Kismet Dating Agency Box Set: Fated Mates Romance

by Haley Weir

  "He has no claim to her!”

  "He has every claim," Hades argued. "You and Atë offered her as payment for his help. But when he was imprisoned in my realm, I vowed to ensure that you honored your promise. Atë…" He snapped his fingers, summoning the key that controlled the Goddess of Delusion and Ruin. "Has been put on a leash at last."

  Zeus lunged for the key, but Prometheus caught it between his fingers. Soot fell to the pristine marble floor as the Titan crouched down to claim his prize. Zeus snarled through tightly clenched teeth. "She is a goddess! Unhand her."

  "Atë is bound by the same oath that once bound Persephone to me. So long as she draws breath, her life belongs to Prometheus." Hades stepped towards Zeus and stood up to the mighty Olympian without fear. "I will give you one chance to back down…"

  Zeus's arrogant smile flashed brilliantly as the sky darkened. "The mortal world has been thrust into chaos. It now burns with the flames of Tartarus as my demons obliterate everything in their path. Even without Atë, there are legions willing to fight for Olympus. We cannot be defeated. The gods will prevail."

  Hades stared around the temple where the conclave had been summoned upon the highest point of the mountain. "Our reign is over. It is time for gods and titans to move on, to allow someone else to rule Olympus. Someone who knows what it means to be mortal, to feel human emotions, and to battle through the challenges of the modern age."

  "Heresy!" Zeus struck Hades with a bolt of lightning. A loud boom reverberated through the temple as Hades was knocked off his feet. Prometheus grabbed Atë and vanished into thin air. Giddeon stumbled to his feet. Zeus roared with untamed fury as Giddeon dashed between the marble columns and leaped over the edge of the mountain. "Find him now!" Zeus shouted to the other gods. "Lock down Olympus! No one enters the realm, and no one leaves until he is a cold corpse lying at my feet. The hunt is on."

  A clap of lightning streaked across the sky to punctuate his anger. The Olympians called forth their celestial weapons and rushed from the temple. Hades rolled to his feet with a pained groan. "Do you feel that, brother?" he asked. "Can you feel the cold tendrils of immortal slumber tickling down your spine?"

  "I will not fail."

  Hades strolled over to the enormous marble seat and sat upon his rightful throne. "Nemesis will smile fondly on this day, for true retribution swiftly approaches. Olympians will fall whether you like it or not, Zeus!"

  "Someone followed you here…"

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mount Olympus

  Olivia held the end of the broken spear, feeling the rawhide handle that covered the fractured wood. Balor stood at her side as the portal closed behind them. Hades’ thunderous voice echoed through the heavens. They crouched low, moving quickly along the mountainside until they came upon a narrow stream that cut through the path. Olivia pulled her belt from the loops in her jeans and secured the Divine Blade to her hip before she stepped into the water. “I don’t remember leaving The Unknown,” she said quietly. “One minute, I’m staring into Morpheus’s eyes, and in the next, I’m here with you. What happened?”

  “He told me the truth about the Divine Blade and then we talked about the future. You were in and out of consciousness due to Morpheus’s magic, but you came to not long after I carried you through the portal.”

  “You talked about the future?” she asked.

  "Morpheus supports Diana’s vision for the demigods to have a chance to take over Olympus. They know what it means to live a human life more than any full-blood deity. He also believes that you should be the one to teach them how to rule...with my help, of course.”

  “Us? Help the next wave of Olympians?”

  “Is it so hard to imagine?”

  Olivia shook her head. “You’re a Sage, Balor. It’s your purpose to teach those around you. I just never thought about what would happen after the war. It makes sense that my duties as a Titan would play some role in our future, but...part of me was hoping we would lay on the beach and forget about our troubles.” Her foot slipped on a stone along the edge of the water. Balor caught her by the arm just in time to keep her from falling. She smiled up at him. He was different, somehow. Olivia wondered if perhaps Morpheus had anything to do with Balor’s sudden aura of calm.

  “Morpheus said there’s a series of caves that lead to Tartarus,” Balor said, pulling Olivia from her thoughts. “Zeus has already awakened the demons. We’ll have to fight our way through them if we want to find the others. After that, my brothers and I will head to the—”

  “No.”

