Page 64 of Crimson Skies

“The God of Darkness deserves the worst of fates for all his deeds,”Hyperion added, bitterness coloring his tone for the first time. “What I am saying is, when the Abyss tears, and, mark my words, itwilltear, you must not stop Chaos’s return.”

“Is Earth doomed?” Strickland’s brittle voice echoed in the stilted hush. “If the Abyss opens here, in this realm, won’t it mean the end of humanity?”

Cassius’s chest tightened as he waited for the Titan’s answer.

“That I do not know.”Hyperion hesitated. “Your fate will be decided at the end of the war.”

He shot a glance at Cassius. Once again, Cassius could not help but feel that a hidden message lay behind the Titan’s words. Atropos frowned.

Strickland clenched his jaw so hard Cassius feared he would dislocate it. Eden looked equally distressed beside the Argonaut director.

“Then, for what purpose did Chaos’s children create the Nether?” Archon glowered at Hyperion. “What is the point of us Guardians if we are not meant to stop Chaos and protect the realms from the Abyss?!”

His harsh voice reverberated across the tent.

Nildar laid a hand on the Guardian’s shoulder. “Calm yourself.”

Loki lifted his chin angrily. “Archon is right.”

King Rizen touched the imp’s back.

Reuben lowered his brows. “Why were so many tasked with hiding the weapons Chaos’s children used against their father if it was all for nothing?”

“Because they wanted to give us a chance,”Hyperion replied quietly.“They believed that if their father intended to truly destroy the entire universe upon his return, then the ones who would inherit their gifts and their powers might be able to stop him, unlike them.”

Cassius’s heart thudded painfully against his ribs as the Titan’s words sank in.

“What happens?” he asked in a lifeless voice in the fraught silence that followed. “What happens at Chaos’s second coming?”

Hyperion met his leaden stare steadily. “The Primordial God of Creation will survey all that he gave birth to and decide whether it is worthy of redemption.”

27

Dawn broughtan eerie hush upon San Francisco.

A cool breeze ruffled Cassius’s hair when he landed on Ocean Beach. He and Morgan had spent the night in the park with the others. With the war almost upon them, it made sense for everyone to stay close. His chest grew tight.

Besides, I doubt anyone got any sleep after what Hyperion told us last night.

The Lucifugous demons who were awake greeted him with respectful murmurs as he walked through their camp. Cassius acknowledged them with faint nods and headed for a quiet section of the shoreline, his feet sinking into the soft sand.

He took off his boots when he reached the water’s edge, sat, and folded his knees to his chest. Cold waves tickled his warm flesh as the Pacific brushed his toes.

Redemption. The word coiled through his mind, like it had done a thousand times since Hyperion had voiced it. He propped his chin on his forearms.

Are we worthy of being saved?

He wasn’t sure what Chaos would make of the realms he had created upon his return from the Abyss. Would he think them unruly and corrupted? Would he be saddened by the actions of the deities and races he had breathed life into?

Strife, nepotism, bigotry. There was no denying that all these existed to some degree. But there was also good to be found in every realm. There was honor and virtue and justice. There were Gods and kings who would sacrifice themselves for the welfare of the ones under their protection.

He was contemplating the God of Creation’s mindset when his soul core throbbed. A soft draft wafted over his back a moment later.

Morgan alighted next to him. “There you are.”

Cassius lifted a hand to the demigod, his gaze on the last dazzling strip of light dancing across the ocean from the fading moon. Morgan grasped his fingers and allowed him to pull him to his side. Cassius waited until his lover settled into a comfortable position before leaning his head against his shoulder, the dread churning his stomach and weighing down his heart easing a fraction.

“I’m sorry. I just needed to clear my mind.”

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