by Jaymin Eve
“They’re still where they were last time,” Louis replied, not bothering to keep his voice low. “On the other side of Atlantis, near the statues. Jess, Brax, and Tee are keeping them all under control until I give them the signal. I didn’t want them to come in. Not yet. It’s too risky.”
We all quieted at that ominous statement, but we didn’t stop walking. I couldn’t help but glance up at the huge statues that surrounded this circular land. I knew it was a huge island, as big as some European countries in size, and I wondered where all the people who had lived here when it sank were.
The first thing we came to was a statue, right in the center of a round garden. This land had been underwater for ten thousand years, but there was no evidence of that here. The garden was filled with purple and blue flowers, nothing like I’d ever seen before—a cross between a tulip and rose, maybe. The scent coming from them was sweet and floral, but with hints of ocean and … honey. It had that earthy, sweet scent.
The fact that they were alive at all astonished me. How?
The statue itself was interesting. It was about twenty feet tall, of a figure draped in gold robes. The face at the front was a woman, but as we walked around it I noticed there were two more faces carved into the back and side. Both of those were men.
“The three royal houses,” Asher said, his face turned to them. His grip tightened on my hand.
Connor stepped up, touching the statue. “Yes, this represents that fact that despite there being three royal houses, they all rule together. One land. One people.”
How they knew so much was beyond me, but I supposed they’d had years of learning as much as they could about Atlantis while I’d had months. “I always got the feeling that the three houses were sort of frenemies,” I said, finding myself moving forward as well. I looked up at the woman, wondering if she was the queen who had given birth to me.
“I think they were,” Connor said with a small smile. “But in the end they always put their people first. I think that’s why they went ahead with the gods’ plans. It was to save their people.”
“Instead they damned them,” Asher bit out, his face awash in darkness. He didn’t bother to touch the statue. He let my hand go and walked past that statue and into the city. We wandered for ages, taking in the absolute spectacle that was Atlantis. Everything was laid out circularly, and the first part we entered was definitely living quarters. It started with the smallest house, simple and plain in color, but still gorgeous: curved pillars, shells adorning the windowsills, and white and pale-blue porches. Peeking inside, I saw that it was simple inside too. Their couches were round shells with cushions—almost like a giant clam shell. Beds looked to be made of driftwood—massive chunks that were naturally curved, with thick, soft padding built into them.
As we moved further into Atlantis, the houses got fancier, until we were basically at castles and mansions. Despite their obvious luxury, they still maintained the same simple design and light ocean colors. It took us hours to reach the end of the housing, and it was only because Louis magicked all of us to move faster than was supernaturally possible that we even made it at all.
Around the midpoint, I was guessing, there was an amphitheater. It was huge, dug deep in the ground, with stadium seating rising up all around it. Off to the right were three golden palaces. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that they were the residences of the royal families, positioned closest to the stadium.
They didn’t have any fences or protection around them though, like they didn’t have to hide from their people. For the briefest moment, I had this flash of the world here, filled with noise and laughter, with powerful supes who used their magic freely. For a moment, I felt it all, saw it all, and then when that flash was over, I mourned the loss.
“Where are they?” I asked, finally breaking the hours of silence we’d had while exploring through the city. There was a ton of Atlantis left to discover; we’d only taken a single path through the houses where they lived. Everything in front of us looked like schools and market stalls and brightly-colored tents. There would be so much more, but the silence was weighing on me heavily.
I spoke too soon, because not a minute later, the sky—bright blue and cloudless—turned to a dark, stormy mess. It was so fast … so damn fast. None of us believed this to be a natural weather change.
And we were all right.
From the clouds emerged five gods.
I forced myself to stay relaxed and breathe. This might be the last thing I ever saw, depending how the next few minutes went, but I would not give them the satisfaction of my fear.
Not now. Not ever.
45
Asher was tense at my side, even though most wouldn’t be able to tell, what with his arms hanging loosely and expression neutral. He shifted closer, shielding me with his broad shoulders, and I didn’t fight him. I could see the gold threading his eyes and I knew he was about eight seconds from losing his shit.
Two of the gods were familiar to me: Lotus and Draconis, goddess of storms and god of the underworld, but the other three were complete unknowns. Jesse pressed to my other side, and I could feel the guys right at my back. Ilia and Larissa tried to move around to stand with me, but Rone and Calen stopped them in their tracks, placing them at the back.
I could feel my friends’ anger from where I was, but thankfully they stayed put. They were probably the most outgunned here, and I would die a million deaths if I lost either of them.
Louis remained close, a little off to the side; he looked relaxed. Wasn’t sure I’d ever seen anything ruffle that sorcerer, and I wished I could say the same about myself. I was about ready to shit a brick, because … gods. How the fuck were we really supposed to take on five damn gods?
The storm grew around us as the five lowered themselves to the ground softly, like they’d just stepped down a single step and not a hundred-foot drop.
“Our children,” Lotus said, her thick hair ruffling in the wind. Despite the sound of the storm, she was easily heard. “We’ve been waiting for you to return. It’s time now. Time to finish what we started ten thousand years ago.”
