by Haley Weir
"You...wanted to bring your mother back," she said. Madeu hadn't denied her words. "Why would Octavius want the key?"
"Whoever controls the key, controls Atë. That kind of power...is what crowns kings."
Rina stepped away from the bars and glanced at the stairs. "No more hiding, Caleb," she said angrily. At least he had enough shame to look embarrassed for having eavesdropped on their conversation. Rina stood in front of Madeu to shield him from Caleb while he was in a vulnerable state. "You won't use what you've heard against him."
"What?"
"I mean it, Caleb. If you try to use what you heard against Madeu...I'll never speak to you again. I came to him for answers, not to manipulate a confession out of him." She stood her ground even as Caleb glared past her shoulder. The door above the stairs opened, and Rina stiffened. Damien and Balor approached. Madeu grabbed her. Caleb roared, but Rina lifted her hand. "He won't hurt me."
"Let her go!"
"Stop it!" Rina shouted. Madeu released her and backed up against the far wall of his cell. Damien locked eyes with the male and hissed. He yanked his sleeve up, and a mark appeared on his skin. It wasn't a heart with an infinity symbol, but there was no doubt in her mind that fate had bonded the two males. Madeu stumbled and slid down the wall. His mark appeared on the center of his chest.
Caleb and Balor stared in horror. Damien ran out of the dungeon. Rina went after him despite the barked orders from Caleb. She grabbed Damien and turned him around to face her. "I...never realized you were..."
"I'm not gay."
"The gods seem to think otherwise," she chuckled.
"This type of bond has nothing to do with gender."
Rina lifted his arm and looked at the mark. "What does it mean, then?" she asked carefully.
"Bear sleuths aren't like wolf packs. Bears are solitary in nature. Giddeon and his brothers are an exception." Damien's mark resembled a teardrop with three lines cutting through the center. "Wolf packs are often led by two alphas. For my people, one is usually male and the other is female to ensure the continuation of our race."
"But?"
"But there are times when a male alpha breaks away from the pack to help lead another kingdom. His presence among the other shifters can alter their shift."
"Like...you can summon the form of a wolf from someone who was born to be a bear shifter?"
Damien shook his head. "It's not that simple. All shifters are born in their human forms. The animal form comes from the Alpha King. If a shifter joins another kingdom, then their animal form changes."
"What does that mean for you and Madeu?"
"Madeu is the only male in Samael's bloodline that the fates hadn't chosen a mate for...his presence here changed that. The longer he's near his brothers, the more powerful his magic will become."
"Why did the fates choose you for him? I mean, you can't produce an heir."
"I don't have to," Damien replied. "Madeu would have to mate with a female to produce an heir. It doesn't change the fact that we're bonded...or we will be eventually."
Rina wasn't sure what to make of Damien's situation. "Whatever comes from this, I hope we can be friends."
"So do I." He kissed her cheek. "Go back to your mate before he kills mine."
Tina nodded and returned to the dungeon. Caleb had his hands wrapped around Madeu's throat through the bars. Balor stood by, smoking as if he was unfazed by it all. Rina smacked him. "Why aren't you breaking this up?"
"It has nothing to do with me," Balor replied around a mouthful of smoke.
Rina pulled Caleb away. She knew she only moved him because he allowed it. If he had wanted it, Caleb could have planted his feet and become as immovable as a brick wall. His furious gaze never left Madeu.
"He shouldn't have touched you."
"Caleb," she hissed. "Let's go. We have a lot to talk about. Starting with why you feel the need to spy on me."
"It wasn't my intention to spy on you! You snuck out of the window and I was worried you would get hurt..."
Rina grabbed his arm and tugged him through the palace. She brought him to their room. The door closed behind them with a deafening slam. "I love you, Caleb. I just need you to trust me."
"I do trust you."
"Then why didn't you tell me about your deal with Atë?" she sniffled. "If you had talked to me about her, I could have—”
"I didn't know. Balor told me after you fainted. He said the gods wanted me to forget all of it so the key couldn't be used against them." Caleb sat on the edge of the bed. "I didn't remember any of it."
