Flame's Embrace

by Pillar, Amanda

  I had no idea how we’d all gotten together again when there had been a rift between the lot of us, but the unity was palpable. We’d all been through so much this past year, and like me, they probably didn’t want to keep arguing. We all had so much more fun when we got along. And their energies mingling with mine was powerful as fuck.

  “Are you going to fight me?” Zeus snapped, his shoulders rising.

  “If I have to,” I replied, lifting my chin.

  “And you think you’ll survive?” he mocked.

  I nodded. “I’m fighting for something I love. And love is stronger than everything, even Death.”

  X and Hades had taught me that.

  “Them?” Zeus said with a chuckle. “You reckon you love them enough that you can defeat me?”

  I shook my head. “I love them, yeah. Sure. But I’m not fighting you for them. Or because of them. This is for the humans. I love them, Zeus. I want to be with them. They are a part of me, as much as I am a part of them. I won’t die for the gods. But I will die for my people.”

  Zeus stared at Poseidon and then Hades. “And you will defy your brother?”

  “Anytime,” Hades retorted without hesitation, but that was to be expected. When I looked at Poseidon, he nodded with confidence, too. That was a surprise.

  “Maybe it’s time we stop fucking up people’s lives just because we can,” Poseidon offered.

  Zeus shook his head. “Big talk, brother. But Elyse isn’t walking away from this unless she walks straight to Mount Olympus.”

  “No,” I yelled.

  Zeus’ nostrils flared, breathing nosily, baring his teeth in a show of anger. This was all about control, I realized. It wasn’t about me; it was about not losing control of everything. But I didn’t belong to Zeus. The gods didn’t own me. When Zeus charged me, I was right there with him. I ran headlong toward him. I had no weapons, and he was the god of the gods.

  But I knew what I was fighting for. And I would fight until I had nothing left.

  Zeus and I collided in a flash of white light that blinded me. A raging inferno just like on Mount Olympus flared around us, like a beast ready to devour us. Heat seared through me as if I had swallowed a bolt of lightning and the sound was deafening.

  I stumbled, losing my footing, sure that it was all over. My heart thumped so hard in my chest, my skin rippling with dread. This was it—I’d die my final death. After fighting to stay alive for so long, facing Death, and now this final blow came unexpectedly. And from the god who’d given me his power in the first place. I wanted to laugh at the irony, but all I could think about were the four men who’d stolen my heart and I couldn’t lose them.

  When I hit the tarmac with my hands and knees, the light and fire disappeared and darkness wrapped itself around me once again. Gone was the heat, replaced with a chill. The streetlights came into focus, and then the four gods were next to me, their expressions tainted with worry.

  “Elyse, are you okay?” Poseidon grabbed my arm and helped me to my feet.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.” I was perfectly fine, actually. “But what just happened? I thought he killed me with his lightning.”

  “That wasn’t Zeus’s lightning,” Ares said, staring at Apollo, who nodded. “That was all you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “No god has ever laid down their life for a human for an eternity. No one except Heracles. And he was the only god who was allowed to live on Earth without rules and regulations. And now, there’s you.”

  My skin broke out in goosebumps. Had I really done it? Though part of me couldn’t help but wonder if Zeus had known all along, and in his usual way, had pushed and pushed until I’d done what came naturally to me. The reason why I had to remain on Earth.

  So, had I figured out who I was and what I wanted? And the guys had all decided what they wanted, too.

  Me. And you know what? I was a pretty good bet. I wanted me, too.

  Chapter Ten

  Weeks Later

  Now that I was allowed to stick around on Earth without the gods breathing down my neck about my decision, my life returned to normal. Except it also didn’t.

  Somehow, by being willing to sacrifice myself for the humans, my power had reached a new level yet again. Was there an end to what I could unlock? I didn’t know, but for the first time in too long, not knowing didn’t scare me. It left me excited to discover what exactly I was capable of.

  I didn’t know if I was immortal or not, either. There were still a lot of questions.

  But I did have the guys with me. And I was happy with the life I’d chosen. Because I had known in that moment I’d challenged Zeus with exactly what I’d wanted—my humanity.

  And it made saving the mortals every day okay. It turned out that being a goddess didn’t mean I was removed from the humans.

  I couldn’t stop smiling and I beamed each time I remembered that the guys had stood up for me, that they had all been willing to lie down what they desired so that they could be with me. It was all about unity, about us being a united team. I was sure that it wasn’t just because of my declaration that I had defeated Zeus, sending him back to Mount Olympus. Though part of me still pondered if it had been a ploy on his part. But I didn’t care. I’d come through it because I’d had my gods at my back, and they’d been there for me.

  I stood on a building in the middle of Chicago and for a moment I imagined wearing a cape like in the hero movies. I chuckled at the thought.

  “What’s so funny?” Hades asked, suddenly appearing at my side.

  I spun and smirked. “I might tell you tonight.”

  “Is that a promise?” He closed the distance between us and collected me into his arms.

  “You bet.” I still couldn’t believe how much my relationship with Hades had changed, how caring and attentive he was.