“What did you start?” Louis asked casually, not at all concerned when he drew the attention of the five.
Lotus jerked her head in his direction, her eyes running across him. “You have some god energy,” she said softly. “Somewhere in your family line.” Her voice was purring now, and I really wanted to punch her in the throat. “But you are no match for us, mortal. You should leave now, before it’s too late.”
Louis crossed his arms nonchalantly. Dude was bad-freaking-ass.
“What do you want from us, Lotus?” I snapped, whatever control I’d had over my emotions vanishing. Just seeing her smug fucking face … knowing she had killed Asher … it made me want to wrap my hands around her throat.
I probably needed therapy, but whatever.
“I want you to release the Hellbringers,” she said in her even, twinkling tone. “Only you three have the power.”
“I want to return home,” Draconis said. “That part of the underworld has been barred to me for a very long time.”
Axl shifted right behind me. That meant something to him, but now wasn’t the time to ask what it was.
“What exactly are the Hellbringers?” I asked, hoping for some new information.
Lotus grinned. “Ah, well, that, my dear, is not your secret to know.”
Yeah, bitch. Well, I already know some shit about them, so you’re not as clever as you think.
“Enough!”
That came from the man who stood at the back of the god pack. Like it had been choreographed that way, the other four parted and allowed him to stroll casually through the middle. A hot, sharp spike hit my chest and I gasped softly, trying to figure out what was about to hit us.
“Maddi,” Asher breathed, his voice lower than usual. “Don’t go near him.”
“Why?” I hissed from the corner of my mouth. “Who is it?”
The god stopped a few feet from me, standing six and a half feet, dressed all in black—shitkicker boots and everything. His jeans were ripped and his shirt hung off a heavily muscled body. He kinda looked like a punk rocker except his hair was short and white-blond, flopping lazily across his forehead. Icy blue eyes, almost husky blue, locked onto me and didn’t let go. He looked like sex on legs and every bad decision a woman could make.
“Sonaris,” Axl murmured, and I choked.
Sonaris shot me a slow smile. “Hello, lovely.”
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I was flipping him off before I could think about the consequences of annoying a god.
He laughed. “Stands to reason I’d have a feisty mate.”
This time my gasp was loud, echoing around the empty city. “What did you just say?” Mate?
My eyes hit Lotus, who was smiling in her smug way still. Sonaris chuckled again, drawing my attention back to him. “Are you wondering about the bond you feel?”
“No!” Yes.
He shrugged. “Lotus and Draconis are your parents, but when you were created, I helped a little.” Another shrug. “I gave you some of my power, but you’re not DNA-related to me.”
Asher’s chest was rumbling, and my head was spinning. “Sounds like you’re grasping at straws there, Dad,” I said, trying to throw Sonaris off.
He just laughed harder. “Ah, my little power storm. Even if I was biologically related to you, that doesn’t bother gods. It makes no difference.”
Okay, so breaking news: gods were fucking gross.
“Why did you give her power?” Louis asked, his face still unreadable, but there was something in his eyes. “Gods are weakened by parting with their power. You never get it back.”
Sonaris didn’t take his eyes from me. I don’t think he’d looked away once since he’d stepped forward. “To ensure that we would have a bond. My aim was never what these assholes wanted. I just wanted a true mate.”
Asher’s heat slammed into me. He was furious, practically vibrating at my side. Sonaris finally stole those brilliant, icy blue eyes away from me. “You can’t have her, half-blood,” he said softly.
“Maddi is mine,” Asher growled, and the ground started to rumble as his powers licked across our skin. Sonaris’s eyes widened then, and he almost looked impressed.
“Who is your god sire?” he asked Asher, turning his head to the side.
“I am!” Galindra shouted, diving from the sky and swooping down.
Chaos exploded, because she wasn’t the only one. Dozens of gods followed her, some dressed in gold robes and others with huge golden wings. Asher wrapped his arms around me and hauled me close before he turned and sprinted away.
“Maddison!” Sonaris roared. It felt like it cut right through me and into the ocean around us as the storms grew overhead.
“What are you doing?” I screamed at Asher. “We can’t leave our friends.”
He didn’t answer immediately, and I started to struggle, but he was too freaking strong.
“He wants you, Maddison,” Asher gritted out. “You don’t need to worry about the others.”
“No!” I screamed, energy bursting from me. “He’ll use them against me. I have plenty of weaknesses to exploit.”
He might think my life was more important than anyone else’s, but I didn’t. Thankfully, he slowed that frantic run, and I panted, trying to catch my breath. I hadn’t been running, but the unrestrained panic felt a lot like running, with all the adrenaline pouring through me. “Let’s save our friends,” he murmured, his lips touching mine.
This was why I loved Asher—he was as mindless as all males were when their mates were in danger, but he cared enough about me to stop.
I kissed him back, relished in the spark of power between us. There was a clear bond there.
“Sonaris is wrong,” I told him as he set me on my feet. “He’s either lying or just mistaken. Either way, we will figure it out, but for now we stick together.”
