by JoAnna Grace
Aphrodite twirled her wrist and Salina’s bedraggled appearance shifted into the woman he once knew. Salina stood before them, unbound, dressed in a fine gown of red silk that hugged her breasts and hips. Her hair shone with golden splendor and her plump lips glistened red.
This was the Salina that Ryse remembered from his youth. There was no doubt who created her. Her beauty was beyond compare. She was perfection personified. Yes, men had fallen at her feet, women strove to live up to her standard. But none compared to the radiance of Princess Salina Avondale.
“My beautiful baby girl.” Charles made a sound of distress beside him and Ryse saw the love he had for who his child used to be. Moisture gathered in the man’s eyes. Even Salina was taken with herself. She touched her hair, smoothed a hand down her dress.
“And for what?” Aphrodite spit out. “So you can use your beautiful body for revenge, for blackmail, for treachery?” She snapped her fingers in the air and Salina was once again the dirty prisoner, tied up and kneeling on the floor. “I had such plans for you, Salina.” Aphrodite used one finger to tilt up Salina’s head. The control she had of her tone only made her more ominous, like a motionless snake right before it struck. “Now you curse my gift?”
Salina stared at the magnificent goddess. “Your gift turned me into nothing but a whore, a plaything for men.”
There was a beat of silence as everyone in the room held their breath.
“Then I shall take it away,” Aphrodite roared like thunder, shaking the pillars of the temple. The finger she had under Salina’s chin whipped up her face, her fingernail separating the skin.
Salina screamed as her supple flesh peeled back and disintegrated. Her golden hair turned gray, her arched brows dipped, her high cheekbones sank in, and her skin shriveled up like a raisin. Full, red lips crinkled into the thin lines of an old hag.
Ryse turned his head away, unable to watch Salina’s remaining beauty vanish. Charles stood firm, but tears dripped down his face as his child aged before him. His grip on Ryse’s arm tightened as his knees gave way. Ryse took him to the bench and made him sit.
“You bitch,” Salina cried out as she examined her withered hands and sagging skin.
Rhea peered down at the scene before her. “Salina Avondale, you are found guilty of murder, blasphemy, and a myriad of crimes against the people you were born to protect. You are hereby sentenced to beheading by the hands of the Thracian Master in front of the Olympian population. Your soul shall not enter the afterlife, but is banished to the depths of Hades, where it shall burn with the demons for all eternity. May your execution be an example for all the Olympians of Earth. Take her away. The sight of her makes me ill.”
Guards dragged Salina’s decrepit body from the temple.
Ryse’s jaw nearly flopped open. Rhea was going to make him execute a Princess in front of the entire Olympian race? Stars danced in his eyes. Never in all his years, never in the history of Olympians had such a spectacle taken place.
The room spun. He pulled in deep breaths and tried to wrap his head around the thought. His eyes met Charles’.
Dear gods, he was going to have to kill Charles’ daughter. Until this moment, when he looked Charles in the eyes and saw his anguish, he thought it would be such an easy task. That longing for revenge was birthed out of his suffering over Troy. Now, he couldn’t fathom bringing Charles and Filene such agony.
“Of all the people who could perform this task,” Ryse said to Ares. “Why must it be me? Is it truly the will of the gods that I execute the daughter of a man I call my friend?”
“His daughter murdered your father,” Ares stated in a practical manner. “You are the executioner of your race. It’s your job to bring justice to those who do evil.”
“Then I demand that the gods be in attendance. I will not have my people assuming I carry out this execution out of rage or mourning or revenge. If it is your will, you should preside over it.”
“Done,” Zeus said.
“What?” Hephaestus came off his throne. “Why should this man be allowed to demand anything of us? Why should we have to endure the earthly plain to oversee him carry out a job he was created for? This is his duty.”
Rhea’s temper rose and the marble walls of the temple shook so hard Ryse feared they would collapse.
