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

by Kyleigh Castronaro

  A compass appeared once more, the needles spinning until they decided on a route. I pulled the truck out of park and began to drive.

  The longer I was on the road, the more I worried about running out of gas before running out of ground to cover. The compass, however, was dutiful in ensuring I remained on a road that would allow for the truck. We managed to bypass anything would be an obstacle. Magic was a great thing and I had no idea how I had lived a life before it.

  The road I followed began to become more evenly paved and before I knew it I was driving on a road like any other from the world I once had lived in. It led me right to a gated wall. Beyond the chain link fence that crackled with electricity I could see a city much more intact than the one we had left behind. There were people behind the fence, non-descript in dress and meandering at tedious work. They looked exhausted and defeated, completely miserable.

  A man in black armor with a protective face guarding helmet appeared. The outfit seemed outrageous given the deflated look of the workers he began to shout at. A man had taken rest against the side of a building away from the sun but the guard prodded at him to rise. When he refused to, the man in black armor, to my horror, pulled out a gun and shot the man in the head. I jumped as the gun went off.

  "Holy..." I whispered the expletive under my breath, my hands tightening around the steering wheel as I glanced at Cronos who was staring at me.

  "We have to get out of here," I said, repeating what was likely already on his mind. I pulled the truck into reverse and maneuvered around the chain link fence as the compass corrected to make up for the fact I wasn't following the route it wanted me to go.

  I looked back in my rear-view mirror, once more taking in the city behind us with confusion as I tried to make sense of what I had seen. Was this the world the Titans had created? What sort of Faith were they getting out of these humans who looked like they were reduced to nothing but slaves? And what was with police enforcing a rigorous workload?

  I frowned to myself, wanting answers but knowing I wouldn't get any right now. All I could do was get to where I was going and try to set a plan in motion to fix everything was wrong. I had to hope I hadn't gone too far into the future and instead of worrying about Asher, I should have been worrying about the Titans all along.

  When the compass stopped again, it stopped me on a cliff's edge. I pulled the truck to a stop before climbing out.

  "This way, I guess," I said, still following the compass as it led me to the cliff's edge. Teetering over the stones and looking down, I was once more greeted with the sea crashing against rocks below. I felt a sense of deja vu wash over me, already knowing what would be expected of me. What was with the Underworld and having its entrances near water? Although the river Styx had to be connected to something, I thought making sense of the connection.

  "Alright, we're going down," I said as I tucked the compass into my pocket.

  Cronos was standing at the edge, looking over as well. I didn't know when he got out of the truck but he looked about ready to get back in.

  "No, I'm not."

  "Oh, yes you are. As long as you believe, you can't die." That wasn't entirely true but he didn't need to know the whole truth. Getting on my hands and knees, I lowered my body over the edge, searching for a foothold with my dangling leg. Managing to shove my foot into a crack, I carefully slid my other leg over the edge too.

  I felt my weight drop slightly, my hands gripping tightly to the top as I sought for another foothold. Cronos still looked reluctant.

  "I can't do it." I looked him over and decided as long as he was in the future any damage he could do in the time it took me to get back to the other Gods would be minimal. He would be safe here for now.

  Once I was back to Mount Olympus, I could summon him to me and make sure he didn’t get into any more trouble. Besides, he looked like he was ready to puke or pass out, maybe both. No doubt the man had a lot of processing to do, having jumped over 400 years.

  “Alright, well I’ll come and find you,” I said as I lowered myself, allowing one foot to dangle in search of another foothold. If Cronos said anything, I didn’t hear it over the blood pounding in my ears as I descended and my heart raced. My breath came in hard pants as I tried to keep myself calm and focused on the task at hand.

  One by one and step by step, I made my way down the cliff face until I reached out for another foothold and found my leg free hanging in the air. With a start, I gripped the wall hard and twisted to look.

  I realized I had been led to a cave located within the cliff. This surely had to be where I came to get to the Underworld. Carefully, I lowered myself until both feet were hanging and I only held on by my arms. Swinging slightly, I prayed this maneuver would work as I swung myself and released, throwing all my weight into the cave. As I fell, I pushed my head backwards to arch my back and avoid smashing it on the rock. I only managed to distort my view of where I was heading and landed in a painful heap on the rocky surface.

  With a groan, I laid there for a moment, catching my breath and letting the pulsating feeling in my hands and feet dissipate. When I felt ready again I pushed myself up and held the compass out, using the stream of light from the mouth of the cave to ensure this is where the compass wanted me to go. I stepped forward, beginning once more my descent into Hell.

  I took my first step forward heading into the cave. I knew how this went and I wanted to be as quick as possible. I didn’t want to get caught in the tunnel of voices, haunted by those memories I tried hard to keep out. Maybe there was something to be said about reliving those memories and thinking about the man I used to be, the man I had become and the man I wanted to be.

  As I walked forward into the cave I thought about it, had I become the person I wanted to be after everything? I knew with cold dissatisfaction that I hadn’t, every effort I had put into my life to not become something I didn’t want to be I had still become my father. I hadn’t tried to stop myself. I loved women and manipulated their feelings, abused them for lack of a better term, knowing full well they loved me and would do anything for me.

