by Haley Weir
“I would never harm you, Styx, for I owe you a debt that can never be repaid.”
Styx seemed to come back to his senses as he straightened up and adjusted his clothes. “Well, you can start by putting me back where I belong.”
“I’m sorry, but I cannot do that just yet.”
“Why?” Diana asked.
Her father removed his jacket and wrapped it around her damp shoulders. “Because we will need him if we are going to figure out who wanted to kill you.”
“We’ve already figured it out,” she said tentatively. “But I think we should talk about it with the others before I tell you.” Diana lifted her arm and used a spell to cast a rift that led to Castle Black. Giddeon lunged to his feet when he saw her, but he stopped short. Diana hadn’t forgotten what had transpired between them when she first returned to Destiny Falls. Clearly, it still weighed on the king’s mind as well.
Hades held her still as she wobbled slightly. “Do you feel different?”
“Tired mostly, but I’m all right.”
“You should rest,” Casey said as she hurried to Diana’s side. She followed her friend up to the queen’s quarters and was stripped by servants. Casey helped her into the shower, washing Diana’s hair and skin with a care that seemed foreign after being tortured in the underworld for so long. No doubt, time had passed quite differently on Earth. “Now, are you going to tell me the truth?”
Casey’s words caught her off guard.
“What do you mean?”
“You can lie to your father and Giddeon, but I know you, Diana,” her friend replied. “I knew you before all of the magic and mystery took over our lives. Something’s different about you, and I’m not talking about the goddess powers, either.”
She hung her head low and braced her hand against the shower tiles. The mark on her wrist was a relief...and a reminder that she had been cast aside when she needed Seth most. “There’s a stain on my soul,” Diana said finally. “It’s faint, but I know it’s there.”
“Like what?”
“Darkness that wasn’t inside of me before. Anger beyond anything I’ve ever known.”
“You want revenge.”
“Rina was satisfied with answers. You were satisfied with possibilities.” She met Casey’s stare unflinchingly and without an ounce of hesitation. “I won’t be satisfied unless blood has been spilled in the heavens.”
“That’s not the Diana I know.”
“Maybe not,” Diana snorted. “But the one behind all of this suffering is cowering while everyone else dies. If killing them sets this right...then I know what needs to be done.”
“You aren’t a killer.”
“I’m not now, but I will be. Styx and I have come up with a plan.”
Casey’s brow furrowed and she helped Diana out of the shower. “I’ve come to be wary of who I lend my trust these days. Are you sure this man has no ulterior motives?”
“He just wants to be left alone.”
“What about Adonis?”
“Adonis was captured.”
“What?”
Diana felt the truth of her words as much as she felt the rhythm of her heartbeat within her chest. “I was there. If he had simply gone through the portal, someone would have found him. If not my father, then Adonis's sister would have. When the Titan killed him, I felt it...and I mourned him.”
“Did you love him?”
She shook her head and sat on the corner of Casey’s mattress. “No more than a friend or a brother. I always knew Seth was for me even when I tried to tell myself that I wasn’t good enough for him. Part of me wished he would have noticed.”
“And the other part?”
“Still thinks I’m not worthy of loving him.”
“But you do?” Casey asked. “Love him, I mean?”
“More than I need to breathe.” Diana fell silent as Casey combed through her hair and braided it down her back. She changed into some pajamas and slid beneath the covers with her friend beside her. It felt like a lifetime had gone by since she slept, let alone felt any sort of peace at all. But beneath the suffering she had endured, faith had continued to flourish.
~*~
Destiny Falls
Alaska
Seth heard the door to Diana’s apartment open around three o’clock in the morning. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and crept through the hall with his revolver at his side. Footsteps echoed from the kitchen, and the low timbre of a man’s voice followed. Seth peered around the corner and saw the last being he ever thought he’d set eyes on, drinking expired orange juice right from the carton. “Styx?” he heard himself whisper as he holstered his firearm. “If you’re here, then what does that mean for Diana? Did you leave her in the marshes?”