  “Good, because I’ve reserved a table at a restaurant on a beach in Fiji.”

  “Wow.” I’d always wanted to go there, and to hear Hades offer me a holiday other than the Underworld had me smiling so hard it hurt my cheeks.

  He leaned in closer and cupped my head with two hands before kissing me. Gently at first, then passionately and fiery like he couldn’t get enough, and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure I could ever get enough of him or any of the gods I loved.

  Hades broke his kiss, and my breath hitched all the way down to my lungs. “I’ll see you tonight, babe.”

  And with those words, he puffed out of sight, leaving me burning up, my lips tingling, needing him more. He was such a tease.

  *

  “I’d say he’s smitten with you,” Heracles said, stepping up next to me.

  I squealed and threw my arms around his neck. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to see for myself the woman who defied my dad,” he said. “I heard you were on fire.”

  I laughed. “It felt like it, too.”

  “You embraced a part of yourself that none of the gods could find,” Heracles said, his eyes smiling, his expression reminding me of my dad being so proud of me. “That’s saying something. I always knew you had greatness inside you.”

  “That means the world to me,” I said.

  “What does?” Heracles asked.

  I looked at him for a moment before answering. “You believing in my family. You sticking around and teaching us until I could become what I am now.”

  Heracles smiled. “Any time.”

  A wave of magic traveled up from one of the streets below and interrupted our conversation. Heracles and I both turned our heads as if we were hounds picking up a scent.

  “Duty calls,” I said. “Looks like X is sending up his hounds from Hell to taunt me.”

  “He’s never going to forgive you for fucking up his plans.”

  I shrugged. “I’m ready for his shit. It’s what I was born to do.”

  “Let’s do this one together,” Heracles suggested. “And when we’re done
, I want to tell you about this woman I met.”

  “What?” I asked. “Oh my god!”

  Heracles laughed. “First save the world. Then gossip.”

  “You got it,” I said. “But you’re not getting away without telling me every little detail. Give me a name as an appetizer.”

  “Rea,” Heracles said with a smile. “She’s Greek.”

  “I wouldn’t imagine it any other way.”

  Heracles stared out toward the faint lines of magic that pulsed toward us in waves.

  “Together?” he asked.

  “Together,” I said.

  And we jumped.

  The End

  I hope you’ve enjoyed Hades’ Goddess. This story takes place after the Gods and Monsters series, with a small snippet into the life of Elyse and her four gods. I wanted to show how far she’d come and despite everything they’d all gone through, in the end, they all ended up closer and still in each other’s lives. If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend jumping into Apollo Is Mine.

  About Mila

  Mila Young tackles everything with the zeal and bravado of the fairytale heroes she grew up reading about. She slays monsters, real and imaginary, like there’s no tomorrow. By day she rocks a keyboard as a marketing extraordinaire. At night she battles with her mighty pen-sword, creating fairytale retellings, and sexy ever after tales. In her spare time, she loves pretending she’s a mighty warrior, walks on the beach with her dogs, cuddling up with her cats, and devouring every fantasy tale she can get her pinkies on.

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  Books by Mila Young

  Gods and Monsters

  Apollo Is Mine

  Poseidon Is Mine

  Ares Is Mine

  Hades Is Mine

  Haven Realm Series

  Hunted (Little Red Riding Hood Retelling)

  Cursed (Beauty and the Beast Retelling)

  Entangled (Rapunzel Retelling)

  Redemption

  Prequel to Hell is a Harem

  Kim Faulks

  To Cassie and Mila, my partners in crime.

  Chapter One

  The mortal realm changed too fast. I couldn’t keep up from one moment to the next. What had once been thriving was now stagnant, machines had replaced humans, only to be replaced by bigger and faster machines.

  I stood at the cross roads of an empty street.

  A street that was once filled with cars and life.

  A street that hid a secret. One I’d take to my grave.

  I dropped my gaze to the cracks and the fissures in the bitumen, and I was taken back to that night all those years ago.

  A night just like this one, where the moon was big and round, high above the clouds.

  A night where I held a mortal woman in my arms in this exact spot, and watched her slowly die.

  Save her…

  Promise me, she held out an image…a smiling face, big wide eyes…and red hair. Promise me you’ll protect my…

  “I promise,” I answered her now just as I answered her then.

  And I’d kept that promise, watching and waiting for the Unseelie to come as the child turned into a teenager, and then a woman, while I kept the secret hidden. Never telling her what happened the night her mother died.

  A car alarm blared somewhere in the distance, drawing me away from memory. I glanced along the street, and lingered at the Business now closed sign along the fence line of the old canning factory as the phone vibrated in my pocket.

  I yanked the damn thing free and stared at the text message.

  From: Luca

  Be ready in 10.

  A nerve twitched at the corner of my eye. Eighteen years I’d lived in this realm, and those years I’d done whatever I needed to survive…only this job…pandering for the whims of mortals was damn hard to swallow.

