by Lia Davis
Nyx quietly followed him, leaving Elle to tag along behind them. She’d never understand the gods. Zavier had warned her that the gods could be cruel. Although the Underworld king wasn’t cruel, at least not in his heart. His methods of dealing with people could be improved, though.
They came to a stop in front of a small stone cottage with crimson shutters accenting the windows. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Cute, small, and dark. Hades faced her and handed her a key. “This is yours. You are free to come and go as you see fit.”
“Mine? Why?”
Without blinking, he said, “You are a goddess now. So you will have a home here.”
Then he vanished.
Meeting her mother’s gaze, Elle frowned. Nyx cupped her cheek. “He likes you, and Hades doesn’t like most people.”
“Even after I attacked him.”
“That is why he likes you. You aren’t afraid to stand up for yourself. Plus, he knows you will protect your family at all costs. That kind of loyalty is rare.” Nyx gave her a small smile and motioned to the house. “After you.”
Turning, she walked down the stone path, her thoughts wandering to Zavier. Even though he was descended from Ares and a drakon and had been created to be a warrior, he possessed a pure heart. Compassion fueled his purpose. He was both a fierce fighter and a passionate friend. And a loyal mate.
“Why do you run from your fate?”
Elle faced Nyx. “I don’t run from it.”
The goddess rolled her eyes as she entered the house and closed the door. “You run. Zavier is a good male.”
“And deserves more than a daimon as a mate.”
Nyx tsked. “You are not a daimon. You’re a goddess.”
Yeah, yeah. So everyone kept telling her. Apparently, Hades had made it official by giving her a home in his domain. With a sigh, she took in her new home and smiled. The different shades of blue and cream fit her. It was warm and dark wrapped up into one.
A large fireplace that should be in a gothic mansion loomed out of the far wall, the focal point of the whole room. Zavier would like it there, too…
Banishing thoughts of Zavier, she turned to Nyx. “Besides the sun, what are my other possible weaknesses?”
“Your humanity.” Her mother frowned and walked to the back door. “No one can match your power. Your abilities have no boundaries. As you have discovered, all you have to do is desire it and it happens.”
Elle stared at Nyx. It did seem as if she could conjure things at will, as she’d found out shortly after waking that morning. Then there were the wings when she’d wished for them. It didn’t take much effort either. “I can take a shadow form, too.”
Nyx nodded. “Yes. You will also be able to call to the spirits and the dead for help when you need it. Daemons will recognize you almost instantly as an Underworld goddess. Many will mistake you for me.”
The last statement sent a chill up Elle’s spine. Something told her Nyx didn’t have many friends. “So I’ll have to be prepared to defend myself from them.”
“Most, yes. They will try to test you. Once you make a name for yourself, they should leave you be. So you’ll have to let go of your human compassion when dealing with them, as well as Garrick and anyone working for him.” Nyx held her gaze for several moments before adding, “Hades is right, you are a quick learner. You won’t need much training. But you will need to expend your energy often.”
A sense of loneliness rolled off her, making Elle’s chest tighten. Stepping forward, she extended her hand to her mother. “I can still visit on a monthly or biweekly basis to spar if you’d like.”
“I would like that.” Nyx walked to her and took her hands. “I’ll leave you to your task. Just remember, the drakon is not all there. He doesn’t trust anyone and will not admit that he has the Dagger. You will have to offer him something he doesn’t have. Just don’t go hunting him alone.”
After kissing her cheek, Nyx vanished.
Elle grinned. She’d thought she would search for the drakon while she was here. Yet the idea of having Zavier by her side warmed her. Plus, she was beginning to crave the male like an addict craves drugs. Dear gods, she was in trouble. Of losing her heart. Forever.
Chapter Seven
Zavier paced the study, curling and uncurling his hands with each step. Low growls escaped with each exhale of breath. Elle had been gone for more than twelve hours. The hardest part about the whole damned thing was that he knew where she was but couldn’t go get her. Nyx had taken her, and there was no telling when the goddess would bring his mate back.
“Stop wearing a track in the carpet. Nyx will return her soon.” Aphrodite spoke from the sofa where she flipped through a Cosmo magazine.
He faced Markus to keep from lashing out at the goddess of love. “What do we know about the second dagger?” They’d been over this before, but he needed something else to think about.
“Garrick has it and it doesn’t kill an immortal, but it will make them mortal,” Nik spoke as he walked into the study.
Zavier growled. The male had been MIA for the last several days. “Where have you been?”
Nik raised a brow and sat on the sofa next to Aphrodite. “Taking care of loose ends. Markus is aware of the reasons for my absence.”
Markus cleared his throat and added to Nik’s statement. “We need to get both daggers.”
Yeah. Zavier agreed. Garrick couldn’t possess either one. He opened his mouth then closed it as a tug on his subconscious drew his attention to the middle of the room, where Elle materialized.
She was dressed in a long, black gown and her hair cascaded over her shoulders to her waist. Her skin glowed with otherworldly power, like she’d been dusted with fine grains of glitter.
Zavier stood, staring, unable to tear his eyes off her. Like a magnet, he walked toward her and stopped when they were inches apart. “What took you so long?”