  Exactly like my father, he had abused my mother emotionally time and time again without a second thought. I wasn’t going to do that. I wasn’t going to be that man. I was going to get back to Savannah and make sure everything that needed to be fixed was fixed and I had done everything I possibly could like I promised to.

  I was going to tell Savannah I wanted to have a family with her and she didn’t need to keep hiding it. I would tell her I wanted to become the man she saw in me and I would try from now on, every single day, to change for the better, for her.

  Confidence steeled my spine as I walked further into the darkness. This time, I wasn’t unnerved by the blackness that seemed to swallow me as I ventured further and further into the cave. I could no longer see the direction the needle of the compass was pointing but it didn’t matter. Confidence drove me further knowing I each step would get me back to my family.

  Yes, not just Savannah but Griffin, and Charlotte, Nicola, Royce, and all of them. Every single Greek God that made up the Pantheon, every single one of those people who had been chosen, hand selected by their soul to become vessels were my family. Although Godly sons and daughters, they felt like brothers and sisters as a family I had chosen and it was a family I would protect from now on.

  “Aidan, stop!” A distressed voice echoed around me and I froze in the spot of the step I was taking. No, I thought to myself. Somehow, I had managed to make it into the hall of voices. Savannah screamed my name again, turning my stomach to a tight knot. Her voice broke off into a bloodcurdling scream that sounded like she was being tortured and ripped apart piece by piece.

  Maybe I wasn’t in the tunnel of voices, maybe I was hearing reality. Horror struck me, this couldn’t be real. I refused to believe that in my time gone to save everybody, something horrible happened to Savannah. I took another step
forward, resisting the urge to freeze and search for her in the darkness. I had to walk further.

  She screamed again, this time like she was truly in pain. It was a scream not unlike the one I heard the day I found her in the basement of Mount Olympus, a captive of Cronos.

  “Savannah!” I screamed out into the darkness, calling for her. “Savvy, where are you?” I ran toward the scream echoing toward me, bouncing off the walls in an endless cycle. It wouldn’t stop and she seemed to keep screaming over and over. I crumpled to my knees, covering my ears and squeezing my eyes shut. I could feel my weakness wash over me. Just when I had resolved to change, here I was, once more failing her. And exasperated sigh echoed in my head and I felt the cold shift as Zeus took over.

  “Hades!” I rumbled, the walls shaking around me as a lightning bolt appeared in my hand. Aidan didn’t understand the tricks of this world, he didn’t understand the tricks of the demons that haunted this place desperate for fresh blood. The lightning bolt was bright enough to light the cave I was in. Sure enough, I found myself standing on piles of bones from bodies who had been forgotten here as desperate souls got trapped and locked in by their worst fears.

  But I was the God of the Gods and it would not capture me. I would not allow it. With the lightning bolt as my guide, I commanded the walls to take me exactly where I wanted to be. I wouldn’t be made a prisoner and I wouldn’t be made a fool left wandering in this place.

  Chapter 21

  It took only a few seconds before I found myself against the first entrance to lead me back to the chamber connected to the throne room of the Underworld. I recognized this passage. Cerberus once stood here, having long since abandoned his post as he took his place at Valentina’s side. He was likely trapped on Mount Olympus still.

  The sounds of dripping echoed around me as something from the ceiling dropped into the murky waters surrounded this passageway. The water was gloomy with souls who had been forgotten. This was the water those who wanted to be reborn had to drink. Few ever did.

  With confidence, I strode back through the doors that brought me into the throne room of the Underworld. As I entered, I switched again with Aidan.

  I shivered as the cold went down my spine and I realized where I was. Thank you, I grumbled into my head. I realized now Zeus and I had become one in the same. Zeus took control when I needed him to but he trusted me enough to give it back to me when I no longer needed his help. I looked around the empty throne room, trying to make sense of where exactly I was in time. I still wasn’t sure how far in advance I had been thrown by Cronos or if I hadn’t gone back far enough.

  The only way I could tell was if I could find somebody and there was only one person I knew would inhabit the Underworld, no matter what time period I was in.

  “Griffin!” I shouted, “Hades, I summon you.” I could feel the coolness of my magic flow through my veins as it worked to summon Griffin back to the throne room. I stood there, looking around taking in my surroundings when finally, to my left, I heard the echo of a soft footfall.

  These were lighter than a man’s would be and they were moving faster. Savannah emerged from the opening of the cave.

  “Aidan! Where have you been?” She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly before cupping my face and leaning backwards on her toes to see me properly. Her eyes flicked over the outfit I was wearing before she looked back at my face, “What are you wearing?”

  “Uh, it’s a long story…” I searched for an explanation that wouldn’t take hours to give her.

  “Later. I have been looking everywhere for you. Griffin is waiting for you to get this started. You can’t make a plan and disappear, that’s not how leadership works, you know,” she teased me with a smile before kissing me.

  I blinked, “Make a plan?” I repeated, trying to make sense of exactly which plan she was talking about. In the last 48 hours, I was fairly confident I had made more plans than people made in their entire lifetime.

