Paldimori Gods Rising Box Set

by T. L. Callahan

  The cold, emotionless mask of Kyrion Chaos stared down the man as if he was an insignificant bug. “We will honor the truce. Make sure your people do the same. Other than proof of her standing, Lia is off-limits to you. Do not speak of her again.” Bennett turned toward me his face softening only slightly. “Grayson and I will shield you from their view, Lia. You need only raise the back of your shirt. The mark has changed even since you were claimed. Kyrion Apollo is familiar with the House of Chaos symbol and will realize your mark is much more.”

  One more thing he had forgotten to mention.

  “Dammit, Bennett.” My voice quivered with a mixture of anger and hurt. “When were you going to tell me about any of this?”

  “The House of Light observes some of the old customs still when dealing with other Houses. To bare our marks in meetings is one of them.” Bennett’s strained voice cut through the red haze that was threatening to edge out my reason. He wasn’t enjoying this either. “I did not want you to dread this the whole way here. I hate that he will see one ounce of your skin that should be for my eyes only.”

  “But what compulsion is he talking about?” I asked, not realizing I had said that out loud.

  “Little supposed Chosen, you have much to learn.” Jameson chuckled, drawing my attention away from Bennett. “Long ago there was a war between Houses and one of our ancestors used a power called Voice on all of our people. It’s a very dangerous power because with it, you can compel anyone to do what you want regardless of their will. Our ancestor used this power during a moment of grief and anger to declare all of the opposing Houses as traitors to be cut down whenever they encountered each other. The compulsion has weakened over time, but those instincts you have been fighting to lash out at us are from that command. For his actions, the ancestor’s name has been stricken from our history books and the use of Voice forbidden to all.” Jameson’s face tightened with anger. “All this time later, we’re still fighting each other.”

  “Do not blame the compulsion for the acts your people have committed.” Bennett’s fingers dug into my wrist so hard they were sure to leave a bruise. His rage was a palpable force dominating the room. Grayson stiffened beside me, giving Bennett a sharp look of disapproval. Bennett’s grip loosened, and he rubbed his thumb over the sore spot.

  “Your kind still want what you have always wanted,” Bennett snarled. “To eliminate us and take over the world. Do not try to pretty it up with your half-truths. The twelve Houses betrayed our gods. They are the reason neither side has known peace.”

  “My House is not to blame,” Jameson gritted out, his face flushed red and a vein standing out on his forehead, his own anger pushing back until the whole room felt on the verge of erupting. He took an aggressive step forward, but Giovanni placed his hand on his shoulder, halting him.

  “You know nothing. My family has never agreed with the annihilation of the Chaonians or Paldimori or whatever you’re calling yourselves now. My father worked hard to find a way to break the compulsion and end this madness,” Jameson spat, vibrating with anger and pain. “And he was killed for it. We have suffered on both sides. Make no mistake—I will protect my people from any threat, truce or not.”

  “Ok boys, let’s just settle down,” I said. “No need to undo all that truce stuff, already.” Before either could continue their “I have more right to be pissed than you do” battle, I spun around and yanked my shirt off. Standing there in my bra, I was keenly aware of all the eyes on me. Nothing like a topless woman to break up a pissing match.

  I glanced over my shoulder to find Giovanni and Jameson studying my symbol with a look of awe. Grayson stepped between us, blocking their view. Bennett grabbed my shirt off the floor and stuffed me back into it. “Do not look at her,” he commanded harshly.

  “Asteràki, are you trying to get the pretty boy Kyrion and your grandfather killed?” Bennett growled at me. “Never bare yourself like that to anyone other than me again, or we will see how that lovely backside of yours looks with my handprints upon it.”

  An image of Bennett spanking my ass as he took me against his bedroom wall the night our bond had been sealed filled my head. A shaky exhale escaped, and my thighs clenched against the sudden need that heated my core. Bennett’s hands landed on my hips pulling me into him, my breasts rubbing against his hard chest. His fingers wrapped around my ponytail, his arousal growing to nudge against my stomach.

