Page 105 of Spellbound
“Raiden will need to take his place—Lucius’s place that is. With his new powers, he can easily kill Freya.”
“What do you mean his place?”
“Lucius is the high god. There has to be a ruler of the underworld, and while Raiden will still be Raiden, he will need to take ownership and rule the underworld.”
Maddox peered around Edmund, who stood in front of the table. “It means he’ll need to live in the underworld, which is a different realm.”
“I know what it means,” I snapped.
“I know you like him, but—”
“It’s fine,” I said. “He’ll take it if it means getting rid of his father and killing Freya. Good.” I swallowed thickly. “A good find. Well done.” I whistled out a breath. “Great.”
Maddox blew out a tense breath, puffing his cheeks out. “Aziel offered to do it,” he said before I could ask. “But he said it is Raiden’s birthright as the oldest and it was up to him.”
I chewed my bottom lip. Of course Raiden would do it. He would never agree to offer his brother to such a horrible existence. He wasn’t that kind of man, that kind of god. “I should take this to him.” I held up a second coffee cup.
Edmund squeezed my shoulder as he passed. “I am sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s no big deal,” I said, then walked away feeling a thousand times heavier.
“You’re awake.” I smiled, handing Raiden his coffee. He looked too damn delicious with white sheets wrapped around his waist, his abs and muscles on display.
“I am.” His arrogant smirk I missed so much returned. “Back for round two?”
I arched my eyebrow. “I could,” I said, climbing onto the bed. I paused. “Wait, no.” I sighed. Damned brain. “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” He leaned forward, holding my hand in his. I wanted him to hold me, and I wanted to beg him not to do it and to stay here with me, but he wouldn’t, and I wasn’t going to embarrass myself like that. He needed them dead. It was right by Thalia and Leda, and—
A thought popped into my head. If he ruled the underworld, Thalia and Leda would be there. He could be with them, and they wouldn’t be in pain. There was no way he would refuse it, and I could never ask him to.
“Elle?” He brushed a lock of hair from my face and smiled a silly grin. “What’s up, baby girl?”
Holy.“There’s a way for you to kill Lucius.” I blew out a long breath. “Edmund found it.”
“What is it?” His expression darkened.
“You need to go into the underworld to kill him. I don’t know all the details, but Edmund and Maddox seem to think you can, you know, take his place, and with your new powers, you can kill Freya. Aziel said he’d do it.”
“No.” He leaned away from me. “It needs to be me. This started with me; it’ll end with me.”
My stomach dipped. My lips parted. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I couldn’t. The pain in his expression returned, the sparkle in his gaze tortured. My heart sank. I placed my cup on the nightstand, then moved to his side and pressed my lips against his shoulder. He leaned back against the headboard and rested his head on me. I ran my fingers through his hair as we sat in silence, our touches saying everything and nothing.
