Chaotic War (6 page)

Nyx let out a low growl. “All my children are beautiful in their own ways. Danielle is special.”

“Yes, I can see that. She is also your most powerful offspring.” Hades turned and stepped out of his home and walked down the path to the main road.

The Underworld wasn’t that much different than the human realm. The main differences were the lack of sunlight and green plants. It was darker, the only light coming from the firelight in street posts and the occasional hole to Tartarus in random places.

If Elle were still human, she’d find it a little depressing, but in her current state, she felt at ease and oddly comfortable. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” Nyx said beside her.

Elle rolled her eyes. She’d never been good with surprises, especially if they came from the gods. It was a good idea to stay alert.

They came to a narrow bridge and proceeded across it. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. Her senses told her something wasn’t right. The energy flowing in the air had increased. Glancing over the edge of the footbridge, she noted it covered a large gap, a hole leading to the fiery pits of Tartarus.

When she lifted her gaze back to Hades, he narrowed his eyes at her then threw a ball of energy at her. She tried to dart out of the way, but she was too slow. It hit her, knocking her off the bridge. Fear burned her gut then raced through her. Closing her eyes, she tried to teleport. She only managed to flash up a few feet up then dropped back into the freefall. What the…? If only she could fly out of the hole.

On the heels of that thought, her shoulder blades ached then burned as two large, black wings shot out of her back. They spread wide, slowing her descent. She tested them, not really knowing how to control them. When they flapped on command, she smirked. She could fly. When she got back on that bridge, Hades was going to have a surprise of his own.

With two large flaps of her new wings, she started to move up. She moved faster and put some power behind each flap until she soared straight up over the bridge. Hovering over the king of the Underworld and her mother, Elle locked gaze with Hades. There was a challenge in his black depths.

Bring it
. She formed a baseball-size energy ball and thrust it at the god. He deflected it with ease then shot a fireball at her. She darted out of the way and flew at him, hitting him in the chest. They rolled across the stone bridge until Hades pinned her under him. His eyes glowed with firelight, but his lips turned up in a small smile.

“You are not strong enough to challenge me. Soon, but not yet.” He ran his knuckles down her cheek and allowed his thumb to linger on her bottom lip. Was he going to kiss her? She squirmed, which drew a chuckle from him. After placing a kiss on her forehead, he stood and held out his hand.

She ignored the gesture and stood on her own. “What was all that?”

“Just testing your reflexes. I’m impressed. You are a quick learner, and your senses are honed, dialed in to your surroundings.” He continued along the path they had been walking before he threw her off the bridge. “Nyx, you did good with this one.”

Nyx quietly followed him, leaving Elle to tag along behind them. She’d never understand the gods. Zavier had warned her that the gods could be cruel. Although the Underworld king wasn’t cruel, at least not in his heart. His methods of dealing with people could be improved, though.

They came to a stop in front of a small stone cottage with crimson shutters accenting the windows. It looked like something out of a fairytale. Cute, small, and dark. Hades faced her and handed her a key. “This is yours. You are free to come and go as you see fit.”

“Mine? Why?”

Without blinking, he said, “You are a goddess now. So you will have a home here.”

Then he vanished.

Meeting her mother’s gaze, Elle frowned. Nyx cupped her cheek. “He likes you, and Hades doesn’t like most people.”

“Even after I attacked him.”

“That is why he likes you. You aren’t afraid to stand up for yourself. Plus, he knows you will protect your family at all costs. That kind of loyalty is rare.” Nyx gave her a small smile and motioned to the house. “After you.”

Turning, she walked down the stone path, her thoughts wandering to Zavier. Even though he was descended from Ares and a drakon and had been created to be a warrior, he possessed a pure heart. Compassion fueled his purpose. He was both a fierce fighter and a passionate friend.
And a loyal mate
.

“Why do you run from your fate?”

Elle faced Nyx. “I don’t run from it.”

The goddess rolled her eyes as she entered the house and closed the door. “You run. Zavier is a good male.”

“And deserves more than a daimon as a mate.”

Nyx tsked. “You are not a daimon. You’re a goddess.”

