Page 81 of Crimson Skies

Atropos sagged. Cassius narrowed his eyes slightly.

Chaos grinned at their irritated faces. “You guys are fun to tease.”

“Why did you drag Atropos and Loki here?” Cassius said curtly.

It was clear he’d had enough of the Primordial God’s little game.

Chaos paused, his drink halfway to his lips. Hypnos gazed curiously from Cassius to his grandfather over the rim of his glass.

Chaos met Cassius’s irate stare steadily.“Because it was the only way I could bring you here and talk to you before you did something irrevocable.You were about to break your soul bond with Ivmir and seal yourself in the Abyss. You may think this a lie or part of some elaborate trap I am setting, but that is something neither Ivmir nor you would have recovered from. The power that binds your souls is sacred. As sacred as the pools of my tears in the palaces of the four Guardians of the Nether.”

Shock widened Cassius’s eyes.

Coldness filled Atropos’s veins.He knows everything!

A choked curse drew their gazes.

Loki was glaring at Cassius. “It’s true, then! That’s what you were trying to do before Chaos pulled us in here. You were going to sacrifice yourself!”

Remorse tightened Cassius’s pale features at the imp’s trembling voice. “I’m sorry, Loki. It was the only way I could think to save everyone and put a permanent stop to Elios’s repeated attempts to resurrect Chaos.”

He reached out and took his hand. Loki flinched before grabbing on tightly to his fingers.

Cassius finally articulated the question burning on Atropos’s lips.

“Why did you come here willingly, all those millennia ago?” the demigod asked Chaos. “And why did you reject Elios’s efforts to draw you out, first in the Nether and during the war today?”

Hypnos gave them a puzzled look.

Chaos put his glass down and sighed. “Do you hear that sound?”

Atropos traded a confused glance with Cassius and Loki. She couldn’t hear anything.

“What sound?” the imp mumbled.

“Precisely.” Chaos indicated the Eater of Souls with a vindicated expression. “This place isn’t full of sniveling Gods and Goddesses throwing tantrums all the time.”

Cassius stared. “What?”

“Wait.” Atropos’s pulse quickened. “Are you saying the reason you came here is because—?!”

“Your kids were getting on your nerves?!” Loki squeaked.

Chaos sniffed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I adore them to bits, but they were giving me an almighty headache.”His expression grew pinched.“Do you know what it’s like to receive a divine missive at an ungodly hour from your ten-thousand-year-old daughter bemoaning the fact that her eight-thousand-year-old brother trashed one of her stars during a celestial game of tag? Or watching your five-thousand-year-old, snot-faced son get drunk and complain about his lack of success trying to win the heart of the young queen of the Nymphs? I finally lost my temper one day and told them I was going to end everything so I could get some peace and quiet. Before I knew it, they were up in arms and trying to clobber me into submission. So, I decided we all needed some breathing space.”

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Blood pounded dullyin Cassius’s skull.Is Chaos serious right now?!

Atropos’s slack face indicated she was having her own doubts about the Primordial God’s sanity.

“But—we were told the Gods of Old feared you!” Loki spluttered. “That they trembled before you. Even the Gods who currently preside over Heaven are terrified of your wrath. And the Abyss—” he looked around dazedly and swallowed, “the Abyss was the only place where you could be contained so you wouldn’t destroy all the realms. That it was a dismal domain you’d created in which to cast all those who displeased you into darkness.”

Chaos folded his arms across his chest.

“The Abyss isn’t anything like that,”he scoffed. “I called it the Eater of Souls to put the fear of God into my children.” He gestured irritably toward the void. “This is where I like to relax.Black just happens to be my favorite color.”

“You mean, the Abyss is just your—your den?!” Loki croaked.

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