I don’t have far to walk before I pass out under the sheets, my hand reaching for Ares’.

Chapter Sixteen

The scent of pine and mint fogs my brain and I nuzzle further into a warm neck whose pulse beats against my cheek, cooling the fire on my skin. My legs wrap around a firm yet soft body and their hands knead my ass, pushing me further into them. Letting out a husky moan, I trail my tongue up the neck whose scent becomes a drug. If I swallow him, will it ease this blaze within me?

More, My soul urges.

Eyes still shut, I move on top of him, grinding my hips into his groin. His hands roam up my thighs as his hardness strains against his sweats, and I let out another moan as it rubs against my clit. The contact sends a shockwave coursing through every vein, begging for release. Picking up speed, I rock faster atop him, chasing that feeling. Needing more.

The hands on my hips turn from sleepy to alert and they grip my hips to stop my movement. “Amethyst, baby. Stop.”

His voice is like a sweet caress that I want to sink myself into, but his hands forcing my movements to stop is a wake up call and my eyes flutter open. I’m completely naked atop Ares, who is bare-chested. The sheet that I had brought from the spa is tangled in the bedsheets.

I looked down at my breasts, my nipples puckered from almost climaxing. Why didn’t I put on clothes? But the thought doesn’t matter because the burning won’t go away.

“Ares,” I growl as I try to regain control. “I need this.”

“You’re going to regret this later.” His eyes are on my face, trying to respect that if I was in a different mental space, I wouldn’t want him staring at me.

“The fire. It burns.” I whimper, staring at my arms, but there’s no sign of a fire. “Please, please make it go away.”

“What burns?” Concern laces his voice as he tries to push himself up, but I hold him down.

“Make. It. Go. Away.” I demand through gritted teeth as tears blur my vision.

“Okay, baby.” He nods his head as he relaxes back into the bed. His cheeks are flushed, making his silver eyes appear brighter. “How can I help?”

“By letting me come on your cock.”

“What?” he sputters.

I would scream for him to stop asking questions, but his hand traces down my sternum and to my navel. So gentle and featherlight, but the trail he makes along my skin cools the burning in that area, making it almost disappear.

“Fuck,” I moan at the small relief. “It's got to be because we haven’t bonded yet. I’m burning, and my soul is punishing me for it. My body literally feels like someone has set me on fire and it only goes away when you touch me.”

My eyes roll back and I lose all train of thought as Ares’s knuckles graze over my clit, sending ice-like electricity throughout my body. “Please,” I beg. “Make it go away.”

He exhales a shaky breath as his control slips. “So my touch gets rid of the burning?”

“Yes,” I rasp, arching my back so that my clit gets more contact, but Ares moves his hand out of the way. He tuts and I open my eyes, expecting a teasing smirk to grace his full lips, but instead they’re set in a focused line.

“Ares,” I warn as the burning picks back up. “I swear to God.”

The corner of his lip twitches up as he says, “Last I knew, you are a god, and it seems like I currently have all of the power.”

“So, what are you saying?” My mind begins to panic at the idea of the burning never subsiding. “Please. I don’t know how much more I can take.” The tears begin to fall, but before I can wipe them away, Ares flips me onto my back.

“Be patient, baby. I got you.”

A small cry escapes my lips, followed by a breath of relief as he puts his hands on me. But he doesn’t give me what I asked for. His hands stay away from where I need it the most, Where the burning is the most prevalent. Instead, he rubs everywhere else.

At first his touch is gentle as his hands glide over my skin, but when he realizes that the burning is deeper, he turns his touch into hard kneading. Each time his fingers and palms press into my skin, it sends a cooling wave to bank the fire. My breathing turns subdued as I melt into the sheets, wishing I lived in the Arctic. He massages every inch of me. My breasts. My arms. My legs. My stomach. But not the one place where I know the burning would leave immediately upon release.

When he’s finished with my front, he easily flips me over and puts his elbow into my back. Moving his forearm over me, he glides it from my calf all the way up my back in one fluid motion. Over and over, he repeats the movement until I’m an incoherent mess. The burning remains, but it’s dwindled to only a lone flame that’s uncomfortable but bearable. Just a flicker within my chest where my soul resides.

“Thank you.” I sigh into the pillow. Twisting to pull the comforter back over me, I huff out in relief. He’s right; I would’ve been mortified with myself if we had sex while I was in that haze.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” Ares muses.

Exhausted physically from feeling like a live chicken being cooked over a spit, I warily say, “It does and doesn’t. From what I’ve seen of Genesis, when they meet their soulmate, they don’t get this burning sensation. Although they do get an intense urge to enact the blood ritual.”

“But it doesn’t turn to the point where they lose control,” he counters.

“No,” I agree. “But they also weren’t purely made from Chaos like I was. They were a mixture of us both. That’s the only thing I can think of that would make my bond to you different from theirs and also why you aren’t affected like I am.”

I feel Ares shift closer to me on the bed, and then he’s massaging my scalp. Running his fingers through my hair, he muses, “Will it happen again?”

“It’s still there,” I admit. “Lingering. Enough to notice its presence, but not enough to cause me to lose my mind like I just did. So yes, I believe it will happen again.”

“Noted. I’ll need to be touching you more often.”

“I could do with daily shoulder massages,” I suggest.

Ares grunts and presses his nose against my head. “Did you know that even before your soul completely melded its parts, you smelled of night sea breezes? Your scent was that of a full moon on the calmest of nights. I noted it when I first met you and I had chalked it up to your bond with the ocean. But then after reading your diary, I knew that it was partially that bond, but mostly your scent radiated the night. Only a hint of the sea remained on you. It reminded me of dark chocolate with a dash of salt.” His nose lightly presses against the back of my head and he inhales again. “Even then, I found you intoxicating. Your scent was a peaceful balm. When you sat next to me that first time, your scent wafted up to me. Everything within me had gone still. The roaring in my head had ceased. And I knew that you were the one who would save me.”

Savoring his words but still disbelieving, I say, “You couldn’t have known we were soulmates from my body odor.”

He snorts, pinching a strand of my hair, and slightly tugs on it. “Of course I didn’t know that. But I knew you were special. I knew that you would be the one to break my curse. And I didn’t think that you would fall in love with me. It was the other way around. I knew right then that I would be utterly destroyed and inexplicably in love with you. If I’m being honest, if that damn diary didn’t exist—manipulating me into thinking that you needed to be completely one with your soul to stop Chaos from reemerging—I would’ve stolen you away and locked you up to where I’d have you to myself, with or without you returning my feelings.”

His confession leaves me dizzy as my heart picks up. Not in fear, but in elation. “Careful now,” I taunt as I bury my feelings, but whatever ability he has gained picks up what I’m trying to hide. He smiles into my hair, humming contently.

Pursing my lips, I taunt. “You’re starting to sound like Percy with talk of locking me up.”

Ares stills beside me, his body going rigid. I open my mouth to apologize. Percy is too raw of a subject, and I spoke about him too soon. But before I can voice that, Ares breaks out in a belly laugh. His entire body shakes as he wheezes between laughter, “You’re such …”

He doesn’t finish his sentence as he laughs again and I cut him a warning glare, “Don’t you dare say it.”

His eyes light up as his dimple winks at me. “A bitch,” he completes.

I go to elbow him in the ribs, but the blanket slows my movement, causing me to barely land my blow. He laughs even harder, which in turn causes me to laugh with him.

“You’re the little bitch.” I pout up at him when our laughing fades away.

Ares wipes the tears from his eyes. “I haven’t laughed that hard in … I don’t even know.”

“You laughed when I stabbed your mother in the throat.”

He flicks my nose, and I scrunch it in return. He snickers.“That was fantastic, by the way. I don’t think I ever thanked you for the entertainment. Life was dull before you came around.”

Rolling my eyes, I flip onto my back. “What time is it, anyways?” I ask, not expecting him to know.

“Early, but not too early to where the ghosts won’t have breakfast ready.”

I don’t ask him how he knows but instead ask, “So it’s pointless to go back to sleep?”

“I mean …” Ares trails off. “Did you have anything planned for today? I wouldn’t mind sleeping in.”

Sighing out, I think about all the things I don’t want to do but need to and the whole reason why I wanted Persephone to get coordinates for Chaos. “There is one thing, actually.”

“Oh?” he says, intrigued. “Does it involve death?”

My lips curve up deviously. “Maybe.”

Chapter Seventeen

Ares

“Rise and shine,” Amethyst chirps as she strides into Hades and Persephone's chamber.

Leaning against the doorway, I watch as she throws off the comforter covering them. For being Persephone’s bedroom, I was expecting more foliage, but the only plant life she has is rows of ivy covering the entire wall that’s against their headboard. And same as with the guest rooms, they’ve opted for the Victorian era aesthetic.

“Your security isn’t that great,” I muse to Hades’ prone figure. His face is buried underneath a mountain of gray pillows.

The guy sleeps in the nude but his wife is in a men’s shirt with thick wool stockings covering her feet. She grumbles something incoherently that sounds close to, “Why are you like this?”

Amethyst gives Hades’ ass a hard slap. “It’s time to wake up.”

I chuckle at the yelp Hades lets out. Never would I have thought that I would get the chance to hear that. But my laugh quickly fades as Hades’ hips bend, exposing what lies in his front.

“Fucking hell, woman. What do you want?” he growls as he blinks blearily at the sheets, reaching for the comforter to cover himself back up.

“Now, now.” Amethyst tuts as she uses her shadows to help Hades with the blanket.

Sitting up with his legs over the side of the bed, he glares at Amethyst. She simply smiles down at him and says, “I have some stuff I need done and can’t wait another hour for you to catch up on your beauty sleep.”

“But he needs it.” Persephone’s sleepy voice drifts over. Moving to be back under the covers, she presses her shoulders against Hades’ back and reaches her right hand to his crotch. “Much better.” She sighs.

“You better not be stroking him in front of me,” Amethyst warns.

“Although he enjoys an audience, I’m merely keeping my hands warm,” she replies in contentment, her eyes drooping back closed.

Amethyst lips quirk up as she eyes Persephone’s mussed head peeking out from behind Hades. “I did hear that balls do a good job of that.”

“I am tempted, though,” Persephone says, peaking an eye open to look up at Amethyst.

Amethyst scrunches her nose. “Don’t do it.”

“Watch or leave,” Persephone dares, the sleepiness gone from her voice. Her eyes are awake, twinkling in a challenge that craves mischief. 

Hades lets out an irritated growl. “What is it that you want so that I can get back to my woman and then sleep?” Priorities.

Eyes slanted toward Persephone, Amethyst asks, “Unlock the entrance to Alek. I’m taking him out.”

Hades waves his hand in dismissal as Persephone adjusts herself behind him, kissing up his back. “It is done.”

With that, Amethyst turns curtly, not waiting for the show that’s starting. As she passes me to leave, Hades head falls back as Persephone begins stroking him. His moan is guttural as he admonishes, “Such a naughty girl.”

Wishing I could dip my eyes in acid, I follow Amethyst, shutting the door behind me.

The Underworld hums as it wakes up to start its new cycle of “day”. Bugs of varying sizes and colors buzz past to the opening flowers. A death lily yawns open as we walk by, its petals curling to touch the ground. The lily’s edges are white with a bright pink center. Spikes tipped in pollen cover the pink portion, growing more tightly clustered the closer they get to the middle of the flower.

Amethyst dips her head, admiring the flowers opening up around her. Her silky hair slips over her shoulder, hiding her face from view. Trailing the back of my hand down those strands, I hum, “Yup, just as I thought.”

My breath catches as she twists to look up at me, her purple eyes piercing mine. She blinks and speckles of stars shoot across her pupils.

“What?” she asks, her voice a shaky whisper.

I smirk down at her, loving that the slightest touch from me has her struggling for control. Like she knows what I’m thinking, her eyes slant into a glare, which draws a full grin out of me. A wave of her irritation washes over me and I hide my chuckle that I so desperately want to release. But my attempts are futile. The crinkle of her nose is so cute that a laugh escapes me. And then I’m bursting in laughter at the punch to my arm she gives me.

“Amethyst,” I chide, reaching for her, but like the wind, she slips out of my reach.

“You can wait here if you’re going to laugh at me.” She pouts, nibbling on her bottom lip.

She stares up at me through her lashes, so full of challenge that I can’t help myself. Launching at her before she can react, I catch her by the waist. She squeals in delight as I pick her up, feeling weightless. Her body molds to mine as I press her against me and my fingers dig into her hips. To ease the burning, I tell myself.

Her breathing becomes uneven as her fists curl into my shirt. “Stop it.” She pants.

“Stop what?” I ask as my other hand trails up her spine. She turns to jelly at my touch and then completely melts as I take a fist to the base of her skull, tugging slightly on her hair. The action causes her to purr and I feel myself grow hard beneath my jeans. Her hips are against mine and as she feels me pressed against her core, her eyes flutter closed. Leaning down, my lips brush against hers. Soft and velvety, I flick my tongue out to get a taste of her. Skimming over her bottom lip, her mouth parts as her panting becomes heavier.

“Ares.” The way she says my name with a slight whine is like a drug.

What started out as a reason to tease her and touch her turns into more. I squeeze her tighter against me. She’s so fucking warm and perfect. Not resisting, she pulls me closer and our bodies mesh, as if this isn’t enough. As if having me pressed against her isn’t enough and she needs us to be molded as one, never to be detached again.

I lazily stroke her tongue when she opens up for me, wanting to savor every bit that she gives me. My mouth explodes as my tongue caresses hers, feeling like a million fireworks are lighting along it and traveling all the way to my soul. She moans into my mouth, breathy and needy.

Taking her bottom lip between mine, I pull gently. “Satin,” I say roughly. Lazily, I run my hands through her hair, enjoying her body still pressed against mine. Enjoying the fact that this is the longest that she’s let me play with her.

“Hmm?” she hums in confusion. Her eyes remain closed, but her eyebrows slightly furrow.

“Your hair is as soft as satin. That’s why I felt it. I wanted to check to see if it truly was satin.”

“Oh.” She opens her eyes, blinking twice before releasing herself from me. Chewing her bottom lip, she shakes her head as if waking up from a daze. “Stop doing that.”

“Stop doing what?” I smirk.

Not looking at me, her hand waves up and down my torso. “You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t,” I tease.

She huffs, her lips puffing out. Waving her hand in my direction, she says, “Enough with the antics. We have a bird to play with.”

Coming to a fork in the path, Amethyst steps left to where two dead trees stand guard by a steel door. An ominous feeling of dread slams into me and I clutch my chest, heaving for air. “Don’t go any closer,” I warn Amethyst, reaching for her.

Moving away, she wiggles her finger at me. “Don’t be a baby. It’s just magic. I am welcomed. You are not. So be a good boy.” She leans forward, patting the top of my head like one would to a dog. “And wait here.” Smiling at me with a Cheshire grin, she turns and walks towards the door. The trees shake and I tense, waiting for harm to befall Amethyst, but then she pulls open the steel door with a loud whine. The trees stop their shaking and she’s gone, the door closed behind her.

Curling my fists, I step back from the dirt path and the magic stops. Being able to breathe again, I pace, counting the minutes that she’s away. Just when I think I’m going to lose my mind, the door opens and out comes Amethyst with a slight frown. She pushes the door further open and her shadows follow behind her, holding up a distraught peacock.

Alek squawks, lunging to take a chunk out of Amethyst. Twisting her wrists, her shadows tighten their hold on him before his beak can pierce her. With a look of boredom, she silently works her shadows to cover Alek’s eyes, which causes him to calm down.

Walking toward me, I see the look of sadness and regret shining in her eyes but also, just under the surface, is excitement.

Slipping my fingers between hers, I give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “No matter what you choose, I’ll stand by you.”

She nods her head once, not meeting my eyes. “There’s no beauty in war,” is her only reply as we walk hand in hand to the entrance of the Underworld.

When we reach the bank of River Styx, Thalia is waiting by the dock alongside Poseidon. The latter I was hoping not to see today. What are they even doing up at this time?

“What the hell are you doing?” Poseidon’s eyes bug out as he stares from Alek to Amethyst. “You can’t be doing what I think you are.”

My jaw ticks as I restrain my lip from curling in disdain. Less than a minute and he’s already given me a headache. Amethyst doesn’t give him more than a passing glance as she steps onto the dock next to Thalia.

“Are you ready?” she asks Thalia, ignoring Poseidon.

Thalia’s attention zeroes in on Alek and a small smile graces her thin lips. Inhaling deeply, she nods her head. Her eyes shine in a way that I thought I would never see on her. Coming up behind Amethyst, I’m not sure if I like the look in Thalia’s eyes or not. Should I be proud or worried?

“You’re in on this too?” Poseidon’s grating voice asks Thalia.

Turning her attention to Poseidon, she answers, “It’s what is owed.”

“But he’s a human,” Poseidon argues. Looking wildly between all of us, he continues, “He has rights. You can’t do this. This goes against—” He splutters, his face turning red. “Have you no empathy towards human life? Now that you’re a monster, you think you can do whatever you want?”

The blow does its damage, and Amethyst takes a step back, her face going pale. Stepping between them, I bare my teeth at Poseidon. “You,” I seethe with quiet venom as I push him off the dock and get into his face. “You have no right to say such things to her.”

Shock erupts over Poseidon’s features, but is quickly replaced by rage as his eyes narrow. Forming a fighting stance, he takes a predictable swing and I duck, avoiding his fist by shifting my feet in the pebbles. Lunging down and forward, my own fist collides into his stomach and I sweep my feet under him. Off balance, I push him to the ground, where he falls onto his back. He raises his hands to cover his face, but I take my knees and shove them into his biceps, pinning his arms to the ground. His attempts to throw me off are futile as I use my body weight to keep his upper body from moving. Taking both of my hands, I wrap them around his neck and squeeze. Hard enough to cut off his oxygen, but light enough to keep from breaking his windpipe.

“You’re fucking pathetic. You’re a weak little man who takes and hurts. You ever spew poison at her again and I’ll make sure that you’re ripped apart to the point that it’ll take weeks for you to wake up from that death.”

His face deepens a shade of purple as the seconds tick by without air. I feel his veins bulging for oxygen as they’re pressed against my hands. “The reason why she’s mine and not yours is because I’ll never judge her. She’s my sustenance that I would crawl to, begging for more. Everything she does is perfect. Fucking perfect. And I won’t allow the garbage coming out of your toxic lips to ever sully the air around her again.”

As his eyes roll back, I say one last thing. “You say a word and I swear that I’ll make my threat happen. Amethyst will probably enjoy watching you be torn apart.” A small truth.