Yeah, yeah. So everyone kept telling her. Apparently, Hades had made it official by giving her a home in his domain. With a sigh, she took in her new home and smiled. The different shades of blue and cream fit her. It was warm and dark wrapped up into one.

A large fireplace that should be in a gothic mansion loomed out of the far wall, the focal point of the whole room. Zavier would like it there, too…

Banishing thoughts of Zavier, she turned to Nyx. “Besides the sun, what are my other possible weaknesses?”

“Your humanity.” Her mother frowned and walked to the back door. “No one can match your power. Your abilities have no boundaries. As you have discovered, all you have to do is desire it and it happens.”

Elle stared at Nyx. It did seem as if she could conjure things at will, as she’d found out shortly after waking that morning. Then there were the wings when she’d wished for them. It didn’t take much effort either. “I can take a shadow form, too.”

Nyx nodded. “Yes. You will also be able to call to the spirits and the dead for help when you need it. Daemons will recognize you almost instantly as an Underworld goddess. Many will mistake you for me.”

The last statement sent a chill up Elle’s spine. Something told her Nyx didn’t have many friends. “So I’ll have to be prepared to defend myself from them.”

“Most, yes. They will try to test you. Once you make a name for yourself, they should leave you be. So you’ll have to let go of your human compassion when dealing with them, as well as Garrick and anyone working for him.” Nyx held her gaze for several moments before adding, “Hades is right, you are a quick learner. You won’t need much training. But you will need to expend your energy often.”

A sense of loneliness rolled off her, making Elle’s chest tighten. Stepping forward, she extended her hand to her mother. “I can still visit on a monthly or biweekly basis to spar if you’d like.”

“I would like that.” Nyx walked to her and took her hands. “I’ll leave you to your task. Just remember, the drakon is not all there. He doesn’t trust anyone and will not admit that he has the Dagger. You will have to offer him something he doesn’t have. Just don’t go hunting him alone.”

After kissing her cheek, Nyx vanished.

Elle grinned. She’d thought she would search for the drakon while she was here. Yet the idea of having Zavier by her side warmed her. Plus, she was beginning to crave the male like an addict craves drugs. Dear gods, she was in trouble. Of losing her heart. Forever.

Zavier paced the study, curling and uncurling his hands with each step. Low growls escaped with each exhale of breath. Elle had been gone for more than twelve hours. The hardest part about the whole damned thing was that he knew where she was but couldn’t go get her. Nyx had taken her, and there was no telling when the goddess would bring his mate back.

“Stop wearing a track in the carpet. Nyx will return her soon.” Aphrodite spoke from the sofa where she flipped through a Cosmo magazine.

He faced Markus to keep from lashing out at the goddess of love. “What do we know about the second dagger?” They’d been over this before, but he needed something else to think about.

“Garrick has it and it doesn’t kill an immortal, but it
will
make them mortal,” Nik spoke as he walked into the study.

Zavier growled. The male had been MIA for the last several days. “Where have you been?”

Nik raised a brow and sat on the sofa next to Aphrodite. “Taking care of loose ends. Markus is aware of the reasons for my absence.”

Markus cleared his throat and added to Nik’s statement. “We need to get both daggers.”

Yeah. Zavier agreed. Garrick couldn’t possess either one. He opened his mouth then closed it as a tug on his subconscious drew his attention to the middle of the room, where Elle materialized.

She was dressed in a long, black gown and her hair cascaded over her shoulders to her waist. Her skin glowed with otherworldly power, like she’d been dusted with fine grains of glitter.

Zavier stood, staring, unable to tear his eyes off her. Like a magnet, he walked toward her and stopped when they were inches apart. “What took you so long?”

Elle let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Hades gave me the tour of the Underworld and threw me off a bridge.”

“He did what?” Zavier started to push away from her, but she locked a leg around his to hold him in place.

“He did it to show me I have wings. Big, beautiful, black feather wings.” She kissed him quick on the lips then smiled at him. “I’m ready to hunt Zander down.”

Wait
.
She has wings
? “Are you okay?”

“Never better.”

