“We are nearly there,” I said between breaths. “Once we have Oz, you must return us to the warehouse.”
He nodded in response.
A few minutes later, the magically camouflaged cabin came into view. I slowed to a stop a few yards away, and Trey looked at me with curiosity.
“You cannot see it until you go inside,” I explained. “Once you have, you will know it if you ever return—and more importantly, it will know you.”
Without question, my quiet brother followed me to the invisible-to-him door and into the small space. His eyes went wide with shock as he took in the sight—including the Dark One standing next to the bed, seething with anger.
“Perhaps you should keep watch, Brother,” I said, as Oz’s narrowed eyes attempted to eviscerate me.
The sound of the door closing told me we were alone.
“Are we back to this again?” I dared to ask, walking toward him. The harsh snap of his black wings blocked out the wall behind him and sliced through the bed, releasing a cloud of down and dust. I halted my approach.
“We agreed—”
“You said I was not going anywhere without you. I neither agreed nor argued. That is not the same thing.”
His jaw flexed with frustration. “And what about us bringing the world to its knees when I woke up?”
I shrugged. “Shall we do that now?”
In a flash of predatory grace, he was upon me, pressing my back into the wall, his wings caging us in.
“We’re going to do something now,” he said, his eyes scanning me. When they finally fell upon my mouth, I felt my lips part of their own volition.
“We need to go to Chicago,” I said, my voice low and huskier than normal. “Trey has taken my brothers there. We are to return and devise a plan—”
“We,” he said, pressing hard against my body—so hard that it was difficult to breathe—“are not through here.” In that moment, I could not decipher his intentions—if he meant to punish me or pleasure himself. Perhaps the two were not mutually exclusive.
“I had to protect my brothers,” I said. “I could not wait for you to be healed.”
“Then you should have taken me with you,” he replied, his words little more than a rumble that coursed through his body into mine.
“You would have only slowed me. As it was, I narrowly escaped Kaine and the others with the help of Trey.”
“You should have killed him.”
“I was not certain I could.”
“Here’s a thought; maybe try to next time instead of making a last-second exit.”
“I will employ that tactic when our paths cross again.”
“There won’t be a next time because, from this moment on, this is how close to you I’m going to be around the clock.” He ground his body against mine to emphasize his point. “If I have to make some witch bond us, I will, because this shit isn’t going down again, understood?”
“Your point has been made adequately.”
“No,” he said, grazing the side of my face with his nose, “I don’t think it has.”
With a harsh grip, he took my face in his hands and kissed me with a brutality befitting a Dark One. A war of lips and tongues and hands soon followed. It escalated by the second, my pants—then his—falling victim to his anger.
Just as he had in the Heidelberg Project before Hermes had interrupted, he pushed himself inside me, fucking me up against the wall. But this time, there was a desperation to his actions that he had not possessed then. A need to claim me. A need to punish my disobedience. The battle between the good and the Dark within him had never been so clear, and I realized just how hard he struggled with the two.
He had alluded to the delight he would feel in the darkness fully taking me, as it had him. Then he had said he would never let that happen. His complicated feelings were more than I ever would have expected from a being whose motivations had always seemed so simple. But with every thrust, his complexity was made clearer.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, pulling his lips away from mine long enough to speak.
Silence.
“Everything,” was his only reply. With it, his pace quickened, forcing my focus to the sensation growing deep inside of me. I dug my nails into his shoulders, doing all I could just to hold on and weather his storm. When that storm finally broke, it left the two of us panting.
“Now has your point been made?” I asked. My brow quirked, betraying the amusement I felt in that moment.
With his darkness sated, he let his smug smile overtake his countenance. “I believe it has.”
“Then we should go.” I pulled my pants up and carefully freed myself from his cage of black wings.
“Any updates on Deimos’ brother?” Oz asked as he fastened his button. “Since you were so busy while I was unconscious…”
“Yes and no. I shall tell you when we arrive. My brothers will want to hear it as well.”
I opened the door to find Trey staring at me, weapons drawn. He lowered them only when he saw that all was well.
“Oz and I had some matters to settle,” I explained. Oz stepped out behind me, his smug grin still in place.
“We may have to settle a few more later.”
6
We were greeted by my brothers the moment we stepped into the second floor of the warehouse. The vast, open space was sparsely furnished, with a kitchen on the far side of the room. Sitting at the four-chair dining table was Muses, who merely grinned at my return. The Fates he had spoken of were nowhere to be seen.
“Did you run into any issues?” Kierson asked as he hugged me tightly.
“Our journey was without incident,” I replied, pulling away.
“Good,” Casey said, looking Oz and me over, “because we have some shit to figure out. We don’t need to add any more chaos to this shitstorm.”
“Now where is the fun in that?” Muses asked as he stood from his seat. Nobody bothered to respond. “Given what I have learned in your absence, Khara, I feel your twin may need to be brought up to speed.”
