I flew into her arms and she embraced me, clinging to me tightly.
“You made it here safely,” she murmured into my hair. “I’ve been so worried for you, Em. So very worried.”
“There is no need, mother. I’m here, you’re here and everything will be fine.”
She stepped away from me and looked at me.
“You look breathtaking, sweetie. Absolutely beautiful. Brennan is a very lucky mortal.”
I cringed at the word. “Don’t say that. We’ll figure out a way to gain his immortality. Someday. After all is said and done. I’m so happy you’re here, mother. I’ve been so worried about you. Was it horrible on Olympus? Was Zeus furious?”
She nodded. “Yes, he was furious, throughout most of the game. I’ve never seen him quite so agitated. I think he had an inkling long ago of your true parentage. It all makes sense now. He’s been afraid of you for a very long time.”
“There is no need,” I said coldly. “I mean him no harm. I just want to live my life and be happy with Brennan.”
My mother nodded. “I know. But you know Zeus. He is ever suspicious of those who will threaten his crown. That is not going to change now or ever.”
“This is just the beginning, isn’t it?” I asked cautiously. “Zeus isn’t going to stop until I’m finally dead.”
My mother looked at me seriously, her dark blue eyes somber. “He won’t stop trying,” she corrected. “But we will stop him. We will find a way.”
I decided to stop thinking on it at the moment. I was getting married just as soon as my groom returned. And as soon as I figured out what to do about his little sun problem.
“Here,” my mother said, thrusting something warm into my hands. “It is my wedding gift to you.”
I looked down and found a sparkling citrine globe, cut with a thousand prisms, in my hands. It was the size of a softball and it was glittering so brightly that I could barely look at it. So I looked instead to my mother…for an explanation.
“It contains the light of the sun,” she explained with a shrug. “If Brennan keeps it with him here, it will keep him healthy and safe.”
A sunstone.
I stared at her for a moment longer before I flew back into her arms. “How did you know to get me the most perfect gift ever?” I cried into her neck. I only just realized that he would need the sun here… I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. And you came with the perfect gift. Thank you so much, mother. Thank you.”
Her beautiful eyes filled up with tears. “I would do anything for you,” she answered. “I only hope you know that. If Brennan is what you want, if you’re willing to risk so much for him, then so be it. I’ll help you in any way that I can. I wish you many, many years of happiness and love with him.”
“I couldn’t help but hear my name,” a low voice said from the terrace.
I turned to find Brennan standing next to Hades. He was golden and beautiful and I had to be with him right now. Turning, I flew to him, crashing into him with enough force that he stumbled backward.
“You’re stronger than you look,” he observed with a smile. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
“Once or twice,” I answered, leaning up to kiss him, then kiss him again. “Don’t leave me again, Bren.”
He grinned a crooked grin that took my breath away. “I had an errand to run,” he explained. I didn’t tell him that I already knew what it was. Instead, I watched as he dropped to one knee on the garden path. I stilled, my breath frozen on my lips. In front of both of my parents, Brennan proceeded to profess his love for me. I might have been embarrassed if I wasn’t so focused on the beautiful words coming from his lips.
“I love you, Empusa. I love your humor and your sarcasm and your beauty. I love how you roll your eyes at me but you still blush when you’re embarrassed, even though you are a thousand years old. I love that you know me, that you really get me, and that you are so patient with my faults. I love that you’re so small, that you fit in the crook of my arm. I love that your eyes are the color of rain on a Fall day. I love that you could kill me in a second, but that you don’t. I love everything about you and I have from the moment I first saw you. But most of all, Empusa, I love the way you love me. It completes me in a way that I never thought anything could. I didn’t even know that something was missing until I found you and now I feel like I am home. Please be my wife. Let me know that even though I don’t deserve you, you will never leave my side. I promise you, I’ll love you every minute for the rest of my life.”
He paused, his amber eyes sparkling as he waited for my answer. I found that I couldn’t answer him. The knot that had formed in my throat prevented any kind of speech. Instead, I yanked him to his feet and kissed him thoroughly on the mouth.
“Is that a yes?” he asked when he could breathe again. I nodded, then kissed him again.
“Yes,” I breathed. “It is.”
“Then I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Hades announced. I looked at him in surprise and he smiled. “What did you expect? A catholic mass? We’re gods. We’re married when we say that we’re married. Brennan, do you have the ring?”
“Yes,” Brennan answered, fumbling in his pants pocket for a small blue velvet box.
He snapped it open and I inhaled sharply. It might have been created for his mother, but this ring was perfect for me. Thin ribbons of white gold intertwined to form a band, including one thin thread that was made from amethysts. It was beautiful in its simplicity and so important in sentimental value. I found myself holding my breath as Brennan slid it on my ring finger. It fit perfectly.
“It looks beautiful on you,” Brennan said quietly, staring into my eyes.
“Thank you, Bren. It’s perfect. And I love you for trusting me with it.”
“You may kiss your bride,” Hades interrupted. I barely spared him a glance before I wrapped my arms around Brennan’s neck and kissed him like the world was ending. Because truly, in our current circumstances, it could end at any given time.
We didn’t come up for air for a full minute.