Elle let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hades gave me the tour of the Underworld and threw me off a bridge.”
“He did what?” Zavier started to push away from her, but she locked a leg around his to hold him in place.
“He did it to show me I have wings. Big, beautiful, black feather wings.” She kissed him quick on the lips then smiled at him. “I’m ready to hunt Zander down.”
Wait. She has wings? “Are you okay?”
“Never better.”
Narrowing his gaze on her, he wasn’t convinced. She was too calm, yet her scent was a mix of anxiety, anger, and fear. Then he noticed how she glanced to the window, often. The sun would be coming up soon, and he guessed she could sense it.
Turning to Markus, Zavier asked, “Is there anything you need us to do before we go?”
Markus shook his head. “Just get the Divine Dagger. Once Blair wakes, we’ll see if she knows where Rayna is and hopefully get to the female before Garrick does.”
Before Markus finished his statement, Elle grabbed Zavier’s hand and teleported them to the Underworld. When they materialized outside a small cottage, Elle twined her fingers with his and tugged him toward the door.
“I’m guessing this is yours?”
“A gift from Hades.” She opened the door and waited for him to enter.
Walking into the home, he smiled. Dark blue curtains hung from the ceiling to the floor over the windows, contrasting with the cream-colored walls and black and white marbled tile floors. The sofa and chair were covered in a light blue fabric.
Zavier turned to face Elle as she shut the door and slowly prowled toward him. Her gaze was lit up with desire. His blood heated and his cock hardened as she moved in closer. In two steps, he met her in the middle of the living room and wrapped an arm around her waist.
She let out a soft groan. “Nyx says I should expend energy often.”
His dragon growled at the playfulness in her tone. Pulling her tighter against him, he sank his fingers into her hair and gently pulled. “Then we’ll have to take care
of that.” He kissed her neck, drawing a groan from her. “As well as that need for my blood.”
Passion ignited in her eyes and her tiny fangs extended. “Yes.”
She shoved him to a seated position on the sofa then straddled him. Her eyes darkened to a deep hunter green. He ripped her gown off then gripped her hips. The urge to claim her clouded his mind. With a low growl, he said, “If we make love right now, I won’t be able to stop myself from claiming you as my mate.”
Her brows drew together, but she didn’t move. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, shaky breath. After a few moments, she willed clothes to cover her body and settled into his side, hugging him tightly. “I had a vision about you.”
His heart sank and dread tightened his chest. Had she seen his death? That would explain her reluctance to mate with him. “Tell me.”
She fingered a button on his shirt, refusing to meet his gaze. “Are you sure you want to know your future?”
With an index finger, he lifted her chin. “If it upsets you, yes. That way, we can change it.”
A tear rolled from her eye. “Over the last few months, I’ve enjoyed driving you crazy with my lack of organizational skills. Then how I ran from you…from us.” Her voice softened. “I can’t imagine the world without you.”
A lump formed in his throat. She had seen his death. “How do I die?”
“Garrick stabs you in the heart with a dagger.” She rested her head on his chest and hugged him.
Running his hand through her hair, he kissed the top of her head. “Then we make sure we get the Divine Dagger.”
Her only response was a nod.
“I’m not going anywhere.” That was a promise he intended to keep.
***
Elle eased her way down the hall to the living room of her new Underworld home. Emotions churned inside her head and heart. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and she’d gone with it like it was all part of the plan. What else could she do? As Nyx had said, “What’s done is done.” No matter how much she wanted to change it, she couldn’t. So she’d just have to buck up and deal with it.
All of it. The goddess status, the powers, and the fact that she was falling in love with a dragon.
That was why she had to get the Dagger on her own. If Zavier died, she’d live for eternity alone and brokenhearted.
When she reached the door, she stilled at Zavier’s scent. The woodsy aroma filled the room, telling her the male had been in there recently. Great. A moment later, he appeared in the archway separating the living room from the kitchen in nothing but his black jeans, the top button undone. His large, too sexy body filled up the space.
“Going somewhere, goddess?”
She folded her arms and stared at him while trying to tamp down her arousal. Damn dragon. “I was going out.”
He moved toward her then. Each stride slow like the predator he was. Gods, he was hot. Her body heated and desire rushed through her. Just one taste…
Shaking her head, she exited the house, unable to take the whirlwind of desire and confusion over the male scrambling her insides. Months of running from her fate had come to an end. Yet, she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t mate someone she didn’t love.
The front door to her house opened behind her, but she continued down the path toward the west where Nyx had said Zander liked to hang out.
“Elle,” Zavier called a moment before he reached her, gripped her upper arm, and tugged her to a stop. “Stop running from me.”
She opened her mouth to say she wasn’t, but the lie wouldn’t come. Instead, she tried to change the subject. “I’m going to find Zander and get the Dagger.”
A low growl rumbled from him. “Not without me. We do this together.”
Yeah, they’d agreed to that, but she wanted to get away from him to clear her head. Jerking her arm from his grasp, she paced away from him. “Then get dressed and come on.”
