by Eve, Jaymin
“I’ll give you to the count of three,” I said, not even bothering to yell this time.
He would hear me.
Sure enough, in the next two seconds he appeared, and he was smiling again.
Fuck. I really wanted him to stop doing that.
“I knew it wouldn’t be long before you began unlocking your true potential.”
Deep inside, I felt what he was saying. The shark started it, sharing its power with me. That boost, and my fear of killing the creature, had unraveled the bonds I’d been mentally keeping on my power. All along it was me stopping the full release of my energy. Maybe because I’d always feared what might happen. Feared I wouldn’t be able to control it.
But no more.
Sonaris had done exactly what he set out to do—forced my hand—but now he had to deal with me at full power.
“Are you going to let me go? Leave me alone?” I asked as he rose in the air, hovering across from me.
He shook his head. “I can’t do that. You’re too powerful. One day you’ll usurp me as the god of the oceans. I won’t relinquish my role.”
He almost looked apologetic about this.
I could read between the lines with the best of them. “So … it’s join you or die?”
“It is,” he replied.
At least he was honest.
I should have been afraid, but all I had was understanding and acceptance of what was going down here. It was the inevitable conclusion.
“I will never join you,” I told him. “My heart … my soul, my power … they’re mine. And even if they weren't, there’s no way I’d give someone like you more power. Someone who just wants it for their own gain.” Storm clouds swirled over Sonaris’s head, super obvious in the blue skies above. “If I ever choose to share my power, it would be with my family. With Asher, and the other Atlanteans. Not with you.”
Thunder rumbled, and the ocean, visible far off in the distance, was no longer crystal-clear waters of blue and green. Now darkness lurked below, a tumultuous swirl of water, and a clear reminder of the power of nature. Especially nature controlled by this fucking megalomaniac.
“Last chance,” I said, already knowing he wouldn’t take it. “Just walk away. Be satisfied with the huge amount of energy you control now. Take my word that if you don’t abuse your power or position, I will never come for your godhood. I promise.”
He moved faster than a streak of lightning, and I knew this because literal lightning followed his movement a step behind. Our bodies slammed together and I gasped, expecting pain and blood. But my skin was all of a sudden as strong as diamonds. Then again, so was Sonaris’s.
Diamond slamming into diamond sent out an almighty cracking sound. I felt the fizzle of the storm power as it attacked with him, hard and fast, but it didn’t hurt like it should. My energy sucked it in like they were long lost friends. My mother was a goddess of storms, my father a god of the underworld, and Sonaris had added god of the sea to my power arsenal.
In hindsight, it was a very bad move on his part. His power called to mine, like recognizing like.
“You never should have shared power with me before I was born,” I bit out, slamming energy back into Sonaris. “Nothing you have will work against me. Not like it should. Your power recognizes me.”
His roar was music to my ears. Long gone was the confident god with that fucking smile, thinking he was top shit. Nope. He’d created his own worst enemy, and then prodded at me until I had the power to take him on.
I mean, no doubt I wasn’t going to be able to beat him easily, but I’d at least have a shot now. I also had a few extra moves up my sleeve that I’d learned from Asher and Louis. Those two did not fight like gods.
My fist slammed into Sonaris’s face, and I marveled at the strength coursing through me. I didn’t stop at one punch either, swinging my other arm around, clocking him with my elbow and pushing him back across the island. It took me all of five seconds to figure out that while Sonaris had been trained to physically fight at one point in time, he hadn’t kept up with that training. His movements were sluggish and shaky, like he was trying to remember how to even throw a punch.
This was my shot.
As we fought, I used the elements to my advantage, pushing water and storm energy behind each hit. Sonaris countered though, slowly getting himself into proper positions. He landed a couple of clean blows that actually really fucking hurt. I got him right back with a straight shot of my own.
It was amazing that I was somewhat holding my own against a god, but also frustrating that we were so evenly matched.
The gods had wanted control over the Hellbringers because they were the only beings who could kill a god without the energy destroying the world. They were a conduit for power, and could direct it in small increments around so that it didn’t explode with the force of a billion nuclear bombs.
Or so my research indicated.
At this point it was all theoretical.
The truth was, the Hellbringers were the “safe” way to kill a god, but there were other ways. Axl had actually found a few suggestions. One was a spell. You had to get close enough to touch them, infect them from the inside out. Their power would turn on them, before they exploded into a million pieces. Complete self-destruction.
Infecting them wasn’t an easy or simple thing, and for most beings they’d never have the power to do so. They’d never have the power to even get close.
But I was a god myself, with energy that recognized Sonaris’s. I just wasn’t sure how to handle the power fallout if by some small chance I succeeded in taking him down. There was no point in killing him only to blow up the rest of the world.
Sonaris slammed his hand on my chest, bringing me back into the fight, and I gasped at the invasive feel of that. Not even because of the hand, but because of his slimy power beneath it. “You thought to take me out?” He laughed. “Me? Little girl, you have a lot to learn. Don’t you know that whenever a god shares power with another, they create a path between them. It was almost too easy.”
