by Lia Davis
She shouldn’t be surprised, though. The dreams had been getting worse. And so was the increase of power running through her veins. It was as if something inside her was waking up. What, she didn’t know. She sensed something dark, which pushed her to do more research on Nyx, her mother and the goddess of night.
Nyx had mothered a number of gods and daimons, including the two spirits of death; the keres were female daimons of cruel death, and Thanatos was the god of non-violent death. Although some scriptures considered Thanatos a daimon. But it was the blood-hungry keres Elle fixed on. The she-daimons were vicious and violent.
Elle’s blood ran cold with fear. What if she turned into a creature like her sisters?
Then there was the threat on Zavier’s life. She gripped the brush tighter. Garrick would die before she let him harm anyone she cared about, including her dragon. Although she wasn’t sure she wanted to mate him just yet, she knew it would come to that one day.
“You should get more sleep.”
Elle shook her head at Gwen’s soft command. “I can’t.”
“Did your nap help?”
Casting her friend a narrow-eyed glare over her shoulder, Elle pursed her lips. After a moment, she relaxed and set her brush and palette on the worktable then sat on the leather loveseat in her half of the room. “It’s been too long since I’ve had a peaceful sleep. I’m not sure I’ll ever have one. Zavier stirs up too much emotion.”
The dragon frustrated her, turned her on, and made her want things that were impossible—like a normal, vision-free life.
Gwen sat beside her and took her hands. “You let fear drive you. I can feel it surrounding you. Fear fuels the darkness. You must learn to use it in a positive way.”
“Easy for you to say. You’re not half daimon.”
“True, but not all daimons are bad. Sure, because they’re Nyx’s children, they’re more powerful than daemons and many have god-like strengths, but...” Gwen hugged her and leaned her head against Elle’s. “Search inside yourself. Find your light and let it shine.”
Elle let a soft chuckle escape. There was a time when Gwen would have boldly spoken her mind. However, since her powers had been unlocked, she’d had to learn to be less bold and more vague. She was, after all, a goddess of fate, so her words could alter one’s future if she weren’t careful. Sometimes things slipped out and Aphrodite had to come in to do damage control.
“It’s hard when my dreams are filled with so much death and gloom.” Elle pulled out of Gwen’s embrace, stood, and then paced the floor. “Part of me wants to open the floodgates and unlock my powers. I mean, I can feel them getting stronger, but the headaches are worse. What if unlocking them makes me insane or kills me?”
Gwen jumped to her feet and gripped Elle’s shoulders. Elle stared into her eyes, shocked at the speed her friend had moved. Power whirled around the room a moment before Gwen spoke. “You will not die.”
Silence filled the air for several long moments. Then Gwen frowned and released her. When she stepped away, Elle reached for her, but Gwen held up a hand.
Crap. Gwen had used her powers to… to what? Make Elle immortal? When Elle opened her mouth to ask what it all meant, a zing of power drifted into the room, changing the pressure of the air slightly. Turning around, Elle expected Aphrodite, but the goddess who materialized wasn’t her.
Black mist shifted into a tall, beautiful goddess with hair the color of night and eyes that mirrored Elle’s. Nyx wore a long, black gown that covered her feet and spilled out onto the floor. Her black hair cascaded over her shoulders and hung down to her hips.
Elle stood, staring at her mother. She had called to the goddess so many times in the last few months. And Nyx picked this moment to show. Elle didn’t know whether to be mad or happy to see her. There were so many lies and unanswered questions.
“I can tell you’re angry with me. Maybe I deserve that. But there’s more. I sense an internal struggle. You shouldn’t be angry at yourself either.”
“Is that your motherly advice?” Elle couldn’t stop the words from tumbling out, nor did she feel sorry for saying them once they had.
Nyx didn’t seem fazed by Elle’s outburst. The goddess moved around the room, stopping at each painting as she went. “You had a mother figure in your life when you needed her.” She turned and motioned to Gwen and continued. “Then a friend when you needed her.”
