I’d never seen him like this before. Elegant black armor covered his body, glowing with power. Lightning in his left hand crackled dangerously but did no harm—I didn’t know if it was from the gloves he wore or the power he held. Pure hatred rolled off him, filling the room with the force of his rage as he scowled at his father.
“Kronos,” he growled.
The chains that held me evaporated, and Kronos released me with a push towards the throne. A guard stood by, sword in hand and poised, ready to pounce if I tried to run.
“Zeus,” he said, his voice remarkably calm in spite of the anger emanating from him.
There was a strained silence as we waited to see what would happen next. Then—so fast I almost missed it—Zeus released a mighty shout, pulling a sword from the scabbard at his waist with his free hand. Light glinted off the blade as it sliced through the air, breaking the chains holding both his comrades and brothers. Sparks shot from the tip as he dragged the metal across the marble floor, pulled it up in a grand arc, and leapt at Kronos, releasing the lightning he held in his other hand.
Mass chaos ensued as the opposing sides leapt together, each determined to destroy the other. Screams of agony and triumph filled the air and the smell of blood grew stronger. My guard rushed into the battle, leaving me free to run behind the throne—the only shield I had among these immortals.
It was the most brutal thing I’d ever seen. Blood slowly covered every inch of the floor. Gods I’d never heard of—wielding strange weapons—climbed the pillars and walls like spiders and jumped around so quickly I could hardly see them. Some slipped on the slick floor, sometimes gaining the advantage, others being dealt what should have been a killing blow. Silent screams were lodged in my throat as I watched a terrifying monster cut the head off Morpheus. Before I could even comprehend what happened, his body picked the severed head up, placed it back in its spot, and a bright light sealed the two pieces back together. Evidently, none of the weapons were fatal. It seemed that everyone around me should be dead, their body parts littering the ground, but they weren’t. Impossibly, they were pressing on, determined to snatch a victory for their respective sides. My brain couldn’t even comprehend what was happening—it all seemed so fake.
I suddenly remembered Nike and looked over to her pillar. Still chained there, her eyes were locked on a specific point in the battle field. A weak golden glow emanating from her, matching what must have been her heartbeat. My gaze searching for her target, I realized she was using her powers to try and help Zeus.
I didn’t have to scan the crowd long to find him. The other Gods were giving him and Kronos a wide berth, trying to stay out of the way of the lightning. As soon as I started watching, I wished I hadn’t. Thunder shook the building, causing the floor to pitch and roll, while white hot lightning danced around Zeus. Kronos was wielding a large scythe, his jaw unhinging and snapping repeatedly. Every move they made left me fearing the worst, and I cringed at the sights and sounds around me.
Tears were beyond me—all I could hear was the hammering of my own heart, matching each blow Zeus dealt and received. I couldn’t look away, and the desire to run and forget everything happening around me gripped my throat. Regardless, there was nowhere to go, and even if there had been, I needed to be here for Zeus. I began sending out victorious thoughts—my own kind of helpful vibes.
He and Kronos were moving so quickly it should have been impossible for them to even lay a blow on each other. Every few seconds, there would be a bright flash of lightning, and I would hold my breath until I could see them again. Each time, the previous underdog seemed to have stepped up to the winner’s seat. I was certain they hadn’t touched each other, but blood trickled down Zeus’s face while Kronos’s shoulder spat out grey smoke, proving otherwise. I was glad that I was far enough away I didn’t have to smell the burnt flesh. Although, I don’t think I could’ve smelled anything past the overbearing iron smell of blood—which seemed to be permanently stuck in my nose.
Hatred emanated from both kings as they fought. Neither gave any ground as they each pushed to gain the upper hand. Their previous battles had supposedly accustomed them to each other’s fighting strategies. With a loud growl that ascended above the din of combat surrounding them, Kronos hooked his scythe under the edge of Zeus’s shoulder plate and ripped it off, adding a long cut to his bare skin. A mighty shout bursting from his lips, Zeus shot a ball of electricity from the palm of his hand, hitting Kronos in the jaw, which popped open and flapped around, reminding me of a cartoon I’d seen as a child.
Hades suddenly leapt into my line of sight, a battle cry tearing from his lips. Fire was obviously his weapon of choice, and he conjured it out of thin air. Snapping it like a whip, it crackled with the power of a thousand men, sparks exploding in every direction. The God who fought him beckoned him forward, unfazed by his theatrical display, widening his stance, and tossing his sword from one hand to the next.
They crashed into each other in a vicious frenzy. It felt like my eyebrows were singeing off as the fire snapped over my head. Hades howled as the God landed a blow on his leg, causing him to fall to one knee. The God laughed, advancing in for the kill, apparently forgetting about the fire whip Hades still held.