“I love you, Mrs. Delacorte,” Brennan said simply. I squeezed his hand.
“I love you, too.”
“Now,” Hades interrupted once again, rubbing his hands together. “Let’s eat.” He spun on his heel and headed for the loaded down banquet tables directly inside the doors. Persephone had prepared for an army. I eyed it suspiciously.
“Is there an army coming?” I asked hesitantly. Everyone laughed so I had to assume that there wasn’t.
“I wanted to be prepared for unexpected guests,” Persephone explained as she filled up a crystal plate and poured a goblet of nectar. “You never know who might turn up.”
“Okay,” I answered uncertainly. They all acted like they knew something that I didn’t and it made me nervous. But I followed suit and filled up a plate, poured a glass of nectar and followed Brennan to a nearby table. We sat alone on the edge of the terrace, with only a candle between us.
“How do you feel?” I asked him. “My mother brought a stone that contains sunlight. It should keep you healthy down here.”
“I was never worried,” he answered, as he took a bite of roasted pheasant. “Your mother is amazing, though.”
“Yes, she is,” I answered. I watched her speaking with Hades and Persephone. None of them acted like it was weird at all, even though Hades and my mother had once had an affair that had resulted in my birth. Things were beyond strange at times. I returned my attention to Brennan.
“So, we’re married now,” I pointed out awkwardly. He stopped mid-bite and looked at me.
“Does that bother you?” he asked seriously. “Are you okay?”
I picked up his hand and watched the way his fingers fit over mine so easily.
“No, it doesn’t bother me,” I answered him quietly. “It feels perfect. Since this was all so last-minute, I don’t have a ring for you and Hades is right- it is a mortal custom. Would you like one?”
> Brennan shrugged. “If you think of it at some point. There’s no need to rush out to a jeweler’s.”
I smiled. “Okay. I’ll surprise you someday.”
“Speaking of surprises…” Brennan trailed off, his gaze fixed behind me. I turned in my seat and almost cried out.
Harmonia, Cadmus, their daughter Raquel, Ares, Aphrodite and the entire army of Amazons led by Ortrera stood directly inside the room. Little Raquel’s eyes lit up when she saw me and she took off running across the room like a jackrabbit, leaping into my arms when she got close enough.
“Em!” she squealed. “Mama said you’re here to live forever! I can’t wait. There is so much we can do. We can go watch the hydras, we can ride Ortrera’s Pegasus, we can go dragon hunting with daddy…”
I caught Harmonia’s gaze above Raquel’s head. Harmonia’s eyes were loving and soft as she stared at her daughter. The rest of her looked tired and anxious, much like everyone else that she was with. I hugged Raquel and told her that we could catch up in a little while and then I joined the other adults. Brennan followed.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you,” I began uncertainly, “But why are you here? Zeus is not going to be happy. There is no reason for you to become involved.”
“No reason to be become involved?” Cadmus raised a dark eyebrow questioningly. “I seem to recall that you were there when we needed you. Now we are here when you need us. That’s how those things usually work, little one.”
A knot formed once again in my throat at their kindness. Brennan could sense my emotion and he rubbed a circle on the small of my back.
“Your kindness is appreciated,” Brennan answered, shaking Cadmus’ hand. “We sincerely hope that it won’t be necessary.”
Harmonia looked at him, puzzled. “Of course it will be necessary, Brennan. Zeus will retaliate. You have outmaneuvered him in front of every Olympian. That, in combination with the fact that Empusa possesses some very formidable magic is enough to ensure that he will wage war. But we will be ready. My husband is a skilled warrior and my father is the god of war. We stand with you, Empusa.”
Everyone around us nodded in affirmation. They were here to defend me. It was amazing. I had never witnessed such camaraderie, much less in a show of support for me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“More will follow,” Hades said as he drew up on my right. “I have allies in many places throughout the world and many people who owe me favors. We will not stand alone and for the first time, my brother’s reign will truly be threatened. His injustices will be over.”
I felt extreme trepidation at the thought of waging war against the god of all gods. But as I looked around and remembered that for once, I wasn’t alone, I felt stronger and more confident than ever. It was a feeling that I would have to get used to….not being alone. But as Brennan’s fingers found mine and we mingled with our unexpected guests, I knew it was something that I could definitely grow accustomed to.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
The night was chilly on our balcony. Earthy smells surrounded me on the breeze as I stood at the railing looking down on Hades’ many gardens.
Brennan’s things had been moved into my bedchambers during the wedding feast and so now we were truly a married couple in the eyes of Hades’ court.
“Are you coming to bed soon, Emmie?”
Brennan’s husky voice came from behind me and I turned to look at him.
He was wearing black trousers and was shirtless, his muscled chest and abs rippling in the candlelight. His blonde hair caught the light and once again, the term “golden boy” came to mind. He was truly magnificent on so many levels. And he was mine forever.
I reached up and touched his face, nodding.
“Yes. But only if you promise that you’ll be there.”
He grinned.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”
“I have something for you,” I told him. He paused, waiting. I held out my hand and opened my fingers.
A cut black titanium wedding band rested on my palm, glittering mutely in the light. It had beveled edges and its dark metal would look amazing against Brennan’s golden glow.
