Ashes of War (Sons of War)

by Lia Davis

  As he followed behind her, her son stared at him with interest. Ty smiled at him. In return the child smiled back right before he buried his face in his mother’s shoulder. A sense of nervousness surrounded the child. The slight fear on his scent and way he clung to Selene, especially when he or Markus were close, told Ty the boy had witnessed things no child should see.

  No doubt Garrick had something to do with it. After all Selene favored Sophia in looks and was a powerful weaver—another thing Ty clued into the moment he saw her. He hadn’t seen a magical signature so bright and strong from anyone before. Then again, he’d not encountered many weavers.

  Instead of taking a seat, he stood with his back against the wall next to the bar tucked in the far corner of the great room. Beside him were the French doors that lead out onto the patio overlooking the backyard. Seth, Zavier, and Drake entered and took their usual spots at the bar. His brothers remained quiet as they studied Selene, sending him curious glances, which he ignored. Even Seth seemed to be a loss for words, making Ty wonder if there was something wrong with him.

  Aphrodite glided over to Selene, arms extended to the boy in her arms. “May I?”

  Selene nodded and allowed the goddess to take her son. Aphrodite smiled wide. “What’s his name?”

  “Trenton.”

  “What a beautiful, yet strong, name for a handsome little man.” Aphrodite motioned toward the empty seat on the sofa next to Gwen. “Please have a seat.”

  The goddess took Trenton over to the piano where she sat him on her lap and began to play a soft classical tune Ty didn’t recognize.

  “Ares.” Markus’s deep boomed through the room, drawing everyone’s attention.

  A moment later, the god of war appeared in the middle of the room, his gaze instantly falling on Selene. “I see you found a weaver.”

  On the heels of his statement, Ares focused on Gwen. His lips twitched slightly before he turned his attention to Markus. “Eros’s patience grows thin.”

  Ty snorted. “Yes, I’ve already had a little visit from Cupid. Then Amissa was attacked in her home by Imperials.”

  Markus spoke up next. “That seems too much of a coincidence. Do you know if he and Garrick have teamed up?”

  Ares folded his arms over his chest and glanced to Aphrodite, who pretended not to pay attention to them. Ty guessed he didn’t blame her. Eros was her son. “I’m not his keeper. But I have noticed he hasn’t been around much. It’s perfectly reasonable he’d go to Garrick to get at you. Where is Amissa?”

  Ty set his jaw and considered not answering his father’s question. The problem was Ares knew she was inside the mansion. “She is resting. Did you know Garrick has the divine dagger?”

  Narrowing his eyes, Ares studied Ty for several moments. “Not possible.”

  Elle stood up and paced to the covered painting in the corner to Ares’s left Ty hadn’t noticed before. With a quick jerk, she uncovered it and stepped back. Ares unfolded his arms and advanced toward the painting. As if transfixed, he didn’t speak for a few moments. When he turned back to them, Ty saw the fury burning in his black eyes.

  “Tyson, is the scene accurate?”

  “I believe so, but I’m not a hundred percent. That’s the reason we sought out a weaver. Ash has a theory Garrick killed Elizabeth and placed a memory spell over me to make me believe I did it.” Ty fisted his hands. Ares, as a god and his father, knew what he’d gone through.

  “I don’t know as much as you think. I only know what I can pull from your thoughts. The power to see into the future is not one of my gifts. Those are reserved for the Fates and their children.” Ares gave a pointed stare at Elle, and then Gwen.

  Seth cursed from his bar stool. “Of fucking course. Elle is the daughter of Nyx. The Fates are daughters of Nyx.”

  “It doesn’t necessarily mean that is why she has visions, right?” Gwen asked.

  Ares shrugged. “In her case, yes, she did get the visions from Nyx. However, it is possible Nyx gifted her with the sight and it could be limited. We won’t really know until she comes into her powers.”

  Next to Ty at the bar, Zavier shifted on his stool, but said nothing. All the signs were there, Ty noted. His brother’s inability to stay away from Elle, yet the frustration flowing around him said the male battled some kind of internal conflict. A conflict Ty knew too well—Zavier was fighting the urge to mate.