“Burn in Hell!” Hades snarled, whipping the flames back and sending them full force into the God’s face.
I crouched in frozen terror as he turned into a human torch. The smell of charring flesh filled the air as the God ran away screaming, desperately trying to put himself out.
“Stop, drop, and roll, moron!” Hades called out gleefully, as he seared the cut on his leg before turning, in search of his next opponent.
As soon as he and his fire whip were out of my immediate sight, a wave of water deposited Hera right in front of me. Behind me, Poseidon called the water back, leaving a sputtering Goddess on the floor. I pressed myself back against the throne, the cool stone biting into my skin. If she were to see me and attack, I wouldn’t have a chance at survival.
I wasn’t so lucky.
“You!” she snarled, her sopping wet hair falling into her face. She picked up a golden dagger, which had washed up beside her, and stood. The horror movie I’d watched unfold around me turned in my direction as she charged me, screaming like a mad woman.
Run, Karly! Run, run, run, my brain screamed, but fear grabbed hold of me and wouldn’t let go, rendering me a useless heap on the floor. A scream issued from my mouth, only to be silenced in awe as another massive wave of water crashed down in front of me. Quickly, it pulled back and swirled in the air around the man who controlled it.
“This has gone far enough, Hera. Step down!” Poseidon ordered, his voice bouncing around us.
“Never.” She slunk back, crouching like a tiger, her eyes calculating and deathly. Her instant calm was more terrifying than the crazy directed at me a moment ago, and suddenly, I realized she was smart—really smart.
Without any warning, she jumped the short distance between them, jabbing the dagger towards Poseidon’s heart. I screamed, thinking he was about to be run through, but he dodged to the right just in time, and the knife only clipped his shoulder armor. A jet of water knocked Hera back a step and out of jabbing reach for a moment.
They began exchanging blows, the perfect match as opponents. Despite Hera’s elegant appearance, she was a skilled fighter. Poseidon held nothing back, meeting each of her attacks and striking with brute force. Try as she might, she couldn’t get past him to destroy me. Frustration slowly pushed past her calm expression, and Poseidon noticed. Her suddenly worthless aim and lack of attack strategy caused his shoulders to relax and each blow became softer, more forgiving. Desperation washed over Hera.
“Hera, let it go!” he pleaded, taking a step to the side and extending a raised palm as if he could stop her by sheer will.
Hera’s stone cold expression snapped back into place and she smiled triumphantly, leaping forward. Poseidon, realizing his mistake, attempted to obstruct her path, but was sh
oved aside as she rushed toward me. As he slipped on the bloody, wet floor, water shot towards her in one last failed attempt to save me.
“You don’t get to live today,” she snarled, grabbing the front of my shirt and heaving me up onto my knees. In one swift motion, I was shoved against the side of the throne, the cold blade pressed against my neck. Eyes wide, warm blood beginning to run down onto my shirt, I tore at her hands, trying to push her away before irreparable damage was done. Hope trickled from me, and I stared into the eyes of my murderer. Poseidon’s trident shot between us, barely missing me, but knocking the blade from my skin and out of Hera’s hands.
“No!” she screamed. Hands wrapped around me, cutting off my airway, only to be torn away by a relentless wave of cold water that soaked me clean through. Sputtering, wiping my eyes clear, I caught a glimpse of Poseidon riding the same wave out, a very angry Hera in front of him, shrieking in manic anger. Their battle would continue elsewhere.
I placed a shaky hand to the cut on my neck, just under my ear. Thankfully, the cut was small and missed a major artery. If she’d had one more second, Hera would have sliced clean through. Standing, a shaky, deep breath aiding what was left of my nerves, I turned my attention back to the fight.
The other Gods were still going strong, and it was clear our side was winning. Hope blossomed inside me again as I edged around the front of the throne to get a better view of everyone.
Bright light, accompanied by an earth shattering crash, washed out the entire room, knocking me to the floor and bringing the first pause since the battle started. When my eyes finally adjusted, and the silence in the room remained, I sat up, turning my gaze to the two kings. Kronos lay on his back, his weapon out of reach, while Zeus held a lightning bolt to his neck.
Everyone froze as they looked on, waiting for Zeus to deal the final blow.
“You should die for what you have done here,” he growled as Hades came forward with the blade dipped in the River Styx.
Suddenly, Kronos dissolved into a black mist, catching Zeus by surprise. For a second, no one could see where he had disappeared to. I stood, my eyes scanning the room like the others.
“Go ahead and throw that bolt now, son!” A hand grabbed me from behind and spun me around. Kronos had materialized right behind me—I was now his shield. He lifted me into the air by my throat, exactly as he had when he kidnapped me. Fear and panic seized my heart once more as my airway was cut off.
