Page 26 of Vampire's Promise
Her smile grew wider. “I am pleased with that news. I hope it didn’t frighten you as a child?”
“Not at all. My friends and I were all in awe of such creatures and the goddess who had created them.”
“That is wonderful to hear.” She looked at her mate. “Perhaps the children are not lost to us.”
“No one is lost to us.” Zarek put his focus back on Kian. “Now, tell me everything that has happened to you.”
After they all took a seat and a spread of fruits, meats, bread and cheese were laid out on the table, and their cups were full, Kian retold his journey to the Skeletal Moon and the god of judgment. As he recounted the journey he and Gwen had shared, he watched the faces of his newfound family turn from smiles to icy rage.
“That asshole dare fuck with my family?” Zarek growled.
“There is more,” Kian broke in. “I had a vision that the gods here started to disappear. I think it has already begun as there have been a few that have gone missing, and no one has heard from them.”
“What would cause this?” Hades asked.
It was Argathos who replied. “There is no one to worship them.” He looked at Kian with pride. “I should have seen this myself, but I am proud that my son has.”
“How do we fix this?” Hades asked. “Do we simply bring mortals back to this plane?”
“It’s more complicated than that.” Everyone turned to look at Gwen.
She moved into the room with the grace of a warrior and one who was relaxed among the gods. “I have been at the temple ofRa, the god has spoken to me.” She looked at Zarek. “You look so much like your grandfather.”
Zarek blinked. “You saw him? In human form?”
She nodded. “Yes, and he had quite the story to tell.” She took a seat next to Kian. “I have answers to some of our questions.”
“Please, tell us all you have learned,” Argathos begged.
“Apep is trying to free himself of his prison and seeks to destroy all of you, then force the others to submit so he can rule in chaos.” She looked at Kian. “It was Ra that took you from your mother and placed you in the womb of Netasis. He chose the goddess of destruction, thinking she would be an excellent teacher of war.”
She then focused on Argathos, her gaze softened. “He did not intend to deceive you, but he saw the vision of his great-grandson in a fight with Apep and knew the child had to be saved as well as kept secret.”
Argathos gave a nod. “War is the way of the gods. We are victims of our own egos.” His gaze focused on Kian. “It doesn’t mean that all the lost years are not painful.”
She offered a tight smile. “He also told me it was Cera who fated Kian and I to be mates. Ra assumed she must have seen the same vision as he had and woke enough to perform the task.”
Kian studied her. Would she tell a falsehood about her being his fated? Ra had warned him of the two females. One who would be his savior, while the other would seek to destroy him, but which was Gwen? Everything in his soul said she was his other half. There certainly was no denying the attraction he felt. It was a pull greater than any other he’d had before and to know that his grandmother had chosen gave him a sense of relief. Perhaps it was time to get better acquainted with the female after he learned more about this battle with Apep. He was also pleased and relieved to learn that the goddess who had raised him was as innocent as he was in this plot of the gods.
“Did he tell you any more about the fight between myself and Apep?”
Gwen had learnedmany things from Ra. The god had been a wealth of information, but some things she was going to have to keep to herself for now.
“Yes. Ra explained that Thedos’s power…” She looked around the room to gauge the reaction of the gods to their dead father’s name. It was clear the long-dead god still affected them as their posture stiffened and Hades’ eyes darkened. Looking back at Kian, she continued.
“Thedos was the god of death and pain, and your grandfather. His darkness carries to each generation.” She gave a quick glance at the god of the Underworld. “Hades carries his father’s desire for death and pain, and it seems you do as well.”
Kian’s brow dipped. “I have no such desires.”
“It’s likely they simply have not surfaced yet.” Just then, the ground shook and Gwen dug her fingers into the arm of the seat. Fear gripped her that she might be pulled into another world, but the shaking stopped, and everyone was still where they had been before.
She looked at Zarek. “Ra says that is Apep and he is trying to disguise himself as Cera.” Touching Kian on the arm, she continued. “You must go to the Underworld with Hades and train. He can teach you how to harness your dark side and keep it in check. I will come with you.” She swallowed, wondering how he would take her next words. “As your mate, I can help you stay balanced.”
He shook his head. “This is a lot to take in. First, I discover I am not who I thought, and neither is my family. Then, I’m fated with a mate and now I must fight a god? Me, a mere demigod.”
It was then Argathos stood, his brown eyes lit with determination and love. “You are not a mere anything! You aremyson. The grandson of Cera, sovereign goddess, and Thedos, god of death and pain. You are the great-grandson of Ra. You are a prince of gods and…” He took a breath. “And your mother was no mere mortal. She had more kindness than any other. Her heart was pure. Your mother shone brighter than any god or goddess ever could.”
Hades rose and stood next to his brother. “I am honored to train my nephew. I have had centuries to hone my dark skills. And what Gwen says is true.” He looked down at Mia and smiled. “Mates balance us and bless us with love even when we are certain we are beyond such an emotion.”