“It’s inscribed,” I told him. He picked it up and peered at its inside.
Time is nothing…Love is everything.
Brennan smiled. “Agreed.”
He slipped it onto his ring finger and of course, it fit perfectly. I had imagined that it would, so of course it did.
“It must be nice to be you,” he observed. “You can conjure anything that your little heart desires.”
“Not everything,” I corrected. “I was never able to conjure someone like you.”
“That’s because there is no one else like me,” he boasted jokingly. “Thank the gods for that or the world would be in trouble.”
“You’ve got that right,” I smiled. “Now, what were you saying about bed?”
He smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me back to the bed.
I sank into the softness of the silken bedclothes and the fluffy pillows. Brennan hovered over me, tucking my hair behind my ear.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured. “I’m a very lucky man.”
I leaned up and kissed him softly.
“Does it still bother you to be so close to me?” he asked in concern.
“Yes, a little,” I told him honestly. “But hopefully we can resolve that little issue someday and we’ll never have to worry about it again. Until then, I’ll deal with it. All that matters is that I’m with you. Everything else is just a detail.”
“Cadmus and Harmonia must think a lot of you,” Brennan mused. “They’re risking everything to help.”
I considered that for a moment as I traced the outline of Brennan’s hand with my fingers.
“I think that Zeus’ arrogance is coming to a head. I think many Olympians have grown weary of his tyranny, but there was never a catalyst…something that was forcing them to act. I guess that’s what we are. And this has been an eye-opening incident for everyone involved.”
“So, I’m married to the Princess of the Underworld,” Brennan said, smiling as he leaned in to kiss my neck. “I think that might take some getting used to, your highness.”
I laughed. “Trust me, I know. It’s new to me, too. I still don’t know how it’s truly going to affect us.”
“It won’t,” he told me firmly. “I’m still me, you’re still you. They’re not going to change that.”
“I hope not,” I told him honestly. “But it is unrealistic to expect that nothing will change. Things always change. I just hope the changes are for the better.”
“Well, so far… I like them.” Brennan grinned. Then he leaned over and silenced me with his lips. There were no more words for the rest of the night.
* * *
When we woke the next morning, I was curled into the crook of Brennan’s arm. He was sleeping peacefully, his face boyish in slumber. I reached over and brushed his golden hair away from his face and studied him as he slept. His chiseled cheekbones drew me in and I kissed them one by one. He opened an eye.
“Do you see something you like?”
“Perhaps,” I answered lightly, propping myself up on one elbow.
“I certainly hope so,” he said. “Because you’re stuck with me.”
“Ha,” I sniffed as I threw the covers off and got out of bed. “Don’t push me. I know how to suck your soul out.”
He laughed and threw a pillow at me, striking me squarely in the back. I whirled and pounced on him, pummeling him with the pillow that I had left behind. He finally threw his hands up.
“Truce! Truce!” he called. “I mean no harm. I come in peace!”
“Whatever,” I laughed. “Let’s try this again. I’m going to get ready for the day. I suggest you do the same. We’ve got a war to wage.”
I said it lightly, but we both knew there was truth to my words. There truly was a war to wage and I was certain that the others were alr
eady meeting to discuss it.
I hurriedly got dressed and washed up, then together with Brennan walked downstairs to the banquet hall. The magnificent tables were set for breakfast with food of every kind steaming from the tabletop.
“Are we late?” I asked as we stepped into the room. It seemed that everyone else was already here. My mother rose from her chair and crossed the room to kiss my cheek.
“No, sweet child,” she told me. “We’ve just begun discussions. You’re right on time.”
Everyone continued chattering while Brennan and I prepared our breakfast plates and found seats at the table.
“Well, the Olympians are down by three,” Hades announced. “Ares, Aphrodite and myself decrease their headcount.”
“That will be useful,” Ortrera reasoned. “And we’ve got my entire Amazon army, plus all of the beasts of the Underworld. I’m sure we could round up the heroes of the Isles, too, could we not?”
Hades nodded. “I’m sure we can. I’m certain that Hercules and Achilles will welcome the excitement.”
Their strategic planning droned on in the backdrop as Brennan and I ate our breakfast. Talk of war didn’t interest me at all. I had never been interested in military strategy. It was interesting, though, to watch some of our group talk about it. Ares, in particular, grew extremely animated during the discussions. I supposed that it had to do with him being the god of war. He thrived on it.
At one point, even though I wasn’t listened to their words, I caught Ares’ dark eye. He was studying me intently and I lowered my fork.
“What do you think about that, Empusa?” Ares asked. I was embarrassed to admit that I hadn’t heard the question. I could feel the heat in my cheeks as I asked them to repeat it.
“We’re certain that Zeus is still pondering the idea of a mortal apocalypse. None of us are sure how that would affect us, including Zeus himself. But we’re fairly certain of how it would affect you.”
Ares’ voice was strong and carried throughout the room easily. But it took a moment for his words to sink in.
“What do you mean… how it would affect me?” I asked uncertainly.
Soul Bound (The Moonstone Saga (Book 2)) Page 18