Oz groaned, then walked away to sit on the tattered couch near the massive, dust-covered windows. His discontent with the plan was duly noted. Sean and he had a history I had yet to uncover, which was the case with most things in Oz’s past. Perhaps Sean would prove more forthcoming if I could get him alone—a task Oz would surely not make easy.
“I’ll call him,” Drew said, stepping out into the hallway. Silence fell upon those that remained, dragging out for too long.
“Tell us what happened in the in-between,” Kierson said, his gaze drifting from me to Oz, then back again.
“It was as I said—I attacked the Dark Ones to procure Oz.”
Kierson’s brow furrowed with confusion. “But how did they take him prisoner in the first place?”
Oz leaned back against the cushions and folded his hands behind his head. “Easy. I let them.”
Every being in the room turned to stare at him, as though, for the first time ever, he had said something that had truly shocked them. Drew entered to find everyone fixated on Oz.
“What did I miss this time?” he asked, making no attempt to hide his frustration.
“Oz did something selfless,” Casey said. “So basically, the Underworld should be frozen as fuck right now.”
Drew’s mouth tightened. “Trey, you’re to go get Sean. Now.”
A quick nod and Trey was on his way.
“We should wait to discuss everything else until he arrives,” I said, taking a seat in the armchair next to the couch. A flash of something dark flickered in Oz’s stare when I did, and it did not appear to go unnoticed by the others.
“Something is up with you two,” Kierson said, stepping up beside me.
“We had a fight. Oz was not pleased that I deserted him. It seems he had a different understanding about how I would proceed while he healed.”
“My understanding wasn’t the problem, new girl. Your actions were.”
; “If you intend to rehash what has already been settled, I will gladly start without Sean—anything to avoid this circular argument that will never be won—”
“—by you,” he finished. “Never be won by you, you mean.”
Before I could reply, Trey arrived with my twin. Wanted or not, our argument would be on hold for the interim.
“Drew said you were in danger,” Sean said, rushing over to my side, emerald eyes burning bright. I had not seen nor spoken with him since the night we had fought over saving Oz, but his overwhelming concern made me think he harbored no ill will.
“We are all in danger,” I said, standing to meet him. He stopped short, hands clenched into fists at his sides, as though he was not certain what to do with them.
“Are you all right?” His tone was soft and caring, and nearly foreign to me.
“I am.”
He let out a sigh of relief. Then he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close.
“I’m sorry—for how things went when I last saw you—”
“Fear not, Brother. All is forgiven.”
He released me and took a step back. His gaze drifted past me to where Oz was sprawled across the couch.
“Why are you here?”
Oz exhaled in the most put-upon way. “Because I go where she goes. I’m getting kinda tired of explaining that to everyone—”
“Except when you are healing from the torture you received at the hands of the Dark Ones,” I added. My reply garnered me a scolding look from the Dark One.
“How about we start from the beginning,” Sean said, sitting down on the edge of the table where Muses sat.
Not certain where ‘the beginning’ was, my brothers, Oz, and I recounted the events of the past few days, including the attack by the former gods, the reemergence of Phobos (being careful never to speak his name), the unrest in the Underworld—and that I had turned to Kaine for help keeping my father safe—and Hades’ return to his domain. When it came my turn to explain my escape with my mother and the events that had followed at the Hallowed Gates, Sean’s expression went cold. The concern he held for our mother sent a sharp pain through my chest.
“So after you escaped…?” he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath.
“I went to the Victorian to find it burned to the ground, with the skeletal remains of three bodies inside. I assumed them to be my brothers and rushed to the Underworld to confirm. Much to my surprise, they were there, but very much alive.”
“Which begs the question: whose bodies are at the Victorian?” Pierson asked.
“Was Dionysus still trapped there? Did you find one of them shackled to the wall?” Kierson added.
“No, I did not.” In truth, I had forgotten all about him.
“Maybe the gods freed him and burned the place down,” Casey said.
“Still doesn’t explain the corpses.” Oz leaned forward, as though our conversation finally interested him.
“Perhaps they were collateral damage,” Muses offered, making his way over to Casey and Pierson. “Perhaps multiple enemies sought you out at the same time.”
“That seems possible,” Sean mused.
“Maybe,” Oz said, “but why would the fear god bother to burn it down? He doesn’t give a fuck about covering his tracks.”
“You think someone else could have done it?” Sean asked. His ability to set aside his ongoing war with Oz to settle this matter was admirable, and it made me question why Ares no longer wanted him in control of the PC. That level of diplomacy was all but impossible to find. I was not certain I still possessed it.
My emotions were proving to be fickle, uncontrollable things.
“I’m saying that the possibility can’t be ruled out.”
“Then perhaps we should return there and investigate further,” I said. “Admittedly, I was not in the most rational state of mind while rummaging through the debris. It is likely I missed much in the search for my brothers.”
