End of Night

Prologue

The night air is cold as it blows through my open window. My dark hair ripples like water around my face, dancing to the somber song in my soul. Around my neck hangs both my moonstone, to keep Arawn's love with me always, and Nyx's necklace, the one I'd received my very first day at the Academy. The rock, glowing the same bright blue as my mother's eyes, rests in the valley between my breasts.

My boots squeak against the hardwood floor as I retrieve a long, wooden box from under my bed. Ever so gently, I place the box on the vanity. My fingers trace the sharp outline of the wooden creation before I unlatch it and slowly pull back the lid. Inside the seemingly unassuming box rests a sword -my father's sword. Seeing it lying there is strange. I've only ever seen this sword out of Erebus's reach once before, and that was when I'd received it from the Leaders. Then, I hadn't been in possession of my memories, so I couldn't truly fathom how odd it was to see this sword and not see my father with it.

Unafraid, I reach in and stroke the flat side of the blade, careful not to let it draw blood. I run my fingers over the engraving in the sword, a simple word: Thanatos. My father named this sword after the only fate one had after meeting such a mighty weapon. Death.

I wrap my steady hand around the hilt of the weapon, shivering when my skin touches the startlingly cold metal. In silence, I raise it up and hold it before me. Reflected in the shining surface of the blade is my own face.

The sunset casts a red glow over my pale skin, giving the illusion of blood beading on my skin and dripping off the edge of my jaw. My eyes stare out from under dark lashes, cold and hard. In them, I see anger and an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.

These emotions have been no stranger to me these past few weeks. I often find them within myself in silence, when I'm given time to think about what I've been through. I look at myself in the mirror and find myself thinking that I'm losing this battle. I can't help but think that Bel might have already won this war against me. He's killed my family, both mortal and immortal, my beloved Crescendo and Cupid and Wade, along with countless other gods. He may not have killed them all with his own hand, but his newly-turned gods have done the killing by his word and the two are one in the same. The blood is on his hands. Now, he's in possession of both Wade's soul and Amora.

Even now, I can't get the events of that night out of my head. Still, I can see Seraphina locked in battle with Drake, the god who was once the demigod of Loki, unaware of the danger lurking behind her. Before I can utter a word of warning, Seth, the former demigod of Anubis, javelins a dagger at the demigod's unprotected back. Then I see Wade, Seraphina's newly sworn Warrior, diving into the path of the blade and the dagger plunging into his heart. Fury burns within me as I remember how Seth captured my friend's soul in his hand as he and the other rogues escaped with Amora as their captive.

My sharp gaze refocuses on my reflection in my father's sword. The mirrored image stares back at me with grim eyes and a mouth pressed into a hard line. I look away and sheath the sword in the scabbard at my hip.

Plunging my hands into my dark tresses of hair, I begin to braid. The locks are a distraction I don't need tonight. When I finish, I tie it off and turn to Amora's side of the room reluctantly. Beauty, Amora's beloved pet tiger, stares at me from my friend's bed with sad, lonely eyes. I reach out a hand and she licks it half-heartedly.

"I'll get her back," I promise the beast, stroking the soft fur behind her ears. "I won't let those bastards hurt her."

Beauty gives my hand one last lick before laying her massive head back down on her paws. I look down at her and sigh. She's losing hope. We all are.

Throwing one last weary glance at the setting sun, I step out of the room I used to share with my best friend and begin the walk to the building's exit. My boots thud against the floor with every step I take, echoing in the empty hallway. My mind is far away from the sound, however. My thoughts are tangled in the past, damning the day, so very long ago, that I dared to go out into the daylight. If only I had resisted that temptation, I would have never laid eyes upon that damned Celtic god of fire.

Stopped now, my hands reach up to push open the heavy wooden doors. I step out into the soft, chilled moonlight.

From the base of the steps, my army stares up at me, waiting for me to speak. My eyes move slowly over them, picking the familiar faces from the new. Among the crowd are my friends; Egan, Seraphina, Adam, Aubrey, Andrea, Logan and Lena. They stand immersed in a handful of demigods that joined us after they heard of our mission, including Apollo and Athena's demigods.

Behind all of them stand Hades and Arawn, who nods at me encouragingly. I nod back at him and take a deep breath.

"You are here today to fight a battle centuries in the making, started by a god fallen from grace," I begin softly, but with growing strength. "This god has lied to and betrayed each and every one of us. He has murdered countless gods, demigods and mortals alike. He has corrupted some of our own, twisted them into betrayers and killers, and made them into monsters just like him."

I pause, looking out at my army to see an array of reactions. Some are angry, gripping their weapons tighter in their fists and others, like Seraphina, have silent tears dripping from their eyes, mourning what Bel has taken from them.

"We are here tonight, because this vile excuse of a man has taken one of our own. He and his followers have kidnapped Amora, demigod of Aphrodite, our beloved friend. We are not, " I yell suddenly, my voice echoing in the somber night air, "going to let this son of a bitch lay another hand on her or any one of our own. Tonight, we will make him pay for what he has done. Tonight," I pause, and meet the eyes of my fellow warriors, letting my voice drop into a dark hiss, "is the last night that Bel will ever know."

The demigods erupt in shouts and cries as they hoist their weapons up towards the skies. I step off of the stone stairs and walk through the pandemonium with a broad smile upon my face, because tonight? Tonight I'm getting my best friend back.