Elara grew faster than anyone was expecting. Do you think it will happen again before the year is over? How do you think Elara is going to react to the new of her birth mother?
Ares POVI knew this was part of that kid's prophecy—the nepheline who dropped from the sky looking just for me. Elara had questions I needed to answer fully and honestly. Deep down I knew I couldn't leave anything out, despite desperately wanting to. This would break her heart, with no good coming of it, but I also knew worse would happen if I didn’t tell her.“Your mother did something horrible, and in turn, so did I,” I admitted, remembering how I killed her with Elara in my arms. “She made you without my consent, taking something from me that almost killed me…that did kill me internally. When I saw her again, I took it back and more. I took you, and I killed your mother, Elara.”Her eyes stabbed my heart as they misted with tears, now haunting me with how eerily similar they were to her mother’s. A few slid down her cheek, but her eyes never left my own. She was trying to understand, trying to process everything I had just told her. There was no preparing her for the truth. The tr
Third Person POVElara had enjoyed her time with her grandmother. It wasn’t often that Zerena would be caught doing something as dainty as catching butterflies, but for her granddaughter she would do anything. Even go as far as dressing in a pink puffy dress and playing princess—which she had done during the summer. Yet as the sunset and the butterflies disappeared, the hurt Elara was feeling earlier quickly crept back.She was not born of love as she had thought. She was not born from the most wonderful woman in the world. Andy was not her birth mother, or so she learned at the same time she learned what a birth mother even was. It hurt her deeply, feeling as if the bond she had with Andy wasn’t what she thought it to be.There was no doubt in her mind that Andy loved her with all her heart, but part of her wondered if maybe a small sliver of the woman she called mom resented her. Perhaps her father felt the same way, even if just a little, for what her mother did to him. Elara was bo
Augustus POVI watched Elara from a distance, seeing her walk with her roommate to her math class. I was happy to see her okay after the news of her mother. She was growing way too fucking fast for any of us to be okay with.“Hey, you alright?” Nova appeared with Manny at her side as they stepped out of the water portal. Her eyes followed mine in the direction I was staring, spotting Elara just as she entered the building. “How's she looking?”“I mean, she looks okay. But looks can always be deceiving…or so we've learned.” I eyed Manny, throwing all the shade his way. I could still taste the bitter anger I felt when she turned into a sea witch for him. She was okay now, but it was still a struggle for her. Now, instead of just worrying about Elara joining the dark side, I had to do the same for Nova.“Want me to check on her emotions?” Manny offered, ignoring my snide remark to appear helpful.“Would you?”“No, she's fine.”Nova and I spoke at the same time, shifting our attention to o
Third Person POVElara felt lighter this week, surrounded by her friends. Between Leaf, Icarus, Daphne, and her family, Elara was never left alone. Some may find this irritating, needing their space to process through their emotions, but Elara was different. She wanted to be surrounded by people that made her feel loved, as if nothing had changed despite the horrid past she found out about.Today, she had plans to eat with her friends on a picnic that Leaf had planned on campus. She wore the pink blush dress Andy bought her, which fit her teenage disguised body well. It flowed around her ankles delicately as the material was light and whimsical, just like Andy. Elara smiled at her reflection as she ran her hand down the wrinkle on her dress, fixing it with her magic as she did.“Ready?” Daphne asked, stepping beside her and meeting her gaze in the mirror. Elara’s untamed curls bounced as she nodded, reflecting the fluorescent lights in the whites of her hair. She radiated light in her
Jesse“Want to do it again?” Petra asked, her eyes locked on me as her lips lingered over my pussy. She’d just ate me like the fucking expert she was while I sucked my mate dry, but her hunger was hungrier than any female wolf in heat. I had no idea demigods were such sex fiends.“I am not sure my body could handle another orgasm like that.” I answered her, feeling like she’d sucked the soul out of me when her lips had encircled my clit.Petra laughed her hearty chuckle, not being dainty enough to let out a giggle. “You’re just so tasty. I want more.”“As much as I’m enjoying this, we really need to head out. We’ve missed enough classes this week,” Liam reminded her, arching a brow my way.This entire week we had not been able to keep our hands off one another, but I had made sure to keep Liam’s probably all too powerful little swimmers from filling either Petra or I up. We have one too many kids to worry about already. One child that way too fucking important right now to get myself
Ares“We have to go.” I blurt to Andy, having small flashes of Auggie dead on the ground. For whatever reason my visions, the ones I had finally mastered, had been hazy all day as if the very future of this day was so unknown that not even the possibilities of it could come to me.Andy furrowed her brow as she got off Elara’s bed. We’d been cuddled on my bed, waiting for our next class, when I noticed the dark clouds. Our first instinct was to check on our daughter, but when we got to her dorm, she wasn’t here and I couldn’t seem to find her. I have no doubt in my mind that she could handle a few vampires should the need arise. Right now it was Auggie who needed us more.“Where to?” She questioned, making her way to me as I found Auggie’s door. Dead or not, your body makes a shadow. What I wasn’t expecting to find was my own daughter glowing so bright I had to shield my eyes after shadow traveling. Jesse was crouched by Auggie’s graying body, telling me what I’d seen was real. He was
