The demi-Titan turned to me then, my father falling to the ground behind her, shock on his features. His hands were wrapped around the pommel of the metal stuck in him, blood washing over his fingers. He wasn’t dead yet, but injured enough that he needed help.
Raising my own sword, I glared at Phoenix, ignoring the racing of my heart. This had to end now.
Shouting, I ran forward, engaging her in combat easily. Every move I made she dodged, though, my attempts at stopping her falling short.
Then, as if out of thin air, and arrow shot through the sky, burying itself in her side. Screaming, she tore the offending object out, looking around for who had shot her.
Glancing back, I smiled at Arsenio, who had another arrow trained on her.
Roaring, her voice shook the ground, fire spewing from her hands, lighting everything in front of us up like it was a dry forest.
Holding my arm up to protect my face, I stumbled back, the heat scorching my skin. On the other side of the burning barrier, Phoenix advanced on Zeus, her sword aimed straight for his heart.
Katrina appeared in a pool of black beside him, spinning and stabbing away, fighting back Phoenix. Her scythe cut through the air like butter, striking her target over and over, forcing the demi-Titan to step away.
Growling, Phoenix pushed forward, her size and brute force shoving Katrina about like she was a paper doll. The two women moved around each other, each trying to keep the other from Zeus, who still lay on the ground, bleeding out.
Scanning the flames in front of me, I searched for a place to break through and help, desperately wanting to pull my father away to safety. Just as I found the opening I needed, though, the unthinkable happened.
Katrina slipped. Dodging another sword swipe, she ducked, sliding through the now muddy earth, and fell, hard.
Phoenix, seeing her own window, leapt forward, the point of her blade raised high over Zeus.
Pushing through the burning heat, I cried out, trying to get there in time to stop her. It was as if the world were frozen again, Zeus’ death playing out right in front of me. I knew that her blade had been dipped in the River Styx. If she punctured his heart with it, he would be gone.
My feet were skidding through the mud, my voice raw as I yelled, eyes wide as I realized I wasn’t going to make it in time.
Zeus’ gaze met mine, a small smile on his face as he lay there, not even trying to fight back. Out of nothing, Katrina appeared beside him, her face frantic as she looked up at the Titan bearing down on them. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his arm, her eyes turning completely black. Darkness wrapped around him, pulling him away, covering his form as he sunk into the earth, vanishing from sight just as Phoenix slammed the killing blow down.
Screaming in frustration, the beast looked around, yanking her blade from the ground it had buried itself into.
A shocked air passed through everyone remaining. The king was gone—the Olympians had lost their leader.
“Where is your general now?” Phoenix taunted, laughing as she turned to face the remaining army.
“Here!” I roared, raising my hands to the sky and calling lightning down once more. Aiming it toward her, I hit her full force, pushing with all my might to keep her down. The Titan squirmed away, though, sending her own arc of heat toward me. Ducking, I managed to miss being hit full on by the blast.
The soldiers around me rallied, falling into line behind me as I pinned Phoenix up against a wall. “Go!” I ordered them. “Take the city! Don’t stop until Olympus stands triumphant once more!”
Doing as I asked, the soldiers flooded past, racing on to the new front line. While the war raged on around us, Phoenix and I looked each other in the eye, knowing full well that this was the end for one of us.
“Do you really mean to kill me this time?” she asked breathlessly, laughing slightly.
Smiling sadly, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to do. When I spoke, I didn’t know if she even heard me, the words were so hard to get out. “I love you, Avalon.”
Leaping forward, I locked my arms around her, pinning her wings down. Snakes bit at me, the fire that consumed her practically cooking me alive, but still I held on, wrestling her to the ground. Lightning shocked through her over and over as I alternated blasts from each hand, her voice screeching in my ear as she cried out, both angry and in pain.