What in Hades was she talking about? Elle glanced at Gwen, who shrugged before focusing back on Nyx as she surveyed the paintings. She guessed the mother figure was her human mom and then Gwen’s mom after Elle’s parents died. When Gwen’s parents had been murdered, it was just the two of them. It was Gwen who kept shit together as they moved from town to town, running from a crazy dragon.
If she followed the pattern of thought, then Nyx being here could mean Elle needed a mother again. That didn’t make sense. “I don’t need a mother now.”
“No, but you need something only I can give you.”
Elle knew what she needed, but when dealing with the gods, it was always safer to make them say the words. “What is that?”
“Free passage into the Underworld and the means to save your dragon.”
Yeah, that’s what she needed. However, she had hoped for a little compassion, maybe a hint of emotion from Nyx. Averting her gaze to the paintings, Elle tilted her head. “Why are you staring at my paintings?”
Nyx faced her and drew her brows together. “You don’t see it?” The goddess stepped back and swept her arms wide, motioning to the paintings. They rearranged themselves. “You’ve relived the Sons of War’s history and their present. The painting you are currently working on tells you what you desire. Only your actions can tell your future.”
Elle eased forward, staring at what she’d never noticed before. Mostly because she dreamt the events out of order, they didn’t make sense to her. Now that each painting was in the order in which the event happened, she saw it.
Starting with Ares standing in front of his son, the drakon Ismenos, dead at his feet, to the rise of the Sons of War. The next several were of different scenes from the war against the gods and their Earth-bound children. Then one of Sophia’s death. The next one was of the Sons’ banishment from Olympus. Then Garrick’s vow for revenge as he held the Divine Dagger. The last one was the one she’d started to paint when Gwen came down.
Images from the dream flooded her mind, but to her surprise, there was no headache. Zander—the drakon in charge of guarding the Dagger—roamed the dark paths of what Elle assumed was the Underworld.
Pointing to the unfinished painting, Elle spoke to no one in particular. “That’s Zander. I thought he was in Tartarus with his father?”
“He escaped like Markus believes, but he has not left Hades. Only you can go collect the Dagger from him and bring it here to be guarded by the Sons of War.” Nyx moved in from behind Elle, and Elle turned to face her.
Dark energy filled the room. It was familiar, like the power that ran inside her. “Why me?”
“Because you are my daughter.”
“How is me being your daughter going to make him give it to me?”
Nyx cupped her cheek, making it impossible for Elle to move away. Why would she want to? She’d longed for the day she would meet her mother, see where her powers came from. The goddess was beautiful, dark, and a mystery.
“Only you can retrieve the Dagger. You must ask Zander for it. Be aware, the drakon is insane. But he’s infatuated with me and owes me a favor.”
Her mother’s words drifted in Elle’s mind as if spoken only to her. “I don’t understand.”
“You will when the time is right.” Nyx leaned in and kissed her forehead.
Suddenly, pain shot through her temples and her body felt like it was on fire, inside and out. She screamed as she held her head and crumbled to the floor. Footsteps surrounded her, followed by voices that seemed to mesh together.
So hard to focus.
“Here, giv
e this to her.”
Was that Thea? Or was it Ariel? Wait. Why were the nymphs in her studio?
Cool liquid met her lips and she drank, relishing the soothing nectar as it slid down her throat and tamed the raging fire inside her. A few moments later, she felt sleepy, still not able to focus on the people in the room.
“Rest.”
Gwen? Elle started to speak, but her best friend took her hand. She knew it was Gwen from her floral scent and the sound of her unborn child’s rapid heartbeat. A groan escaped Elle, but Gwen said, “Shh. Close your eyes and sleep.”
With a heavy sigh, Elle succumbed to Gwen’s power of persuasion and welcomed sleep.
Chapter Three
“In and out. Right,” Zavier muttered as he watched the Imperial Guards pace back and forth, wearing a path in front of the entrance to Garrick’s hideout. There were only two outside, but who knew how many were inside.
The place could be like an anthill. Kick it, and millions of the fuckers come running out.