  “Olivia.”

  “Balor, we have to do this together,” she replied softly. Olivia righted herself and continued across the water. Her waterlogged boots sloshed onto the shore. Balor's nose scrunched in distaste as his feet made a loud squelch upon the damp grass. Olivia continued along their hidden path, following her gut more than any direct instructions from Balor. She stopped in her tracks and stared out at the glory of Olympus. Enormous temples sat upon floating islands. Rivers of silver flowed over the edge of glimmering stones before disappearing into a vast chasm below.

  "I remember when the skies here were blue." Balor kissed her cheek sweetly and pointed to a cave up ahead. There was a flickering light just within the entrance of the cave. Olivia gripped the hide handle of the broken spear and crept closer. She saw a demon: red skin, black hair to her waist, and sharp talons. The she-demon's body was engulfed in flames. Olivia nearly gagged as the stench of sulfur burned her nose. Balor's hand ghosted over the sheath where the Sword of Zeus crackled with lightning.

  Olivia moved quietly, inching closer and closer to the demon. When the female was within reach, she stabbed the demon in the back with the spear. An ear-splitting scream erupted. Olivia twisted the spear until the body went limp in her arms. A loud commotion came from deeper in the tunnels. "More like her?" Olivia asked Balor. The she-demon tumbled to the floor in a pool of blood.

  Balor shook his head and unsheathed the Sword of Zeus. Demons with rubbery, gray skin crawled along the walls like spiders. Their bodies contorted into unnatural shapes. Claws lashed out at them. Olivia was stunned for a moment by the memory of the harpies tearing into her flesh as she screamed in the dungeon of Zeus's temple. "Hey," Balor called. He decapitated a demon and jumped back to evade the black sludge that dripped from its mouth. "Olivia! I need you!" The creatures swarmed, and a dam burst inside of Olivia. She spun and tossed the spearhead, catching a demon between the eyes before it could harm Balor.

  It boomeranged back into her hand. Olivia let out a startled yelp. "This thing is awesome," she chuckled. A clawed hand grazed her leg. Searing pain spread along her thigh as blood dripped down her pants. "I could really use my demon hunting bag right about now!"

  Balor ducked his head and skewered another demon. Black, sticky goop sprayed across his face. "The one time you don't carry Goofer Dust and hex bags, we have to fight a horde of demons."

  "Got any salt? Or a cross to make holy water?" Olivia shouted.

  "These aren't biblical demons, Olivia. And what would salt do besides add a bit of seasoning?"

  "Banish evil!" She lunged forward, knocking three demons off their feet, then stabbed each one with the Divine Blade. Their screeching blared in her ears before they burst into a pile of ash. "Stabbing them in the head works best!"

  "I think I'll stick to severing heads instead."

  Olivia stuck her tongue out at him impishly. Balor attempted to do the same, forgetting the icky goop was still on his face. She giggled evilly as he grimaced at the taste. They fought through a seemingly endless parade of demons, making their way through the tunnels until they came upon the main chamber. Olivia used her sleeve to wipe away the blood, sweat, and goop from her face. There was a gaping maw at the center of the chamber. The smell of sulfur was stronger, and blood-chilling screams reached their ears. "Is that Rina?"

  "We need to go now!"

  Olivia glanced over her shoulder and saw a giant demon with shar
p quills protruding from its back. Large jaws snapped. Venom dripped from fangs, sizzling as it hit the ground. Olivia grabbed onto her mate and dove into the hole.

  ~*~

  Tartarus

  Balor grabbed on to a rusted chain that hung from a cage suspended off the side of a cliff. The cage rattled, struggling to hold their combined weight, as he tried to pull them up. Olivia held on to his waist with the Divine Blade clenched between her teeth. Real fear settled into the depths of her beautiful eyes. Balor attempted to climb the chain, but the cage slid to the edge of the cliff. The momentum of the drop yanked his arm out of the socket. He clenched his jaw and began to swing towards the wall of rock.

