Blood of the Infinity War (Afterlife saga Book 8)

by Stephanie Hudson

  “NO! Keira no! Take me with you! You can’t do this alone, let me fight by your side!” Draven shouted and I paused. I felt sad at what I must do and I hated what I was to say next, but I had to get him to understand…

  It wasn’t his fight.

  Not anymore.

  “Not this time, My Chosen One,” I told him before continuing on.

  I then grabbed a weapon off the floor and walked straight…

  Into Hell.

  Chapter 48

  Home

  Walking into Hell felt strange this time. Not like the other times when I was just a mortal girl. No, this time, it felt like I was coming home. And when someone was home it was when they were at their strongest and here, I wasn’t just a God…

  Oh no, I was so much more.

  I knew where I wanted to be and I moved between the levels of Hell as if I had been granted access by all the Lords. All the Princes were on my side. Because none of us wanted to see the end. None of us wanted to see the Titans freed and Cronus at the head of such an unbeatable army.

  They all knew I was here to stop it. And stop it I would. Because I had already seen this fight. Cronus had too, but in his mind he had unknowingly given me the key. The reason I went back in time. The sacrifice of the Septimus, helping me to get the blood of Pertinax. Then I saved his life after gifting him with the venom of God in order that when the time came he could then do the same. That was what the prophecy spoke of.

  Which was why I had seen this moment in my dreams and it was a sight I was now seeing play out like the Fates had deemed it. I was stood on the edge of the cliff face overlooking the vast space to Mount Tartarus. I dumped Cronus’ dark form on the ground, as the second we stepped back into Hell he had taken another form, one stolen as a creature walked past us. He looked like a soldier clad in black fighting gear. I could have stopped it but it was of no matter to me which form he was in, as long as it had eyes and it could witness the destruction of his plans. Then that was all I cared about.

  He wasn’t the only one that changed once we stepped foot in this place, I summoned my own fighting gear. So, gone was the bloody torn wedding dress. No, for now I looked the part. Black leather fitted me like a glove and moulded to my mortal form like a second skin, pulled tight like a corset. Armoured shoulder pieces connected with straps across my chest which were spiked and deadly. A cloak attached to this with a hood I wore up over my loose hair. Thick leather straps covered my forearms that matched the thick belt at my waist, one that held my weapon at my side. Finally, high black boots with metal heels completed my fighting gear.

  The second I let Cronus go he tried to fight but with a single thought I soon had soulweed roots shoot up and take hold of him once more. I drew my sword and held it at his throat. I could have killed him but no, as I said, I wanted him to see. His fight was already lost, now he just had to lay witness to the fact. The army at my back should have told him that. An army I needed to face the Tartarus army heading our way. They swarmed out of the mountain, all the inmates that had been imprisoned there were now free, on one condition, to fight for Cronus. He had told me this when I had first found myself faced with the sight.

  But it didn’t matter.

  I had already started assembling my own legions the second I stepped foot back home. There were those that I had entrusted to Zagan, back when I killed Malphas. There were even those that belonged to the other Princes that wanted to join the cause. Ones rallied together thanks to my new father in law, the Prince of Lust.

  “Are you sure you have the power to beat them daughter of mine?” Asmodeus asked me, stepping up to my side and surprising me with his presence.

  “We shall soon find out,” I said in reply.

  “And we shall do so together.” The voice I heard behind me had me snapping my head around and when I saw him I couldn’t help the human side of me coming through. My vessel and I both loved him.

  “Draven!” I shouted his name and he came to stand next to me, taking my hand in his.

  “We fight this together. We fight as one…now and always,” he told me, repeating my words back to him and I gripped his hand tighter. I nodded and we both faced the tens of thousands as they started to race towards us.

  “Besides, I am not without my uses,” Draven said tugging on my hand and smirking down at me. Then he looked behind him and I followed to see that thousands more had joined our army. My husband’s Legions.

  “It is no use! The Titans are coming! They are coming and then you will all DIE!” Cronus shouted and Draven growled down at him and said,

  “Can I kill him yet?” I laughed and said,

  “Not until he sees for himself the fall of his people,” I replied and then added,

  “But after that, then sure, why not.” This made both him and his father chuckle.

  “Didn’t I tell you she was a keeper, son.”

  “That you did father.”

  “Are you ready?” Draven asked me and I looked up at him and replied,

  “I was born ready.” Then the ground started to rumble and I knew that Aurora had done it. She had released the Titans.

  “See you on the other side, my love.” Draven said yanking me to him and kissing me. I felt my vessel’s heart soar and I relished the feeling.

  “On the other side,” I repeated and he winked at me before taking flight with his massive wings, ready to help me lead this army into battle.

  So as the head of this war, I raised my sword and bellowed my own battle cry into Hellish eternal dark red skies.

  “ATTACK!” I roared my command and watched as everyone ran down the cliff face, swarming past me with my husband leading the way in the air. Giant beasts, now on our side, charged forward. Generals on top of eight legged horses also led their men forward as I stayed on the cliff face because my place was here. Ready to do war from afar so I could see, so I could watch and face the biggest threat of all.

