by Eve, Jaymin
Chapter 14
I didn’t have to worry about knowing the right time to let go. The bond cemented in the same way I figured a volcano would erupt. Hot and destructive.
Our hands fused, making it impossible to separate, and then it clicked into place. I could feel them in my chest, in my energy, just slivers of each guy, but I also knew exactly how to tap into their energy if I wanted to.
Now use your bond to Asher and take the power.
I jerked, my eyes widening as I stared at Axl. He’d literally just spoken in my head.
His presence disappeared the moment our hands weren’t joined, and I sighed in relief. It was one thing to be bonded—I mean I loved them—and it was no hardship to be part of their lives like this.
But to have five dudes in my head at all times…
Nope. I couldn’t do that.
Asher.
This time it was at least just my own inner voice urging me forward.
My power had regenerated enough that I could zip with ease through the simmering water. My skin was strong, not burning, even though it was clearly beyond boiling point under here. There were so many dead animals around us and I wanted to cry and vomit at the sight and smell. But there was no time to fall apart.
If I didn’t get to Asher, we’d all be dead.
When I was only a few feet away, I blanched at a blast of fiery air in my face. How the fuck there was fiery air under the water, I didn’t know, but shit was weird these days and I didn’t have time to question it.
That golden light was once again building around Asher, blinding me, but I didn’t need to see. I could feel him through our bond.
Lurching forward, I slammed my hand onto his back. White exploded behind my eyes and I felt like half of me was being ripped apart as our bond kicked in. Before I could figure out what to do, my body jerked forward, power funneling into me. My empty well filled, overflowed, and then the surge of power shot to Rone. The vampire threw his head back, veins standing out starkly in his neck, hands clenched. He took a lot, but nowhere near enough.
There were still three to go though.
Calen was next, the magic user bracing himself, his stance strong and wide, water not moving around him. His jaw clenched as the power made itself at home in his center. But there was only so much Calen, and way too much power. It didn’t linger once he was filled up, moving onto Jesse. The shifter showed the least reaction, except for a slight twitch of his jaw. He took the most power, and I gasped when it finally burst free, and into Axl.
The last one.
I saw his face settle into one of resignation, and in a blinding moment of clarity I knew that this much power was going to kill him. There was no one else for it to go to. We had completed the circle.
Axl was going to be destroyed.
“No!” I screamed, trying to jerk my hand from Asher, but it was fused. The circle was not finished, and I wasn’t free until it was.
“Axl, let it go!” I was shouting, but just like the rest of us, he couldn’t break the bond.
Our eyes met across the water, and I saw the apology there. Like he’d already calculated this and knew all along that one of us would die. That he would die.
My scream was so long and drawn out that my ears and throat ached when I was finished, water churning around me, gold filling my vision as Asher fought the hold too.
Axl’s body arched, and then he jerked a few times, like he was having a seizure. He crumpled to the ground, face first. In the same moment, my hand was released from Asher, and … I felt my mate in my mind and through our bond. He was back, stronger than ever, but whole.
“What happened to Axl?” he asked, voice rumbling, eyes gold. He was back in control, energy filling every pore. All of us were rocking an overload of energy.
“The power,” I sobbed, grabbing his hand and blasting us over to Axl. “He took too much power.”
In my newly formed bond with the five, I searched for Axl’s familiar energy, but it was barely a wisp, and considering how strong the others felt now, that could only mean one thing.
He was fading away.
When we reached Axl, Jesse had him cradled in his arms, the others around them, faces creased with devastation.
“What’s happening?” I cried. “Shouldn’t the power have exploded him? Why has he just gone … limp like this?”
In truth, six of us shouldn’t have been enough to take a god’s energy. It was probably only that Asher and I were gods ourselves, and the other’s were four strong Atlanteans. But still…
Had Axl done something else? Had he known this was coming?
Asher didn’t answer, but there was a moment where our eyes met and I recognized that look. He was going to risk himself to try to save our brother.
Before I could voice my worries, Asher moved at god speed, yanking the lifeless Axl into his arms. Then he was swimming like a bullet through the water, up and out, heading toward the island. I followed right behind, the guys with me. I tried not to panic, praying for a miracle. Who I was praying to, I didn’t know, but I was sending the vibes out into the universe.
When we caught up to them, they were on the beach. Asher had his hands pressed to the chest of his lifeless brother. The golden energy around him increased, pushing us back.
“My mother is the daughter of the goddess of creation,” Asher snarled. “I will not let Axe die. I don’t care what I have to sacrifice.”
His eyes met mine. “Do it,” I said. “Do whatever you have to.” He was strong, strong enough to do this and save himself. I had to believe that.
“He took that energy and buried it like a bomb inside,” Asher spat out, his hands shaking on Axl’s chest. “Used his damn life force to keep it in place.”
“Nothing stronger than a life sacrifice,” Rone said, sounding robotic as water dripped down his face.
“Not on my fucking watch,” Asher growled. “The power is still there. I’m going to make sure it gets used.”
All of us watched him, none of us exactly sure what he was planning.
I had faith that whatever it was, he was capable of making it happen.