Releasing him, I remove myself from the cesspool that’s him. He takes a gasping breath like a fish on dry land, followed by a series of coughs. But he remains on the ground and avoids looking at Amethyst and me. Good.

Turning, I walk back onto the dock where Thalia and Amethyst are already waiting in the ferry, Alek between Amethyst’s feet. Like a wraith, Charon stands at the back of the boat, waiting in eerie silence. His topaz eyes glow like freshly blown glass behind the cloth covering his face.

Taking my seat in front of Amethyst, I feel the heat of her gaze on the back of my neck. She doesn’t say anything, but I feel her brush against my conscience. The feeling of her essence greeting mine sends a wave of comfort and gratitude through me. I close my eyes and soak in her feelings that she’s willingly giving to me instead of having them slammed into me without her consent. Underneath the comfort and gratitude is a sliver of cinnamon mingling throughout those feelings. And the scent of that tells me that I should be prepared for much more than stolen kisses and massages to ease her pain.

Chapter Eighteen

Amy

If you lay on the ground and an unexpected wave crashes over you, it’ll hardly damage you. Maybe you’ll lose your breath, but you’ll eventually get it back. But other than that … nothing. You can walk away from the incident and be perfectly fine. But what if you lay there and instead of a wave, it starts raining. Not pouring rain, but a soft drizzle. A drop on your forehead. One on your cheek. It tickles. But lay there for weeks in the continuous rain that has no end and soon that light drizzle feels harsh against your face. No longer does it tickle. Instead, your skin begins to peel off. Such agonizing pain that you long for the days when you only had to deal with a single crashing wave.

Sitting on this ferry with Ares seated in front of me, I long for those days. It was easier to keep him at a distance when he portrayed a villain so well. But not everything is black and white. Now I’m left here, raw and exposed to everything he has to give me. His rain drops have torn away the walls I had built up. And I feel too weak to restore them, because the only thing stopping us from accepting what the universe has given us is me.

And what he did to Percy was no drop of water; it was a tidal wave. But it wasn’t his act of alpha protectiveness that brought down my walls. It was the light rain of tenderness that chipped away at my wall of stone, causing weak spots to form. So when that wave came crashing, it brought the whole thing down.

Thalia shifts next to me as she positions herself to rest her chin on the side of the ferry. Her eyes become vacant as she stares into the mist, trying to see the swirling white of Styx’s waters.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I tell her through the mind-link. It’s always best to remain quiet during these travels across the river. None would want to wake the dead who slumber here. Lost souls, their wispy bodies are elongated as the current pushes them downstream to where Styx will consume them.

Thalia huffs out a breath, causing her bangs to float outwards away from her forehead. “And why is that?”

“Because Hades has unknowingly been starving Styx. She tried to eat me. So keep sticking that pretty head of yours over so she can snatch it.” Although if Styx did eat her, it would benefit us all. I don’t want to see Thalia dead, but feeding her to Styx would replenish the Eater of Souls. Her life force would be equivalent to thousands of souls. But I wave that thought away because even then, she still wouldn’t be strong enough to devour Chaos. She would need more Gens to accomplish that feat. And I will not lose Thalia to become fodder to this war that she was never meant to be a part of.

Straightening her spine, Thalia slowly moves away from the edge of the ferry. Craning her neck to look at me, eyes wide in shock, she raises one eyebrow. “Are you serious?”

Mirroring her eyebrow, I reply, “I’m surprised she hasn’t tried to tip the boat.”

She gulps, her face blanching. “You are serious. What was Hades thinking to do that to her?”

“It wasn’t on purpose,” I defend him. “Something else is going on. I have a feeling Hera is behind it, but I don’t know what she did with the souls. If she had saved them to be fed to Chaos, then Chaos wouldn’t be drawing energy from the earth. And, plus, Hera isn’t the Keeper of Souls. She has no way to sustain them to survive long enough in their ghost forms.”

“Hades still should’ve noticed that Styx wasn’t getting the adequate amount of tainted souls,” she argues.

I don’t disagree with her on that. Instead, I shrug my shoulders and roll my eyes, conveying annoyance and agreement. “What is done is done. He knows now to keep a better head count.”

Thalia chews her bottom lip but nods her head. The fog becomes denser as we make our way further across the river, and instead of staring down into the water, Thalia’s eyes go distant as she gets lost in the eerily thick fog.

Charon’s head tilts as he senses me prodding against his barrier. Not turning around to look at me, he lets me enter his mind. “Yes?” His voice sounds tired.

Even as a young child, he always preferred this method of communicating. Possessing the same mind ability as me, he found he much enjoyed entering others’ minds. It allowed him to see the truth in people’s words. “Was it Hera who took the tainted souls that were meant to feed Styx?” I ask him.

Moving the oar gently across the surface of the water, he replies, “I don’t know who took the souls. I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen if I'd seen.”

Pursing my lips, I fold my hands in my lap. “If it was Hera. Hypothetically, what do you think she did with them?”

“Hypothetically is neither here nor there.”

“Humor me, Charon.”

I am greeted with deafening silence. Eternity seems to tick by and still Charon doesn’t answer me. “Charon,” I warn, grinding the back of my teeth.

He lets out a long, hollow sigh. One that gains Ares’ and Thalia’s attention. I send reassuring touches to ease their distress over Charon’s sudden sound of annoyance. It’s easy to be on edge around those who only deal with the dead.

I’m about ready to push the information out of Charon when he finally answers me. “I don’t know the answer. I’ve never had a need to know the ins and outs of this world. The only thing I know is the ferrying of souls from one beach to the other.”

I narrow my eyes as I stare at the back of Charon’s head, debating the truth of the words he’s just spoken. They ping with precise aim, but something is missing. There’s more that he’s not divulging. I itch to break into his mind and uncover his thoughts on the matter, but Charon is in my head just as much as I am in his and he slams me out, not giving me the option to decide to invade his space. Crossing my arms over my chest, I chew on my bottom lip as I ponder why Charon won’t tell me the full truth. Is he that tired? When was the last time Hades gave him a break? Is that the true reason why he wants an end to this world?

Thalia lets out a breath that she’d been holding in once the boat bobs against the dock. Her chest caves in as the loss of air she kept hidden in her lungs is exhaled out. Giving her a questioning look, I open my mouth to ask her what’s wrong, but she gets up and hurriedly steps off, rushing to the shore.

“Not today, Styx. Not today,” she says as she power walks to the exit of this realm.

I chuckle under my breath. At least one of us is scared to die.

Ares gets off next, holds out his hand for me to take. Accepting his help, I brush my thumb over his inner wrist. “Thanks, handsome.” And then to Charon, “I’ll make sure Hades gives you a long vacation.”

He simply looks at me, his topaz eyes glowing as he taps his staff and the souls swarming the beach disappear into it. Marks tick down the wooden staff, cataloging how many souls he’s transferring. And then he pushes off, consumed by the fog.

Ares smirks at my flirting, a dimple appearing on his right cheek as I stand in front of him. Giving him a smirk of my own, I go on my tiptoes and flick my tongue over his dimple.

His breath hitches in shock at the boundary that I’ve decided to cross,, and he mutters. “Jesus, woman.” His hands grip my forearms with with restraint that’s hanging on by a thread. Restraint that I now want to see gone.

Giggling like a little schoolgirl, I walk around him. With the peacock floating behind me attached to my hand by a leash made up of shadow, I say over my shoulder. “Will the rest of you taste as good?” And then I squeal as Ares’ eyes darken and he runs toward me. “Don’t you dare!” I yell at him.

“Too late, Bunnicula,” he growls into my ear as he picks me up. Throwing me over his shoulder like I’m made of paper, he gives my ass a hard slap. The cheek he slapped burns followed by liquid heat as I squirm on top of him.

“Please wipe that from my memory,” Thalia pleads as Ares walks us up to her. “I’m all for you guys being in love, but I don’t ever want to see my little brother's eyes darken ever again.” She hovers her finger over her tongue and pretends to gag.

“Consider it payment for sending one of your bolts at me.” Ares jokes with a shit-eating grin, and then he rubs his face over the side of my butt while his hand gives my other cheek a squeeze.

“Stop it!” Thalia admonishes.

“Ares,” I growl, rolling my eyes. “Listen to your sister.”

“So what’s the plan?” Ares asks, not listening to his sister as he grips my inner thigh. Maybe, just maybe, this was a bad idea and I should’ve spent all day in bed with him.

Thalia whirls around, walking backwards while facing us. “She hasn’t told you?”

My body lifts as he shrugs his shoulders. “I never asked. Well, until now.”

“You’d follow Amy blindly like that?” Disbelief lines her tone.

Not a beat passes before Ares replies, “I’d follow her to my deathbed, never asking why.”

Thalia blinks, slowly nodding her head. “Soulmates …” she muses. “Then why bother asking now?”

“Because I’d like to be prepared.”

“And,” I butt in. “For this next part, I need to be walking. So be a good boy and put me down.” I twist my body to blind him with a cheeky grin.

Frowning slightly, he asks, “Do I have to?”

I snort. “Yes.”

With a defeated sigh, Ares sets me on my feet. “Heads up on what’s to come?” he asks.

“Hera will be waiting out there.” I nod my head to the opening of the cave that leads to the outside world. A sandy beach with dark rock shines into the opening of the cave. The sound of the waves crashing behind the rocks beckons us to say hello. A small part of me is inclined to swim in her waters where she would take me under, safe and loved in her vastness.

Ares raises an eyebrow as we step into the light, leaving the Underworld. “Right. This shall be fun.” The look he gives me is knowing and full of acceptance. Something I feel that I don’t deserve.

Breaking eye contact, I turn to Thalia. “Ready?”

She nods, her face hardening into a mask of stone.

Cerberus stirs to our left, lifting his head that’s nearest to us to see who’s come to pay him a visit while the other two stay in slumber. Stopping in front of him, I lift out the back of my hand for him to sniff. One of his nostrils is the size of my hand and as he checks me out, his warm breath dampens the back of my hand. His tail gives a welcoming thump at recognizing my scent. It’s been eons since I’ve seen this big boy. And even though this isn’t his first body, his memories still remain intact when Hades creates him a new one.

Shifting my hand, I run my fingers through the fur of his soft muzzle. “Such a good boy,” I coo to him. “How many people has my sweet baby eaten today?” His eyelids close as he rumbles in contentment.

“Was that a joke?” Thalia asks as she glances at Cerberus.

I shrug my shoulders as I give the three headed beast one last pat. “Kind of. It is what he’s here for.” Turning around, I smile at Thalia, glad that some expression has come back. Good, she needs to be mentally present for what’s about to happen. “But I hear the humans tend to not come near here. And when they do, he mostly scares them off. Rarely does he ever eat them.”

Pursing her lips, she tentatively walks to Cerberus and reaches out her hand to give his large head a rub.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I singsong to her.

She halts, her arm left dangling in the space between them and accuses. “You’re touching him.”

“And?” I ask as my fingers run through his onyx fur. “We’re on friendly terms.”

“And I’m not?”

“Nope.” I give her a cheeky grin. Cerberus starts snoring, and I use that as my cue to stop petting him. “Now where were we? Ah, yes. Hera.” Setting off away from the rocks and to the sandy beach, I tug Alek along, with Thalia and Ares trailing behind. The sun has broken across the sky, bathing the beach in bright light. Its rays are warm across my cheeks and I let out a sigh as I give myself a moment to bask in it. When was the last time I had a moment to just … be?

“It’s nice,” Ares compliments as he stands next to me, his arm brushing against my shoulders. “It makes me feel …” He trails off and I remain silent, not pressuring him to finish his thought. “Mmmm.” He hums instead.

“Indeed, mmmm. Although I might be a little biased.”

“Why’s that?” he asks.

I peek one eye open at him and deadpan, “I’m bonded to the ocean. Her waves sing to me. Anywhere else and I might not enjoy this as much.”

His lips quirk up. “Right.”

“Ready for mother dearest?” I ask gently, not sure how he feels about potential bloodshed towards his mother. We’ve never really dived into their relationship. I should’ve asked before bringing him along.

This time, his mouth turns down in a sneer. “Right.” Blowing out a breath, he opens his eyes. The pupils have hardened, but the silver remains soft, blurred at the edges. “What do you need from me?”

Licking my lips, I roll my shoulders back. “Eyes on my back. If things go to shit, which I’m sure they will, I need you to protect my back while I handle her.” And then, hesitantly, “Are you okay with this?”

He leans into me, his forehead butting against mine. “She’s no mother of mine, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

“Are you sure?” I search his eyes.

He nods his head, lips pressing against my crown. “Hera is clever. I’m sure she’ll have something up her sleeve.”

I sigh. “You’d think with all the ambrosia and blood she drinks, her brain would’ve been muddled by now.”

“Wishful thinking,” Thalia butts in.

Ares jolts, stepping back. “Sometimes I forget you exist.”

“You little shit,” Thalia jokes while flicking his nose.

“Now, now children,” I mock. “Vengeance is due.”

“Vengeance?” The sound of Hera’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard. Turning east, we all watch as Hera walks down the beach to us. Her movements are slow, unhurried. Not a care in the world that she’s so close to death. Her golden skirt ripples as the wind kicks up, whipping it angrily around her ankles. Her loose blouse lifts, exposing her pale stomach.

Cerberus stands erect with his ears back and his lips in a snarl as he prepares to lunge for Hera, paws digging into the sand. I hold up my hand to stop his attack, not wanting his interference yet. His nose crinkles, not liking the decision but following it all the same.

“Not a step further,” Ares warns, his voice dropping an octave.

Hera stops, doing as Ares says. The way Hera’s eyes go vacant for a moment tells me that he broke through her shields for that command.

But Ares didn’t give a time limit to the order. So, within the next second, Hera’s eyes are back to being clear. Tilting her head, her lips jut out in a pout. “Naughty boy.”

“Now,” I say to Thalia’s mind cord.

Before Hera can react, Thalia shifts the knife she had been hiding in her hand and slides it across the peacock's throat. Blood sprays across the sand, splattering at Hera’s feet. Alek doesn’t make a sound as his body twitches, his life draining from his neck. I watch as Thalia lifts the bird like it’s a sack of cotton and kicks its dead body over to Hera. He lands yards away with a sickening thud.

“For my sisters,” she says coldly as she stares down Hera.

“Shit,” Ares mumbles. “Was not expecting that.”

Like a madwoman, Hera scrambles over to Alek. “No, no, no, no, no!” Her cries of denial turn into feral screams as her fingers dig into Alek’s blood stained feathers. “You’re a monster!” She seethes, spit flying from her mouth. Eyes wild, she clutches Alek to her chest. “You will pay for this!”

“I gave Alek mercy. Some would call it freedom when a human consciousness is locked inside the body of a bird,” I say to her dully.

“You know nothing. You stupid, stupid girl,” she says as she picks up Alek’s body. His head lolls to the side, and she catches it before gravity severs it in half. “His nights were spent as a human.” She sobs, trying to reattach his head to his neck.

That knowledge jolts me, and I lose my breath. What? I look to Alek’s lifeless form as reality punches me in the gut.

My feelings must be written all over my face because Hera nods her head, a cruel and heartbroken smile smearing her lips. “That’s right. The monster is you.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head.

“You’re pathetic,” Thalia sneers as she flicks her wrist, sending the knife to Hera.

The air stills, smelling stagnant and earthy. And like pressure that I’ve never felt before, the air around me presses into my body. Before I’m pushed to my stomach, I see the knife stop mere millimeters from Heras eye before it drops to the ground.

“You think it would be that easy to take me down? Distract me enough to give me a blow like that?” Hera’s face contorts with rage, no longer sorrow over the death of her soulmate. “I control the very air you breathe!” she bellows as her fingers clench in front of her into a fist. Oxygen whooshes from my lungs as I fight to get up. I look around wildly to see the same thing happening to Thalia and Ares. Not able to use his voice, Ares can’t order Hera to back down. His muscles strain and bulge as he tries to push himself up against the solid form of air that feels like a wall of cement against our bodies.

Another twist of her clenched fist and Cerberus crashes to the ground beside us, his three heads fighting to rise.

My vision turns into a dark tunnel as my lungs strain for air. Flinging out my power, I grasp onto her mind cord. But she has a shield of solid fog around her consciousness.

The tunnel gets darker, barely a wisp of light remaining.

Her outer shield cracks as I slam my fist into it.

Harder.

I smash through shield after shield, lined one right on top of the other.

“You didn’t think to consider that I allowed Ares to enter my consciousness?” She laughs, baring her teeth.

My punches become weaker as my mind slips away.

Where are you …

There’s a gurgling sound and then the pressure leaves my body. The darkness becomes a brightening beam of light as my eyes groggily open. Coughing, I sit up, instinctively reaching for Ares to my side. His hand reaches for mine at the same time and we clasp onto each other as we stand up, looking to see what happened.

“Why wasn’t I invited?” Alice questions innocently as she stands over Hera’s limp form. Alek the peacock is still in her arms, both looking at peace for once.

“Is she dead?” Thalia asks.

Alice’s curls bob as she shakes her head no. “Sadly, snapping her neck won’t kill her. I mean …” She shrugs her shoulders. “Look at her. She’s dead.” She air quotes. “But I’d give her two minutes before she heals from that.”

“Move!” Ares yells as he grabs me back away from Hera’s body.

Alice is at my side in a heartbeat and just in time. A harpie swoops down, picking up Hera. Ares tenses beside me and I command. “Don’t.”

“We need her dead,” Ares argues, his eyes never leaving the harpie as it flies across the open sea.

“Let her relay the magnitude of my power to Chaos.”

He looks at me, his silver eyes lined in confusion. “But you didn’t do anything.”

My lips curve up. “Precisely my point.”

“You want him to know how fucked we are against him?” Thalia asks, clearly not onboard with letting Hera go.

“Yes.” I don’t explain any further. It doesn’t concern them. They must hear it in my voice because none of them question me further on it.

Thalia tsks but turns away. “I’m going back to my cottage for a nap.” Before passing Cerberus with a wary look, she glances over her shoulder. “Thank you for this.”

“Feel better?” Ares asks her.

She stares at him, blinking slowly. “No.” Her voice is breathy, filled with emotion over her sisters. “But it needed to be done.”

Ares nods his head as he watches his sister walk to the Underworld with Cerberus at her side. He stops at the entrance, huffing out before curling around to go back to sleep.

“Well, that was fun.” Alice beams.

Ares rolls his eyes. “And how did you know to show up?”

Before Alice can answer, I butt in. “Because she was watching us before we left.”

“You knew that?” Alice says at the same time Ares spouts, “What?”

“And.” I hold out my arm as a raven flies out of the cave. He lands with ease on my outstretched hand. “I’ve missed you, Ezric. You were smart not to expose yourself.”