However, even then, as I held her, knowing that she needed to be stopped, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t kill the woman I loved. There was no way I would be able to beat her down now and destroy her with the fire from Mount Etna. Arsenio had said he’d do it for me, but I was positive I couldn’t let that happen, either. I would protect her until my dying breath. The only option left, to let her go, was impossible as well.
There was another choice besides those, I realized slowly. It would stop Phoenix from accomplishing what she wanted and it would leave her alive. Maybe, someday, I would be able to convince her to let Avalon out again. If anything, it was the best choice I had right now. In a moment of weakness, I let my promise to Avalon go once more.
“Katrina!” I called out, struggling to keep my hold on the woman in my arms. “Katrina, touch her! Banish her!”
In an instant, black eyes stared down at me, Katrina’s hand reaching out to touch Phoenix, brushing along her wing. In the next second, it sounded as if the entire world were ending. A horrible scratching sound filled the air, Phoenix screaming outright beneath me.
Then, there was a loud bang and I was ripped away from her, thrown across the space like a sandbag. Glancing around, I saw that everyone in the immediate vicinity had been knocked over as well.
And Phoenix was still here.
Filling with dread, I stood, slowly advancing on her form. She appeared dazed, the fire around her having gone out, her wings folded haphazardly beneath her. How had she survived being touched? Realizing that I needed to act before she got her bearings back, I shouted, raising my hands to call on my powers once more.
“Wait!” she screamed, holding her hands up in surrender. “It’s me! It’s Avalon!” Tears began streaming down her face as she shook, terror washing over her features. “I’m Avalon!”
The words caused me to stop in my tracks, my heart freezing as I looked down on her. I wanted so desperately for her declaration to be true, for my zoi mou to be the one laying on the ground now. Who was to say it wasn’t another trick by Phoenix, though? What if it was a last ditch effort to try and get away?
“Cristos, it’s me,” she said again, sitting up. “Avalon. I swear on my life. When Katrina touched me . . .” Hesitating, she looked toward where Katrina had landed after the blast. She was long gone, though, the battle petering out around us as it moved into the city.
“It felt like I was being ripped in half,” she started again, fresh tears leaking down her face. “Phoenix was fighting so hard to stay and then she was just gone. I can’t even hear her in my head anymore.” Staring up at me, she bit her lip, sniffling. “Please say something.”
“I don’t know what to say.” My voice was raspy and low, my brain not wanting to believe what my heart so readily accepted as truth.
For some reason, that made her cry harder. Nodding fiercely, she half laughed. “I don’t expect you would know. I wouldn’t believe me if I were you, either.”
It was too much. Her demeanor was so strikingly different from what it had been just a moment ago, her eyes staring at me like Avalon so often had. The warriors I’d arrived with were barreling through the opposition without me, Hades at their head, leading the army as I stayed behind to take care of Phoenix.
But it wasn’t the demi-Titan, was it?
Emotions overwhelmed and rushed through me and I felt myself crumple, knees falling to the ground as I crawled toward her. Her skin was still warm as I took her in my arms, pressing my lips against hers. It felt like I was falling through space and time, tumbling head over heels as I tasted her. My heart kicked back to life, thumping painfu
lly as I clutched her to me, fingers pressing so hard against her I was probably leaving bruises.
I knew. It was present in the way she spoke and held herself, the way she looked at me. Even now, as I kissed her, I knew it was Avalon. Phoenix hadn’t kissed me like this. She wasn’t capable of it. This kiss was filled with love and not lust. Only Avalon had ever kissed me this way. I wanted to drown in her, in the feeling that I had now, in knowing that she was back in my arms.
“I didn’t think she was ever going to let me out again,” she said against my lips, crying still. “I was so scared.”
“It’s over,” I murmured, stroking her hair. “It’s over.”
The sounds of the battle beyond us told me that this fight had ended as well. The victorious cries of the Olympians rang out in the air and Titans were fleeing down the beach, disappearing into the distance.
Holding Avalon close, I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. “It’s over.”
