Hate

by Gemma Brocato

  Finn darted a look at his dad, looking for confirmation. Yeah, it was in the man’s eyes. And his mother’s. It would probably be in John’s as well, if his brother ever roused from the stupor induced by forced occupancy and subsequent separation from Pierus. Stan Finnegan was clearly not his true father.

  But Mars?

  He didn’t have a second to contemplate the idea. The air in the room shivered and shimmered, then tightened hard on his body. Four more people burst into the tiny ten by ten room.

  Twenty-Two

  Aerie’s senses had gone on high alert the second Mars blasted a demand to meet him at DCPD’s headquarters. Something was going down, and she was certain it had Pierus’s name all over it. Worry for Finn’s safety rode hard on her entire being as she and Phillip joined Mars and Zeus, streaking through the Hollow like bats out of hell.

  When they burst into the interrogation room, her suspicions were confirmed. Finn and Anson faced off against Pierus.

  She’d known the challenge wasn’t at an end, no matter how much she wished it.

  Finn’s face was a hard mask of anger. She blew him a kiss loaded with calming vibes, relieved to see her nudge take effect, easing the hard lines bracketing his mouth.

  Mars and Phillip took up defensive positions on either side of Finn and Anse. Mars grabbed Finn’s left arm while Phillip laid his left hand on Anse’s right shoulder. Power arced like electricity, surging from both directions. The pulse roaring visibly in the center of Finn’s chest slowed, but grew in intensity. Bright blue tethers extended from Finn’s fingers, snaked across the small table, over the heads of the man and woman sitting as still as stones, and encircled Pierus’s chest. Caught in the snare, Pierus clawed at the strands with one hand.

  Aerie stepped over a body prone on the floor, praying the human wasn’t dead. Focusing all her energy on her fingers, she wrapped them around Pierus’s wrist and dragged the deity’s hand from the silently sobbing woman frozen before him. Pierus jerked, but failed to escape her grip. Zeus crowded around Pierus and locked his hands around Aerie’s forearms.

  “Pierus, you go too far,” Zeus intoned, his voice like rolling thunder in the room. He tipped his head back and inhaled deeply. Forcing the breath out, he bounced it off the ceiling, aiming it toward her.

  A sharp sting hit the crown of Aerie’s head. Heavy, potent strength blasted through her core. She centered it on the point of contact between her and Pierus, not bothering to temper or dampen the electric force. Her arm vibrated with the barely contained surge. She unleashed her pent-up emotions: fear, loathing, and yeah, hate, into her hand.

  An inhuman wail rent the air. Pierus howled and shuddered as she unloaded on him. His voice died to a whimper. “I concede this one challenge.”

  Aerie didn’t register the words and continued to pulse fire and anger into the god. She was done. He’d turned one of her sisters against her, tried to destroy a happy couple by turning his pet Lykos loose on Lily. He’d done his best to destroy all of her hard work in this lifetime by tearing apart marriages she’d helped to forge. He’d turned small demonstrations into melees, and melees into riots. Aerie cranked all those things into a forceful stab at Pierus’s center. Where his heart would reside, if he had one.

  Smoke rose from the center of Pierus’ chest. The deity crashed to his knees, thrashing on the ground. And still Aerie didn’t release her grip. The flesh under her hands sizzled and blistered.

  Strong arms wrapped around her chest, gently pulling her backward. Finn’s voice finally broke through the haze of violence drowning her. “Aerie. Enough. He’s down now. He’s conceded.” He brushed a kiss against her ear. “Come on, princess. He’s done.”

  “For now.” But he’d only conceded this challenge. Four of her sisters had yet to face him.

  Chest heaving, Aerie mentally unlocked her fingers, then physically released her punishing grip on Pierus’s arm. The bones in her hand crackled and popped.

  Pierus writhed on the floor. The excess electricity flowing through his system like a raging torrent made him flop about like a fish in the bottom of a boat. The stench of burned flesh laid heavy in the air.

  Rearing back against Finn, Aerie sucked in a breath. Energy stores nearly depleted, she would have toppled to the ground next to Pierus if not for Finn’s strong arms. She turned and buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his unique fragrance, sage and a hint of citrus. He hugged her tightly, stroking one hand along her spine, as though he wanted to share the calm she’d nudged into him. Goddess knew she needed some peace. The strength of her rage had frightened her, and left her cold as it receded.

  Behind her, Anson squatted next to the man on the floor and pressed his fingers to the man’s neck, seeking a pulse. “He’s alive.”

  The woman’s relieved sob gave way to a startled gasp as Mars approached her, a curious look on his face, his arm extended.

  The gray-haired man seated next to her shoved up from his chair and took a menacing step toward Mars. “Stay the hell away from my wife!”

  To Aerie’s surprise, Mars stopped. “Nice to see you again, Teresa. Are you well?”