Third Person POVElara felt drained from the events of this afternoon, feeling her head was ready to pop. The strain of fighting the dark impulse to murder that man today was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. The evil inside her was so potent, so dark, that it tried to take control. It was then that Elara tried to expel it through her blood, opening a wound to try to relieve her body of some of that darkness.She felt scared, uncertain of whether she’d be able to control that side of herself. Perhaps she needed to learn more about her mother, about this darkness she didn’t even know she had. Icarus’ words ran through her mind, reminding her she could seek him out to learn more, to learn what she needed. Despite her parents having kicked everyone out and leaving her to rest alone, she wanted to see her friend.Her head spun as she tried to get off her bed, falling back onto her pillow. It was as if she was on a merry-go-round standing in the center and watching it spin around her
Third Person POVElara made her choice. Leaf felt the light magic inside him amplify as the gray clouds parted. His abilities felt stable once more, receiving clearer messages from above. Today's events had been nothing like he was expecting.Leaf was certain that Augustus' death would be a trial. In a way it was as earthing in Elara's life essentially is, but it wasn't one of the main trails. Something so big as that was somehow not a trail that would set a course for her future. He was still uncertain of how Daphne played or part or what exactly happened. All he knew is that his future mate chose light. She chose good, as Leaf hoped she would.This angel was certain that Elara was pure-hearted and kind. For her to choose dark it would have to be about family. It's why he feared today's earlier events so much. Had Elara given into the temptation of revenge, he was unsure how deep she would have fallen into the darkness. It's easy to fall back into evil once you've had a taste of it.B
AresIt was stupid, I know it was, but how could I not tell her when she thought I no longer loved her? She may have been on this planet for less than a year but mentally she was so much older, and I needed to remind myself of that.Maybe not old enough for this news, but the alternative could be worse. If I explained to her who she was and what her future determined…well it would blow everything up. There was no way of knowing for sure how she’d react, at least this way I knew she’d be focused on what was going to happen to me and nothing more.“What do you mean?” Her eyes were wide and filled with tears as she held my gaze.“Gabriel had a vision, but I’ll—”“You can’t die!” she interrupted before I could tell her the rest.My skin prickled with goosebumps as the temperature dropped around us, fogging the air with our breath. The shadows licked at her feet, tendrils up her calves. I was loosing her.“Listen to me Elara,” I spoke in a calming manner, trying to ease her.“No! I can’t lo
IcarusI still hated the idea of Lilith being Elara’s teacher, but there was no unringing that bell. Once the blood moon came, Lilith would be here to unlock Elara’s dark magic. She’d grow, body and mind at the very instant she’d touch her mother’s grimoire. I just hope that she won’t be consumed by the darkness that will flow through her. The thought alone sent a knot to my stomach so tight I thought I’d throw up. In no instance could I ever picture Elara as evil. Even though I was buying for the heavens to lose in these ultimate trials, I didn’t necessarily want Elara to fall prey to darkness. She deserves to stay pure and happy. Her parting words to me last week left me questioning everything I’d been working for. How was I supposed to get her to join me when I didn’t even want her to be part of this side of the world?“Icarus!” My attention was brought to the devil in charge. His glowing orange eyes glared into me with as much intimidation as he could seep into them. I couldn’t he
AuggieThey’ve been wrong before. Prophecies aren’t set in stone. We don’t have to choose between brining Ares back or keep Elara from falling into the hands of evil…right?These thoughts had been running through my head all day. It was delusion thinking, I knew that, but it was the only way I could get through the week. I tried to talk with Jesse but between whatever was going on with Petra and whatever traumatic thing she saw in some cave—that she won’t tell me about— she had too much on her mind to be much use. It was clear that she had accepted this fate, and decided to just let Elara be. Her reasoning was that she had passed her first trial and only needed to pass the next to succeed.I don’t like those odds.So here I was, stalking my niece like some creep in the shadows. Sombra kept me cloaked but it took extra effort since Bane couldn’t seem to contain his blazing fire. Ever since he revived me, he’s been too big for his britches. I needed him to calm his ass down and remember
