Bedeviled (14 page)

But now, she didn't just want him inside her, she wanted him
beside
her.

In Panama City, she'd convinced herself that stopping their relationship from going further was the smart thing. Now, she couldn't remember why. Didn't
want
to remember why.

As she watched him now, he smiled a half smile and gave her a nod. His attention sent a bolt of strength up her spine. Whatever might be brewing between them, for this fight, she wouldn't push him away. She didn't have to be in this alone. She might not have Geoffrey any longer now that he was the new Hades, and Zeus knew, she didn't have Haven on her side either, but she had Ryker.

She was usually a solo artist, but knowing she had backup made her feel a lot better . . . a lot more capable of completing the task she'd been given.

When Ryker started across the garden toward them, she finally convinced her legs to obey and lift her to her feet. He snagged a plate of food off a passing servant's tray and continued toward her and Geoffrey. Artemis followed behind him, her long amber curls flowing against the breeze, hiding most of her face from view. Even through the curtain of hair, Kyana could see her fear. Seeing Artemis afraid didn't bode well. She was stronger than Kyana. If she was afraid, Kyana should be terrified.

Ryker approached, the scent of sunshine issuing from his body like a golden cloak that settled around her shoulders. He handed her an ambrosia-laced peach, which she greedily bit into. Juice spilled out of her mouth and ran down her chin.

He gently wiped the mess away. “You okay?”

She nodded and took another bite, turning her attention to Artie. “Are they working on the portal yet?”

Artemis's hair settled down around her shoulders to give Kyana a glimpse into her amber eyes. They were red and puffy, as though she'd been crying.

“We have Witches conjuring protection and detection spells as we speak. When the Ancients decide where to place this new, hidden portal, it will be useable. But right now, that isn't our priority. Before we can even think about creating a new entrance to Beyond, we must make certain those we protect here are . . . well, that certain precautions have been made against their demise.”

“What do you mean?” Kyana asked, finishing off her peach and cupping the sticky pit in her fist.

“We have to make our gods and goddesses strong again. Especially Poseidon and Zeus. Hades”—she gestured to Geoffrey—“has already found a worthy replacement, though I don't believe your beloved Geoffrey has caught on to just how important he is. Zeus is weakening by the day. As it stands, Hades—Geoffrey—is the only one of Cronos's ‘sons' with any significantly threatening power. We must fix that at once.”

“I'm not his son,” Geoffrey grumbled.

“You may as well be.” Artemis eased onto the bench beside Geoffrey. “When Cronos comes for his children, it will be their powers he searches for, not their bodies. A third of those powers reside in you.”

“What about Zeus's and Poseidon's Chosen? Haven't they been located yet?” Kyana knew they'd been found days ago, but lost again in all the chaos. That they still might not have been tracked by Artemis's tracers was troublesome.

“Zeus's was killed two days ago. We are currently searching for a replacement, and Poseidon's Chosen is still missing. Since Atropos struggles day by day to keep track of those still living, there's no telling when he might be found or even if he's still alive. Poseidon believes that the best possible solution is to locate a temporary Vessel for his powers. Should something happen to him, at least his powers will be stored until they can be placed into the Chosen.”

“Where will you find someone strong enough to become Zeus?” Geoffrey asked. “You'll have to take a Chosen from another god to make that possible.”

Artemis nodded. “We know. They're debating it now.”

Kyana squinted in an attempt to stop the sudden throbbing that had consumed her temples. “Poseidon is willing to give up his powers entirely just to shove them into a container for later use? Doesn't that weaken us a great deal more? Especially since his conduit is already MIA?”

“The Vessel will be trained just as you will be and I have been, lass.” Geoffrey stood and took Kyana's hand, earning him a scornful look from Ryker. “A new body containing Poseidon's power will immediately be stronger than he is in his current state. Even untrained and unskilled, he'll be more powerful and better able to aid us than Poseidon is.”