  “Yeah? You were going to switch bodies with Blaine.”

  “Blaine… Right, Dolos… Trickster God.”

  Savannah looked at me like she was worried, “You’re okay, right? You haven’t been drinking?” She leaned in, forced my lips to pucker and smelt my breath.

  I pulled away and made a disgusted face, “Don’t mom me!” I said, with a sharp tone before recovering, “I’m not drunk, I’m trying to figure out what is going on. It’s been a long day.”

  “Yeah, I get it, I’m tired too.” She smiled as she ran her hand along the flat of my chest. “Alright, everybody has gone to the meeting point, are you ready?”

  “Everyone?”

  “Yes, everyone. We’re going to get Valentina back.”

  “Valentina’s alive…” I said.

  “Yes? Why wouldn’t she be?” Savannah looked concerned now, “Aidan, are you sure you’re not drunk?”

  “No, I’m not drunk, trying to make sense of this. Maybe I’ll have the time to explain to you later.”

  “Right, okay,” she laughed as she grabbed my hand, pulling me to another exit on the other side of the throne room. It was the same one I remembered walking through with her once on our way to a battle with the Titans.

  “Valentina’s alive…” I muttered under my breath. I knew exactly where I was now. Asher was going to kidnap Valentina and kill her. But Asher was no longer alive, no one was going to kidnap Valentina… Except maybe me, I could get her to the Underworld during the battle and get her to safety. My heart swelled with excitement, Valentina was alive, Hecate was wrong and maybe after all, I was going to be able to save her.

  “Alright, I have to go and stand with Blaine. You need to go with Charlotte and the other girls to attack them from behind, but make sure you stay out of sight.” Savannah patted her hand on my arm and smiled at me before leaning in to kiss me.

  I was partially relieved I had come back this far back in time, at least I didn’t have to deal with the fallout of Zeus’ actions right before I left anymore. All I had to deal with was the fact Savannah was hiding pregnancies from me and that she had her magic back.

  “Okay, but do me a favor Queenie, don’t pretend you don’t have magic and risk yourself.”

  “What?”

  “I know, so please… Protect yourself properly. I don’t want to lose you.” She licked her lips and nodded before kissing me once more and disappearing through the gate to take Blaine’s side. I stood back in the shadows for a moment, coming up with a plan. I needed to sneak around behind everyone as they focused on Soren and fake-Aidan’s fight. While they were distracted, I could grab Valentina and get her back to the Underworld safely. Stepping out from the shadows of the cave mouth I carefully walked along the rough wall face, careful to move slowly and not make myself seen.

  “Aidan!” I froze as someone shouted my name, although I stood in shadows it felt like a spotlight had been cast over me. I turned to face the voice and saw how quickly things had changed. Blaine was in a crumpled heap beside Savannah who was trying to help him up, Soren looked pissed and the rest of the Titans were ready for a fight.

  This wasn’t the game plan we were originally going for, but my appearance still provided enough of a distraction to the others that Charlotte managed to drive her sword through Hanna’s chest, her cries alerting everyone to the ambush behind them.

  I wasn’t going to get the chance to nab Valentina and get her out of there safely, but I was still going to make sure someone did. Charging a lightning bolt in my hand, I watched as Oliver threw rings of fire to slow our attack. I trusted Zeus though, he had my back
and flames couldn’t hurt an immortal body the way they did a mortal one.

  I ran forward, a battle cry escaping my lips as I charged and drove the lightning bolt into the chest of the nearest Titan. I had to get to Valentina and get her away from here. I needed to end this fight once and for all to teach the Titans I was Zeus and I was God of the Gods.

  Tearing the lightning bolt free from the rib cage and muscles I had drove it into I turned to the next Titan, swinging the bolt like a sword and cutting deep across someone’s chest as I fought through fire and smoke.

  By nature, I wasn’t a fighter in this way, I didn’t believe in a kill or be killed scenario and yet I knew how this battle ended and I didn’t want to see another loss on our side because I had been too weak to fight properly. Also seeing how I fought motivated my people to fight this way too, some harder than others but everyone followed my lead and I realized this is what it took to be a good leader.

  I didn’t need to come up with the plans and solutions but I needed to stand by my people’s sides and fight along with them. I couldn’t be a leader who sent someone like Blaine in as a sacrifice but didn’t risk myself amidst everything too. My father would never lead a charge where his safety wasn’t guaranteed, I was learning and hopefully I was changing too.

  The battle moved in our favor as I took down Titan after Titan, some badly injured, others downed in ways to ensure they would live even if they wouldn’t get up. To my left Griffin was fighting Gage who had Valentina hidden behind him. I moved toward the threesome and brandished my lightning bolt with one intention…

  “Aidan, stop! He has Valentina tied to him, if he dies so does she.” I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes turning to Valentina as I considered what I could do. Manipulating the lightning bolt in my hand I cracked it like a whip, watching it wrap tightly around Gage and hold him in its grasp. Every time he tried to move, it would crackle and electrocute him, but with every electrocution Valentina felt nothing. As a Goddess born from Zeus, she could withstand the power of my lightning bolt so for now, she was safe.