He lets out a purring caw as I bring him closer to me and rub my nose lovingly against his warm beak. “Corvina,” is his only reply. An endearment given to me by his kind when I was Nyx. Back then, they weren’t crows but something else entirely. Eons later and they still remember who their master is.

“How’d you know the bird was with me?” Alice asks.

I look between her and Ares. “You do know who I am, right?”

Alice’s eyes turn sultry and she wiggles her eyebrows. “I’d like to get to know you.”

“Fuck off, Alice,” Ares growls and then he turns to me, understanding as to why I didn’t show my full potential dawning on him. Lowering his voice, he dips his head and whispers in my ear, “You can trust me.”

Taking in the planes of his face, I lift my hand to rub the back of my finger over his Adam’s apple. It bobs against my touch and I watch the worry in his eyes shift to a piercing smolder. “I do,” I whisper back to him. He doesn’t move as he inhales my scent, savoring our proximity.

Moving my hand to be entwined with his, I position Ezric on my shoulder and reach out my other hand to Alice. “You’re coming with?” I ask her.

“I assume to fuck shit up?”

“Of course.” I smile at her, but then I do something that I thought I would never do again to her. I take my open palm and bring the tips of my fingers to my lips and blow her a flirtatious kiss.

Her face breaks into a grin as happiness beams from her every pore. Squealing, she runs to me and takes me into her arms, sighing. “Now I know for sure you won’t have me murdered by someone else.” Ezric flaps his wings and caws out loudly in annoyance.

Letting go, I take her hand and chide, “Don’t change my mind.” But I know I don’t need to tell her twice.

“Yes, sir, boss.” She salutes.

“Hold tight,” I say to them both and then to Ezric, “Don’t let go.” Our worlds spin as I warp us to our next destination.

Chapter Nineteen

Ares and Alice lurch forward as I bring them to a sudden stop, our feet landing on cobblestones that make up the long driveway leading up to the villa. A place I once called home. Birds chirp in the nearby palm trees, each singing a familiar tune that used to be the soundtrack for my early starts to the day. The grass is overgrown and fallen branches from the past storm cover the ground. Dead for less than a year and the world has already forgotten this place. Has already forgotten him …

Ezric caws a goodbye, nuzzling into my neck before he flies off, presumably in search of food.

“Some warning would’ve been nice,” Alice groans as she clutches her stomach, her face a light sheen of green. “That’s worse than using a passage stone.”

“I kind of liked it,” Ares muses as he looks around us, a predator's eyes taking in everything.

“You enjoy the feeling of your insides being ripped apart?” Alice gapes at him.

Ares shrugs his shoulders. “It didn’t feel like that.” He flicks his gaze to mine. “It felt like …” He shakes his head, deciding to no longer share. “Where are we?” He nods to the villa, his eyes quizzical.

“Home,” I say, lacking the emotion that I thought I would feel. They say time heals, but I think it has more to do with being more. No longer am I the ignorant human. Now, I’m a god. And every day I see less and less of who that girl used to be. I’ll probably never regain that part of me, and I resent the cards that I’ve been dealt.

Alice tilts her head, eyeing me from head to toe. “Any particular reason why? Don’t tell me you finally want to raid your dad’s stash of wine.” She smiles, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

“You can grab a bottle. The spare key is in the fountain,” I say, pointing to said fountain that’s polluted with dirt and debris.

Instead of taking off like I thought she would, she steps from one toe to the other nervously. “I actually wanted to go do some things.”

“Oh?” I tilt my head and I see Ares do the same.

Biting her lip, she says in a rush, “I know it’s stupid but it’s weird that the harpies are on a specific side. I wanted to get into contact with them.”

“Because you think you can change their mind?” I ask.

“Yes.” She blushes. “I know. Stupid. But I spent time with their tribes. I’m sure I can figure out what’s going on. And maybe that’ll help us against Chaos.”

“It’s not stupid,” I assure, shaking my head.

“It’s not,” Ares agrees. “But by yourself?”

I narrow my eyes at Alice. “Why is that? And your body language.” I point at her accusingly. “You’re acting guilty.”

She huffs out an exasperated sigh. “I was trying to be sensitive to you for losing your dad since we’re at your childhood home. And yes, by myself. The harpies don’t take kindly to strangers.”

“Oh.” I breathe out. “Okay.” I slowly nod my head, my shoulders relaxing. “Go and do your thing. I trust you. And I mean that.”

Alice’s own shoulders relax as she gives me a warm smile. Truly? Her eyes seem to say.

I smile back at her. Truly.

“How are you going to get there?” Ares questions, ever the strategist.

Alice gives a sly smirk and slips a stone out of her pocket. “I may have stolen a passage stone from Hades’s vault.”

I raise one eyebrow. “Just that?”

“You know me too well.” Pulling out another stone from her pocket, she tosses it to me. “It’s the twin to this one.” She pats at the stone now hidden in her pocket. “If you need me before I come back, activate it.”

Rubbing the rose-colored stone between my thumb and forefinger, I flick my wrist and open a void. Tossing it in, I flick my wrist again for the void to disappear.

“Neat trick,” Alice says in appreciation and then claps her hands together. “Well, time is of the essence.” She salutes us both and throws a third stone on the ground. It pops and fire shoots out, sparking like a firework until a glowing ring of red stands before us. I guess she was able to find a specific passage stone that would lead her to the harpies?

With one last goodbye, Alice steps into the passage. Her form distorts and then she’s gone, with the ring only showing an image of snowy mountains. Seconds pass before the ring of light gutters out, turning the image to black. Another second and the circle crumbles, turning to flakes that fall to ashes on the ground.

Ares steps forward past the ash, checking out the villa. “You grew up here?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see your bedroom?” He doesn’t look at me as he asks it, but I can already tell a playful smirk is drawn above his jaw.

“No,” I reply as I head down the opposite path from Ares.

He whirls around at my blatant no. “Why?” A beat of silence passes as he sees me heading in a different direction. Briskly, he comes to step behind me. “Where are we going? Why take us here if you don’t plan on going inside?”

“I came. I saw. And now I’ve changed my mind.” If I had lasers for eyes, I would’ve burned a hole through my sneakers with the intensity I look at them with while trying to flee to the garage.

Instead of tugging on my wrist like I thought he would, Ares remains a solid net of safety besides me. His presence calms me, and I come to a stop just outside of the garage’s door. I stare up at him, open and vulnerable. He stares back at me knowingly, but remains mute as he waits for me to open up to him on my own time.

A shuddering breath leaves their prison of condensing lungs. “I hate what has become of it. How this villa has turned into a ghost?” I laugh mockingly. “I miss him. Not this place. I shouldn’t have come because how dare this villa still stand when he’s become nothing but food to Styx?”

Ares opens his arms, no pity in them. Only understanding. “Come here.”

And I do. My head gently melts into his sternum as both of his arms wrap around me, one hand on the back of my head, the other at my hip, holding me close. I inhale pine and mint like my life depends on it. And with each inhale I take, my body relaxes into him and my anger and sorrow recede.

“Want to go somewhere else, then?” he asks gently, his lips brushing against my hair.

I step away from him to speak and immediately regret it as heat flares across me, my soul angry at not getting what it’s been asking for. With a burning finger, I point to the garage door and admit, “I was planning on driving us into town to enjoy a meal, but then when I came to the door I realized that I don’t know how to drive.”

“You don’t know how to drive?” he says slowly, as if his brain can’t compute what I just admitted.

“I lived in my prime when vehicles weren’t a thing and then during this lifetime, there was never a need.” I wave my hand dismissively before opening the garage door. “I’m sure it’s not that hard. Millions of people do it.”

He scoffs as he walks into the garage and beholds my father’s pride and joy. “Not that hard?”

I point to the passenger door. “Get in, pretty boy.” Grabbing the keys from the rack, I settle into the tan leather seats. The leather strains but doesn’t crinkle and crack under my weight. An old car, but father had kept her fresh and updated.

Ares gently closes the door behind him as he gets into the passenger seat, as if shutting it even the slightest bit harder would shatter the car.

“What’s wrong with you?” I ask in amusement.

He trails his fingers reverently across the dashboard and over the side panels. “What do you mean?”

“Why are you acting like this thing of metal is made up of tissue and pixie dust?”

He blinks, his jaw dropping open. “You do realize what vehicle this is?” And then he adds uncertainty, “Don’t you?” He shakes his head, running his hand through his hair. “Of course you don’t. You don’t even know how to drive.”

I furrow my brows. “What does that have to do with me not knowing the make? It’s a 1932 Cadillac 355B.” Shaking my head in disgust, I put the key into the ignition and mumble, “Stupid boy.”

“Don’t!” Ares lurches forward, stopping me from turning the key. Eyes wide and dilated in panic.

“Um … it’s not going to explode.” I joke, trying to free myself from his grasp. He doesn’t let go.

“I know. But you’re going to kill this beautiful piece of machinery if you turn that key without putting your foot on the clutch.”

“The what?”

He blinks then breathes out, “Oh Holy Lord of the Goblins, please forgive Amethyst, for she does not know what she speaks.”

I sputter out in laughter. “Lord of the what?”

He ignored me. “You can drive, but please let me teach you. For the sake of this vehicle and for your father’s ghost who I’m sure is turning over in his grave.”

“Remember, my father was food for Styx,” I deadpan.

Ares slowly removes his hands from mine as he blanches. “I’m sorry. That was a thoughtless thing to say.”

“Dark humor.” I crinkle my nose at him. “No harm.” Searching in front of me, I ask, “Now where’s that clutch?”

“It’s the farthest left pedal.”

“Oh. Right. You said foot.” I stop looking around the steering wheel and turn my attention down. Three pedals stick out of the floor, each one with a little bit of rubber rubbed off from my father’s years of use. “So I press all the way down?” Clearly I know that part, but I want to stress Ares out a bit more.

“Yes. And then turn the key and hold until I say when.” He holds his breath, as if waiting for my actions to cause the car to explode.

Licking my lips, I do as Ares instructs. The car makes a cranking noise, and then it shakes as it rumbles to life.

“Stop turning the key, but leave your foot pressing on the pedal,” he says tersely, his hands in fists on his lap.

“What’s next? Aren’t I supposed to press on another pedal to get it to go?”

I’m greeted by silence. “Well?” I prod as I look over to see Ares, who’s shaking his head with a full smile. “What?” I ask again.

“You’re cute.” His eyes twinkle. “But also, plan on ramming into the garage door?”

Through the side of my mouth, I mumble, “I forgot about that.”

It takes Ares a hot minute of searching the Cadillac to find the garage button that opens the main door. “Now.” He braces himself, arms spread out dramatically as he clutches whatever his hands can find. “I’m ready.”

Narrowing my eyes, I punch him in the shoulder. “Ass.”

He laughs. “Couldn’t help myself.” Reaching for the clutch, he says, “Let’s start off with getting you used to the feeling. You’ll handle the pedals and steering while I handle the clutch.”

“Got it.” I smile, staring out the front window with my hands gripping the steering wheel. My body hums with excitement. I’m finally driving a car!

“Let your foot off the clutch slowly,” Ares says calmly as he leans into me. “And then gently press into the far right pedal.”

“Gas?”

“Yes.” He nods his head, eyes focused forward.

I do as he says, and as he cranks the clutch into gear, I ask. “Then I take it the middle is the brake?” The vehicle starts moving as we crawl out of the garage. “Oh my god, Ares! I’m doing it.”

“You’re doing it, Bunnicula.”

Moving the steering wheel, I steer us toward the main road that will lead us into the nearest village. The road turns from cobble to rock. And as we hit asphalt, Ares says, “Foot off the gas and now on the clutch. And when you hear me shift, move back to gas.”

Again and again I do this until Ares gets us in a high enough gear that we’re cruising down the road. Trees stream past us, every now and then showing a break where the ocean twinkles between them. Shifting to roll down the window, I fling my hand out to catch the wind. “Wooooo!” I yell out.

Ares moves, rolling his window down as well. He mimics my body with one hand out the window and gives an even louder wooo. The sun's rays hit perfectly atop his head, making the strands sparkle, reminding me of a red star. Rising to the challenge, I yell over him until we’re both wooing and laughing at each other, the wind whipping our hair like a cyclone around our faces.

Chapter Twenty

The vanilla ice cream melts against my spoon like warm butter, softened to the perfect degree from today's weather: muggy and gray skies. Dragging the spoon over a fallen slice of mango that has dropped to the bottom of the bowl, I bring the combination of cream and fruit to my mouth.

I moan around my spoon, looking up at the overcast clouds as the fruity and sweet flavors explode across my tongue. “Milkiss la Guaira never disappoints.” 

“I prefer chocolate.” Ares hums as he stares at my mouth.

Flicking my spoon at his glass bowl, I lift my lip in disgust. “What you have there is an abomination.”

He gives an exaggerated smacking of lips as he demolishes his next bite. “What’s wrong with chocolate and mint?”

“Everything.”

“Why do you think I smell minty all the time?”

I blink at him. “You ate chocolate mint ice cream every time before seeing me?”

He smirks. “Maybe.” Ares lifts his hand, waving down a worker.

“Si, senorito?” the man asks Ares as he comes up to our table.

I don’t hear Ares’s question. My spoon stops midway to its destination as my hand begins to tremble from an unwanted intrusion into my mind.

“Nycta … Nycta …” A wild yet calming voice echoes in my head, scraping across the cord, digging its talons in. And then they release in regret. He’s taunting and searching. Hunting. Remorseful.

“Nycta …” he says again and this time he sounds closer. And this time, when his claws dig in, they don’t let go. Revenge.

The chair clatters to the ground as I jolt up. Knees wobbly, I bolt for the open road. I can’t let him find me near humans. He’d kill them all without a second thought. “Where are you?” I ask, cringing as he burrows himself deeper into my cord. I almost drop to my knees, the pain of his mental lashing feeling like my spine is being ripped from me. The bones of it crack in my ears, each a pop, pop, pop, as I sprint to the ocean.

“Right here.” He releases me then. Gone just as quickly as he slipped in.

Ares is behind me, his eyes wild, but his breathing even, not exerted from the sudden run. “What is it?”

“He’s here,” I say in dismay. And I’m not ready for what I have to do. It’s too soon. I thought I had more time. Last night, he wasn’t even in this area. Why is he over here?

“I didn’t bring a weapon,” Ares growls, mad at himself for not thinking about it.

Chaos chuckles in my head, and I jolt at the intrusion. “Keeping weak company these days? If the little boy needs a sword, then maybe he shouldn’t play.”

Gritting my teeth, I latch onto his cord as his voice rumbles and electrocutes my senses. His cord is a mess of vines, chaotically entwined and knotted with a thick goo that stretches across the entire town in an elaborate maze.

Where are you? Where are you? I chant to myself as I rake my fingers through his cord, searching for the entrance to his consciousness that will tell me his location. His cord sticks to me like a lifeline, screaming for me to never let it go. You are mine. It rages, pulsating hungrily at my touch. I cringe, not wanting to get stuck or lost in the maze that is his cord. If he chose, he could easily trap me here. Alive, but my consciousness stuck in the inbetween. Just when I’m about ready to sever the connection, it dawns on me why his cord is so clustered within the roads and houses. It’s a trick. A game.

“He’s at the ocean,” I inform Ares as I tug on his wrist, wanting him close. If I knew Chaos would come to me, then I would’ve left Ares in the Underworld where it’s safe. Not here where he can easily die. His lifeless body flashes before my eyes. Stiff and cold. His silver eyes no longer shining, but hollow and dull.

I shake my head, dismissing the images, like that can somehow help avoid the reality of what’s to come.

Remembering what Ares said about weapons, I flick my wrist to open a void. With a curl of my fingers, a gun and a knife shoot out of the eternal blackness. The sword is heavy, the First Language engraved along its shaft. From ashes you were born, to ashes you shall return. A relic from Hades’ stores that I had taken from when he was a little preoccupied with his kingly duties.

Those things would do nothing to help me, only distract me from what would actually hurt Chaos. But Ares’ power is nothing against Chaos’. So, even though the weapons do nothing, they at least make Ares feel secure. Shame washes over me at not having the heart to tell him that he will die today.

Expanding my power, I reach out to Hades, hoping that he can hear me through the long tunnel that separates us.

“So handy,” Ares muses in appreciation while gripping the sword and pulling the gun straps over his chest. He looks like a modern warrior. One who has weathered every scenario. Who has seen the good and the bad to both sides of war. His jaw is taut. Determined. But his eyes are open, trusting in me and what I’m capable of. A trust that I don’t deserve.

“Please try not to get yourself killed,” I tell him hoarsely as we sprint away from the town and toward the beach that’s away from all the buildings.

“How hard can it be to take on the creator of the universe?” he jests, and my heart clenches.

As we near the sandy shore, I choke out a sigh of relief. The beach is empty with no humans walking its shore. Chaos is unpredictable, but the one thing I’m sure about is since he’s coming to me here, where there are humans, is that he means to decimate everything within the vicinity. 

I stop at the edge where the tall grass meets the sand and search the beach and open water. Kilometers each way, I make out nothing. The beach is blissfully silent. But the ocean waves crash against the shore in warning. Hide. Hide. Hide.

“Nycta.” I hear him before I see him. He floats down from above, the clouds opening to shine light behind him like some cult leader coming down from the heavens to bless his followers. His arms are outward in an open, relaxed manner. An offering of peace.

He smiles down at me in serenity, but his pale eyes twitch in anger, physically unable to be one emotion at once. He stops, millimeters away from his bare feet touching the sand. Floating, he tilts his head to give the appearance of looking down at me even further. “Brought me a sacrifice as an apology?”

I don’t move toward Ares. “This thing? He isn’t worthy enough to sacrifice to one as powerful as you.” The lie slides off my tongue easily. Once upon a time, sacrifices were made to him. Another reason why I had wanted to be forgotten as a god. I was sickened by the rise of infanticide. Most of the culprits were fathers who ripped the fresh born baby from the mother’s arms, but some were mothers themselves, willingly sacrificing their child in hopes of a more comfortable future. I ended every foul human who brought an innocent to my temples, ripping their souls from their bodies and consuming them so that they could never be reborn again.

Chaos’s eyes darken as he drinks me in, already dismissing Ares as worthless. “It’s been so long since I’ve tasted your flesh, but I always did prefer your true form.” He inhales deeply. “Your stardust was addictive.” His teeth flash, his canines elongating in the human he chose to possess.

