by Leia Stone
Before I could narrow my eyes on the old bastard, he winked and took his wife’s hand, a look of contentment on his face. They zapped out of existence in the next heartbeat, leaving me with Cronus.
Cronus, who was starting to look a little pale.
“Come on, we don’t have much time,” he grit out.
Well, if that wasn’t ominous…
Chapter 14
The first Titan, Iapetos, was quite easy to find.
“He’s a Titan of mortality, lifespan, death. Like those three Greek bitches who keep trying to tell us our fate,” Cronus told me as we entered an underground tomb in Rome.
“Iappie saw his own fate and arranged everything so that he’d be readily accessible for us to reawaken.”
“I didn’t think the Fates could see their own, uh, fate,” I replied awkwardly. “You’re saying this Ippie character could?
Cronus snorted. “I’m starting to think I’m lucky you can pronounce my name.”
I shrugged. “Look, I’m not gonna lie. Your parents clearly hated you all. I mean … your names are really … unique.”
His low laughter was almost deafeningly loud in this silent catacombs we were traipsing through. In the dim light, I couldn’t see Cronus that clearly, but I felt his energy. It was strong, but there was a tugging sensation about it that told me he was tired.
I picked up the pace, still barely keeping up with his long-legged stride. “Are you doing okay?” I whispered. “Take energy from me if you need it.”
He shook his head as he glanced down at me. “Save your energy, Mais. I might need you for the resurrections.”
Sucking my worry deep inside, making it as small as I could, I shoved it into a box that I refused to open. I was going to stop stressing and just go with whatever happened. Maybe it was all pre-ordained, and worrying would do nothing. I’d save my mental energy for making sure that Cronus survived, because I refused to believe his time was up. Hepatitis would make the box in time, Death wouldn’t be part of Cronus long enough to kill him, and we’d all live happily ever after.
#RaisedOnFairyTales
When we reached the darkest part of the tomb, there was a chill in the air, the sort of cold that spoke of ancient times and long-buried things. Cronus knew exactly where to go, and his instinct was confirmed by a plaque on the wall that read Iapetos – Titan – Brother – Prophet.
“He was buried by some of his worshipers,” Cronus said, voice low. This place created the sort of atmosphere where one wanted to stay silent. The energy was really strong, and I had a sudden urge to wander past the other plaques and see who else was buried down here.
But there was no time for that.
Cronus ran his hands across the sides of the stone sign that held the chiseled Titan name. With a click and hiss of old air, it detached, and I gasped at the dark hole in the wall behind it. My eyes ran along the ton of other stone etched plaques along the row.
“They’re all buried here? His worshipers?”
I mean, I’d known this of course. I knew we were walking through a tomb, but the fact that there were hundreds … thousands maybe, of dead bodies around me. It was … creepy.
Cronus nodded. “Only Iappie had the foresight to arrange this type of grand departure.”
Peering closer into the musty old tomb, I saw a complete skeleton.
“Do Titans usually decompose?” I asked.
Cronus nodded. “We were born of the earth and to the earth we will return. Our bones, though, are too powerful to break down. They are forevermore the reminder of the first Titans.”
The ache in my chest was all too real, and no matter how hard I tried to shove it into the same box I’d placed my worry, it wouldn’t fit. It wouldn’t squish.
“I never want to see your bones,” I whispered, swallowing hard to try and moisten my throat.
Cronus’ stare was sad, but he didn’t lie to me. Neither of us knew how this was going to play out. But I had faith that it would not end with Cronus stolen from me.
Fuck Death. He couldn’t have my Titan.
Cronus reached in and placed a hand on the closest part of Iapetos that he could reach. His eyes closed and the sins stirred inside of me at the sudden blast of power. Cronus’ huge body started to shake and he lurched forward, the hand that wasn’t on the bones braced against the stone.
“You okay?” I asked, stepping forward, ready to add my energy to his.
He didn’t need it though. Before I even touched him, a blast of power shot around, knocking me back a few steps, and then there was another Titan in our midst.