“Silence!” Zeus rose and shoved Hephaestus back to his seat. “It is such attitude that has brought us to this point. Although she has betrayed her title, Salina Avondale was born into a family of royal blood. It will cause a panic when a Princess is executed. There is already fear brewing because the Grand Deity was murdered. We must show our subjects that we have given Ryse the authority to carry out her punishment. And,” he looked to Rhea, “we must show the Olympians that we have not abandoned them or the Deities we’ve anointed to rule them.”
Many of the gods nodded in agreement with Zeus. Ryse noted those who did not: Hades, Hephaestus, Poseidon.
“I believe,” Hayden’s voice lifted over the murmurs, “that it would be a show of solidarity and strength if all the Deities and the gods were in attendance and if the population of Olympians were witness to this execution. This way, all messages will be clear. The gods stand behind the Deities, the Deities are supporting Ryse, and Ryse…” Hayden looked at his brother, his brows dipped and he sighed. “And Ryse is a man to be feared, that it is his job to deliver your divine judgment.”
It was the burden Ryse had carried all his life. People feared the executioner. He was not a man invited to meals, more like an unwelcome guest. No one smiled at him on the streets of the Haven or waved when he crossed their paths. Thracians both worshipped him and feared him. To see Ryse at the door was to see death.
Hayden knew this was his brother’s curse and, as much as they both hated it, Ryse was a necessity among their race. He was the iron fist by which all others ruled. He was the oil that greased the machine of their society. Until recently, Ryse had loathed his very existence. But now, he had love. He closed his eyes and imagined Avery’s smile shining at him, her green eyes holding such adoration, promising that she would never fear him. With a deep breath and the gift of her love in his heart, he raised his eyes to accept his fate.
“I shall attend, in support of Ryse.” Eekon placed his hand on Hayden’s shoulder. “I will support the Castilles.”
“And I,” Gabel of Australia agreed, as did Dimitrios of Asia and Amais of South Africa.
“I shall stand with Ryse and Hayden. I shall stand with the gods,” Charles whispered, his voice hoarse and shaking. “This evil has spread from my house, and I will do whatever it takes to make it right.”
Rhea glided down the thrones and into the middle of the room. “This matter is settled. Return to your homes, to your world. Hermes will deliver the message to the Olympians of all that shall take place. When the multitudes gather in each Haven, the gods shall descend. All but myself.”
Murmurs and protest arose from the gods and Deities alike. Rhea held up a hand. “You must all understand that our people look to Zeus as their highest power. That should not change. The Olympians of Earth are his responsibility and he shall once again lead them as the god they are seeking.” She held out her hands to encompass the room. “You, my children, know that when there is trouble in the chain of command, the people see it as weakness. Zeus is your god. I am merely watching over you from the other side.”
“You have my word.” Zeus took his mother’s hand and addressed the Deities. “You will not be alone again.” He met the eyes of each man, making a silent promise to guide them throughout their reign.
“What of the Grand Deity?” asked Amais. “And which of his sons will take Troy’s throne?” He spoke as if the two positions would surely be separated, as if neither Hayden nor Ryse could fill the seats of both North American Deity and Grand Deity.
Rhea looked to Zeus and something passed between them. He stepped forward and narrowed his eyes at Hayden and Ryse. “As for the Castille throne, I must converse with
the Oracles and Troy. I have not made my decision on who reigns as Grand Deity. Each of you are well suited in your own way.”
As much as Ryse wanted to be concerned with the fate of his family’s throne, he had only one care on his mind. Avery.
“I go to Delphi, to see the Oracles.” Rhea lifted her arms up. Wind, fire, and rain swirled about her body. “Zeus and the other gods will listen to any more that you need to address. Be well, my children, until next we meet.”
The tornado of lights and flames swirled until Ryse could barely stand. With a clap of roaring thunder, she was gone and all her fireworks with her.
“Now that’s an exit,” Hayden said with a nervous laugh.
Ryse smirked at his brother. “And not the last we will see, I’m sure.”
With her departure, the official meeting adjourned. The gods came down from their thrones and gave the Deities a rare chance to converse and speak to them face to face. It was the first in what Ryse hoped was a long line of opportunities to get closer to the gods who created them.
