Chaotic War (Sons of War #3)

by Lia Davis

  Ash had said to give Elle his blood to help her. However, doing so would also bind them together whether they ever mated or not. A blood bond was stronger than any other kind. Elle would be mad once the pain haze settled. He didn’t care. It hurt him to see her like this. Every muscle in his body tensed with each groan.

  He kissed her temple. “Elle, I want you to bite me, take what you need from me.”

  She lifted her head and stared at him, her green eyes darker than usual. Her lips dipped into a frown before she backed away, shaking her head. “I can’t…won’t.”

  With the speed he’d had his whole existence, he reached out and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back to his front. “I will give you what you need. You will not be a monster.”

  She struggled against him, but he held onto her. The tighter he gripped without hurting her, the angrier she got. Low growls turned into snarls. Her nails turned into claws, then she dug them into his skin.

  Hissing out a curse, he growled in her ear. “I’m not letting you go until you bite me.” The coppery scent of his blood from where she’d scored him with her nails lingered in the air. “Smell my blood? I know you can. Feel it pumping through my body, calling to you.”

  Gods, she was going to hate him in the morning.

  The taunting worked, though. A moment later, she struck, sinking her fangs into his arm. The sting of pain quickly turned to pleasure as she settled against him and took what she needed. Releasing a sigh, he ran his fingers through her hair and watched how the light of the full moon, shining in the window, reflected off the black strands.

  His heart warmed. No matter how much he fought it, there was no denying the fact that she was his mate and he was falling—hard and fast—for her.

  Convincing her to accept the mating was going to be a difficult feat. But one he was willing to take on.

  ***

  Garrick roared. The sound echoed through the open warehouse and rattled the windows. Damn his brothers. He didn’t know how they’d found him so fast. No doubt they had the gods helping them.

  Gathering his rage from deep within his soul, he forced it into a ball of fiery power then thrust it at the metal shelves along the back wall. The shelves exploded into thousands of pieces, metal tinging off the concrete floor and block walls. Fire crawled up the walls and spread out to the sides, the ceiling, and the floor. Markus would not get away with this.

  “Feel better?”

  Garrick clenched his jaw at the sound of Eros’s voice behind him. Whirling around, he glared at the god of love and desire. His blond hair was a little unruly, contrasting with the god’s usual well-kept appearance. He also seemed…tired or stressed. Garrick studied him for several moments, debating whether or not to bust Eros’s balls over his home life. Not my business. “I’ll feel better when my brothers are dealt with for good.”

  “The feeling is mutual. However, I didn’t come to talk about the Sons of War. I have the location of the female.” Eros glided around the warehouse as he spoke.

  Garrick tracked him with his eyes and snarled. “I don’t have leverage over her. My brothers stole her sister a moment ago.”

  “Then use something else. Like the humans she cares for. Did you not research the female, her passions, desires?” Eros let out a bitter laugh. “Of course, not. You are War’s son. Desires are my specialty.”

  Garrick stepped toward the god, his hands fisted. He had researched the female. The only thing he found she desired was the wellbeing of her sister. That was why Garrick had taken the girl in the first place. There was no other family the two of them had outside of Olympus. Neither of them knew they were descendants of Themis, goddess of divine law.

  With a growl, Eros glared at Garrick over his shoulder. His upper lip curled. “Don’t test me, dragon.” He faced Garrick and held up one hand. A moment later, a piece of paper materialized. “That is all you need to know to get Rayna on your side. You must get to her before her fated mate does.”

  Then the god vanished, the paper falling to the floor.

  Garrick growled and picked up the note and crumpled it in his hand. Eros wanted something. Gods didn’t aid anyone without a price. However, Garrick would bide his time and take the bait, for now. He needed Rayna by his side for his plan to work.

  After opening the ball of paper, he grinned. Inside were personal details about Rayna’s life, such as her address and the location of her family vacation home, her favorite color, flower, and a mention of her love for kids.

  At the end of the note was a message from Eros to him.

  As your mate, the female will be yours to command. For a price, I am willing to lend an arrow.

  Chapter Four

  Fire was everywhere.

  Elle tried to run from it, but it surrounded her, taunted her. Stings of pain nipped at her skin as the flames slapped at her. She had to get out of there before she was burned alive. Scorching pain on her calf made her scream out and sit straight up in bed.

  Dazed and unsure why she was still in pain upon waking, she glanced down at her leg. She sucked in a breath and jerked the comforter over her whole body. The room was bathed in sunlight. And that light was burning her skin. She’d left the curtain open last night. Although she’d never had a problem with the UV rays before, except a slight irritation.

  That was before she’d turned into a daimon.

  The heat from the sun’s rays managed to get under the covers. She ached from the inside out. Or was it the outside in?

  She slid out of bed, taking the blanket with her, and stumbled to the walk-in closet. Once securely inside the dark, cool space, she sat on the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. This was her world now. Darkness.

  Damn you, Nyx. A tear rolled down her cheek.

  The click of the bedroom door opening followed by a crash as it hit the wall filtered through the closet door. Zavier’s woodsy scent filled the room and she groaned. Vague memories of taking his blood before she’d finally fallen to sleep consumed her mind. The rich, coppery scent made her mouth water. By taking his blood, they were now linked. Forever.