Red swarmed his vision and Seth stormed towards the lower-level god with an intent to kill. Styx sidestepped his attack and stood behind a small shadow in the living room. Diana. The anger fled from his body. Seth ran to her, hoisting her into his arms as he gasped desperately for air. Diana buried her face in his neck and cried. The emptiness he had felt inside after escaping Kodiak Island was filled the moment she turned her head and captured his lips in a kiss that healed the wounds in his heart. Styx leaned against the counter and dipped a chicken leg into a container of chocolate frosting.
"I'll be wanting a formal apology letter after you tried ripping my throat out," the immortal snickered. "I also want the title of Miracle Worker added to my gospel."
Seth broke the kiss and glared over his shoulder. "You don't have a gospel."
"I will now that I have Hades in my corner. After all, it was me who saved his daughter."
"You saved her?"
"Hades opened a rift to the mortal realm, I shazamed us topside, and then he shoved her soul into the doppelganger's body," Styx explained. "Bing, bang, boom, you got yourself one smoking hot goddess with unmatched power that scares the pants off of the big daddy upstairs."
Diana wiggled in Seth's hold, but he refused to release her. His arms locked around her waist, and he raised a questioning brow. "Going somewhere?"
"We need to talk."
He lowered his head and breathed in her scent. "Just let me hold you for a little longer…"
"Seth, someone is trying to kill us. We have to meet with the others and discuss a plan of attack," Diana said, but she made no move to remove herself from his hold. In fact, Seth felt the distance between them disappear as she pressed against him.
"If I had known…"
She kissed his cheek and whispered, "We should talk about it later. Nothing needs to be decided just yet."
"That's the thing. I already made my decision." Seth touched a lock of her hair and looked at it as if the threads were made of pure starlight. "I know I want us to be together. You own me, Diana. I was a fool not to have seen it before."
"Seth, I really think we should talk later." She looked pointedly at Styx and moved away from Seth.
"Are you two going to put on a show?" Styx asked with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. "Or do you want me to go?"
Seth peeled his eyes away from his mate long enough to cast a droll look in the immortal's direction. Thankfully, Styx took the hint and exited the apartment. Seth wasn't sure what to do now that he and Diana were alone for the first time since the ball. He remembered saying things that had hurt her—mainly the part where he told her that another woman had been his mate. "I think we should talk now."
She moved further away and sat down on the sofa. "I'm upset, I won't lie."
"I would be surprised if you weren't upset."
"You hurt me and yet I loved you so much," Diana sniffled. "Watching you smile like you were happy and kiss another woman was torture, Seth. Every day I held back the tears, trying to be a good friend even when I suspected something was wrong."
"I could make excuses about being tricked by Atë's magic, but I won't insult you like that. I wasn't happy. Not really. I thought I had to be content with who I assumed the gods had chos
en for me, but I couldn't get you out of my head." Seth got down on his knees in front of Diana. "I argued with her every day because I needed to see you and hear your voice just to survive. I made a terrible mistake, Diana, and I know I broke your heart...but I love you, and I need my best friend back."
"How do you see this ending for us, Seth? If you can look me in the eyes and tell me that being together won't get people killed, I'll be willing to put the past behind us and move forward." She framed his face with her hands and Seth shivered from just the brief touch. "Can you promise to love me even when the darkness threatens to drag me under?"
He turned his head and kissed the palm of her hand. "I will love you always, Diana. Whether you rise or fall, I'll be by your side and I'll weather the storm with you. People will die, but it won't be because of our love. I think our bond will prove strong enough to save us all."
Her bottom lip quivered as she ran her fingers through his hair. Seth gripped her hips and tugged her down into his lap. "You should know that I made a deal with Styx," she said softly.
"What sort of deal?"
