by Meg Xuemei X
I tried not to cringe in Reys’s tender embrace as I peered at my other mates with the one eye that could still open a slit.
They stood around me, shaking with rage, their knuckles bone-white from their grip on the hilts of their flaming swords. My men looked ready to murder anyone, or everyone, in their path. Anyone but me.
“Hi boys,” I said, twisting my split, swollen lips and grinning at them in an effort to lighten the tense atmosphere. “Just so you know, I also rescued myself.”
None of my mates smiled. While Reysalor held me and shielded me, my three other mates lunged at the two gods, murderous wrath evident in every line of their taut bodies.
“Shit!” Phobos cried. “Let’s go.”
Bellowing in fury, Alaric leapt into the air and wheeled around with lightning speed, his flaming sword finding its target and piercing Phobos’s armored chest before the Terror God escaped.
Deimos pushed tidal waves of fear toward my mates, their faces twisting in agony under his power, but my mates waded through the unseen sea of fear toward the god, refusing to falter or fall back, their flaming swords hissing as they closed in.
Lorcan and Pyrder reached Deimos and struck, one from each side. Deimos cast away his spear, which disappeared into thin air. Then he had a longsword in each hand, and steel met steel. Up, down. Left, right. Again and again, both sides lunged, swung their swords with brutal force, ducked, charged, and crashed together again. The clang of crossing blades ricocheted off the bronze walls, hurting my eardrums and increasing the pounding in my already throbbing head.
It alarmed me that the God of Fear was an extremely skilled swordsman.
While the others fought, Reysalor inspected me. He was careful with me while containing his rage and grief to the best of his ability. I tried not to wince at his every touch, even though he only brushed over me with gentle fingers. I just didn’t have a piece of intact skin on me.
My power had only now broken free. It’d take time for my body to reboot and regenerate.
Reysalor’s hands shook.
“Uh, Reys, I’m sorry you’re forced to see me like this,” I said in a low, hoarse voice due to the damage caused by Deimos’s punches. “I know I look bad, really bad, but I’ll become pretty again, you’ll see.”
Tears rolled from Reys’s turquoise eyes. “Cass baby, no matter however you look, you’re always the most beautiful woman to me, to all of us.”
I smiled. “Isn’t that supposed to be a secret?”
Reys turned his head and shouted. “Alaric, your cloak!”
“No need,” said a quiet, melodious voice, and a mature knockout strode toward us, her pale gray eyes inspecting me, roving up and down my substantial injuries.
She flicked a finger, and a silky robe covered my nakedness.
My genetic memory flashed.
“Goddess of Plants and Fertility,” I whispered.
She was the tallest female I’d ever met. She stood over seven-feet tall and looked like a homemaker superstar in a green garden gown. Despite her status as a goddess, she must do a lot of gardening or something, as her hands and fingernails showed remnants of soil
I liked her.
A smaller female passed by Goddess Demeter and rushed towards me.
“Cass!” my best friend cried. “Oh Cass. The bastards tortured you! They’re so horrible!”
My good eye darted around wildly. “Amber, what are you doing here? It’s too dangerous. We need to get you away from here!”
“She’ll be fine,” Demeter said. “Your seer is under my protection. I brought her here. I brought all of them here for you.”
“I had a vision,” Amber chimed in. “And then Goddess Demeter came and opened the path for us.”
“Uh, that’s very kind of you, Goddess Demeter. And I thank you for your assistance,” I said. “But you’re a goddess. You—you protect earthlings?”
“Not all of us are the bad guys,” Demeter said. “Not all of us want to go through the ninth war of the gods. And not all of us treat other races as playthings.”
I blinked my one relatively good eye. “Ninth?”
“Well, on Earth, this will be the second,” the goddess clarified. “Artemis sent me. I’m sorry we were late, and that it caused you to suffer a great deal, Cass. I hadn’t expected the fear and terror gods to take advantage of Apollo and Ares’s absence. But then, it leaves a perfect opportunity to pin your escape on them. I have an eon-old score to settle with the misogynists.”
