Exoria (The God Chronicles #5)

by Kamery Solomon

  The bitter tone of my voice bounced off the floor and walls as I spoke, my face twisting into a grimace that I couldn’t hold back. It hurt to think of her, twin scythes shoved through her chest. It was like having my own blade staked through me. The pain didn’t make me feel any better, though. It only deepened the screaming of my silent heart.

  “This is not about the mortal.” Standing, Zeus spoke to the whole room now, barely even looking at me as he paced before his people. “Our brother has broken his oath to protect Tartarus. He has broken his oath to this family and he has broken his oath of power. The only thing he could have done worse would have been to work with the Titans himself, as his mortal did!”

  “Our laws clearly lay out the punishment for breaking an oath made on the River Styx,” one of the Fates said, stepping forward.

  “Bite me,” I growled. “And screw you, Zeus! Everyone knows that if it had been Karly out there dying, you would have run off with her just the same. You all would have done it for someone you loved!”

  “People I loved did die on that field!” Zeus descended the steps down to me, roaring, his eyes practically glowing with the strength of the lightning flashing overhead. Spit flew from his mouth, landing on my face, but I refused to flinch. “My family! Gods! Those that I have loved since the beginning of my life! They died because you were too consumed with your affair to realize that something was wrong! They died because you fled the battle at its most critical point! They died because you were too consumed with your life to care about theirs!”

  Fuming, I bit back my reply. We all knew that I wasn’t getting off the hook easy. I’d been aware of that fact since I’d first set foot back in my castle, after burying Katrina. “What is my punishment?” I finally ground out, ready to be done with the whole spectacle. “Am I banished?”

  He stared at me evenly, his breath leaving his nose in long streams as he calmed slightly. “No.”

  More murmurs came from those gathered to witness. Surprise flited through my mind as well.

  “The Fates and I have agreed that, given the circumstances, we need every god at their place. We are more vulnerable in the mortal world, on our own. You will remain in the Underworld.”

  “So just exiled to my normal purgatory.” I snorted, folding my arms.

  “You will remain in the Underworld,” he stated again, growling in warning. “But you are to be stripped of all your powers.”

  “What?!”

  “You will be barricaded in your castle for nine years.” He continued to speak over me and the racket the assembly was making, ignoring the flames that had formed in my hands. “You will live out your exile in solitude. All of your servants will be dismissed. When your punishment is up, you may reclaim your powers by joining with us, where you should have been all along.”

  “Damn you,” I spat, shaking with rage. If I was barricaded inside, stripped of all my powers, there would be no way I could bring Katrina back. Unable to get to her, and lacking the abilities I needed to finish the job, she would be stuck in her own purgatory as well. A Lost One. Just thinking about her suffering longer than needed made my teeth clench.

  The Fates surrounded me now, each reaching out and laying a hand on me. The pull I felt as they took my powers was physically draining, dropping me to my knees.

  “You will regret this,” I whispered. The promise was only heard by Zeus, his hand tightening into a fist as he turned his back on me.

  Chapter Five

  Cristos

  Sweat dripped into my eyes, my muscles screaming at me for release. Determined to succeed, I refused to give in, concentrating on the lines of my palms, the strength of my stare seeming like it could bore holes right through my hands.

  It was no use, though. No matter how hard I tried to focus, the lightning wouldn’t manifest in my hand. It was like I had no powers at all, not even a tingling to confirm that I did, indeed, have the same abilities as my father.

  Disgusted with myself, I sat back in the sand, grumbling. It didn’t help that I was sore from my fight with Hades. It had been almost twenty-four hours, if I’d kept track right, which meant he would probably be arriving soon to fight again. The swelling on my face had gone down enough for me to see straight now, but I wasn’t looking forward to being mostly blind again.

  Hades wasn’t going to pull his punches. I didn’t want him to; it was actually relieving, to find someone who knew I needed to be beat until I could figure out how to win. Zeus never would have done that. He would have bested me, yes, but never to the point I’d been taken to yesterday. Maybe there would have been some blood spilt, but at the first sign of it, he would have lessened his attack, waiting for me to gather myself.

  Hades would probably have beaten me until I asked him to kill me. That was what I wanted; I needed to be strong enough to beat anyone, with anything.

  For Avalon.

  Was she okay? Did she experience everything the Titan did? The doctor in her was probably horrified by the death and destruction the creature controlling her reaped.

  Grinning, I thought of the first time she’d really tried to help me with anything medical. I’d gotten cut while cleaning the rabbits that would be our dinner. Avalon and I had just been warming up to each other, but her sincerity still struck me to this day. Even after the hell I’d put her through, she had genuinely wanted to help.

  “You need to put a bandage on that,” she’d said, nodding toward the cut on my arm.

  “It’ll be fine,” I replied, staring at her in amusement. “There’s only a little scratch.”

  “That you got from a wild animal,” she argued, her expression turning to one of annoyance. “It could be infected, for all we know. You could have the Plague.” She had been so beautiful, sitting across the camp fire, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Dark hair, tied back and hanging over her shoulder, made the paleness of her skin seem to stick out more, even in the white of the snow around us. Her eyes were what got me every time, though; the way they sparkled when they looked at me was enough to make me fall in love with her again every time I saw her.