Epilogue
Hades
Katrina stood on the balcony, looking over the river with a glass of red wine in her hands. Her curled hair moved softly in the breeze, the white dress she’d chosen for the ceremony swirling around her ankles. She was such a stark contrast against the dark castle we both called home, framed perfectly by the double doors and the brittle, black vines twisted around the stone pillars of the terrace.
Smiling softly, I paused, allowing myself to stare at her for a moment longer without alerting her. It wasn’t just that she was beautiful. When I saw her, I knew she was a kind spirit, with great love in her heart. Ambitious and brave, she did whatever was required of her, never asking for help unless she truly needed it. She was so much like the woman I’d first fallen in love with, and yet, she was incredibly different at the same time. The strength she displayed was astounding. Even with a terrible darkness swirling inside her and the knowledge of what her life would be like from now on, she remained herself. There were many others who would have collapsed under the pressure, giving in to the dangerous desires inside them, but not her. The world was hers for the taking and instead she had vowed to protect it and keep the natural order of things.
“You are staring again.” Turning, she laughed, her eyes shining as they met mine.
“Can you blame me?” I asked, gesturing to her. “You look amazing.”
Giving me an apprising look, she crossed one arm over her stomach, taking a sip from her glass. “You clean up nicely yourself, if you were wondering. It’s amazing, the difference a nice suit can make over an old hoodie.”
Grinning, I joined her outside, taking her hand in mine. “It’s my special occasion outfit. I’ll return to my regular look by tomorrow.”
“Shame. I could get used to this view.”
Glancing down at the shore of the River Styx, I watched the people scurrying around, setting up chairs and fairy lights, getting ready for tonight.
“Have you seen your brother yet?” Katrina asked casually, watching the party planners as well.
“Sy? He and Audrey are in their room, getting ready still. They were helping set up for a little while and visiting with Karly.”
“That’s not the brother I was referring to.” Peering over the rim of her glass as she took another sip, she raised an eyebrow, waiting for my response.
Breathing out slowly, I nodded. “I know.”
“How’s he doing?”
“As well as can be expected, I guess. I mean, he is Zeus. He may not be happy about being banished to the Underworld, but he’s dealing with it. You saved his life, Kat. There’s no way he’d ever fault you for that.”
“Forced retirement.” Shaking her head, she laughed once, setting her glass down between the old vines. “I’ve never heard of anyone being excited about losing their job.”
“He’ll be fine. Karly is with him and they’re getting their own fancy castle on the Isle of the Blessed. He’s basically spending the rest of eternity on the beach, partying with a group of his closest friends.”
She didn’t respond to that, falling silent as she became lost in her own thoughts.
Squeezing her hand, I leaned in and kissed her cheek in reassurance. “You did a good thing, love.”
Sighing, she nodded, picking her glass up again. “It is what it is. We can only move on from here.”
“I agree.”
“Do you think Cristos will make a good king?” Her tone was more curious than worried, the question hanging in the air between us as I continued to stare down at the shore.
“He doesn’t want to rule,” I finally answered. “I think that will make him even greater than Zeus. The people want him to be their leader. With their support and Avalon at his side, he’s in the perfect position to finally bring real peace to our lives.”
“You could be right. Having a demi-Titan as queen will make any remaining Titans feel represented.”
“Not to mention, anyone who really steps out of line can simply get a visit from you and the problem will be taken care of. You’ve banished enough of them for everyone to know your power is no joke.”
“It’s been a long couple of weeks,” she agreed. “I don’t particularly enjoy banishing people, but it needed to be done. The Titans and traitors that are locked in Tartarus now deserve to be. There’s no chance of them ever breaking out of this realm again.”
“Who would have thought that some farm girl from Texas would be the one to finally lock the likes of Kronos away.” Snickering, I took her glass from her, sampling the liquid inside for myself. “You never did tell me how you did it, by the way.”