“In and out. I don’t have time to play today.” Markus let out a growl. His dragon flashed in his eyes. “I’ll distract dumb and dumber while you go in and grab the girl. The moment you have her, teleport back to the house. I’ll be right behind you.”
With a short nod, Zavier dematerialized, flashing to the side of the building. A moment later, Markus, in his large, black dragon form dive-bombed the Imperials. The diversion worked. They chased after Markus, shooting at him as they went. Trusting Markus to not get himself injured—or killed—Zavier slipped into the building.
It was quiet, too quiet.
There was no furniture except for a few metal shelves along the back wall. The concrete floor was clean. It reminded him of an oversized storage unit after being cleaned out. Either Garrick was just moving in, or he was getting ready to haul ass, again. It could be a temporary hideout.
Narrowing his gaze, Zavier scanned the open space and listened. The whisper of voices reached his awareness from deeper inside the warehouse. He scented the air and caught Garrick’s scent along with Blair’s.
Pushing forward, Zavier swiftly moved to the only door in the back right corner of the warehouse. It opened to a narrow hallway. The hairs on his neck stood on end and his dragon paced from within. The beast wanted a fight. Yet Zavier knew Markus was right. They needed to make this quick. Then regroup and see where Garrick headed to next.
He concentrated on Blair’s scent and followed it. Dread tightened in his chest as he got closer. Blair wasn’t making any noise, which pushed him to move faster. Fear rushed through him at the thought that she was hurt. Or dead.
Coming to a door where her scent was the strongest, Zavier listened. Nothing. Where the hell was Garrick? The whole situation smelled like a setup.
Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Zavier entered the room, shutting the door behind him. Glancing around the space, he spied Blair curled up in the corner of a barred cell. She was motionless, except for the slight rise and fall of her chest. Relief flooded him. She was alive. Thank the gods.
After rushing to the cell, he crushed the lock with his dragon strength and yanked the door open. “Blair.”
She didn’t answer him or move. The footsteps grew louder. He didn’t have time to explain things to her, even if she could hear him. Rushing forward, he scooped her up in his arms. Just as he straightened, Garrick burst through the door, a gun in his hand. He raised it and fired.
With inhuman speed, Zavier stepped out of range, avoiding a direct hit. As he dematerialized, the bullet tore through his biceps.
Taking form inside the mansion’s foyer, Zavier let out a roar of pain while cursing Garrick. When the fog of searing agony cleared and he looked up, he stared into Thea’s eyes, one of the two nymphs that lived with them. Her long, blonde hair was braided down her back and she carried a few blankets and towels in her arms.
“Ariel! Ash!” She called out, her eyes widening as she stared at him holding Blair to his chest.
Ash teleported beside him. “Damn it. I’ll take her. You need your arm looked at.”
He handed Blair off to his sister-in-law and froze. Elle’s soft groan along with her scent drifted from upstairs. Something was wrong. Without a word, he rushed up the steps, taking two at a time, and went straight to Elle’s room.
He stopped in the doorway and his heart fell to his feet. Elle’s olive-tone skin appeared as white as the sheets she lay on. She was curled in a ball in the middle of the bed, and her breathing came in short gasps. Soft moans escaped her. She had been fine an hour ago.
“What happened?”
Gwen stood and crossed the room. “Nyx came for a visit and unlocked her powers.”
Fuck. “Surely she knew Elle wasn’t ready. Why on Earth would she do that to her?”
Gwen hugged her swollen belly and glanced back at her sister. Shaking her head, she turned her tear-filled gaze to his. “She said something about Zander being in Hades, and that Elle was the only one who could get the Dagger.”
And in order for Elle to freely cross into Hades, her powers had to be unlocked. “Why is she sick?”
Sadness mixed with a hint of fear drifted from Gwen as she quickly glanced at Elle before motioning to the hallway. Once in the hall with the door shut, Gwen said, “It’s like she’s changing somehow.”
Dread gripped his chest. “Changing how?” It came out as a growl. Taking deep breaths, he calmed his dragon.