  The woman’s watery smile and quick nod made the other man growl. He clamped his hand around Teresa’s shoulder and squeezed hard enough to make her moan. This wasn’t a marriage Aerie had inspired. She knew when a woman was in danger of being abused, and this woman had clearly suffered at the hands of this man.

  Aerie prepared to blow a kiss to the heavy-handed jerk, but Mars narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist toward him. The guy’s hand flew free from Teresa’s shoulder and he stumbled backward.

  Zeus leaned against the wall, but kept one foot on Pierus’s chest, holding him in place. “Who are these people to you, Mars?”

  “Finn’s mother, and her husband,” Mars barked. He spared a look at Finn. “This man is not your father.”

  “Yeah, Pierus said as much.” Finn’s chest rumbled under her cheek as he spoke. He drew her closer, settled his arms more firmly around her.

  At a signal from Zeus, Phillip and Anson grasped Pierus under the arms and hauled him to his feet. Zeus waited a beat, then waved his hands over Finn’s parents, placing them in a temporary stasis. “We’ll deal with them in a moment. But first things first.” He straightened away from the wall, and approached Pierus. “Aerie’s challenge is now over. Once again you have lost. I strongly urge you to desist in your pursuit of Olympus. You will never take the helm of the company I’ve spent thousands of years building. Withdraw your challenge and I will only strip your immortality. If you insist on pursuing this ill-advised course, your life will be forfeit at the instant my last daughter defeats your last child.”

  Aerie prayed the threat would be enough to get the old geezer to cease. She might have had to face Hate, but it would be nice if the remaining four Muses would be spared from dealing with the shit Pierus loved to dish out.

  Clutching his injured arm to his chest, Pierus sneered. “And when I win, I promise to end the existence of your daughters in the most painful way. I will strip you of your powers, but let you hold on to your immortality, so that for eternity you will witness my domination of the universe.” He jerked his other arm free from the partisans’ grips and drew himself up to his full height. “You will not be able to stop me.”

  Zeus shook his head and jabbed a finger into Pierus’s skinny chest. “The Oracle has been consulted and she agrees with Dice’s ruling that a cooling off period is necessary. Under the laws of the Pantheon, you are hereby notified that for the foreseeable future, you may not embark on a new contest with any of the four remaining Muses. Violation of this mandate will lead to severe consequences. Do you understand?”

  Pierus knocked Zeus’s hand away and shifted to mist form. As he slipped into the Hollow, he shouted, “I am no longer bound by the laws of your world. I make my own rules.”

  “Phillip, follow him,” Mars ordered. “Report back as to where he goes. We want to keep an eye on him.”


  Phillip nodded, bent slightly at the waist, and then blasted away into the Hollow.

  “Uh—if you don’t need me, I’ll go make sure no one noticed the shenanigans in here,” Anson offered. At Mars’s curt nod, Anson also bowed and took his leave.

  The cloaking Finn had placed had begun shimmering. Aerie swirled her own energy around his to reinforce the shield in place to fool mortals into believing nothing out of the ordinary was happening. With the stroke of her force on his, heat pooled low in her belly. She’d joined her energy with immortals before, but never experienced this kind of erotic side effect. Maybe that was because she loved Finn.

  “Shall we finish this so we can remove the thrall from the mortals?” Zeus swept around the other side of the table. The chair legs scraped the linoleum as he pulled the chair out and took a seat. “Mars? You will explain the nature of your relationship to Finn’s parents. And be quick, Mnemosyne will be arriving within minutes.”

  Mars shifted from foot to foot. Aerie couldn’t remember ever seeing him nervous, but he was certainly acting that way.

  He cleared his throat, and pointed at Teresa. “I met Michael’s mother thirty-three years ago.” His expression softened and his voice gentled. “It is no excuse, but Aphrodite and I were arguing because she kept flirting with Eros. So I descended from Olympus and found Teresa. Her beauty rivaled that of any immortal. I seduced her. Stan, her husband, found us in bed. I asked Mnemosyne to erase their memories of the incident, and she did. Aphrodite and I reconciled and I didn’t think of Teresa again.”

  “Hang on,” Finn said. He eased away from Aerie and jammed his fists on his hips. “You slept with my mom, erased her memory and just left?”

  Mars actually hung his head. “Not my finest moment. I hadn’t done that since Cleopatra.”

  Jerking his head back, Finn paused. “Seriously?”

  “I’ve lived a very long time. It happens.” Mars shrugged. He continued, “I must assume that I left Teresa with child. You, Michael. The Nixae took care of you, guiding you, but keeping you a secret from me. I swear to you, three weeks ago was the first time I was aware of you. Had your Nixae lived, she would have noticed the failing block on your father’s memories. I have consulted with Mnemosyne, and she believes disjointed memories are what caused Stan to abuse your mother. And her intermittent recollection of our indiscretion is what caused her to remain with the man. Despite you pleading for her to leave.”

  “How do you know all of this, Mars?” Zeus demanded.

