Page 67 of Guardians of the Assassins
“Why the hell didn’t you help them?” Kincade snarled,uncaring that he was reprimanding a god. “You could’ve prevented their deaths. You could’ve saved Morgan from so much suffering!”
“It’s not that simple,” Thanatos snapped, thunder rumbling in the distance, as if summoned by his anger. “When the gates of Tartarus closed, gods were trapped on both sides. Rules were put into place. If we wanted to stay, we couldn’t openly interfere with human matters. Anyone who tried was sent back to Tartarus.”
“So you traded her safety and the lives of her parents just so you could stay?” Draven’s eyes darkened to completely black with the accusation.
The house shook this time when the thunder cracked outside, and the god shot to his feet. “You ignorant, snot-nosed little pup! What do you think would happen if all the gods were sent back?”
Just as Draven opened his mouth to smart back, Morgan rose to her feet. “Magic would vanish from the world. Over time, supernaturals would lose their ability to use magic. They would no longer be able to shift. Eventually, their senses would die, until they were nothing more than human.”
A few of the guys sighed, the fight going out of them.
“I tried to watch over you as much as I was allowed.” Thanatos ignored the boys like they didn’t exist, his attention focused solely on her. “Your parents would’ve been so proud of the woman that you’ve become. You’re so much like your father that I swear I can see him in you at times, like he’s whispering in your ear.”
A knot formed in her throat at the fondness in his eyes.
Like he was proud of her.
Then he sighed and straightened. “I must go.”
“Where?” Morgan wasn’t aware that she took a step toward him until he turned to look at her.
“I need to warn the other gods.” Any softness in him vanished, a hardness falling over his features until a stranger was once more standing in front of her. “We need to prepare.”
“Warn them?” She tipped her head to the side, her gut churning with unease. “Prepare for what?”
“War.” He gave her a smile that sent shivers up her spine. “As long as you are alive, the gods remain asleep in Tartarus. If anything happens to you, the gods will be released and we’ll all pay dearly for our part in trapping them.”
His tone raised her hackles, and she recognized something predatory shifting behind his eyes. She spoke slowly, her brain still trying to piece everything together. “Why didn’t the gates of Tartarus open when my father died?”
“He knew the rules,” Thanatos snapped, his face twisting in fury. “Don’t get caught.”
Morgan almost tripped over her feet as she stumbled back from the monster standing in the middle of her fucking coven. Her lips were numb when she spoke. “You killed him.”
“He allowed himself to be caught?—”
“To save his wife and unborn daughter!” She stepped forward and shouted in his face.
Any hint of emotion vanished from his face, the humanity peeling away to reveal the imposing god underneath. “The world has moved on without the gods. They can’t be allowed to return under any circumstances. I just hope you don’t suffer the same fate as your father.”
Morgan launched herself at him with a roar, knives forming in her hands, the metal warm in her grip as black flames licked up the blades. Before she could reach him, he vanished in a whirl of black smoke.
She landed hard in the middle of the room, her chest heaving as she struggled to control the rage that had no target. Her skin felt too tight as she grappled to contain her magic. It thrashed against her hold, wanting vengeance.
She was afraid if she moved, she would shatter.
While she understood his reasoning, it didn’t take away the pain.
He’d destroyed her life, took away her family.
Damned if she would allow him to do it again.
CHAPTER TWENTY
ASCHER
Ascher watched as Morgan’s world collapsed around her, his heart clenching at her grief, and he’d never felt so helpless. Not only had she lost her parents all over again, but she lost her grandfather as well.
The others practically quivered with the need for action, but there were no dragons to slay. When they went to gather around her, he held up his hand and waved them off. She was already on edge and overwhelmed. He feared what would happen if she snapped.
