Rising Sun (The Awakened Trilogy Book 3)

by Amanda Carol

Her breath hitches on a choked gasp, and she coughs up blood, trying to breathe and clear her lungs, but it’s no use. Her body goes limp in Apollo’s arms, and he sinks to the ground, cradling her against his chest. Blood pours out of her mouth as her eyes turn to meet Apollo’s. A single tear falls from her eye, and then…nothing. Apollo stands, holding her in his arms, and then walks over to the pit, dropping her in.

  I should feel relieved that she’s dead. But black smoke is still coming out of the volcano. We may have won against Isabella, but this isn’t over yet.

  Isabella is dead, I tell the Alphas.

  Their questions are drowned out by two gods shimmering into view.

  Luna and Hades.

  “Mom?” Abby gasps. “What are you doing here?”

  Luna and Hades exchange a knowing glance, then Luna comes over.

  She tucks a strand of Abby’s hair behind her ear. “My sweet Abby girl, we don’t have much time.” Luna chokes on a sob, but continues. “You gave me such happiness in a world full of darkness. You have grown up into such a bright, smart, wonderful young woman.”

  My eyes flick to Hades. He’s giving me a sympathetic look, and…are those tears falling from his eyes? I turn to look back at Abby and Luna, and I’m struggling to figure out what is going on. What did we miss?

  “I’ve made many mistakes in my lifetime, but the one thing that I’m most proud of is you.” She looks over at me and holds out her hand.

  I slowly walk over, still completely lost. She turns her gaze to Declan, and he comes over as well.

  “I am so sorry for not protecting the both of you better,” she says. “There are many, many things I would have done differently. But it’s too late now.”

  “Mom! What’s going on?” Abby sobs.

  “I’m setting things right. Once the gate has been opened, the only thing that will shut it is a sacrifice of purity. What’s purer than love?” Luna explains.

  “What?! No!” I shriek. “There has to be another way!”

  She looks over at me and gives me a sad smile. “I’m afraid there isn’t one. Love will conquer all.”

  Where have I heard that before? Oh, my God! Aphrodite said that to me when she gave me the Dream Shade. I didn’t think anything of it because I thought it was about me and Hunter. The gods can’t step in and help us, but they were all trying to warn us about the outcome of this fight in their own way.

  Luna turns back to Abby; tears are falling down her cheeks. “I will love you forever, sweet girl.”

  She pulls Abby in for a hug and presses a kiss on her forehead. Then she moves on to Declan and I and does the same. Finally, she walks over to Hades, and he envelopes her in a tight embrace before brushing a kiss on her lips.

  She looks at Hades, then at Zayne. “Both of you, take care of my daughter.”

  She takes off running toward the pit and jumps in.

  Abby screams and runs off after her. “Mom! No! Mom!”

  Zayne, Declan, and I all try to stop her, but she’s too powerful.

  Hades wraps his arms around her. He’s the only one that can hold her steady right now. She’s screaming, crying, trying to break free from her father’s hold, but she can’t.

  Declan pulls me to him, and I cry into his chest as the ground stops vibrating and the black smoke starts to clear. I can hear the wolves howling down below.

  Baby, you did it!

  Hell yeah, Aria and Declan!

  Fuck yes!

  I shut the link off to everyone except Hunter. Luna is dead. She sacrificed herself to close the gate.

  The wolves stop howling. I have no idea what’s going on down there, if all the vampires are dead or not.

  Ares shimmers into view. “Incoming!”

  Not a second later, a figure shimmers into the center. Every single person turns and looks at the large god standing in front of us. I stop breathing as the new deity looks at Hades and Abby.

  I don’t need to guess who this is. I can tell by the looks on Ares’s and Apollo’s faces, and by the fact that Hades’s silver eyes darken to an almost black color.

  It’s Zeus.

  Before anyone can even react, Apollo and Ares spring into action. Ares grabs Zayne and I, and Apollo grabs Declan, and before I know it, I’m standing at the bottom of the mountain again. The vampires are all dead, and the shifters are all back in human form, gathering the bodies of those we lost.

  But my focus is still on the mountain.