  She would always want his blood and his body.

  It didn’t mean she had to accept him as her mate. Or did she?

  His footsteps drew closer to the closet. She let out a bitter laugh. The day before, she could barely sense him. In that moment, she could smell him and hear him. The light curses he mumbled as he entered the room. She could hear his footsteps. Even his heartbeat.

  Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the wall. She didn’t want to think about what other powers she had gained in the last twelve hours. “Don’t open that door unless the window is completely covered.”

  His steps stopped, then turned away from the closet. She heard the curtains being drawn together. The soft glow of sunlight from the crack under the closet door vanished. Immediately, she relaxed and stood just as the door slowly opened.

  Planting her feet in place, she stared at Zavier while fighting off the urge to throw herself at him. Her body hummed with desire. The rich, woodsy scent of him tingled her nose, but it was the beat of his heart that was almost too much. The urge to taste him was too strong.

  But she couldn’t touch him. She’d only want him more. Her heart couldn’t take losing him if she couldn’t change the future. Besides, she didn’t know just how dark her powers were. What if she had become the monster she feared she would? She’d have to leave to keep from hurting everyone she loved.

  His brows dipped and he held out a hand. Shaking her head, she backed up. “Please don’t touch me.”

  “Let me help you.”

  “You’ve done enough. The mild skin irritation I used to get when going out in the sun has turned into blisters. My skin actually started to burn.” She closed her eyes, trying to calm the anger bubbling up while wishing she weren’t trapped inside a closet. A moment later, she was pulled through some kind of parallel space. When she opened her eyes, she gasped to find that she was standing next to
her bed.

  She’d teleported. Wide-eyed, she stared at Zavier, who faced her then closed the closet door. His features didn’t reveal any change in emotion. “What’s going on? You know something.”

  He released a sigh and leaned against her dresser. “Gwen and I did some research and talked with Ash. Nyx isn’t just the goddess of night, she is night. But you already knew that much.”

  She folded her arms and glared. “Just fucking tell me how much of a monster I’ve become.”

  For the first time since he’d walked into the room, she noticed the bite marks on his neck. Lowering her gaze to his arm, her stomached soured. Two more bites stared back at her. Good gods, how much blood did she take from him?

  “At first we thought you were turning into a kere, but when Ash checked in on you this morning, she wasn’t so sure anymore.” He straightened and advanced toward Elle. She stiffened but didn’t move.

  “Then it’s worse.”

  He shook his head. “No. You are a goddess of the Underworld.”

  “What? No. How come I fed on you like a newly turned vampire?”

  The corners of his lips twitched. “If that was true, you’d be dead. My brothers would have killed you for trying to kill me.”

  He had a point. When she opened her mouth to speak, he closed the distance between them and snaked an arm around her waist. Electrical pulses of emotions and desire raced from him to her. He dipped his head so their lips were inches apart. “Ash said the need for blood could be a result of your powers unlocking.”

  “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”

  “I can’t lie to you. You’d know as soon as the untruth left my lips. The blood bond would tell you.” His green eyes sparked with passion and the hum of his dragon’s power under his skin touched her awareness.

  Fighting a groan, she wiggled out of his embrace. “I didn’t agree to the bond.”

  There was no use denying what was already happening. But, damn it, she wanted a choice. To be able to play hard to get for a little while before submitting to their desires. Besides, she’d already seen his death.

  He frowned and stuck his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t mean to force it on you.”

  Crap. Sagging her shoulders, she sat on the bed. “I know. What would have happened if you didn’t give me blood?”

  “It’s possible you would still be in pain from the change. We don’t know for sure. Ash suggested it’s part of the curse that locked all the descendants’ powers. Then there’s the fact that Gwen didn’t go through any of what you did.”

  “Because Markus gave her his blood to unlock her powers.” Elle fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Nyx said I’m the only one who can enter Hades without payment.”

  “Yes, because you are an Underworld goddess. Although I believe you still have to call on Hades and let him know you are coming. We could ask Ares.” Zavier’s voice dropped to a whisper. Uncertainty evident in his tone.

  “When do we go get the Dagger?” She knew they’d have to do it soon. She’d rather go by herself, but wouldn’t argue with him if he insisted on being there. All that mattered was that she got the Dagger before Garrick did. They needed to do it soon.

  “As soon as you feel comfortable. We do need to test your powers, though.”

  “Of course.” She let out a sigh and sat up. “I’m going to shower.”

  He gave a nod and moved to the door. “I’ll be in the study with the others.” Then he left, closing the door behind him.

  What a morning. She needed to clear her head. A hot shower was a start. Testing her powers was a close second because she could feel the magic racing through every part of her body. She would deal with the dragon and their mating later, right after she retrieved the Dagger and dealt with her mother.

  ***

  Zavier stormed into the study and ignored the glances of his brothers and their mates. Elle was in pain from the sun sensitivity he hadn’t expected. Even though she tried to hide it from him, he sensed it. He’d also picked up on her fear the moment he entered the room. When he saw her standing inside the closet, her arms and legs littered with blisters, he’d had to keep himself from touching her to calm his dragon. The urge to drag her into the bathroom so he could care for her almost too strong. But that would only drive Elle further away from him.

