Deadly Game: An Academy Bully Romance (Academy of the Gods Book 3)

by River Ramsey

  Before we’d breached the darkness, a sliver of light cut into my vision as doors I hadn’t even been able to see a second ago slid open. They groaned and creaked, reinforcing the illusion that this place was alive in some horrible way.

  I froze along with the others as the room opened itself to us, revealing the tall gray throne against the opposite wall. Cronus was sitting there, looking more like stone than the architecture around him. He didn’t move, but the tiled squares across the floor gave me the distinct impression of being pieces on a chessboard. We were all playing his game now, and his moves were far from limited.

  Kore was the first to step forward with Hades close behind, and I followed her, overcoming my instinctive reaction to flee. Standing in the presence of the ancient god was nothing short of maddening and it felt like just looking at him too long might make me go insane.

  “And here I thought you’d keep me waiting,” Cronus said in a deceptively calm tone. There was malice behind his frigid gaze, and if I’d once found Hades intimidating, it was easy to see where he got it now.

  Before any of us had the chance to respond, two figures slipped out of the dense shadows on either side of the throne. I’d never seen a hellhound in person, aside from Fenrir’s cursed form outside, but I could now understand why he was forbidden from taking that form around the other gods. From their dripping jowls to their unnaturally red eyes, there was something deeply unsettling about the beasts that went far beyond their massive stature. It was like they were capable of looking into my soul, and I found myself wondering if they were the ones Cronus had used to bleed this world dry.

  The hellhounds were obviously meant to intimidate us, and I had no doubt they could back up any threats their otherworldly growls made, but I realized they were also a distraction. Cronus himself was weak. Physically, at any rate. The power he’d used on Fenrir had obviously taken a lot out of him. He hadn’t looked nearly as pale and worn down at the Academy’s reception dinner.

  I readied myself to fight along with the others, even though I knew there wasn’t much I could do against those massive jaws. I chose to stand in front of Kore, intent on making sure that if any of them attacked her, they would have to go through me first.

  I’d never been the brave sort, but fighting for her was as natural as breathing somehow. As wrong as everything about this realm was, it felt right to be with the others. If this was how it ended, the only regret I had was not finding where I belonged sooner.

  Another realization filled me with dread. Ares was right. There was no way Cronus would be able to sustain himself on the fleeting energies of the Underworld for long. In a matter of weeks, months tops, he’d run out and when he turned his attention to our world, there would be no stopping him. If we failed, we’d lose more than just our lives.

  The hellhounds sprang in unison, and I pulled Kore out of the way as Loki and Hades charged them. Loki met the beast on the right midair, his blade cutting into its thick shoulder, even though the wound seemed to do nothing. Hades struck out with the blade he’d used to kill the Empusa, but the hellhound’s jaws caught it easily. Blood sprayed the stone floor as the creature thrashed its head and flung the blade aside.

  Not off to a great start.

  “Let me go,” Kore said, giving her hand a tug. When I refused, her eyes met mine with a look that took my breath away for more than one reason. “Trust me.”

  My instincts warred against each other, but eventually, one of them won out. I let her go and she turned to face the beasts, materializing a thick whip made of the same green vines she used to such great effect. I knew she didn’t have much to draw from in this world, and I was intent on making sure that she didn’t drain herself trying to fight, but Loki and Hades could use all the help they could get.

  Loki had managed to get in several deep wounds and his speed was keeping him just out of the hellhound’s reach. Hades wasn’t as fast, but he was stronger—the white flame he’d summoned in place of his fallen blade seemed to be doing even more damage.

  Hades’ hellhound let out an earth-shaking snarl as his flame danced across its eyes, filling the room with the foul odor of sulfur and burnt fur. It retaliated by striking out blindly and managed to pin him against the wall. Even blinded, it was more than capable of tearing him apart and my heart bottomed out as I realized there was no way to reach him soon enough.

