A love that told her exactly where Erebus had gone, and why he’d taken the key.
* * * *
The fiery river of Phlegethon snapped and sizzled as Erebus drew close under the cloak of darkness he’d cast. The heat was unbearable, the gasses and fumes from the river singeing the hairs on his forearms, the air so oppressive this deep in the Underworld he wanted to gag.
Swiping the sweat from his brow, he moved from sand to blackened rock. He’d told himself he’d never venture into the Underworld again. Vowed nothing and no one could lure him back. Yet here he was, all because of a female. One who’d awed him with her ability to love. One who’d mesmerized him with the strength and light inside her. One who’d made him feel alive...so alive he knew she was worth sacrificing everything for so she could live.
His fingers closed around the medallion in his palm as he stepped around a charred boulder. He knew in his heart this was the right thing to do; he just really hoped like hell those Argonauts were right when they’d said the prophecy wouldn’t apply to an immortal. Because he didn’t want to get stuck down here. He wanted to get back to Sera, wanted to slide between those sheets, wanted to show her just how much he loved her with his hands and mouth and body.
A chuckle echoed at his back. One that pushed thoughts of Sera from his mind and brought his feet to a stop.
But it was the darkness lifting all around him that shot his adrenaline sky high.
“Well, well, well,” a familiar voice said in the eerie red light. “This is a surprise. A very good surprise.”
Slowly, Erebus turned and stared into Hades’s face. The god was just as tall as Erebus remembered—seven feet of muscle and brawn—and he had the same angular jaw line, the same dark hair, the same soulless black eyes Erebus remembered from over a hundred years ago when Hades had been his master. But then, being immortal, he never changed.
“I would say you’re busted, but I think we both already know that, don’t we?” Hades nodded at Erebus’s closed fist. “You came to use my river, I see.”
Erebus was careful not to show any kind of reaction. He knew how Hades fed off emotional outbursts. “Don’t try to stop me.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare.” Clasping his hands at his back, Hades moved to his right and glanced toward the swirling river of fire. “Destroy it. I’ve no use for the key to Argolea. I don’t need it.” His dark eyes sparked. “Because I’m not an Olympian.”
Erebus had forgotten that. Although Hades was technically the eldest son of Krónos and Rhea and brother to the Olympians Zeus and Poseidon, he himself was not considered an Olympian—all because Zeus, the ruler of Olympus, had denied Hades a temple within his realm.
“Personally,” Hades said while Erebus’s thoughts spiraled with options on how to get out of this one, “I’m just thrilled you’re back.” He laughed, a dark, menacing sound. “I thought I was going to have to find a way to scheme you out from under Zeus’s thumb, but here you are. In my realm, all by your own choosing.” He lifted his dark brows and nodded toward Phlegethon. “Go on. Destroy it. I’ll not try to stop you. I’m tickled you had the balls to screw Zeus over on this.” He winked. “Though I’m sure screwing his Sirens was a hell of a lot more fun.”
For the first time since he’d been caught, Erebus’s pulse raced. Hades didn’t know about Sera, did he? He was doing this to keep her safe. He had to be careful not to show emotion or let Hades know what she meant to him. The last thing he wanted was the god-king of the Underworld crossing into Argolea to hurt her.
Without answering, he turned toward the river.
“I just wish I could see Zeus’s face when he realizes his precious key is gone for good.” Hades chuckled again. “Oh, to be privy to that temper tantrum.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll just have to console myself with the knowledge that my favorite primordial deity is back in my realm, ready to serve me for all eternity.”
Erebus’s steps stopped feet from the fiery river.
“Let me guess: you didn’t realize destroying the key would trap you in the Underworld? That’s the best part.” Hades snapped his fingers. “See, there’s this prophecy Zeus made up when he ordered Hephaestus to forge the key. ‘He who destroys the key will be imprisoned in the realm from whence it was destroyed.’ That’s here. My realm.”