"If I lose myself in the shadows...I asked that he take me to the marshes and leave me there." The severity of her words struck him like a physical blow.
"You would rather wander the shores of the river Styx as a shade for all eternity than to be with me?" Seth asked accusingly.
"If I ever delve that deep into the abyss, I won't be the woman you love now. I'll be something dark and foul, Seth. You've seen the vision."
"If anyone is worthy of redemption, it's you." He tilted her head back and kissed her lips, tasting the salt of her tears. "Have your deal with Styx, but I vow to never give up on you. Not death nor darkness will be able to keep us apart. The mark on your wrist means that you are my eternal mate, Diana, and I would tear down the heavens to save you."
Chapter Sixteen
Castle Black
Destiny Falls, Alaska
“There’s no snow,” Diana whispered as she stared out the window of her car. Seth squeezed the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles cracked against the plastic. She had spent years in the underworld with Styx, battling against the fear of her death before she was yanked back into the marshes. And yet, mere months had passed on the surface. The snow had melted, giving way to a chilly April morning that caused frost to collect on the blades of grass along the road. “You never went back to your house after I...after I left?”
Seth shook his head. “Ever since we investigated the murders of your doppelgangers, I hadn’t been able to go a single day without you, Diana. Our bond was strong even before I knew what it was. When Hades told us that Megan was an imposter, it was as if a veil had been lifted from my eyes, and suddenly, everything made sense.” He turned down the dirt road that led to the palace gates. “I went back to that house, and it didn’t feel like my home anymore.”
“But my apartment did?”
“Being there made me feel like you were still with me,” he explained. “Your scent lingered along with your memory, and I couldn’t give that up. It’s embarrassing to admit it now, but...I listened to your old voicemails to fall asleep each night.”
Diana blushed and smiled out the window. She was touched by Seth’s devotion to her. A bit of her anger began to fade as they drew closer to the castle. He turned off the car and walked around to open the door for her. The guards cleared the way for them through the courtyard. Damien met them at the door with an irritable expression on his face. “Have you come to take Styx back to the marsh? He’s driving everyone insane.”
“Why? What’s he doing now?” Diana asked as she failed to stifle her laughter.
“He’s trying to convince Rina that she can do better than Caleb, and I’m pretty sure not even Giddeon can hold the peace for much longer. Honestly, I think he has a death wish.”
“Let’s just say he’s eager to get back to his marsh.”
Damien rolled his eyes and opened the door to allow them entrance to the castle. The three of them walked to the large sitting area just off of the formal dining hall. Giddeon stood tall at the center of the room with Madeu beside him. Diana watched in utter shock as Seth embraced his once-estranged eldest brother. She had never expected them to exchange anything other than punches or mortal wounds—much less a hug. It was a testament to just how long she had been in the underworld. Diana sat on a settee beside Seth and crossed her legs. Olivia sat on the other side of Diana as Styx took the window seat. Everyone else remained standing.
“So, can someone explain to me what the hell is going on?" Giddeon grumbled. "The more Styx tries to explain it, the worse my head spins."
Seth glanced over at Diana, but it was the woman beside Hades that spoke. She moved as if she floated above the ground even though her large wings were safely tucked against her back. Long, auburn waves cascaded down her shoulders, contrasting beautifully with her complexion. Diana thought she looked familiar...like a fragment of a memory or a dream from long ago. The woman had fangs and mismatched eyes like Diana. Though it was clear their resemblance was uncanny, it was the golden bracelet on the woman's arm that gave away her identity. It was a branch of an apple tree that snaked up her forearm. Diana knew it as one of the many symbols of Nemesis, her mother. "Hello, Diana," a voice whispered in her mind.
The fables and paintings had gotten it wrong. Nemesis appeared like a warrior more than an angel. She was both beautiful and frightening. Diana felt tears sting her eyes before she blinked them away rapidly.
