All Hail the King: Modern Greek Gods YA/NA Series (Grace of Gods Book 4)

by Kyleigh Castronaro

  I watched him out of the corner of my eye, his shoulders shaking with silent tears. I pinched the bridge of my nose, looking away unable to cope with his grief. Where was Savannah when I needed her? Oh right, left behind. I turned back to him, working up a bundle of awkward courage before patting his back.

  "I want revenge too," I admitted, "but I can't get it on my own. Not with everyone against me." He continued to shake which only added to my awkward feeling. In his shoes, I knew what he would say, "We can't go against this kid alone, Griff. Every minute our power begins to fade a little bit more and he knows. He knows too much about us. He'll wear us out until he knows we can't fight and what? We die too? Val wouldn't want that."

  "You're going to give up?" He looked at me incredulously. I couldn't blame him for it either. I was ashamed too of my actions, but what else was there for me to do? And I told him.

  "You have to pick your battles Griffin, and going against Asher and losing our magic, and our thrones, and for some people their lives is not a risk I'm willing to take. Maybe, just maybe, if I turn myself over to him, I can spare everyone else from getting hurt. Maybe it will buy you time to figure out what you need to do to get the revenge you want." I took a deep breath, casting my eyes down to compose myself before looking back at him. "But I have to warn you, revenge isn't going to make you feel better. It's not going to take away the pain or emptiness. It's not going to bring her back. And neither will drinking. There's no answer, Griffin. There's no miracle cure that will make you feel whole again. It's going to become a part of you, another facet of your personality, you either learn to embrace or hide. Those are your only two options. But you can't get rid of it. Some scars cut you too deep." I pushed my hands into the floor and stood before holding my hand out to him.

  I could still feel the rivets of blood on my face. The wound had mostly healed, slow going though it was. Further evidence of a need to end this war. I helped Griffin to his feet, watching as he stumbled back towards the portal. He paused at the threshold to turn around and face me. I stuck my hands into my pockets and shrugged, "If I don't come back," I paused, "take care of Savannah for me."

  Griffin nodded his head and I couldn't help but remark on the irony that here I was, entrusting a God who had once tried to rape my girlfriend to protect her. He stepped through and once more I was alone. My eyes glanced at the screens, nothing had changed. Unless of course, you counted the desperation that seemed almost palpable through the high resolution. I didn't have a good feeling about this. Then again, I wasn't entirely sure I'd have a good feeling about any of the options I had. I wasn't the type of guy who appreciated the unknown. I liked to have control of things and be aware of what I was getting myself into no matter what path I struck, though I wasn't going to know the outcome. As far as I was concerned now, at least turning myself over was a manageable way of handling the situation.

  A slow clap alerted my attention as I turned, seeing Asher standing there and leaning casually against the threshold of the throne room. "That was good, Father," he said cheerfully as he smirked in my direction. This only set my blood to boil. "Motivating... Or something like that," he said with a sneer as he pushed himself up and moved toward me.

  "We have to learn to live with our pain," he said with a sardonic grin, "is that what you did? Learn to live with it?" He sized me up for a moment as though he might know the dark secrets rooted in my past before he laughed and turned away. "I guess the same thing could be said about anything." He sat on my throne, testing it out for size. "We have to learn to live with the lot we were given." He drummed his fingers against the gold arms, crossing one leg over the other. "Or," he said cheerfully, "we could take what we want, fix our situation and become better, become the greatest," he said wistfully.

  "That's your scheme, isn't it?" I said crossing my arms over my chest. "You want to be better than me, better than all of us... God of the Gods," I said, watching his reaction.

  Asher rose again, almost skipping over to me before coming to a stop. Much like Griffin, he was still a few inches shorter than my own length. "Well, I'm not going to sit around and let my... father get all the glory. I mean look at you, why on this Gods-forsaken planet would you deserve to be revered? I'm a true God. Look at my people." He turned to face the screens. My hand clenched by my side, sparks crackled from my fingertips as the urge to build a lightning bolt and drill it right through his cold dead heart overwhelmed me.

  "Those aren't your people. Those are human beings. And you've enslaved them, taken away their freedom... All because you had daddy issues and needed a little attention. Let me tell you, had I been there to be your father, you would've been spanked on the ass to knock sense into that entitled head of yours."

  Asher laughed and looked back over at me, his eyes flicking to my hand before looking at my eyes. "Yeah, well, you got what you wanted from my mother and went off again."

  "Not my choice," I said coldly, "not exactly fair to hold it against me when my soul was put back to sleep by a Titan.

  "Maybe not, but you could've at least gifted me a domain before you left instead of leaving me to grow up human."

  "How was I to know your mother was pregnant?"

  Asher laughed and rolled his eyes, "When do you ever sleep with a woman and she doesn't get pregnant?"