Narrowing his gaze on her, he wasn’t convinced. She was too calm, yet her scent was a mix of anxiety, anger, and fear. Then he noticed how she glanced to the window, often. The sun would be coming up soon, and he guessed she could sense it.

Turning to Markus, Zavier asked, “Is there anything you need us to do before we go?”

Markus shook his head. “Just get the Divine Dagger. Once Blair wakes, we’ll see if she knows where Rayna is and hopefully get to the female before Garrick does.”

Before Markus finished his statement, Elle grabbed Zavier’s hand and teleported them to the Underworld. When they materialized outside a small cottage, Elle twined her fingers with his and tugged him toward the door.

“I’m guessing this is yours?”

“A gift from Hades.” She opened the door and waited for him to enter.

Walking into the home, he smiled. Dark blue curtains hung from the ceiling to the floor over the windows, contrasting with the cream-colored walls and black and white marbled tile floors. The sofa and chair were covered in a light blue fabric.

Zavier turned to face Elle as she shut the door and slowly prowled toward him. Her gaze was lit up with desire. His blood heated and his cock hardened as she moved in closer. In two steps, he met her in the middle of the living room and wrapped an arm around her waist.

She let out a soft groan. “Nyx says I should expend energy often.”

His dragon growled at the playfulness in her tone. Pulling her tighter against him, he sank his fingers into her hair and gently pulled. “Then we’ll have to take care of that.” He kissed her neck, drawing a groan from her. “As well as that need for my blood.”

Passion ignited in her eyes and her tiny fangs extended. “Yes.”

She shoved him to a seated position on the sofa then straddled him. Her eyes darkened to a deep hunter green. He ripped her gown off then gripped her hips. The urge to claim her clouded his mind. With a low growl, he said, “If we make love right now, I won’t be able to stop myself from claiming you as my mate.”

Her brows drew together, but she didn’t move. Closing her eyes, she took a deep, shaky breath. After a few moments, she willed clothes to cover her body and settled into his side, hugging him tightly. “I had a vision about you.”

His heart sank and dread tightened his chest. Had she seen his death? That would explain her reluctance to mate with him. “Tell me.”

She fingered a button on his shirt, refusing to meet his gaze. “Are you sure you want to know your future?”

With an index finger, he lifted her chin. “If it upsets you, yes. That way, we can change it.”

A tear rolled from her eye. “Over the last few months, I’ve enjoyed driving you crazy with my lack of organizational skills. Then how I ran from you…from us.” Her voice softened. “I can’t imagine the world without you.”

A lump formed in his throat. She had seen his death. “How do I die?”

“Garrick stabs you in the heart with a dagger.” She rested her head on his chest and hugged him.

Running his hand through her hair, he kissed the top of her head. “Then we make sure we get the Divine Dagger.”

Her only response was a nod.

“I’m not going anywhere.” That was a promise he intended to keep.

***

Elle eased her way down the hall to the living room of her new Underworld home. Emotions churned inside her head and heart. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours, and she’d gone with it like it was all part of the plan. What else could she do? As Nyx had said, “What’s done is done.” No matter how much she wanted to change it, she couldn’t. So she’d just have to buck up and deal with it.

All of it. The goddess status, the powers, and the fact that she was falling in love with a dragon.

That was why she had to get the Dagger on her own. If Zavier died, she’d live for eternity alone and brokenhearted.

When she reached the door, she stilled at Zavier’s scent. The woodsy aroma filled the room, telling her the male had been in there recently. Great. A moment later, he appeared in the archway separating the living room from the kitchen in nothing but his black jeans, the top button undone. His large, too sexy body filled up the space.

“Going somewhere, goddess?”

She folded her arms and stared at him while trying to tamp down her arousal. Damn dragon. “I was going out.”

He moved toward her then. Each stride slow like the predator he was. Gods, he was hot. Her body heated and desire rushed through her. Just one taste…

Shaking her head, she exited the house, unable to take the whirlwind of desire and confusion over the male scrambling her insides. Months of running from her fate had come to an end. Yet, she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t mate someone she didn’t love.