Ares looked at me curiously, and ignored my mother’s requests to stay silent. He glanced at her and continued speaking.
“We aren’t sure how a mortal apocalypse would affect you, moon princess. We’re fairly certain that if Zeus destroyed the moon and the sun in order to destroy the mortal world, it would mean a slow death for you and Brennan… but it would also certainly kill Apollo and it would affect many others, as well. We’re not certain if Zeus would do it, if he would risk it. He doesn’t know how the absence of the mortal world would affect us a whole. We have long since known that our emotions and actions affect the mortal world. How much does it truly affect us, though? No one knows.”
Ares’ words started running together as soon as he had made his point about Brennan and I. Why had I never considered that option? It was the most simple of plans… but Ares was still correct. No one knew how it would affect the Olympians and because of that, we might be safe.
“Without the sun or the moon, there would be no light,” I said haltingly, my heart beating a little faster now at the mere thought. “There would be utter darkness everywhere. Surely Zeus can think of a better way to wage war than that.”
“Oh, most likely,” Ares said, biting into a huge leg of turkey. “He will most likely not try it. There are a hundred other things he could do.” And Ares turned his attention back to the others, discussing these many ways that Zeus could try to kill us all. Ares was excited by the notion, I could tell.
I was not. I suddenly felt sick that Zeus could dim the light of the entire universe with a whim. No wonder Hades had been saying that his tyranny needed to end. I pushed away from the table.
“I need some air,” I told Brennan, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Do you want me to come?” Brennan asked in concern, starting to get up.
“No, I’m fine. Finish your breakfast. I’ll be right back.”
He nodded reluctantly, but let the matter drop. I could feel his eyes on my back as I walked out onto the terrace. I inhaled the fresh air deeply, enjoying the scents of the many different flowers. But none of the delectable scents or the beauty surrounding me could take my mind off of what I had just learned.
Brennan and I could quite literally be obliterated at Zeus’ mere whim. He had never needed us to kill each other at all… he simply thought that would be more entertaining. He could wipe us out so very easily. It was sickening and disheartening.
“A penny for your thoughts?”
Hades stepped onto the terrace, a glass of nectar in his slender fingers.
“You wouldn’t want my thoughts,” I told him. “They aren’t pretty or entertaining.”
“I can imagine,” he told me sympathetically. “It will be alright, Empusa. Together, we will stand against him and finally, we will prevail.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked him doubtfully.
He looked at me thoughtfully as he crossed the terrace. “Have you ever heard of the Fountain of Truth?” he asked.
“No.”
“It is a fountain that I happen to have in my possession…on this very terrace in fact. It has the ability to show truth to those who drink from its refreshing waters. It might show things that have happened, or are happening or will happen in the future. But whatever it shows you is relevant in some significant way to you.”
I remembered seeing him drinking from a fountain just yesterday, from a plain tin cup.
“You drank from it yesterday, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “Yes, I did. And that is how I can be so sure that we will prevail.”
“What did you see?” I asked hesitantly. “Do you know if any of us die fighting Zeus?”
“I didn’t see that,” he answered solemnly. “Although the odds would suggest that some of us will die. But this fight is worth the risk, Em.”
I knew that was true. But it didn’t keep me from wanting to know if any of my loved ones would perish.
“What did you see?” I asked again.
Hades was silent for a moment as he stared pensively into space. He swirled his nectar around the bottom of his glass before he finally spoke.
“I didn’t see the actual war,” he admitted. “I saw what life appears to be like afterward. It is peaceful and pleasant… perfect, really.”
“Perfect?”
“Yes. It seems to be so. At least for me. I couldn’t see anyone else. Would you like to drink and see what it will show you?”
I nodded. I both wanted and didn’t want to see what it would show me.
I approached the old fountain hesitantly with Hades and stood as he dipped the plain cup into the icy cold waters. He brought it to me, the water dripping down the sides of the cup. I took it from him and without hesitation, I sipped the water.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then, my thoughts were consumed with visions so clear that they seemed to be happening right in front of me.
I saw Ares swinging a sword, fighting in a bloody battle.
I saw Aphrodite crying on an ornate chair, her eyes red and bloodshot.
I saw Harmonia and Cadmus fighting side-by-side behind Ares.
I saw the Amazons yelling as they rode into battle.
The scene was most certainly one of war. There was screaming and blood and the loud clang of weapons being hurled and struck. In the sky, a blood red sun hung low. It was as crimson as it could be and as I watched, blood dripped into the sky and leaked onto the earth below. This vision was strange. Clearly the bloody sun was a metaphor for something. The sun couldn’t actually bleed.
And then I saw Brennan.
He was fighting as hard as anyone else, his muscular body glistening with sweat as he heaved a heavy silver sword. Blood streaked down his arms from wounds that he had sustained, superficial, non-threatening wounds. I covered my mouth with my hand as I watched the fierce expression on his face. War had changed him into a man, that was for certain. His eyes were jaded as he fought, something I’d hoped I would never see. I had wanted him to always keep his youthful outlook.