Rina wiped away her tears. "Atë won't stop until she gets her hands on me. Sarina was supposed to even the score, but you gave her the key. It was the key that allowed her to be reincarnated."
"I don't understand."
Rina sat beside him and pushed the key into his hand. "I'm not the key bearer. You are, Caleb. Atë wanted you to protect the key. You were meant to serve her, but you gave it away. In doing so, you betrayed her and revoked the payment you had promised. That's why she wants you dead, Caleb. Using me to do it would be worse than having Sarina executed. She wants you to die in the most painful way..."
"I don't want the key," he argued. "I want us alive."
"Then we have to make it right. I don't know how yet, but we'll figure this out together. Atë won't use me against you. I won't let her."
~*~
Caleb left Rina to rest. He draped the key around his neck and went to apologize to Casey for ruining her ball. Caleb knocked on the door and found Diana and Olivia with the baby. Casey sat on the bed with her pajamas on. She waved him over, and Caleb sat beside them. Olivia made funny faces at the baby while Diana tapped away on her keyboard.
"Did Balor tell you about Damien?" he asked. Casey nodded with a very amused snort. "It was a shock to everyone. I'm sure Madeu is going insane down there. It's not unusual. Back in our time, sexuality was far less an issue than it is now. Hell, there were kings with male consorts all the time."
"I love Damien like a brother. All I want is for him to be happy. I don't care about the politics of it all." Casey shrugged and pulled her finger from her son's clutches. "But I assume that isn't why you came here?"
"I wanted to apologize."
"For what?"
"Rina and I feel as if we ruined the moment. The party—”
"Was wonderful," she interjected. "I don't blame you for leaving, Caleb. It's not like any of us predicted Rina would faint. Which, now that I think about it, all of you have magic, but not one of you can see the future?"
"Balor gets insight from the gods, but he can only see what they allow him to see." Caleb picked up his nephew and set the young boy on his lap. "Did you find anything on the flash drive yet?"
"No. Ancient Greek was used to encrypt the data."
"Then we need Seth," he sighed. "Maybe I can talk to him alone. We left things on bad terms last time we talked."
"Is Seth the cute brother?"
They all turned to look at Diana, who hadn't spoken a word since Caleb entered the room. "What?" she asked. "I have eyes. All I know is there was a really cute guy at the party. I think he was some sort of cop."
"Sheriff." Caleb failed to restrain his smile. Casey winked at him and cooed at the baby. He talked with the ladies for a while longer before he was summoned by Giddeon to the study. Caleb handed Sam to his mother and went to meet his brothers. Damien stood with his back to the room as he stared into the fire. Caleb clapped him on the shoulder and sat beside Balor.
"What's up?"
"Madeu and Damien," Giddeon answered. "We need to know what this means for the rest of us."
"I don't know why it should matter." Caleb propped his feet up on the cocktail table. "Madeu is in the dungeon. We need to start focusing on Octavius. He's after Atë's key."
"And how did you come about this information?"
"Rina's visions. And I trust my mate. Because of her, I now know what the key is used for. If Octavius or anyone with m
alicious intent gets their hands on this..."
"What do we do?"
"I think we have to talk to Atë," Caleb said. "The gods are weaker than they were in our time. Humans no longer believe in them, so they draw their power elsewhere."
"You have Artemis's bow. Can't we work with her instead? Talking to Atë never ends well." Balor swished the ice around in his glass. "You of all people know this."
Damien joined their discussion. "Artemis only helps those who help her. If you're willing to fight in her war against her brother Apollo, then she'll listen. Otherwise, it's useless."
"What about Hermes?"
Giddeon shook his head. "Hermes holds a grudge against Balor after he stole those godforsaken sandals of his."
"If we can't get help from the gods, then what do we do?" Caleb asked. "I need to figure something out before my future wife tries to kill me because a primordial goddess forced her to."
"Perhaps you should sleep separate until we know more."
"Not a chance."