Drew, Pierson, Kierson, and Casey all looked at me with a sadness I could not at first understand. Then I realized what it was—sympathy. Perhaps even empathy. They understood on some level what it was like to search for their fallen. To find a corpse where a living being had once been. They did not wish that pain for me.
“The Dark Ones will surely be keeping an eye on the site in case you should return,” Muses said. Though I was loath to admit it, his words had merit.
“Then I will go,” Sean said, heading toward Trey. “They cannot kill the invincible.”
“No,” I said, rising to stop him, “but they can torture you. Oz can attest to that.”
The Dark One merely shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”
“As have I,” Sean countered.
“I am coming with you.” I stopped before him to find darkening green eyes staring back at me. “The concept of torture is not new to me, either, and I am a weapon to be used against them. That is how Oz was freed. I will gladly do it again. Threats to those I care for work quite well to fuel my gifts.”
I could feel Oz’s eyes on me in the wake of what I had said, but I did not look his way. Then he came to stand next to me. “I shouldn’t have to say that I’m going, too, but…” The tension between Sean and him grew with their proximity, but neither gave into it.
The tension between Oz and me grew as well, though in an entirely different way.
“We’re all fucking going,” Casey growled.
“We will need to find another home base in Detroit to fortify and ward,” Pierson pointed out.
“Against the Dark and the Light and the former gods this time,” Oz said with a snarl. “Try not to leave anyone out.”
“Then be sure not to forget Ares,” I added.
Suspicious eyes fell upon me.
“That goes without saying,” Casey replied, “which makes me wonder why you’re saying it.”
“I thought we were all good with that,” Oz said, looking down at me as though we were alone and not surrounded by PC warriors.
“How could you be good with that?” Kierson asked.
I squared to face them all. “Because I have learned that Ares already knows of my existence. He has for longer than any of us would likely believe.” A hush fell upon the room before questions filled the silence. I ignored them all, waiting for a moment to further fan the flames of discord I had just sparked. “And that was confirmed when I encountered him on my way to extract you all from the Underworld before Kaine and the others could arrive.”
That same quiet swooped in, silencing the cacophony for a moment before Oz’s anger broke it.
“What did you say?” he asked, voice so low and menacing that I wondered if another war was about to break out. One between him and me and all my brothers.
“Ares stood by the gates, as if waiting for me. He warned me of Deimos’ brother—of his intentions for me.” When Oz did not move, I continued. “He said he knew of a way to kill him.”
For a price—one I was unwilling to share with the others.
“Ares is never to be trusted,” Sean said.
“And I do not,” I replied, “but it is clear that he wishes the same outcome we do—the demise of his crazed son.”
“You and I are going to have a little discussion about full disclosure when we’re done at the Victorian,” Oz said, his brown eyes boring holes through mine.
“She doesn’t answer to you,” Sean growled.
“I think you might find that she does.”
“As much fun as this showdown would be to watch,” Muses said, drawing their attention to him, “we should be off. Time is of the essence, as they say. Though do feel free to continue this once we’re done.”
“I can take you all there in one trip,” Trey said, breaking the growing tension. We all crowded around, placing our hands on our escort. Then I felt one snake around my waist, pulling me back against a firm body.
“To be sure you don’t get lost on the way—or decide to bail out,” Oz said in my
ear. Before I could reply, that strange sensation of magical travel overtook me.
We arrived on the sidewalk, all of us staring across the yard at our former home. The one that stood tall and proud before us. The one that was decidedly not destroyed.
7
The paint was peeling off the exterior, as it had been when I had first laid eyes on it. The windows were dirty. The shutters were missing or hanging askew. Everything about the Victorian was just as it should be; it remained a cleverly camouflaged base for the PC in a decaying neighborhood.
And it had most certainly not burned down.
“What trickery is this?” I asked, heading toward the front step. Oz’s hand tightened around my waist.
“The fear god, that’s what—or who.”
“Stay here,” Sean said, striding toward the building as though it were the enemy—which was a possibility. He jumped the steps to the porch and kicked in the door, as though the knob were not safe to touch. When a glamour did not fall and the building did not burst into flames—again—the others started to file in after him, leaving Oz and me on the sidewalk, his grip on me unrelenting.
“I do not understand…”
“I think that feeling is universal, new girl. Now, tell me again about what happened when you came here, and don’t leave anything out. We need to figure out how he managed this.”
I repeated the events in vivid detail, up through turning to leave for the Underworld.
“Wait,” he said, bending down to look into my eyes. “Say that again.”
“I said I felt different as I ran away. The pain in my head abated, and my fear lessened.”
His eyes narrowed. “It was a trap, all right,” he said, hauling me alongside him as he entered the house. The basement door was open, the sound of arguing echoing up toward us. Oz all but dragged me down the stairs to where my brothers stood before a thinner, angrier former god of debauchery. “Hate to break up this party before it starts, but are we going to talk about how Deimos’ brother managed to pull this off?”
Unmade (Unborn Book 4) Page 5