And then I gasped. More startling than Brennan’s skills in war was the person whom he was fighting beside.
Armed with an identical sword, Apollo fought by Brennan’s side.
My eyes flew to Hades as the tin cup fell from my hands and clanged on the stone terrace tiles. Apollo was on Zeus’ side. Why would Brennan be fighting with him?
“I know not,” Hades answered my silent question. “And I believe we will not know for some time to come, until all of the truths of this war are revealed to us. Come, do not dwell on it now, daughter. Let us rejoin the others. There is much to discuss.”
I nodded silently, still not able to trust my voice. Surely Brennan wouldn’t defect to Zeus’ side. Surely, he wouldn’t. He would never leave me. He promised.
I walked slowly back to my seat and Brennan smiled.
“I was starting to worry,” he said, stroking my hand lightly. “You were taking awhile.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” I answered. “I was just talking to Hades.”
Brennan nodded, satisfied, and continued to stroke my hand. I watched his fingers moving absently as I thought about what I’d seen. There had to be an explanation for it, something that I just didn’t know yet. Brennan would never forsake me. Not ever. If he was fighting with Apollo, there had to be a valid reason. Hades was right. All would be revealed in due time. The only thing certain right now was that there was going to be a war.
And I knew who would be fighting with me. I looked around the table at each earnest face. That much was certain, too. Everyone here would fight for me.
I looked down at Brennan’s hands again and focused on his black wedding ring.
Time is nothing…Love is everything.
Time would tell. Time would tell who would live, who would die and who would turn against us. Until then, we just had to hold on to those that we loved and everything that we held dear. That was all that we could do.
And then when the time came, we would fight for what we believed in… we would fight for our lives.
Hopefully, we would win.
The End
If you have enjoyed Soul Bound, please watch for the exciting conclusion to the Moonstone Saga…Princess of the Night.
Coming soon.
About the Author
Courtney Cole is a novelist who live near Lake Michigan with her small domestic zoo (aka family), her favorite cashmere socks and her pet iPad. To learn more about Courtney, please visit her website: www.courtneycolewrites.com
Other books by Courtney Cole:
The Bloodstone Saga:
Every Last Kiss
Fated
With My Last Breath
My Tattered Bonds
The Moonstone Saga:
Soul Kissed
Soul Bound
Princess of the Night (Coming Soon)
An American Princess series:
Princess
Guardian
If you are enjoying the Moonstone Saga, you might also like The Bloodstone Saga… the story that started it all. Please continue reading to read an excerpt from Every Last Kiss.
Book One of The Bloodstone Saga
Every Last Kiss
PROLOGUE
Alexandria, Egypt
The Mausoleum of Queen Cleopatra and Marc Antony
30 BC
“Charmian! Is there any sign of her?”
I hurriedly rushed back from the outer room of the mausoleum, looking nervously over my shoulder as my bare feet padded lightly on the cool stone floor.
“No, my queen. Only the guards.”
Queen Cleopatra nodded solemnly, her golden armbands glistening in the lamplight. She rose from her perch on a jeweled chaise lounge and gazed sadly at the golden sarcophagus that glittered mutely in front of her. Ornate and beautiful, it held the remains of her husband. Lovingly, she slid her hands along the golden shell that would protect him for eternity.
From the open windows of the outer chambers, the tangy sea breeze blew softly into the inner rooms and I found myself wishing that it could carry me away, somewhere far from here. I fingered the birthmark on my wrist. It was not throbbing, not even an ache, and I knew that I would not be leaving this crypt.
A sudden, soft knock on the doors echoed in the quiet room, causing both of us to whip around. Tension immediately formed in my neck. This was it. It had to be. Cleopatra squared her shoulders, then bent to brush a soft kiss on the golden mask covering Marc Antony’s face.
“Forgive me, my love,” she murmured.
There was another low knock and I felt my shoulders ripple with the stress that they carried as Cleopatra reached out to grasp my hand.
“Iras, love… could you answer that?” Cleopatra whispered. She squeezed my hand tightly, but I barely noticed.
Cleopatra’s other handmaiden nodded obediently and slipped silently from the room to answer the door. She returned a scant moment later with a tiny shriveled woman who looked not a day younger than 200 years old. The glinting eyes that stared from under her brown hood were ageless, full of wisdom and I felt my heart begin to race. It was time. There was no doubt.
Cleopatra squared her shoulders, her face a perfect regal mask as she walked purposely toward the old woman.
“Do you have it?”
“Yes, your highness,” the old woman rasped throatily.
She held out a woven reed basket. I wouldn’t have thought it was big enough to conceal anything and apparently the Roman guards hadn’t either. Nowadays, they checked everything that came in for the queen.
I rushed to Cleopatra’s side and we peered into the interior of the basket together. It was full of plump figs and I inhaled their sweet, heavy scent. My eyes raised questioningly to the old healer.
She nodded at my unspoken question. “It is hidden under the figs.”
“How long will it take?” Cleopatra whispered, her voice not reflecting even a bit of the fear that raced through my veins.