  “Her powers have fully woken?” Jameson’s question doused my untimely arousal as if he had dropped a cold bucket of water on me.

  “Not all.” Bennett reluctantly released me and stepped away not even trying to hide the bulge in his pants. A hot wave of embarrassment rushed across my cheeks as I turned to face the other men. For god sakes, Lia, your grandfather is in the room. Bennett was kryptonite to my willpower. That was my only excuse. Grayson gave me his boyish smile, clearly amused at my predicament. Bennett tucked me against his side, his hand settling possessively on my hip. Grayson flanked my other side, settling into his deceptively relaxed stance. The knowing smirk Jameson gave me told me he hadn’t missed a thing.

  “Now you,” I tipped my head toward Jameson, avoiding making eye contact with Giovanni. I wasn’t going to be the only one showing off my mark.

  Jameson’s hands landed on his hips. “That wasn’t part of the deal.”

  “My invite must have gotten lost in the mail for the original negotiations.” My smile was all teeth. “I’m setting this new term of the deal. I showed you mine. Now you show me yours.”

  No one moved.

  Giovanni’s booming laugh split the silence. He spoke rapidly in Italian to Jameson. I was only able to catch part of what he said: “Hope is only a seed that cannot grow unless you nourish it with actions.”

  Jameson pulled his shirt off and threw it to the floor revealing a drool-worthy chest. I tried to keep my scan of his torso brief to avoid lighting the powder keg beside me. There wasn’t a symbol on any of those tanned muscles. A condescending smile twisted his lips before he turned around. A gold sun symbol covered his back. The rays seemed to shimmer and dance under the harsh light of the room.

  “But I thought …” I looked at Bennett in confusion.

  “Thought what?” Jameson gave me a smug smile over his shoulder. “That Kyrion Chaos—or should I call you Bennett since we’re practically family—was the only one with a symbol on his back?”

  He turned, not bothering to put the shirt back on and closed the distance between us so quickly he must have teleported. Bennett and Grayson pushed me behind them. Jameson gave them a bored look and peered down at me over their shoulders. “Your boyfriend may have been the only one born with the Archigós mark, but others have come into theirs over time. Like me.”

  Jameson stalked away as gracefully as a jaguar and every bit as deadly. He slid onto one of the loungers and gestured for us to join him. “Those with the Archigós mark are the most powerful descendants since the time the gods roamed the earth. Aside from the Chosen, of course. There have only been a few recorded in history,” he informed me nonchalantly. Everyone settled onto a lounger except for Grayson, who stood diligently behind mine. This seemed to amuse our host as he stretched out on the lounger with his hands beneath his head. “Yet now they are appearing in nearly every House. Change is coming.”

  “Change is here,” Giovanni stated firmly. “Show her.”

  “And he says I’m impatient,” Jameson sighed dramatically. I was getting the feeling that drama was his middle name. “Fine. Lady and gentlemen, please don’t be alarmed. This will only hurt a little.”

  Straps shot across my chest and legs securing me to the table. Grayson pulled a knife from his pants and tried to cut through them. The straps turned translucent and the knife slipped through as if they weren’t there. The straps expanded across my whole body locking me down so I couldn’t move; the only space was a bubble around my head. My heart flopped around in my chest as panic hit me, and my shout of alarm echoed against the bar
rier. My powers surged and fire enveloped my hands. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw fire shooting through the barrier that covered Bennett as he fought to get out.

  It was no use. We were trapped.

  Through the clear bindings I watched helplessly as Grayson tried to reach me. His frightened face was the last thing I saw before a glowing gold liquid poured into the bubble surrounding my head. My gasping breaths sounded loud in the enclosed space. Goose bumps pebbled my skin as the cold liquid filled in only around my head leaving the rest of me dry. I fought against taking a breath, but my oxygen-starved lungs finally gave out. Liquid poured into my mouth. Pain shot through my head straight down to my toes, and my mind was ripped from my body.