“But why Poseidon? His conduit's already gone,” Ryker said, stepping between Kyana and Geoffrey,
accidentally
breaking their hands apart. “The chances of Haven coming after him are slim. The focus should be on finding a new Chosen for Zeus.”

“When we finally get our hands on the trident, whoever's in charge of that arena needs to know how to use it,” Artemis said. She smiled at Kyana. “And there's still hope you'll bring that trident back to us soon.”

“I'm going to,” she muttered, and meant it with every fiber of her being. Even if she had no idea where it was or how she'd find it.

Again.

“Not just anyone can carry such power.” Ryker folded his arms across his chest. “Temporary or not, it requires a Chosen or someone already touched by magic. How are they going to find someone strong enough to hold enormous powers like Poseidon's?”

“Apparently, they just play a game of eenie meenie minie mo and the loser wins.”

As one, the group turned to find Silas walking toward them, his face pinched and possessing a slightly green tint. He was supposed to be questioning any surviving attackers. He couldn't have finished so soon . . .

Kyana didn't like this. Not one bit. “They didn't . . .”

He gave a pathetic nod, looking absolutely horrified and pained. “Didn't have a choice. It's to happen tonight.”

“What's he talking about?” Ryker asked. His eyebrows rose so high, they almost floated over his head.

“I think,” she started, taking Silas's hand and helping him sit, “that Silas has just been minie mo'd against his will.”

Silas swallowed and Kyana watched as the realization struck him that his nomadic, free-man lifestyle had just been temporarily caged.

“Poseidon,” he whispered. “They're turning me into Poseidon.”

Chapter Nineteen

K
yana stood as close to the altar in Zeus's main entry hall as she'd been permitted. The ceremony to make Silas Poseidon's Vessel was almost complete, but even though they'd spent the last hour watching the sun set over Olympus and talking about what was to come, the worry had yet to leave his face.

She glanced out the window and caught a glimpse of a group gathered so far in the distance they were barely moving specks. A circle of thirteen Witches were toiling away at the foot of the mountain, recreating the portal to the human world that would exit from inside a fountain in St. Augustine, accessible only by those who possessed godly or Oracle blood.

They had to wait for Silas's ceremony to be finished before sealing the magic into the portal, however, because the three Fates, or Moerae sisters, and a group of Healers were required to make the transfer of Poseidon's blood complete. Once their duty was done, even the Moerae, one of the most powerful trios in the world, would no longer be allowed on Olympus without personal godly escort. At least, not until the threat of Cronos was forever behind them. As for keeping Cronos out—that wouldn't be possible without trapping the other gods on Olympus. If one god could pass, they all could. That was the way it had to be. But at least if he arrived again—through Haven or some other means—he'd have to do so alone. None of his groupies carried his blood. They wouldn't be able to follow him through the portal.

The Moerae ended their chanting, recalling Kyana's attention. In unison, they stepped away from Silas and lowered their heads. Healers quickly moved in to transport Poseidon back to his makeshift hospital room, and Kyana rushed to Silas's side to help him sit.

“How do you feel?”

He leaned heavily against her. “I think I'll have to wait until I get this blood out of me before I'm anywhere near okay again.” He sighed. “When does this change happen? I don't feel any different.”

“They said you'll know it worked by morning.”

She hadn't felt very different after her own blood exchange, either. Granted, turning a Vessel versus turning a Chosen were two different things. A Chosen was given more time to acclimate to the changes, which was why Kyana still had three days before she'd fully become Artemis. Vessels, on the other hand, were emergency transport, and the change was immediate. And, from what she'd picked up from the hushed whispers, much more painful a transition.

She wasn't about to tell Silas that, though.

She rested her hand on his tattooed arm and squeezed. “It's only temporary. The tracers could be bringing in the Chosen now and this could all be over tomorrow.”

