by Lila Jean
“Oops,” she said with a wry smile, lifting an eyebrow coyly to toy with him. “These weren’t irreplaceable heirlooms now, were they?”
He growled, and the anger and hatred in his expression should have scared her, but Tina wasn’t fazed. Not by him, not any more. Long ago, he had intimidated Damara, even dazzled her with his power and strength in battle, but she had spent too long learning who he truly was, seeing his dark and twisted heart for the dry hunk of coal it had become, full of decay and incapable of love. He merely wanted to control her, and she would never allow it.
Tina drew her dagger and stabbed at his chest, but he rolled out of the way at the final moment. Her blade embedded itself in the dirt, but she effortlessly yanked it out and aimed again as he drew a dagger of his own. He swiped at her face, but she dodged it easily.
Back and forth, they danced their deadly tango, the blades swishing through the air, hers glowing, his sizzling with unseen fire. He was desperate enough to kill her and Damara, desperate enough to call on his own magic to send both of them to their final graves, but Tina wasn’t going to allow it. Damara trusted her with her life, and Tina would make good on the faith her goddess showed in her.
Ares was panicking, she could smell it, the tendrils of his fear wafting across her face like cologne, and he made one fatal error as he lowered his guard to swipe at her face once more.
With a final, defiant swing, Tina dove the blade into Ares’ heart. It sank deep into his chest, and he let out a gruff rush of air, mouth gaping, the light in his glowing eyes flickering as Tina’s blade, infused with her magic, stopped both his heart and killed his god-self.
He sank to his knees, dropping his weapon, grabbing her wrists as he fought the inevitable. She looked down on him, disappointed, saddened by what he had become despite all his potential, but there was nothing she could do for him now. He had simply devolved too far to be saved, and he was not her responsibility. Not anymore.
A dark gray rash spread from the blade, covering his skin like a rapidly spreading disease, claiming every part of his body. As it stretched over him, he looked at her with fear in his eyes. Deep down, she hoped he would use his final words to say something meaningful, to make up for his misgivings, but he simply stared at her, unblinking, unapologetic, and unreformed.
“Misguided to the end,” she said softly, clicking her tongue in disappointment. “I wish it hadn’t turned out this way.”
“You’re mine,” he muttered, the last gasping breaths almost impossible to make out as words. The ash spread across his body, preserving his features until she had a small statue that was once a god before her, flimsy and weak.
As his body burned away into ash before her, Tina took a careful step back as the body slowly dissolved into nothing but dust, letting the breeze blow what remained of his body away. She looked at Odin, waiting for a confirmation, waiting for him to concede and acknowledge her right, her power, her win.
“Well earned, my friend.” Odin bowed his head ever so slightly, the familiar leather tome of the Book of the Gods resting under one of his arms. “When I return home, I will bar anyone else from interfering in your life here.” He smiled warmly. “You have more than earned a truce, and we will not bother you again. Enjoy your time here, Damara, and Tina?” He caught her eye. “Thank you for caring so deeply about my friend.”
“Of course.” Tina smiled warmly and bowed her head in a show of deep respect for the king of the gods. “Safe travels.”
He nodded and unsheathed the sword at his side before handing it to Flynn. “It seems only fitting that my descendant should wield Gram, a proper blade befitting both a hero and a god.” He smiled.
“T-thank you.” From Flynn’s astonished expression as he accepted the gift, the demigod was overwhelmed in a good way. “I’ll cherish it.”
“I know.” Odin chuckled and closed his eyes his form shimmering, the silvery light that had fused with his blade now covering his body. Without a word, he tilted his chin toward the sky, and a rush of powerful white light shot toward the clouds. In a flash, the god disappeared, and the space where he was standing before was suddenly empty.
And with that, the king of the gods left them, conceding at last, declaring Tina the clear winner of her bloody war with the Venus and Ares.
42
Tina
Once Odin had left, her men rushed her, nearly tackling her as they held her close, each of them vying to hold her tighter than the next, and she laughed with joy as she held them close. Anthony wound his hand around her waist, Flynn around her shoulders, while Draven held her face and kissed her deeply.
“You did it.” Draven breathed a long, slow sigh of relief. “I knew you could. You were fucking brilliant, boss. Brilliant.”
“Flatterer.” She grinned and kissed him as their group hug tightened, and she paused to kiss each of her men deeply, hoping she could infuse every embrace with the gratitude and love she felt for them all.
“We won!” Zane sighed deeply, as if the months of tension and stress were finally melting away. “We won against gods, you guys. Against gods!”
“Tina won,” Anthony said, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear as he smiled warmly at her, pride and joy on his face.
“That she did,” Killian said, a silly and overjoyed grin on his face, watching her like he wanted to sweep her off her feet and bury his face in her neck, to just nuzzle and hold her until the sun set.
“We’re so proud of you, Tina.” Flynn smiled wide, beaming. “You and Damara connected in a way that most hosts never connect to their gods, much less as fast as you did.” He kissed her forehead, his touch shooting ripples of pleasure and warmth through her skin. “You and Damara are a force to be reckoned with, and I’m honored to have simply witnessed what I saw today.” He set his hands on either side of her face, smiling down at her. “To be able to say you’re my mate, too, well—” He laughed. “I’m the luckiest damn man on the planet.”
“And I’m the luckiest girl,” she said, breathing deeply. “By far.” She held her five princes close, relishing in her victory, brimming with pride and joy at all she and Damara had accomplished. Together, they had defeated not just the gods, but had united in a way no one would be able to conquer. “It’s just the beginning, my darlings.” She sucked in a deep and happy breath. “No more hiding. Never again. From now on, the world sees us as we are—a force for good.”
“And sexiness.” Draven smacked her ass.
She laughed, turning to look at her temple, connected and in tune with the world around her. Tina sucked in a victorious breath as she looked out over her beautiful Epara, the building still brimming with white light and power. It felt good to be home, but most importantly, with the men who made her whole.
Sure, the kings and Noxxom were both still out to get her, but now she was ready, and no one would ever stand in her way. She had won against gods, and she would win against anyone who dared threaten her, her goddess, or her men.
Thank You for reading!
Curious about what happens to Tina next?
Find out in The Dragon’s War, coming soon!
Author’s Note
Dear reader, if you REALLY want to read my next Goddess Harem novel- I’ve got a bit of bad news for you.
Unfortunately, Amazon will not tell you when the next comes out.
You’ll probably never know about my next books, and you’ll be left wondering what happened to Tina and the gang. That’s rather terrible.
There is good news though! There are three ways you can find out when the next book is published:
1) You join my mailing list by clicking here.
2) You follow me on my Facebook page or join my Facebook Group. I always announce my new books in both those places as well as interact with fans.
3) You follow me on Amazon. You can do this by going to the store page (or clicking this link) and clicking on the Follow button that is under the author picture on the left side.
If you fol
low me, Amazon will send you an email when I publish a book. You’ll just have to make sure you check the emails they send.
Doing any of these, or all three for best results, will ensure you find out about my next book when it is published.
If you don’t, Amazon will never tell you about my next release. Please take a few seconds to do one of these so that you’ll be able to join Tina and the gang on their next adventure.
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Cover by Amalia Chitulescu