  “What are you doing!” I shout, attracting the attention of everyone around me, but I don’t give a shit. “Abby is still up there!”

  I try to break free from Ares’s grasp, but I get nowhere.

  “Son of a bitch! Let me go!” I yell even louder.

  To my surprise, he does let go, but I fall hard to the ground, the air whooshing out of my lungs.

  Ares gets right down in my face, his voice pitched low. “She is with Hades; he will not let anything happen to her.”

  “But Zeus—”

  “But nothing,” he cuts me off, then stands up straight and then shimmers out of sight.

  I take a moment to catch my breath. I don’t know why I gave up my fight so easily to get to my best friend, but after what I witnessed up there before I was zapped down here, I trust that Ares is right. Hades will keep Abby safe. Once my breathing is stabilized, I stand. I see my wolf and I turn around quickly, trying to find Hunter. I spot him over by Knox and Grace, and then he moves over to check in on Kat. Her face is bloody, but she seems to be okay.

  Relief washes over me when I see them alive, and as if he’s sensed me, Hunter’s head turns in my direction. Both of us quickly run toward each other. I feel tears in my eyes as I leap into his embrace.

  “How many?” I ask as I hold onto him tightly, not wanting him to let me go.

  “Ten witches and four wolves,” he murmurs into my ear.

  I grip him tighter.

  “We were doing great until the demigods got possessed by the Titans. That’s when shit got messy real quick. If it hadn’t been for Artemis and Ares, we would have lost more. The Titans aren’t at full strength yet, so they escaped.”

  I pull back. “What?”

  “There isn’t anything we can do about it now.” He pulls me back into a hug. “We lost two wolves from our pack. Blaine and Sloane. Blaine died saving Grace.”

  I turn my gaze to Knox, who’s sitting down by a body that’s covered up. I assume it’s Blaine’s. Grace comes over to him, handing him a bottle of water. I guess some members of the pack ran over to the cars to grab the coolers. She sits down next to Knox, and he holds her close.

  “Knox told me three vampires were attacking Grace all at once, and he couldn’t get to her in time. He howled, and Blaine was the one who noticed. He went straight for her, but he was jumped from behind by two more vamps, and…well…” Hunter explains, trailing off and running a hand through his hair.

  My eyes fill up with tears. I may not have liked Blaine, but my heart hurts for him. He died a hero, and I’m sure Knox and Grace will forever be grateful for what he’s given them.

  Hades shimmers into view with Abby. She shrugs out of his grasp when she spots me, and I run to her, wrapping her up in a hug.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

  She cries into my shoulder, letting the pain of losing her mother out.

  “My mom made a deal with Hades to save my life,” she whispers. “I don’t want to go live with him, Aria!”

  “What? No!” I shout, releasing Abby.

  I go to lunge at Hades, but Hunter grabs me around my waist.

  “It was the only way to protect her from my brother!” Hades exclaims. “It was always supposed to be a last resort. I never thought it would happen, but neither one of us wanted to lose Abby. This was the only way to keep her safe and, above all else, alive.”

  I relax against Hunter.

  “What?” I breathe.

  “Abby!” Zayne shouts running over, and holding Abby close.

&nb
sp; “What was the deal?” Hunter asks forcefully.

  “The deal was that she stay with me,” Hades admits, glancing down at the ground.

  “The hell she is! Abby is going nowhere with you!” Zayne shouts at him, then places his palms on Abby’s cheeks. “I won’t let him take you from me.”

  Hades huffs. “Will you just listen? The reason why the deals started in the first place was because of Persephone. I met her long before I met Leuce. I loved Persephone a long time ago, but she changed over the years. I’m not proud of it, but I made a deal with Zeus and Demeter. She comes to the Underworld with me, then she gets six months up on Earth. That was the deal.”

  He pauses for a moment to let that sink in.

  “The deal I made with Leuce is much, much different. One month down there with me, three months up here on Earth,” he finishes.

  I glance over at Abby as relief at hearing that she won’t be gone forever courses through me.

  “You mean I won’t be down there forever?” she asks, looking just as relieved as we all do.

