Silence fell between us as we took a moment to consider her weighty realization. We have been played this entire time. Cattle herded and put in place for some scheme for power. Not only did we have to bring down someone who we knew nothing about, we had to bring down a Titan who claimed it would be nearly impossible to kill him.
"Val," Griffin snapped us all back to the present, "Val is missing. Have either of you seen her?"
"I thought you said she was good."
"She was, but I lost track of her. And you've lost track of Soren."
"What does Val have to do with any of this?" I didn't understand their fascination with Valentina. She only just came into her power and as it was her Goddess wasn't anyone particularly renowned.
"She's your daughter too... Does that mean anything?" Savannah finally spoke again, her face a perfect mask of nothing. She was holding something in, the one thing she couldn't hide was the look in her eyes and I knew those like the back of my hand.
"I don't think so, but we have no way of knowing."
"Are you strong enough to go back out there yet? I need to find Val, but I don't know if I can fight off Soren and save her at the same time."
"I'm strong enough." I still had a mostly gaping wound but it was still healing and that was the important part. If I was still healing I still had my magic. I rose, shaking Savannah's grip off me as I braced myself on my knees and took a deep breath.
"Aidan."
"I'm fine. You stay here, we'll be back in a minute."
"I'm coming with you." She ignored my command this time and went over to Hunter, who was still trying to douse the flames. "You need to go forward and break a path through for us to find Soren." He nodded before taking off to do as she asked. I didn't waste any time sticking around to wait for the others as I followed Hunter's trail.
"Soren, come out, you bastard!" I walked further into the flames, hell-bent on finding him so I could finish the job and go after Asher, who must have Valentina at this point.
"There." Savannah spoke from behind me but I was too engulfed in my own search to turn.
"What?"
"There." She sounded surer this time and as I turned she explained: "Someone's made an invisible portal. It had to be how they got here." I opened my mouth to suggest maybe we don't go through the bad guys' portal but make our own when Griffin ran full tilt at the portal and leapt through it. He left me no choice and Savannah was hell-bent on staying firmly at my side so I reluctantly led the charge, leading us straight through into Titans only knew what.
Chapter 4
"Welcome, father, uncle... step-mother." I hated the way he looked at Savannah like she was nothing better than the dirt on his shoes. I hated how he called us by familial names when I could never accept him as a son. If he wanted to be family, he should've acted like it instead of plotting this entire time to bring us down.
I still couldn't wrap my head around how convoluted this had gotten. Atlas was in on it, no doubt now, and yet he had still brought us to Olympus and taught us how to use our powers. Sure, it was to save face but what I couldn't understand was why bring up the powers. Everything had happened so fast after our ascension he could've gotten away with a few more weeks of ignorance.
Unless it wasn't a plot to take control of Olympus but also to destroy earth. Because, besides us, that was the only other place which had suffered in all this. I couldn't understand why Asher or Atlas would have a problem with mortals.
Valentina whimpered from where she sat cuffed to a chair looking weak and pale. According to Griffin, she had been fine not more than a half hour ago. What had happened between then and now to put her in such a condition?
"Let Valentina go and we might let you live," I gritted my words out, holding back the rolling anger I felt going through me as I stared out at Soren, Montgomery and Asher.
"It's cute, you still think you're calling the shots. You're not the Almighty Zeus anymore, just Zeus. Boring old... Zeus."
"I'll give you boring," and cue Savannah's incessant need to do something stupid. This was exactly what I was spoken to her about. Before I could do anything to stop her though, she was already moving toward them. I barely had flinched to catch her when Montgomery threw his hand out and closed it around her throat. Her eyes widened, grabbing his wrist as she tried to pry herself free.
"Foolish," Asher was bemused, "alright. This is how things are going to go. You are going to surrender your powers to me, all of you, then as a show of my ability, you will be executed for the people to see."