  The cage tumbled over the edge just as Balor released his grip on the chain. His hands scrambled for purchase while they plummeted towards the fiery pit below. He managed to dig his fingers into the stone to stop their descent. Olivia released his waist and started to climb down to a smaller shelf on the side of the wall. Balor followed slowly, trying to keep the majority of his weight off of his injured arm. Once his boots hit the dirt, he collapsed to his knees. “Next time, warn me before you decide to swan dive into Tartarus.”

  “This is Tartarus?” She glanced around with a pinched expression on her face. “I expected a welcome sign or something. It really does live up to the whole fiery inferno of torture thing, doesn’t it?”

  Balor kept his eyes low, unable to watch the tormented souls writhing in agony. He and his brothers fought in wars, claiming souls for Thanatos. The guilt weighed on him in that moment like it had never before. "Ignorance truly is bliss," he said quietly to himself. Olivia looked as though she was unfazed by the horrors in the deep. "How are you so calm?"

  She shrugged, peering over the edge of the wall. "I guess seeing what my options are has lessened the blow. Either we roll around in the clouds of Olympus until we're reborn or we get charbroiled like a Christmas ham down here."

  "That doesn't bother you?"

  "I guess it's like having the end of the movie spoiled before I even see the trailer," she replied. "I need to focus on the now. The past is something we can't change, and focusing on death is no way to live."

  "I've sent souls here, Olivia," Balor confessed. "At the time, we didn't know we were serving Thanatos. But it doesn't excuse our wrongdoings."

  She gripped Balor's arm and forced his shoulder back into place. He squeezed his eyes shut, biting back a scream of his own. Olivia wrapped her arms around him and kissed the spot beneath his ear. Balor wished they were back on the island with the wind in their hair and the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. "I love you." Her hand reached up to push a strand of black hair out of his face. Balor opened his eyes once the nausea subsided. "This is hard for you, but we're saving a world that will never know the sacrifices we've made. That has to count for something."

  Balor pushed himself upright and nodded. They climbed down the wall slowly, watching as demons kept the souls trapped in flames and darkness. Soot clung to their skin, sweat slithered down their spines, and their grips faltered more than once, but they made it to the bottom of the pit. Balor locked eyes with Casey over Apollo's head. "Where is Giddeon Black?"

  "Go fuck yourself," Casey hissed.

  Apollo grabbed her by the hair, causing her shackles to pull tighter on her arms. "You're his mate. I know he'll come for you. My father wants him dead. Now, you can either call for him or say goodbye to your cubs."

  Balor held his hand up to keep Olivia back as he walked up behind Apollo. The arrogant Olympian never sensed his presence until it was too late. Balor swung the Sword of Zeus in a deadly arch that took Apollo's head clean off of his shoulders. Though the head rolled across the ground, a new one quickly replaced it. Apollo spun and landed an uppercut that knocked Balor off his feet. Olivia rushed over to Casey and broke the chains that held her captive.

  "Get her out of here!" Balor shouted.

  Olivia looked back at him, but Apollo blocked Balor from sight. Strong hands yanked him off the ground before pummeling him until blood sprayed from between his lips. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," Apollo sneered. "And when I'm done, I'll make my way through your loved ones until I get to that pretty little redheaded mate of yours."

  Balor wiped his mouth with his sleeve and felt the change within him. He didn't fight the shift. For the first time in his life, Balor welcomed the strength of the bear. Apollo's eyes widened with interest as Balor roared loudly. "Few have witnessed the great bears of Samael's bloodline." The Olympian circled Balor. "Legends speak of your might as if you could defeat us. I suppose we'll soon learn if that's true or not."

  Bones cracked and snapped into place, reforming his body until the sleek pelt obscured his flesh. The low rumble in his chest sounded as familiar as the sound of his voice to his ears. Balor charged towards Apollo. The Olympian grabbed him around the neck and wrestled the bear to the ground. From the corner of his eye, Balor saw Olivia retreating with Casey. He rolled onto Apollo, kicking up dirt that stung his eyes. Apollo's fists battered against his side. Balor sank his teeth into the muscle of the god's shoulder, pinning him to the ground.

  The bitter taste of divine blood burned his tongue, but Balor held on as tight as he could as Apollo bucked beneath him. A powerful shove sent him sprawling onto the chasm floor. Apollo stood up and gripped his wound. He whispered a spell to seal the gashes, but it didn't work. "What is this?"