“Stop, you're exciting me,” he mumbled, pushing to his feet. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

“Could you let Sixx know it'll be a couple days? Tell her to hang around St. Augustine until I've given this power to the next sucker? They're not going to let me out of here while Cronos is after his sons.”

Kyana sighed, wishing she'd taken the time to ask what he wanted before agreeing to do it. She didn't know Sixx, but first impressions were everything, and Sixx's had been pretty shitty.

“Fine,” she said through a forced smile.

Silas's own smile was a bit stronger this time. “Thanks. We had a room reserved at Spirits
.
You should be able to leave a note or something for her there.” He studied her for a minute before asking, “How 'bout you? You all right?”

“Why shouldn't I be?”

The question sounded pathetic even to her.

He leaned forward and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “You can find Haven. And you can stop all this. I know you can.”

She wished she believed in her own abilities as much as everyone else seemed to. This didn't used to be her problem. A few days ago, she would have thrown on her proverbial cape and set out to prove to everyone that she was the world's answer to salvation. A lot could change in a few days.

“Do you think you can do me a favor in return? Before you become all godlike?”

Silas chuckled. “I'm not going
godlike
. Just a little training until I can give this sorry fate to the person it rightfully belongs to.”

“Well, whatever you call it, can you scry for me one more time? I . . . have no idea where Haven's going next. And since she has a head start while I'm trapped here . . .”

“I can try.” He looked around the nearly deserted antechamber. Spotting his well-worn pack in the corner, he quickly set out his supplies.

“Have anything that belongs to her?” he asked.

Sure, in her pack . . . back in Panama City. “Can't you scry without it?”

“Yeah, but you're going to have to help me focus. Concentrate on her and don't let anything else intrude on the images in your head. Between the two of us, it should be powerful enough to get a feel on her.”

“Shouldn't be hard given she's been the focus of my concentration for days now.” She knelt beside Silas, watching the tiny crystal spin over the map, her brain throbbing at the intensity with which she was picturing Haven in her head. When it finally stopped, he nodded and returned to studying the map. Kyana leaned over him and sighed.

“Well that's a big help.” The point of the crystal was directly over St. Augustine. They already knew that much. There was no way she'd have had time to escape given that Zeus's mojo had very likely caused her at least a little injury.

“She's still Below.”

“How can you be sure?”

She'd figured Haven would have wanted to get out of Below by now where everyone would recognize her and potentially hunt her down. She'd be safer in the human world.

He lifted the crystal from the map and revealed a tiny puncture mark directly on top of the Castillo de San Marcos. “The puncture means she's in the mirror world. Below.”

Silas rolled up his map and carefully placed his crystal in a velvet pouch. “What is she after, Ky?”

She rubbed her head, wishing that it was someone else on this hunt. “I don't know. Maybe she's just recovering. Maybe she's after supplies . . .”

“It would be a perfect time to gather some if that's the case. The sentinels Above likely still don't know what's going on, and, given that Below's sentinels were here on Olympus when Zeus closed that portal, he locked them all here with us—”

Kyana cursed. “Which left Below completely unguarded.”

Silas nodded.

The headache building behind her eyes was never going to dissipate at this rate. “I was certain she was going after the Oracles, but I was wrong. I've been wrong about a lot of things, Silas. Pretty sure I have no clue what she'd be after Below.”

“Well, you'd better think of one. There's a whole mess of trouble she can cause there.”

She paced the small path in front of Silas, her brain moving a mile a minute. “Her
advisors
were killed in Cassadaga, so I'd assumed she'd be after new ones . . . That's why I thought she was coming for the Oracles— Oh hell. Maybe she is.”

“What are you thinking?”

Her heart began a rapid tattoo. Half of her prayed she was right, and the other half prayed she was wrong. “Why bother risking your neck for an Oracle when there's easier prey Below?”

Silas's eyes bulged. “Seers.”

She nodded, her pulse picking up an even more rapid rhythm. “And there's only one Seer left in this region. I have to go.”