Gwen didn’t flinch at his moody response, which was a three-sixty from when she’d first arrived at the mansion and learned he and his brothers were dragons. The same type of beast who’d murdered her parents in front of her.
Letting out a shaky sigh, she touched his forearm to get his attention. He’d expected her to use her gift on him, but she didn’t. In fact, her power felt depleted, as if she’d used a lot of it recently. Staring into her blue eyes, he cursed. “Markus is going to be annoyed. What did you do?”
She dropped her shoulders and leaned in slightly. Signs of fatigue showed. Damn it, she was pregnant and under too much stress. Her empathy toward others was her only weakness since she’d learned to control her powers and face her daemons. Feelings of being torn between picking Gwen up and taking her to her room, and going to his mate stirred inside him. Where the hell is Markus?
Just then, his brother materialized beside them, a scowl on his face. “Love, what’s wrong?”
Gwen instantly wrapped herself around Markus then told him what had happened with Nyx and Elle. “I had to use persuasion on her to make her sleep.”
Markus worked his jaw and met Zavier’s gaze. “I’m taking her to bed. Why do the gods pick the worst times to screw with people?” He released a sigh. “Considering that Elle is Nyx’s daughter, she could change into a daimon or a full-fledged goddess. Either would put her system into shock. You could try talking with Ash to see what the possibilities are.”
Only half paying attention, Zavier opened the door. Ash would be a good source for information since she’d studied the gods’ history and read the archives while she lived in Olympus with her mother, Artemis, before coming to pass judgment on Ty. “I’ll talk with Ash later. Elle needs…not sure what she needs, but I have to be with her.”
Markus nodded then turned to carry his mate to their bedroom at the end of the hall. As soon as he entered the bedroom again and closed the door behind him, Elle flung her eyes open and pinned him with a hungry stare. A sinking feeling told him that it wasn’t desire for sex that drove her to push herself to sit up. Behind her lips, he could see the hint of fangs. Fuck. Was she turning into a kere?
When she started to stand, he rushed forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. A soft moan escaped her and she leaned her body into his. He groaned and closed his eyes briefly, trying to regain some control over his desire to take her.
“I want you to kill me.”
His heart stopped for several long moments. “No.”
“I’m turning into a monster. She tu
rned me.” Fear lit up her gaze right before she cried out, wrapped her arms around her belly, and fell to her side.
Smoothing her hair from her face, he whispered, “I will not kill you. We’ll make it through this.”
Somehow. He’d figure it out. First he needed to stop her pain. He didn’t think calling Nyx would help. Elle seemed pretty pissed at her mother at the moment. Ash. Could he summon her? He really didn’t want to leave Elle alone. But Ash was a goddess, born of two gods.
Here goes nothing. “Ashlynn, I summon you.”
A few seconds ticked by before the highly annoyed redhead materialized beside him. “Now I know why my mother gets a little pissy when I call her. What’s your problem?”
“She’s turning into a kere.”
Ash drew her brows together and studied Elle for a moment. “Why are you surprised? She is Nyx’s daughter. So are all the keres. However, I don’t think she will turn into one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Not a hundred percent.” Ash moved to the door. When she opened it, she added, “You have to let it run its course. Her powers are dark and strong. I didn’t study Nyx and the other Underworld gods too closely. You can relieve her pain with your blood. It could help speed up the process and make her stronger, as well. One more thing. Don’t ever summon me again. I have a cell phone. Use it, or it won’t be Ty you have to deal with.”
Zavier ignored her threat, even though he knew she meant it. She was as powerful as Artemis, but when she’d mated Ty, her powers amplified, becoming three times what they were.
Elle let out another moan and his heart ached. She might be a little messy at times, but she was smart, caring, and beautiful. She was his.
His to care for and claim.
He kicked off his boots, not caring that they fell into an unorganized pile, then stripped off his bloodied shirt and eased into bed. Elle snuggled into him, her too-warm body seeming to wrap around him like they were made to fit together, easing the residual pain from his healing bullet wound.