  Images flashed before my eyes. Memories I couldn't seem recalling and yet I could see crystal clear in my mind's eye. Savannah was in a bathroom, standing in front of a mirror with her shirt tucked under her breasts examining her belly. When do I ever sleep with a woman and she doesn't get pregnant? The words echoed in my head as a cold sinking feeling fell through my body to the pit of my stomach. Jesus. I looked up, Asher was smirking at me like he knew something - like he knew what I was thinking. The idea made me shudder.

  I wanted nothing more than to turn around and get back to Savannah. It couldn't be true. She would've told me. Why would she have hidden something like that from me?

  "But here we are," Asher broke through my thoughts, "a little birdie told me you have a deal you want to make with me!"

  My jaw clenched, muscles in my body tightening with the urge to fight. This was it. It was now or never; I could go through with my plan and be the coward I knew I was deep inside or... My fist connected with his face before my mind conjured the thought. Asher landed on the ground in a heap as I landed on top of him. Wasn't it only moments ago when I was doing the same thing to Griffin? Zeus wanted to fight. A burning urge built in him to beat someone's face in with sheer power and force. Magic be damned, I wanted to feel the crunch of cartilage under my knuckles and the warm gush of blood as I broke his nose.

  But I got neither of those satisfactions as he threw magic toward me, sending my body hard into the wall behind me leaving behind a human-sized dent in the drywall. I slumped to the ground, shaken but not injured and barely managed to get to my feet before Asher sent the next surge of power. Apparently, he didn't want to fight like real men, he wanted to hide behind his magic - or other people's magic, as it turned out.

  My fingertips crackled, magic flowing through me. It didn't take much effort to conjure a lightning bolt at my side. I didn't want to bother to throw it like I was practicing a javelin throw. Instead I ran for him, with only one goal in mind: get the lightning bolt through him - any part of him and cause as much damage as I could.

  And I did. I ran right for him with the bolt aimed at his heart. As I reached him, Asher reached out as well and gripped the tip of the bolt in a way no other had done before. It took me off guard, I faltered in my step and nearly collided into his body with the bolt as the only thing between us at that point. Asher didn't scream or react to the fact he was holding a source of pure magic in his palm. In fact, he almost seemed like he was pleased. The bolt brightened like a light bulb, if it was it would've shattered. The brightness blinded me but I didn't dare close my eyes and give Asher the upper hand while I was close.

  It burned and it burned until I finally realized what he was do
ing. He was absorbing the magic of the lightning bolt. He was draining me of my power. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground as it took everything in me to hold onto my magic, to try and fight the drain. His magic entered me, turning my skin hot like that time Savannah and I had practiced sharing magic with one another. I could feel it flowing through my veins, pulled straight from my heart. I gasped as the air in my lungs caught and in that solitary moment of weakness, my power slipped away.

  The bolt went out like a wink and I fell onto my hands, gasping for air. Asher laughed, cruel and mocking as he reached down and patted the top of my head.

  "There, there Father." He laughed again, "you tried." His fingertips crackled, making my body tense as shockwaves went through me. My muscles contracted, fighting the onslaught until I felt my vision darken at the edges as my consciousness slipped. "There can only be one king of the Gods." He spoke and his words faded into my head as I passed out.

  Chapter 10

  When I woke, I stumbled my way back through the portal feeling cold and empty. Above all though, anger rushed through my veins alongside frustration. I had fallen for a blatant trap. The wall closed behind me as I descended back into the Underworld in search of Savannah and the others. As it sealed, I was thrown into darkness and for a moment I was grateful.

  Reaching out I set my hand on the wall, craggy and rough as it was, to brace myself as my knees grew weak and the false bravado I carried around with me evaporated. I had let my father down, becoming the son he regretted ever having. I had let my mother down, allowing her to fall victim to a man who had never loved her. I had let Valentina down and she was now dead. I was going to let Savannah down once I got back to the throne room and what would she think of me? My shoulders shook with silent tears as it took every effort in my muscles to hold myself upright and keep from slipping down the wall.

  What kind of weak, pathetic creature was I resorting to, crying in the darkness like a child? I was worthless. How in the hell had I been chosen to be King of the Gods?

  "Zeus?" I called out for the God whose voice had been my constant companion for several years now but only silence answered me. I was a failure to him as well. How typical.

  I slammed my hand into the rocks and before such an action would've done nothing but hurt me momentarily but this time I felt the jagged edge of rock slice through the side of my hand, cutting through sinew and muscle. Hissing in pain I withdrew it, feeling the drip of my life force leave the cut and splatter on the ground. The walls and floor around me seemed to come alive, hungry for the offering I was leaving in my wake.

  "Damn it." I clutched the hand close to my chest and walked on, sensing the ominous presence behind me, chasing me for more. If I stopped these walls would eat me, hungry for real flesh and not the empty calories offered to them by the souls of the damned. My hand ached, continuing to bleed as I stumbled through the darkness trying to focus on where I wanted to go. Last thing I needed right now was to get lost in the abyss of the Underworld because of one damn distraction.

  My hand burned, blood dripping as I wandered looking for the passage back into Griffin’s throne room. But that’s not how this place worked, and I knew better. Whispers followed me, the floor seemed to move and shudder with each received droplet. I walked until I reached a crossroads, voices coming from one hall and a deathly silence in the other.