  Dull red washed into Mars’s already ruddy complexion. “I asked Mnemosyne to conduct a survey of their memories. She was discreet. But Pierus must have had spies and took this as an opportunity to further his challenge. My belief is he meant to use Michael’s inborn hate of his father to provoke a violent reaction, perhaps even death. By removing Michael, he could guarantee Aerie’s defeat.”

  It made sense. Aerie couldn’t have won the challenge without Finn. She sure as hell didn’t want to face the rest of this existence without him in her life. She twined her fingers through his. He was different from the men who’d helped her sisters. They’d started off as mortal and ended with a touch of divinity, thanks to Zeus’s generosity and his love for his children.

  Finn was the son of a god. He already had the gift of extended life. He’d turned the corner and discovered true love did exist. He’d professed to love her as she loved him.

  “Dad,” she began, knowing he’d recognize her use of the word meant something sincere and emotional. “You gifted my sisters’ mates with a parallel existence to the lifecycle of the Muses.” She hesitated, not sure what she needed from her father. She slipped under Finn’s arm and placed a hand on his chest.

  “Ask it, daughter.” Zeus’s tone was gruff, but a benevolent smile lurked in his eyes.

  Before she could ask Zeus how her eternity with Finn might work, an angry pulse of energy rent the air and Mnemosyne blinked in from the Hollow. She bowed to Zeus, then glanced at Stan and Teresa, eyes widening. She turned a glare on Mars. “I knew this would come back to bite me. I’m on overtime now. Keep that in mind when you receive my bill. A generous tip might be in order.” The goddess clucked her tongue and scurried to Stan’s side. She placed her hands on the crown of his head.

  “Wait.” Finn let loose of Aerie’s hand and walked to his mom. “I know this is probably wrong to ask, but can you instill a memory in my mom to stand up to Stan? I want her to hold her own against him in the future. And while you’re at it, can you reinforce the block on his memory of her and Mars? Take away his reason to hit her? And maybe…” He flicked a glance toward Mars. “Could you move them back to their home and make them forget they came here today?”

  He’d said he didn’t love them, but he wanted his mother’s torment eased. He wanted the man he’d believed to be his father to never touch his wife in anger again. The man’s capacity for love touched her heart in a way nothing ever had. Not in any of her lifetimes.

  Mnemosyne gave him a soft smile and reached up to pat his cheek. “For you, dear, anything. This time I’ll make sure it sticks.” She beckoned Mars to her side. “You owe me. You can help me move them through the Hollow.”

  Mars grumbled, but he complied. He stopped next to Finn. “I am sorry for the pain my carelessness has brought upon you.”

  Finn lifted one shoulder. “You didn’t know.”

  “If Zeus is willing to allow your immortality, I will make it up to you.”

  “I’m willing to let you.”

  “I am agreeable to my daughter’s wish, even though she hasn’t spoken it yet.” Zeus lifted off the chair and sauntered toward her. He pressed his forehead to hers and whispered directly into her mind. “You’ve done well, my child. In defeating Pierus, you’ve saved mortals from the most insidious of fates. You and Finn. I see the consuming love you have for him, and I believe he returns that same emotion ten-fold. If you wish to be his mate for all eternity, and he is willing to accept my gift, I will freely bestow it on him.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I believe I can convince him to take it.” Emotion swelled within her body. Her father had agreed to give her the one thing her heart desired most. Each new existence would come with the promise of the kind of passionate, all powerful love she’d craved for thousands of years.

  She’d found the man she wanted to spend eternity with.

  Keeping her eyes on Finn, she recognized the shades of mist as the other immortals shifted into the void. She’d done her job and mortals were now safe from the evils Pierus’s magpie daughters represented.

  At least, they would be until he resurfaced with his next challenge.

  While she could hope he’d honor the Oracle’s decree that his take-over attempt needed to be vetted and the legality of the contest determined, she sincerely questioned whether the old deity was scrupulous enough to abide by the rules set forth.

  It didn’t seem likely.

  Finn returned to her side, and wrapped around her from behind. His breath tickled her ear. “So, do I call Mars daddy?” His chuckle wrapped around her heart and squeezed. “Or better yet—how about if I ask Zeus if I can call him dad?”

  Aerie’s breath caught in her throat. Finn placed his hands on her hips and turned her to face him. Staring into his soulful brown eyes, she lost herself.

  He flicked a gaze toward Zeus, then back to her. Lowering his head, he hovered his mouth a breath away from hers and whispered, “I didn’t know how to love until you. Everything had iced over in me because of the abuse Stan heaped on my mom, because of the violence I saw all around me with my job. But the day I met you, my heart started to thaw. Say you’ll be mine, Aerie. I’m a better man for loving you.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “I’ve never felt the kind of love I have for you. In all my lifetimes, I’ve sought it, missed it.” She traced her fingers over his jaw. “And now that I’ve found it with you, I never want to be without it. You are my inspiration. Yes, Finn, I’m yours. Today, tomorrow, and for all eterni
ty.”

  Thank you for reading Hate

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