“Pigs!” My shivering lips blurted out the word, yet I didn’t curse.
Demeter nodded. Ice and steel made a sudden appearance in her piercing grey eyes. “Hades and Zeus abducted my beloved daughter. I wouldn’t let the same fate befall you, child.” She sniffed the air. “And I sensed your Earth essence. I’m an old friend to your family.”
“I have no direct family,” I said. “I denounced crazy-ass Jezebel.” I jerked a thumb at Reys and the other three magnificent males, who were still battling the two gods. “My four mates are my only family now.”
Phobos had pulled himself from Alaric’s blade and now crossed swords with the demigod. It was evident that Alaric allowed that in order to keep punishing the God of Terror. Phobos was pushed to the corner, and Alaric hacked at him, brutal swipes slashing him here and there.
He was repaying Phobos for what he’d done to me.
“Well, my extended family also includes my mates’ warriors, my best friend Amber here, and—”
A small smile ghosted the goddess’s lips. “I meant your grandmother,” she said. “We were once like sisters.”
I knew I was Gaea’s bloodline, but I hadn’t expected her to be that close a relation.
“If Persephone had had your fire and spirit,” the goddess said bitterly, “she’d never have accepted her fate in the Underworld.”
“Wrap it up, brothers,” Reys shouted as he carefully folded me into his arms. “We need to go.”
Almost as one, my mates pinned down the two gods.
Alaric raised his flaming sword high, ready to behead the God of Fear.
It wouldn’t work. Deimos’s head would just grow back.
11
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“Stop, Alaric!” I barked.
My demigod mate narrowed his dark brown eyes, a storm raging inside him. I was afraid it would never stop.
“You want to show this motherfucker mercy?” he snarled. “No one who ever lays a finger on you with harmful intent should take another breath.”
I rolled my one eye—the golden one. “You know you can’t kill a second-tier god that way, so we try my way. And I need to feed first. I’m hurting all over!”
Huh, we were having a lover’s quarrel on the battlefield.
Reys kissed my head, attempting to ease my pain, before he turned to snap at Alaric. “Why did you raise your voice at our mate?! Don’t you see how hurt she is?!”
Alaric swallowed, his throat bobbling. He’d never cared for anyone before he met me, and when he’d charged in, seeing me chained and tortured, he’d lost his shit.
He dipped his head, icy rage still distorting his every feature. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He tried to soften his coarse voice, which sounded like a broken phonograph, and failed. “It’s my fault.”
He pressed the tip of the flaming sword to the center of Deimos’s throat.
My demigod mate had me worried. I’d need to do something to bring him back to his normal self.
Pyrder and Lorcan, who had the God of Terror held down, weren’t any more forgiving. After they snarled at Alaric, they stomped on Phobos’s face in turn and delivered brutal kicks to his ribs, again and again.
The two gods spat blood and cursed. With a burst of fear and terror energy, they pushed my mates back a step. Before they could bolt for the door, and before my mates cut in to stop them, my black light shot out like vines and caught them.
“Going somewhere, boys?” I asked. “Little Cass is hungry.”
I turned my focus to Deimos and drank of his godly life force greedily. I gasped at the pure, blissful shot of energy as his essence flowed into me, replenishing my power and speeding up the healing of the damage to my severely beaten form. The two gods had shattered every single bone in my body and tore open my inner organs. It was a wonder I could still lean against Reys.
As I absorbed the god’s essence, I could feel my tissues and bones knitting back together. I could finally breathe freely.
Deimos’s violet eyes widened in raw, undiluted fear. It was a delicious irony to see him, the god who pumped fear into every mortal’s and immortal’s heart, cower and quake in fear.
“Don’t drain me, please!” he begged, while Phobos sobbed beside him.