Asher had spoken to me briefly about his time with Galindra. He’d never gone into detail, preferring to move forward from what was a truly horrific experience for both of us, but it was clear she had taught him things—things that might hopefully save Axl.
If it worked, every second of agonizing pain I felt during Asher’s death would be worth it, because I couldn’t lose any of my family.
I couldn’t lose my Axl.
Jesse wrapped an arm around me and the strength of our new bond kicked in hard. I could feel his emotions: fear, worry, hurt, anger, all churning like a pot of crazy inside him. But he held it together … and he was trying to hold me together.
Asher’s eyes closed, and I barely breathed as I waited to see if we were about to mourn another member of our family.
“Look,” Rone whispered, and I managed to look away from Axl long enough to see the twinkling lights falling from the sky above us, drifting down in waves and swirls, covering us and the land.
“What is Asher doing?” Calen murmured, lifting his hands to catch what looked like stardust. Gods, please let this work.
Asher and I had both cheated death; our friend could do the same. There was a beat of complete silence, all of us coated in golden sparkle that very much reminded me of the glitter in Asher’s eyes when he was all powered up.
Then Axl gasped.
The sound filled the clearing and a strangled sob escaped me.
He jerked, but not in the way he had in the water, this was a jerk of a body coming back to life. In a split second he was up off the ground, floating above us, eyes wide and blazing.
I took a tentative step forward. “Axe?” I said softly, not wanting to startle him. There was a blank expression on his face, but his eyes … his eyes were now a bright startling aqua, almost the exact same color as my hair.
The bond I had with the fi
ve guys flared to life, and it was Axl fueling it. His power was so strong that it hurt my very bones with the intensity. Asher stood before me, protecting me as he always did. He’d killed a fucking god for me, and he’d risked everything to save Axl…
I had to ask. “What is he?”
That wasn’t our Axl.
“The world needed a new god of the ocean,” Asher said softly. “There was so much energy left, I had no choice but to reform Axl into a being of original power.” He shifted his stance, covering more of me. “Give him a second … he’s adjusting to the change.”
It was what I’d suspected, but part of me hoped it wouldn’t be true, because we might still lose our friend in a different way. Gods, they weren’t like us, and Axl being turned like this, in such a traumatic way…
I was scared of what Asher might have created.
On instinct, I rose up into the air, flying toward him. The Atlanteans blinked with slack jaws, and I remembered that they hadn’t been here when I discovered my new ability. When I unlocked my powers.
Asher didn’t look shocked; he wore a mask of determination, rising up with me, wanting to get to Axl first. It didn’t matter which one of us got to him though, as long as one of us did. Axl needed a friend to remind him of who he was.
More power … god of the oceans … he was still our Axl. This was our one shot to pull him back before he was lost to the influx of power flooding his every cell. I’d been born a god, or mostly god, and it still had been a huge adjustment when my power first released. Then again when I “died” and was reborn to my god body. And finally, just before, when the shark had shown me how to release the final hold on my energy.
I understood what he was going through. We had to remind him of who he was.
Reaching him first, I wrapped my arms around his middle, gritting my teeth through the blast of power. “Axe,” I said, squeezing him tightly. “Come back to us. It’s just power. It’s not you.”
Our bond flared and I had the briefest thought that maybe this was fate’s way of ensuring that Axl wouldn’t face this alone. That he’d find his way back through the bond.
I held on tighter. No matter what he threw at me, I took it without letting go, all the while talking to him through our bond.
At first, I didn’t think it was working, my soul weeping at the thought, but I didn’t give up. And neither did Axl. Slowly, piece by piece, he found the strength to drag himself away from the power. When his arms lifted, wrapping tightly around me, I finally let the tears fall.
Our hug went on for a long while, and after some time I pulled back just enough to see his face.
His eyes were still brilliant blue-green gems, unfamiliar to me. But the face was all Axl. “Maddi,” he rasped. Hearing my name from his lips, the familiar way he always said it, was every-fucking-thing.
His eyes shifted up over my head to Asher, who’d been right behind me the entire time. “Thank you, Ash.”
I turned to see Asher shake his head. “I’m sorry, brother. I hoped the sacrifice would come from me, but it was you that lost something. Your mortality is gone. Your Atlantean side is now one with the gods. There’s no going back from godhood.”
Axl shrugged, and through the bond I saw that he wasn’t upset by it. “A sacrifice I would have willingly made to save all of you, and the world. I was prepared to die. This is a much better option.” His laughter sounded natural, albeit laced with a lot more power. “And now I have a lifetime to gather information. It’s not all bad.”
The ocean behind us surged. Axl shook his head as his power swirled, visible across his skin in arcs of electricity. Using my own energy, I pushed through the bite of his elemental power and sent soothing vibes into Axl. It occurred to me that now I shared an even stronger bond to this Atlantean … god. Sonaris’s power was Axl’s power now, merging into new DNA, different but the same.
Kin, I said to Axl in his mind, our mental connection present while we were touching. That one word was enough for him to calm his energy, the storms dying off.
Frustration creased his face. “I should be stronger than this,” he bit out, uncharacteristically angry.