I clawed at his hands, beginning the all too familiar battle for air. Little red dots burst in my eyes as darkness threatened to take over. My neck wound burned, and I imagined it widening as my skin stretched from the pull of gravity. In spite of the roaring sound in my ears, I could hear every word being said.
“You’re weak, Zeus!” Kronos spat out. “You can’t even protect that which you hold most important! You’re not fit to run this kingdom! You stole it from me before, and I take it back now. You may have made it home, but you will not have the satisfaction of winning today. Olympus is mine, as is the girl’s life!”
His jaw opened wide, teeth gleaming in the light as he prepared to swallow me. I couldn’t breathe, let alone think straight, but something in me jumped into action. I did the only thing I could think of and kicked him as hard as possible in the groin.
With a roar of fury, he jerked me back, lessening his grip and giving me some much needed air. Feet flailing, trying to use the moment to escape, I clawed at his hands once more. Fury rolled off Kronos as the grip around my windpipe crushed down once more and he held me at a greater arm’s length. Lights popped in my eyes and, again, I knew the end was near. Suddenly, lightning shot between the two of us, striking Kronos square in the chest and knocking him from his feet. I wriggled away from his grasp just in time—Zeus leapt forward, burying his sword in Kronos’s shoulder.
I crawled over to Nike, still chained to the wall, and crumpled in a heap, barely holding on to consciousness. My wounds had reopened, blood running from so many places it was impossible to distinguish which spots were bleeding the worst. The skin on my throat burned and felt like it had been stretched too far. Dizziness threatened to pull me under, but I was determined to witness what happened next.
“You sicken me,” Zeus said. “Using Karly—a mortal—as a shield! I can’t even comprehend what kind of God would do that.”
“Zeus,” Kronos rasped out.
“No! You do not get to speak!” Zeus roared, holding the poisoned blade to his neck. “You will be taken back to Tartarus to await trial. My brothers and I will decide your sentence. Until then, you and your followers can rot there. It may be a while,” he sneered.
“You can’t do that!” Hera screeched as she fought against her captor, Poseidon.
“Watch me,” Zeus growled.
The offending party evaporated into a mist, much like Kronos had done before, but I knew they were going to Tartarus—the Gods Prison.
“Cutting it close there, eh Zeus? That wasn’t the punishment I’d hoped for,” Hades drawled as he walked towards the throne, his fire whip slowly fading away.
Zeus ignored him, instead turning to Nike and myself.
“Someone please release Nike and tend to her wounds,” he said as he moved forward. When he reached me, he gathered me into his arms and carried me out of the room, into one the many connecting halls. Zeus remained silent, looking ahead as he walked down the endless, door-filled corridor. My skin prickled against his cold armor, but his warm, bare shoulder offered my pounding head the comfort it was seeking. Now that the battle was over, I felt so incredibly tired. Every part of me ached, half of me was bleeding, and I just wanted to lie down and sleep.
We reached the entryway Zeus wanted—though I had no idea how he told them apart—and entered the room behind it. Once inside, he closed the door softly behind us and stood me on the floor, steadying me by holding onto my hips.
My dizziness increased when his lips met mine with a crushing force. If it hadn’t been for his tight hold on me, I would have collapsed at his feet. His frame shook as he kissed me over and over again, trailing his lips across my cheeks and eyelids with desperation I’d never felt from him before.
His armor evaporated as he pulled me against him with one arm, running his fingers through my hair with the other. The cut on my head stung when he touched it and the smallest of whimpers escaped my mouth, causing him to pause. I could feel the anger, hurt, and fear coming from him as he moved on but remained silent about my condition. Relaxation settled into my bones as kisses were feathered over my face and down my neck, lips lightly brushing the cut there.
His mouth returned to mine frantically. He held on to me like he was afraid I would disappear, his caresses too much for me to handle.
I quickly became breathless and he pulled away, his eyes locked with mine.
“Karly.” His voice broke as he spoke, the emotions inside him battling to be manifested in more than just his body language. “I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I can’t believe I let this happen to you.”
“You didn’t do any—“
“I did, Karly. I didn’t warn you, and I wasn’t there when you needed me. This is my fault.”
“If I hadn’t run away I wouldn’t—"
“If I’d explained better, or shared my secrets sooner, you wouldn’t have felt like you needed to run.” His eyes were full of sorrow. “I’m so sorry, Karly.”
“I’m sorry, too,” I whispered.
“You have no idea what it was like, realizing you were gone. First I was angry, but then . . . a dream. Morpheus came to me in a type of day dream, showed me that you were on Olympus and hurt. The Fates confirmed it and I . . . I was scared. I didn’t know if I could go back, if there was any way for me to bend the rules and save you. I knew I had to try, though.” He pulled me closer, resting his chin on my head.
