To the Kingdom of Solaria
Heaven
It’s been three days since we arrived, and we have been waiting for Helios’ messenger. It’s been an exhausting week. Ares and Carter have continued to let the Eidara entertain them. Theo, as far as I know, hasn’t. I push the thoughts away, trying to focus on my meditation.
“Heaven?” Ahren’s voice makes my eyes snap open.
Yes? I write.
“It’s time.”
Someone’s here.
I get up quickly from where I’m sitting and hurry from the room, stopping when I spot the man in beige clothing, his long red hair braided from the top.
He’s wearing a gold band across his forehead, with arm and shin guards made of the same gold.
His face is an expressionless mask. I notice he’s holding a scroll out to Jayce, who steps forward and accepts it, cracking open the gold and white seal.
“I, Helios, Sovereign of the Sun, Lord of the Morning and Keeper of the Skies, accept your duel, sons of Andronikos. My terms shall be spoken face-to-face, beneath the gaze of the heavens themselves. Seven days from this day, when the first light crowns the horizon, my court shall stand witness. There, we shall duel – god and mortals. Be prepared. For when the sun rises, it shall rise on your defeat. May the skies remember who commands the dawn.” Jayce’s voice is crisp and clear, his voice holding an edge of scorn as he finishes.
It makes me uneasy. What will Helios demand?
“Well, he’s fucking cocky, init,” Theo remarks.
“I accept,” Jayce says to the messenger, ignoring Theo.
The messenger nods to Jayce before he turns to Ahren. “I have a message for the Prince of Darkness.”
Prince of Darkness? We all look at Ahren, who chuckles.
“That’s quite a title,” he says lightly, but for some reason, I don’t think he’s new to it. His posture is relaxed, but… what am I missing? “What is the message?” he asks.
“By the divine ruling of the treaty between your kind and our god Helios, you will not be given permission to enter the Kingdom of Light. The pact made between the gods and the demons must stand. You will not cross the threshold into Solaria during the duel. However, our divine lord Helios offers his welcome to the daughter of Hecate and the Volkov Queen to observe the duel and walk away upon the defeat of the Deimos bloodline.” The man bows, making Theo scoff.
“Cocky much?” Carter mutters, although his eyes are fixed on Allie, too.
My eyes shift to her. I didn’t get the right chance to mention what I saw when we entered the Realm of Gods to Allie. I was hesitating, not knowing if I should. Her face is indifferent, but I’m curious to know what’s going through her mind.
“Understood. Thank you,” Renji says politely. The man bows his head and leaves.
“So, Prince of Darkness and Volkov Queen, huh? Now, that’s one way to make headlines. Just cause you’re the fourth ruler doesn’t mean I’m bowing to you,” Theo says, yanking on Allie’s hair.
She snarls at him, but she doesn’t say anything. A clear sign that she’s shaken, even if she’s covering it well.
Theo snickers as Ares observes Ahren. “So, what exactly does this Prince of Darkness shit mean? I mean, you can’t enter his kingdom, but he’s taken Sienna into it. Isn’t it the same thing?”
“There are six types of demons. In the demon world, Sienna and I wouldn’t be classified as the same bloodline.” Ahren’s answer surprises us all. I clearly know more than the Westwoods, but what did he mean by the demon world? Si’s never mentioned that.
Demon world? I write.
“Six types of demons… and why haven’t you shared this knowledge?” Jayce asks, his face indifferent.
Ahren pouts. “Come on, don’t be so harsh. It’s a long story, plus I’ve been busy with my duties. I didn’t think it was relevant.”
“Stop pouting; you ain’t fooling anyone,” Ares growls.
“You’re one to get offended, skirt-boy. You never told us about Poseidon either,” Theo adds. His input is always annoying, but he does state facts – sometimes.
“Everyone’s got secrets, I’m over it,” Carter adds.
I turn away, zoning them out. I know they will survive, but if they lose… It’s time I put my backup plan into play. I have focused on control for as long as I can remember, and it’s going to come in use now. It has to.
I’m about to leave the room when Allie grabs hold of my arm, a questioning glance in her eyes.
Did you know? That’s what she’s asking. I cast a spell so that no one can hear her.
I did when we first got here, I admit.
She nods curtly. “Were you planning on telling me?”
Ideally, after this was all over, I write. We have had time in the last three days, but I didn’t feel there was a time that was right to just drop it on you.
She nods. “Yeah, I get it, trust that fucker Helios to drop it like that,” she mutters. “Dante most likely knows…”
She looks distracted for a moment before she sighs.