Grinding my teeth, I ignore his reminiscing. “I see you’ve stolen someone’s body. I wonder how long this one will last until you tear it apart.” I pity the male who’s already dead, his soul consumed as soon as Chaos invaded his body. He looks like he was in his early thirties. Body toned and tan from spending his days outside. But his hands are soft, showing that he hadn’t earned his tan from manual labor. I try not to think about what life he must’ve had. It doesn’t matter because he’s already gone.

He rolls his shoulders back. “These suits of flesh have always been stifling. I don’t know how you currently do it. And for so long.” He cocks his head to the other side, his eyes zeroing in on my chest, and a stray lock of brunette hair falls across his forehead. “Although your current suit is appetizing to look upon. I can see why you haven’t shed it.”

“This body wasn’t stolen. I was born with it, which I'm sure you’ve heard from Hera.”

Chaos leans closer, inhaling deeply as he asks, “Who?”

In my peripheral, I notice Ares’s twitch of protectiveness, and I hope Chaos didn’t see it. Didn’t notice the slight shift as I tried to shield Ares from him. “Auburn hair. Has daddy issues and a taste for blood.” I tick off her attributes on my hand.

“Ah.” Light dawns on his face. He waves in front of his hand in dismissal of the woman, static making his hair stand up and then it settles back down. “If you’re jealous, there’s no need. You’ve always been mine.” His gaze meets mine and it’s full of dark promises and a dash of softness.

He takes a step towards me and I discreetly take one back, Ares doing the same, clinging to me like a subdued shadow waiting to pounce at the perfect moment. “I would like to know why she’s trying to kill me,” I clarify.

Chaos’s nose flares. “That’s not the bargain I made her.”

“And what’s this bargain?” I say nonchalantly as I remove the non-existent lint from my shoulder.

“She can have the destruction of the universe as long as I’m the one who gets to kill you.”

I don’t have time to move, only to slightly widen my eyes as Chaos strikes. Much quicker than a mountain nymph, his hand wraps around my neck. His arm ripples in currents of power as he tries to restrain himself from bursting out. His breath smells of sulfur and then an overwhelmingly sweet nectar replaces it. Back and forth, the scents interchange as he leers at me, eyes bulging from their sockets.

“Did you think I would forgive you for what you did?” he snarls.

Baring my teeth back, I lean into his hand, daring him to press harder and break my confines. But then the light goes out in Chaos’s eyes and I watch in horror as he falls to his knees, Ares behind him with the sword tip, gleaming with blood.

“Run!” I bellow, getting ready to grab Ares to warp us away from here, but before I can, sparks of lightning and darkness shoot out of the host that Chaos was using. The flesh falls away like jelly, dripping to the ground to expose a whirlwind of sporadic molecules, each fighting over each other in a simultaneous battle of tranquility. One choosing to destroy while the other chooses to mend. Once upon a time, I had thought the two polar opposites coexisting was beautiful. Once upon a time …

Deep and hysterical laughter fills my head. “Hera wasn’t joking when she said you’d be easy to kill. But this? It’s pathetic. I made you, and together we made the universe. And look at you.” His form of raw power pounces on me and I squirm under the force. Each molecule of destruction makes mini cuts along my skin while its counterpart heals what was done, only for the process to be repeated. “You’ve been reduced to such a lowly creature with barely an ounce of the power you used to wield.”

Pressure builds against my cranium as he tries to break into my mind, against the layers of walls that I’ve been building up ever since he made himself known. Every wall he tears down, I quickly repair. Sweat drips down my temples at the exhaustion of trying to keep him at bay for a bit longer.

I’m so focused on Chaos, I don’t realize Ares trying to find a way into Chaos’ mind until it’s too late. Unable to choke out a warning that he can’t access Chaos’ mind in this state, I watch in terror as Chaos feels Ares’s failed attempts. The molecules go eerily still and then, as quick as a viper, he strikes Ares. Chaos’ form, once a haphazard cloud, sharpens into a spear and stabs Ares in the stomach, narrowly missing his vital organs.

“No!” I scream, my throat burning and cracking at the intensity of my cry.

Chaos springs back to make another mark on Ares, one that will be his killing blow. And then he’ll look exactly how I imagined. The only difference is the blood that spews out of his mouth, spraying across the sand. His face is set in determination as he battles against the pain with the sword still gripped in his hand as he fights for me.

I crawl over to Ares in hopes of blocking the blow or going out with him, but I’ve become too weak from the mental marathon against Chaos. Tears stream down my face as I blubber out, fingers digging into the sand, “Give me more time. Please.”

The sky turns an inky black, blocking out what little of the sun was showing. My body shudders as I cry again, but this time it’s one of relief. A snarl rips from my left and then a massive dog barrels into Chaos, right before he lands another blow to Ares. Cerberus rips and tears apart the millions of dots that make up his life force, his teeth clamping down with razor-sharp precision.

Still crawling to Ares, I put my hands under his armpits and dragged him in the opposite direction of the fight. “Shh. It’s okay. I got you. I got you. I shouldn’t have waited. I’m so fucking sorry.” I ramble as regret and self-loathing eats at me while I look down at Ares’ pale face. Bright red blood drips from his mouth. And his other hand that’s covering his wound is drenched in stomach acid and gore. His hand almost looks frail, nothing compared to the one holding the sword.

Ares laughs, the sound turns choking as his body struggles to heal. “I’m dying and you don’t give me a declaration of undying love?”

“You. Are. Not. Dying.” I grind out.

“Sure feels like it, since the wound still hasn't closed up yet.”

“That’s because you took a blow from Chaos.” I enunciate his name. “To be harmed by him or me is fatal. It will take you ten times longer to heal and if he were to stop your heart.” The words stick to my throat, but I choke them out. “There’d be no healing from that. You’d be dead, Ares. Dead!”

The growling and snarling grows louder as Chaos pushes Cerberus back in our direction. Globs of saliva drips from Cerberus’ mouth as he bares his canines at Chaos’ growing mass that gets bigger the more he consumes around him. Even though Cerberus is quick on his feet, Chaos is faster. But he’s taking his time. He sees Ares and me down and sees no point in rushing the inevitable. He makes precise, deep gashes into Cerberus, not enough to kill but enough to draw out the experience until he grows bored and decides to end it.

The ground rumbles beneath us, sending vibrations up our bodies. My teeth chatter at the force of it and I look over just in time to see Hades riding in on a chariot made up of bones. Darkness follows him, blocking out any who would view the beach. He’s led by horses whose flesh is torn off in chunks, flapping in the wind. Their skin is pale and iridescent, just like the ghosts that are rushing in beside them. Phantoms in battle armor run in by the hundreds, following Hades like a warlord in old times. They don’t make a sound, their voices mute as their mouths are open in a yell and their swords drawn. Some lack swords, instead opting to use their hands as weapons, their fingernails elongated and sharpened, mimicking talons. In a frenzy, they rush Chaos.

No longer in the mood to play with his prey, he whips himself back and forth with a deafening crack but before he can flick his form to cause harm, he disappears, engulfed by the ghosts.

With bated breath, I watch as everything goes still. Roaring fills my ears and then light breaks through between the ghosts, their bodies pulsating and swelling up until they burst apart, their souls raining down from the ruin. He roars and I bring my hands up to my ears to block out the sound. Warm liquid pools into my hands and then my hearing is gone.

I watch the destruction Chaos causes angrily, too weak to be of much help. I pathetically sit here, wishing I hadn't waited so long to end it. But wanting Ares to be safe, I continue to drag us away, in hopes that by the time Chaos focuses his attention on us again, I’ll be strong enough to warp us.

The ghosts have created a technique to keep Chaos down. Hundreds at once swarm him, sacrificing themselves. And then, when Chaos rips them off of him in a burst, Cerberus dives in, taking a chunk out of him. But by the fourth time of this, Chaos catches on and is ready for Cerberus.

My shout of warning is futile as Cerberus lunges for Chaos, only for Chaos to be ready, and Cerberus to not notice it in time. His body comes to a halt, but too late. Molecules honed and sharpened, Chaos slices across Cerberus, severing him cleanly from the top of his right shoulder to the armpit of his left. Cerberus falls, everything within him spewing out. The molecules buzz, fuzing together to form a shadowed figure. He leers down at Cerberus’ corpse and reaches within him, pulling out his soul. In a smooth, quick movement, Chaos devours his soul. Never to be reborn again.

Soul after soul, he rips from the ghosts as they continue to ambush him. But he doesn’t eat their souls right away like he did with Cerberus’. No, he stores them within himself so they don’t fade and go back to the Underworld. He doesn’t consume them, but uses them to taunt us. A little reminder of what he plans to do with those souls after he’s finished with us.

Hades, in the back of the fray, notices what Chaos is doing and his face contorts in rage. His lips lift up, exposing his canines in a snarl similar to a bear’s.

Light blooms from his chest. It’s a gift from his mother, one that he so rarely uses due to how draining it is. At first it’s small, only a flicker. But as the light contained within his body, just below the skin, surges towards his chest, a giant ball of pure condensed light forms.

Gritting his teeth, he releases the light, and it shoots out of him as sharp and precise as a laser beam. It hits Chaos perfectly in the center, leaving a gaping hole where the souls were being held.

“Did Hades mean to demolish all those souls? And what was that?” Ares asks in shock, his face still pale from the blood loss.

Checking his wound before answering, I let out a sigh of relief that it has healed enough that it’s stopped bleeding. “He carries the essence of the sun within him. And only Chaos, me, and Styx have the ability to destroy a soul. The light pushed them out of Chaos, sending them tumbling back to the Underworld. And in turn—”

“He landed a blow to Chaos. But how much time will that give us?”

I chew my bottom lip as I inspect the giant hole in Chaos’ center and the ghosts hacking away at what is left of him. His molecules twitch as they try to sew him back up, but struggle due to the light that remains within him. And unable to heal, he can’t move around due to his internal war of heal versus fight.

Sweat drips from Hades’ brow, a vein bulging at his temple. “I can’t hold him off for much longer. Any minute and he’ll destroy the barrier.”

Feeling that I’ve regained enough energy to warp, I yell at him, “I’m ready.”

Before doing just that, I send out a broadcast to the entire town. Slithering into their minds, I manipulate their thoughts to be their own. “Go back to your houses and stay there for the rest of the day. Do not come out.”

“Persephone!” Hades bellows in pain and dread as he clutches his abdomen. He drops to his knees and with it, his hold on Chaos is released. The light vanishes. Without a second thought or glance towards us, Hades warps, his cavalry gone with him, unable to exist in this realm without their master.

Alone on the beach, I don’t wait for Chaos to heal. I tighten my hold on Ares and warp us to the Underworld as fear curdles within my stomach. 

Chapter Twenty-One

The Underworld is burning.

A thick smoke fills my lungs, painting the sky in gray. It’s everywhere. The smoke is acrid and sweet, and I quickly use my shadows to clear the toxic plumes. Only to reveal bodies of nymphs littering the ground. They’re facedown, with their backs torn to shreds, exposing their glistening ribs. Every single body has the same wounds, and I’m only able to tell that they’re facedown because their heads remained untouched. Whatever is here, the nymphs ran in terror, leaving their backs exposed for easy picking.

Ares immediately goes on the defensive, pushing me behind him even though he can barely stand. He limps but pulls himself upright, wincing in the process.

“Don’t be stupid!” I roar as I move beside him. “We do this together!” Opening up the link, I search for Percy. “Where the bloody hell are you?”

As I wait for his reply, I open a void. Reaching, two guns float towards me. One I hand to Ares, the other I strap to myself. The leather band holds the machine gun to my waist. I hand ammo to Ares, who hums in appreciation for getting a bigger gun. I load mine while simultaneously scanning my surroundings.

“What could’ve done this? Chaos?” Ares asks, gun loaded in record time and already cocked, The old gun discarded. His breathing has steadied as he goes into warrior mode, shutting off any emotion that will hinder his reflexes and focus.

I let loose a breath. “It’s not his style.” Kneeling before a nymph, I inspect her body swiftly but delicately, with respect. “Look, Ares.” I point to the edge of her flesh. “Doesn’t this look like teeth marks?”

Ares curses. “I haven’t seen a vrykolakas since the 1800s when Hades used them in a fight with Hera. He only used three, and they did astronomical damage before I was able to take them out.”

Folding my lips inward, I bite down, not liking what I’m seeing. “They’re a bitch to kill.” Before Hades started feeding those corrupt souls to Styx, hundreds ran rampant throughout the universe. Every planet had their version of a vrykolakas and every species was just as devastating because since they’re essentially dead, some of our powers didn’t work on them.

He nods his head. “The only thing that kills them is—”

“Chopping their heads off,” we say in unison.

“It’s going to be hot seeing you do that.” Ares smirks, walking beside me as we pick up our pace.

Scoffing, I roll my eyes and open the void again to grab myself a sword. “These will be more efficient against them.”

“Time-consuming, you mean.” Raising his sword, he lunges for me. Eyes going wide in disbelief, I duck and roll forward, away from the blade. With my sword raised in defense, I watch as Ares severs the head of a vrykolaka who had snuck up on us. They’re just as I remember. Pale and gaunt. Their skin hangs from their bones, looking more like a swamp monster and not a vampire. But Hollywood always gets their facts wrong. Always humanizing the monsters that walk this earth and never showing what truly haunts the darkness.

“Thought I was going for you, didn’t you?” Ares smirks down at me.

“I wasn’t expecting them to be this far back away from fresh meat. They take the liver and then move on.” Straightening up, I walk over and kick the head of the vrykolakas. My lips curl in a sneer. “They don’t stick around in wait for an ambush.” Its head flies across the burnt field, landing with a solid thud.

“Necessary?” Ares asks, his eyebrow quirked.

“No.” I let out a heavy sigh as I inspected my boot, now covered in bits of flesh. “I wish I hadn't done that. Glad I wore boots, though.”

“I’d kiss you cause you’re so cute, but that gore on your shoes is kind of gross.”

Batting my eyes, I raise my hand to my chest. “Ever the gentleman!” I look him up and down. “But that torture chamber you had begged differently about your current qualms.”

Ares’s cheeks turn crimson. “I would be on my knees begging for forgiveness, but your emotions right now are telling me that you’re teasing.” He tilts his head as he stares at me like he’s searching for more. “There’s nothing—” He takes a step closer. “I tortured you.”

“Yes?” I hold my ground as he steps in front of me, his shoes connecting with mine.

“Your feelings toward what I did to you are vacant. I feel nothing, but it’s not the coldness of loneliness but the emptiness of—”

“Forgiveness,” I whisper.

“Why?” he breathes, desperate.

I blink up at him. And as I give him a soft smile, I caress his jaw and lean into him. “Because I understand. I understand your curse. The desperation. The madness of never loving nor being loved. But Ares, when we broke your curse together you didn’t remain that monster. You rose above and redemption was had.”

He stays silent, his breathing turning uneven as gold shimmers in his silver eyes.

With my ear against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, I bring his hand up to my chest. “You deserve this.”

Closing his eyes, he presses his lips reverently against the crown of my head. “Thank you,” he murmurs.

I soak him in for a second longer before stepping back. “Now let's go kick some ass.”

The closer towards the center of the realm we traverse, the more unrecognizable the Underworld becomes. Massive vines overtake the forest, breaking through the trees and digging up the plants. Persephone. This is where she must’ve met the vrykolakas. A few of the vile beings are stuck between vines, their bodies still wriggling to break free. They hiss down at us, their jaws caked in blood.

Swiftly, Ares swings his sword, halting their futile escape.

“Follow the vines,” I say to Ares. “They’ll lead us to Persephone.”

“If there’s anything left of her.”

“Don’t say that.” I exhale harshly as I step over another torn body. Too many. Too many nymphs lay dead. A sacrifice that shouldn’t have been an option.

Don’t look at their faces, I chant, trying not to lose control because this, all of this, is my fault.

“Hey.” Ares takes my hand, halting me. Worry is etched between his brows.

Right. He can sense my emotions, which I’m sure are a whirlwind of a shitshow. “I’m fine.” My smile is brittle. Another lie. How many more until the stack is too tall and they topple over, destroying everyone in their path?

Lie after lie. Cover it up. Smile.

I got this. No, you don’t. Yes, I do.

Another lie. Another half truth.

It’s to keep them all alive.

The world needs them, not me.

Of course he sees through my smile. He sees all of me. “Focus, Ares,” I remind him, distracting him from what he senses.

He narrows his eyes but says nothing, trusting me, blind faith solely based on us being soulmates. I squeeze his hand in reassurance, a silent communication that I’ll tell him later. But I know I won’t because he deserves someone better. Someone who would find a way to stay with him.

The ground turns muddy and relief washes over me. Persephone wasn't alone. Moaning and hissing catches my attention and I turn to my left to see a swarm of vrykolakas trudging through the dirt, their feet crushing the delicate flowers that are left standing.

“I don’t have the mental energy for this,” I grind out.

“Why hasn’t Hades stopped them?” Ares asks as he moves into a defensive stance, sword raised.

I don’t reply, dreading what the answer would be. Instead, I toss my sword at my feet.

“What are you doing?” Ares barks, laced with bewilderment and irritation.

“Just shut up and watch, Bacon Whore.” Stretching my arm out until it’s ramrod straight, I twist my wrist to where my palm is facing down. Fingers in the sign of a gun, my thumb cocks the hammer back. “Night, night, motherfuckers.”

On my word, a bolt of shadow shoots out of my pointer finger. A solid line heads straight towards the herd. Still connected to me like a flamethrower's lifeline to its gas, the shadows follow the direction of my arm as I move it horizontally.

Hundreds. That’s how many there are. And hundreds of decayed heads topple to the ground as I slice them off en masse. Their corrupt souls are absorbed into my shadows that send their energy to me, tasting of decay and rotten earth.

Licking my lips, I turn to Ares. Expecting to see horror, I am shocked to find adoration. Suddenly embarrassed that he saw me eating souls, I look down.

“You’re slightly more powerful now, aren’t you?” he asks, glancing over but keeping his gaze mainly around us, alert.

“Slightly is an overstatement. These souls are nothing but crumbs.” I shift the sword at my feet back into the void, wondering why I even bothered giving myself one. Maybe for old times’ sake?

“Then why eat them?” There’s no judgment in his voice, only curiosity.

I eye him before answering. “Because even crumbs keep a lid from closing.”

His body goes unnaturally still, his muscles shifting to rock on his feet. “But you said that you’re not strong enough to go against him?”

“Not in this body.”

“What?” He slowly tilts his head, looking at me like prey.

Keeping my pace forward, I ignore his question and instead focus on the agonizing screams that are now echoing throughout the realm, ones that were muffled by the forest but are now heard bouncing off the hills.

