OMGICAN'TWAITFORYOUTOREADTHISCHAPTERSOMUCHHAPPENSANDIT'SSOEARLYINTHEMORNINGANDIHAVEAMIDTERMTOMORROWANDIDRANKAMONSTERBUTIT'SFINEBECAUSEICOULDN'TSLEEPUNTILIFINISHEDTHISCHAPTERSOOKAYI'LLSHUTUPIHOPEYOULOVEITBECAUSEIFYOUDON'TIMIGHTCRYTHANKSENJOYLOVEEPSILON<3
~
MARCUS
I'd missed the Underworld. That nostalgia had never been more apparent than when I entered the gates of Hades' fortress, the place in which I had spent much time during my reign as a god. Hades and I had been as close as brothers, and we'd often sought one another's company to gripe and rant on the foolish doings of the Olympians.
So, it stung doubly so that I was here for such an unfortunate reason. Yet, I did not falter. My blood hummed in the song of Greece, my vision sharpening into a focus unlike what I'd experienced in thousands of years. I was single-minded in my intent, in my purpose. I was not here to reap souls for the Lonely Angel. Today, I was here to reap souls for myself.
And I would succeed. There could be no other outcome.
The soles of our boots echoed on the ostentatious marble flooring; a penchant we Greeks had never really shaken. The palace was devoid of guards—the skeletal foes that Hades was so intensely fond of. I had no doubt it was because the King of the Underworld did not wish to lose any of his army to my wrath. It was a practical choice, and one that betrayed Hades' hand.
He knew I would come. He wanted me to. And the very thought both broke and hardened my heart.
"I would pray to Ares, were I not so sure he wouldn't listen," Lacedaemon muttered bitterly. I felt a small modicum of remorse that I'd yanked the curtain from his eyes; he was now devoid of even the small comfort of his religion. But it'd been necessary. He'd needed to know what he would face.
"Hades will be pleased to see you," I told him truthfully. "He's always had a soft spot for Spartans."
"And why is that?" Brow raised, he glanced in my direction.
"Because you sent him so many souls," I replied. "Especially that of your enemies. And your people make up so much of the Elysian."
I saw a glimpse of a smug smirk spreading across Lacedaemon's face before he turned away. We continued down the halls I knew so well, heading inexorably toward my mate's perfect aura...and toward what I knew to be Hades' personal quarters. Rage unlike anything I'd ever experienced in my long, harried life consumed me, spreading from the tips of my toes, through my chest, to the very fucking ends of my hair.
If Hades had violated my mate, I'd fucking atomize him.
Carried thusly on the wings of my rage, even the weakness of my body couldn't slow me down, and in no time, we were barging in through the double doors—pretentious as fuck—of Hades' rooms.
My heart seized in my throat when I saw my sweet Kaiah curled in the corner, her legs drawn up to her chest and her face buried in against her thighs. At the sound of my entrance, she looked up slowly, obviously expecting her captor. But at the sight of me, her lovely blue eyes lit up like fireworks and a choked sob of relief ripped its way from her throat.
"My Champion," she whispered, and, as it always did when she called me that, she made me feel ten feet tall.
"Babygirl." My voice was strangled by the depths of my emotion, and I rushed to her, throwing my arms around her as best I could, burrowing my face in her lovely-smelling hair. The dark strands tickled my nose, but I didn't give a damn. She was in my arms. She was here. It had only been a day since I'd lost her, but it had felt like a fucking eternity.
She was never allowed out of my sight again.
"Than."
My body stiffened as if I'd looked Medusa in the eyes, ice filling my soul at the familiar voice. Ignoring him, I pulled slightly from my mate to interrogate her.
"Did he hurt you?" I demanded, clutching her chin to stare into her eyes. They widened at whatever expression my face held. No doubt it was as murderous as I felt. "Did he scare you? Did he fucking touch you at all?"
"I...I mean, he grabbed my wrist to bring me here, but—"
Fury. Brushing her petal-soft cheek gently with the backs of my knuckles, I stood. Turning to face the god, I stared him down. "You're dead, Hades."
He cocked a brow. "You've been dead a long time, Thanatos."
"My name is Marcus now."
"Your name. Is. Thanatos!" He snapped, a crazed light in his eyes that wasn't there when I left.
I shook my head, sadness sharpening the edges of my anger. "What happened to you, friend? I know our legends say you've a penchant for kidnapping women, but it hasn't been true until now. Why?"
"Because I wanted to. I was bored," he spat bitterly. "At least you got to keep harvesting souls. At least that Spartan over there got to continue fighting. What do I get? A dying hell dimension and an eternity of nothingness." He looked down his nose at me from his considerable height, sneering cruelly. "Why wouldn't I take her? Seems to me you've got too much good going on. I figured you could afford to share."
"Share?" I growled the word, my accent and tone making the word unrecognizable. But the meaning was there.
Over my dead fucking body.
"I haven't decided what I'll do with her yet. I was just about to bring her a pomegranate. Why not? Zeus spread those lies to slander me, and all mortals believe them. So, I might as well make them true."