Apparently, I did have a lot to learn. My power froze within me, everything shutting down. The second time Sonaris had done this to me today. His energy oozed under the surface of my skin in the most degrading insidious way, seeping into my very being. He was doing exactly what I’d been planning. He hadn’t said the spell yet though, so I still had a shot.
“We could have been brilliant together,” he murmured, leaning close. Our lips brushed and I tried to jerk back, but had no control over my limbs.
“You see,” he continued, “I knew you were planning on locking on to my powers, but you clearly didn’t know that whoever locks on first has all the control. You’re still so new to this world. Now, if you were a lot stronger than me, there would be a possibility of you breaking free. It’d be hard, because I’m draining your power as we speak, but there’d be a shot.”
He was draining my power. I could feel it slipping away, leaving me empty and aching inside.
This was not the same as Axl’s spell. This was something completely different. Something I hadn’t even known was possible. A whimper escaped as heat filled my chest, expanding into his palm. “I’ll miss our beautiful children,” the crazy fucker said. “I already pictured them, with white blond hair and big blue eyes.”
My teeth clenched even tighter. I was fighting a losing battle trying to get away from him, but I didn’t give up. The heat grew, hurting me now. My skin no longer a diamond, but some sort of crumbling paper burning in a flame.
I’m dying.
The thought hit me as my body arched, moving closer to Sonaris—against my will—as he drew more and more power from me. His head dropped back, a look of contentment filling those strong, broad features. His skin rippled with strength, the bronze pigment growing darker, his hair lengthening, as if every part of him was influenced by the new influx of power. When he returned his gaze to mine, his eyes were blue ice, very similar to my own, and I felt like I was about to
burst into dust with a puff of air.
“Goodbye, love,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss me.
The moment our lips touched, a flicker of fight filled my body, and I grappled with his hold, desperate to break away. No one got to kiss these lips but Asher.
Asher! The scream reverberated through my mind and expelled from me in a silent rush. I couldn’t speak, but I could call for him. I would not die without fighting for us, and in this situation I was desperately scraping for anything that might give me a boost.
I’d already exploded apart in a ball of energy recently. I wasn’t keen on doing it again. Something told me that this time there was no coming back.
Maddi…
It was a single word in my mind, dark and filled with rage that literally burned through me.
Asher?
I mentally followed the path of his rage. He wrapped me up, covering me with his power, and I found a little more energy to hold on. Energy that Asher shared with me.
The dolphins sent me images of where you are. I’m coming.
Chapter 13
My heart soared, swelling and beating rapidly. The bond. I’d felt it there. A real, tangible connection as our powers mingled together. It was so brief, but I knew we’d finally broken the last barrier. My godhood was free, and the bond was bursting to life.
But … as quickly as it had appeared, it was cut off. A lingering strain of his power remained within me though, giving me enough strength to jerk my knee up and slam it into Sonaris’s balls.
The god had expected I was all but dead and hadn’t even tried to block the shot.
Diamond skin or not, every man crumpled when cracked in the jewels.
Sonaris let out a curse, his bellow probably heard back at the Academy. He jerked away, face wreathed in pain and annoyance. He tried to come straight back for me, but I was already using what remained of my “borrowed” power to scoot me toward the ocean. This was pure instinct, and maybe a little insane, considering I was being chased by the god of the ocean, but I felt like it was my one shot at surviving.
Storms chased me across the sky, and I felt the touch of Sonaris’s power right before I plunged into the blue-green water. A slight murkiness had invaded since I was last submerged, but not as bad as when the storms fully raged. I didn’t sink this time. Immediately I was surrounded by animals; they pushed into my space, supporting me.
Sonaris crashed into the water behind us, his power almost visible it was so strong now—thieving bastard. The water churned murkily, growing as dark as the stormy skies above.
“What did you do to me?” Sonaris cursed, bellowing through the water. I used the water to move my body back, with a little help from a dolphin and stingray wedged under my arms, but I wasn’t moving fast enough. Sonaris was only inches from me, hands out and ready to finish the job of killing me.
Heat washed over my face just as Asher burst into the sea in a blaze of power and golden energy. Literally. He was completely gold from his skin to his eyes to the tips of his hair. Our eyes locked as he danced in the waves, looking freaky as hell. And absolutely glorious.
He took me in, one full sweep, and if I could describe rage as having a taste, it filled the ocean, overwhelming my senses. In a motion so fast I couldn’t track, he powered through the water to Sonaris, slamming into him.
Asher wasn’t as stupid as me. He didn’t give the other god a second to attack him.
I sensed that he’d seen—through our bond—how Sonaris had attacked me on the island. He was now doing the exact same thing back.
As he locked on to the god of the ocean, his golden energy brightened to a point that was literally blinding.
I heard shouts, a choking, strangled sound, and in less time than it took to adjust my sight to the new golden glow, it was all over. As the light faded, my eyes were drawn to Asher’s broad shoulders a dozen or so yards from me. He was half hunched over and very still. I frantically searched for Sonaris, but there was no sign of another being.