Erebus glanced over his shoulder. “I’m immortal, though. And I no longer serve you. I serve Zeus.”
“Not from where I’m standing, you don’t. From where I’m standing it looks like you’ve gone rogue. I suppose I could turn you over to my brother for punishment, if, that is, you decide not to serve me.”
They both knew what kind of punishment Hades was referring to. Erebus’s palms began to sweat.
“Regardless,” Hades said, blinking away the terrorizing look. “Zeus didn’t care if the destroyer of the key was mortal or immortal. And neither do I. Once you throw that key in Phlegethon, consider yourself done with Zeus for good. You’ll be mine for all eternity. So get on with it. Throw it in the fire so we can move on to more important things.”
Hades’s soulless black eyes burned with an unnatural light, and as Erebus looked back at the fiery river, the totality of his life stretched before him.
He’d never fought, not even at the beginning when his family had been dissolved into nothing and he’d been handed over to Krónos. He’d served one god after another, for thousands of years, never challenging their rules, never questioning the things they ordered him to do, no matter how mundane or vile. He hadn’t even thought to defy Zeus and the Sirens when they’d taken Sera from him on Olympus and forced him to train yet another faceless recruit in the ways of seduction.
He opened his palm. Stared down at the medallion and the imprint of Heracles. There weren’t many things in his life he could be proud of, but this...protecting Sera from Zeus’s retaliation and preventing another realm from the destruction her realm had faced...this he could be proud of. This was worth the sacrifice. She was worth sacrificing everything for.
His pulse slowed. His fingers curled around the medallion. It was warm not from the power inside it, but from him. From what was inside him.
Closing his eyes, he drew a deep breath and tugged his arm back. Before he could hurl it into the fiery river, a growl echoed at his back, followed by Hades’s hissed words.
“No-good meddling Argonauts.”
Erebus glanced over his shoulder, his eyes growing wide when he spotted three, four—no, seven Argonauts fanning out around Hades.
“Nice try, Guardians,” Hades sneered. “But the god of darkness is mine. And none of you are strong enough to challenge me for him.”
“None of them might be,” a voice called from the back of the group. “But we are.”
Two men—no, not men, gods, Erebus realized—stepped in front of the group. One was older, with dark hair and fine lines fanning out from his eyes. Strength radiated from his strong body and an aura that marked him as a Titan. The Titan Prometheus, Erebus realized with wide eyes.
His gaze strayed to the other god, the one leveling his amber gaze on Hades and smirking. Power emanated from his muscular body as well, but this power was directly linked to Krónos. Even across the distance Erebus could feel that power snapping and sizzling and just waiting to be freed, and in a rush Erebus remembered what Cerek had told him about the other god in Argolea when they’d been on their tour.
“Surprise, adelfos,” Nick said.
For a moment, Hades stood completely still, then another growl built in his throat, one that grew in strength and intensity until it was a roar all across the land. He lifted his hands out wide. The ground shook. Rocks split apart, and the dirt cracked opened, shooting steam high in the air.
The shaking knocked Erebus off his feet. The medallion flew from his hand and ricocheted off a boulder. He scrambled up just as a seven-foot, ugly-ass daemon that looked like something straight out of a nightmare, crawled out of the hole and bared razor-sharp fangs at the Argonauts.
?
??Devour them,” Hades cried.
All around the Argonauts, daemons climbed out of the ground and charged.
A massive battle broke out. Weapons clanged and fists slammed into bone. Voices echoed through the eerie red light and over the barren land, and Erebus knew he needed to join them, to fight with the Argonauts, but he had to find the key first. He had to destroy it before one of those daemons decided to keep it or Hades realized he could trade it to Zeus for something more valuable.