“You and I have a previously scheduled meeting, Master Thracian.” Andreas came up behind him.
Ryse smiled up at the goofy brute. “Yeah, we do.”
***
“ARE YOU REALLY going to make him whip Nikki?” Avery asked Rhea, her eyes filling with unshed tears.
“Yes.”
No explanation, just a simple one-word answer that made Avery sick to her stomach. “Is it possible to blow spiritual chunks? ‘Cause I gotta tell you, I’m feelin’ like road kill.” She bent at the waist and put her hands on her knees.
“In all things there is purpose, child. Trust me.” Rhea touched her head and the illness in her gut went away.
“She’s such a good person, Rhea. You have to know that.”
“Of course I do. Nikki has a destiny, just like yours, Avery. Her journey is not an easy one, but it will make her grow as a person.”
“Will I get to keep her with me? As my Shadow Lady?”
“Her title will be stripped, but you may keep your pet.”
Anger boiled up in her veins. “What does that mean? Nikki is not my pet! She’s a woman with feelings and heart to serve. She is bravely acceptin’ punishment for a crime she was forced to commit.” She lashed out at Rhea before she even realized it.
A small smirk grew on Rhea’s face. “Don’t ever lose that passion, Avery.” Rhea clasped her hands in front of her. “Shall we check on your home?”
Confused, and obviously not getting clarification any time soon, Avery pursed her lips and nodded. Nikki receiving punishment wasn’t fair, but when Rhea made up her mind, there was no going back. She was Master of the friggin’ universe, after all.
“I thought you said I was going to the portal? What are we doing in Delphi?”
“Observing.”
Avery and Rhea stepped into the temple and the three Oracles of the Pythia came running. Great stars and stripes, they were naked. She turned her face away as the women fell at Rhea’s feet, kissing her hands, her legs, fawning over her like a long lost lover returned home.
“They’re naked,” Avery whispered with a shiver, keeping her eyes away from the awkward nudity in front of her. Her voice pitched high. “Very, very naked.”
Rhea giggled. “Do not be shy. The Oracles are my beloveds. For all their wisdom, they are quite childlike.” She smiled at one, ran a hand down her cheek. “Their little lights burn so brightly for a short time, then they go out.”
“They die? I thought they were immortal.”
“A soul can only handle so much, Avery. The Pythia see it all and are trained not to feel emotions from their visions.” Rhea petted the women’s hair, their shoulders, their faces. “After a while, it finally – how would you say it? Fries them?”
“Oh my god. Why would you let that happen?”
“Look at them, Avery.” Rhea kissed the head of a brunette and the dazed Oracle beamed under the attention. “Think about what kind of a life they would have lived on Earth. Seeing it all and having no protection against the deep emotional impact. Humans would have locked them up; Olympians called them insane. Here in Delphi, they can be of use, have their visions, and when their time is up, I take their souls into me, where they have peace for all eternity. They become a part of me.”
“Well, that’s…yeah, I don’t know what that is, but it’s not normal.”
Rhea chuckled and then whispered to her sans-clothing fan club. “Come, my pets; show me what I wish to see.”
The Pythia led them to a pool where the Oracles sat and stirred the waters clockwise until the water churned into a whirlpool. It finally rose into the air and formed a smooth surface like a mirror. Avery watched everything that happened in the Haven since the moment she left. She especially took interest in the Oracle Lysandra, who Rhea sent to Earth.
“Be of care, Avery,” Rhea warned as she inched closer to the pools. “None but the Oracles can enter the water. The unique separation of your body and spirit makes you fragile.”
Avery backed away and observed the Pythia as they swayed and bobbed like rag dolls on invisible strings. When the show was over, they waded back through the pool and over to Rhea.
“So this was Lysandra’s fate? To live in a drunken fog and finally, poof, she’s gone?” Avery made an explosion with her fingers.
A blonde with the same drunken glaze in her eyes leaned onto Avery. “Lysandra feels things.”
Oh, holy jeez. Avery nearly gagged at the cold clamminess of the woman’s skin.