"Severing Rina's bond with Sarina could have made her more vulnerable to Atë's influences," Balor argued. "Keeping you two—”
"It's not happening! If I die, then so be it. I'm not leaving her when she needs me most." Caleb stood up from the sofa and walked over to the door. Giddeon closed it with his magic and the lock slid into place. "You can't keep me here, Giddeon."
"No, but we aren't finished with the conversation. Sit down."
Caleb did as his brother commanded. "No more talk of Rina and I separating. I only just got her, and she wants to get married."
"Fine. But we need to find a solution before she tries to slit your throat," Giddeon grumbled. Damien handed Giddeon a small gold coin. "Where did you get this?"
"It's a boon from Plutus."
"I know what it is, but how did you get a boon from the God of Wealth and Greed?"
"I went into the underworld," Damien replied. "I had to retrieve something. While I was there, Plutus asked me for a favor. When my mission was completed, he granted me a boon. Dante told his tale, and Botticelli created the map of the Inferno, but very few can find the doorway hidden in the legend. I did."
"And you're offering this to us?"
"No, I'm giving it to Rina. We all owe her, especially me."
Caleb raked his fingers through his hair. "How do we use it? Blood sacrifice? Drop a virgin into a volcano?"
Damien laughed and pointed to the crackling hearth. "You hold the coin and step into a cold flame. It'll take you to the fourth circle of the underworld."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Vomit splashed against the porcelain bowl as Rina expelled the contents of her stomach. She hovered over the toilet with a headache throbbing at her temples. A clock ticked somewhere in the palace, sounding impossibly loud to her ears. Spring air flowed in through the window, but Rina stood up to shut it when the charred meat caused her stomach to lurch.
Caleb knocked on the door and pushed it open. "We can put off the trip if you're too sick."
"We've been putting it off for a week now," she muttered. "Balor's magic should have worn off by now. I haven't had any visions, but the nausea is getting worse." Rina brushed her teeth and slung her bag over her shoulder. She wasn't sure what one packed for a trek through the underworld, but she hadn't wanted to go empty-handed.
When she emerged from the bathroom, Caleb handed over her spear. Rina was afraid she had lost it on the island. "I wish we didn't have to go, but it's the only way to be sure."
"I know. I'm ready."
They walked down to the courtyard. Caleb wore a pair of leathers and a thin black sweater that clung to his muscles. His boots clunked against the stone path as they made their way to the pit of blue flames. Rina looked down at her jeans and sneakers, wondering if she had dressed properly for such a magical occasion. Caleb took her hand and led her over to Damien. The wolf shifter handed Caleb a gold coin before they stepped into the blue flame.
Rina had expected heat. She glanced down, and fire licked at her legs, but her body felt as though she had sank to the bottom of a frozen lake. Caleb gripped her hand tighter and Rina gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. She held her breath until the last minute.
When she gasped for air, the flames disintegrated. Rina blinked away the bright lights that obscured her vision. Caleb released her, and she stared over the edge of a dark pit. The shadows writhed below her, and a million eyes stared back. "Caleb...what do we do?"
"Run!" He grabbed her once more and dragged her along the narrow edge that surrounded the chasm below. The path widened, and Caleb shoved her in front of him. "Keep going. Don't stop, no matter what you hear."
"What are those things?" Rina began to worry when Caleb refused to answer. She slid through a crack in the wall that blocked the path and ran as fast as she could towards an enormous staircase. "Caleb!"
"They're demons."
"Demons?" Just then, a hideous hand with gnarled fingers and sharp claws reached out of the darkness and sank its nails into her ankle. Rina screamed and stabbed the creature with the head. It shrieked and plummeted back into the pit. Caleb stumbled through the crack in the wall. His shirt had been torn to shreds, and claw marks marred his skin.
"Keep going, Rina."
"Not without you," she shouted. Rina grabbed on to Caleb and pushed herself under his shoulder to prop him up. They hurried down the stairs until they came upon a golden door. Rina released Caleb long enough to open it. The demons had closed in on them. Caleb lunged through the door with Rina at his side.