  Ty would leave it alone because his brother had to solve his own issues. Besides, Ty had his hands full with Ash.

  “What about the dagger?” Markus asked, bringing the meeting back to the main issue.

  Ares shook his head. “It’s not possible for Garrick to have it. I just came from meeting with Hades and he assured me the dagger is being protected by the drakon Zander.”

  Zander was the son of Typhon, brother of Sophia, and a two-headed serpent-like dragon who lived in the Underworld and protected the divine dagger. Drakons were born dragons able to take human form whereas the Sons of War were earth-born immortal men who possessed the dragon spirit of the Drakon Ismenios, making them dragon-shifters.

  Although Zander was a wanderer and not very sane. Ty growled. “Does Hades know where Zander is?”

  Ares growled back. “He couldn’t confirm his location.”

  Fuck. Shit just kept getting deeper…

  Markus cleared his throat. “My head is starting to ache. Let’s deal with one issue at a time. Selene is here to help unlock Ty’s memories and in exchange she is under our protection from the Imperials. They killed her husband about six months ago. I’m guessing they are looking for her and her son.”

  Ty nodded. “When and where do we do this? I’m tired of losing my shit every time I have a flashback. Speaking of which, Elizabeth admitted to me she killed Sophia.”

  Aphrodite jumped up from the bench at the piano, holding a sleeping Trenton in her arms, and faced him. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “This changes things. It doesn’t matter if you killed Elizabeth. Zeus will consider it a public service. Your duties were to track down her killer and keep a new war from starting.” Aphrodite frowned at her words. Sadness and a sense of relief drifted from her thick and frequent. “I’m sorry my granddaughter caused you so much pain.”

  Ty held the goddess’s gaze for several moments before he pushed off the wall and paced over to her. Dipping his head, he kissed on the cheek. “Elizabeth was lost to her power of desire. She was no longer the granddaughter you knew and loved.”

  With tears in her eyes, Aphrodite cupped his right cheek, purposely touching the scar peeking from under his shades. “I know. That’s what saddens me so. She was filled with jealousy and allowed her desire for power to rule her. I am happy you are whole again.”

  He laughed softly. “I’ll never be whole again, but I’m learning to love again.”

  She glanced over his shoulder a second before Ash pressed into him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. “We just need a witness to Elizabeth’s admission.”

  “What about Nik? Have you figured out where he is?”

  Ty turned to Markus and shook his head. “No.”

  Ares stilled, his body going taught and fisted his hands. “Nikolas?”

  The bastard must have pulled out the memory from Ty’s thoughts just then. “Stay out of my head. Where is Nikolas?”

  “Fuck if I know. I lost contact with him about four years ago. I never thought too much about it. After all he was known for hiding out and making me track him down. Only this time I didn’t bother. Too much going on with Garrick to invest energy to Nik’s games.”

  Renewed hope bloomed in Ty’s chest. Nik was in the room the whole time Ty was there. He knew this because he felt the male’s presence when he was awake. “Can you track him now?”

  “Sure. It may take a few hours, but I can track any of my sons.”

  Ty ground his molars together to keep from starting a verbal war with his father. The bastard could have found him and
had his brothers get him a lot sooner. Then again, if that happened, would he have found out Elizabeth was Sophia’s murderer?

  Seth stood and stretched. “What about your memories?”

  Ty glanced at Selene and shrugged. “I’d like to get them back of course, but it’ll have to wait until after we find Nik and bring him home.”

  Ash squeezed him a little harder and kissed his shoulder blade. He circled an arm around her and twisted to face her. “Thank you.”

  She smiled and pressed her lips to his. “Just doing my job.”

  He bit down on her lower lip, making her moan softly. “I’ll repay you for that later. Now we have work to do.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ty materialized outside a cave in the Rocky Mountains. The smell of damp rock and earth differed from his time of captivity. Which meant Garrick moved the location. No surprise there. It was actually one of the smartest things he’d done. Although he hadn’t taken into consideration Ares might help them locate their brother.

  Markus and Seth took form next to him. Together they entered the cave and instantly Ty felt a familiar presence, a draw to someone he should know. He took off down the corridor to his left. All the while his brothers’ footfalls against the stone floor sounded behind him, closing in.