My heart stopped, my vision went white, and I darted forward, my body a blur of motion. I drew my sword mid-motion, slashing upward with the blade to cleave the motherfucker in half.
Grinning like a naked skull, Hades swayed backwards faster than the eye could follow, avoiding my strike by barely a hairsbreadth. I countered back, switching my grip seamlessly to thrust my blade into his liver. Again, he moved so quickly, so slightly, that I might as well have been attacking an incorporeal foe. Contrary to scaring me, it just stoked the fires of my fury, and I roared as I launched a flurry of attacks at the top speed that this form could manage, a barrage that would overwhelm any normal opponent. Vaguely, from the corner of my eye I saw Lacedaemon rush to Kaiah, sweeping her out the door and putting his massive bulk between her and the fight. Though I hated that I was not the one to protect her, that she was relying on another male, I was lighter on my feet knowing that she was as safe as she could be.
Meanwhile, Hades was dodging my every attack like he was chilling on the damned beach, never losing that stupid-ass grin, He danced around me, making me look a fool. I spilled not one drop of ichor in my efforts.
"You'll have to do far better than that to harm one of the three elder gods of Greece, Thanatos." Hades mocked, darting forward to tap me on the cheek in an ultimate show of humiliation.
I forced all the speed I could muster, rotating my wrist and just barely catching the asshole's wrist as it retreated.
His eyes lit up like he'd won a prize as his wrist dripped gold. "Oh, so we're officially done with the warm-up, are we? Very well then."
Opening his fist, a monstrous, black-bladed kopis appeared. A round shield with a skull embossed upon it materialized on his other forearm. A dark helm covered his skull, leaving only his eyes and mouth visible.
Shit. The Helm of Hades.
"Now, we can start to get a bit serious, hmm?" He chuckled, and, with a furiously powerful rush, his shield crashed into my chest, sending me flying across the room and through the fucking opposite wall. A feral noise ripped from my chest as a piece of marble fell onto the back of my skull, but I was too encompassed in my anger to feel it. It covered me like armor, reinforcing my skin and turning my very bones into steel.
"I will end your existence at long last," I swore, my voice deep and resonant as I gave my word.
Spreading his arms widely, Hades spoke. "You will try."
"I will succeed." My words were punctuated with a block as Hades anticipated my distraction and surged forward, the Helm shielding his movements in shadow as he attempted to remove my head with his kopis. The impact of his blade vibrated up my arm, but not as much as I would have expected. Perhaps his isolation had weakened him. But still, there was no doubt that my former friend was trying to end me.
My heart stuttered at the realization. I was happy to die for my mate; I could think of nothing more worthy of sacrifice. However, to lose this battle now would be pointless. No, not just pointless—a failure. Because without me, my mate would still be trapped in the Underworld, with only Lacedaemon to protect her. And while he was a more than worthy warrior in his own right, he would be no match for Hades in combat.
Neither was I, for that matter.
But I had no choice but to be. For my Kaiah.
So, with that thought behind my movements, I parried and countered, spun and slashed, thrust and dodged. Hades met me blow for blow, his movements impossible to track thanks to his helm, and though neither of us tired, it was obvious it was only a matter of time before I slipped up and paid for it with my life.
I almost missed his next blistering attack, and I rushed to block it, only to watch in abject horror as Hades' kopis, which had been forged in the fires of the Cyclopes, shattered my weapon into dozens of tiny metal shards. I stared dumbly at the useless hilt I still held in my fist, glancing up just in time to catch the blow of Hades' shield to my face. My head snapped back, and I felt my nose break, my ichor filling my mouth and trickling down my throat. I stumbled backwards, yet miraculously kept my feet.
That was, until my friend swung his kopis upwards and sliced me diagonally from hip to chin in a deep, mortal wound. For a moment, I stood, numb, watching gold rise and spill from the edges of my pale, severed flesh. Then, I collapsed, hearing the frenzied, agonized cries of my mate. I coughed, clutching my chest feverishly in an attempt to sever the flow.
"You're beaten, old friend." Hades taunted, a smirk on his face. "You'll bleed out here, maybe get to watch as I slaughter the Spartan and force your mate to eat some lovely fruit. Now, doesn't that sound nice?"
Then he turned to face Lacedaemon, who stood in front of Kaiah with a stonily determined expression on his face.
No.
No.
Hell to the fucking no.
I would not die like this. I would not abandon my mate, my friend, Hell. Even God. Not this way.
Summoning every vestige of power that still pumped through my veins, I focused my mind in a way I hadn't done since I became a daemon and opened my right hand. I tensed my arm, flexing the muscle, willing, hoping, daring it to come.
And then my scythe materialized in my palm.
THANATOS
Power flooded my form like a dam had broken in my soul, and I roared in pure, primal agony and paradoxical pleasure as my back bowed and my abs crunched and my body changed on the cellular level. My limbs lengthened, my muscles infusing with the strength that I hadn't possessed in centuries, magma flowing like rivers in my veins. My wounds healed themselves, my bones realigning and my skin knitting together with only the slightest of scars in remembrance of my nearly mortal injury.
