by Haley Weir
She felt overwhelmed as everyone watched her stand. Balor remained at her side. Olivia took a deep breath and let her magic heal the wounds on her body. Pain increased to a level in which she had never felt before, only to dissipate completely. “A trial will be held for the judgment of the Olympians and the Titans. I ask that Nemesis oversee the process to ensure that justice is served equally and without bias. Once the trial is complete, those who are deemed unfit to rule over their domain will be put in mine to receive their punishment.”
Nemesis nodded slowly. “And where will your domain be?”
“I hereby proclaim myself as the sovereign deity of Limbo.”
“So shall it be,” Nemesis replied. “Bear witness to the ascension of Olivia Knight, Slayer of Cronus, Titan Goddess of Limbo.”
Giddeon smiled as he shouted, “Witnessed.”
Olivia smiled back and grabbed onto Balor’s hand. “Diana has big plans for Olympus. I hope, in time, we can look back on this day and be grateful for the changes to come.”
Epilogue
Four months later…
Silver Shores
Sunlight warmed Balor’s face as he lazed upon the lounge chair angled towards the sea. A light mist covered his tanned arms and legs while Olivia snored gently beside him. Her time was spent torn between Olympus and Limbo, so his time with her was precious. Though he was happy to spread his knowledge from time to time, she didn’t seem to need his help with the more diplomatic side of things. Now that Giddeon had stepped down as king, Balor wasted away his hours without Olivia at the palace where he might be of some use. Madeu had fallen into his role as the new leader of the sleuth quite nicely. “When are they just going to tie the knot already?” Olivia asked suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“You have to stop doing that.”
“I can’t help that you think so loudly,” she protested. “My powers are getting stronger the more time I spend in Olympus. I’m looking forward to handing things over to the demigods once their training is over. Diana has been a lifesaver.”
“And I’m looking forward to having you all to myself again.”
“I’ll still have to manage Limbo.”
Balor grumbled and tossed his book onto the ground beside his chair. “Is it selfish to admit that I miss the days when we were just two runaways looking for an adventure?”
“Extremely selfish!” she snorted. “But then again, I miss it too.”
“I don’t see why we can’t just run away again. Come on, Liv. Let’s get on another cruise ship and take a vacation.” Balor moved over to her chair and straddled it. Olivia rolled over onto her back with a seductive smirk on her full lips. He gave in to the temptation and kissed her with a love and passion that burned hotter than the fires of Tartarus. Olivia hummed against his lips, trailing her hands along the contours of his muscular chest.
Balor cursed as his phone chimed. He pressed a finger to her lips and answered the call. “This better be good, Eros. I swear if it’s another bitch session about Styx, I’ll come up there and skin you alive—”
“Woah! I just called to let you know that I’ll be available to do your wedding ceremony with Olivia, jackass,” Eros snapped. “Madeu chickened out again, but I think he’s coming around to the idea of marrying Damien. Either way—that spot in my calendar opened up if you’re still interested. My services aren’t cheap.”
“I haven’t exactly asked her…”
“What is with you two? For the life of me, if you don’t grow a pair and ask her, I’ll do it myself! I’ve been waiting for you to mess up. Olivia is too good for you.”
Balor cradled the phone between his neck and his ear, rolling his eyes as he reached down to grab the ring box from his discarded jeans. He held it in front of Olivia’s face and switched the call to video. Eros’s eyes glazed over with pure, unbridled fury. “As you can see, I was a little busy when you called.” He tossed his phone aside and stared into Olivia’s gaze. “Before he so rudely interrupted, I was going to use this to bribe you into leaving with me.”
“No! I mean, yes! But no!”
“You aren’t making any sense.” His heart sank as she seemed to struggle with how to respond. Balor stepped out of her reach and sat the ring box on the railing of the terrace. “When I imagined asking you to marry me, it didn’t quite go this way…”
“It’s all sort of sudden.”
“What’s so sudden about it?” he asked. “I love you more than anything in this world, Olivia. I’m nothing without you. My life is meaningless unless I can wake up to your face every morning. Whether we’re here or Olympus or Tartarus or Limbo...I don’t care. I want you as my wife. I’m tired of watching my brothers build their families while I watch you shut me out.”
Olivia hurried to her feet. She placed her hand on his chest and shook her head. “Balor, I’m not saying I won’t marry you. The timing was just bad. We can’t run away because we made a promise to fix things. Morpheus, Plutus, Hades, Nemesis, Artemis...we have allies that are counting on us to make good on our vows. Don’t make me choose between my duty and being with you.” Her hands lifted to stroke the stubble that had grown upon his jaw. “I love you, and I want more than anything to marry you, but I won’t run away with you.”