  19

  “Jillian!” The distorted sound of someone calling my name filtered through the lingering pain pounding through my head. I stood up, gasping for air, the room going in and out of focus around me. Images flickered past too fast to see clearly as I blinked, trying to figure out where I was. The pain faded away and a nondescript white room came into focus.

  What had Jameson done to us? Where were Bennett and Grayson?

  “Jilli-bean,” a sing-song-y voice echoed around the small room. My mom was the only person who ever called me that. Shadows lengthened, and there she was—sitting on the edge of a bed nudging a lump beneath the covers as she called out playfully, “Come on sleepyhead. You’re going to miss the sun.”

  The room shifted into my old bedroom at my parents’ house. The purple walls of the room were lined with artwork and newspaper articles about my non-profit work. My twenty-two-year-old self peeked at my mom from her position on the bed, then pulled the covers back over her head. Mom laughed and pulled them back down. I looked so innocent in an oversized sleep shirt and tousled hair. Grumbling about it being too early, while barely managing to hold back a laugh as my mom played out her part of this familiar scene.

  The shadows lengthened again, and there was my family sitting on the dock behind the house watching the sun rise. They lay on the ratty old blanket my mother refused to throw away, eating strawberries and talking about my future now that I was out of college. My father had always loved sunrises, which made sense now that I knew he was descended from Apollo. Their happy chatter surrounded me. This is the way I wanted to remember them. I didn’t know why I was being shown these memories, but at the moment I was too grateful to care. If only I could stay here in this moment and never have to experience what happened next.

  There had been years of my life when I denied that my parents, and this version of me, ever existed. But with Bennett’s help I had learned to accept my past and face it. The pain and longing to have back the life that was destroyed on this day was still with me. It likely always would be, but I was strong enough to cherish this memory now and let it chase away some of the lingering darkness dwelling under my lonely highway.

  The scene shifted again to our kitchen, showing my family goofing off as we packed for our trip out on the boat. My parents shared secretive smiles, brushing up against each other with a casual touch of the hand or hip bump. The love they had shared was a tangible force that made me ache to one day share that with Bennett. The younger version of me laughed at something they had said. For a moment, it was like looking at a complete stranger. She was so carefree and happy. If only I could alter the course of history and keep them from getting on that boat.

  I had to try.

  I grabbed for my mom’s arm, but my hand slipped right through her. The same happened with my father. My shouts went unacknowledged. I tried to throw things or set something on fire, but my powers didn’t seem to work here. Nothing worked. I stood in the middle of the kitchen floor, my chest heaving with desperation to change this. To save my parents and the girl I had once been. I knew what was coming but was helpless to prevent it. A hot ball of emotions churned inside me, and tears spilled down my cheeks. My eyes met my mom’s, and she gave me a knowing smile.

  Wait. Could she see me?

  I rushed toward her, but she had already turned away. The scene shifted once more, and we were on the sailboat. The younger version of me was standing at the prow, loose hair whipping in the wind. Her head thrown back, soaking in the sun and the scents of the ocean. My parents stood at the ship’s wheel watching the younger me with love and pride.

  My father’s dark brown eyes shifted to my mom and worry filled their depths. “How do you think she’ll take the news?”

  “Our Jilli-bean has always been strong and independent.” My mom pushed her dark brown hair over her shoulder and placed her hand over my father’s heart. “I just wish we could be there with her through everything that is coming. Henry, how can we leave her like this? The things I have seen in my visions ...”

  “I know. I know, my star.” My father pulled her to him and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I would sacrifice everything to keep you both safe, but this is the way your visions have shown you it has to be. They have never been wrong. If she does not come into her powers and find the rest of the Chosen, all of the descendants will die.”

  “We don’t know that for sure.” My mom gripped his shirt, desperation turning her bright blue eyes a shade darker. “Maybe the stories your father told you were wrong. He is the protector of only one piece of the prophecy. You said yourself that the other pieces have been scattered amongst the Houses.”

  “No, we can’t be certain.” My dad cupped her cheek. “But you more than any other person have felt us weakening. Your guardians said the gods went to sleep to conserve their powers and wait for the time that the Order could be made whole again. That something went wrong, and they became trapped. We can’t look to the gods to save us. We must save ourselves.”