  About twenty feet inside the cave hallway, an opening came into view. A soft, dim light spilled out into the hallway. The scents coming from the room was like a slap in the face, bringing back the rage and the memories of being helpless chained to the steel table. Ty let out a growl that echoed off the stone walls.

  Rushing into the circular room, Ty could barely contain his anger. Cages lined the far wall, two of them occupied. One was a male he assumed was Nik. “Nikalos?”

  The male raised his head and met Ty’s gaze. His lips curled into a grin while his brows lifted in a challenge. “It is nice of my brothers to finally come for me.”

  “I don’t have time for arrogance.” Ty said as he ripped the lock from the cage and opened the barred door. “Let’s get the hell out of here. You can state your complaints later.”

  Nik stood from where he sat on the floor and stalked to the door. But instead of leaving with them he moved to a cage a few feet from his where a small form laid curled up in the corner was. When Nik broke the lock, darted inside and came back with a teenage girl in his arms, Ty’s anger flood him like hot liquid filling his veins. “She’s a child,” he growled.

  Nik nodded and continued out of the cave, forcing Ty and the others to follow. “Yeah. Our brother is a sick fuck.”

  “What’s wrong with her?”

  “Garrick injected her with some kind of serum. She’s been asleep for more than ten hours.”

  Bastard. At one time Ty had hoped his brother could be brought back from his insanity and make amends for his crimes, but not now. Garrick stooped to a new low with kidnapping children and trying to unlock their powers before they were ready.

  About ten feet from the exit, about a dozen Imperials stormed into the cavern, blocking them. Ty skidded to a halt. Markus and Seth step up beside him, shielding Nik and the girl. Mark, can you teleport?

  Markus growled, rumbling the building and the floor. No. The bastard’s got a spell on the place.

  Lifting his hands waist high, Ty curled his fingers, formed a baseball-size fireball and thrust it at the Imperials. As expected, the cowards jumped back from the exit.

  Ty charged ahead and, once outside, threw another fireball at the group to their right, making them scramble out of the way. Nik took the chance to dart off toward the woods with the child. Seth followed, leaving Markus and Ty to deal with the idiot-with-power gain. Which was fine by Ty. It’d been a while since he’d had a really good workout.

  A couple of the Imperials darted to the side to chase Nik, but Markus was faster. He grabbed them by the backs of neck and slammed their heads together. The crack of their skulls echoed off the trees and rocks around them.

  With efficient, swift grace, Ty advanced on the group of demi-gods who stood in defensive stances. He plowed into a group of four, knocking them down like they were cardboard cutouts. What the fuck?

  He scanned the faces of the others, who all stared off into the darkening forest. Empty shells. Puppets. Only able to only obey their string holder. An icy sensation rolled down his spine a split second before a female scream cut through the air.

  Markus heard it too and took off in the direction Nik and Seth had gone. Ty followed, running in time with his brother, heart pounding and the burn of fear for the girl racing in his blood. May the gods help anyone who lays a hand on her.

  They came to a stop next to Seth and Nik. In front of them, Garrick held the girl in his grasp, fear widening her eyes.

  Garrick grinned. “What a happy family reunion.”

  Markus let out a deep, fierce growl. “Let the girl go. She’s of no use to you.”

  “That is where you are wrong. Blair, here, will lead me to her big sister.”

  Dread sliced through Ty’s gut. Garrick had to be talking about Rayna, one of the women on the list Gwen found among her father’s notes. Garrick could never be allowed to capture the female. Next to him, Seth growled loud and long and charged forward. Before he reached Garrick, the bastard disappeared, taking Blair with him.

  Seth let out a roar. The ground shook and birds fled the treetops. Markus slammed a hand on Seth’s shoulder. “We’ll find them.”

  Nik raked a hand through his hair. “Blair is very weak at the moment. Garrick will need to allow her to build up her strength. I’m guessing because her age, the serum he gave her to unlock her powers doesn’t work the way it does on older descendants.”

