Page 86 of Guided by the Stars
“Guys, as sweet as you two are, we don’t have time for another round of foreplay,” Daemyn says, stepping closer towards us. He’s right, time is no longer on our side. With a deep swallow, I pull on my energy and open my portal.
“I promised you I’ll do whatever it takes to get you home safely. I’m keeping that promise today. No one will ever find you or Adriane.” I look to Daemyn for a split second, watching his face grow pale before I force myself to look back at the most stunning sky-blue eyes, searing them into memory.I close the distance between us, kissing her with every ounce of passion she has ever filled me with, hoping I have given her enough. My hands have been tied, leaving me with no other choice. I’m fighting for her. Heartache is our destiny for tempting fate.
“I love you, Nora,” I confess against her lips, feeling my heart being torn in half as I pry her hands off my shirt and push her into Daemyn’s arms.
I watch as he wraps his hold around her, pulling her tight to him as she frantically tries to push herself away. She’s calling out, crying my name, and the tears threaten to fall as I struggle to remain strong, watching the portal close. I’ve pushed her back into a closet, locking her away with Daemyn, to keep her safe.
By the gods, I love you. This is for you.
With the last sounds of her screams echoing along with the pain of both of our hearts shattering, I open another portal and force myself to Zeus’ Hall, ready to end this.
In an instant, a shadow appears from above me.Thank you, Raynor, for letting me know. She’s gone and safe, I push out to him and he vanishes as quickly as he came.
It seems Raynor has been keeping a watchful eye for some time. Once he discovered the scent of her gene on me, he came to witness her with his own eyes. His warrior shriek was a damn test, proving to him that I was devoted to her after all. I can’t even be mad at the damn bird. Since then, he’s been informed on all things that happen in the Halls. It’s a risk for him to disobey his loyalty to Zeus, but she’s important enough to capture Raynor’s protection. His message earlier came through loud and clear, Hera already met with Rose, leaving me without time. Zeus is about to learn what caused the shift.
The guards let me pass and I enter the Feast Hall, my eyes scanning around, looking at all the members here to stand witness to this moment. Hera is sitting on her throne with Rose kneeling before her like the rat she is. Aphrodite is behind them, like the loyal goddess she is, keeping her eyes wide and mouth shut. Zeus stands in front with fury behind his eyes as he stalks towards me, dressed in his warrior gear. It’s all black with a golden shield across his chest, informing me that he is ready to battle.
“Son, you made it in time. I just ordered a meeting. It seems we will gain valuable information tonight.” His eyes wander to Rose with pride and a little lust before he returns his gaze to mine. “This nymph thinks she knows that it’s in Greece. I’ll be leaving soon,” he says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Glad you’re here. I received a message earlier from a dear friend. I need you to stay and watch over my ladies.”
I snap my head towards Hera and Rose. Rose keeps her head down, abiding by the rules of the Halls, but Hera meets me head on. There is a spark of pride in her eyes and her mouth twitches as she licks her lips. This bitch won’t say a thing. She’s waiting for Zeus to leave before calling me out. She wants her own hands on Nora, wants to destroy the one thing I will protect. Joke’s on her, I won’t let anyone lay a finger on what’s mine.
“She’s wrong. A mere nymph is too dumb to connect the dots. The shift isn’t in Greece. I made sure of it.” I smile directly at her before turning my gaze towards Zeus. I have no doubt that he will chase after them, but my betrayal will give Daemyn time. He craves obedience more than anything else. “Yes, Father, I found it and lied to you,” I spit out, my words echoing in the large room.
His hand crushes the bones in my shoulder, pushing me to my knees as he spits in my face, “You’re a stupid fool, keeping this from me.” He kneels down before me with lightning blazing behind him. “Hiding something so powerful. It damages the order of the gods and of the mortals.”
“I regret nothing. Breaking your oath, lying to you, it was all worth it,” I grunt in defiance, with as much venom as he has thrown towards me.
Instant pain strikes and I hold in my scream, biting the side of my cheek as the sting of electricity drums through my veins. My power is fully charged, pounding hard against my skin and with each beat of my pulse it rushes through my blood, seeping out of my pores.
Zeus is pulling on any charge around him, sucking in all the electricity, including the one that runs through me. “You have betrayed me, my son,” he roars out, his skin blazing with blinding white currents surrounding him. His body trembling as he towers over me. The voltage overloading him, reaching an unbearable level. “In more ways than one,” he hisses through clenched teeth, feeling the power of my electricity as my secret reveals itself to him.
Zeus closes his eyes, screaming into the room as the energy surges out of him and forces the white light to spear through the room and pierce into my back. Unable to control it, my scream echoes through the room as my body jolts from the intensity of the pain and I fall flat to the floor, convulsing.
“Guards, when I am through, don’t give him any honor. Throw his body in the cave,” he yells, commanding the guards surrounding the walls. “He doesn’t deserve the honor of my name.” His voice drops and his boot stomps down onto the burn, shoving the charge deeper into me. “Son, this is my promise to you, the shift will be mine.”
I lift my head slightly,making sure I look directly at him. “Never, I made sure of it,” I choke out, and my head drops down into the puddle of my own blood as my eyes close.
“We’ll see about that, son,” he spits out and laughs. He’s relentless, striking his lightning into me one after another, making my body jerk and seize with pain. I’m closer to death than I’ve ever been, but my words are true, I have no regrets. The bloody world around me is fading and I smile, welcoming the light, knowing I gave Daemyn the time to keep my promise. Nora will be safe.
Kai
When Darkness Descends
The hole in my chest is gaping. My once-vital organ left with her, as if she tucked it in her pocket with that last goodbye. Blood still pumps through my veins though, and the echoes of my beating heart pounds through my ears.Boom. Boom. Boom.But it’s fractured, slow.
These feelings are unexpected, and though I tried to shut them out, it’s futile. From the moment I met her, she trapped me like a fly in water, and now I’m drowning. No longer will I hold her, kiss her, fuck her. I’ll never again get to hear her sarcasm or see the sexy look she gets when she’s angry.
I bring her necklace close to my face and inhale the lingering jasmine scent before tucking it in my back pocket. My Skoteinos Angelos is gone, safer without me. Hades owns me and once he finds out I helped her leave, I’ll be fucked. The only thing keeping me going is the fact that she has Jax.
The only two people I’ve ever cared for have escaped, running far from here and my fucked-up family. I should havenever brought her here. I shouldn’t have accepted Jax when he came to us. Everything is my fault, this entire fucked-up mess.
But they could have a life now, at least. Hidden from the gods, she could get back to the life she once had and find someone who deserves her. Someone who could put her first in all things and was not bound to rule the Underworld.
I’m plagued with loss as I walk back to the palace. I need time to process, time to shove these feelings deep inside and lock them away, but the pain is unbearable. My chest heaves, unable to get enough air to my lungs, and my stomach roils as I double over and let out a roar.
The last time I felt an ounce of this heartbreak was when Jax arrived. We’d both had more pain than any being should, and we were just boys. I was forced to watch the slave mark burned from his flesh just before Hades branded a new mark on him. He liked to stamp his mark on everything he owned, even Persephone had one, though she wore hers proudly. A tattoo on her inner wrist, suffused with actual shadows that coiled in her skin like serpents.
After they branded him, they moved him to a room beside mine and kept him locked up for days. I heard him beg for nectar, the pain of withdrawal too much for a young kid to handle. After the third night, I couldn’t take it any longer. His pitiful voice filled my head, and even when he was silent, it was all I heard.