  Kore’s whip sailed past, wrapping around the beast’s neck before it could bring its massive jaws down on its prey. She yanked hard, but the element of surprise wasn’t enough to unseat the beast. I came up behind her and reached around her to grab the vine and pull with her. With our combined efforts, we managed to redirect the hellhound’s attention, but now its glowing eyes were locked on us.

  Shit.

  Hades wasted no time retrieving his blade and leaped onto the creature’s back, plunging the sword deep between its shoulder blades. It let out another guttural howl that echoed through my soul, and he kept forcing it down until it pierced the hellhound’s chest on the other side.

  Hades jumped off the hellhound’s back before it hit the ground and pulled the blade the rest of the way through its neck, nearly severing its head. That must have taken a staggering amount of strength, but a pained cry drew my attention back to Loki. He was still fighting the other beast, but it was slowly backing him into a corner and I knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long. Hades was too far away to reach him in time and Kore was struggling to stand upright since she’d exhausted so much of her power already.

  I ran forward while the hellhound was distracted and lunged, pushing my hand against its side. Its thick fur bristled and it turned to face me with a bewildered snarl, but I pushed every ounce of Euphoria I could spare into the beast’s veins. At first, it didn’t seem to have an effect, but it staggered the creature long enough for Loki stab it through the skull.

  “Not bad, pretty boy,” he taunted, glancing my way for a split second before he severed the hellhound’s jugular. Blood sprayed us both before I had the chance to close my mouth, and once I’d wiped it out of my eyes, I shot him a filthy glare.

  “That’s the last time I save your life.”

  It was an empty threat, and his smirk said he knew it.

  We barely had a moment to celebrate our victory before it all came crashing down. The hellhound at my feet disappeared with a puff of black smoke and the one next to Hades did the same.

  “What the hell?” Kore muttered, turning back to the King as he rose from his throne.

  “I think you’ve amused me enough,” Cronus said coldly.

  Kore gave a startled cry and before I had the chance to look over and see why, I found out firsthand. My feet were surrounded by stone that was quickly crawling up my legs, and no matter how hard I tried to pull away, I couldn’t get them to budge. In a matter of seconds, the stone had encapsulated my lower half, and I looked over to find Loki and Kore in the same predicament.

  “Fuck, no,” Loki snarled, chipping at the stone with his blade. It traveled up and sealed his arms to his sides in response, trapping him from the shoulders down. I decided against struggling in favor of assessing the situation as much as my frenzied brain would allow.

  Hades was the only one of us who wasn’t affected. He held his blade in hand and seemed ready to attack his father. “Let them go,” he snarled.

  “Come, by boy. Let’s not be foolish,” Cronus scolded, his staff still firmly in hand. “You’ve proven yourself, but it’s time to dispense with the games.”

  “The only thing I want to dispense with is you,” Hades countered. “You’ve destroyed this realm, and I’m not going to let you do the same to them.”

  “Is that so?” Cronus asked, unnervingly calm. “What if I offered something you desire even more?”

  Hades frowned, but the other god’s words filled me with unease. Maybe it was just the fact that Hades seemed to be listening.

  “What are you talking about?” Hades demanded. Even Loki was dead silent, w
atching his friend intently. Not a good sign.

  “Your mother,” Cronus answered. “Have you grown to care more for that wretched world than you care for her?”

  “Stop it,” Hades seethed. “Stop trying to get in my head. You’re the one who killed her.”

  “You say that as if she’s lost,” said Cronus. His words seemed to affect Hades as much as I’d feared. He wasn’t just listening now, he was captivated. Cronus continued, “I know you’ve tasted the forbidden magic. You’re too much like me.”

  He smiled at the look of shock on Hades’ face. “You think you’re so difficult to read, but recklessness is the folly of youth. A folly that can be corrected.”

  “She’s been gone too long,” Hades said, sounding uncertain of his own words. “It’s not possible, even for you…”

  “Not now, that much is true,” said Cronus. “But with the power that lies beyond this world, anything is possible.”