  Ty nodded. He didn’t like leaving her in the hands of Garrick, but Nik was right. It’d be at least a week before Garrick would send Blair after her sister. Right now, they needed to prepare for his judgment day.

  ****

  Ash closed the door to Amissa’s room just as she sensed Ty entering the mansion with his brothers. There was another presence with them. Nikalos. She descended the stairs and followed the loud voices coming from the great room.

  Ty met her gaze instantly and he stalked toward her. Drawing her into a tight hug, he buried his nose into her neck. She hugged him back, feeling the slight tremor going through him he hid from everyone around him.

  “What happened?” she whispered.

  He lifted his head and held her gaze through his shades. “Garrick has one of Themis’s daughters. She’s only seventeen.”

  Fury rose within Ash and nudged her to find Garrick and rip his head off. Be done with the damn thing. “He’ll use her to get to Rayna.”

  Ty pulled his back slightly to study her for a moment. “You know who Themis’s daughters are?”

  Ash rolled her eyes and pushed away from him. “I was raised in Olympus and researched the archives to learn everything I could about descendants as well as the Sons. Yes, I know. I will also remind you I spent two years with Garrick, learning everything I could about the women he had on his top ten list.”

  She walked past him and stopped in front of Nik. “Were you there when Elizabeth admitted to killing Sophia?”

  Nik nodded and crossed his arms. “I was. The bitch got what she deserved. But I was surprised Garrick showed up with the dagger and literally stabbed her in the back.”

  Ash froze. Okay, she hadn’t expected so much anger from the dragon. Then again, he’d been a prisoner in the same room Ty was tortured in. A wave of relief washed over her knowing that Nik was on their side. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled at Ty who stared at Nik, disbelief etched in his handsome features.

  “Markus, can you have Selene prepare to unlock Ty’s memories? Once it is done, I have to take him to Olympus for judgment.” With hope it was almost over, she paced to Ty and kissed him.

  Breaking the kiss, she removed his shades. “We have a witness and, with your memories unlocked, Zeus has to drop the charges on you.”

  Ty dropped his
gaze back to her lips. “I’m not counting on it until I hear him say the words.”

  “Fair enough. For now, I’m hungry. Care to dine with me?”

  The brow over his good eye—the human eye—rose and his lips curved into a sensual, yet naughty smile. “I’ll have Maxwell bring dinner to our room.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Our room?”

  “Yep, I’ve been an ass and denied what is fated for too long. You’re mine and I want to seal the deal.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The open-mouth look of surprise on Ash’s face sent a smug and satisfying thrill straight to his heart. He’d known for a while how she felt about him—how she never gave up on him and fought his daemons when he wanted to throw in the towel. Her belief gave him strength when he needed something to cling to. For years, he lived with the knowledge judgment would come. Now, he actually believed he could walk away a free man.

  He owed his thanks to Ash—his mate and his heart.

  He teleported to his room—no, their room. When they materialized in the middle of the large bedroom, he did something he swore he’d never do. He confessed his love for the female in his arms. “I love you, Ashlynn, goddess of the hunt, and want you as my bonded mate for all eternity.” Tears filled her eyes, making his heart ache. “Don’t cry. You’re not allowed to cry.”

  She laughed as a single tear rolled down her cheek and cupped his face in her hands. “Only happy tears with you. I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you, but didn’t realize it until the first time we spoke outside this room. I am yours, always, and accept the mating.”

  He struck fast and hard, sinking his teeth into her shoulder. She sucked in a hiss, then moaned and melted into him. Her blood coated his tongue, tangy and sweet like wine. Her scent surrounded him, invading his head with its drugging, strawberry fragrance.

  Tightening his grip, Ty tugged her closer and still she wasn’t close enough. He withdrew his fangs from her and walked her backward. When her legs hit the mattress, she fell on it. A moment later both their clothes dematerialized and Ash smiled, showing the tips of small, sharp fangs. As a goddess, Ty didn’t have to cut himself for her to complete the blood exchange. No, she could give herself fangs to score his skin. His cock jerked at the thought of her taking from him. Her lashes lowered, then lifted as she gazed up at him. In the next instant, she gripped his cock at the base and covered him with her mouth.