“Did what?” Leaning against me, she rested her head on my shoulder, fingers circling around the inside of my elbow.
“How did you get rid of Phoenix and not Avalon?”
“I’m not sure. When I touched them . . .” Her voice trailed off, fingers freezing on my arm.
Knowing she was thinking of the moment, I remained silent, waiting for her to finish answering.
“When I touch someone, I can feel what’s inside them—that’s not really the right way to put it. I can somehow sense their thoughts and desires. It’s only a split second, but I can somehow see them, for what they truly are. The darkness wraps around them as a whole, physically and mentally, and takes them away.
“When I touched Phoenix, though, I instantly could tell there was someone else there, with her. It was like her body was split into two different parts. One was all fire and death, but the other was light and hopeful. The fire was hiding Avalon, though, pressing her back, suppressing her in all ways. All I can think is that I must have grabbed just Phoenix and left Avalon when I entered their mind.
“But Phoenix never showed up here and Avalon is still capable of using her powers. It doesn’t make sense, but at the same time, I know what I did. Wherever she went, Phoenix is stuck in her own Underworld. She won’t be able to take over their body ever again.”
Surprised, I simply rested my head on top of hers, allowing the light sounds of laughter and merriment to rise up from below. The ceremony was almost completely set up and other gods were beginning to arrive. All of that was pushed to the back of my mind, though, as I thought over what Katrina had just shared with me.
I’d never realized that what she did was so involved. It happened so quickly, it seemed like me using my fire powers or Zeus calling down lightning. There was no connection there for me. It was simply a tool I used. I didn’t become completely engulfed by the person I was fighting. The revelation made me have that much more respect for how easily she kept her own mentality, as if it were nothing for her to have spent the past three weeks walking through the minds of the deadliest beings in existence.
“You are incredible,” I said softly, pulling her into my embrace fully. “You know that?” Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, I cradled her face in my hands, staring into her wonderful eyes. “I love you.”
Leaning forward, I kissed her gently, meaning to keep it chaste. Like always, though, I was soon carried away in her
touch, my hands sliding down her arms to her waist, holding her against me roughly as I tasted her.
Wrapping her arms around my neck, Katrina matched the passion, her heart beating so hard I could feel it against my own chest.
“Ahem.”
Breaking away, I looked back through the doors at a blushing Cristos and Avalon, their hands intertwined. Matching lightning bolt insignias were embroidered onto their clothes, the gold symbol standing out from their white garb. Avalon wore a dress much like Katrina’s, while Cristos was in a well fitted suit, looking extremely uncomfortable.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he stated, clearing his throat again. “But we wanted to see you before everything tonight.”
“You’re looking at me now,” I replied in a snarky tone, not releasing Katrina, who playfully slapped me on the shoulder.
“What is it?” she asked them. “Is something wrong?”
Taking a deep breath, Cristos glanced at Avalon before releasing her hand and stepping forward. “It was always your birthright to rule on Olympus,” he said to me. “My father stole it from you. I don’t want to do the same.”
Shocked, my mouth popped open as I stared at him, hardly believing my ears. “I’m sorry. Are you offering me the throne?”
“I am.” Decisive, he nodded, staring at me evenly.
Looking toward Katrina for assistance, a strange gurgling noise came from my throat, the words I wanted to say not forming. “I don’t want it,” I finally got out, turning back to him. “I have my own kingdom here to rule and I’m happy with that. Besides, the people want you. If I were to take the throne, it would cause an uproar.”
“You will be a wonderful king, Cristos,” Katrina added. “You have always been the champion of Olympus. I have faith that you will fulfill the desires and wishes of your subjects without issue.”
“I didn’t want you to feel robbed again,” he said simply. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
Tightening my hold on Katrina, I beamed down at her, feeling so incredibly happy, there was no possible way to answer negatively. “I have everything I could ever want right here.”
Exoria (The God Chronicles #5) Page 20