  “You mean Jillian and her Chosen must save us.” Mom rested her forehead against my father’s chest. “I’m scared.”

  “I am too, Stella. I have thought a million times about going on the run again. But the fighting will never end unless the prophecy is fulfilled. And we can’t outrun the bond curse.” My father stoked her hair, his throat working rapidly to choke back his own tears. “Sometimes I wish that you had never seen me that night. That our bond-mate claiming had never happened so that you could live on forever. How could your father give our people this gift only to make it a curse that everyone who finds their true bond-mate will die?” Mom’s head jerked up, but he quickly placed his finger to her lips. “No, I don’t regret a moment of our bond or our life together. You are my guiding star and my heart. Even death will not keep us apart.” He stroked her back soothingly and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “We will fight until our last breath, but the end for us is her beginning. We will leave her every possible weapon we can. If the God of Chaos is merciful, we will watch over her from the stars.”

  My mother snorted. “He couldn’t care less about mercy. We are only here for his entertainment.”

  “I doubt your guardians taught you that. You can’t let what will happen to Lia steal your faith. The God of Chaos could have wiped us from the earth when his son fell and the Chaonian society collapsed.” My father gripped her arms. His eyes roaming over her face as if memorizing every detail. “He has a plan for us. There is still hope. She is our hope.”

  Mom turned to look at me—the current incorporeal version of me—where I stood beside them. My heart skipped a beat as she spoke to me directly. How could she see me and no one else could? “Yes, she is our hope. And we will aid her in every way possible even if we can’t be here with her.”

  The scene sped forward again, and our boat was under attack. This time I could see the powers that were being used to stir up the storm and the ocean. Lines of silver light speared into the sky calling forth the thunder and lightning. The storm raged overhead pouring buckets of water down on my family. Lightning struck the lake and thunder boomed, making the ship shake. My father was pulled overboard. My mother gripped the younger me, hugging her fiercely. Her lips were moving rapidly as she placed her hand upon the girl’s back. My mom’s
eyes seemed to be boring straight into mine where I stood an invisible observer, helplessly watching it all unfold. Her lips moved still, but I couldn’t hear a thing over the sounds of the storm.

  Then a bright light enveloped the younger version of me and grew until everything was swallowed by the light.

  20

  My eyes flew open, and I fought against the straps still holding me to the lounger back in the House of Light. The liquid sloshed wildly as I shook my head back and forth trying to get free. Bubbles rose from my mouth as I shouted. The now clear liquid that surrounded my head was warmer than before and missing the glow from earlier. High overhead the sky was visible through the honeycomb windows, the dark beginning to fade with the coming of the sun.

  “Lia!” Bennett shouted through our connection.

  “I’m here!” The pain from before was gone, but being trapped in this body condom was wreaking havoc on my nerves. “I can’t get out!”

  “Jameson is freeing me now. Be calm, asteràki. I do not think they are trying to kill us, but be cautious.”

  “Bennett, I saw things.” My voice echoed the pain those memories brought back. “I heard and saw things that never happened the day of the boat accident. How is that possible?”

  “I think we all saw what you did,” Bennett mused, the low growl of his voice stating more than words how pissed off he was right now. “The only way that could be possible was if—”

  “If what? You can’t leave me hanging like that. What were you going to say?”

  “If there were someone else there that day, and we were seeing their memories, not yours.” Bennett’s voice was dark and menacing. “If that is the case, then the House of Light could be involved in your parents’ murders.”

  I stopped struggling against the straps, my whole body turning cold as that thought hit me like an avalanche. My parents were murdered. My mother had known they were coming and that they would die. Yet they had gone out on that boat anyway. They had knowingly gone to their deaths to secure my future as Chosen. No, they wouldn’t do that to me! Please god, tell me they hadn’t sacrificed themselves for me. My vision wavered as my fingers clawed at the lounger. I couldn’t breathe!