"What is with you people and your need to rule the world?" Griffin found his bravado finally as he spoke, moving closer though his eyes were constantly on Valentina. He should know better than to give his target away like that.
"It's not ruling the world, Griffin. It's the power such a position comes with. It's like a drug, I'm sure you understand." Asher goaded him with a smile. "What do you say?"
"Go to hell."
"Been, it's dead. I thought someone who partied as well as you, Griffin, would liven it up a bit."
"I have a few suggestions I would love to run by you, if you're open to hearing them," Griffin said, his tone thick with sarcasm.
"Sure. What are you thinking?" My eyes flicked from Savannah to Valentina as I wondered what the hell Griffin thought he was doing. I thought I knew him a little better in the last twenty-four hours and yet he is risking Valentina’s condition to play Asher's games. He was King of the Underworld, as much as I wanted the kill, I knew Hades had to have the power to take lives.
"Blood-red walls, preferably of the Demi-God kind." Asher moved, clasping at the air as the gesture made an invisible force close around Griffin's throat. He choked beside me, coughing and gasping for air.
"You've gotten a lot braver. My sources told me you were a spineless waste of a God. It looks like I might have to have a talk with those sources." He glanced at Soren who backed away but I noticed was favoring his right side. I grinned smugly to myself. At least I had managed to land a blow to him.
"We're at an impasse. What do we do? Kill you all, slowly and with pleasure, or you surrender like the waste of powers you are, and I kill you slowly and with pleasure?"
"Option C," I declared, moving next to Griffin's side once more as I conjured a lightning bolt to my hand. Without wasting any time, I tossed it toward Asher, aiming instead for Valentina. She'd used the bolt before, if I didn't hit the magic that was holding her, at least she would be able to break it herself.
Asher thought I was aiming for him and ducked, rolling out of the way as he landed in a ball not far from us. Valentina slipped off the chair into a heap, gasping softly in pain. I hoped the bolt hadn't hit her and done any damage. But Griffin ran for her, leaving me free to deal with Asher. Part of me knew I wanted to save Savannah first but she wouldn't want that. She knew what I had to do tonight before this got any further out of hand than it had.
Asher threw something at me that made the floor explode under my feet. Apparently, Soren had gotten his tricks from my son. I leapt to avoid falling into the pit and having to break my ankle again before tossing a lightning bolt at Asher. It was off target - his cold, black and shriveled heart, but it didn't matter. I wanted to land any kind of damage.
As I skirted around, trying to get a good vantage point to set off another bolt, I spotted Savvy in her struggle against Montgomery. I felt myself burst with momentary pride to see she had managed to sink her teeth into his forearm, effectively cutting him off from being able to chokehold her anymore.
Asher used my distraction to his advantage though as he sent another blast, one that hit me this time. It felt like I was being hit by an eighteen-wheeler as the blast threw me into the wall and I felt my consciousness begin to slip.
"No, not again... How does this keep happening?" Savannah gripped the back of the toilet as she puked into it again, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "It's not scientifically possible."
I looked around the room but she wa
s alone. Who was she talking to? She heaved again and I had to look away, the sight turning my stomach. I hated when people were sick around me.
"I can't do this again... I can't do it to Aidan." I looked at the sound of my name, feeling my bodiless condition complete the action of frowning. She grabbed the toilet paper and wiped her mouth after spitting into the water, flushing the toilet before straightening herself up.
She looked at the mirror again, looking curious and sad all at the same time. She pulled up the hem of her shirt, admiring her belly for a second before sucking it in. When she decided she couldn't fool anyone with that trick, she breathed out again and set her hands over her tummy once more.
"I'm sorry," she whispered to no one in particular, her hands beginning to glow. Despite the familiarity of this situation I felt myself jump in shock as her magic permeated her skin, sinking into her belly. Tears streamed her face like rivets as she stood there, absorbing the magic from her hand.