He streaked across the ground, kicking up blackened dirt and rocks, searching for the shiny medallion in the dead soil. Motherfucker, why couldn’t he find it? It had hit the ground right here. It had to be close. He dropped to his knees, swept his hands through the dirt and rocks, searching. Knew it had to be somewhere—
There! From the corner of his eye he spotted a shiny object catching the firelight from the river. He skidded across the ground and scooped it up. Dirt and grime stuck to his skin, but when he brushed his finger across the surface of the object, the dull image of Heracles shone up at him.
He rushed back to the edge of the fiery river, drew his arm back, ready to throw it into the fires. Just before he could release it, a burning pain stabbed into his thigh and knocked him off his feet.
The medallion flew from his grip and smacked against the dirt. He hit the ground on his butt and grunted from the impact. His hands flew to his leg, and in total disbelief he focused on the arrow sticking out of his thigh, his blood gushing around the wound to stain his jeans a deep shade of red.
Footsteps sounded close. He lifted his head to see who had hit him, and his eyes widened when he saw Sera—his Sera, decked out in the same tight black fighting gear she’d worn on Olympus with the Sirens—stalking toward him with a bow in one hand.
“I’m sorry.” She knelt at his side and pressed a kiss to his lips. “But I can’t let you do this.”
Confused, he reached for her, but she moved away before he could grasp her. Her slender fingers scooped the medallion from the ground.
He didn’t know what was happening. He didn’t know why she was here. He didn’t know—
Every thought came to a shuddering stop when she stepped toward Phlegethon and drew her arm back.
“No! Sera!” He struggled to his feet. Tried to go after her. Tried to stop her. The second he put weight on his injured leg, though, his leg buckled and he hit the dirt face first.
He sputtered, coughed, spit the grimy black dirt from his mouth and lifted his head. Then watched in horror as she swept her arm forward and released, sending the medallion flying toward the fiery river.
“No...” Pain sliced through his chest. A blinding, burning pain that drowned out everything else—the sounds of the battle at his back, the burn of the arrow stabbing into his leg, the all-powerful gods wrestling for cosmic power only yards away. All he could see and hear and feel was what she’d just done.
His vision blurred as she drew close. He struggled to his side, pushed himself to sitting, and grabbed hold of her as soon as she knelt close. His dirty hands streaked up into her soft hair, and he pulled her mouth down to his, kissing her again and again, afraid to let go of her. Afraid of what would happen next.
“What did you do? How could you do that?” He pulled her onto his lap, not caring about his leg or what was happening around them. Not caring about anything but her. He kissed her again. “You stupid nymph. Why would you do that? Don’t you know what that means?”
Her lips curled against his. “I know exactly what it means.”
She drew away, and though he wanted only to pull her back, she pushed to her feet where he couldn’t grab her.
“Do you want me to tell him, Hades? Or would you like to be the one to enlighten him?”
Erebus stared up at her gorgeous face, confused by the words she was speaking. To his left, he heard Hades growl, “Scheming Argonauts.”
Blinking, Erebus looked across the barren ground toward the Argonauts and the two gods surrounding Hades. All around them, dead daemons littered the ground.
“Enlighten me about what?” Erebus asked, more confused than ever. “What the fuck is going on?”
Sera knelt at his side and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. “The prophecy said ‘He who destroys the key shall be imprisoned in the realm from whence it was destroyed.’
She didn’t elaborate, which only frustrated him more. “Yeah? So, we already know that.” He reached for her hand. “I’m not letting him keep you.”
She smiled and squeezed his fingers. “You don’t have to, because he can’t keep me. Isn’t that right, Hades?”
Her gaze lifted. To Erebus’s left, Hades growled low in his throat but didn’t make any move to imprison her.
“I don’t understand,” Erebus said.
Sera ran her fingers over his jaw and grinned. “I am not a he.”
Erebus stared into her gentle eyes, still trying to make sense of everything, when one of the Argonauts called out, “Duh. She’s a she, dude. And a pretty clever one at that.”