  “Shit,” I sighed the word, turning around to look back at where I had come from but it too bore no signs of giving way to where I wanted to be. My hand was stinging now, the blood clotted but still droplets leaked from my palm. Zeus remained silent and I worried perhaps Asher draining me had relieved me of the King of the God. Was I mortal and 100% Aidan again?

  “I know what you desire.”

  I turned, a woman stood behind me cloaked in a sheer gown that barely hid the curves of her body underneath. Despite myself, my eyes wandered to the sight of her erect nipples pressing against the material before I forced myself to look back.

  “No thanks,” I said, turning away because if I didn’t my baser needs might overwhelm me.

  “Is this shape not pleasing?” She appeared in front of me, different this time. Instead of long brown hair crested over her shoulders, it was blonde and cropped, sweeping against her chin. She grinned like she knew something and her shape shifted once more, Savannah stood in front of me making my heart pound heavily in my chest.

  “Yes, this is better, isn’t it?” She stepped closer, tracing her finger down the curve of my face and scratching under my jaw. “I know what you desire,” she said again, smiling keenly.

  “Who are you?”

  “The wayward one,” she said, her hand dropping away as she circled around me, taking me in from all angles. “They call me Hecate in your language. Though I go by many names in many different cultures.”

  “Hecate, the witch.”

  “Enchantress, I prefer. Better yet, priestess of magic.” She stopped in front of me again and I found myself unnerved to stare at Savannah while talking to a voice that didn’t belong to her.

  “Change back witch, you’re not worthy of that form.”

  She grinned and shifted once more, the dark-haired beauty returning. “Shall I grant your wish?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t want anything from you.”

  I started to walk away when she reached out, grabbing my arm fast and holding tight. Her touch burned through me, turning my veins red hot. My hand, the damaged one, seared and when I looked at it the cut was healed.

  “I didn’t ask for that.”

  “Just an example: of what I can do for you.” I looked her over coolly, trying to glean what exactly it was she expected from me.

  “What do you think I want from you?”

  “You want nothing from me,” she repeated back to me, giving me another one of those troublemaking grins. “But I can help you attain your desire for justice. I can right a wrong and fix everything.”

  My eyes narrowed, suspicion taking hold. “You want to help me with the Asher? Why?”

  “Because, that is my job. I provide answers to desires.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, surveying her before glancing at the two roads I had to choose from. A crossroads and the solution to all my problems. It seemed too simple.

  “What will the answer cost me?”

  “Simple, I only want one thing.”

  “Which is?”

  “The King of the Underworld.”

  “Griffin?”

  “Yes.” I couldn’t shake my disbelief, nor the confusion. When she said she wanted him, did she want him or was there something more nefarious to her request?

  “He lacks a queen, I am a goddess of the underworld. We can rule together.” Well, that answered the question. Though, was it a power grab or was she truly interested in him? Did I care? Not really.

  “Okay, I bring you Griffin and you what? What’s your solution?”

  “There is only one answer to your problem.”

  “Seems to have gone over my head.”

  “I take you back in time, to when Asher was first conceived. You stop him from ever being born.”

  “Will that work?”

  “Yes, mostly. The Titans will still rise up, the destruction they wreck on Earth will still occur but…”

  “But Valentina will be back?” I hated myself for the hopeful note in my tone but it didn’t last long as Hecate shook her head.

  “No, Valentina was killed by a Titan, her fate is sealed.”

  “What’s the point of going back in time to kill him there? I might as well do it here.”

  “You cannot.” I huffed in
annoyance, “He still possesses the powers he has taken – such as your own, and as such, you are powerless against him. To fight him in this world is to forfeit and die.”

  “I have to go back in time and kill a baby?”

  “Stop yourself from sleeping with his mother.”

  “But how do I do that? I don’t know who the mother is!”

  “There is one who can tell you.”

  “He doesn’t work for us, he works for Asher. He won’t be of much help.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “And what about my powers?”

  “No Asher, no theft. Anything he affects or directly affects him will be reversed.”

  It was an intriguing idea, in fact it seemed simple. Go back to the sixteen hundreds and stop myself from having sex with whoever. If the soul of Zeus is returned to sleep before he has a chance to impregnate some human, Asher is never born and all we had to deal with was the Titans. Or, all we dealt with was the Titans. We could go back to Olympus, start again. Make things right.

  “I have to go and get Griffin.”

  “You do.”

  “But you’ll help?”

  “I will.”

  “How can I trust you?”

  “The bond will be sealed.”

  I looked at my hand, coated in dried blood but healed. Was that the bond? As if she could read my thoughts Hecate stepped forward, cupping my face in her hands and pressing on her toes. I barely had time to process what she was doing when her lips landed on mine. My stomach lurched, feeling like something was pulling through my navel and before I had the chance to blink, I found myself standing in the throne room amid my fellow Gods who looked alarmed to see me appear out of thin air.