When she pushed the door open, Valentina was standing there, looking at her curiously. Their faces were barely illuminated by the candles hanging in the air, lighting the dark hallways of the Underworld. This couldn't be more than a day-old memory. If that. Right before we had gone to Olympus to find the key. Why didn't Savannah tell me?
"I felt it," she whispered.
"What are you talking about?"
She held out her hand to her best friend, the girls taking each other and holding on tightly. "Your baby, I felt its soul come into the Underworld. And I could feel your pain. Why are you doing this?"
Another blow brought me back to reality as my head crashed against the stone wall behind me. Disoriented, I looked around for Savannah, wondering why I felt much concern for her when she was doing well earlier. Montgomery was opponent-less though. She was fine. She had to be.
Asher was only an arm's length from me and I reached out, grabbing his neck much in the way he had magically done to Griffin. There was something deeply satisfying in squeezing the life out of him but it didn't last long. He returned the favor with a magical blow that left me seeing stars as I crumpled at his feet. He didn't need to be close to do damage so he backed away, putting a comfortable distance between us.
When he was ready he threw another blast at me, this time I managed to conjure a bolt at the same time and threw it toward his magic. They collided, the explosion rocking the whole room lighting it in a blast too bright for their eyes. But for me, I could see more clearly than ever before.
I drew another lightning bolt and used this chance to fire it right at Asher, landing a perfect blow to his chest. Not where his heart was but it was good enough. His body flew across the room, pinned briefly to the wall by the force of my magic before it slumped to the ground in a heap. I had never experienced the kind of smugness I was currently feeling.
I stalked toward him, ready to finish this. I was sick and damn tired of people threatening me and my loved ones. I was going to put a stop to this arrogant little ass and I was going to finish off Soren before returning my family to our rightful place on Olympus. I was King of the Goddamn Gods and I was not going to let this go any further than it already had.
But I should've been paying more attention to the room and my friends around me. I couldn't hear Griffin's anguished cries over the soft buzz that permeated all sound in the room from my blast. I was too focused on my own battle.
The bolt I had sent to Asher had been strong but not enough to bring down the Demi-God who had been collecting magic for Gods knew how long. It didn't matter though; my magic was buzzing through me with excitement at the prospect of what we were about to do. I could conjure bolt after bolt right now and never feel depleted. I was riding high on the success of my own kill shot.
Conjuring another bolt, I twirled it around expertly and moved closer to him with the intention of finishing the job now. It took two bolts for Lincoln, it would take two for Asher.
"This is what happens when you screw with my family," I sneered as I towered over him, holding the bolt as it sparkled and crackled toward its target. “When you get to Tartarus, you tell any other little bastard there with daddy issues who thinks they can overthrow me, ‘boring old Zeus’, this is exactly what will happen to them."
It soared through the air with every intention of hitting its target when Asher moved at the last second, rolling to avoid it while he threw his own blast of power at me. I went to dodge it when it collided with my next bolt. And there was Griffin, flying right into the middle of what we already knew would be a huge explosion.
"Griffin!" I shouted, despite all better judgement and the room exploded in bright light once more. The room rocked and I watched Asher stumble from his knees to his feet. He cast a leery glance my way before running for the door.
"I'll be back Father, just you wait." Instinct told me to go after him. If I let him get away now, I risked him healing and collecting more magic. But Griffin landed before me in a heap and I rushed to his side, sure he was dead. He had to be. He had absorbed an entire blast into his body. God or not, it seemed impossible he would be able to withstand that kind of raw power.
But as I reached his side he looked as he always did. A little skinnier than he should be, a lot paler than was natural and one more bruise to add to the collection he seemed to sport.
"Jesus! He blew you up." I tried not to touch him too much as I examined him for damage but he was perfectly fine. Griffin must've united with his God as I had mine. Thank the Gods.
"Huh?"
"Asher blew you up and here you are, not a scratch."
"Asher," he whispered back to me deliriously. I frowned at him, wondering if maybe he had lost his memory. If he hadn't the guy was more coherent drunk than he was sober.