"Atë toyed with your family, but she always intended for you to fight by her side," Nemesis told the king. "She wanted you to beg for relief until you had no choice but to serve her. However, when she learned of Rina's bargain with Plutus, Atë grew desperate. She pledged her loyalty to the one god who was hungrier for power than herself...Zeus."
"And she wanted Diana dead not only to weaken you and Hades, but because she feared Diana would rise above the pantheon?"
"Yes," the goddess answered. "She does not have her key, and she lost the champions that she wanted. Siding with Zeus was the only way to ensure her survival."
"Where is the war taking place?"
"The war will be where all of this began. It will happen on the Battlefields of Olympus, where a great fire-breathing beast shall rise to avenge the Titans." Nemesis looked towards Madeu. "If it slays Zeus, the pantheon will fall, and with it, the reigning king of Samael's bloodline will be dethroned. You will then be king."
"And if it fails to slay Zeus?"
"Then humanity will be extinct, and my daughter will rule over the Titans as Goddess of Damnation," she explained. "Shifters, immortals, and deities will be enslaved for eternity."
Seth stood up to pace the floor. "We have no choice but to make sure Zeus dies. The only problem is that we can't side with any of the gods to fight in this war. Without a god with us, we'll be slaughtered out there."
"What about me?"
Everyone turned to stare at Diana.
"I'm not inducted into the pantheon. My status as a goddess isn't recognized by Zeus or the others," Diana pointed out. "Fight for me, as my champions, and it won't go against the deal with Plutus. I've been practicing my powers. I know who I am and what I'm capable of...I can do this if you're willing to help me."
~*~
Castle Black
Destiny Falls, Alaska
Seth watched Damien closely as the wolf shifter gazed over at Madeu. He approached slowly, not wanting to startle the absentminded male. When Damien noticed his presence, his posture became defensive and his expression guarded. Seth lowered his voice and leaned against the wall beside Damien. "You know something, don't you? You know why all of this is unfolding."
Damien ducked his head and toyed with the buttons of his suit jacket almost bashfully. It had been unnerving to see the usually confident man so unsettled. "The beast she spoke of is called the Typhon. But Titans and gods are immortal, and so they can never be truly killed, only imprisoned or enslaved. The Gods of
Olympus are weakened because they are no longer worshipped, which means it will be easier for the Titans to win this time and for Kronos to rule over his children."
"All of this is just time repeating itself?" Seth asked. "Then what's the point in fighting?"
"Because if Zeus and the others are captured, the world we know will change forever. The domains in which they rule will be meaningless...no sun, no lightning, no rivers or streams, no wind...the world around us will die, and Titans will bring nothing but destruction."
"Then what the fuck are we supposed to do?"
"You all seem to be forgetting that Zeus has sided with the Titans." Hades' voice cut through the chatter and caused several shifters to cover their sensitive ears. He turned towards Nemesis and snickered. "Sorry, love, but your assumptions are false. You are led by hunger for retribution, and so you are blind to the truth."
"Then tell us, Dad," Diana huffed. "What are we supposed to do about all of this?"
"The truth is much simpler than any of you have realized." Hades walked over to his daughter and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Zeus and the Titans are allied for the time being because the Titans want to earn their freedom. My brother has no intention of giving up his throne to our father. He'll use them to battle the others into submission and then betray them...don't you see? The bloodline of Samael is a perfect mirror image of the gods."
Seth moved to the center of the room as realization dawned. "He's right. One son was given a throne of light, the other received a throne of darkness—Giddeon and Madeu. All of us have been at war with each other since birth, much like the gods and the Titans. A beast had risen to fight against the gods—which would be Octavius in our story—and then it was slain by Madeu."
"Humans believe it was Zeus that fought Typhon, but it was me," Hades revealed. "I won the war between the gods and the Titans. The throne had always been rightfully mine, but no one could dispute it in that moment. I had proven myself a worthy leader, but I knew something that my brother never cared to notice."
"What?"