  The vast room was so silent I could hear my own heartbeat. I still wasn’t sure what Cronus was offering, or if any of it was true, but the fact that Hades hadn’t told him to fuck off yet didn’t bode well. I knew Kore trusted him, but I was a long way from that.

  “Hades,” she called, her voice breaking with confusion. He turned to face her and the guilt that softened his gaze filled me with more doubt than anything. “He’s lying. Whatever he promises you, it’s not real.”

  “You don’t know what he’s capable of,” Hades murmured. His listless tone made it clear he wasn’t all here with us. Not anymore. “Or what I am.”

  Kore’s expression fell, but I could tell there was still part of her that didn’t want to believe him.

  “There is only so much power in the souls of the dead,” Cronus continued. “You’ve spent your whole life wishing to overthrow me, but what you truly want will always be out of reach on your own. At my side, our combined power would know no limits. Nothing in the cosmos would be denied to us.”

  “You son of a bitch,” Loki seethed. It was difficult to tell if he was addressing Hades, Cronus or both. “You’re not going to stop until there’s nothing left, are you?”

  Cronus turned to face him with a bored expression, as if a cockroach had just spoken to him. “For that bit of insolence, your world shall be the first I claim.”

  Hatred burned within Loki’s gaze, but for the moment, I was focused on Kore. She hadn’t spoken at all after what Hades had said, and I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, even if I could feel her pain through our bond. I wanted nothing more than to reach out to touch her, to comfort her, but the stone was slowly eating its way up my shoulders.

  “It’s time to make a decision,” Cronus said impatiently, turning back to Hades. “Your mother, or this insolent whore.”

  Something in me snapped at his words. “Shut your fucking mouth,” I seethed, glaring at Hades in turn. “And you. You don’t deserve her. If your mother is half the woman you seem to think she is, she should be ashamed of you.”

  Rage flashed in Hades’ eyes, but he ignored me to focus on his father. “How do I know you won’t go back on your word?”

  “You don’t,” Cronus answered. “But I have no reason to lie when I could kill you right now.”

  “Why don’t you?” Hades challenged. “Then there’d be no threat to your rule. The prophecy would fail, and you’d have no one to answer to.”

  Cronus didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be considering his answer, which was more unnerving than anything else. “You are my flesh and blood,” he finally said. “Perhaps I underestimated you until this point, but I have found you worthy of your inheritance. The choice is yours as to what it will be. Eternal life with your mother, and all the realms at your feet, or death for the sake of the fools fate has so cruelly paired you with.”

  I felt the bitter sting of his words, not for myself, but for Kore. Even worse was the fact that Hades was considering them.

  “No!” Kore cried out desperately, tears streaming down her face. Even though he was openly contemplating the idea of betraying her, there was nothing but sadness in the way she looked at him. “This isn’t you, Hades. You’re better than this. You know she’d want better for you.”

  Before he could respond, Cronus raised his staff and the stone rapidly consumed Kore’s entire body, leaving her nothing more than a statuesque representation of grief.

  “Kore!” Loki cried, straining against his prison. I did the same, to no avail.

  My heart felt like it had already been torn out of my chest and my body just hadn’t gotten the memo yet. She was gone, and the only person who could bring her back was selling us out to the devil.

  Was it really over? Had everything we’d been through and fought for really come to this? I didn’t want to believe it. Not when I’d just found her. All of them. Not when I’d finally found the place I belonged.

  Hades’ eyes filled with concern for a split second, but he soon masked it and turned away from her, as if he found the reminder of his treachery distasteful. “I’ve made my decision,” he said in a solemn tone. “I’m ready.”

  Cronus raised his head, his pale lips set in the faintest, filthiest smile I had ever seen. My stomach churned with disgust and grief. I wanted nothing more than to kill him.

  “I knew you’d choose wisely,” he said, holding the staff out to his son. “Only one of my bloodline could be strong enough to deny fate. Together, we will make our own, but first, you must finish it.”