  Hades shakes his head and gestures toward all of us. “I would never take this away from you.”

  Abby lets go of Zayne and stares at Hades. With them standing so close, I can see the resemblance. Abby has her mother’s brown hair, but their eyes…it’s uncanny. She slowly makes her way over to him, then she does the last thing I ever expected her to do.

  She hugs him.

  I wipe the tears from my eyes. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost Abby.

  A yelp drags everyone’s attention, and Hunter and I immediately turn, scanning the crowd to see where the yelp came from. I look at all the faces, making sure all of them are accounted for, but something is wrong. I look again, and my heart rate kicks up as I scan the crowd once more. Then I do it a third time just to be sure. But there is one person I can’t locate, and that scares the hell out of me.

  A loud crash, followed by another yelp, sounds again. My stomach drops as Hunter turns to look at me. His eyes are wide and glowing brightly as they fill up with tears. One of my worst fears is brought to life.

  A scream for help confirms it.

  I let out the breath that I’ve been holding. “Bennett.”

  Hunter and I take off running with the rest of the pack running behind us, including Hades.

  I open the link to him. We’re coming for you, Benny!

  We round the corner to where the cars are all parked and we all stop our advances, momentarily frozen in fear.

  I see blood dripping down Bennett’s arms through the sleeves of his t-shirt as he tries to get up on his hands and knees. A man is there, slowly walking toward him. Bennett’s arms give out and he falls face-down on the ground. The man kicks him so hard in the stomach that it sends him flying backward through the air, then he rushes over and lifts Bennett up by the throat. Bile rises to my throat, and I bring my hand up to cover my mouth as I take in Bennett’s broken face. If I didn’t already know it was him, he would be unrecognizable.

  The man throws him.

  My brain clicks into gear, but before I can catch his fall, he hits the ground hard and rolls across the rocks.

  “Titan!” Clyde roars and then shifts, taking off running toward them, Hades and Hunter not far behind.

  Hades, Clyde, and Hunter manage to catch the attention of the Titan, but I run right to Bennett. I place my hands on his body, and when I pull them away, they are covered in blood. His entire shirt is drenched. I lean down close to his face and listen to his breathing. It’s staggered and hitched, and I jerk my head away when he coughs. I look down at his face again as blood slowly trickles out of his mouth. My heart is beating hard against my ribcage as I think of what to do. I look over Bennett’s body again and a sob escapes my throat.

  No! No! No!

  You are not going to die today! I tell him through the link, hoping he can hear me.

  “Declan!” I shout.

  That was my mistake.

  The Titan loses interest in Hades and the wolves and turns around to look at me. I glance behind him and Hades, Hunter, and Clyde are all lying on the ground, but I can see them starting to get up. The Titan must have gotten the upper hand on them.

  I’m running out of time.

  I’m not leaving Bennett alone.

  I won’t leave you, Benny! I say to him.

  Tears fall from my eyes as I see the Titan getting closer to us.

  I scream, throwing my body over Bennett’s, and hold my arm out, summoning all my power into a powerful gust of air.

  My eyes widen as the Titan breaks through.

  I try to summon it again, but I feel tapped out.

  “Aria!” Hunter roars, taking off in a sprint toward me with Clyde right by his side.

  But I don’t think they’ll make it in time.

  The Titan lifts his arm.

  I shut my eyes and open the link to Hunter.

  I love you.

  Then I turn it off and prepare for death.

  But it never comes.

  I hear multiple screams, then the sound of flesh ripping open and bones snapping in half. I feel something wet splatter across my face and shirt. I’m holding my breath, too terrified to open my eyes because I know what just happened. Part of me knows that someone just died, but the other half doesn’t want to admit it.

  Hunter or Clyde.

  I flinch when rough hands cup my cheeks. “Baby, it’s me!”

  The sound of Hunter’s voice causes me to release my breath, and a sob comes out.

  When I open my eyes, they lock with glowing bright blue ones.

  “Don’t ever tell me you love me like that again,” he whispers, kissing me fiercely, then pulling away to rest his forehead against mine.

  All I can do is nod.