My power was still beyond drained, my body fragile and frail, but using the water I pushed myself forward.
“Ash,” I said softly when I was close. “Asher, are you okay?”
He didn’t turn or acknowledge me, and I was starting to get a very bad feeling about what I might find when I reached him. He was still covered in his golden power, even if it was no longer blinding. The energy pouring off him … it reminded me of the first moment I saw Asher after thinking he was dead. He’d been in the sky, trailing after his insane god of a mother. He felt like this. Foreign and cold.
I’d thought I lost Asher that day, that he’d been taken to the dark side, corrupted by power.
The fact that I was getting the same vibe right now chilled me to my fucking core.
The water around Asher heated, ripples streaming from his back. He was burning up the ocean…?
A hand grabbed me before I could move any closer. Jerking myself free, I spun to find Axl.
“What?” I gasped. “How?”
He reached for me again, and this time I went to him. “Are the others here?”
He nodded, jerking his head behind him. Shifting my head, I eyeballed Jesse, Rone, and Calen, who were all gliding through the water toward us. Despite my fatigue, I had enough energy to thank the fucking worlds for sending me my family.
When they reached me, each of them touched me briefly, a reassurance that I was alive. More energy flickered inside of me, desperately trying to rejuvenate from the massive power of the Atlanteans.
“Something is happening to Asher?” I said softly, and all of us turned toward him. He still hadn’t moved, shoulders hunched. “I think he killed Sonaris.”
Axl cupped his hands and blew out a water bubble-like substance. I blinked as it expanded, and then he popped his head right into it, waving me over like I should do the same. I didn’t hesitate.
Inside there was no water and we could talk.
My fucking genius.
“Asher definitely killed Sonaris,” Axl said without preamble.
I gasped. “It was the only thing that made sense, but at the same time … fuck.”
Axl shook his head. “We were slower in following. but I can feel the energy trying to explode. Asher’s not strong enough to keep it contained, and the power of a god like Sonaris could, theoretically, end the world.”
Jesus. Fuck. Fuck! This was one of my greatest fears when going up against him.
“Sonaris took most of my power,” I said softly. “I have nothing left…”
That sparked Axl’s attention, and his face did that dreamy half stare that was common when he was contemplating something. “I think I have an idea,” he finally murmured. “But I need you to open a bond with the five of us.” He cleared his throat. “Well, four of us. You clearly have a true mate bond with Asher that has finally reached fruition. We are all bonded to Asher. I think between the six of us … there’s a chance.”
A chance was the best we could hope for. “Am I strong enough to do this? I’m completely tapped out and, fuck, it sounded complicated in class.” I spoke as fast as I could; we were running out of time. If we weren’t Atlantean, the heat of this water would have killed us already. Asher was at blowing point.
“You can do anything. And we will help you.” Before I could protest, Axl broke the bubble, reaching out to take my hand. Jesse moved in to my other side, Calen next to him, and then Rone last. The five of us joined hands, forming a circle. Axl shot energy through my palm, but it didn’t stop there. It ricocheted around through all of our hands, joining us together.
After being so drained, it was like sticking my hand into an electrical socket. My body lit up, sucking down the power, until Axl tugged on my hand and shook his head.
Right. Right. I wasn’t here to drain them. I was here to form a permanent bond with my guys. It wasn’t a completely unheard-of concept for me. We’d studied it in class before, the theoretics of it, and the consequences.
The largest worry w
as if one of us messed with dark energy. Struck out on a nefarious scheme to take over the world. That supe could utilize the bond for both power and control, and with that in mind, there were very few supes in the world I’d form a bond with.
But these five … they were as close to family as I’d ever had. I trusted them implicitly. We also had no other option if we wanted to save Asher.
Oh, and the entire world. Let’s not forget about it.
Rone, on my other side, squeezed my hand, and I sucked in a deep breath. It might be a blessing that I really had no time to freak out, because I was just going to go for it.
I’d only had one lesson on these connections, but I remembered it clearly. Gathering as much of my energy as I could, basically everything left, I bundled it into the shape of a missile, and with one thought in mind, sent it zooming along the path already created between our hands.
Keeping my mind laser sharp, I didn’t look at Asher, because if I did I’d probably fall apart. The key to success here was keeping control of this energy. I couldn’t falter for a moment. It got harder with each of the guys … some of them were so much stronger than I anticipated—especially Jesse and Rone. My missile wanted to stay with them, basking in their strength.
Axl was the weakest, but that was only compared to the other three. In general, his power was a low, humming buzz that would pack quite a punch if used in the right way.
Team his energy with his brain power, he was super scary.
My spell touched each guy, gathering small parcels of energy as it moved along, forming a circle that contained power from all of us. By the end my limbs were shaking. My chest ached. My hands burned. I wasn’t sure how you knew when it was complete, but instinct urged me to keep holding on.
None of us moved, not even when the water bubbled around us and Asher dropped to his knees, dust from the ocean floor bursting up around him, like he was made of lead and weighed a thousand tons. It was going to be a race against the clock…