“Only a few moments. No longer.” The healer’s faded eyes searched Cleopatra’s bright ones. “You must be certain, your highness. Once the poison enters your body, there can be no turning back.”
Cleopatra nodded. “No, there is no turning back, old woman.”
The healer nodded gravely and held out the basket as if it were an offering. Cleopatra took it and sank back into her chaise lounge, staring absently at the opulence surrounding her as she reached into the basket, withdrawing a fig. Slipping it into her mouth, she chewed it delicately, then smiled.
“Delicious,” she announced, swallowing calmly.
She eyed the basket again pensively. I sucked in my breath. It was time. I felt it coming, the air crackled with it. Death was an unseen presence in the room, waiting for our last breaths.
Reaching into the basket once again, Cleopatra withdrew a long, thin black snake. It draped itself along her arm and she stared into its black slitted eyes.
“You will take me to the afterlife,” she instructed it firmly. “And do it quickly.”
Leaning back into the silk cushions, she shook the snake lightly. It hissed, its large mouth yawning open ominously, revealing glistening fangs. As it stared at her, one drop of deadly venom dripped from its mouth. Nothing more. Impatient, Cleopatra shook it again. It struck her so quickly that I barely had time to register the movement before I heard her gasp.
“It is done then,” she murmured, dropping the snake once again into the basket. I flew to her side, my arms around her slender shoulders. Two drops of blood dripped from her breast.
“Cleopatra…” My voice broke as pain flooded through me.
“Charmian, do not fear. We have done what we must. All is well.”
Her obsidian eyes met mine and I saw peace in them. My breath caught in my throat just as she drew her last. Her lips quivered and then she was still, her dark eyes staring sightlessly at me. My heart shattered silently.
“All is well,” I whispered as I reached out and gently closed her eyes. “Is it? Is it well where you are now, my queen?”
Her face was peaceful and even in death, she was beautiful. I swallowed hard as I looked up at Iras. She was shaking her head in grief as she rocked back on her heels. The old woman watched me silently, waiting to see what I would do, waiting to see if I would follow our queen.
Shakily, I picked up the basket and reached inside. The snake’s body was surprisingly dry, not scaly in the slightest. It writhed beneath my hand, agitated already. My fingers closed around it determinedly, pulling it back out into the light.
Staring into its flat black eyes, I implored it softly.
“Please be quick.”
And it was.
CHAPTER ONE
Pasadena, California
Present Day
The country music singer’s spunky voice ripped through the silence in my room as she began singing loudly from my nightstand, causing my phone to vibrate against the espresso colored wood. I smiled. The lyrics about demolishing a cheating ex-boyfriend’s car with a baseball bat was tempting. Too tempting. I answered my phone before I got any more ideas.
“Stop obsessing.”
Jessa’s voice was authoritative and bossy. And so on the money that it was ridiculous, not that she needed to know that. Even as she spoke, my eyes were glued to my computer screen where Derek’s face grinned at me. His perfectly mussed blonde hair draped just-so over his green eyes, and I shuddered. Cheater.
“I don’t know what you mean,” I sniffed, trying my best to sound both innocent and offended at the same time.
I could practically hear my best friend roll her eyes through the phone.
“Macy.” One word, perfectly conveyed disbelief. I sighed.
“Okay, fine. There might be a small amount of obsessive behavior going on. How did you know?”
“Because I’ve known you since kindergarten, that’s how. Mace, seriously. Anyone who would do what he did isn’t worth the time that it take
s to obsess over him. Instead of wasting your time going over every detail, and yes, I know that’s what you are doing, you should be plotting your revenge. And I mean, in a big way.”
Apparently, she hadn’t heard my new ringtone. I was way ahead of her on that one.
“Yeah, I should totally get on that.” I tried to sound innocent again.
“Have you showered yet?”
I looked down at my unwashed body clad in old sweats and nodded.
“Yep. Why?”
Loud sigh, long pause.
“Macy, jump in the shower. I’ll be over in two.”
And she was gone. And since she only lived two streets over, I knew that I literally only had two minutes to shower before she arrived and saw for herself that I had lied. I dropped the phone and ran for the bathroom.
2.5 minutes later, I was still rinsing the conditioning balm out of my hair when her smug voice drifted through the steam.
“So, how’s that shower coming along?”
Did I mention that my BFF is a total snot?
“Does the word ‘annoying’ mean anything to you?” I shot over the shower wall.
“Yeah, um, I would think that after taking a pumice stone to yourself last night, that that hot water probably feels pretty annoying, doesn’t it?”
She was right again. Yesterday, after someone had ‘mistakenly’ texted me a video of my boyfriend Derek doing the nasty with Tara Wilson at Haley Beckman’s party last weekend, I had felt the urgent need to vigorously (and I mean vigorously!) wash every place that Derek had ever touched me.
It had taken a while.
I had stayed in the shower with my loofah, scrubbing myself until the water turned cold and my skin was bright pink, until I was certain that I had scrubbed away any memory of his touch. And Jess was right. My skin was a little sensitive (and still pink) today. The hot water was annoying right now, to say the least.
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