Iapetos didn’t even look remotely surprised to be back amongst the living as he stepped forward and embraced Cronus. “I’m ready, brother,” he said.
Then he turned to me and I was surprised to see he was only a few inches taller than me. His hair was light and shaved close to his head, his eyes a depthless green, without another color to break it up. The eyes were the freakiest thing I’d ever seen. Like they were seeing through my skin to what lay beneath.
“Maisey, daughter of the moon goddess,” he said, before Cronus could introduce us. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve seen you many times in my visions.”
I snorted, before cutting off that hugely unattractive sound. “That sounds creepier than it is, right?”
He returned my smile, his own more contemplative. “Yes … and no. However, there is no changing the facts. I have seen this moment many times, and if we don’t hurry, we will fail.”
Iapetos took off down the dark stone path, Cronus and I right behind him. “Probably should have woken this dude up first,” I whispered. “He seems to have some inside knowledge.”
#InsiderTradingIsNotIllegalHere
Cronus shook his head. “Iapetos knew when he would be returned to the land of the living. He’ll have it all worked out.”
He sounded confident, and I trusted in that confidence. This was going to be fine.
#SaidTheChickInTheMiddleOfABurningBuilding #Metaphorically
Once we were out of the catacombs, Iapetos held both hands out to us, and then we were whisked away, landing on the edge of a riverbed.
“This was Phoebe’s favorite place,” he said, looking around with that same strange smile, the sunlight reflecting off the super green eyes that were still creeping me out. The look on this dude’s face was a fucking cat, all proud and clever as it brings you its latest kill.
I’d probably wake up tomorrow with a dead cow on my pillow.
“Her bones are in the river?” Cronus asked.
Iappie nodded.
“What river is this?” I asked, noting how green everything around us was. I wasn’t up on rivers around the world, but something told me it wasn’t the Nile, and even though it was green there wasn’t enough jungle to be the Amazon. There were little boathouses dotting the shore, people frozen mid-step.
“It’s the river Thames,” Cronus told me. “It never used to look like this. It was wilder, untamed. And Iappie is right, it was her favorite.”
Out of nowhere, Iapetos dove into the water, disappearing below and not reappearing even after ten minutes.
“Is he okay in there?” I finally asked, edging closer to the water.
Cronus stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. “He’s fine, Mais. He’s just retrieving the bones.” He blinked rapidly, his eyes glazing over. “I’m losing control of the world. I can’t hold time much longer.”
There was nothing left in his eyes then as he went internal, trying to keep his energy pushing through the universe.
“Iappie,” I shouted at the water, hoping the fucking Titan would move his flippers. We didn’t have time to waste.
Finally, that fucker broke the surface of the water and scanned the shore until his cat eyes landed on me. “Got her.” He leapt up out of the water and landed beside Cronus. I looked around to see if any passersby saw or cared that a man had just levitated out of the Thames, but then remembered everyone was frozen.
&n
bsp; “Who is this again?”
I’d forgotten who the fuck we were resurrecting.
“Phoebe. Pheebs for short. She’s also a prophet. It will be great to have her on board.”
Oh, great.
Cronus groaned. “Until she lectures us on everything. She’s too smart for her own good.”
Iappie waved Cronus off. “She’ll be fine. I spoke to her a moment ago. She suggested we steer clear of Thanatos. He’s really pissed.”
Cronus grunted. “Whatever. Than owes me.”
The psychic Titan knelt on the ground, laid two bones out, and then looked up at me. “Boost me?”
#SureThing #PowerBoostComingRightUp
Cronus again settled into a distant stare and I wasn’t entirely sure he was breathing. He seemed … frozen, mimicking the rest of the world.
Placing my hands over Iappie’s back, power rocked through me, making my teeth chatter. Within seconds, the new Titan stood before me.
“Thanatos will have our heads. Erynomus is waking,” Phoebe said. She was a gorgeous blonde with long curly hair. From what I’d seen, the Titans were even more physically perfect than the Greek gods. It was insane to think they were all ancient AF. Had people gotten uglier over the years? Or was this just a god thing…?