I run toward it blindly, already knowing who I’ll find. Only loss can make someone cry like that. Ares is at my heels, his face back into the blank mask of a soldier. The closer to the crying we get, the thicker the vines become, looking fresh out of a page of Jack and the Beanstalk. They crawl over the hills, suffocating the land in earnest to reach their enemy.

A black mass of smoke and dust swirls rapidly around the outskirts of a nursery. Giants lay dead and scattered outside of the whirling darkness …

She brought an army. Because only Hera commands the giants. This attack was never meant to be prolonged. No, this was meant to decimate everything and everyone in their path. There would be no hostages. Only death, quick and brutal.

I didn’t notice any damage done by the giants on the way over here, which means Hera had somehow snuck them past and had them attack this area at the same time the vrykolakas laid waste to anyone near the entrance, trapping them in the middle with nowhere to run.

My teeth grind together as my own power flickers, itching for justice to as I notice a few smaller bodies next to the giants. Children …

A small voice at the back of my mind hisses that this is my doing. That if I hadn't used Alek as revenge, then Hera wouldn’t have sought out her own wicked form of retribution. I shove those thoughts deep down where they’ll never see daylight again. In a world of gods and monsters, there’s no time for regrets, especially when I’m both of those things.

Hades’ tortured cries send me stumbling towards the black mass, wanting to end this madness and heartbreak. Where’s Hera?

The earth outside of the swirling smoke and fog shifts as his power causes an earthquake. Ares grabs my shoulder, holding me back. I lean into him as a hole opens up right where I was about to step.

The ground shakes again in warning to stay back. If he doesn’t stop this, he’s going to bring his whole realm down. But as soon as I think that, the ground around us stills.

“Where is sh—” My words are cut off as I look over Ares’s shoulder. He sees the shock written across my face and whirls around, sword raised. But what he spies has him lowering it.

“What the fuuu–?” He doesn’t finish his curse. Instead he says the ending all breathy and soft, confused at what he’s looking at.

At the top of the hill is Percy, holding Hera’s severed head in one of his hands while the other uses water to fight off the Gorgon Maidens. He’s not that far from us, but because of Hades’s inhumane yelling, I couldn’t hear anything else. But now focused on Percy and the Maidens, I can make out their shrieks and snarls as they try to take Percy down.

As one, the Maidens stop, Medusa at their lead. Their snakes strain outward, mouths hissing while their eyes glow a deep gold. Percy halts for a split second, his body turning to stone, but even against twelve Maidens, he’s strong enough to reverse their effect. From the time it took the Maidens to lunge for Percy’s throat after he turned to stone, his body had already healed. He dodges the claws of Medusa, which narrowly miss his throat. Her scream pierces the air as she twists, trying for another shot.

A laugh lodges in my throat as Percy raises Hera’s head and hits Medusa with it. The crack of bone against bone fills the air.

“No, he didn’t,” Ares says in valley girl disbelief. He looks at me, his eyes warring between awe and hatred towards what he just witnessed. “I don’t think he needs our help.” His thumb jerks lazily behind him, pointing to Percy.

I roll my eyes. “Funny. But you do realize Hera will eventually regenerate, and then what? We all suffocate under her reign?”

He smirks. “I’d suffocate under your”—he looks pointedly at my crotch and finishes—“reign.”

My toes curl. “If you leave the Maidens alive, then I’ll consider it.”

Ares’ eyes darken as my emotions slam into him, a heated smog of what’s to come. “As you wish.”

Consumed by their wrath for vengeance, the Maidens don’t notice Ares’ fast approach. At their backs, his command rings out, final and demanding. “All of you, stop fighting. Remain still until I say otherwise.”

The Maidens' movements and even Percy’s come to an abrupt halt. A muscle bulges in Percy’s temple as he fights against the command, all in vain. The Maidens' eyes are glued to Percy, unable to move them anywhere else. Not even their snakes move. Each pin-straight for an attack, their bodies suspended in time.

I step in front of Percy, inspecting Ares’ work. His blue eyes swirl with regret and then they darken into anger. “Percy,” I say blandly, my face conveying none of the emotions coursing through me. Betrayal. Heartache. Gratitude. “I’m going to have Ares release you. But I’m going to make this very clear.” I say the next words slowly, as if I’m talking to someone who barely understands my language. “You are to not touch the Maidens.”

His eyes flash, the only thing he’s able to do under Ares’ control. “I know. I know.” My hands are up in surrender. “But don’t worry. I have a special treat for them.” My voice deepens, the only warning I’m giving him to not go against what I’m saying. “Touch them and your fate will be worse than theirs.”

I look from one eye to the next, wondering what he now sees in me. Does he see a stranger when he looks into the dark galaxy living within me, only glimpsed through the gateways of my eyes? Or does that tiny strip of green tell him that I’m in here? Still me, but a little more.

When his eyes swirl to a lighter shade of blue in acceptance. I step back and nod my head to Ares.

“Otherwise,” Ares directs towards Percy.

“You better know what you're doing,” Percy spits the moment Ares’ hold is broken.

I sigh and rub my temples, a headache already forming. “Did she bring anything else for this ambush?”

He shakes his head. “It was just the vrykolakas, giants, and the Maidens.”

“No harpies?” I inquire.

“Not that I’ve seen.”

My lips jut out in a frown. “Maybe it worked,” I mumble to Ares.

Ares nods his head. “It would seem.”

“What worked?” Percy questions.

I look to the frozen Maidens and then to Percy. “Let’s take care of her first, before we get started.” I bend my knees to where I’m eye level with Hera’s head still in Percy’s grasp. “Hello, old friend.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Smoke lingers above, blotting out the Underworld’s natural light. Coughing surrounds us, followed by quiet crying as the remaining nymphs work in tandem with the ghosts to put out the fires.

“There were three attacks,” Percy informs us as he forms a bubble of water around Hera’s head, preventing her from healing.

“Three?” I ask as I look at each face of the dead, memorizing them.

Percy grunts. “The vrykolakas had the entrance. The giants at the nursery. And then Hera at the orchard.” He shakes his head, brows furrowed. “I don’t know how they got that deep unnoticed. Hera set the fire as a distraction for me while she and the Maidens snuck up on Persephone, who was dealing with the vrykolakas.”

The giants that lay dead around the nymph nursery flashes before my eyes. “But the giants …? The children?” Words evade me, not fully wanting to know the answer.

Percy looks down, his eyes softening at my concern. “Thalia was able to get them out before the giants got to them. Well … most.”

Disgust lines his mouth and I’m afraid to ask, so Ares does it for me. “What happened?”

For once, Percy doesn’t give Ares a sneer. Instead, he looks ahead, lost. “What giants do best. Kill.”

“I’m sorry,” Ares says, pity and remorse shining in his eyes.

Percy’s lip curls up. “You should be. You’re the reason this happened.”

Ares huffs out a breath of defeat. “For once, you may be right.”

I reach for Ares’s hand in comfort, hating where this is going. “You’re not at fault,” I whisper against his mind.

Lifting my hand to his mouth, he kisses the back of it while deeply breathing me in. “Our choices lead to actions. This one is on me.”

I open my mouth to tell him how wrong he is, but Percy breaks our internal communication. “There she is.”

Down the hill from where the Maidens are still standing frozen lies the rest of Hera’s body. And just over the ridge is Hades, whirl of smoke, still spinning like a cyclone. 

“Clotharine? Is that you?” I set my hand on a young nymph, who’s leaning over Hera’s torso, a knife in her hand.

She flinches at my touch and twists her body to swing her knife at me. Blood is caked over her chest and splattered across her throat. Her eyes are vacant. “Shhh,” I console, lightly grabbing her wrist. “You’re safe now.”

“I need to stop her,” Clotharine mumbles wearily, her lips barely moving. And then she turns, moving her attention back to Hera. The sound of flesh being cut fills the air, turning the stump where Hera’s head would be to tenderized meat.

“She’s the reason why I was able to land that disabling blow to Hera.” Percy nods to Clotharine. “A brave nymph for one as young as her.”

“Clotharine,” I say again to the nymph, placing my hand on the back of her hand. “You can stop.”

But she doesn’t stop. Instead, her chopping becomes more frantic. “Go,” I order, my grip on her tightening.

“Amy,” Percy warns.

The nymph screams, unable to keep stabbing Hera from my hold on her. “Ares,” I say tersely, asking for help.

“Sleep,” Ares says simply, waving a hand over her.

Clotharine goes limp, her eyes shutting. I catch her in my arms and lay her gently on the ground.

“What is wrong with you?” Percy fumes. “You didn’t have to treat her like that.”

“Go away,” I say dismissively, not giving him a second glance as I stand over Hera.

“What is it that you want?” he pleads. “I’ll do anything, Amy. Just tell me what you want.”

I cock my head, looking him up and down. His hand is in a fist in Hera’s hair, and his shoulders are tense. But his eyes … they’re the deepest shade of blue. And I’m reminded that anger is a secondary emotion. That we use that emotion instead of the one we’re truly feeling, all in the name of protecting ourselves. In despair, we turn to anger because it’s easier to swallow instead of the loss that enjoys splitting us apart. But Percy no longer gets to look at me like that. He no longer gets to use that tone with me.

Chest heaving because I’m so tired of it all. So tired that an inkling of me still cares for him, I let the shadows engulf me. They fill me from the inside, tasting of comets. And then they burst from my mouth, consuming Hera’s torso. They incinerate her in a blaze until there’s nothing left of her. Not even ash remains.

“What I want!” I seethe to Percy, regretting every moment that we’ve spent together. “Is for you to stop looking at me like I’m trash! You were my friend, and I fucking loved you!” Hair rips out of Hera’s skull as I tear her from Percy. Her strands dangle through his fingers. I do the same as what I did to her body, smiling down at her as her soul tries to escape its fate as food. But it’s not me she needs to worry about. I fling her soul to Hades, allowing him to choose what to do with her.

Percy laughs bitterly. “Loved? Past tense.” He points to Ares and spits on the ground next to my feet. “As soon as he came into the picture, you forgot all about me.”

Rage curdles in the pit of my stomach, bubbling to explode. In deathly calm, I say. “No, Percy. What did it was finding out what you did to Medusa. And how everyone else can stomach being around you is beyond me.”

He lowers his hand, shaking his head. “I told you, times were different back then.”

“And that is the very reason why I stopped loving you. If you had seen what you did was wrong and grieved for what you took from her, then I could’ve eventually loved you again. Not romantically but as a friend. But you don't, Percy, and that’s the problem.”

“If I could go back and change it, then I would,” he pleads, again his eyes turning a deep blue.

Gently I cup his face and whisper, “You only say that because you lost me, not because of the damage done to Medusa.”

His features shutter closed, and he takes a step away from me. “Everything I’ve done has been for you.”

Ares comes up behind me and I take his warm hand into mine. “No, Percy. Everything that you’ve done has been for yourself.” I say to him, finally accepting what has become of us.

If looks could kill, we’d be dead from the glare Percy is giving mine and Ares’ clasped hands. He shakes his head, his anger visibly dulling, but he can’t hide his feelings when they’re written in his eyes. He’s heartbroken and lost. I stand there for a moment longer, letting him get acquainted with his new future, one that doesn’t involve me.

“What are you going to do with them?” he finally asks. I’m assuming he means the Maidens.

“They’ll be given a choice, so it entirely depends upon them.”

“A choice to live or die? You’re going to let them walk away after all that they’ve done?”

I sigh out heavily, done with his constant assumptions. “Would you like to be a witness? There doesn’t need to be one, but the offer stands.”

He narrows his eyes at my tapping foot. “No. There are more pressing matters to attend to.”

I raise my eyebrow at that.

“My sister?” Ares speaks. He’s pin straight as he waits for Percy’s answer. His breathing withheld.

“She’s alive,” he answers.

Air rushes back into Ares’s lungs and I squeeze his hand in silent comfort as relief floods through me, also.

“That’s where Hera was heading after she ...” He shakes his head, silver lining his eyes. “I got her before she came close to Thalia. Your sister took the younglings to the abyss to hide. So while you do your meaningless task with the Maidens, I’ll be actually helping this realm by taking care of the dead and putting out the rest of the fires.”

My hand twitches at his snide remark, my lips curling into a snarl. Before I can make a move to carve him up, Ares squeezes my hand back and steps in front of me. “Well, chap,” he says sarcastically, while slapping Percy on his shoulder. “You better be on your way. We’re just lowly immortals who feed off of the misery of others. While you,” he chuckles. “The world needs more heroic, important people like you.”

Percy’s eyebrows furrow and he opens his mouth to, I presume, say something snarky, but Ares cuts him off by giving him a little shove. “Go on, little groomer.”

Turning his back on him, Ares grabs my hand once more and tugs me away from Percy. “Can’t believe you slept with that guy,” he mutters loud enough for Percy to hear him.

A grin lights up my face as I press myself into Ares’ side, all of a sudden feeling lighter than I did a moment ago. “So dreamy,” I say as I bat my eyelashes up at him. He wiggles his eyebrows jokingly back at me and I can’t help but melt further into him.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The Gorgon Maidens are exactly where we left them, standing as still as the statues that they create, with their features set in bloodthirsty anger. Sympathy clouds my mind as I think about their past that led them to this exact moment. Even though the men who took advantage of them are long dead—their souls inhabiting another life cycle and deeds forgotten—they still haunt these women.

“It’s a pity,” I announce as I come up in front of them. “That after all these years, you’ve rotted your souls to withering ash. Look at you.” My hand lifts to a Maiden. Leaving a millimeter of space between us, I trail a line down her side. “Filled with so much hate, you let Athena’s gift reduce you to this.” Stepping back, I shake my head. “You have a choice, Maidens. Live or die? Heal or burn? What shall it be?”

“You may talk,” Ares says to them, but doesn’t allow any more movement than that.

A Maiden with piercing blue eyes and snakes the shade of robin's eggs speaks first. “We know what happens to souls like ours. It’s too late for our redemption. This is what’s left for us.”

“Love cures all,” I state simply, conveying what needs to be done.

A few of the Maidens scoff, but most snarl in disgust. Medusa’s upper lip curls as she spits, “You’re telling us that we have to love our offenders for our souls to not be destroyed?”

At once, all of the Maidens hiss, their forked tongues slithering against their canines, begging to sink their teeth in me. I stand there patiently, soaking in their hatred like a depraved lunatic. When their hissing dies down, I approach each of them. Stopping for a moment as I stare all twelve of them individually in the eye as I say my next words with the utmost care. “No, my dear ladies. Not them, but you. To look at your broken self and love every aspect of your jagged pieces. All things broken can be mended. The glue is love. You lived through these experiences and it hardened you. It made you stronger. Don’t hate yourself for what was done to you. But love yourself because you survived. Because you are you. Beautiful and strong.”

At that, the Maidens are silenced. Their emotions war between anger and shock and then settle on acceptance. Even frozen, their shoulders sag as a weight is lifted from their withering souls. In unison, they close their eyes and affirm, “I am worthy. I am strong. I am loved.”

All but one of them has their eyes closed. Medusa stares me down, her eyes daggers against my skin. “It’s easy for my sisters to love themselves once again because the men who hurt them are dead. They no longer walk this earth, while mine is still alive. I will never be whole until he is dead! If it’s the last thing I do, I swear I’ll have his head on a pike and feed it to Styx!” Spit flies from her mouth, landing at her feet as her body hums in rage.

“Then so be it,” I say sadly, wishing her outcome was different. Wishing that so much was different.

With the rest of the Maidens' eyes still closed, I connect to all of their mind-links. Their cords are made up of scales that lead directly to their consciousness, no wall to keep me out. “May you find peace and happiness in your next life.” And then I shut off their brains while at the same time stopping their hearts. Eleven of them fall to the ground, lifeless, while Medusa remains standing.

“You said they would live!” she shrieks.

One by one, their souls leave their body, glittering a healthy white, not the dull gray of rot.

Ares inspects my hand as I gather them to me. “I can’t see the souls and yet I can feel them in your palm. It’s like a heat against my face.” His voice is stricken with awe, and I smile up at him. Not at his naivety towards dealing with souls, but that he’s with me. That someone as amazing as him is by my side, having these experiences with me. Accepting me for who I am and all that I am.

Cupping them in my hand, I bring the souls up to my face and whisper to them, “You are loved.” And then, like one would with a dandelion, I blow on them. Their souls float away, caught on a magical wind, off to the Asphodel Fields to wait for their next life cycle.

Jaw set, I shift my shoulders to Medusa and enter her mind. “I really am sorry it had to be this way.”

“How could you do this to us? You experienced what we went through and yet you still chose to move on. How?” Her last question ends on a sob and if I didn’t have my mask up, it would’ve crushed me.

“I have love, Medusa. I accept myself and all of my broken pieces.”

“I’ll never have tha,” she fights, her words venom against my mind.

“Your choice has hurt the innocents that you swore to protect when you were granted this gift. Your decision has led not only yourself, but your sisters down the path of self destruction. Your corruption did not totally destroy them. But you, Medusa, have been destroyed so irrevocably that you refuse to accept and love yourself. Turning into a soul that will be tainted in the next life. And I am sorry for this. I am sorry for all the hurt you’ve been through, and I know that you’re still hurting. I see it.”

She bares her teeth, her voice a growl. “End me, because I do not wish to live into another life where he still walks.”

Leaning into her, I kiss her forehead and cut off her life. She drops and I catch her body, gradually bringing her to the ground. Her snakes are limp and I drape one aside to uncover her cheek. Her soul pops out of her chest, so black and decayed that it drips like tar. Fisting it, I hurl it across the sky in Styx’s direction, not wanting to hold it for a second longer. Resting my palm against Medusa’s cheek, a lone tear drops from my chin and I sing over her and the Maidens’ bodies.

“Who shall bring you

Into the death-sleep sling you.

When you walk on the Path of Death,

And the tracks you tread

Are cold, so cold.

When you stand by the Gate of Death,

And you have to tear free,

I shall follow you.

With my song,

You shall be free from your bond.”

Movement at the bottom of the ridge catches my attention, and I look down to see Rosa standing there. Her hair is matted with blood and debris. The ends of her tunic are scorched and her palms are raw, still healing from being burnt. I let out a cry and stand to go to her, but she holds up her hand and shakes her head. Confused, I enter her mind.

“How badly are you hurt?” I ask, unable to hide my panic at seeing her condition.

She holds out her palms. “This is the worst of it.”

“Why won’t you let me go to you?”

Giving me a sad smile, she chokes out. “I have children and friends to bring back to the circle of life. I love you, but I can’t waste time. I have to go to them before their souls wander.”

“Oh …” I try but fail at keeping the disappointment out of my tone. The weight of everything feels like a ton of bricks and seeing Rosa after all of this … I really need a hug from her.

