by JoAnna Grace
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Divine Judgment
Text copyright © 2014 JoAnna Grace
Published 2014 by Winged J Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-940460-11-6
This is a work of fiction. Therefore all names, places, characters, and situations are a product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or events is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Formatting by Champagne Formats (http://thewineyreader.com/champagneformats/)
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OTHER BOOKS
DEDICATION & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE HEAVENS
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
THE HAVEN- EARTH
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DIVINE AWAKENING
DIVINE DESTINY
PRIDE BEFORE THE FALL
THE ROLES WE PLAY
CONTACT THE AUTHOR
Other Books by JoAnna Grace
Divine Awakening: Prequel Novella to Divine Destiny (The Divine Chronicles)
Divine Destiny (The Divine Chronicles Book 2)
Pride Before The Fall (The Blake Pride series Book 1)
The Roles We Play
***
Thank you to everyone who has waited patiently—and not so patiently—for this book. You, the readers, are amazing and your dedication to Ryse and Avery is inspiring. This is all for you, my friends!
Thanks to my hubby and my midgets for walking this journey with me—especially during those times when it was more like me dragging you along. I love you so dearly. Thanks for understanding my need for a space to call my own—both in the world, and in our home. We’ve torn down walls this year in every way.
A very special thanks to Cheryl and Mom who always listen when I call in a tizzy about characters, plot holes, and brain-drain. You’ve talked me off the cliff, inspired new twists, and emotionally invested in my books as much as I have. I couldn’t have asked for better people to lean on.
Thanks Jelaine for once again plucking the cover idea from my head and making it a reality. Thanks to Anna, Angi, Pam, Cheril, Olivia, Connie, and John for your assistance along the way. We’ve had some interesting conversations, right? Cheers to many more. Thanks to my Thursday morning coffee buddy, Melissa, for pulling me out of my writer’s cave for some social interaction. Thanks nurse Tiffani for your insight and your big heart. Love you girls! To my OWG Sisters: Thanks for supporting me and telling others about your crazy author friend. Shimmer on, ladies. Shimmer on.
Last but not least, I am thankful to God, who has given me a purpose and the tools to see this thing through. Thank you for consistently placing people in my life who teach me, sharpen me, encourage me, and don’t think I’m crazy for hearing voices. ‘Preciate it!
***
Earth- The Haven
RYSE’S HAND SHOOK as he held the torch. His body trembled, rejecting the obligation that he must fulfill. Tired eyes stared at the pyre stacked high with wood and flowers.
Set her body on fire…
Zeus’s words echoed in his head, bouncing around in the space that was empty but for those commands. It was a painful numbness, to be so full of sorrow and dread, yet hollow at the same time.
Atop that pyre lay Avery’s lifeless body wrapped in white silks and lace. Even in death she was so beautiful it made his very bones hurt to look at her. He shuddered. Reddish-brown hair spread out in a halo around her face. What he would give to bury his hands in it once more and feel the warmth of her body in his arms.
Set her body on fire…
He nearly crumbled to his knees at the thought. Over two centuries he’d walked this Earth and had never felt the love and desires and pleasures of it until Avery came into his life. Such a short time he’d had with her and it wasn’t enough. Ryse couldn’t say goodbye. He couldn’t set the pyre ablaze, even though Zeus commanded it. How could he damage her body? How could he destroy the shell that held her loving spirit? It seemed so final, so permanent. His feet were stuck to the floor and his hands shook. His knuckles turned white under the strain.
“Master,” whispered a deep bass voice that hinted of the African plains. That voice had called him from the deep many times in the last couple of days. “I would assist you, should you need me.”
Ryse turned to Hammon. His bloodshot black eyes nearly blended with his midnight skin. Ryse shook his head once. This was his task, his burden, and his test. It was a challenge of his faith in the gods, not Hammon’s. Ryse looked to his mother. Dynasty held onto his brother Hayden; both of them knew his suffering. It was only the day before that his mother had set his father’s pyre aglow, cremating what little was left of Troy’s body after his gruesome murder. Somehow, his mother had found the strength. He could too.
Set her body on fire. Let her spirit be released from the flesh.
Ryse grit his teeth and touched the burning torch to the wood and watched the flames catch. As the logs went up one by one, Ryse stepped away and joined the few trusted people allowed in the temple. His family stood beside him, ringed by his Elites. Hammon, Philippe, Cutter, Yankee, Brenden, and the newly added Dante knelt in prayer as Ryse did. Never in all his years had he prayed so fervently. He looked up only once to see the silks catch fire and turned his head away. He couldn’t bear the sight of her body burning to ashes.