“Lysandra is broken.” The brunette kissed Avery’s hand before she could pull it back. Her jerking motions didn’t hinder the Oracle. She simply rubbed her chest against Avery’s legs like a cat.
Avery knew exactly who was broken. And it damn sure wasn’t Lysandra. These chicks were one egg short of an omelet. Fried took on a whole new meaning.
“Lysandra needs to feel love,” murmured the other Oracle. Her eyes were so glazed over, the pupils appeared missing, the eyes completely gone white. “All we feel is our goddess. Rhea is all we need.” She wound her body through Rhea’s legs and leaned her head against her inner thigh.
Weird didn’t quite cover it. Nope. Not even close.
The three drunken women all jerked upright at the same time. Their heads snapped around to the waters of the pool.
“Show me.” Rhea commanded.
A horrific scene appeared in the waves of the pool.
“Tell me that’s not what I think it is.” Avery leaned over the edge, her rapt attention on the swirls of smoke and evil that were conjured inside the Haven.
“I’m afraid the situation in your realm is much worse than I anticipated.” Rhea’s eyes narrowed, her voice stone cold.
“Is that—Dante?” Avery reached out, as if she could stop him from his actions. She leaned over the water just enough to throw off her balance. “Ah,” she cried as she went face first into the waters.
“Avery! No!” Rhea reached out for her, but it was too late.
A thousand voices filled her head. Prayers. Thoughts. Fears. Laughter. Tears. Sorrow. Joy. Every emotion and reaction of the human spirit engulfed her, drowning her quicker than the water filling her lungs. Avery screamed, not knowing how to surface, unaware of which way was up. She pressed her hands over her ears, trying to block the voices and emotions.
All at once, she was yanked from the water and laid flat on the marble floor of the temple. Air refused to take the place of water. Vaguely, she felt more than heard, Rhea.
“She must go back. Now.”
“But, Rhea, the waters, the pool? Her mind—”
“Now. Before her spirit is captured in the afterlife forever.”
Avery thought someone was pulling her intestines out of her nose. The pain shooting through her gut was nauseating and wretched until she thought she was being stabbed all over again. As the scorching of her innards intensified, her vision dimmed.
Her world went black.
Ryse and
Andreas clanked two pints together. Naturally, it was the best beer ever to grace Ryse’s palette.
“Bloody hell, this is good.” Ryse gave him a half-hearted smile. “It’s good to see you again, Andreas. I think I can finally have peace now.”
“Aye. Now you can entertain that lass of yers. Mighty fine woman she is. Scary lit’le thing when she’s riled.” He grinned wide, uninhibited by the burdens that now weighed Ryse down.
“Incredible. She’s…everything.” He took another drink and closed his eyes as the ale slid down his throat.
“Ryse, how’s my Hanna?” Andreas appeared solemn for the first time. “Is she recovered or moved on?”
With a heavy sigh, Ryse shrugged. What could he say? Hanna had rarely spoken since his death, afraid of what might come out of her mouth. She definitely hadn’t moved on or tried to find another man to keep her warm at night. Now that he thought about it, Hanna had become the literal shadow in Shadow Lady. Yet she served faithfully without complaint or resentment.
“She misses you. We both do. But she is loyal and dependable. You should be proud of her strength, Andreas. You rubbed off on her, after all.” Ryse clapped him on the shoulder.
“I know it’s hard to believe a man would want his woman to love another, but I do.” Andreas scowled, his red brows dipping deep. “I don’t want her to be alone. I want her to love and be loved.”
“Andreas, I won’t bullshit you. I don’t know if Hanna is capable of giving her love to anyone but you. That woman will be faithful to you until the day she enters the afterlife and is once again in your arms.”
Andreas gave him a nod and a ghost of a smile. “There’s not much I fret about up here, ya know? But I miss my wife. You’ve been given a rare gift, lad. Don’t forget it.”
“Ryse.” Hayden ran up, his face pale. “We were at the portal and this woman ran up, talking to the guardian on the other side. There’s a demon in the Haven.”
The three men raced to the temple where the portal stood, open to their Haven, ready to receive them back.