Holy shit. Hope filled Erebus’s chest like sweet, sweet air. “So he can’t—”
“Nope.” Sera’s smile widened. “I told you you were mine, silly god. I meant it.”
He sucked in a breath as she leaned down to kiss him, and when their lips met, he felt the love she’d showered on him push aside all the emptiness inside him.
“You are defeated for now, Hades,” Nick declared in a loud voice, causing both Erebus and Sera to look toward the god. “Tuck your tail and run back to your lair before Prometheus and I decide to punish you for this little stunt.”
A growl echoed, then in a swirl of black smoke, Hades poofed away from Phlegethon.
Drawing Erebus’s face back to hers, Sera gently kissed his lips. “Sorry about shooting you in the leg. It was the only way I could stop you from throwing the medallion in the river.” Her eyes narrowed. “But running out on me in the middle of the night was not a smart thing to do.”
“What can I say? I learned all about running from this really hot nymph I was once assigned to for seduction training.”
Her lips curled. “Good answer, omorfos.”
He tugged her down onto his lap and held her close. “I love you, agápi.”
“I know. Which is the only reason I’m not going to make you suffer. Beg, moan, cry out in pleasure...absolutely, yes. But no more suffering. Never again.”
He smiled, thinking that sounded just about perfect right now.
Someone cleared his throat. From the group to their left, another voice said, “Um, any chance you two can do that back in Argolea, away from torment and death and the ruler of this realm who would be more than happy to come back here and try to kick our asses again?”
Sera smiled.
Erebus chuckled.
Neither looked toward the group.
“What do you say, agápi? Want to start forever with me in the blessed realm of the heroes?”
She bit her lip in a nervous, sexy, adorable way. “Your forever and my forever aren’t exactly the same. I’m not immortal like you. I may live for hundreds of years, but eventually, my time will come.”
His heart squeezed tight because he didn’t want to think about that. He searched her eyes, searching for something to say, for a solution he couldn’t find.
“Not exactly,” someone said before he could come up with anything.
Sera glanced over her shoulder where Nick was walking toward them.
“What do you mean?” Erebus asked, looking toward the god.
“My mate is Argolean,” Nick answered, stopping not far away. “Her lifespan is the same as an Atlantean. And Gryphon’s Argolean, whereas his mate is immortal. The Fates aren’t going to let any of us suffer alone. When the mortal mate’s time come, the choice to stay or go with them to the other side rests with the immortal mate.”
Erebus glanced at Sera then back to Nick. “I don’t see a Fate here offering us that option.”
“Pretty sure the F
ates steer clear of the Underworld.” Nick winked. “But trust me, after the sacrifice you both made not just for Argolea but for the entire world, once we get home, I’m fairly certain one will be waiting for you. And if she’s not, I’ll find her and make sure she offers you the same deal. You deserve it after everything you’ve done us.”
Hope bloomed inside Erebus, and he looked back to Sera. “Agápi? What do you think about forever in the realm of the heroes now?”
A wide smile spread across Sera’s gorgeous face. “I think it sounds perfect. But only if you’ll be my hero.”
“Baby, I’m the only hero you’ll ever need.”
She slid her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to his. “Damn right you are.”
* * * *
Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Elisabeth Naughton, discover Ravaged and Unchained.
Eternal Guardians Lexicon
adelfos. Brother
agapi. Term of endearment; my love.
Argolea. Realm established by Zeus for the blessed heroes and their descendants
Argonauts. Eternal guardian warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.
Council of Elders. Lords of Argolea who advise the king
daemons. Beasts who were once human, recruited from the Fields of Asphodel (purgatory) by Atalanta to join her army.
Fates. Three goddesses who control the thread of life for all mortals from birth until death
Isles of the Blessed. Heaven
Misos. Half-human/half-Argolean race that lives hidden among humans
Olympians. Current ruling gods of the Greek pantheon, led by Zeus; meddle in human life
omorfos. Handsome
oraios. Beautiful