He prayed Zeus had kept his word. He prayed his faith was secure in a god who had molded his life and guided his steps for over two centuries. He prayed that Rhea, mother of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, who had created Avery for him, once again showed him favor and returned his beloved from the world of the dead.
Set her body on fire. Let the flesh go and have faith in the gods. She will rise from the flames, a goddess among immortals.
The temple shook. Thunder echoed off the stone walls. Ryse was on his feet in an instant, examining the pyre that still blazed. Avery’s body lay untouched by the flames.
&
nbsp; An explosion filled the temple with a cloud of smoke. A great wind whipped around them, sending flames and sparks dancing in a tornado. Columns of fire circled the room even as the Elites poised to fight the unknown threat.
Fire consumed all the oxygen, making it hard to breathe. Ryse was ready to send everyone away. No sooner than he had the thought, the tornado was sucked back into the pyre—into Avery’s mouth. Horrific screams echoed in the temple as she convulsed. He was beside her in an instant. The burning wood was gone and her body writhed on a slab of white marble.
Ryse’s blood pulsed hard through his body. What had they done to her? The gods had promised to bring her back to him, but not like this. Please not like this.
Her eyes popped open and Ryse picked up her head in his hands. “Avery. My love.”
She looked around in wild confusion until her eyes met his. Their usual emerald color swirled with blue and white, a sign that she was closely linked to the afterlife. A frightening thought.
“Ryse.” She held him close. “I can’t stay long. Rhea. It’s Rhea.”
“No. They promised you would return.” He caressed her hair over and over again. They wouldn’t take her. He would break every bond he’d ever made if Zeus and Ares betrayed him.
“I will. Trust me, Ryse. Trust in Rhea’s promise. Have faith, baby. I’ll be in your arms again soon.” Avery pulled his head down and kissed him with the passion of a woman given a second chance at life.
Ryse soaked up her love, let it fill his entire being.
“Take care of my body. I’ll be with you again.”
Ryse held on tighter as her body went limp in his arms. The life in her eyes faded. The colors seeped out and left only white. Rhea had called her back. “Avery, don’t leave me,” he begged as he shook her shoulders. “I need you. I love you.”
The edges of her lips tilted up as her eyes tried to close. “I love you too, so much even the gods will not keep us apart. Protect me until I return.” Her voiced faded, her eyes closed, and Ryse’ whole universe had shifted.
Alive. Avery was alive. He could see her chest moving with each strong breath. Under his palm, he could make out the beating of her heart. Yes, she was alive and he would do as he promised.
“Hammon!” he screamed. In all the chaos, he hadn’t noticed his Elites coming to his side.
“Here, Master. I’m here.” A long-fingered black hand touched Ryse’s shoulder tentatively. “We are all here, sire. We have seen.” His men surrounded him with their strength. From the expressions on their faces, they looked to be as shocked and frightened as he was, but none of them shied away.
“Where is my mother?” Ryse searched and found Dyna on her knees by the altar. She rose and came to him. “We will make her comfortable. No one is to see her, no one is to know she’s alive. If word gets out she’s in this vulnerable state—”
“She’ll be a target.” Brenden, Avery’s guardian and friend, said. “We have to hide her.”
Ryse nodded. Of course. But where?
“I can’t sense her.” Hammon touched Avery’s forehead. His eyes squinted in concentration. “Can anyone else? Can you feel her aura at all?”
Ryse searched inside himself for the bond that linked them. It was there, strong as ever. But the rest of the men shook their heads, as did his mother.
“The gods shield her.” Dante spoke up. Of all the people in the room, he would know. His gift was to absorb and block the talents of other Olympians. It made him a very unpopular man among his peers, but a vital ally to Ryse. His assessment was crucial. This meant Avery could be hidden in plain sight and no one would know.
“We will put her in my suite,” Dyna said. “No one is allowed entrance and, if people are seen coming and going, all will think it is to attend to me.” Dyna leaned over Avery and kissed her on the cheek. Her tear-filled eyes met Ryse’s. “Hanna and I will tend to her, my son.”
Ryse nodded, and pulled his mother into his arms. Even though he had always limited contact with others, Dyna was the exception to every rule. And now, with his father gone, she was as much his charge as Avery.
“It’s a good idea.” Hayden, who had been silent thus far, came to join their embrace. His face was pale of his usual color and his eyes puffy. “The protection spells on her rooms are unbreakable. Father made it so.”
Hayden’s voice quivered at the mention of Troy. Their father had been murdered only two days ago. The family had not the time to grieve properly. They had burned Troy’s body as their traditions dictated, but with everything that had happened after his death, they hadn’t stopped long enough to mourn appropriately Avery’s situation pulled all their attentions.