Sensing what I currently crave, Ares shifts closer to me, brushing his arm against mine in silent comfort. I lean into him and close my eyes as they sting against the denial.

“Your father would be proud, little sea star,” she says softly but with conviction.

Unable to hold it in any longer I sneered in disgust, “I am a monster.”

“The monsters were the ones who came and slaughtered those of the Underworld. You, dear Amethyst, are no monster.”

I don’t reply to her and as I sense her departure, my eyes remain closed for her final goodbye. “It is also I who is proud of you.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

The walk back to Hades is silent as we come to terms with what’s befallen the Underworld. Neither of us makes a sound as we traverse through the vines and charred bits of wood, our feet landing softly with a respectful whisper against the ground in mourning.

Between the debris, vacant eyes look up to the sky. Too many of them belong to nymphs and not the enemy.

A waste. A waste of life.

The vortex of darkness and dust is still swirling around Hades and Persephone in a cyclone of madness, telling all to not come near. Letting my fingers slide from Ares’, I meet his stare. “I need to do this alone.”

He searches my gaze, concern and understanding etched in his. When he finds what he’s looking for, he nods his head and says, “I’ll be with my sister.”

I raise my eyebrow in amusement. “And work with the ever-heroic Percy?”

His mouth pops open, and then he shuts it. He smirks down at me. “I’m hoping he’s still putting out fires and won’t be there.”

Smirking back, I point in the direction of the entrance to the Abyss. “Try not to get eaten by the giant snakes that live there.”

“You’re joking,” he deadpans.

I shrug my shoulders. “I guess you’ll find out.”

“Bunnicula,” Ares enunciates.

Flashing my teeth at him, I flick him on the nose. “Give Thalia my love.”

“And here I thought, as I was bleeding out on my deathbed, You were going to give me your love. But it’s my sister you actually love?”

“She’s prettier.”

“Ouch.” Ares winces.

He steps back, a playful smile on his lips and mirth crinkling at the corners of his eyes. “I’ll see you tonight,” he promises.

“Tonight,” I promise, before turning my back to face the dome of doom. My smile drops and is replaced by a cold mask. No. I shake my head.

Breathing in and out, I remind myself that Hades is a friend. One who is hurting. So internally I hack away at the wall that keeps my emotions at bay during difficult times and give him the raw me that he needs. Someone who cares about his pain.

Too consumed by his grief, Hades doesn’t stop my advances. The back of my hand brushes against the swirling darkness, bits of dust cutting into my skin. “Hades,” I say softly. “I’m coming in.”

The shadows part under my control, dividing a thin line for me to walk between. Once I’m through, they close back up again, wanting no one else to disturb them.

The smell of blood is so potent that I gag, covering my mouth with my hand. Eyes burning, I blink rapidly, trying to see what’s in front of me. The shadows block out any sound and light, creating an unsettling quietness.

A ball of gold sits in Hades’ palms, shining light onto his face. Tears stream down his cheeks, endless and sorrowful. And nestled in his lap is Persephone. Serene … and gone. Her vibrancy is no more, leaving an empty shell. Her soul flickers in and out in Hades’ palms, her essence accepting and craving the final stage, which for a nymph is to be put back into the circle of life, its energy used to feed the earth.

Carefully walking to them, I step over vines and more dead bodies of nymphs that were trying to protect their queen. They’re the reason why it reeks of death. There are so many of them that they create a hill that Hades sits atop.

I lower my hand as I draw near to Hades. As I kneel in front of him, my knee hits something hard. Looking down, my mind reels as I stare at a bone knife covered in blood, laying on top of one of the bodies.

“No,” I breathe, shaking my head, wishing that I wasn’t part of this reality.

Hades’ hands are so large that they encase Persephone’s entire soul, keeping her safe, for now. “I can’t—” His voice breaks into a sob. “I can’t let her—” Another sob as his body shakes. His eyes are so glassy that I’m sure his vision is blurred. He clutches her soul against him, and her body falls off his lap and lands in front of me. Flowers have bloomed from her every pore, not a millimeter of flesh forgotten. Even in death, she still gave life.

“Let me see her,” I say with tenderness.

But my sensitivity has gone unnoticed as Hades finds his words. “So you can eat her?”

I reel back on my heels, almost losing my balance and falling down this pile of bodies. For a moment I am dumbfounded that he thinks that low of me. And then I sigh out, defeated. “Do you really believe I would do that?”

He says nothing, only cries further. His tears drenching her soul.

“Trust me, Hades.”

He shakes his head vehemently. “If I let her go, she dies. The bone knife made sure that she can’t enter the cycle. She will disappear forever, and she’s too pure and good for that fate. She deserves better than to turn into nothing.”

“She does,” I agree. “But like you, her soul will not dwindle in my care.”

He looks up at me then, clarity and determination lining his eyes. “You won’t hurt her?”

“I promise.”

With a lover's care, he places Persephone’s golden soul into my palms. My thumb rubs against her sphere. She’s warm and pulses under my touch. “Can you hear her soul?” I ask Hades.

He shakes his head and croaks, “She shut me out.”

“Listen.” Smiling softly, I open the mind-link to Hades so that he can hear what I can.

His eyes widen, and more tears fall from their prison. “She’s—”

“Singing.” I beam at him.

“Why did she hide this from me?”

My smile falls. “Because she’s accepting her death.”

“No!” he roars. “Give her back!”

“I will not break my promise.” Staring him down, daring him to take her from me, I keep a tight hold on her soul. “You forget, Hades, that I once created life, not just took it.”

“How?” he breathes, Confusion and hope loosening his jaw.

“I do this because I love you. Though you were a fool for bringing me back, I forgive you. Now watch as you receive your last and final gift from me.”

The shadows around us go still, waiting, just as Hades does the same.

Using my own shadows, I create a knife, and before Hades can move, I slice an opening into my side. “My favorite part,” I joke to him, trying to lighten the mood. But he ignores me, his entire being focused on the glowing orb in my hand.

Breathing in and then out, I work quickly before I’m able to heal. Grunting through the searing pain, I cut through the muscle fibers and then grab onto my lower rib, ripping it out of me with a tug and twist of my wrist.

Heaving over, I pant at what I’ve just done. “Now for the part that you’re not going to like. Trust me?”

Hades licks his lips, wavering. But then he surprises me. “Always, dear friend.”

Knowing that her soul can’t last much longer without a home, I don’t waste a moment longer. I stab my rib into her golden orb. A blinding light explodes, causing Hades to cry out in anguish. 

When the light dies down, Hades is in a panic. His chest heaves wildly, eyes flashing when he can no longer see her soul.

Before he has a heart attack, I open my palm to showcase a pomegranate seed. “The nymphs will know what to do with her. Give her to them and then find her when she’s grown into womanhood.”

Gingerly, I give him the seed that now holds not a nymph, but an immortal soul. “No sooner, Hades,” I warn. “Even though she is your soulmate, you shall not visit her nor touch her until she’s an adult, or she shall wither and wilt. And die like a flower plucked too soon.”

“Thank you,” he whispers hoarsely, nodding his head in understanding. The darkness surrounding us drops, and I close my eyes to adjust to the dramatic shift in lighting. When I open them back up, Hades is gone.

Goodbye, old friend.

Chapter Twenty-Five

My shirt clings to me as I pull it off, stinking of sweat and blood. After Hades, I had helped with moving the bodies of the dead. The giants and vrykolakas I used my shadows to haul to a pit to be burned. But as for the nymphs, out of respect, I didn’t use my power. Most weren’t whole, just body parts strewn about, thanks to the giants. And then the ones whose fate ended by a vrykolakas … I learned the hard way that picking the nymphs up caused their other half to finish tearing off, Leaving the rest of their guts to spill out.

The leggings are worse than the shirt. Kicking and tugging, they stick to my ankles in a death grip. Huffing out in annoyance, I snap my fingers and they disappear, consumed and burned by shadows. “Much better.”

As I step into the hot spring, goosebumps crawl up my skin and I hiss out in pleasure at the intense heat. It’s not the same one I had shared with Percy, but similar. Orange flames had lit the sporadic sconces along the cavern walls, but wishing to be in darkness, I extinguished them all besides the one by the entrance.

The floor is smooth beneath my feet. When I finish cleaning myself next to the springs filtering system, I swim to the center where I can no longer touch the ground, and push my legs up to float on my back. In this already quiet room, all noise ceases as water pools in my ears. My eyes flutter closed, and sleep catches up to me.

Splashing alerts me and I jolt awake, attention fixed on where the noise came from.

“You’re bloody lucky that I’m not scared of death,” I chastise.

Ares frowns. “I called out to make myself known, but you appeared dead to the world, so I simply sat and waited. Although not for very long, given the moment my foot hit the water, you jumped up like a little bunny who was being chased by a falcon.”

I roll my eyes, dragging myself closer to him. My muscles relaxed. “Did not.”

He hums. “I’ll take a picture next time.”

Feet touching the ground, the hot water laps around my collarbones, tickling my skin. “Why are you clothed?”

He tilts his head, amusement lining his lips. “Should I not be?”

Biting my lip, I think about it and then whisper, “I don’t want to fight the bond anymore.” Ares’ eyes widen in shock and then settle on determination. As he opens his mouth, I continue speaking. “I haven’t been honest with you. The reason why I’ve been fighting the bond so hard—”

“I know,” he cuts me off.

Shaking my head, I wrap my arms around myself and take a step back. “You can’t possibly know.”

His teeth grind together, sounding so loud that it’s like an avalanche in my ears. “I can feel your emotions. And I’ve learned that our emotions speak louder than our words. And I’ve seen enough wars and fought along enough men to know what it feels like when you’ve accepted your—”

“Don’t say it.” I shake, my voice wobbling. “If you know, then you understand why we can’t do this. It’s unfair to you.”

He jumps into the water, fully clothed, and swims over to me.

“What are you doing?” I gasp.

He doesn’t answer me. Only swims up to me, his jaw pulsing in irritation and his eyes set in wrath. He takes me in his arms, one snaking around my lower back pulling me to him, and then the other up my spine. Hand gripping my hair at the base of my neck, he tilts my head up. His full lips collide with mine. I kiss him back fervently, as if I’ve waited my whole life for this moment. Ares growls, clutching me closer to him, his fingers digging into my hips. I growl back, biting his bottom lip and then his tongue sweeps in. My growl turns into a groan as his tongue caresses mine, tasting of fresh mint. Ice to my raging inferno.

My body cools as I’m flush against him, soothing the burning ache when I go too long without being touched by him. His clothes rub against every sensitive part of me and my mind screams for his hands to touch me there. Instead, I surprise myself. Hands curling into his shirt, I break the kiss and push him away from me. Panting, I take a step back from him to create space. The air around me is suddenly too hot. Suffocating. And my soul begs to be in his arms once more. To finish the claiming.

“This isn’t real.” I shake my head. “You think you love me, but it’s the bond. Nothing more. And even though I want this, want us, it’s not fair. To you, nor to me.”

His eyes illuminate in the dark, furious. “Amethyst,” he says darkly. I shudder at the promise of what his tone is conveying but hold my ground, not giving into him. “It’s not the bond.”

“How can you be sure?” I argue.

“Because.” He steps forward, erasing the space between us. “Before your soul was completed, I loved you.” His hand lands on my hip, locking me in place. He shakes his head, disgusted with himself. “Not when I tortured you because the curse was still in place.” And then he shakes his head again. “That was a lie. I tell myself that because of the guilt. I fell for you before then.”

“When?” I whisper, eyes frantically searching his. Needing to know this.

Ares’ nose grazes up my neck, along my jaw, to my lips, then back again to my ear. “The first time you called me Bacon Whore.”

I scoff, my nerves melting. “Liar,” I say hoarsely. My fingers ache to grasp his length.

He nibbles my earlobe before saying, “It’s true. Though I didn’t know it at the time. The emotion was foreign, something I have never felt. Even before the curse, I had never fallen in love. And then it hit me again and again … and again. I thought I was infatuated. Everything you did seemed interesting. Even the way you bite your lip right before you say something that you don’t want to. I found myself watching your every movement, amazed by how your body moved. Again, I didn’t realize I loved you until you broke the curse. But looking back … the way I felt. I would allow nothing to stand between us. Even in death, I’d fight to come back to you.”

“How did you know it was love?” I ask, my breath hitching as Ares’s finger trails up my abdomen and to my sternum. My own hands in fists at my sides, I wait for his answer.

“When you stood in front of me, taking that ice spear instead of letting it hit me.” His finger pokes my sternum and then his hands curl, nails lightly scratching my skin. “I felt it right here, Bunnicula. I knew the wound couldn’t kill you and yet my mind was at war. The only thing stopping me from skinning Poseidon was the immense control I had learned from being around Hera.”

His hand spreads back out as the tension leaves his body. “I hate myself so much for what I did to you. I am so utterly unredeemable.”

He releases me then and I take his hand into my own, not allowing him to break the contact between us. “I fell for you before the torture,” I say and then quieter, as if I were spilling the dirtiest secret that shouldn’t ever see the light of day, I admit barely above a whisper, “I loved you even during the torture. Through it all, I couldn’t stop loving you. I hate myself for enjoying the pain. Because in pain, there was you. And I couldn’t get enough of it. So before you hate yourself, hate me. Because in the end, I looked forward to those visits. And that is the most unforgivable thing I could do to you: to enjoy what you so loathed.”

He shudders from my confession. “I see you, Amethyst. And I accept all of it. Your good, your bad. All of it is breathtakingly beautiful and no matter what you do, I will never stop loving you … Never.”

My legs wobble as emotion overcomes me at the raw love that he gives me. “Then have me, Ares. I am yours.”

I trail my hands down his stomach until I find the hem of his shirt and move to take it off of him. Tossing the soaked shirt, it lands on the surface of the water with a sharp slap.

“Say it again,” he begs as his thumb circles around my nipple, giving it a firm but gentle tug.

“Ares,” I moan as my nipple pebbles under his touch. “I am yours.” My hands fumble to unzip his pants. His erection springs out when I pull down his underwear.

Lips sucking and kissing up and down my neck, I feel his body lean into mine as he kicks his pants the rest of the way off. My hand immediately finds his erection, throbbing and warm. He groans into my neck, sending vibrations down my body.

“I want you inside of me,” I demand as I stroke him, his head bobbing under my navel.

“Gods, baby, you can have whatever you want.” He grunts, lifting me up to where my hips are flush against his, and takes us over to the steps. Shifting me onto the stone, he pushes my shoulders to where I’m laying on my back with my feet still in the water.

“What are you doing?” I ask, staring up at him. Water drips down his chest and trails between his abs. And his muscles flex as he adjusts himself between my legs.

“I wanted a better view of you.” He smirks, his heated gaze roaming over every millimeter of me, and suddenly I’m thankful for the ghost who waxed me.

Reverently, Ares traces my body with the tips of his fingers. He starts at my jaw, down my throat, then across my collarbones. Every detail that he traces over, he gives a featherlight kiss. My hips buck when his knuckles graze over my clit and instead of a kiss, his tongue is flat and firm against me, licking up my seam.

“Ares,” I moan breathlessly as his tongue flicks over me. Heat builds in my core as my legs begin to shake. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, I ride his face as pleasure upon pleasure builds up until I’m at the peak. Lightning shoots down my body and then I’m squirming under Ares as he drinks in my orgasm. His licking turns lazy as his hands caress my legs. Humming against my clit, he takes it between his teeth and gives it a quick, hard suck. I buck again, a feminine shriek escaping my lips.

“You’re so fucking divine.” He shakes his head in wonder. “You taste like—”

“Ambrosia?” I tease.

Ares snorts. “Whoever told you that is an idiot.” He shakes his head again. “No. It’s going to sound stupid because how would I know what that tastes like but ...” He leans down, inhaling me before giving me a devoted kiss down there. “You taste like stardust and dreams.”

I laugh, my hands urging him to come up. “Stardust and dreams?”

“You can laugh all you want, my love, but your come was like a shooting star. Popping across my tongue and with every burst, it released a reminiscent longing. It was a high and one I wouldn’t mind becoming addicted to.”

I hum in my post-orgasm bliss as Ares’s erection settles at my entrance, waiting.

“There’s something I want to do,” I say before Ares pushes himself into me.

His muscles tense atop me. “Oh?”

Eyes never leaving his, I open a void to bring a small pocket knife to me. He only lifts an eyebrow, waiting for what I plan to do.

Swiftly, I cut deeply into my palm. Blood pools and then drips down my arm.

With a shaky breath of longing, Ares asks, “Are you sure you want this?”

Handing the knife to him, I nod my head. “My life is nothing without you. And I want you to know how much this means to me. How much you mean to me.”

“You are everything,” he rasps before his lips crash onto mine, and I feel the jerk of his torso as he quickly cuts into his palm. Breaking the kiss, he presses his bloodied hand against mine to where our gashes line up. His blood pouring into mine and mine into his, his erection finally enters me. Sliding in and out, tortuously slow, Ares leans his forehead against mine and together we say,

“Blood to blood,

Calls our souls.

To each other, our essence binds.

Turning our once broken souls to whole.

Even when our flesh has fades,

Always bonded, forever more.”

A string of light shoots from our chests. And as our souls fuse together, Ares’ injured hand clutches mine harder while he picks up speed, driving into me. My legs wrap around him, my heels urging him deeper.

“Harder,” I pant against the glaring light of our souls still binding.

Ares obliges, growling in my ear when my nails rake down his back.

Mouth finding mine, his tongue assaults mine in equal ownership. And when our souls fade back into our bodies, each carrying the essence of the other, we both climax at the same time. Time seems to go on and on as wave after wave of pleasure pulses down my body.

Bodies coming to a standstill, our chests heave against each other, taking in each other's breath as if we needed it to live.

“Forevermore,” Ares worships.

I nod my head as exhaustion takes over. “Forevermore, you are mine.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

The sun is warm against my cheek, shining bright with no clouds to block its rays. Spread across a picnic cloth, I close my eyes and savor the heat of the sun and Ares atop me, whispering into my ear, “Forevermore.”

“Papa!” a girl squeals in the distance.

A light breeze rustles the surrounding grass that blocks our girls' view of us. Lips nestled in the crook of my neck, Ares growls softly before biting down.

“Papa, come find us!” another girl yells with juvenile glee.

I laugh, arching into Ares. “Your daughters await.”

Leaning over me on his elbows, he takes a bite out of my lower lip. “How come I’m the one who always has to find them?”

“Because.” I give him a saccharine smile. “They know I can see through the shadows they create, unlike you.”

More giggling ensues before the oldest sighs, irritated, “Papa, don’t make me come and get you.”

