In This Chapter: Azrael: God of the Wolves. Orion: God of the Mages. Draco: God of the Lycans. * Note - The second half of this chapter will be posted at 11am EST! *
Blakely “You were going to run away?” I asked. Mom pinched her lips together. “She thought I didn’t notice her gathering supplies, but my bank statements are proof enough. Winter coats, hunting knives, and packs of freeze-dried food. That’s only the cheaper things. Don’t even get me started on the tent she bought.” Lina fixed me with a flat stare, one so severe that my face began to warm. Without hesitation—without an ounce of playfulness—she said, “I knew you weren’t dead. I don’t know how, but I could feel it in my chest. So, I was going to come find you.” The air rushed from my lungs. My sister was going to come into the Godly realm to find me. She was going to do this all on her own, without a single shred of help. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes and I blinked, glancing away as I fought to shove them down. My fiery, willful little sister who had been given everything was going to sacrifice it all for me. Gingerly cradling her glass of wine, Lina brought it to her lips and
Blakely Beneath Draco’s hands the doors swung open, unleashing a gust of musty scented air that blew back my hair and sapped the moisture from my eyes. What awaited us was darkness so thick it seemed to writhe like ink in a glass vial, sloshing over the sides and pouring into the circular cavern we currently occupied. I steadied myself by taking a deep breath. It didn’t matter that my entire body was currently on high alert. We could do this. We had to. With Orion’s cerulean flame lighting the way, we stepped into the cavern’s gaping mouth and watched in silence as the doors swung shut and it swallowed us whole. The corridor we stood in was comprised of uneven slabs of stone all melded together to create a tunnel large enough for a pack of wolves to travel through. Images long faded over time were painted onto the walls in swirls and whorls that seemed to move beneath the glow of Orion’s flames. It was silent as we moved, so deafeningly silent that I was scared to breathe. The t
Blakely If I survived this, tales would be told to my grandchildren about how their mother valiantly stood her ground against the gruesome, terrifying Librarians, and did not yield despite the fear coursing through her veins. It would be a lie, of course. Every cowardly instinct in my body was telling me to high tail it the fuck out of there and leave the three massive Gods to fight on my behalf. Now that would be a true test of love. Orion pinned me against the wall with his body, his hand clasped over my mouth. I didn’t have time to accept that he’d thrown himself in front of me without hesitation, because the Librarian was quickly closing in on us. It wheezed as it inched closer, it’s cloak sweeping over the ground. I didn’t dare blink, fearing it would hear my eyelids meet or my lashes brush one another. Peering at it from around Orion’s large frame, I heard Draco’s voice enter my mind. “Do not move. Perhaps it will turn away.” The Librarian stopped a foot away from Orion’s
Blakely By some miracle—by miracle I mean Orion—we made it to the center of the maze. I’d been hoping we’d stumble upon Ismene herself stocking the shelves or doing some other menial task, but we had no such luck. Instead, we found a large swirling staircase descending into a dim, torch-lit darkness. Having no other choice, we clamored down them, pressing our backs against the wall hard enough to bruise whenever a wandering Librarian passed by. At this rate, the scent of dirt and dust had all but clogged my nose, and I was almost certain the tremor in my hands had become permanent. I wanted so badly to tell Orion what I’d seen. Tears had streamed from my eyes as we ran, clinging to my throat and neck in sticky rivulets. There had to be hundreds of levels to the underground library, each one packed with moving shelves full of books. Some glowed as Lina’s had, while others pulsated with darkness, or shot off sparks that danced silently in the air. The Librarian’s were everywhere, o
Blakely “Her family?” Orion’s gritty voice followed with, “We would never betray her. Never. All this time we’ve been searching for her.” If Ismene felt disrespected by Orion’s poorly repressed snarl, she didn’t let on. No, her mind seemed to be somewhere else, split between different tasks or points in time. We held only a portion of her attention, but it was enough. “Even still, there are those close to Lunette who have not cared nearly as much in regard to her disappearance.” I was beginning to notice more and more about Ismene. She had a kindness to her, a sympathy that burned in her eyes, but she didn’t withhold the truth no matter how much it might hurt. There was a bluntness to everything she said, as though she cared more about fact than feelings. “Ozul was trapped in a basement for Goddess knows how long,” I shot Orion a look letting him know that I hadn’t quite forgotten my stay in the mansion of stars lower level. “And Solana—Solana has been looking too.” Ismene lifte
Blakely Without warning the scene shifted, the colors melting away like ink in water. As they swirled by, new ones took their place. We were standing in a palace; one so grand it stole the very breath from my lungs. Everything was etched in a mixture of silver and gold. The pillars lining the great hall had swirls of the metallic sheen, while the floor was marbled with it. Tapestries depicting battle scenes or precious moments between passionate lovers adorned the walls, their threads shimmering brightly as though imbued with magic. The ceiling was one large mural surrounding two separate skylights. They were positioned parallel from one another, mere feet apart. Orion’s voice tickled the shell of my ear, “This is Lunette and Solana’s home within the city of Dusk and Dawn. Those skylights are where the sun and moon land when they’re at their highest points. It’s a tribute to both the Goddesses.” “It’s beautiful.” I found myself saying. A loud caw sounded as a phoenix flew into t
Blakely The palace with its vibrant colors and dark past faded into oblivion. We had returned to the cavern with it’s ancient tomes, and to the Goddess of Knowledge, who gazed at us with an expression of bitter sorrow. Words failed to come. No matter how hard I tried to voice what I’d just seen, I couldn’t. All I could think about was Lunette, that poor man, and my mates. My mates, who had trusted Solana with every fiber of their being. My mates, who stood to lose so much more than myself. My mates, who searched and searched for a Goddess that could very well be dead. “I’m so sorry.” I whispered to Orion, who remained motionless, his hand still wrapped around my own. Tears had filled his eyes. Looking away, towards a dark part of the cavern, he rasped. “Why are you sorry? You’re not the one who betrayed us.” Ismene cleared her throat softly and closed the book. After what we witnessed, I wasn’t at all surprised to see that the title had Solana’s name on it. “What Solana did
Blakely Orion shook his head, cerulean flames bursting to life in his hands. “We can’t! It’ll take us to another realm, right? We’ll stay. We’ll help you fight. She won’t win. Not after—” His words were cut short when Ismene snarled, “You have no choice. You cannot remain here. She will tear this place down if I do not let her past the wards.” Light, blinding in it’s intensity, poured into the cavern. It’s heat was searing, unleashing pain unlike anything I’d ever felt. The skin along my arms and cheeks began to blister, but my scream was drowned out by the crash of stone smashing against stone. When the light finally faded, Solana stood at the far end of the room, a Phoenix perched on her shoulder. She smiled kindly and murmured something to the large bird. With a cry, it took off down the blackened corridor, vanishing from sight. Orion pulled me into his side, partially blocking me from Solana’s view. No matter how long I stared at her, I couldn’t see any outward sign of evil.