  “MY BROTHERS, THEY COME AT LAST!” Cronus cried out just as the top of the mountain burst open spewing bellows of fire and lava out into the sky like an untouchable bomb had just erupted in the centre of a live volcano. But I wasn’t scared. I didn’t feel fear, not in the sight of these ancient beings that thought themselves invincible.

  Because what they now faced was something new.

  The Infinity war had begun and it started with me.

  “Yes, and you may say goodbye!” I told him as the first one to erupt out of the mountain had grown to almost the size of it. They may have been imprisoned as men-sized Gods, captured by flowing lava but when they were freed they would only grow to the size of colossal monsters the size of our tallest buildings. They would lay waste to everything in their path until nothing remained. But I wasn’t planning on letting them get that far.

  I wasn’t letting them escape. Their mountain had once been their home…Mount Olympus. And Zeus had defeated them making it their prison. Now I was about to make it something else.

  I was about to make it their crypt.

  I bent to the ground and touched the dirt beneath me. Then I let my humanity feed what no one else had ever done. I merged it with the demon inside me…with the God in me. I was different because I chose to be. I could have let power consume me long ago but I felt too much love to do that. I could have let my visions of this world send me mad, but I had much too strong a will for that to ever happen. Draven had shown me what it was to love and to believe in something bigger than yourself. It was the love I had for all those that had aided in my cause. Aided my love for Draven, my search for him. They had followed me like moths to the flame, and I had guided them all to this one moment in time.

  This point.

  Because they believed in me. And for the love I shared for all of them, I only needed one single thing to rock Hell to its core. Because there was still another level to this place, one they never knew existed until a Mortal did the impossible.

  It was called…

  Salvation.

  A single tear
.

  That was all it had taken in my vision. And that was all it took now. A single tear shed for damned Gods imprisoned for all of eternity. For it wasn’t hatred that defeated them. It was love and humanity that they feared the most and it was what I was giving them. Their biggest fear. To know that they were wrong about us. That we weren’t the abomination they thought we were. Because I didn’t represent a demonic God, their world had plenty of them to fight.

  I represented the one thing they didn’t have any longer.

  A soul.

  The second my tear fell to the ground it soaked in deep and it caused a shock wave, rippling across the land. I looked up knowing what I would see. The mountain was falling and with it the Titan trying to crawl its way out. The ground opened up and it started to fall as it once did, only this time, there would be nothing left of it. It would remain dead and buried, with the Titans imprisoned no more.

  Because I had set them free of their eternal chains.

  They didn’t belong to Cronus.

  They were free…to finally die.

  Salvation.

  “NOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!” He roared and I watched with a smile as the rest of the army fell under unbeatable odds. The mountain continued to fall until it became completely consumed under a level of Hell that didn’t even exist. Until now.

  “I did what you refused to do. I gave them peace and a taste of humanity…oh and I finally buried that bitch Aurora in there with them!” I told him unable to help myself with this last bit snarled at him.

  “That you did, my dear.” This came from an incredibly deep voice behind me. I turned and I knew who it was. Every being that belonged here did. Everyone that called Hell home, knew its King.

  “Lucifer.” I whispered his name like a prayer hushed by all.

  “The one and the very same.” I turned to face him and bowed my head to show my respect, as what was embedded inside this new side of me. He arched a brow at me in obvious amusement and I had to say I was tempted to do the same.

  If anyone had ever told me that Lucifer looked like a sexy pirate, I would never have believed them. But here he was, commander of all, dressed in a long black military style jacket, with black metal buttons framing each side along with stripes of hammered tarnished silver. His long legs were encased in some kind of beast’s hide and strapped with strips of cord. Boots that reached his knees were steel capped at the toes into deadly points. A bare large chest on show underneath and skin that looked strangely tanned for a place with no sun.

  But it was his face. With his high, sharp features. A long nose, defined cheekbones and long hair pulled back giving him that air of authority he really didn’t need. His name was enough. But even so, he had it in just a single look. His pale aqua eyes were intense, as half of me wanted to look away and the other half was too afraid to. It was the first time I had felt fear since coming back to my vessel.

  “It seems as though you have been busy,” he said nodding to the battle that had long been won.

  “And I certainly won’t be missing sight of that mountain…such an eyesore,” he told me this last part whispered in my ear. I shuddered next to him.

  “I had hoped to see you leave me something to occupy my time and I dare say that you have,” he said walking to Cronus and placing a hand on top of his head.

  “My Lord please, set me free and we could…” He never got to finish as Lucifer gripped his hair and with a simple and sickening twist he snapped his neck. Then he let his body drop to the floor. I gasped in shock. The soulweeds left him and slithered away as if they too feared Lucifer’s wrath.

  “You don’t approve?” He ventured a guess and then tapped his chin once before agreeing,

  “You’re right, it was far too quick.” Then he held out a hand, and dragged his fingers upwards as if the tips were connected to invisible strings attached to Cronus’ slumped body. In seconds, he was gasping for air and clearly breathing again.