Pushing against Ares’s chest, I shoo him away. “Your girls are waiting.”

“My girls.” He smiles broadly, his dimple on full display. Then he turns, lifting his jaw to call out over the tall grass. “The big bad papa is coming to get you!”

And then he’s gone, his figure out of my view as I lay on my back, staring up at the clear blue sky. The grass rustles differently as Ares traverses through it, in search of our daughters. The youngest giggles, wanting to be found.

Ares roars like a bear, and I sit up to watch their game. Body in a crouch, Ares sniffs dramatically. “Little Lux, Little Lux,” he coaxes. Another giggle.

Ares dives to his left, where he snatches up Lux. Twirling her in a circle, she laughs hysterically while he makes fake biting movements on her arm at the same time tickling her stomach.

“Papa, stop!” she screeches between panting breaths of laughter.

“But I’m hungry!” he says as he puts her down, patting her head. “Help me find Luna?” he asks hopefully.

Lux sticks out her tongue. “That’s cheating.”

Ares shrugs his shoulders. “Is it?”

She beams up at him, her front tooth missing. “Let’s do it.” And then she cackles evilly.

Ares makes eye contact with me, his eyebrows raised to his hairline and mouths, “Definitely your daughter.”

I roll my eyes, laughing under my breath. Laying back down, I close my eyes once more and listen to the music of my soulmate and our daughters.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

I jolt awake, my dream replaying through my head like a family home video. Silken sheets rub against my legs as I shift in bed, arching the back of my body further into Ares. What a cruel dream to have. A glimpse into a perfect life that will never be mine. And yet as the minutes tick by as I stare up at the dark ceiling, the face of our daughter fades away, but the feeling remains. Content. Happy. At peace. Whole.

All of those things with Ares. A life I can’t give him. A life I was never destined to have. If Chaos hadn't been awakened then maybe, but now …

I reach over to the nightstand in search of where I placed the passage stone that links me to Alice. Shifting to sit up, the sheet draped over me, I throw the rock to the ground and watch as it explodes.

Ares jumps up, eyes bleary but alert. “What is it?”

“Something is wrong.” I clutch the sheet, willing Alice to walk through the portal. “She’s taking too long.”

“Maybe she’s writing up a treaty.” He yawns.

“No.” Panic sets in my chest the longer the portal is open. “I need to go to her.”

“Now?” he croaks, still ridden with sleep.

“Yes.” Tossing the sheet off, I leave the portal open, afraid that if I close it, I’ll never be able to find her.

“Okay.” Ares nods his head groggily and then says again, “Okay.”

In my peripheral, I see him searching for his clothes as well. “Dress in layers. We don’t know where we’ll end up.”

Dressed and armed, we walk into the portal. The trip is short. Only three steps, which means that she’s on the same continent or the one over.

“Don’t fucking move,” a man with an American Southern accent says to us.

I cock my head predatorily at the gun this man has pointing at us and then at his green camouflage suit ending in tan combat boots. Trailing my gaze lazily back up his body, I stop at his chest where one side says in bold lettering, JONES, and the other side, US ARMY.

“You, don’t move until I command it.” Ares’ power snakes easily into the man's mind, causing his muscles to go stiff. His eyes widen and dilate in fear and confusion.

Stepping further into the room, I’m about ready to ask the man, Jones, where Alice is when I see her unconscious laying on a bed in the corner. Blood covers her clothes in various shades of red and blue. “What have you done to her?” I seethe, rushing to her side. I check her pulse and exhale out a lungful of air when her pulse beats under my fingers.

“She was running from these creatures.” Jones’ face blanches. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Humanoid but also hawklike. They had beaks, but the chest of a man and their arms were wings, ending on these …” His eyes go blank as he remembers what he saw. I can sense exactly how he’s feeling because one time in my life, I had felt the same. Knowing nothing of this world and then being thrust into it by an attack of these very creatures—harpies.

“She came out of nowhere. Fast little thing.” His face softens as he shifts his attention to Alice. “She collapsed right at my feet. I was able to get her to my vehicle before those things pounced on us. Been lying low.”

“Were there others?” Ares asks.

“Others?”

Ares walks up to Jones, a meter away from him, exuding all the dominance in the world. “Humans.”

Jones audibly swallows as he stares at the end of his barrel pressed against Ares’ chest. “I was the last of my squadron. Mine and a few others came to help with evacuating the city.”

“Why?” Ares presses.

Choosing to not back down under the authority that Ares exudes, the man answers. “The earthquakes. They’re catastrophic. Scientists have been able to pinpoint when and where the next one is going to hit.”

Ares grabs Jones’ wrist, moving his arm down to where the gun is out of the way and steps further into Jones’ bubble. Face mere millimeters away from him, Ares asks, “When?”

Jones doesn’t blink as he’s finally reined in his nerves from our arrival. That, or he’s going into shock. It’s a lot to process. “Exactly twenty-seven hours.”

“How long has she been asleep?” I ask, rubbing Alice’s hand that’s laying above the sheet.

“Two hours,” he responds, a shade concerned.

I slowly turn, looking Jones up and down. “It’s obvious she’s not human if you witnessed her speed. So why keep her safe? Why risk the harpies finding you in their search for her?”

“I ...” His mouth pops open and then closes. “I don’t know.”

My eyes narrow on him and then I enter his mind, where I’ll be able to tell if he’s giving me the truth or not. “If Ares lets go of his thrall over you, what will you do?”

Jones’ pupils flash. I’m sure if Ares didn’t command him not to move, he’d also be jumping out of his skin. “What are you?” he asks as fear washes over him.

I flash my teeth. “A god. Now answer my question.”

“You haven’t harmed her,” he answers, referring to Alice. “You come across as having no ill intent towards her. Therefore, I would do nothing.”

“Nothing?” I muse.

“Well, ma’am. If I’m being honest, I’d sit down right there next to her and wait until she wakes up.”

I cringe at the term ma’am. “Why?”

Again confusion lines his eyes, his fear easing. “It’ll sound unbelievable, but I guess this whole day has been one unexplainable thing right after the other.”

I raise my brow, waiting.

“Right. Well, it’s this feeling in my chest. I don’t know what it is, but something about this woman calls to me. I have this deep urge to protect her.” His mouth lifts up, like the thought of Alice making him feel this way, a woman that he knows nothing about, brings him joy.

“Release him,” I say to Ares.

Ares doesn’t hesitate. Trusting me, he lets go of his hold on Jones. The man sags in relief but doesn’t raise his gun towards us. Instead, he straps it back into his holster. “Are any more …” He stumbles for words and then lands on, “Gods going to come through that circle as well?”

Snorting at his ignorance, I wave my hand and the portal closes.

Perched on the roof of a pay-by-the-hour motel, I scan the area for harpies. The sun sits high in the sky, beating its heat upon our heads. Since finding Alice in her current state, I left her in the care of Jones while Ares and I went in search of the harpies that have been hunting Alice.

“I always forget how little the humans know of us,” Ares muses out loud. “Especially when I was raised in a time when we were worshiped. One step onto a street and people were falling onto their knees, begging for blessings. Now, I’m just like anyone else. Normal. Unknown.”

“Missing women falling at your feet?” I snicker.

He chuckles darkly, trailing his hand down my spine. “Hardly.”

I laugh, wiping my brow in discomfort. “This bloody heat is killing me. I forgot what it’s like to live on this side of the world.”

“Why don’t you create some shade?”

Rolling my eyes, I spot a harpie peering through a storefront and send a bolt of shadows that chop off his head. Blood sprays across the window and I grimace at the mess. “Because then they would swarm us.” My eyes bulge out. “Of course!” Getting up from where I’m lying on my stomach, I procure a massive shadow above mine and Ares’s head. I look at him and smirk. “I forget sometimes that you’re an intelligent life form.”

“Ouch.” He smacks his chest in mock hurt. “And here I thought I was only the bane of your existence.”

“Any moment now,” I sing.

“What?” I absolutely adore Ares’s confusion, but then understanding dawns on him as harpies from all over the city jump to the sky, all heading in our direction.

“Oh no, whatever shall we do?” I feign alarm as I dramatically slap the back of my hand against my forehead, with my body going limp in a show of fainting.

Ares plays along. “Lady of the Night, I beg of you. Please use your wizard magic and save us from these beasts!”

I laugh into Ares’s chest as he takes me in his arms. The sky darkens around us with the approach of the harpies. Their battle cries pierce the air. “Kiss me,” I breathe.

The silver in Ares’s eyes turns molten. Hands clutching my hips, he tilts my neck and then devours me. As his tongue explores, the harpies suddenly free fall to the ground. The sound of splattering flesh against concrete and rock buildings surrounds us.

Even through the sound of death, knowing that I had killed all the harpies at once using my mental ability, Ares groaned into my mouth. “So fucking hot.”

He slips a hand down my pants and hisses when he feels how wet I am. “I see death is a turn-on for you.”

“Only a little.” I gasp as he plunges a finger in.

Ares growls into my ear when my walls clench around him. “And who’s going to clean up this trash?” he asks, referring to the harpies.

He inserts another finger, tortuously slow. Not able to take it any longer, I hold on to his shoulder for support and ride his hand.

“Bad girls get punished before they’re allowed to come.” He tsks.

“Huh?” My eyes roll back as my body tingles with an incoming climax.

Right before I jump off that cliff, Ares removes his fingers and spins me around. So off balance and drunk off of him, I land on my hands and knees. In one swift movement, Ares has my pants pulled down. I arch my back, putting myself on full display for him. “Ares,” I moan. “What are you wai—”

A sharp slap stings my skin as his palm lands on my cheek. “By the amount of harpies, you just killed off an entire species.” Another slap on the same spot and he immediately soothes the sting with a massage.

I practically purr under his touch, craving the feeling of pain mixed with pleasure. “I don’t care,” I grind out, jutting my butt to him, asking for more.

The air rings with another slap. “You don’t care that you made a species extinct?”

My fists curl into the roof. “No. They deserved it.”

Before I can beg him to fuck me already, he slaps me again while at the same time he plunges himself into my hot core. The slap is much harder than the other times, but the combination of it with him finally entering me has me seeing stars and I explode around him. My legs shake as I scream through the most intense orgasm that I’ve ever had.

Ares grips the front of my throat and draws me against his chest. He growls, his teeth biting hard into my shoulder. “You’re perfect.” He shudders as he works his cock into me.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“The birds are taken care of.” I nod to Jones as I enter the room, Ares at my back.

Jones nods, still seated next to Alice. “So what now?”

“Now you get out of my seat.” He looks at me, and I give him a sickly sweet smile, slowly batting my eyes. His fists clench on his lap as he considers fighting for the position next to Alice and I smile even wider. I raise an eyebrow, waiting.

With a contained huff of annoyance, Jones gets up and mocks with his arms outstretched towards the chair. “Your Highness.”

I smirk, holding back a snicker. Taking Alice’s hand back into mine, I urge her to wake up. Her finger twitches, but her breathing stays even. What happened during her meet-up?

“You’re going to rub her raw,” Jones growls.

Jolting, I look down to see that I’ve been rubbing Alice’s hand a little too hard with my worrying. Reluctantly, I let go of her. Leaning into Alice, I whisper in her ear, “I think he likes you.”

She gasps, and cold metal is at my throat.

“Kinky,” I purr.

Lowering her hand, Alice groans. “Where am I?”

“You showed up at this man's feet. Captain America.” I point to Jones. “And then passed out with an army of harpies tracking you. You're lucky he didn’t leave you for dead.”

Eyes glazed in fog turn clear in confusion. “I went to a human for help?”

I chuckle under my breath. “You sure did.”

Jones scoffs. “I can give you back to them if you’d like.”

Alice bares her teeth, but I cut in. “They’re all dead.”

Closing her mouth, Alice slowly shifts her body, giving me her full attention. “What do you mean?”

“Killed them.” And then I clarify, “All two hundred.”

Alice blinks at me, and then her breathing becomes shallow. “How could you?”

Scrunching my eyes at her like she’s the most daft person, I enunciate every syllable. “Because they were trying to kill you.”

She explodes, her face turning red. “That doesn’t give you the right to wipe out an entire species!”

My face remains placid as I turn my attention to my nails. “I don’t see why it doesn’t.”

Alice shakes her head as her body trembles. “You had no right.”

I stand up, staring at her down my nose. “So you’re telling me that they weren’t trying to kill you? That if Jones wasn’t there, that they wouldn't have succeeded?”

Her bottom lip wobbles, and she quickly bites it down. Not meeting my eyes, she looks away.

“Exactly. I will not lose any more of my friends to this war. I don’t care if wiping out a species turns me into something terrible. Not when I could’ve—” My voice cracks and I wipe away the tears that have fallen down my cheeks. “Not when I could’ve lost you.”

Alice remains silent, not meeting my stare.

“Fine.” I brace my shoulders and walk to the door. Before exiting, I look over my shoulder. “Chaos is coming. Jones will inform you of when he’ll be here. I expect you to be far away from here when the time comes.”

Seeing that Ares wants to speak with Alice, I shut the door and head to the room that we got a key for from the office. My body remains ramrod-straight until I get into the room. I barely pay attention to the outdated curtains and stained sheets as I head straight to the bathroom, where I turn the shower all the way to scalding.

Sleep evades me as I lay next to Ares, and it has nothing to do with the cheap box spring but everything to do with the roaring in my head. I look at the digital clock to my left. Its red numbers are a blaring countdown until Chaos arrives. If the military's estimations are correct, then he’ll be arriving in less than twenty minutes. I told Ares that I would wake him up, but that was a lie. The last lie that I’ll ever tell him.

Inching out of bed, I walk on my toes to look out the window. Any minute now, I’ll be warping out of the room so that the door doesn’t alert Ares of my departure. Even in his dreams, he knows. His brows scrunch at the absence of me in bed. His fingers flex in search of me.

You’ll be happier without me. I think. And then I close my eyes and open my senses, in search of Chaos.

It doesn’t take long to find his purple mind link. It ripples with raw power, thick and coarse. Sensing how near I am, Chaos latches onto me. I grit my teeth, grunting when he caresses down my cord, and then suddenly digs his claws into it. Fighting back, I sink my teeth into his.

He laughs. It's rough and smooth. “Just like old times.”

“It’ll never be like old times.” 

“But I’ve changed my mind. I no longer want to kill you.”

“Oh? Is it because your new pet is dead?” I taunt.

“If you’re referring to that imbecile, Hera, then yes.”

“I don’t see what she had to do with your change of heart.”

Chaos bares his teeth and then smooths it over with a soft smile. “Time changes everything. I forgive you. Now come back to me and we can rule the universe once again. Just think,” he coaxes, running a finger down my cord. It sends biting pinpricks down my spine. “The planets would be restored. The universe will once again be blooming with life. Oceanus and the rest of the children would rule under our feet. Just like how it used to be.”

“That’s not what you truly want. I know your heart, Chaos.”

“One would need to have a heart for you to know it.”

Too much time has been spent in this space; any longer and I’ll be trapped. Taking a mental step back, I get ready to sever the connection. But Chaos is just as skilled at the mind tricks and feels what I’m about to do. He lunges forward, digging his mental claws into me. They rake over my mind, pinning me in place. Panting, I fight to release myself.

He breathes me in, deeply taking in my scent. His nose flares and he roars, “You reek of another's essence!”

“I’m not yours to own!” I scream back, trying to wiggle myself free.

“But you are! I created you for me. You are the only thing ever made that solely has me and nothing else. You. Are. MINE.”

His teeth fully clamp down onto me, biting into the very thing that makes me … me. I halt completely under his hold. Mind going blank, my will becomes his.

Like a wraith, I pick up the knife laying on the table and walk to the edge of the bed. My head tilts at an odd angle as Chaos inspects Ares through my eyes. Pleading, I ask for him to stop this. That I’ll do anything.

But Chaos ignores me, and I crawl dutifully onto the mattress. My legs squeezing around Ares’s thighs wakes him up. Groggily, his hands knead into my hips and he asks, “Is it time?”

“Time to die.” My voice isn’t my own. It’s deep and unearthly.

Ares stiffens under me right when I raise the blade. “Stop,” he demands, using his power, but Chaos pushes him out as easily as batting away a fly.

The blade comes down, right for Ares’s heart. Swifter than a mountain nymph, he flips me onto my back, pinning my hands above my head. Pressing into my wrists, the knife falls out of my hand.

“There are other ways to kill you,” I say flatly.

Not giving me a reply, Ares bites into his palm. Blood drips down his arm, a few drops landing on my face. Warm and wet. His hips shift as I try to flip him off of me and somewhere deep within myself, I shake with relief that Chaos once again lost an opening due to arrogance. I hope Ares can keep me from killing him for however long it takes. Run. I will, but Ares doesn’t hear my pleas for escape.

Bringing my hand to his mouth, he rips into my palm and slams his bloodied hand against mine. “Come back to me,” he growls through his teeth as our blood mixes together.

I can feel his mind trying to penetrate mine, and with every drop of our blood that is shared, Chaos’s fingers release one at a time. But his canines …

I scream.

He doesn’t let me go willingly, and he shows it by tearing into my mind, hoping that when he’s ripped away from me, he’ll take a piece of me with him.

“I don’t think so.” It’s Ares. He’s somehow in this space with Chaos and I. Like a healing beacon of light, Ares takes from Chaos what he stole and shoves him out the door. Putting my pieces back together, Ares pants, his forehead pressed against mine. “Wake up, baby.”

Gasping, I open my eyes and fling my arms around Ares. “I’m so sorry,” I sob. “I thought I was strong enough in this form, but I’m not. If I can’t keep him out like this, then I won’t be able to when I release myself.”

“Shh.” Ares shushes as he rocks me, his arms holding me tight to him. “Remember, you have me.”

My sobs come to a halt. Eyes wild, my whole body shakes the word, no. “I will not do that to you.”

He smiles, giving me a soft smirk. Thumb tracing my bottom lip, he says. “You will.” Lips brushing against mine, he whispers, “Even when our flesh has fade, Always bonded, forevermore.”

The room rumbles. No, the entire city shakes.

“He’s here,” I say in defeat.

Not saying anything, Ares gets out of bed. Taking my hand in his, he leads us out of the motel.

The ground splits around us. Sirens go off in the distance as buildings fall apart like dominos. The sky is dark, the sun not yet up. But hovering over the city is a mass of energy that’s much darker than the night sky. Dense. Buzzing.

Ares gives my hand one last squeeze. “Together, Bunnicula.”

I nod my head, meeting his stare, and accept our fate. “Together, Bacon Whore.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alice

I curl my lip at Ares’ towering figure before me, wishing he had left with Amy. “Going to stand up for her and tell me that what she did was noble?” I sneer.