Iappie nodded. “He is angry, but that’s often a fleeting emotion. In time, he will realize that Earth is more important than his need to keep everything in order.”
Cronus seemed to snap out of his trance then. “Glad to have you on our team, Pheebs. I’ve missed you.”
She hurried forward and embraced him. Then she turned to me. “Maisey, doll! Welcome to the family.”
She hugged me close and I raised an eyebrow. Welcome to the family? Were Cronus and I engaged or something?
“Let’s go. I’m losing hold,” Cronus muttered, reaching for me.
In a blink, we were back in front of the mountain where the Titans and gods remained frozen in place. Seconds later, Hyperion, his wife, and the three Titans they had resurrected, popped in too.
Cronus grunted in pain and there was a sound, almost like the screeching of tires, before everyone started moving at once.
Okeanos was the first to speak, eyes wider as he saw the new beings in our midst. “Whole fam back together,” he said, his smile broad.
Everyone nodded to each other. Honestly, they took it surprisingly well to find a bunch of new Titans in their midst.
“So why are we here?” one of the new Titans resurrected by Hyperion asked.
Cronus took point. “I’m sure you’ve heard plenty in the underworld. The sins are causing havoc here and we need to deal with them right now. Hephaestus is going to make a box to contain Death and the other sins, and we all need your help to get them where they belong.”
I chewed at my lip. “The box won’t be made for like eleven hours and forty minutes.”
Cronus frowned. “What?”
“You stopped time!” I reminded him. “We gotta wait until his hunting trip or whatever. He’s off-world.”
“Off-world?” Cronus growled. “What a coincidence.”
It dawned on me then: hadn’t Cronus said that Zeus was off-world too? Or in another realm or whatever?
“Everyone, follow me,” Cronus said as he grabbed me and blinked away.
We popped into a forest that seemed … off. The trees had a bluish hue to them and the dirt was orange. One by one, the gods and Titans popped in around us. “Umm, where are we?” Panic seized me as I came to the realization that I was staring at two moons.
Before anyone could reply, an arrow came zipping through the trees, headed right for Cronus’ chest. He reached out and caught it in mid-air.
“Hephaestus, you prick! Show yourself!” Cronus bellowed.
A giant of a man popped into view before us. His skin was dark brown and his eyes an arrestingly beautiful honey color. “Cronus, you brought the cavalry,” he drawled. “Afraid to fight me on your own?”
Cronus rolled his eyes.
#ITaughtHimThat
“We don’t have time for your petty grudge. Earth is on its last hours. We need to fix it, now,” Cronus snapped.
Hephaestus shrugged. “Not my problem. I built this world to escape that one.”
There was a crackling noise and I stepped back as lightning built between Cronus’ palms. “Hephaestus, son of Zeus, you will make me a box to contain the nine sins, including the final sin of Death, or I’ll wipe out your existence right here and now.” Cronus’ voice was so deep it didn’t sound human. I took another step back for good measure.
“Brother, see reason,” Ares called out to Hepatitis. “Your wife will cease to exist without the adoration of the humans.”
Hephaestus pulled a huge iron anvil from behind him. “Don’t talk about my wife. This is between Cronus and me.”
Without another word, he chucked the anvil, lightning-fast, right at my Titan.
Before I could even shriek in alarm, Cronus caught the anvil, and lightning shot out from his hand, slamming Hephaestus in the chest, knocking him backward.
“You really want to waste time doing this?” Cronus said.
“You fucked her!” Hephaestus ran at Cronus, a glowing sword in his hands that dripped fire.
Oh shit. We all backed up and made room for the fight. Cronus pulled the sword Nerada had made him, that he seemed to keep in the same sort of invisible realm as his dick-gold, and they clanged together, creating a spray of sparks.
“It was one night! And she seduced me!” Cronus said, sounding annoyed more than anything.