  “I’m an immortal god. I think I’m safe from the Plague.” Amused, I went back to turning the spit the meat was cooking on, trying not to laugh as she huffed in annoyance.

  “Immortal or not, I still think you should cover it up. We’re out in the wilderness, surrounded by all sorts of pathogens. I’m sure our journey would be much harder if we had to stop because you were too pig headed to follow basic hygiene principles.”

  “Oh dang!” Arsenio, my best friend and brother at arms, laughed openly, shaking his head. “I think you’re going to have to give in to her on this one, Cristos. Cover that cut up, before you get savagely burned again.”

  Avalon laughed, her cheeks flushing in what was either embarrassment or pride. She was becoming more confident, the longer she was with us. I could tell that her newly discovered powers scared her, but she wanted to use them to help. Maybe we could use that to our advantage.

  If only I’d know then what I was getting her into.

  Frowning, my thoughts returned to the present. Hades hadn’t told me anything other than the fact that the spirit of the love of my life was nowhere to be found. The most logical place for her to be was still stuck with the Titan—but where were they? Surely, Zeus had already tasked a team to go out and find her. If she were dead, would Hades tell me? Or would he let me believe that she still lived, so I would help him get Katrina back?

  Anger coursed through my veins at the thought. If Hades wanted to make that choice, he would sorely regret it.

  “You seem extra thoughtful today.”

  Looking up, my gaze landed on Hades, his form standing just outside my cell. He appeared the same—black hoodie, jeans, and tennis shoes—but the expression on his face was different from what it had been yesterday. He seemed . . . hopeful.

  Not wanting to give away my thoughts to him, I sighed, matching his stare. “There are a lot of scenarios laid out in front of
me. I’m trying to decide how to handle each of them.” Grimacing, I stood, squaring my shoulders as I waited for him to release me from my cell. With any luck, I had learned something during our fight yesterday and I would stand a better chance today.

  “Stop wasting your time with that,” he replied, dismissing the fiery door with a flick of his hand. “Focus on your powers. Bringing them forward is the only way you get out of Tartarus and on the path to your possibilities. Until that happens, the only scenario I see here is you getting your ass handed to you every day in front of a crowd of your worst enemies.”

  Smirking, I let his words flow over me without a care. He was being snarky again, a personality trait my mother had told me he often exhibited. That was fine. Snarky didn’t have anything to do with his fighting ability, so it wasn’t important to me.

  “Let’s get it over with then.”

  Hurtling forward, I slammed into him and began the fight once more.

  “Concentrate!” Hades snapped. “You’re not focusing!”

  “I’m doing the best I can,” I growled, struggling to keep him pinned against the wall. To his credit, he wasn’t simply letting me hold him there. I had to adjust myself practically every second as he tried to get away from me, wincing in pain as fire kissed my skin time and time again.

  “No you’re not. If you were doing your best, I’d be a barbequed piece of god by now.” Grunting, he tightened his grip on my arm, twisting it painfully.

  “Ouch!” Kneeing him in the groin, I somehow managed to keep from releasing him. Between the sweat from my effort and the heat of the rocks burning around us, I didn’t know how much longer I could hold him, though.

  “It won’t mean anything if you can pin me down but can’t finish the job.”

  “Shut up!” I yelled, trying in vain to call forth the lightning. Everything I tried yielded no results, much to my annoyance and anger.

  “Enough of this.” Spitting blood onto my face, he saw the opening I’d unknowingly given him, returning the groin shot, spinning me around, and twisting my arm behind me. The tip of his sword lighted on the back of my neck and I knew I’d lost the fight.

  Again.

  “Damn it!”

  Releasing me almost instantly, Hades stepped away from the wall, straightening his jacket as he shook his head. “You’re still not there. The hand to hand combat has improved exponentially, but it means nothing without the lightning to accompany it. There’s only so many times you can punch someone in the face before you’re out of options.”

  “I know.” Sighing, I stretched my arm, knowing it would hurt worse in the morning. Perhaps I could get some more of the salve Hades had brought me a few weeks ago, when I’d lost so horribly that my eyes were still swollen shut the next day. “I don’t know how to unlock it. I don’t even feel it inside me. It’s like the electricity was never there.”

  “It is, though. We know that for a fact. We just have to discover what it was that released it before.” Turning, he stared at me, contemplation covering his features as he rubbed his chin.

  “Fear for the life of the woman I love?” Snorting, I shook my head. “I’ve tried tapping into that again. It doesn’t help, even when I work myself up to that same level of panic and terror.”

  “There must be something else about that moment that sparked it.” Frowning, he turned away again, walking slowly across the space.

  “I’ve tried everything I can think of. Nothing is bringing it back out.”

  Avalon flashed through my mind then, when she’d been trying so hard to master her powers. It had been difficult for her, too, but in another way. She had no issue calling the mystical properties to the forefront. In fact, the appeared when she wasn’t even trying on several occasions. No, her problem had been controlling them once they manifested.

  I really would have rather had that problem right now, to be honest.