  Balor shook off the change, shifting back into his flesh form. He coughed and pulled himself to his feet. "Didn't you hear? We share the same blood. It was Zeus who fathered the lineage of Samael. That is why the texts say that we can ascend to Olympus. We alone can bring you to an end."

  "Not if I kill you first!"

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Tartarus

  Olivia's heart broke as she ran from her mate. She knew first-hand just how cruel Apollo was, and she wanted him safe from the Olympian's wrath. Casey limped beside her, breathing heavily as they moved through narrow caves that led to the heart of Tartarus. "I can only cast a portal for a few seconds, so there's only a small window for you to get out," Olivia whispered. "With any luck, Giddeon got the children out."

  "We both know my husband well enough to know that Giddeon is neck-deep in Olympians right now." Casey shook her head. "Even when you thought you were human, you were willing to fight for what's right. No matter how many times they told you that you'd just get in the way for being human…and you've inspired me to do the same. I'm not leaving."

  Something shook the caves, causing debris to fall along the tunnels. Olivia and Casey picked up pace. They hurried to get out before the tunnel collapsed. A gasping plume of dust and stale air blurred her vision. Olivia pressed her back against the wall, staying out of sight as demons ran past to investigate. "Hades and Zeus must be having the battle of a lifetime up there. I'm sort of sad I'm missing it." She tugged Casey along and led her towards a row of cages. Olivia saw Damien, Madeu, Caleb, Rina, and the werewolf Eliza that worked with Seth at the sheriff's station.

  "How do we get past him?" Casey asked while pointing to a mountainous horned beast with black, soulless eyes. "I've seen this movie, and I think the wizard dies."

  Olivia snorted into her sleeve to stay quiet. She gestured for Casey to hunker down in the corner. "Wait for my signal." Her steps were light, muffled by the ridiculous amount of ash on the ground, as she moved closer to the cages. Olivia crept over to the lock on Madeu's cage and cursed under her breath. She tinkered with the enchanted mechanism, but it wouldn't budge. Her finger slipped, and a rune was revealed beneath a thick layer of grime. Olivia recognized it from one of Balor's books.

  The problem was...Olivia wasn't sure how it was pronounced. She reached through the bars and tapped Madeu's leg. His eerie gaze dropped down to where she was crouched, and she tapped the rune. A smile curled on his lips. "Eroth moriakr," he said loudly.

  The beast turned and cocked its head. Olivia slapped Madeu's arm as the cage swung open. "You we
re supposed to be quiet! What do you think all the stealthy movement was for?" She ducked as the beast attempted to crush her beneath his meaty paw. Madeu shifted partially into a bear. He looked almost twice the size of Giddeon's bear form despite the fact that he was only their half-human brother. Olivia used his shift as a distraction and rolled out of immediate danger. She unsheathed the Divine Blade from the makeshift strap, lunging to stab a demon that rushed to the beast's aid. Madeu stood back-to-back with Olivia as they were surrounded.

  "You fought in those gladiator-style arena's right?" she asked. "Were you any good?"

  "I am the undefeated Champion of Thanatos."

  "Good. Then you've got a plan, right?"

  Madeu grabbed the iron bars of the cage he was in and broke one off. "We fight."

  Olivia rolled her eyes. "I mean besides that!" She evaded a winged demon's attack only to be tackled to the ground by what looked like something akin to a goblin. Pain shot along her spine as Madeu faced off with the beast. Olivia rolled onto the demon, using its weight to stab the spear into its head. She stumbled to her feet and brushed away the ash on Damien's lock. It wasn't a rune. "Huh?"

  Thankfully, Damien seemed to recognize the symbol.

  He slid his fingers through a pool of demon blood that covered the ground before wiping them off onto the lock. The door opened with a great shudder. Damien went to defend his mate while Olivia and Casey helped free the others. A demon grabbed Casey from behind, causing her to scream. The sound carried through Tartarus louder than the howls of the damned. But what followed the scream made Olivia's heart race. A roar unlike any other pierced the air. Giddeon smashed his way through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel and tore the demon apart that had harmed his mate. Olivia fought everything inside of her that wanted to go back for Balor. Seeing Giddeon and Casey reunited gave her hope, though.