The door slammed and sent them tumbling down a steep embankment. Rina scrambled to grab ahold of something. Eventually, she snagged on some sort of chain. A light flickered over their heads until it engulfed the room. A chamber filled with jewels and great treasure was illuminated by a ghostly flame. Rina gasped when she realized she had rolled down a mountain of gold.
Caleb came to a stop at the bottom. He wobbled to his feet and looked up at her. Rina released her hold and slid on her side. Caleb caught her before the momentum sent her flying towards the floor. They righted themselves before searching the large chamber. "What exactly are we looking for?"
"Plutus."
"And what does he look like?" Rina ran into Caleb's back. She limped around him and followed the line of his vision over to a larger section of the chamber. Her eyes dropped as treasure bulged with a rumble. It fell away, revealing a creature with a golden crown of horns and eyes as black as obsidian. There was a violet hue to his skin as leathery wings sprouted from his back. Plutus opened his mouth in a powerful hiss, and four rows of razor-sharp teeth flashed in the light.
"You do not belong here!" the god roared. "This is no place for the living."
Rina shook off Caleb's hold and approached the god without fear. It was as if she was drawn to him like a magnet. Her hand touched the skin of his wings, and it rippled. What had stood before her as a monster transformed into something that resembled a man. Plutus stood in a pile of jewels naked aside from his crown. A thick beard reached the center of his chest, and a cunning smile graced his sensual lips.
Caleb stood between them and flashed the coin that had brought them to the underworld. "We're here on business, not pleasure."
"So I see," the god replied in a booming voice. "But I don't recall granting you a boon."
"It was gifted to us by Damien Blair."
Plutus snapped his fingers, and the cavernous treasure room faded into a sleek office. Large windows surrounded a marble desk and the two modern chairs that sat before it. A suit appeared on Plutus's body as he sat behind the desk. With a flick of his finger, Rina and Caleb were forced into the other seats.
"What can I do for you?"
"We have a problem with Atë," Rina said before Caleb could answer. "She wants me to kill her key bearer."
~*~
He wasn't sure what Rina was up to, but whatever it was...he prayed she got it over with quick. They were running out of time. It was never g
ood to dwell in the underworld. Tartarus wasn't far from Plutus's level. If they wanted to avoid a much bigger demonic god with a bad temper, then they needed to find a way back.
"Atë wants Samael's bloodline on her side because war is brewing amongst the gods," Rina claimed. "If Artemis and Apollo are already at war, how long will it take before the lines are blurred?"
"What do you propose?"
"An alliance."
"So, you want me to lift the hold that Atë has over you and the Kodiak bears of Samael's bloodline will fight with my demons?" Plutus asked.
"Not exactly." Rina sat back in her chair and crossed her legs. Confidence radiated from every fiber of her being. "Lift Atë's hold and we'll grant you a boon. The other gods will eventually try to recruit Samael's sons, and I can guarantee that their allegiance will go to none of your enemies."
"You think that is a favor?"
"Shifters have enough divine blood to kill a lower-level deity," Rina said slyly. Caleb looked over at her, trying to warn her not to toy with a god when they were in a realm where he had no power to protect her.
"It isn't wise to threaten me."
"It isn't a threat," she replied with a level of calm that he envied. "There are abominations in the mortal realm. Creatures that are a real threat to the gods, a combination of shifter magic and human science."
"Why should I care?"
"Because their leader wants Atë's key. If I kill the key bearer and he gets his hands on it, what's to stop him from using her against you and the others? Octavius will become Alpha and king if you deny us. And when he sits on the throne, he can summon his form within his followers. Abominations with the power to destroy the gods themselves."
He wasn't sure when Rina had figured out Octavius's plans, but if she was correct, then no one would be able to stop him. "What she says is plausible, Plutus. Octavius can use the key to control Atë. With her, he can walk through the realms unchecked with an army of beasts just like him."
Plutus pulled a contract out of his desk and slid it across the table. There was a transcript of their conversation and a place for them to sign their names. "I'll lift the hold. In return, you cannot vow your allegiance to another deity and you, Rina, will visit me here in the underworld four months out of the year and serve as a Prophet of Plutus."