Balor sighed heavily and opened the ring box. The beautiful black diamond nested in a circle of rubies twinkled in the light of the setting sun. He slipped the ring onto her finger and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. She shoved him over the terrace railing with a mischievous giggle. Balor hit the sand, and Olivia jumped down after him. Her warmth seeped into his bones as she settled her weight over him. Balor bit his lip with a groan, feeling the blood rush towards his groin. “I say we skip the meeting today and celebrate our engagement…”
Olivia tossed her hair back, grinding against his erection.
“That’s the best idea you’ve had all day.”
~*~
Castle Black
Destiny Falls, Alaska
The walls had been rebuilt, but there were scars that still remained after the castle had fallen. Nothing could ever replace what had been lost. The true history of Balor’s people was gone forever. Olivia touched a smudge of black that marred the stone. Madeu had been insistent in his demand that the palace be rebuilt with the remnants of the old castle. It was just a small attempt to heal the hearts of those who mourned their home, but Olivia and the others saw the gesture as so much more. She believed it was symbolic of all of their lives. Those who had been nurtured in darkness now built a brighter future upon the ruins of history.
Olivia was proud to be part of it.
A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts. “Come in,” she called. Rina, Casey, and Diana shuffled into the room with enormous grins on their faces. Diana sported a rather sizable baby bump as she hobbled over to a chair in the corner. “Is everything ready?”
Rina rolled her eyes and handed Olivia a glass of champagne. “Yes, of course it is. Damien handled everything. He feels terrible about stealing your thunder last week. No one expected Madeu and Balor to propose on the same day.”
“I’m happy for them. It’s only right that we do this together. Maybe it’ll be the start of a new tradition,” she said with a shrug. “Madeu must be going out of his mind with nerves.”
“Actually, it’s Balor that’s driving himself insane.”
Olivia chuckled as she glanced at herself in the mirror once again. She fidgeted with the placement of her veil until Casey swatted her hands away. “I don’t understand why these things cause such a fuss. We already signed the papers. The rest is just a formality.”
“That totally doesn’t count!” Casey grumbled. “Most brides are excited on their wedding day. It’s a miracle we’re all still alive, much less dressing up to get hitched at all.”
“You’re right.” Olivia looked over her shoulder at Diana. “How’s your father?”
“Stubborn as ever. He’s healing slowly, but I think he’s just
glad to be retired.”
“Never thought the God of Death could retire. I’m sure you’ll do fine in his place,” she replied. “Especially with Styx working with you.”
Olivia sipped her champagne and toyed with the curls that framed her face. She stared at her reflection and just wanted it all to be over so she could spend the rest of her life with Balor. Her friends gave her dress a few last-minute adjustments and headed out to the ceremony. Olivia breathed deeply, feeling the weight of everyone’s expectations on her shoulders. There were gods and shifters sitting in chairs, waiting for her to declare her love for Balor before all. Her heart felt as though it might beat out of her chest. Just then, a subtle knock came from the window. Olivia hurried over to check what it was and gasped when she saw Balor scaling the side of the castle. She threw open the window as his lips slanted over hers.
And just like that...the nerves and tension left her body.
“I love you,” her roguish mate whispered. “I couldn’t stand being away from you for one more second. It’s not too late to run away, love.”
She looked around skeptically and nodded. Olivia tore off the bottom of her dress before she climbed out of the window beside him. Balor helped her to the ground, and the two of them raced towards the walls surrounding the palace. He squatted down, folded his hands to give her a place to step, and hoisted her over. Olivia landed with a soft thud. She chuckled as she waited for the love of her life to follow. “Where to?” she asked.
“Someplace warm.”
They picked up pace as shouts of alarm came from over the wall. Olivia laughed happily, feeling as if she could fly if she wanted. Balor grabbed her hand and whistled sharply. Hades’ chariot approached swiftly. Winged horses with glowing red eyes charged towards them. “You had this planned all along!” Olivia said accusingly.
“I guess you could say I was hopeful.” He bent forward and kissed her. “For the rest of my life, I will look back on the night I first saw you beneath the moonlight on that ship, and I’ll never regret a single moment I spent with you.”
Olivia climbed into the chariot with an impish grin. “The Caribbean it is, then.”
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About the Author
Haley Weir is an author from South New Jersey. Obsessed with all things romance, you can catch her over at FictionObsessed.com, where she one of the head writers.
Growing up near Philadelphia, she always loved taking trips into the city and felt magnetized by its culture and art. She recalls her first trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a young girl. The vast displays of skills and beauty left her in awe and she slowly developed an interest towards the creative side of life.
She began drawing and writing at 13 years old and graduated from Drexel University with as an English major in 2011.
You can find her outside reading at her local park in South Jersey, strolling through the streets of Philly, or awkwardly sipping a glass of wine at a nearby bar.