I’m sorry, I write.
Allie shakes her head. “Don’t. It’s fine. I just didn’t expect it to be me…”
She sighs heavily, and I raise an eyebrow. Logically, it makes sense, you just don’t want it to be you, I write with a small understanding smile.
Allie gives me a flat look. “Ok, that.”
She walks off, needing some space, and I don’t follow her. I know Allie. Instead, I decide to get to work. I have seven days. That’s more than enough time, as long as no one gets in my way.
I’m about to walk away when someone – I know exactly who it is – tugs on my hair. My stomach does that weird jolt whenever he’s close, and Goddess, do I hate it.
I turn, casting him a deadly glare as he lets go of my hair. “Oi, Blondie.”
What? I write with a pointed look.
He smirks. “Nobody but you has that look on your face that you’re up to something. Are you?” He raises one of those annoying brows.
I roll my eyes, cocking a brow, my emotions are already locked in, keeping my surprise well hidden.
How the hell does he do that? I tilt my head. I’m afraid your intuition doesn’t run as deep as Jayce’s because you’re wrong. I’m not up to anything, I write.
He cocks a brow. “I don’t have intuition; I’m just good at reading body language,” he remarks, looking down at me. I’m far too aware of my sheer top and cross my arms smoothly over my breasts.
Well, nothing to read here, I write with a toss of my hair before brushing past him, far too aware of the way his arm felt against mine…
Goddess, help me get over him.
Jayce
The last seven days have felt like a lifetime.
My own emotions are a storm, wanting to know how she’s doing, hating her for leaving, angry at her for not telling me the truth, pissed at myself for not being able to be there for her, and above all the uselessness I felt and the betrayal I felt when she rejected me, the desire to free her, to let her go home to her family and then, hating that these emotions I thought were under control have returned.
Or maybe they were always here but just suppressed?
One thing I’m certain of is that when we’re done here, I will move on from all of it. Focus on myself without the blame that was cast on me for failing to protect her.
Loving someone is a waste of time… I wish I had known that first.
We now stand at the gates to the Kingdom of Solaria, the highest land under Helios’ domain, where his castle resides. Clouds float around our feet, and there’s a flight of steps that lead to a golden arched gate, the top shaped like the rays of the sun.
There is not a soul in sight. I’m sure there are guards somewhere, but I can’t sense anyone.
“So, I guess I’m waiting here,” Ahren remarks. I know he isn’t happy with the arrangement, but there’s not much we can do.
The plan is that once we get Sienna, he will teleport us to the spot where we landed in this realm and from there, we will exit in the same manner we entered.
“We shouldn’t be too long,” Carter says grimly, his eyes sharp. I look at my brothers, and I’ll forever be grateful that they came to assist me. In the end, the five of us will always be here for one another.
“We all know the plan, and we’ll keep you updated,” I say. Heaven’s cast a spell that will allow her to send signals to Ahren, keeping him in the loop as best we can.
Ahren nods, looking between us all. “Stay safe. A day will come when the world knows you fought a god; not everyone can say that,” he says lightly.
“Init? Especially a golden boy who is full of petty,” Theo replies.
“Well, it’s time,” Renji says, his face serious, a determined frown on his face.
“It’s time,” I repeat.
I’m the first to step onto the golden staircase, with my brothers right behind me and the girls behind them.
Each step feels like a fleeting moment, but at the same time, an eternity.
Each one weighed with everything that is riding on our shoulders.
Today is not just a test of power or skill.
It is a test of our brotherhood, our skills combined, the understanding we have.
Today, doing our best isn’t going to be enough; only winning will.
Are you all ready? I ask via the mind-link.
I was born ready, Theo answers.
Obviously, we’ve had enough time. Ares is the next to speak.
It’s true, in the last nine days we have trained and covered everything about Helios that I knew, including sharing everything about the battle between Andronikos and Helios centuries ago. Ahren and Heaven also shared what they knew.
Yes, Carter’s reply comes.
We got this. Let’s show Helios what being a Westwood means, Renji says. I smile faintly as we all silently agree with him.
We’re all different; we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but together we are strong.
We reach the top, and I take a slow, level breath and look to the sky.
Selene… Zeus… Lend me your strength. Allow me to restore justice to Sienna. Allow us to win this.
I lower my head for a moment, and then I slide up my visor, covering my face before I step through the archway, and for a moment, I’m blinded by the dazzling light. One sweep around me shows that we are in an arena.