Page 41 of Branded By Shadow
Gods, I missed being a regular human.
A sealed document appeared in Swift’s hand, its edges glowing with golden symbols. Elara narrowed her eyes at the messenger, visibly suspicious. “Summons. And for that, you needed to break in?”
Swiftshrugged, an infuriatingly casual gesture that made a mockery of everyone else’s tension. “House Hermes goes wherever we are needed. It is not breaking in if we do it.”
“Is that a fact?” Damon took a single, deliberate step forward. “Well, you should be a little more careful. Next time you… don’t break in somewhere, you might just get hurt.”
Tendrils of living void trickled over the ground, slithering toward Swift like lazy snakes. He went rigid, but didn’t backdown. “Harm me, and you will regret it, Blackwood. I’m not the one who’s in the wrong here, and you know it.”
Damon didn’t answer. As Swift unfurled the document, it expanded to twice its original size as it opened. Light poured from the parchment and the symbols transformed to legible text. Power pulsed from the paper in visible waves, sending prickles across my skin.
“This is a lawful summons that must be acknowledged. The Olympian Council convenes to address the claiming dispute between House Hades and House Zeus regarding Omega Cora Ellis. Refusal to appear constitutes admission of wrongdoing.”
I’d known this was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. “There’s no wrongdoing and no claiming dispute possible,” Damon growled. “Cora is mine.”
“Just because you say it doesn’t mean it’s true.”
Two women stalked into the hall, their words almost louder than Swift's voice. Their silver-white hair cascaded down their backs in identical warrior braids. House Artemis insignias adorned their forest-green uniforms, silver bows strapped across their backs. Their faces might have been beautiful if not for the cold calculation in their eyes.
The last time I’d seen a House Artemis guard had been at the conference where I’d met Damon. Back then, she’d tried to save me, and for a few moments, I’d almost thought she’d manage. Now, I looked at the same crest and felt only dread.
“For Hades’s sake...” Elara hissed. “And now, we have Artemis playing guard dog to the Council’s messenger?”
“House Artemis is always where we need to be.” The taller Artemis guard stepped forward, her silver eyes assessing every potential threat. “We’ve been granted leave from the Council to assist in this operation.”
Wonderful. Not one, but two more Olympian Houses who were visibly against Damon. This just kept getting better and better.
“There’s no operation here for you.” Elara kept her hands steady at her sides, but a black mist gathered at her fingertips. “House Hermes delivered its message. We received it. It’s done.”
“Not quite.” The second Artemis guard sneered. “One of our sisters witnessed the incident at the Geneva pharmaceutical conference. House Hades returns to its old practices, I see.”
“You witnessed nothing,” Damon snapped. “She is my legitimate claim.” The chandeliers flickered, unable to fight the onslaught of Damon’s out-of-control abilities.
“We have records of you taking her away from the conference. Her research team reported her missing within hours.”
The marble beneath Damon’s feet cracked slightly, hairline fractures spreading outward from where he stood. “Your records mean nothing in my territory.”
I suppressed the urge to flinch. Damon’s breathing had grown labored, his pupils dilated despite the bright glow of the summons. The intensity I’d glimpsed in the conservatory had magnified tenfold, his body language screaming of barely contained violence. A thin sheen of sweat gleamed on his forehead, and his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. He was getting angrier and angrier.
“We need proof of the Omega’s wellbeing.” The first Artemis Alpha straightened her back, ignoring the obvious threat. “Bring her out or we’ll report forced confinement to the Council.”
Elara grabbed Damon’s arm, color draining from her face. “Damon, calm yourself. They’re trying to provoke you.”
But Damon wasn’t listening anymore. His shadows wrapped around the messenger’s ankles, solidifying into physical restraints. The Artemis guards dropped into defensive stances, drawing their silver bows in perfect synchronization. Arrows materialized between their fingers, not yet nocked but ready.
Elara stepped back, her gaze cutting directly to the curtain concealing me. She knew. Her subtle head shake warned me to stay hidden, but the escalating confrontation made that impossible.
The puzzle pieces connected in my mind. Damon’s unusual intensity in the conservatory, the way his body had reacted when our skin met, this disproportionate aggression now. There was only one explanation, and I cursed my own stupidity for not seeing it sooner.
Damon was going into rut. I’d been so busy with my research I’d missed warning signs any Omega knew how to identify.
My heart pounded against my ribs, each beat driving my decision. I had mere seconds to decide. Remain hidden and watch this explode into violence, or reveal myself and become part of whatever political game they were playing. The curtain felt suddenly constraining, the velvet too heavy, too warm against my skin.
It wasn’t really a choice, at all.
Steadier than I’d expected, I left my hiding place. “I am Cora Ellis. I understand the Council wants to see me.”
The room froze, all eyes turning toward me. The silence pressed against my ears, absolute and waiting. Shadows retreated from the messengers as if burned, zeroing in on me instead.