  Hades took the staff in his hand and gazed down at it, as if he was considering its weight. He turned back toward us before setting his attention on Kore. “She is my fate,” he murmured.

  “That’s right,” said Cronus. “Which is why you must destroy her. Do you see now?”

  “Yes,” Hades answered, raising the staff as his gaze darkened. “I see perfectly.”

  “No,” I screamed as the head of the cane glowed a sick, eerie white. Rather than directing the beam at Kore, he turned and aimed it straight for Cronus’ heart. The ancient god barely had time to react in shock and horror before the blast threw him back. Seconds later, his visage turned to ash and became nothing more than dust on the stone floors.

  Chapter 23

  Hades

  The stone around Dionysus and Loki crumbled as I rushed to Kore. The stone surrounding her had already begun to crack, but the enchantment was so thorough I feared for the worst. When I took her into my arms, her body shed the broken stone like a shell, revealing her creamy skin beneath. She was limp, but soft to the touch, and she had a pulse. Mine seemed to resume only with that realization.

  “Kore,” I growled, shaking her gently. “Wake up. Please.”

  I sank to my knees with her as the others came around. A great howl pierced the silence in the room. If Fenrir had come through it, surely she would.

  “She’s breathing,” Loki said, kneeling beside me. I’d never seen that look in his eyes. True fear. “Why isn’t she waking up?”

  I didn’t have an answer. Our bond provided none, either.

  “Damn it,” I muttered, sweeping the hair out of her face. “Don’t do this to me, you bitch. Not when I’ve already fallen in love with you.”

  Her eyes fluttered and she moaned softly in her sleep. Of course that would be the thing that woke her up. I was too relieved to have the chance to look into her eyes to even be mad about it.

  “What did you just say?” she asked, still dazed.

  “I don’t repeat myself,” I snapped, pulling her into my arms and holding her as tight as I could without taking away her ability to breathe. “You gave us a fucking scare.”

  “She’s not the only one,” Dionysus said pointedly. I could tell he was as relieved as I was, even if he was trying to keep a brave face.

  “Yeah. That was a pretty convincing performance, even to me,” Loki confessed.

  “If it wasn’t, you’d still be a statue right now,” I informed him. It still hadn’t fully sunk in that my father was dead, or that I was the
one who’d killed him. I probably should have felt something, but the only thing coming up was relief. Relief and the realization that I had no fucking idea what to do now.

  “You did it,” Kore said, pulling away enough to look at me. She touched my cheek and I only realized I was in pain when the contact soothed it. Her gaze turned to sadness. “What he said about your mother… was it true? Did you really give up the chance to bring her back?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” I answered, sensing the shock coming from Loki’s direction. I turned to face him, steeling myself for the words about to come out of my mouth. “You were right. She never would have wanted that.”

  Loki gave me a faint smile. “Given the current circumstances, I’m not even going to comment on the fact that you admitted I was right about something.”

  “You kind of just did,” Dionysus pointed out.

  Loki rolled his eyes.

  A second later, Fenrir came barreling into the room, still in his monstrous form. He stopped to assess the situation, his eyes widening as they drifted to the pile of ash on the floor, but he quickly brushed it off and ran to Kore.

  She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his fur. “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she said, her voice muffled.

  The hellhound pulled back to lick her face and when I heard her indignant shrieks, it finally started to feel like things were back to normal. At least, our version of normal.

  But there was still so much left undone.

  “The realm is collapsing,” I said, standing. Dionysus helped Kore to her feet and Fenrir stayed at her side, his long tail wrapping around her protectively. He was as tall as she was at the shoulder, even standing up. “My father has already taken too much. It can’t sustain itself.”

  “We can’t stay here,” Loki said, eyeing the stone archways above us nervously. “Definitely not in here.”

  He wasn’t wrong. I led them all outside and found a sky even darker than the one I’d left.