  Hades made a noise dripping with disappointment and impatience and nodded once. “We keep working on it, then.”

  “I don’t know what ‘we’ you are referring to, since all you’re doing is beating me every day, but yes. I’ll keep working on it.”

  “I know you will.” A rare look of concern flited across his face then, making my stomach turn unexpectedly.

  “What is it? Has there been news about the Titan?” I’d made him swear to tell me if there was ever any news about Avalon, after I’d realized he could be leading me on. So far, there had been nothing.

  “No, it’s not that.” Laughing slightly, he rubbed a hand over his face. “I only remember being where you are now. Desperately trying to find the one thing that will make everything right again. I know what that did to me.”

  “You’re . . . worried? About me?” Surprised, I raised my eyebrows, halfway thinking he was messing with me.

  “Not worried. Anxious. Your lightning powers are something I need to make my problem right again as well. If I can’t help you unlock them, I’m never going to get Katrina back.” His mouth snapped shut, eyes betraying that he felt he’d given too much away.

  “If you need the lightning so badly, why not ask Zeus for it?” I’d been slowly coming to the realization that my father and Poseidon weren’t telling the whole story when it came to their brother. Hades’ answer came as no surprise because of that.

  “I did,” he said softly. “And he said no.”

  “So that’s why you’re pushing me so hard. You need the lightning for your own use.” Of course he did. Once I said it out loud, it made sense. I felt as if I’d somehow known that from the very start.

  “I want to help you, too. A little. I’ll admit, it’s mostly for Katrina, but I meant it when I said I would help you with Avalon. I’m not completely heartless.” Grinning, he folded his arms across his chest. For an instant, he seemed like the man I’d been told stories of by Karly and Audrey. He appeared powerful and strong, terrifying even, but there was a kindness to him I knew he didn’t often share.

  No, Zeus and Poseidon were definitely leaving something out when it came to their story of Hades. They insisted he had not left the Underworld since his banishment, but here he was, saying he had spoken with Zeus again. Why was that not part of the narrative for my father? Why was it left out by everyone?

  “I’ll try harder. Anything and everything I can do, I’ll attempt. Like you said when we first started this, we’re both in practically the same place, and if you’re willing to help me with Avalon, I’m more than willing to return the favor for Katrina.” Nodding once, I let out a long breath, feeling like we had just crossed some kind of threshold in our uncle and nephew relationship. It occurred to me that we weren’t fighting for our own interests now; we had a partner in our endeavors.

  “Thank you,” he replied sincerely.

  Glancing around, I could tell he felt the same awkwardness that I did now, after airing our feelings with each other. “I’ll see what I can come up with tonight for tomorrow. If anything, I’ll be ready to fight you again. Maybe I’ll even beat you without the powers.”

  “Fat chance.” Snorting, he smiled again, turning to go. “I’ll send more medicine down for you.” Hesitating, he looked at me over his shoulder. “Good job today. I’ve been very impressed. I’ll be more impressed when I’m getting electrocuted, but you’ve made progress.”

  Looking down at the ground, I accepted the compliment in silence. We both knew we wouldn’t be happy with whatever progress I’d made until I unlocked those abilities.

  When I looked up again, he had left, leaving the door to my cell open for the first time ever. Surprise flitted through me at that, but what difference did it make, really? There was no way I could escape the prison, and no way I would want to until I was ready to face whatever awaited me out in the world.

  Slowly, I made way back inside the prison, trying to think of ways to call forward that which eluded me.

  “You are both stupid.” The gravelly voice spoke to me from the cell beside my own, a hint of laughter to its ton
e. “Small, stupid Olympians. Of course the lightning isn’t coming forward. You blockheads don’t understand how it works.”

  Chapter Six

  Cristos

  Curious and somewhat alarmed that one of the monsters was speaking to me, I doubled back, walking the short distance between the two cells. “Excuse me?” Not knowing what to expect, I practically fell over at the sight of the being inside.

  Old and fragile looking, the creature’s huge body had lashing scars wherever the eye could see. His hands trembled as he held them in his lap, the heat of the ground not seeming to bother him as he sat, cross legged in the middle of his space. The same fire that burned in my cell suffocated him in his, but he didn’t seem to mind it. In fact, he seemed to appreciate the flames, swaying back and forth, barely brushing along the lines that should have seared him painfully. His plain, brown shirt and pants were singed in several places, confirming that he’d gotten too close to the fire more than once. Full, white hair swept back from his face, tied in a messy looking knot at the top of his head. The reason for such a style was immediately clear; he had only one eye, in the center of his forehead.

  “Never seen a cyclops before?” The lowness of his pitch made a sound like rocks rumbling down a mountainside. When I didn’t answer, his laugh sounded more agitated than amused. “Figures. There’s not many left, if there’s any others besides me, that is.”

  Sighing, he glanced up at the ceiling, muttering something under his breath.

  “What was that?” Not wanting to miss anything he was saying, I stepped closer to the door, straining to hear whatever it was.

  “I said it was a shame that someone so stupid should be granted such great power,” he spat back, his one eye staring at me again. “The lightning is practically banging around inside you, trying to get out, and you can’t even open the door for it.”