Asher nodded and grabbed my hand. We turned and sprinted back to where the fighting was going on. I was relieved to see my friends had taken shelter under some of the seating in the round theatre. Louis had erected a barrier around them, which he dropped briefly for us to duck under.
“What’s happening?” I asked, hoping someone had some answers. “What’s with the god throwdown?”
Louis, who was keeping an eye on the fight, answered. “As far as I can tell, this is the same fight that sank Atlantis originally. Two warring sides.”
“So the Sonaris and Lotus side … they want these Hellbringers?” I said. “They want someone to open the underworld?”
“Yes,” Louis replied shortly. “I read a history book many years ago that said there was a doorway between this world and the underworld. And unlike Faerie, which has a million doorways, the underworld only has one. One single doorway that can be used.”
“The doorway is here, somewhere in Atlantis,” Axl said, his hand racing frantically across the page. “I read the same history book. It noted the energy that the underworld would hold.”
He was clearly calculating the energy and had found it here.
Louis nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. It’s why Atlantis was always so powerful. That doorway would have powered this world … and the supes that called it home.”
The noise of the fighting grew, and Louis’s attention was back on the gods. Squished between Asher and Ilia, I couldn’t see much, but I could hear the screams. I could feel the power crashing around us. It was stirring my blood. Stirring my energy.
“How did they expect to control the Hellbringers?” I asked. “Do they have something that could do this?”
No one answered as Louis blasted more energy into the shield. A moment later I knew why.
Lotus appeared in front of the barrier, her face all banged up, dark golden blood pouring from a cut across her cheek. Yep, you heard that right … gold. They probably shit gold bricks too. Bastards.
“You can stop all this,” she said to me. “You were meant to be by our side. We were going to do this together. You would have understood our cause if she hadn’t interfered. But for now, I need you to trust that we only have your best interests at heart. We’re your parents. We care about you.”
“The mother of all ruined your plans before they even started,” Louis said, face determined as he strengthened the shield again.
Lotus nodded. I could see she was trying to win us over the old-fashioned way, since fear and manipulation hadn’t worked. “Yes. Our babies, the ones we needed to be born from both worlds, are the only ones that can open the doorway and control the Hellbringers. But the day they were born, when we were celebrating, she cast most of the Atlanteans into the hell realm—some managed to escape, but not all—and sealed the door permanently. She then did the only thing she could to contain us, sinking Atlantis with us and our babies in a stasis that should not have been broken.”
All I could hear was Axl’s magic pen scratching across the page. “How was it broken?” I asked.
“By me, mate,” Sonaris said, appearing at Lotus’s side. “The mother did not know I was involved. I know how to be discreet.” He shot Lotus a dark stare. “It took me almost ten thousand years of searching, but eventually I found you all. I arranged for those supernatural seekers, the Atlanteans, to find you and return you to this world, and then I waited for your powers to return so that I could claim you.”
Lotus snarled. “I should kill you, Sonaris. You were going to leave us there. If their blood had not mixed…”
She meant Asher, Connor, and me. Her eyes met mine. “The mother used your blood to create her original spell. You’re much more pow—”
Sonaris cut her off with a growl, and then he stepped forward. The happy-go-lucky punk-surf-rocker vibe was gone. Now he was glowing as power looped and arced around him. “Enough talk. If Galindra is here, that means the mother is watching.” His eyes went to Asher. “You should beware of spies in your midst.”
Lotus brushed him off. “We need you to open the doorway now so we can finish this.”
“Why would you want us to do that?” I said, moving closer. Asher didn’t stop me, but he did move with me. He went basically face-to-face with Sonaris, the two of them eyeballing the fuck out of each other. There wasn’t a huge difference in their heights; Asher was actually a little more muscled than Sonaris’s lankier frame, but Asher was only a demigod. Badass as all fuck, but taking on the god of the seas…
I could not let him get hurt.
“If we open the gates, what’s to stop us from controlling the Hellbringers and killing you all?” I asked casually.
Neither of them looked remotely concerned. I was definitely going to have to up my threat game. “You can’t just kill a god,” Lotus said with a smirk. “If you did, you’d have to figure out how to contain the energy we release. If it’s not contained, the world will destruct under the power.”
Axl stood suddenly, pen and paper jerking with him. “The calculations on killing the mother of all is astronomical,” he said swiftly. “How were you going to contain her energy?”
Sonaris’s smile grew. “The five of us will absorb it,” he said softly. “They needed me because I am one of the strongest gods to ever live.”
“And you wanted a mate in return?” I said with a snort of annoyance.
He nodded. “Yes. You see, my sire is the father of all that resides below. The dark to the mother’s light. The ocean makes up most of this world—I have power beyond your understanding. Despite that, I have never found a mate.”
Asher’s family was the mother of all, Sonaris’s was the father of all below. And I was supposedly both their mates.
I was totally screwed.
46
Lotus, apparently having exercised all the patience she had, slammed her hands on Louis’s barrier. Her eyes went extra wide when it held against her blast.
She watched Louis the way one watches a predator in the wild. “Hmmm, you’ve surprised me, mortal.”