From listening to that dark voice in his heart that whispered at him to find a pill—a pill would take this pain away.
She murmured softly into his ear.
“Let’s go home.”
Home.
He wanted to go there.
Not the home she spoke of, but the Underworld.
He wanted to be there again, away from this madness, this weakness that infested him, even when he knew he couldn’t escape it. Returning to the Underworld now wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t turn back the clock. It wouldn’t free him of his problems.
He had to face them.
He held Enyo, breathed in her lilac scent and absorbed the warmth of her.
The strength she gave to him.
Strength he needed and would use.
He couldn’t change the past.
But he could still have the future he craved with every drop of his blood.
He would fight his demons for that.
And he would win the only thing he had ever wanted.
Her heart.
Chapter 19
Enyo watched Keras as he sat beside Marek at the low dining table, his eyes on the screen of the laptop Marek had open in front of him. Worry arrowed through her and not for the first time since Esher had closed the gate in Hong Kong. It had hit her from time to time over the last few days, most often when she was watching Keras like this and he was unaware of her.
Didn’t try to hide his own worry and fatigue from her.
Not that he could really hide it from her.
Enyo could feel it in him.
He wouldn’t listen to her when she tried to make him take a break though, brushed her off and carried on working, poring over all the information he and his brothers had gathered over the years, trying to figure out the enemy’s next move.
Keras was sure the enemy would want to rescue the witch.
Enyo wasn’t so sure. It had looked to her as if the furie had been intent on abandoning the female.
The enemy’s next move wasn’t the only thing weighing heavily on Keras though. Esher still hadn’t woken, showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Cassandra had used spells on him every day, checking his condition. The only good news was that it wasn’t getting worse.
It wasn’t getting better either.
“I could take another look in her mind,” Keras said, words that had Enyo moving because she was damned if that was going to happen.
“You hit a wall last time.” Her voice seemed loud in the long room of the mansion, a house that had been too quiet since they had brought Esher back from Hong Kong.
The air in the mansion was sombre, had sucked the light right out of everyone. Even Calistos was quiet, all of his jokes and wisecracks nowhere to be found now that they all badly needed someone to brighten the mood.
“I can break through it.” Keras looked at her, his green eyes as serious as she had ever seen them.
She shook her head, because that wasn’t the only feeling that shone in them. There was despair too, and a lot of fatigue. Too much fatigue. The episodes he suffered were growing further apart, but they were still a daily occurrence, and more than once she’d had to convince him that he didn’t need his pills, and had weathered his anger as the darker side of him had surged to the fore. Those episodes were taking their toll on him as well as Esher’s condition.
Pushing himself now was a sure way of triggering another episode.
“If you probe her mind right now, who knows what will happen. I heard about the incident with the wraith.” As those words left her lips, his green eyes narrowed and he looked at each of his brothers in turn.
All of them diligently avoided meeting his gaze.
No one wanted to be the one to confess they had told on him.
She was glad his brother Ares had told her about it, even when it tormented her. The thought that Keras had been so reckless as to push himself to the limit, had probably come perilously close to breaking his own mind when he had attempted to force the wraith’s one open to him, had sickness pooling inside her.
Made her want to lay down the law with him to keep him safe.
“You need to gather your strength again.” She wasn’t going to put her foot down too hard, just enough that he would take the time he needed to grow stronger before he made another attempt.
Because the last one had left him drained for over a day, the sense of power he constantly emitted as weak as it had been when he had lost consciousness after their rooftop fight.
“Let Cassandra continue working on her for now, until you have regained your strength.” She stood over him, silently pleading him to listen to her.
For a moment, he looked as if he would argue, but then he loosed a long sigh.
“Very well.” He pushed the pieces of paper stacked in front of him on the low wooden table aside and leaned back.
He stretched his arms above his head and stifled a yawn.
Marek closed the laptop and pushed onto his feet, rolled his hips and grimaced. “I would kill for a proper dining table and chairs, something a little more western.”
Some of the brothers murmured in agreement.
None of them looked ready to go out and change the furniture though.
She knew why.
This place was Esher’s sanctuary and he had it exactly the way he liked it. Which meant if the brothers changed something without his consent, he would be furious when he woke. None of his brothers wanted to push him, and altering the furniture while he was asleep would be a sure way of tipping him right over the edge again.
That sombre air fell again, bringing everyone down with it.
Enyo fidgeted with the belt of her skirt, trying to keep her own dark thoughts at bay, ones that had begun to plague her over the last day or two. She kept finding herself standing in one spot, seeking the connection between her and Olympus, waiting for her brother to summon her.
She glanced at Keras.
He was the reason her brother hadn’t yanked her back to Olympus by force, even though she knew he would be displeased with this turn of events—with her. He hadn’t been happy when Ares and Megan had come to bring her back here, and she could think of only one reason why he hadn’t barged into her life and dragged her home.
Hades.
