Chapter Seven
Roux
“So, what do we do now?” I folded the letter and shoved it in the side pocket of my combat trousers. I’d read it again and worry myself into an anxious spiral when I was on my own later. Nobody else needed to witness that hot mess.
Thane pulled a smaller wooden box out from his coat and walked over to Prometheus. “I believe this is what you’re after.”
Prometheus eyed the small box in Thane’s hand like it might leap off his palm and bite him.
In all the fuss of getting out the Vault and dealing with Erebus, I had completely forgotten about the deal Thane made with Prometheus to find his key.
I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t nervous about the consequences of giving Prometheus the key to his release.
What was going to happen to everything in the Vault?
Add to that the fact that I’d brought Erebus with me and there was no longer a Master down there; I worried that all manner of dark things were going to escape.
I glanced at the mysterious Primordial and found him watching me, an intensity in his gaze that shook me to my core. I hitched a breath as heat flooded my system, flushing my skin. A whoosh of air rushed past my lips as my core tightened beneath his watchful gaze.
“Roux?” Atticus whispered, his words brushing against the shell of my ear. “You’re trembling.”
I ripped my gaze away from Erebus and looked up at Atticus.
His eyes, full of concern, traced the lines of my face, and his fingers wrapped around my wrists, circling over the delicate skin there.
Everything was suddenly oversensitive, and the pads of his fingers as they dragged across my wrist felt like they had a direct link to my centre.
Desire fired along my nerves, like little jolts of pure electricity and pleasure, causing an orgasm to curl and tighten until I was on the verge of cumming in front of everyone.
I snatched my hand back and took a deep inhale, trying to calm the sensations rushing around my body. Gods, I couldn’t think. My mind was fuzzy, my mouth dry. And was it hot in here?
Atticus flinched, and pain filled his gaze.
“Sorry,” I blurted. “I—I…”
What the hell was I supposed to say? Sorry I snatched my hand away, but I was about to come because some Primordial God was staring at me. I didn’t think that was quite going to cut it.
“It wasn’t you,” I said, which was such a cop-out. “I’ll tell you later.”
Atticus’ brows dipped into a frown, and even I knew my words were lame. He swallowed and pinched his bottom lip between his teeth. “It’s okay, Roux. I’m not fragile. I’m just concerned about you.”
I threw a quick glance at Erebus, but he wasn’t looking at me anymore. I could still see that smug little smirk curling his mouth, though. Like he was pleased with himself that he had some power over me. When we got back, I was going to have some words with that asshat.
“I release you from your oath, Thanatos,” Prometheus said, pulling my attention back into the room.
He swiped his thumb over the small triangle and removed the mark on Thane’s arm before taking the box.
He pressed the silver band around his wrist to the top of it, and there was a soft click as the lid popped open.
I leant closer to peer inside, but there was just a small scrap of paper.
It looked ancient and like it would disintegrate if anyone even touched it.
Prometheus delicately unfolded it and then huffed a laugh. Which I wasn’t expecting. “What’s funny?”
“Nothing, really,” he replied. “Just that Zeus’ humour is as amusing as it is painful.”
There was a sadness to his words, and it made me wonder what kind of God Zeus was. I’d heard so many different things that made me think he was as changeable as the wind. I wondered what kind of mood he’d be in tomorrow and whether it would be favourable or not.
Knowing my luck, I’d be surprised if we made it out of Olympus alive.
Prometheus muttered something under his breath, and I watched in amazement as the silver bracelet faded into nothing more than dust.
“Wow,” he said, his voice trembling. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt this.”
“What?” I asked.
His silver eyes met mine, shifting with something that unsettled me, and a wicked grin spread across his face. “Free. Thanks for your help, but I’ve got a lot of living to do. Pass on my best to old Zeus.”
Then he saluted us and vanished into thin air.
“Does anyone else feel like this is a bad thing?” Magnus asked, his brow quirked over his red eyes.
“Yes,” Thane said darkly. “But we are committed to this now. Whatever the outcome.”
“What about him?” Magnus asked, hooking his thumb over his shoulder towards Erebus.
“He stays with me,” I said. “Until we figure out what to do with him.”
We needed to have a proper talk about what his plans were and how they involved me. Also, where does Nyx fit into all this? There were too many questions and not enough answers.
“We could just put him in a cell?” Rafe said.
“No,” I said, my tone sharper than I’d intended. “I won’t have him trade one prison for another.”