“Oh, don’t cry, you big babies,” I said pitilessly. “Your father didn’t want me to figure out where I fit on the food chain, but I just did.”
My hair where they’d torn it from my head grew back, shiner than ever.
My bad eye that hadn’t been able to open now gazed at my mates, radiating violet light.
Deimos sprawled on the ground where our blood mixed and flowed. There was no light or fight left in his eyes. His skin dulled to the color of sour milk.
“No, Deimos,” Phobos cried. “Please, no.”
“I’ve drained him down to the last drop of his life force.” I turned to Alaric. “Will you do me the honor now, my mate?”
“No, please!” Phobos screamed. “Stop!”
I could be crueler than the gods if necessary, and I was showing Phobos just that. We were at war, and the gods had taught me what that meant.
A menacing smile lit Alaric’s face. The demigod raised his flaming blade high. One sweep, and he decapitated Deimos.
I felt the essence of the God of Fear dissipate into nothingness.
Phobos tore his gaze from Deimos’s head to me, his wild, red-rimmed eyes full of pure hate. “You killed him, you bitch,” he said. “You killed my only brother!”
“The world doesn’t need to embrace any more fear, in my humble opinion,” I said.
“That’s revolutionary.” Lorcan blinked, as if waking from an unbelievable dream. “We’ve just discovered a way to kill the second-tier gods. We let Cass drain them first, and then we take their heads.”
“We can try it on Apollo, as well,” Pyrder said positively.
“It might not work on a major god,” Alaric said.
There was one major god in this torture chamber. I swept my gaze to Demeter and caught fear flicking in her gray eyes.
“I won’t touch you or Artemis,” I said. “I never forget a debt. Gods are going to war against Earth and each other, and you’ve chosen our side. On second thought, I think we should wait for Ares and Apollo to return and test it on them. While you four occupy them, I can try to drain them.”
“They’re more powerful than you think,” Demeter said. “And when they summon the other major gods, they’ll all be here in an instant. And you don’t want to face the three original gods yet, not before you’re ready.”
“Fine,” I said, wheeling to Phobos. “Now it’s your turn, sugar doll.”
Phobos wept.
I didn’t feel sorry or pity for him, unlike before. I remembered how he’d beaten me over and over while mocking me, peeled my flesh from my bones, and tore my gown off with the intent to rape me.
My dark fire grabbed him, and his energy flowed into me, filling my well of power and nourishing me.
I was high instantly.
If Phobos could be so delicious, his dad must be a real delicacy. I craved a major god’s pure power. My gaze swept to Demeter again, but I wouldn’t harm her.
My tri-fires—black, blue, and red—twirled around me, licking at my skin. The black fire came from the death god, the blue from Earth, and the red from the Dragon God.
Feeling glorious from feeding off a god, I threw my head back and roared.
The terror and fear essence from the gods had once again triggered something dark and ruthless inside me. Darkness swirled around me like black wind, swallowing all other colors. All beings were my prey, except my mates.
Phobos crumpled on the ground like an empty waterskin, and my eyes glowed with power. I’d drained him within an inch of his life.
“Cass baby, you should stop now,” Reys suggested gently.
“Dulcis!” Lorcan was more forceful with his warning.
All my mates looked alarmed. They remembered my withdrawal when I couldn’t get the energy drink from a god for a couple of weeks.
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I’ve learned how to channel the gods’ essence. There!”
I spread my arms, my palms facing down, and violet light shot out of me, all the way down to Earth. “The energy I drank from them has repaired me. The rest of their energy can go to Earth and repair the damage to the land their kind caused. Earth and I have an understanding now. It’s my new reservoir.” I grinned at them. “If I need a real pure shot, I’ll take from you four.”
And my face flushed.
Lorcan swept me into his arms before the others could and kissed me.
“What are you exactly, Cassandra Saélihn?” Demeter whispered. “You’re more than a goddess.”