"Asher, yeah, the coward ran. Throwing a half-assed threat over his shoulder. Won't be the last time I see him, I'm sure." I glanced at the door once more with a second frown, regretting already that I had let him get away.
"Asher."
"Griffin, are you okay?"
"Life-force." He sat up, grabbing my face between his hands. It made me jerk as he touched me and we both stared at each other. And then he started drawing my magic from me. I could feel it and I knew exactly what it was because it felt the same as when Savannah and I had been practicing how to share powers.
His magic snaked into me, permeating my veins and stealing their warmth as he surged through me, collecting every ounce of life I still possessed. My body went rigid, my muscles tensing as it found itself being attacked. I couldn't move my hands despite every urge willing me to grab him and pull him away from my face. Maybe if I could send a shock of magic through to him it would be enough to jolt him away from me.
"Grif-" The sensation made me gasp as my entire body felt like someone had dropped it into a pool full of ice. No matter how much I tried to concentrate though, my magic refused to cooperate and I couldn't force myself to use magic. It couldn't come. Was he doing that? "Griff-in..." I managed to say his name and he snapped out of the delirium he had gone into. He looked around, searching the room for something.
"Valentina?" He looked lost as he glanced around desperately for her. My eyes followed his, searching for her as well. "Valentina." He gasped like he remembered something before stumbling to his feet and running off toward his girlfriend. I coughed a couple times as my senses came back to me but I no longer felt the high of my power anymore. If anything, Griffin's attack had left me feeling shaky and weak, neither sensation was something I was comfortable with. I touched my face, making sure everything was still in place as it was supposed to be before I looked around for Savannah.
I still couldn't spot her but something in my gut told me that wasn't a problem. I would know if something was wrong with her, I would feel it. We had a connection. Like Griffin and Valentina did before Soren severed it. Maybe she had gone back through the portal to get Zane and Royce, both who were handy in a fight and eager to help.
I shouldn't worry too much about her right now, I h
ad to get Griffin back under control before he did something stupid while he was out of it. I pushed myself to my feet, approaching him as I heard him speaking to himself.
"This isn't real. Let me wake up." He clung to a dark shape of a human, the ashes of their form crumbling under his hands and I felt my stomach turn with horror. What had he done?
"Griffin." I knew he had the power to take people's lives, but this was not what I had pictured when I imagined it. I had seen firsthand the effects of his magic back in the throne room during the take-over and this is not what he had shown us. And he had done it to me, the little prick. And that person, whoever it was. Because it wasn't who I thought it was.
As soon as I considered it, I felt my heart drop right into my stomach and I stared at the heap of ash in his arms. My throat tightened and my head pulsed with fear and anger. No, Griffin couldn't have. Not to her. "Griffin, who is that?" It took every effort on my part to make my voice work but I knew I had to ask.
He sobbed and my heart seemed to have stilled in my chest resumed its motions, pounding against my rib cage far quicker than it should. No. It was all I could think as the voice in my head, my God, screamed. It scattered all my self-control.
It couldn't be, I refused to believe that the shell of a human in his arms, crumbling to ashes from the pressure of his touch was Valentina. Our Valentina. My Persephone.
Chapter 5
"Griffin. You need to let her go, you're destroying her." Through my own rage and heartbreak, I knew I needed to pull him back before we had nothing left of the princess. I touched his shoulder, perhaps startling him as he turned viciously toward me with every intention of throwing a punch.
"Hey." I caught his fist, twisting his arm to disarm him and he gave up the fight immediately. I wouldn't call Griffin and I friends, but watching his heartbreak killed me. I couldn't imagine what he was going through because I couldn't fathom something like this happening to Savannah. "Hey." I was shit at comforting people, I knew before this happened. But as I patted Griffin's back, like I was burping a baby, it was never clearer to me how bad I was at this. "I'm sorry." Well, that was lame.
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