Of course this was about a woman. My man couldn't keep his anaconda in his pants apparently.
They traded blow for blow, Hephaestus looking winded and consumed by rage while Cronus looked like he could run a marathon after this. Now that he was no longer holding time, the Titan was full on his powerful reserves.
Hephaestus slipped, his foot landing in a divot in the ground; he fell backward. Cronus kicked the fire blade away from him, holding his sword to the god’s throat. “Vow to help me or lose your head.”
Arrogant anger flashed in Hephaestus’ face. “Apologize for lying with my wife.”
Cronus scoffed. “She. Seduced. Me. Are you mad? You married the goddess of love and sex. What the fuck did you expect?”
Hephaestus’ cheeks reddened and Cronus pressed the blade harder into his throat, drawing blood. “Vow it!”
Hephaestus glared at Cronus, breathing deeply through his nose. “Fine. I vow to create a box that will contain the sins, but I cannot promise it will work.”
Cronus nodded. “Try your hardest or there will be repercussions.”
Hephaestus’ arm glowed blue, as did Cronus’, and they shook, a white rope of energy lacing up their arms.
“I am witness,” Rhea called out.
“Second witness,” Hype said.
Cronus nodded. “If you don’t go through with your word, they will kill you.” He pulled the blade off the god's neck.
Hephaestus scowled at Cronus. “I know how a life vow works.”
Cronus nodded. “I need the box in…” He looked at his watch. “…now.”
Hephaestus stood, wiping the dirt from his pants. “I’ll need an hour at least.”
Cronus sighed, looking back at me and then all of the gods surrounding me. “I’ll need to stop time again. This time only Hephaestus and I will remain so I can target the sins as well. I won’t completely halt them, but they’ll slow.”
He looked at me as if asking if that was okay and I nodded.
A second later he was standing twenty feet away, black soot all over his chest and face. Hephaestus was wearing blacksmith gear and holding a gold, silver, and bronze box the size of a Harry Potter trunk.
“It’s ready and the sins have amassed. We’re out of time,” Cronus growled.
“Holy shit,” I breathed. An hour went by…? What? That was scary and unsettling.
Okeanos took a deep breath. “I’m pulling a
few boats near where we need them. Meet you on the largest one.” Then he blinked out.
Everyone zapped out one by one until it was just Cronus and me.
“This is it, love. Are you ready?”
#Nope #TakeMeHome
I just nodded.
Cronus looked vulnerable. “Mais, before we take these final steps, I just want you to know that I love you.”
My heart ached as he pulled me into his arms.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
I really fucking did. Despite all of his anaconda adventures over the years. Dude had a past, but that was bound to happen when you were thousands of years old. Accepting that about him, meant accepting it was this past that made him who he was today.
The Titan I loved.
Just as he leaned in to kiss me, there was a fissure of power, and I spun to see all three of the fucking Fates. They stared at Cronus and raised one finger. “Your line e—”
Cronus zapped us away from them, causing me to scream in panic. My feet landed on the wet wood of a huge ship, terror filling my bones.
“Why did you do that?” I asked him. “You didn’t let them speak.”
“Doesn’t matter. We make our own fate, remember?” Then I got that kiss, so brief, before he ran across the boat toward Okeanos.
Everyone was on the deck, spanned out, staring at … holy shit…
The sins were a giant black blob that had taken over the sky and blotted out the sun. Absolutely terrifying. As were the Fates’ almost-spoken words.
If the man I loved died today, there would be hell to pay. I didn’t care how not powerful I was. Somehow I’d figure out a way to make heads roll.
Chapter 15
“Maisey and I must stay close to this,” Cronus said, tapping his hand on the side of the box. It was large enough that I would have been able to fit inside, but there was only a small visible seam to indicate it had a lid. This was built with the sole purpose of funneling the energy of nine sins. I prayed it could hold Death.
Forever.
I did admire what Hepatitis had done in an hour. If I had to throw a box together that fast, it would be held up with seventy billion zip ties, some gum, and possibly string.