As Kyana hurried off in search of Ryker, her head began to swim. Haven had used the fight at the portal to Olympus to throw them off. Another bait and switch. While they were looking left, Haven had taken advantage of the lack of guards patrolling Below. That was why she'd made her presence known on Olympus. She'd
wanted
Zeus to seal off the portals. She'd
wanted
free access to Below. To the Seer.

Kyana's thoughts were a muddled mess as she tried to work through them. So much to do. So little time to do them. In three days, her life was going to change forever. She needed to finish this before then—before she no longer knew her skills and powers as comfortably as she knew her Vampyric and Lychen abilities. They fit her like a second skin, but these goddess powers that were growing inside her felt far too big for her size ten pants.

Her boots slapped on the marble floor as she made her way down the temple steps. It felt good to be in her own leather again. Her feet were burning. They'd been sliced and diced from her sprints. And it had been hard to do anything effectively when the clothes she was wearing felt as though they weighed a ton and her pants slid down her hips every five minutes. Now, dressed completely in the leather she preferred and a brand-new pair of boots, she at least looked like her old self, even if she didn't come close to feeling like it.

Exiting Zeus's temple, she scanned the grounds. Spotting Ryker talking to Ares, she stormed toward them and was nearly on top of them before she realized they were in some kind of heated argument.

“We need to go.”

Ryker's eyes locked on her and she took a step back.

Slowly, his tension calmed. The red in his eyes dissipated until only the silver swirled. “We need to talk.”

Ares grabbed for Ryker but he easily sidestepped his father's reach.

“You gave me your word. I granted your request. You must pay the price as agreed.”

“And I've honored that vow,” Ryker said through clenched teeth. “Your payment has been received.”

Ryker took Kyana's arm and led her away from the God of War. When they were alone, she pulled to a stop. “What was that all about? What agreement did you make with Ares?”

Ryker shook his head. “It doesn't matter. There's something I need to tell you.”

“Yeah, me first, though.” She led the way toward the alcove being raised for the new portals. They stopped just outside, out of hearing range from the Witches working there, and leaned close together for privacy. “I had Silas scry for me and I'm pretty sure we have to get to the Seer.”

Ryker raised a brow. “You think she wants Nettles to replace the dead psychics in Cassadaga?”

“It makes sense. Nettles is the most prized possession we have Below, and there was no way Haven could have believed she'd really have a shot at an Oracle. Nettles would be far easier to get her hands on. She made a racket here so Below would be left unguarded and the Seer would be easy pickings.”

“Okay, I'll play along with that idea. What now?”

“If Haven hasn't gotten to her yet, maybe the Seer can tell us where she is.”

“You should definitely check it out.”

She didn't like the stress he put on the word
you
. “Yes,
we
should check it out.”

“
We're
not going anywhere, Ky. That's what I wanted to talk to you about.”

The look on Ryker's face created a dread in her that weakened her knees. Something bad had happened. At least something bad for her. “You're not coming with me?”

He leaned in and pressed his mouth to hers, and before she could lose herself to his kiss, he exhaled a heavy sigh and pulled away.

“I can't,” Ryker said, finally.

She looked back to where they'd left Ares. Night was falling over Olympus, a gray mist forming over the massive cliffs to the east. “Does this have anything to do with your argument with your father?”

Ryker cupped her cheek. “I owed Ares a debt.”

“Just spit it out, Ryker.” She didn't want to know, not really. More than that, she couldn't stand
not
knowing.

“I asked Ares for a favor a few days ago. In return, he requested that I become a Chosen.”

She managed to choke down her shock. Of all the things she'd imagined, that hadn't even made the list. “So when we find Haven and stop Cronos you're going to be the next God of War?”

“No.” Ryker shook his head. “When we made our bargain, I just promised to become a Chosen. I didn't say anything about becoming
his.
And last night, I volunteered to be Zeus's.”