He was on her heels in moments. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted that he had conjured a shirt, and shoes, if the sound of them hitting the ground were any indication. When she glanced to him, she caught movement in the shadows. Opening her senses, she searched the area and slowed her pace.
“We have a tail.”
“Not for long, we don’t.” Elle marched over to where she sensed the daemon hiding behind a large boulder. The thump of his heart was like a beacon, leading her straight to him, even though he blended into his surroundings.
She got within two feet of the daemon she had been tracking, and four daemons stepped out from the dark shadows cast by the homes and buildings. The two in the middle were the tallest and looked like they could be brothers, they had the same blond hair and crimson eyes. Their skin had a golden hue. The daemons on the ends were more human-like with short, black hair and brown eyes.
Once the welcoming party of four appeared, the one she tracked ran away. That was when she noticed that he was young. Maybe in his teens, or at least he looked that way. You never knew with the way daemons aged. The others had used him to lure her to that spot. “You got my attention. What do you want?”
The male to the far right, the tallest one with long, white-blond hair, spoke, “Wanted to welcome you to our realm.”
The way he spat the word our told her they didn’t like her there. Or they were threatened by her power. Well, tough. “I’m touched. I’ll be sure to let Hades know about all the love.”
Behind her, Zavier let out a low growl of warning then moved to stand beside her. The brothers in the middle hissed at the same time and stepped forward. Blondie on the right, the one who’d spoken earlier, motioned to Zavier. “He doesn’t belong here.”
Elle fisted her hands. Her mate belonged anywhere she was. Knowing she wasn’t going to get anywhere by talking to them, she held up a hand, conjured a softball-size fireball, and then threw it at them, hitting the mouth of the group in the chest. He screamed as fire covered him.
Human compassion is your weakness. These daemons wouldn’t show you any. She chanted the words in her mind, not letting emotions overtake her actions. She needed to send a message to the Underworld residents that she wouldn’t be bullied.
The males on the ends slowly backed up, but Elle formed another fireball. “I wouldn’t go anywhere if I were you. Zavier here is itching to take a few of you bastards out.”
The other blond must have thought she was bluffing because the male charged at her. He didn’t get within a yard of her before Zavier tackled him, one arm around his neck as they hit the ground.
Elle flinched at the snap of the daemon’s neck. Don’t show weakness, Elle. Focusing on the burning daemon, she willed the fire away. Once the flames dissolved, she froze the male on the spot. Nyx hadn’t been lying when she’d said that Elle’s powers were limitless.
With a bitter laugh, Elle walked closer to the daemon. All the while, his charred skin started to heal itself. Pain etched his face as well as anger. “You see, I’m still learning what I’m capable of. I’d love to stay and play with you to see just how powerful I am, but I have things to do and a drakon to see.”
Just then, the male’s eyes widened and he glanced over her shoulder. A large shadow fell over them. She sensed it was a dragon. No, it was a drakon. The next moment, a large claw grabbed blondie and snatched him up.
Elle squeezed her eyes shut at the sound of bones crutching. She knew the daemon was between the drakon’s teeth. Drops of warm liquid hit her cheek and arms. Gross. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to know if it was blood or drool. Probably both.
When everything fell silent, she opened her eyes, noting the two remaining daemons running away, then turned to face the large two-headed drakon. He was beautiful in a gothic, dark kind of way. His coloring reminded her of the stone gargoyles on top of the mansion in Maine. Iridescent waves of brown reflected on the surface of his scales.
“Zander?”
Both heads looked down at her then tilted to the side. “Nyx? You look different.” They
inhaled and added, “And smell different.”
Zavier moved up beside her, catching the drakon’s attention. He snorted out a puff of smoke then waved a claw at Zavier. Elle’s heart pounded as her mate disappeared. “Where did you send him?”
“I don’t talk to him. Only you.”
He picked her up and tossed her on his back before walking down the path. “Zander, answer my question. Where did he go?”
“Sent him home. I no talk to him.”
Great. Zavier was going to be pissed. Meanwhile, she apparently had a date with a two-headed drakon. Life was getting better by the moment.
Chapter Eight
Seth sat in a high-back chair next to Blair’s bed, staring at a photo of Rayna on the teen’s phone. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes. The scent of his mate lingered on Blair. Until the girl had been brought to the mansion a few hours ago, Seth hadn’t understood his intense reaction to both Blair and Rayna. To protect. Something deep inside him pushed him to find Rayna before Garrick did so that he could keep her safe.
As he sat, listening to Blair’s slow, peaceful breaths as she slept, he flipped through her phone for signs of where Rayna could be. However, he didn’t find her number. That made him wonder if Blair had deleted it from her phone. Or maybe she’d never kept it in the contacts to begin with.
When he opened the photos, he stilled and stared at the two of them, cheek-to-cheek, smiling as Blair took a selfie. Rayna was beautiful.
Mine.
He agreed with the dragon. Rayna was theirs.
A soft groan followed by a yawn pulled his attention to Blair. She opened her eyes, met his gaze, and then scrambled off the bed. Her eyes were wide and the sour scent of fear rolled off her. “Who…who are you? Where am I?”
Seth placed the phone on the bed and raised his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture, to show her he meant her no harm. “You are safe.”