I winked at her. No gods could mutate powers like I did.
“We need to go, and take Phobos with us,” Alaric said roughly.
“Leave Phobos,” Demeter said. “Cass did a number on him. He won’t have a coherent thought for a long time, so he’s our perfect fall guy. You should all go now. Apollo and Ares are on their way back. I’ll stall them.”
Her gray eyes met mine. “I’ll see you again, Cass.”
12
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Dazzling sunlight warmed my healed skin.
With my mates around me, the day was beautiful again, the nightmare seemingly left behind and forgotten. But if the gods found us and took me again, the nightmare would just be starting.
I pushed away that dreadful thought. I was with my smoldering-hot mates now. I wouldn’t let such dark things taint our every moment together.
My eyes roved over each of them in hungry appreciation. I’d soon relish them one by one, or perhaps all of them together.
“We need to find the slipstream, mates,” I said.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Cass baby,” Pyrder said, holding my hand as Lorcan carried me.
The vibrant sun could no longer harm the High Lord of Night since my blood flowed in his veins. He looked young and gorgeous with sunlight painting his dark hair nearly golden and dancing on his lush eyelashes. He still managed his usual air of mystery. That was how he would always roll.
I pressed my palm on his strong chin, and his piercing gray eyes devoured me, tracing every line on my face.
“My dulcis, my fire and light and sun,” he said, his expression softening a notch, yet fury beat within him, akin to the frozen rage that I felt still trapped inside my other mates.
Reys and Pyrder, on either side of me, exuded equal masculine beauty. Their turquoise eyes didn’t leave me, as if they were afraid that if they blinked I’d disappear again. Reys’s turquoise eyes were a shade lighter like the purest ocean glowing in the sunlight. Pyrder’s, however, were the color of a storm-tossed sea in turmoil.
I could look at both of them forever. I could stare at all of my mates forever.
Alaric put two fingers into his mouth and whistled.
A horse’s neigh responded.
A golden stallion with massive wings materialized on the grass ahead of us, an open carriage the size of a house behind him.
My jaw dropped.
“I know,” Amber said behind me. “It’s the chariot of the gods. I’d read about the magical being only in history books, until now. We came with him as well, and the ride was the smoothest ever! I feel like I’m still dreaming. Do you want to punch me to feel better?�
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“No, I don’t want to punch you,” I said. “I’d never punch a friend.” I turned to study the stallion in awe again. “He’s magnificent! Why did he even agree to carry you guys here and then carry us back?”
The stallion gave me a nonplused look. “I owed the demigod a debt from a long time ago, and he still remembered and called on it!”
What? The horse talked?
Amber’s eyes went as round as mine. “Blood sky!” she exclaimed.
“I’m Arion, and you’re the newest goddess,” the stallion said, looking me over. “After this, Alaric and I are even. It took a great deal of work to burden myself with this big carriage! Anyway, I’m among the few who can travel the slipstream.”
This Arion liked to brag and complain.
“You’re awesome, Arion,” Amber praised. She seemed to want to go pat him but was afraid of offending the magical beast.
Alaric leapt onto Arion’s shiny back, lithe and graceful beyond words, and my heart fluttered at sight of his harsh, masculine beauty and strength.
Pyrder got on the carriage and seated himself at the edge. Before Lorcan passed me onto Pyrder, I called, “Wait.”
I wheeled toward the direction of the Amethyst Palace and let my fires out.
I wanted to burn it down, but I didn’t have it in my heart to hurt the servants, including Aurora, even though the god had turned them mindless. Plus, he could easily duplicate whatever I destroyed, and I would just waste my breath and fires.
But still, I wanted to scorch his landscaped lawn, just to further piss him off.
When I was done, Lorcan swept me up effortlessly onto the carriage and placed me on his lap, refusing to let Pyrder take me over. Somehow, he’d gotten Alaric’s cloak and wrapped it around me, even though I told him that I wasn’t cold.