“Now, why would I do that?” The silver in his eyes hardens as he looks me over, assessing.

Huffing in exasperation, I cross my arms over my chest. “Well, spit it out. I haven’t got all day.”

“Alice,” he warns, his lids lowering.

I sigh, “Ares.”

“Thank you for loving her.”

Squirming uncomfortably in the bed, I mutter, “I once told you that she is easy to love.”

“Out of all the nymphs, you were my favorite,” he carries on.

“This better not be some half-ass goodbye.” And then I add, a bit salty, “And I don’t want to hear it.”

His eyes soften, crinkling at the corners, as he says, “Goodbye, Alice.”

Not giving me another moment, Ares walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Jones.

Jones.

He sits in a chair next to the window. The curtains are drawn and a glass of water is in his hand. He sees me eyeing it. “Would you like some? There’s a bottle in the mini fridge.” He points to the small black box sitting across the bed. “I can get you one.”

I shake my head, blowing out all of my frustration. “What kind of name is Jones, anyways?”

He laughs and for some reason, my toes curl under the blanket. “It’s my last name.”

“Oh?”

He eyes me before getting up and opening the mini fridge. Handing me a water bottle, he says, “Here you go, Sweetness.”

“I didn’t ask for one.” But I take it from him all the same and unscrew the cap.

His eyes zero in on my throat as I take long drinks. “Your flushed cheeks told a different story.”

I about choke on my water. Wiping my mouth, I ask, “I’d think again if you plan on killing me. I’m much faster than you.”

Jaw clicking in place, he sits down in the chair Amy had been in. “Now, why would I do a thing like that?”

I make a show of looking over at myself. “I’m not human. I’ve been around long enough to know how your species handles my kind.”

His eyes darken in anger at my implication. “I don’t have the same mindset as my …” His nose scrunches. “Peers.”

Not being able to hold still, I take another drink. Jones leans back in his chair, propping his feet on the bed.

“Excuse you?” I demand.

He only raises an eyebrow in challenge.

Moving at a speed that his eyes can’t comprehend, I jump out of bed and onto him. Flinging his body off the chair, I pin him to the ground. Before his head can collide with the floor, I soften the blow by protecting him with my hand. His heart beats loudly within his chest and his eyes widen slightly in shock.

“Thinking of ways to murder me now?” I ask, my face millimeters from his. He smells of the forest. Crisp and fresh. Exactly like the mountains where I was raised.

Before I can shake the odd sense of home from me, he smiles. “Eli.”

“What?”

“My name, Sweetness. It’s Eli.”

“We need to leave.” Eli looks at the watch on his wrist. “We should’ve left hours ago!” he exclaims.

“I told you to leave,” I remind him.

“And leave you alone?” he asks, like the very thought is out of the equation.

“I can handle myself.” I load a pistol halfheartedly, knowing that it’ll do nothing against the horror heading our way.

He shakes his head, checking his own gun. “Not happening.”

Scoffing, I turn to Eli. “I don’t want you here.”

He gives me a saccharine smile, one too similar to my own.“Keep lying to yourself.”

I roll my eyes, but before I can give a retort, I’m flung off of the bed as the building shakes. Eli catches himself against the table, cursing. “It’s ten minutes early.”

“No shit,” I grumble as I try to regain my balance. Pictures fall from the walls and shatter. “Get out of here! It’s safer outside!” All of a sudden, I’m concerned for his safety, and that knowledge shocks me. Pompeii was a test of whether I still held a grudge against the humans for the war that happened when I was a child. But I hadn’t interacted with anyone, so it wasn’t really an accurate test. But now I care for this random human life? I guess I really have let go of the loathing I have for his kind.

A bigger quake ensues, throwing me off balance and my head cracks on the corner of the dresser, blurring my vision. There’s a growl in my ear and then I’m being thrown into the air. When I feel corded muscle beneath my body, I realize that Eli has thrown me over his shoulder.

“I thought you were supposed to be some skilled, magical being?” he chides, not impressed.

I pinch him on the butt before he sets me back on the ground outside. For some reason, the earthquake isn’t as intense once you’re outside of the building. It’s too dark to see much, but the sounds of buildings crumbling and sirens going off assault my ears.

Quickly, I scan the area in search of Amy. In the dim light, I spot her on the other side of the parking lot. And then a flurry of molecules warp above us. All looking frenzied but at the same time calm. Chaos. He twists erratically back and forth. Starved for what Hera released him for. Destruction of this world.

Seeing him heading like a bullet straight for Amy and Ares, I run toward them to somehow give them my aid. I may be upset with her, but I’ll never let her fight this alone. Before I can leap into action, though, Amy’s skin cracks. Starlight shines through those cracks and then she’s bursting, her skin melting away and turning into ash. Her form becomes similar to Chaos, only hers is still. Like she’s waiting for something.

In a stupor, I watch as Ares’ body does the same, only his bursts with red light. Something a normal Genesis isn’t able to do, but if they bonded their souls … And then, in a dance, their molecules mesh together, forming one mass of energy. Mini galaxies whirl within them with bursts of solar flares. I don’t have time to admire them because, as one, they shoot off to Chaos. He meets them halfway and they collide with a teeth-shattering bang.

Their forms fight against each other, mimicking feuding wasps. There’s a buzz in the air, that of static. My hair raises as I watch in angst, my jaw set tightly in determination. I look rapidly around, trying to figure out a way to be of aid, but nothing stands out.

Time seems to slow, and with it, the battle has arrived closer to me. Their bits of molecules weave atop each other, tearing Chaos, then healing themselves. Chaos does the same, but he’s working much faster. So much so that it looks like he hasn’t taken a single hit while there’s a gaping hole in Amy.

The air pops and time speeds back up, returning to normal. Only for Chaos to curl atop Amy and Ares and slam them against the concrete, creating a flattened dome around them. The nearby windows shatter, and cracks form up the buildings as Chaos presses into them. They both struggle beneath him, trying to push him off. But he’s taken too much from them and they barely move. What should’ve been a blast of movement is only a slight twitch.

“Damn ...” Eli breathed, his mouth opened in shock. He goes for his gun and I press my hand atop his, stopping him. I shake my head. Guns are useless in this fight.

The stars within Amy’s molecules dwindle, flickering in and out until Chaos’ own molecules have consumed them. The flares from Ares’ burst bright red as he fights for his soulmate, but even he has become nothing more than a lone candle, who’s barely holding onto life.

“No!” My cry of denial is a scream. My throat burns at the raw rage at watching my best friend being brought to her death. It can’t end like this … Wind whips beneath my fingertips as I send a whirling tornado heading straight for Chaos. It slams into him, knocking him off of Amy and Ares. Not waiting for his reaction, I send another one his way. But he sees it coming this time and dodges it. The air flicks past him, taking out a light post.

Chaos’s whole being vibrates as he tilts his head, eyeing me before turning his attention back to Amy and Ares’ unmoving form.

“Don't touch them!” I bellow as I send another burst of air. But before it collides with him, a bolt of light and water hits him first.

I whip towards where the impact arrived from, only to lose my breath from shock and relief. Hades and Poseidon stand united, their power surging from their fingertips. Hades with light and tendrils of darkness, and Poseidon with water. Thalia stands next to them, her hands cupped to her face in fervent prayer, as she sings out a call for help. I always wondered what else she was capable of …

My attention turns back to Chaos as he thrashes against their hold. I toss another bolt of air to add to the mix. As it hits him, Chaos splits himself in two. His two sides crinkle apart like velcro, not wanting to part from each other but eventually doing so.

“Shit,” Poseidon snaps as I watch in horror as Chaos’s two forms eat the molecules around him. Two buzzing Chaoses growing and pulsing with more strength.

“We can't keep holding him off much longer. What's Amy doing?” Hades yells at me, his forearms flexing as his light disappears, leaving behind only darkness shooting out of him.

“She’s …” I pant, unable to say the words but willing them out, anyway. “I think she's dead.”

Not stopping at throwing his power at Chaos, he looks to Amy and Ares laying on the ground. His eyes gutter and then he shakes his head. “They're not dead. Almost … but she's still there. Thalia?” he says, not turning his attention from Chaos as Poseidon and I throw more of our power at him. But Chaos hasn't stopped growing and I feel like all we're doing is adding to his food, not taking. 

Ending her song on a low note, Thalia nods to Hades. “It’s done.”

“What is?” I question. But before Thalia can answer, there's another pop and we all fall to our knees. My knees hit the concrete with a crack as Chaos looks over us, snuffing out our power. My limbs grow weak and feel like jelly from whatever Chaos is doing to us.

“Please,” I beg, not knowing to whom I send my prayers.

In the distance there’s cawing, and I crane my neck to look up at the sky. Murder upon murder of ravens fly towards us. Their wings are outstretched across the deep purple of the fading night. They fly straight for the still mass of molecules that make up Amy and Ares.

They’re all led by a single raven, the largest of them all. His dark wings arch down as he caws out a familiar cry. And then I recognized him. “What are you doing?” I mumble to myself.

In one swell swoop, the birds dive. Until they collide into Amy, their necks breaking against the concrete on impact. She absorbs their souls, her and Ares’ molecules pulsing with the small boost of power. I watch in awe as hundreds of birds give their lives. Amy did always have a strange dynamic with them, it had made me wonder if there was more to it than the birds liking her company over a few acts of kindness.

I blink against the tears, silently promising to give them a proper burial when this is all over. “Thank you,” I say to them hoarsely. And then to myself, please let this be enough.

With the life given to them, Amy gains the fraction of energy that she was missing. Nebulas and galaxies shine within her, along with Ares’ streaks of flame. They pulse, their form rippling with renewed energy.

Too focused on us, Chaos doesn’t notice the birds’ sacrifice and now Amy and Ares mending the hole within them. But they don’t wait until they’re fully healed. There’s not any more time. As fast as a snake, they strike at Chaos, wrapping themselves around him. Squeezing him. Eating him, just as he had done to them. Chaos fights back, slashing down their side, but with the extra energy given to them, they don’t stop. They eat and eat while at the same time repairing the new damage that’s done.

The weight against us has lifted, and on shaky knees, I stand up and watch until there’s nothing left of him for them to consume. And with it, the earthquake stops.

Throwing myself at Eli, I laugh joyously, with tears in my eyes. “They did it!”

In my peripheral, I see Hades and Thalia in their own triumphant bear hug, with Poseidon standing awkwardly to the side.

Ares and Amy’s molecules disconnect, becoming their own again. And then they dance around each other, rejoicing in what they accomplished, their forms depicting a flock of birds. A thank you for the sacrifice that was made.

“Are you going to celebrate without me?” I holler at them, trying to sound put out.

Amy’s form ripples and then she swoops down. Her molecules press together, turning her into a blurry figure without a face. She speaks but instead of hearing it out loud, it’s in my head. “I thought you’d leave instead of sticking around.”

“And leave you to have all the fun?” I quip, my eyebrow raised.

Ares does the same as Amy, turning himself humanoid. He’s an array of oranges and red. And where his chest is supposed to be is a spark of purple starlight. Amy has the same on her chest, but hers is red.

Amy nods her head, her molecules rippling and shifting with the movement. “The universe needs to be rebuilt.”

“And how do you propose to do that?” I ask.

She leans into Ares. “With the help of my soulmate.”

Letting out a heavy breath, I ask, “Will I ever see you again?”

“To have flesh again, I would need to invade a human's body. Something we won’t do.”

“So this is goodbye,” I choke, biting my lip to will myself not to cry.

“It is.” She sighs, melancholy but with acceptance.

“Well, fuck you too, then,” I reply in empty anger.

She laughs and I feel her connecting all of us here. “Thank you,” she says solemnly to us all. And then to Poseidon she gives a single nod of respect, the only sign of acknowledgment she’ll give him for what he did today, before leaving the connection only open to me.

She reaches out her hand, brushing the back of it down my cheek. Instead of firmness, I am met with soft sand trickling down my face. “Make my father proud. You’re just as much his daughter as I am.”

Amy shifts her attention to the ravens on the ground. With a sweep of her hand, the birds twitch, their necks cracking back into place, and then their wings ruffle as they open their eyes. Somehow, she gave life back to these creatures that sacrificed their energy so that she could save this world.

Slowly coming to their senses, four of the ravens walk over to Amy, each bowing their heads with a low caw in gratitude. A conversation between them ensues, one that I can’t hear. The four ravens look to her and then to each other, silent but knowing. Understanding. They give one final caw. The hundreds of other ravens follow their lead, each cawing until they make up a cacophony of noise, saying goodbye to their queen one last time.

And then, as one, Ares and Amy float above us. Their forms distort once again to look like a whirlwind. Their molecules flicker and compliment each other, resembling sunlight through glittering glass. But their glow is starlight. With nothing left to say, they take off to the sky, leaving to replenish the universe. In a wink, they’re gone and sorrow overtakes me. What was the purpose of all this?

Seven years later

Thalia sighs in contentment as she pours hot water over hibiscus petals, turning the liquid a deep red. “Are you sure you don’t want any?”

I look down at the bundle in my arms. “I don’t want to accidentally burn her. She’s been wiggling so much these days.”

Coming over to me, Thalia stares down at my daughter's wide-awake eyes. “She looks just like you.” And then she muses, “I wonder who she’ll take after more. I’ve never heard of a nymph and a human having a baby together.” I’m sure that I’m not the first nymph to fall in love with a human, but nymphs are born from the elements. I’ve never heard of our species being able to breed together.

Running the back of my fingers down my daughter's chubby cheek, I think about how long her life span could be. “I hope she gets whatever life she wishes. Eli has an average of forty years left and I …” My gaze turns to Thalia and I smile at her with fulfillment. “I am about the same until I join the cycle.” So if my daughter takes after my lineage more so than her father’s, I hope that she’s happy with her life when we’re gone. Her ears aren’t pointed, so she may very well live an average human lifespan.

Thalia rubs her thumb against the back of my hand, her eyes lined with silver. “And what a good life it has been, my dear friend.”

Reaching to her face, I wipe away a lone tear. “Speaking of life, has Persephone bloomed yet?”

Shaking her head, Thalia breathes in deeply before sipping from her tea. “She hasn’t. The tree has grown, but there’s been no buds yet.”

“And Hades?” I ask. Since having a child, I haven’t visited the Underworld. And since Thalia moved out of the realm and down the street from me, I’ve had no reason to go. Thalia makes weekly visits to make sure her friend is taking care of himself, but other than that, she’s perfectly content with living her current days amongst the humans.

She sighs again, but this time it’s one of sadness. “He no longer answers my calls. I think it’s tearing him apart that he can’t see her. Even when she’s not yet birthed, the nymphs forbid him from coming to the tree. They don’t want to chance Persephone dying from Hades being around her too soon. Amy said that he has to wait until she’s an adult. And technically, even though she's not born, she’s still not an adult.”

“Is he eating?” I ask.

She shrugs her shoulders. “He’s a Genesis, he’ll survive.”

I purse my lips. “Tough love.”

“It is what it is.” And then she tsks. “Although if he keeps this up, I’m going to have to move back down there to take care of his realm.” She rolls her eyes in exasperation. “Persephone isn’t eternally dead, but he sure acts like it.”

Crinkling my nose, I joke, “You should ask for a pay raise.”

Thalia snorts in her cup. “Just a friendly reminder, it’s getting late.”

Looking out the window, I jump up, cradling my daughter against my chest. “Thank you!” I call as I rush out the door. “I need to stop coming over in the evening. I always lose track of time with you.”

“I’ll make sure to tell Hades that the pay raise was your idea!” she calls back. I only laugh as I dart across the lawn to my house, where the telescope is stored on the porch during the day.

The porch door swings open as Eli brings out two glasses of sweet tea. “For you, Sweetness,” he says and I take the glass from him.

“Your tea always hits the spot.” I sigh.

He leans down to kiss me, and I deepen it. His tongue tastes of the drink in my hand. I tilt my head back and his fingers trail down the side of my throat, skimming across my collarbones.

A little cry sounds in my arms. Breaking the kiss, I admonish, “You woke her up.”

Eli gives our daughter a kiss on the top of her head before leaning back and admiring her. “Pretty little thing, she is.”

Amethyst’s eyes don’t open as she fusses, her head wiggling from side to side with her mouth open as she tuts for food. I lift up my shirt and give her some milk before she starts a full on cry for the titty committee. “Just like your pa when he goes too long without food.”

He chuckles, rubbing our daughter’s brown locks before nuzzling his face into my neck and breathing me in. “Boobies is life,” he says before sitting in the chair next to me.

I take a sip of the tea, looking up at the night sky. As I nurse my daughter, I think of where I am. How none of this would’ve been possible without Amy. She changed my life and saved this world. All while demanding nothing in return.

“Did you hear? NASA found life on Mars.” Eli hums into his glass.

“I heard,” I reply with a smile. Somehow, she’s doing it. My amazing friend is restoring the universe back to its former glory before the first Gen destroyed most of it. As I wonder what kind of life forms will inhabit the other planets and cosmos, warmth surges within my chest. 

A comet shoots across the sky and I let out a quiet gasp. I quickly shift, moving the telescope to my left so that I can get a look. Adjusting Amethyst in my arms so that she’s still getting milk, I peer through the glass. My throat dries up as tears swell in my eyes.

Every night, I sit out here in hopes of seeing her again, even if it’s just a glimpse. For seven years I haven’t seen her, not once. But tonight …

My telescope focuses on the comet. A searing flame of purple flies across the open sky, an orange one at her side. Their colors mingle and interchange, looking like a kaleidoscope. I swear I see a familiar face, laughing and happy. And then they’re gone, lost to the cosmos.

Tears fall from their prison and I quickly wipe them away with the end of my sleeve with a sniffle. The warmth in my chest blossoms into undying love and gratitude for my best friend. Thank you … Thank you for this second chance.

My soulmate—the one joy that I thought I would never experience—takes my hand in quiet comfort, and I nestle back into the blanket. Amethyst looks up at me, her soft hazel eyes so full of trust. Rubbing the crown of her head with my thumb, I tell her a story, “There once was a little girl named Amethyst, and she loved the ocean …”

Acknowledgements

Always a special thanks to my editor, Taylor. You're amazing.

And thank you to my readers for loving Amy's story.

About the author

Savannah Zherebnenko lives in the PNW with her husband, two kids, and three fur babies. When she's not zombified from her young kids, you can find her in her garden or in the kitchen canning, baking, cooking… slaving. Just kidding about the last one. But really, and if she's not doing any of those things, she's curled up with a book and a full glass of wine.

You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.come/savannahzher.writes