  “Take him,” Lucifer ordered sounding bored and out of nowhere creatures with bleeding scales, were crawling on all fours towards him dragging behind them massive chains. They attached them to his body and at first, I had wondered how they were going to manage to get him out of here considering they were no bigger than dogs. But then after the sound of a whip lashed through the air, his body was quickly dragged off into the unknown that Lucifer obviously had planned for him.

  “So, you’re the one my son gifted my blood to?” he said coming back to me and running a fingertip down under my chin. He was very tall, taller even than Sigurd or Ragnar. I had to tip my head right back just to look up at him and then all I saw was his chin.

  “Mmm, good choice. But I must say there is a blood in there that doesn’t belong to you and I think now that it has served its purpose, I would do well in taking it back,” Lucifer said, before bending slightly and adding,

  “After all, we wouldn’t want that pure soul of yours getting lost in the dark abyss of this place, that or I would just end up having to build you a palace and make you stay.” This was said I know as a choice, one that came with a promised consequence on each side. I could stay here and live life as a God or I could give up great power, power of a God, so that I could claim back my humanity and go back to a life I never thought I could have.

  It didn’t take me long to decide.

  “I choose my humanity,” I said firmly just as I heard someone landing behind me.

  “Of course, you do.” Lucifer said and then turned his attention to Draven.

  “Ah the King on Earth gracing my land with his presence, tell me Son of Asmodeus, do you think this little morsel you own should stay here with me or should I grant her wish for her to return?” I turned to Draven to see him paying Lucifer his respect as he was down on one knee before rising again.

  “She is my Queen,” he told him firmly, making Lucifer grin.

  “Of course, she is, for I only jest. His father is a great friend of mine,” Lucifer added speaking directly to me.

  “Yes, that is because I am the only dirty bastard that will put up with you!” Asmodeus himself replied after swiftly joining us and getting down on one knee to Lucifer like Draven had. So far, I had been the only one not to have done so and I now knew what that amused look had been about.

  “That’s true but it might be because I usually just kill the ones that don’t,” Lucifer replied making Draven’s father laugh. I looked back behind me to see that the battle was over and thousands of dead demons were evidence to that as the vast space was littered with them.

  “You would miss me and you know it, besides who would bring you your tasty little sins if not for me.” Lucifer grinned and said to Draven,

  “He always has a good argument, your father.”

  “Yes, and unfortunately, I have a sister that takes after him,” Draven replied dryly making them both laugh. Then he took a step to me making Lucifer tut and hold his hand out to stop him.

  “Let me go to my wife.” Draven nearly growled the words as you could see he was holding himself back.

  “You can have her soon enough, for she has made her choice, and quite quickly I might add, for she wasn’t even tempted for a second at the power she harnesses.”

  “Nor did I think she would be,” he said firmly knowing me better than anyone.

  “Ah to have such faith. Very well then, I see no reason to prolong things, we are busy Kings after all, are we not?” Draven nodded in agreement. Then the next thing I knew Lucifer tipped up my chin and said,

  “Don’t worry beautiful, this will only hurt a bit.” And then with only this as my warning, he reached inside my body, making me cry out in utter agony! He had to wrap an arm around me to keep me standing against it all.

  “NO! No, let her go!” Draven shouted as I screamed and he was suddenly held back by his father.

  “Don’t be foolish, boy!” Asmodeus hissed.

  “Let me go! I have to stop this! Lucifer please let her go!” Draven begged making him chuckle before tell
ing him,

  “That is precisely what I am doing.” Then he pulled his hand free that was now coated in blood. I looked down to see that not a mark was on me and when I had expected to see a gaping wound, there was none.

  I felt myself go limp in his hold and he hoisted me up into his arms. Then he walked me over to Draven, who until this moment was still restrained by his father. Then he handed me to him, before issuing him with a warning.

  “The Infinity War starts with her, King of Kings and it ends…”

  He paused and just as I had found that last of my strength, he finished by telling Draven what I hadn’t had the courage to tell him, the truth…

  “…With your child.”

  Chapter 49

  Afterlife

  Eight months later…

  “I swear if this belly gets any bigger I won’t fit at this table!” I complained again for what felt the millionth time in the seven days I was overdue. Typical, I thought on a growl. I felt Draven rubbing my belly and like my complaining that too felt like it was for the millionth time, one I liked…a lot.

  “Is the baby restless again, sweetheart?” he asked me softly whispering in my ear. We were sat in the VIP and the rest of the nightclub was closed. This was because of the monthly council meetings which were certainly a colourful event these days. At first, they had started out as every other month, but the closer to my due date the more and more we saw of the Royal Council. I think they were just worried and it was sweet. But I was also the size of a house, moody and cranky and my ankles resembled overblown balloon animals.

  A lot had happened since that battle, also known as ‘I can’t believe I missed it’ day according to Pip…who seriously mentioned it at every opportunity or just because she felt like it. Seriously, even eating cake reminded her of it. But we had won the battle. However, it hadn’t been without its losses, something I was painfully reminded of when I finally regained consciousness in the Temple, once Draven had got me back there.