Third PersonElara could still feel the remnants of the heartache that Leif caused her. It ached to feel so rejected by her closest friend. She had found comfort in Icarus who would check on her even more than Leif did while she stayed with the angel.“Got you a snack before class.” He tossed her a bag of flame roasted chick peas made by the fire elves on campus. They'd been selling these in random spots on campus as a way to raise funds to better protect themselves against vampires. It seemed these poor creatures were tired of being the vampires’ first victims on rainy days and blood moons.“Thanks, Icky.” She smiled up at the fallen angel, stirring his heart once more. It wouldn't be long now until she grew again, until he could have her the way he wanted.“I'm never getting rid of that nickname, am I?” He shook his head, causing a few short strands of his jet black hair to fall over his forehead. He ran his hand through it, pushing it back in a way that made Elara's cheeks almost tu
Third Person POVLief felt the shake in his body as if he were a bell being rung. Summoned he thought to himself. Being summoned brought a knot to any demigod or angel’s stomach, placing a fear so deep it shook his very soul.“I’ll be back, little —” Lief cut himself off remembering that just yesterday he flew away from her. She wasn’t here anymore and the emptiness it left in his home was more than he could bear. With a deep breath and a heavy sigh he traveled to the heavens — to the gods and all their fury.“Lief, come join Petra,” his god, Barus, called him forward to stand in the center of their rounded room. Where most have met their end, smited by all the gods at once. Would this be his last day? Would he die without having been able to reconcile with his little one?Lief braced himself as he took his spot beside Petra, seeing her blue hair float around her the way it would in outer space. He felt the power radiating from the ten gods that surrounded him, so strong that he almost
Jesse“Petra, there’s gotta be something you can do!” I accidentally shouted at her in my desperation, hoping that maybe she could prevent all this from happening. She was demigod for crying out loud, if anyone could do something it would be her.“I’ve already told you that I can’t Jesse. I’m not a God and even then, they can’t force anyone to do their bidding but the angels. We demigods can choose to follow their orders or not, but usually if we don’t our godly powers are weakened.” Petra sighed, tired of explaining things to me. She patted the bed beside her, hoping I would listen and come, but I was too upset to sit just yet.“He can’t die.” I warned her, as if she could make sure that didn’t happen.It was probably really out of her hands, but I didn’t care at the moment. I wanted to fool myself into believing that things could be done to prevent any of it from happening. It was obvious that Petra knew what she needed to do on this night, but she wasn’t sharing and it was pissing
AresI didn’t need to feel it through our bond to know that Andy was tense. Her worry was seeping through her pores. How could it not be with the amount of bad news we got on a daily basis? This wasn’t going to be any better, I could already tell by the angel-mermaid, Frances, we met when saving Jesse. She held Gabriel’s attention so fully that he hadn’t even noticed his sister or his cousin arrive.I opened my visions past just myself, Andy, and Elara, to see Gabriel’s future, finding why this woman had him so entranced. Turns out she’s his mate. Maybe that’s the news and it’s nothing actually bad. Then again, who the hell do I think I’m fooling?Nova ran up to Gabriel, giving him a big hug as if she hadn’t seen him in years when she just saw him last week. He hugged her back, messing with her hair like she was still a kid when she pulled away. Auggies appeared next, taking his spot next to Nova with his hand resting on her hip in a possessive grip. Something was going on with him, to
Andy“I know you want to protect her, Baby Girl, but you have to let her learn. You don’t know what it’s like to have a darkness harboring inside you.” Dad’s sky blue eyes looked so haunted as he spoke with me, probably remembering the time he was overtaken by his darkness.“You’re right. I don’t know what that's like, but I do know that I don’t want Elara touching it with a 2000 foot pole. Too much depends on her, and she doesn’t even know it.” I thought of how close she’d come to using the dark magic inside her when she believed Augustus to be dead. I know it’s tempting, or so Dad told me, once you’ve used dark magic, to continue to do so. I couldn’t have Elara falling into temptation, thinking that evil isn’t so evil.“That may be so, but if you don’t let her learn how to use — how to control it — when the time comes, she’s going to fall deeper into its clutches than she should.”“I’ll just make sure that time never comes.” I crossed my arms, huffing like a small child. I knew he wa
Auggie’s POVAfter Russian Boss killed me for the first time I had felt things start to change inside me. Dane had grown so powerful, it was causing Sombra to falter. I had finally gotten the two on the same level, working equally, to now have them at ends once more. Sombra hated being reduced and Dane hated being told how to handle his flames. It was an endless argument in my head between the two. At times I would have to separate them inside of me, pulling them to different corners of my mind. I was honestly just happy that I still had Sombra. If I had lost my shadow I would have killed Russian Boss until he stayed dead.I wasn’t expecting such a crowd when I regained consciousness, nor I was expecting to see Elara look so ragged and frightened. It wasn’t until later that I was filled in on what happened. Elara had almost gone dark because of me, which meant I still had work to do if I was going to make sure that never happened. I can’t have her joining evil because of my misstep. Gr