She had the feeling that the god-king of the Underworld had made it clear to her brother that she was fighting on the side of his sons now, all so she could remain with Keras and help him.
Enyo rubbed her hands over the front of her stomach, over the hard black leather that covered her breastplate. It was almost strange to be wearing her armour again, but Cassandra and Marinda had insisted she hand over the clothes the sorceress had lent her so they could wash them. Cass had offered another garment for her to wear, but when she had announced it would be one of her rather sexy long black dresses, Enyo had refused.
The thought of wearing such a dress left her feeling oddly vulnerable and exposed.
Nervous.
She kept thinking about what Keras would make of her if she wore such a dress, how he would react to the sight of her in something so sexy and feminine. Part of her wanted to know, the rest of her was too afraid to find out.
She had contemplated returning to Olympus for some clothing of her own, but she feared that if she went back to the house, that her brother would never let her leave again.
And she needed to be here, with Keras.
He stood and came to her, the worry that had been in his eyes turning to warmth as he looked down into her eyes. When he looked at her like that, she felt as if she was the most important person in the world—the only person in his world.
She felt beautiful.
Wanted.
“Walk with me.” He held his arm out to her and she slipped hers around it, savoured the feel of him and his warm masculine scent as he shifted closer to her and led her out into the garden.
Night was falling again.
“You seem troubled,” she murmured.
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He tilted his head back and sighed at the darkening sky. “A little.”
He had been on edge since Calistos had returned from a meeting in the Underworld, one that had confirmed the information she had brought to Keras.
Nemesis had been recruiting allies.
Many families had confirmed that members of their houses were missing, and several of them had known they were going to visit Nemesis. The goddess had recruited males and females from every realm, from Hellspawn through to demigods.
“If Nemesis and the enemy have been building their army, then we must build one too.” She had been holding that back for so long that it burst from her lips as if a dam had given way. She didn’t give him a chance to respond. She let the flood happen, a torrent that she desperately needed to sweep him up in so it would convince him to do something other than shutting her down. “We should speak with Zeus and Poseidon about the possibility of them joining the battle.”
Keras opened his mouth.
Enyo spoke before he could. “I know what you are going to say, but Hades needs allies in this war. Whatever is coming, it is going to be big. I can feel it in my gut and it’s unsettling me.”
It struck her that part of her unease, that her reason for constantly expecting her brother to summon her, was because she could feel war brewing, felt it building inside her and knew that at any moment it would erupt.
Keras stilled and stared at the horizon, a grim light entering his green eyes as he set his jaw.
“What do you see?” she asked, because he wasn’t looking at the here and now.
He was looking at the future of this world, at what would happen to it if the enemy was allowed to continue on their current path.
“It looks bad.” His distant tone made her want to shake him back to her, together with the corona of scarlet that ringed his pupils.
The darkness still had a hold on him, had surfaced like this more than once since she had stopped him from killing the witch. His body tensed, his lips compressing as his black eyebrows knitted hard. The crimson faded, leaving clear green behind.
He didn’t take his eyes off the sky.
“We are not welcome in those realms.” His deep voice rolled over her, stronger again now, and his gaze slid to lock with hers. He slowly turned his head towards her and then came to face her. “And I doubt Father will accept their help even if you could convince my uncles to speak with him.”
“But—” She bit her tongue, cutting herself off, trying to let the argument fade.
It refused to go, the thought of Hades foolishly denying help riling her almost as badly as the fact he had put his beautiful son through hell for two centuries.
Keras needed powerful allies if he was going to make it through this battle.
She wasn’t sure whether it was her heart that kept telling her that, fear of losing him at the helm to fill her mind with thoughts of him being torn from her, or whether it was her instincts as a goddess of war.
What she did know was that telling Keras his father was a fool, that his ridiculous pride in this matter was only going to get his sons killed, was not the way to go about convincing him to speak with his uncles.
Keras had a little bit too much of that pride himself.
He was liable to turn on her if she dared to insinuate that his father was in the wrong, or that he and his brothers were too weak to fight this enemy alone.
“Very well. If it will ease your mind, I will speak with them.” Keras turned away from her.
All of the fight left her, the arguments she had been practicing in her head fading away as she stared at his back. She stood there, watching the distance between them growing, unsure what she had done to win and convince him to talk to his uncles.
He paused and looked back at her, warmth in his emerald gaze as it met hers and held his hand out to her.
It struck her that he was doing this because he knew it would make her feel better, and that was the only reason. He didn’t believe his father would allow Poseidon and Zeus to interfere, or that his uncles would even dare to speak with Hades, but he was willing to do this because he wanted to take away the fear she felt.
Gods, she wasn’t sure she could love him any more than she already did, but in that moment, she fell a little deeper in love with him.
She went to him, took hold of his hand and let him lead her back to the house. When they stepped inside, his gaze sought Ares where he sat on the cream couch facing the huge television, his dark eyes dull not with fatigue but hurt.
He was missing Megan again.