“It will take time,” I reminded him. “You’ve been a god for exactly one minute, and in that time you’ve already had the control and self-discipline to pull back from the addictive power. I’ve been there, dude. It’s not as easy as it looks.”
“The gods will break free from their cage any day now,” he reminded me. “This is not a great moment for me to have to figure out a new godhood and power.”
I flashed him a smile. “Actually, you’re pretty much our new secret weapon, Axe. We now have the god of the ocean in our corner…”
He snorted. “A shit one that has no idea how to use his powers.”
I patted him on the shoulder, slowly releasing the water holding me aloft, sinking back to the sand. Axl and Asher followed.
“Didn’t know you could fly too,” I said with a smirk at my mate.
He returned that smirk with a scowl. “When you take off heading toward danger, I suddenly have a ton of new powers to access.” His lips twitched. “Plus, I’m pretty juiced up, thanks to all the power we absorbed from Sonaris.”
Yes, that was very true. In a way, we were all connected to Axl more than ever.
When we landed on the sand, Rone hugged Axl so hard I heard bones creak, but he didn’t flinch. “There’s nothing you can’t do when you set your mind to something,” the vampire said as he pulled away. “Nothing. This is just your most recent challenge, and all of us know you’ll succeed.”
Axl squared his shoulders, a glint of determination filling those new eyes. “You’re right. My new mind is easy to get lost in, but once I figure out the system, I sense I will really enjoy the benefits of being a god.”
He half turned to Asher. “Is there something the gods do, though? Something I should specifically know in regards to being the god of the seas? Surely it's not all just ‘look cool, be powerful, and fly around?’”
Asher clapped him on the shoulder. I could feel through our bond how truly happy he was that Axl was still here with us. “I have no fucking idea, but I think I know the perfect book for you.”
That was absolutely the right thing to say. Axl looked both happy and relieved in a way he hadn’t since awakening. Books were his thing. And his excitement over a new one to read, was a huge clue that this was still our Axl. We would get through this.
Together.
Chapter 15
The next few weeks passed in a rush of school, research, and fuckups. Most of the fuckups were from Axl as he navigated his new godhood, but thankfully two very important people were finally back. I hoped they might be able to shed some light on our situation.
Louis and Princeps Jones had returned yesterday, many days after they were supposed to. Apparently something new had arisen in Romania, delaying them, but they were finally back. The moment we heard, all of us rushed to their office to hear the news. Larissa hugged her dad for the longest time, and I wasn’t surprised to see tears in her eyes when she pulled away. They were close. For years he’d been both her dad and her only friend in a world that mocked her for what they perceived as race weakness.
She had struggled with him gone for so long.
Louis hugged me tightly, and shook hands with Asher, before he stopped on Axl. His eyes widened just a little, those purplish depths curious and wary. “Well, well, well…” he said softly, tilting his head as he examined Axl. “I know you told me what happened, but seeing it in person … feeling the power.” He let out a low whistle. “Insane.”
“I’d appreciate any advice,” Axl replied, taking a deep breath. “I’m kind of blindly groping around in the dark, hoping not to kill anyone. You helped Maddi figure her powers out. Can you help me?”
Louis took a step closer to him and held up a hand, palm facing Axl. “May I?”
At Axl’s nod, Louis dropped his hand right onto his chest and a blast of heat rocked through
the room—my face felt a little raw.
“Interesting,” Louis said, lips twitching like he wanted to laugh. “I have a few thoughts on how to help you. Let’s talk after this meeting.”
Relief flashed across Axl’s face as he nodded. “Great, thank you.”
The sorcerer examined him for a few minutes longer, before turning back to focus on the rest of us.
“We want to hear everything that’s been happening here,” he said quickly, “but first we’ll tell you what was decided in Romania.”
There weren’t enough seats for us all, so we just moved in closer, letting Louis and Princeps Jones stand on the other side of his desk and face us.
“A task force has been formed from the strongest supes in the world,” Louis started. “They’re already converging on Atlantis, and will set up a home base there in anticipation of the gods releasing. The reason we took longer to get back, was I had to duck to Faerie and procure some ingredients to make spells and potions. They’re not going to stop the gods, but they might give us an advantage.
“Jessa and Braxton are still in Faerie, with the queen of the dragons. She has a plan … something she learned from the ancient ones. She got part of a message to Jessa, but then they lost contact.”
Princeps Jones let out a sigh as he rubbed at his temples. “I stayed behind to get the group together,” he said tiredly. “For what good it might do.”
“Every little thing helps,” Louis said. “Now we just have to hope Jess and Brax get back in time. This disturbance in the balance of gods is causing disturbance in Faerie again, and we only just got the last balance issue over there sorted out.”
I completely understood his frustration and worry. Jessa, and all of the Compasses, were his family. He also had a new member of his family coming into the world soon. Knowing Louis as I did, he would have locked everyone he cared about away if he could, but he happened to care about a ton of supes who did not like to be overprotected.
“So, what do we do now?” I pushed, needing a game plan. This waiting around was frustrating, to say the very least.