  Thrusting a hand through his hair, he cursed. He wanted to board up every window in the mansion.

  “The sun allergy is temporary.”

  He cut a sharp glare to Ash, sitting at one of the small, round tables in front of a laptop, shoulder to shoulder with Ty. The redhead raised a brow at him as if challenging him to comment. But it wasn’t like him to shoot off smartass taunts. That was Seth. Zavier had always been the reserved one.

  With a snarl, he glanced to Markus, who studied him with no expression, and asked to no one particular, “How long will she have to avoid the sun?”

  Ash answered. “Not sure. It could be anywhere from a day to several months.”

  Meeting Markus’s stare, Zavier said, “I’m going to Hades with Elle.”

  His brother blinked then nodded. “Done. After she is strong enough to face Hades.”

  Zavier’s stomach soured while his dragon roared. Hades didn’t like to be summoned for any reason. The god would be more than a little annoyed when Elle called on him. She wouldn’t face him alone, though. Zavier was going to be there. “I’ll make sure she’s ready.”

  A moment later, Elle’s familiar floral scent drifted into the room behind him. Turning, he faced her and sucked in a breath at how beautiful she looked. Her damp, black hair hung loose, cascading over her shoulders and falling to her waist.

  She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. “When do we start testing my abilities?”

  “Whenever you’d like.” Zavier walked to her.

  Before he reached her, she pivoted and called over her shoulder, “Let’s get this over with. The sooner we go after Garrick, the better.”

  A growl bubbled up from him as he followed her to the basement. There was no way he was going to let her go after Garrick. Going to the Underworld was dangerous enough. No, he couldn’t allow her to put her life on the line twice. “You’re not going after Garrick.”

  She stopped and whirled around. “You’re not stopping me.”

  Dark, smoke-like swirls clouded the green of her eyes. Heavy magic flowed around her, brushing against his aura. The female was stubborn, and apparently, more powerful than he’d thought.

  He was going to enjoy sparring with her.

  He dipped his head so their lips were inches apart. “I’m going to have fun seducing you into seeing it my way.”

  She placed both hands on his chest and shoved him before she spun back around. He stumbled a few steps and watched her ass sway as she made her way toward the basement door.

  Beautiful and full of fiery passion. And his to claim.

  Chapter Five

  Elle braided her hair while she waited for Zavier, who wasn’t too far behind her. Conjuring a rubber band, she twisted it at the end of the braid before facing the dragon. Her dragon.

  She’d quickly learned that if she wanted something, all she had to do was visualize it. The power came almost too easily now that her head was clear and she wasn’t in pain from being burned alive by the sun.

  Zavier’s intense stare raised the need she’d tried so hard to wash away in the shower. Her body ached for him—his touch, and his blood. With a low growl, she said, “I can teleport. Although it does take a lot of energy.”

  “That won’t change. Even my brothers and I have to keep energy stored up for long travels. That’s why we prefer to fly in dragon form.” His tone was soft, but she sensed him battling his desire for her.

  “I can also conjure things with ease now.” She frowned. What was she doing? “What do I need to know before calling Hades to let him know I’m entering his domain?”

  Zavier threaded a hand through his hair. “Never forget, he
’s the king of the Underworld. He’s not cruel or battle-ready like Ares, but he likes to remind people he’s the ruler of death and the dead. He will test your strengths and use your weaknesses against you when he sees fit.”

  She’d guessed that much already. “I’ll need to figure out my weaknesses. The sun is one.” And she couldn’t change that. “And Ares isn’t cruel. He’s the god of war. War isn’t always cruel.”

  Zavier smiled slightly. “Believe me, Ares can be cruel when he wants. All gods can be. Don’t forget that.”

  Something told her that he was including Nyx in that statement. Elle had experienced her mother’s cruelty when the goddess had unlocked her powers and then left without an explanation. However, Elle had no doubt Nyx possessed the ability to do far crueler things. After all, she was the goddess of night. “I’m aware of the cruelty of the gods, but they do believe in balance.”

  “Without that balance, the world would be a cold, dark place.”

  Far more than it already is… Elle took a breath and banished the thought. Since losing her parents at the age of sixteen, then losing Gwen’s parents—who were also her family—all at the hands of the evil Garrick, Elle wanted the chance to give the bastard what he deserved. “Are we going to talk all day? We need to get the Dagger before your bastard brother finds a way to get it.”

  Zavier’s lips twitched. “I’m thinking.” He paused as if having a thought. “Nyx is the night. She’s everywhere. See if you can fade into the shadows.”

  A moment later, the lights dimmed to almost nothing. She glanced around but wasn’t sure what to do. She needed a shadow to fade into, right? “When I turn the lights out, create a fireball to light up the space around us.”

  With a short nod, he held out his hand and flames flared to life in his palm. The fire swirled until it formed a baseball-size sphere hovering about an inch from his hand. She willed the lights out. Darkness bathed the gym, the only light coming from the fireball. Perfect.