She had taken the time to speak to him about the Carrier, and had noticed how his eyes had brightened when he had been given the chance to talk about his wife.
When Keras had his attention, he said, “I will not be long. Enyo has suggested we petition our uncles for aid, or at the very least help in asking Father to gather more allies for us.”
Ares pushed onto his feet. “I can talk to Zeus.”
Valen snagged his arm and dragged him back down. “I’ll go. Zeus loves me.”
Valen grinned, his golden eyes bright with mischief.
Which made Enyo feel Zeus did not love him and wouldn’t be pleased to see him. A feeling that Keras backed up when he sighed, and Calistos only strengthened as he looked at Ares.
“He’ll get us all killed.” Calistos wearily rose from the couch. “I should probably go with him. Keep an eye on him like.”
Enyo wasn’t sure it was wise to send the two most reckless brothers to speak with Zeus.
“Marek will go with Valen.” Keras eased her mind, until he spoke again. “I will go with Enyo and speak with Poseidon.”
She stiffened and did her best not to show the tension that suddenly cranked her tight inside and had her regretting suggesting speaking with Poseidon too.
“Perhaps we should only speak with Zeus. I am sure he could speak to both Poseidon and Hades for us.” She schooled her features when Keras frowned at her, curiosity shining in his emerald eyes.
Eyes that seemed to peer deep into her soul.
She looked away from him, settling her gaze on Valen. “I will speak with Zeus.”
“Valen and Marek will speak with Zeus, and you and I will speak with Poseidon.” Keras took hold of her arm and she didn’t get a chance to protest.
Darkness embraced them and then warm light washed over her, carrying the scent of the sea.
She looked at the blue gate that towered vertically before her in the harbour of Olympus, obscuring the view of the turquoise sea. Rings of glyphs in cerulean, aquamarine and cobalt lazily rotated around a shimmering swirling watery circle. It rippled with colour, with flashes of light that looked like sunbeams cutting through a tropical ocean.
Oh gods.
Her pulse shot off the scale and she fought for words, for ones that would convince Keras to remain here in Olympus and speak with Zeus rather than stepping through the gate to Poseidon’s realm.
Keras tugged her forwards, ascending invisible steps that brought them to the heart of the vertical gate, and didn’t hesitate to step into it. She braced herself as the gently rippling water swept around her. The sensation was as unsettling as the thought of where they were going. The gate swept around her, as if she were underwater, but she could breathe and not a drop of liquid touched her.
She stepped out of the other side of the gate, completely dry, not even a speck of water on her black and silver chest piece, the leather slats of her skirt, or her boots.
Keras had remained dry too, his black dress shirt and trousers still neatly pressed and perfect.
He paused on the long causeway that led from the gate.
The wide white marble road led her eye forwards, the crystal-blue water that flanked it a stunning contrast to it and the elegant gold statues that lined the edges of it on turquoise plinths.
She hadn’t been here in centuries, and seeing it again still took her breath away.
Beyond the causeway, a champagne beach embraced t
he water and the promenade that swept in both directions around the enormous island. White buildings with accents of gold and turquoise clustered along the shore, smaller at the promenade but growing larger and spaced further apart the closer they were to the heart of the city, where the island rose up to a peak.
Atop that peak, a glittering gold palace stood, beautiful Greek temples that had white columns and turquoise friezes, were surrounded by lush green and colourful blooms.
The causeway led straight to it, rising up the hill with cascades on either side of it, wide canals that had waterfalls positioned at the end of each road that circled the city.
She glanced to her left and then her right, drinking in the blue sky where it met even bluer water, and the pale rocky islands that surrounded the central one where she stood. On two of the larger islands, one on either side of her, huge gold statues of Poseidon towered, the turquoise and gold tridents they held pointed at the gate, as if the god was ready to hurl them should an intruder step through it.
Keras strode forwards, a black shadow in a bright land. She followed him and drew up beside him, still battling her nerves but unwilling to let him walk alone as he reached the end of the causeway.
People milling along the promenade and some on the fishing boats docked in the small harbour all stopped to stare at Keras.
If he felt the weight of their curious gazes, he didn’t show it.
He walked with his head held high, his green eyes fixed on the palace looming on the peak of the island high above them.
The staring didn’t end when they left the promenade behind, beginning their ascent.
People on the streets that ran down either side of the cascades, lining the buildings there and joining the roads together, stopped to glance at him, to exchange whispered comments.
Some of them recognised him.
Most of them young women.
Enyo scowled at the ones who spoke his name, who remarked on his looks or his standing.
They were quick to scurry away into the shadows.
“Esher would love this place,” Keras said.
Enyo looked at him and found him gazing at the cascade to her left, and beyond it to one of the wide streets that formed a ring around the island. A canal filled the space between the two sides of the road, crossed by bridges in several places, the bright blue water a streak of colour against all the white marble.
Keras: Guardians of Hades Series Book 7 Page 21