  I cradle Bennett’s head in my lap with one hand on his face and the other on his chest. Hunter is still holding onto my face when I see movement out of the corner of my eye, and I go to take a look.

  “No, look at me. Look at me! You don’t need to see that.” Hunter’s voice draws me back to him.

  I’m crying and staring into his eyes.

  “Just stay with me, baby,” he encourages me.

  “Declan? Are you there?” I cry out.

  “I’m here, little sister.”

  I let out another sob as I hear Declan’s voice.

  “Please heal him!” I beg hopelessly.

  “We aren’t losing another life today,” Declan reassures me, but even I can hear the uncertainty in his voice.

  “He’s teetering on the line, moments away from death,” I hear Hades say.

  Another sob escapes my lips. Hunter is trying to stay strong for me, but even he’s having a hard time holding himself together.

  We can’t lose our best friend.

  I feel the tug and open the link.

  He’s going to be okay, baby. He has to be okay, Hunter’s voice echoes through my head as we stare at each other, both of us too afraid to watch them try to heal Bennett.

  “Focus, Declan.” I hear Apollo’s voice now. “He has massive internal bleeding and his bones are shattered. Focus on the organs first, then the bones.”

  Another sob escapes my lips as I shut my eyes and pull out of Hunter’s grasp. I lean down and rest my forehead against Bennett’s.

  Please hang on, I tell him using the link. I need you in my life, Benny. You’re my second-best friend and…and I love you too.

  I keep my eyes closed and sit back up. I reach for Hunter, and he pulls me up from the ground.

  He cradles my head in the crook of his neck holding onto me just as tightly. This is our best friend. This is our Bennett.

  Seconds feel like hours, but finally, we hear a cough and a gasp. I slowly pull back from Hunter and our gazes lock. His eyes are wet from crying and are still glowing brightly. I can’t turn around yet, and he must sense that, because he takes a peek first. A smile forms on Hunter’s perfect lips, then he looks down at me, nodding for me to
turn around. Trusting him, I suck in a deep breath, turn, and let a sigh of relief.

  Bennett is standing right next to Declan. He is standing. He looks like Bennett again, but blood still coats his clothes and face.

  He gives me that famous Bennett smirk. “Hey, Blondie.”

  I run to him, wrapping my arms around his waist and resting my head on his chest, where I can hear his heart beating strongly and his lungs sounding clear. After a moment, I feel arms wrapping around us both. I don’t even have to look up to know that it’s Hunter.

  “So much love,” Bennett sighs. “Group hug!”

  I laugh and feel other people coming over and joining in. We stand there for a few moments as it all sinks in. We killed Isabella, and we won a battle, but we lost people we love and care about along the way.

  “What were you doing by yourself, man?” Hunter asks after everyone steps away.

  Bennett runs a hand through his red hair. “I just wanted to step away for a minute.”

  He doesn’t say anything further, but his unspoken words hang in the air.

  “What about the Titans?” Declan asks. “They got out.”

  “They’re our problem now…again,” Apollo answers.

  “Where is Artemis?” I ask, looking around.

  “She left with Ares. They took Athena’s body down to a room in the Underworld. You won’t have to worry about her for a long time,” Hades explains. “I promise those lost today will be in the Elysian Fields. Their deaths will not be in vain.”

  I give him a small smile. “Thank you.”

  Hades looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he nods and shimmers out, then Apollo follows suit.

  I look around at all of our friends standing around us. Zayne and Abby are holding hands, Knox is with Grace, and Kat is standing with Gunner, his arm draped around her shoulders. I give her a curious look, and she smiles, but then shrugs. Caleb and Oliver come back over and stand near us.

  “Now what?” Abby asks.

  Hunter inhales sharply as he watches the pack carry the bodies of the ones we lost to the vehicles. “Now, we go home.”

  After carefully placing the bodies of everyone we lost on the plane, all of the Alphas join the rest of the pack. I’ve been in many, many fights with vampires, and I have to say, that was the most brutal one I’ve ever seen. I went in expecting us to suffer a great loss, but expecting it and experiencing it are two different things. It’s not something I ever want to experience again, but even I know that loss is inevitable.