“So be it.” Ryse nodded in decision. “Let’s make sure the path is clear to Mother’s rooms and I’ll carry her. Hammon, cover us. Dante, use your gifts to shield me so that no one in the vicinity can track my movements.”
Hammon’s eyes went white as he channeled his powers. “The path is clear, sire. None are around the temple.”
As Ryse lifted Avery’s body into his arms, Dante touched his shoulder. He hesitated making contact, but Ryse had commanded it. It was an odd sensation, having the young warrior block his powers and his aura. Dante’s eyes were the same sand color as his hair and, when he used his gifts, the black of his pupils disappeared.
“I won’t be able to keep this up long,” he panted, beads of sweat breaking out along his forehead. “Trying to contain your aura is strenu—”
Dante never finished his sentence. Instead, he fell to the ground.
“Ah, shit.” Yankee rolled his eyes after checking the boy’s pulse. “We’ve got a fainter.”
For some reason, this tickled Dyna. The queen slapped her hand over her mouth when she giggled. But she had already attracted the attention of the men around her. As hard as she tried to gain her composure, she couldn’t contain the huff that passed under her fingers.
“My sincere apologies. It’s really not the time.” She cracked a smile and pink crept up her face. “But you have to admit, it is comical. Poor child didn’t have a chance at containing your aura. What were you thinking?” Dyna leaned down and passed her hand over Dante’s face, using her blessed touch to awaken him. The soldier’s eyes fluttered open and looked up in question. Dyna gave him a warm smile. “Easy, child. I think you bit off more than you could chew.”
“What happened?” Dante staggered to his feet.
“You passed the fuck out. That’s what happened.” Yankee chuckled and slapped the blushing soldier on the shoulder. “Come on, lightweight.”
Ryse recalculated his plan. The group headed out of the temple and entered the palace through one of the hidden tunnels. Hammon went ahead of them and cleared the way, sending out his senses to pinpoint any Olympians working in the lower levels. He derailed a butler and maid who were trying to freshen up the hallway that led to the queen’s private rooms. Ryse didn’t let down his guard until they were safely behind the closed door and protection spells.
Hanna, Dyna’s Shadow Lady, was waiting in the suite. She was the only person other than the Elites who could know of Avery’s condition. Dyna had already placed protective walls around her mind so that no one with telepathy could find out their secret. Hanna would be an important part of this charade.
Hanna pulled back the fresh linens and Ryse slid Avery’s body between the sheets. They positioned her just right and tucked the blankets around her form. Ryse felt her pulse. It was slower than normal.
“She lives, my son.” Dyna touched his arm.
“I know.” Knowing, even seeing, didn’t give him much hope. Only Avery’s promise gave him faith of her return.
***
The Heavens- City of Olympia
“CRAP, CRAP, CRAP. Damn it to hell.” Avery slapped at her skin, shook herself off like a dog sheds water. “Fire? Really. You have to transport me with fire?” She glared up at Rhea, who stood waiting patiently. Avery coughed and hacked, trying to get the heat out of her throat. I
t took her a moment to realize she wasn’t on fire and she wasn’t having trouble breathing.
“Fire is a part of who you are, beloved. It is not my fault that you have not embraced it.”
“It flippin’ hurts!”
“Your irreverence is disturbing.” Rhea folded her hands in front of her and frowned.
Avery’s brows rose. She paced toward the goddess and crossed her arms over her chest. “Irreverence? You set me on fire. Twice. You created me and stuck me on Earth, gave my father a vision that caused him to take me into the human world, and now, after I’ve finally found Ryse and fallen in love with him, and figured out who I really am, I’m dead. Now I’m pulled every which way but right, in and out of my own dang body. Did I miss anything? Oh, yeah. You set me on fire.”
“Twice,” Rhea finished for her, her lips twitching. “I do enjoy your spirit. Worry not; I shall return you to your mate in due time.” She gathered Avery into her arms and offered comfort.
Avery shivered once more. The memory of the flames still freaked her out. It was only after her tantrum that she comprehended where she was and took a glance around. “So this is Heaven, huh?”
There was…nothing. Rhea and Avery were surrounded by an endless sea of nothing. She figured Heaven would be like what she saw in the movies: white lights, lots of gold and silver, shiny crap. Instead, she stood in a void. There was no white light, but no darkness either. If she squinted, she could make out color, but not really.
“Would you prefer the afterlife to look like this?” Rhea waved her hand and a golden street appeared under her feet, leading to a city clad in gold and jewels. There were vivid colors, great temples floating on clouds…and every cliché the human race had ever depicted as eternity.
“This isn’t it either, is it?” Avery sighed.
“Maybe you would prefer this?” The scene changed and Avery’s heart nearly broke in half.