“You looked so horrible in the vision. I was scared you’d die before I could get to you. Kronos was going to kill
you, and if that happened, it would destroy me. I was afraid of living without you, so whatever I needed to do, I would do it.
“Everything was open to me like I’d never been banished, though. Nine years of being shut out of my home and suddenly, I could do whatever I wanted again. It was like . . . getting dressed in the morning—completely familiar. As soon as I realized, I came right here.
I knew it was bad—that Kronos had already conquered the gods still here. In another time, I probably would have waited, biding my time until he became weak. Now, there was you, and I couldn’t let him take you from me.
“When I walked in and saw you there, seconds from death, something broke free in me. I’ve never fought with that much strength of purpose before. And now, I feel it’s a miracle to have you here in front of me, alive.”
He stepped away from me then, looking at the ground.
“I won’t make you stay with me,” he said softly. “I know I lied and really hurt you but, I told the truth when it mattered. And that should count for something.” He turned away from me, folding his arms across his blood-spotted chest. Everything was still for a moment as I stared at his back, a dorky smile on my face.
“You don’t have to stay there, you can go!” He didn’t turn, pain laced through his forceful exclamation.
“I love you,” I said simply.
He spun around, shock and disbelief etched into his face. Clearly, he had not been expecting that.
“I don’t know why you’re so surprised,” I mused. “I’m sure you suspected as much when you had no trouble getting here. That’s proof you love me too. You’re not going to get rid of me that easy, not after everything we’ve been through today.” I walked over and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling his shocked face closer to mine.
“I love you more than I thought possible. When I saw you playing in the backyard on Thanksgiving, I knew. I knew you were my guy and that I would never want another my entire life. When I finally realized you really were a God, I loved you that much more for telling the truth. And, heaven help me, your awful singing makes me happy. You make me happy. And I love that. I just love you. I love you more than the air I breathe or the earth I live on. I even love you more than thunder loves lightning!”
A wide grin broke across face as he wrapped his arms around my waist.
“You mean it?” he asked.
“One thousand percent,” I laughed.
“Marry me then.”
The biggest smile I’d ever worn appeared on my face, and before I could answer, his soft lips met mine. A dull heat began to form in the pit of my stomach as he pushed me up against the door, his fingers twisting into my hair.
He nipped my bottom lip with his teeth and slipped his tongue inside, exploring first my tongue and then every inch of my mouth. Slowly his hands slid down my sides, careful to avoid the cuts on my arms, and gripped my waist, pulling me closer and crushing me into the door at the same time.
His lips caressed every inch of my face and brushed down my neck, pausing for a second to nibble on my ear. I sighed contently, enjoying being with him again.
Deciding to test my strength, I put my pain out of mind and kissed him back, hard. The heat turned into a roaring fire. Surprisingly, I felt like I was the one in control. Through the dizziness, I pushed him backward, towards the bed in the middle of the room. Stumbling and gasping, we kissed each other like never before, our bodies tangled together as one. The back of his legs hit the magnificent four poster and we tumbled over.
It was apparent we were going to end up with our clothes off if I didn’t act quickly. Hating that I was killing the mood, I whispered softly, “Zeus, I’m hurt. I can’t now. Later, yes, but not now. Besides, I don’t want you covered in my blood.”
He responded by softening his kisses, rolling until I was under him, and then sliding back down to the floor.
“Let me make you better then,” he said, placing a sweet kiss on my ankle. I giggled, but my breath was soon taken away as he continued up both of my legs, kissing every inch. When he reached the hem of my shorts, he skipped over them and slid my bloody, torn shirt up a little, kissing my stomach and fueling the flight of butterflies.
“You’re cheating,” I moaned. “I mean it; not now! I’m all gross!”
“I know. I don’t care,” he mumbled, pulling my shirt back down and taking one of my hands.
Kisses were feathered up my arm and down the other. Next, he moved his lips slowly over my collar bone and neck, leaving no spot untouched. Kisses showered my face before my begging finally got me a kiss on the mouth.
My strength was fading quickly, aided by his wonderful attack, but I kissed back with everything I had. His teeth caught my bottom lip, tugging softly, my back arching in an attempt to keep him there. A low growl broke through him, and his lips attacked mine again, adding to the bruises I already had. Every second was pure bliss.
Finally, when my arms felt like fifty pound weights and sleep threatened to swallow me, he stopped his ravaging and rolled over to lie next to me.
“I love you,” I said as I drifted away.
He pulled away enough to look me in the eyes and smiled.
“Marry me, Karly. Be my wife and stay with me forever.”
“I will.”
Chapter Twenty-Three