“Then what?” Rayne growled, his hands firmly on his hips. “We can’t just let him wander around free. Don’t you think that’s dangerous?”
“I am standing right here, you know,” Erebus drawled. He walked towards our little group, and I felt the others stiffen. They didn’t trust him. Hell, I wasn’t sure I trusted him.
But a part of me wanted to. Some part of me was convinced he wouldn’t run away from me. “I know this is crazy, but I don’t think he will stray far from me. He wants something from me.”
Erebus grinned, wide and unsettling, and crossed his finger over his heart in the shape of an ‘X’. “I promise I won’t disappear.”
We all just stared at him until his smile dropped.
“Look,” Erebus sighed. “If it will make you feel better, Roux is right. I want to know why my plan didn’t work and why Nyx isn’t here.”
“And when did you figure that out?” Atticus asked.
“Then none of you will be of any use to me, and I don’t know—” he waved his hands dramatically through the air, “—I will probably kill you all.”
“Comforting,” Magnus drawled, which just made Erebus smirk.
“I know this is going to sound ridiculous,” I started, looking at each of the guys individually. “But something inside me believes him. Something knows him. If he says he won’t disappear, then I trust him to keep his word.”
They all just stared at me with varying levels of confusion, disbelief, and curiosity until finally, Thane gave a single nod in agreement. “Okay, Roux. If that’s what you believe, then we’re with you.”
I raised a brow and eyed them warily. “Just like that?”
Atticus took my hands in his and gave them a firm squeeze. “Just like that. Come on, let’s go home.”
Home.
That sounded good. I wanted a bath and some comfy clothes and—
The ground gave an almighty shake beneath my feet. “What was that?”
“If I had to take a guess, I think that would be the Vault breaking down,” Thane said.
“I think it’s time to make a move, don’t you?” Atticus said as he pulled me towards him and over to the exit. The stones cracked, the sound echoing around the chamber.
“Everyone, run!” I shouted just before a hole opened in the middle of the floor. A torrent of air whooshed through the opening, roaring and bringing with it screams and shrieks of creatures escaping from the Vault.
Wind circled the chamber like a tornado, slamming me into the wall. Pain lanced through my shoulder with the impact. “We need to get out of here!”
Atticus looked at me over his shoulder, his midnight blue waves dancing in the wind. “How?”
Well, wasn’t that the question. Pieces of the floor kept crumbling and disappearing into the Vault and the ledge we were standing on was getting thinner.
I tried to portal, but there must be some magic blocking that down here.
Shit. We needed to get to the doorway back to the surface, but I couldn’t fight against the swirling winds.
Looking at the others – who were all pinned to the wall like me – I didn’t think anyone else was going to be able to get us out either.
“Come on! We have to try.” I took a step forward, and the piece of stone that I was going to stand on disappeared. I pitched forwards into Atticus and scrambled to regain my footing.
This was madness. We were never going to get out of here. We were all going to fall to our doom and be stuck in the Vault forever.
At least it would be empty of monsters now, though, so that was a plus.
I caught Atticus’ eye and saw the resignation in his gaze. He knew, just as I did, that we weren’t getting out of here without a miracle.
“I don’t suppose you have any ideas?” I yelled as another chunk of the floor fell from under my feet. Shit, we were running out of time.
“No,” Atticus replied, his fingers clinging to mine like I was his lifeline.
“Come on,” I said, shuffling towards the exit as all manner of things continued to escape through the Vault door. “Let’s move.”
Atticus gave me a nod and turned towards the exit. It wasn’t far, surely only a few steps. The others were pinned to the wall opposite me, and I could see them doing the same thing.
The shrieks of the escaping monsters bludgeoned against my eardrums, sharp and painful. How many creatures were down there?
It was hard going, battling the force of the tornado and trying to get to the exit, but we were doing it. We were getting there, and for the first time, I thought we might actually make it.
Then I took a step that had panic gripping me like a damn vice.
As soon as my foot touched the stone, it crumbled and broke away.
I lost my balance. Atticus scrambled to catch me, but it was too late.
Everything moved in slow motion as the floor gave way, and I lost my footing.
I saw the fear in his eyes, the panic and horror as I sank into the darkness.
I reached for him, but I was too far away, and even though I knew it was futile, I still tried to stretch my fingers to reach him.
And as the darkness rose to claim me, I was hit with the scent of death and the decimation of worlds.