  But there were no more Unseelie jewels left to sell…no more gold to trade for rent and food. They were long gone, pried from hilt of my dagger, until the dagger was all I had left.

  Except for the connection…I always had that.

  I closed my eyes for a second and dropped down, past the untapped well of rage and the revulsion of my own kind.

  Power rippled, dark, haunting power that vibrated like a pulse along a web. Only I wasn’t the spider…I was the fly.

  Alive and trapped, quiet and cowering from years of fighting to survive—any way I could, just so I’d never go back there…I’d never be her warrior again.

  She kept me there, on that tendril of her web, dangling just so I could always wonder if she might come for me in the dead of the night and take from me, as she took from me all those times before.

  My phone vibrated once more. I opened my eyes and shoved it in my pocket. I didn’t need to see the message on the phone. I could feel that darkness rising inside me as I catered to the whims of mortals.

  I made for the sleek, silver Maserati, hit the button, and waited for the door to rise before I climbed in behind the wheel. The car wasn’t mine, just like the suit and the shoes weren’t mine.

  Paid for.

  Just like everything I was had been paid for.

  I pressed the button and the engine came to life with a snarl. I punched the clutch, and shoved the car into first as I pulled away from the curb, then second, third, fourth—taking my hate out on the gear box of the sports car and whipped through Harbor’s city streets.

  A line had been carved through the middle of the city. I passed a group of protestors on the right side of the line…a line that depended on what kind of blood flowed through your veins. Their fear was sprayed with thick black paint across the placards…God’s Abominations! Deliver us from Hell!

  I swallowed the smirk and kept on driving, past the newly build Metropolitan Police Headquarters and heading deeper into the city, until I pulled up outside the Harbor Ritz.

  I shoved the car into park as Luca Tangioni glared at his watch and then glared at me. I exited the car, rounded the rear of the Quattroporte, and opened the back door.

  The pretty, young thing he was with tonight smiled at me. Her eyes skimmed my face, and then fell to my shoulders, my chest, and then glanced at my crotch.

  I was used to it. Used to being seen as a thing, or not being seen at all.

  That was how I wanted it.

  I waited for the long slide as she stepped in, leaving one leg out as she moved. The hemline of her dress rode higher, cresting the tops of black lace garters, and then a little higher…just a peek…just a show, dusty pink flesh and then it was gone.

  Luca chuckled as I closed the door. I was dead here, dead amongst the sea of mortals…dead to even my own kind. I rounded the car and climbed inside. The engine started with barely a growl before I shoved the car into gear and pulled away from the entrance.

  I needed no directions, as I glanced right and pulled out into the traffic. My boot punched the accelerator, giving them enough to throw them back against the seat.

  The woman cried out and then laughed, moving closer to Luca’s waiting arms. Every Saturday night was the same…same type of women…same mucho display.

  Petty mortals and their petty needs. Money was power here…paper and coins and zeros. So very different from my home. For the Unseelie power was power, and it wasn’t bought or bribed. It was taken by blood, and hoarded by fear. It was a birthright, and a solemn vow.

  And there was no leaving, there was no denying—not if you valued your life.

  I punched the accelerator and pushed the car harder, whipping between two cars before I changed lane between another. The plaything in the backseat cried out, only this time her excitement had an edge of fear.

  “Jesus, Redemption,” Luca snarled. “Are you trying to get us killed?”

  Slow down…slow down. My he
ad said one thing, while my rage said another. I worked the gear, pulling hard on the wheel. Tires screamed as the rear end of the Maserati skidded before they gripped.

  Luca and his date were thrown hard to one side, before they were cast toward the other.

  “Slow the fuck down!”

  Every Saturday.

  The same fucking thing.

  They looked at me like I was an animal.

  Nothing more than a beast.

  I turned into the street and tapped the brakes, waiting for garage door of the double story mansion to rise.

  One day I’d live in a place like this. One day I’d drive a car just like this one. One day I’d have it all, but it wouldn’t come down to the zeroes in my bank. It would come down to power…real power. The kind that can’t be taken from you. The kind you paid for in blood.

  The front of the Maserati dipped low as I nosed into the driveway and then under the house. I swung the wheel, timing the movement and pulled into the car space right on the line

  I hit the switch and the engine died, ticking softly.

  “What the fuck was that?” Luca snarled.

  The woman in the backseat whimpered and cried. I felt a twinge of guilt—for a second, as I turned my head and met her gaze. “You deserve someone better. Don’t be just a thing for him to discard tomorrow. He won’t call you; he never does.”

  I yanked the handle and climbed out. The ding…ding…ding…of the open door echoed behind me as I crested the drive and made for the street.

  I was done. Done driving around piece of shit men and their latest acquisition.

  Done being around men so far removed from what we were supposed to be. There was no us and them when it came to women. There was no use and discard. There was a line, and I was done watching that line being crossed time and time again.

  “Hey, wait!” The woman called as I strode down the driveway and onto the street.

  Her heels clacked and clattered. There was a grunt and then a groan. Bare feet slapped the pavement as she raced to catch up. “Hey, slow down.”