I rose to my feet like a panther unfurling from a crouch, rolling my broadened shoulders and moving my arms and legs to get accustomed to my new proportions. Or, should I say, old proportions.
"Hades," I growled. "You motherfucker. Exòloio! Drop dead."
Turning with a shit-eating grin on his face, Hades crowed. "About time, old friend! I was beginning to think the god would never come out to play." He chuckled. "I assume you want to take your pound of flesh now, philos?"
"I am not your damned philos," I barked, stalking forward and brandishing my massive scythe, the extension of my soul returned to me. "And you have a lot to answer for."
He sighed, "I suppose I do, don't I?" He cocked his head like a bird of prey. "I did kidnap your female, so I suppose I deserve to get the shit kicked out of me. Still, you're welcome."
"You're welcome? You're fucking welcome?" Oh, I'd beat him within an inch of his life. I started forward, and Hades dropped his kopis, knowing he deserved whatever he got.
Then, a tiny blur intercepted me, knocking into my side like a miniature comet. I looked down, expecting to see a small child, and started when I realized my mate was attached to my side.
"Babygirl?" I asked, confused.
Her eyes were filled with tears as she craned her neck to look up at me—gods, she didn't even come to my shoulder now—and whimpered. "It's you. My Champion. Your soul isn't confused anymore, and it's beautiful."
My heart staggered in my chest at the pure awe in her voice. "Sweet Kaiah..." I murmured, unsure of what to say.
Her little brow wrinkled as she turned her head to the side, regarding me. "It's so weird to see you like this. Your hair isn't silver anymore, and your skin has color." She looked me up and down. "And you're monstrous now. Gigantic. I'll have to get used to it."
Dropping my scythe without second thought, I scooped her into my arms, setting us so we were face-to-face. "Better get used to it fast, babygirl," I warned, before I covered her mouth with mine.
She tasted like she always did; like sweetness and light and purity. Like homecoming and life and all things good. Her lips were so fucking soft against mine, and I conquered her with ease, swallowing her tiny whimpers and kneading her pert little ass with my fingers. She mewled, her mouth opening, and I plundered her sweet mouth, our tongues dancing as I dominated her, claimed her, told her without words that on no uncertain terms she was mine, and she'd damned well better get used to it. I'd been patient, I'd been understanding, but I'd officially hit the end of my tolerance. She was mine, and now I'd treat her as such. She'd know my rules, and she'd submit to them, or submit her ass to my punishment.
She. Was. Mine.
A throat clearing caused her to break away, cheeks flushing prettily with embarrassment and lust. Growling, I chased her mouth with mine, squeezing her ass sharply when she evaded me, and causing her flush to deepen.
"We aren't alone, Champ," she warned with just a hint of sass, and I squeezed her again in warning.
"I must admit, I don't mind the show." Hades' voice pulled me forcefully from my passionate trance.
My head snapped to his, and I narrowed my eyes. "My Kaiah has saved you from joining your own souls, Hades. Do not test my patience."
He rolled his eyes. "I see the years have not changed your love of drama."
I glared. "Says the male in a marble fucking palace."
"Touché."
"So, we aren't fighting?" Lacedaemon's voice sounded almost put out, and I had to bite back a grin.
"Well—" I began.
"No!" Kaiah yelped, hitting my shoulder lightly. "No fighting. You almost died. I am done with the fighting!"
I raised a brow. "You think I would lose now, babygirl? I'm a god again."
Shit. I was a god again.
For the first time in centuries, I felt my eyes well with tears. Everything I'd wished for for so damned long had finally come to pass. A giant weight lifted from my shoulders, and I felt lighter than I had in a long-ass time. I was sure that if I released my mate, I'd float away.
"I know you are, Champ," she whispered, nuzzling her nose with mine. "Not that it matters to me. But please, no fighting?"
As if I could ever deny such a sweet request.
"Very well, mate," I promised. "But I'm afraid I won't let you down for quite some time."
Curling into my chest, she muttered, "I won't be complaining."
Turning to Hades, I begrudgingly grunted, "I suppose I owe you thanks." Narrowing my eyes, I thought for a moment. "Though I don't know why. How the fuck were you smart enough to know I was a god before I did? And how to draw it out?"
Another shit-eating grin. "Oh, I can't take credit for that."
I froze. "No fucking way..."
A new presence entered the room, drawing every gaze in the room like she had her own center of gravity.
"Hello, idiots," the woman greeted easily, her black hair flowing from her helm like the Styx, eyes that knew every secret of the universe spearing me with their singular focus.
I blinked, then grinned. "Hey there, Athena."
~
OHMYGODWHATDIDYOUTHINKDIDYOULOVEIT???
SOSOMEONE'SAGODNOWEEEEEEEE
KAIAHISINFORITBUTATHENA'SHEREWHATDOYOUTHINKTHATMEANS??
OKAYINEEDSLEEPNOWLMAOWISHMELUCKI'MABOUTTODIE.
SEEYOUNEXTTIME
EPSILON<3