A Token
Heaven
“What are you doing?” Theo asks quietly, taking hold of my arm.
I arch a brow. Wait and see, I write with a toss of my hair and make my way up the golden steps towards the seated god.
I focus on my breathing, making sure my heart is steady despite the nerves running rampant in my stomach. For Sienna and for the Deimos Bloodline, this should help.
Once I reach the top, I curtsey, earning a small smirk from the Golden God.
Thank you for allowing me to speak to you, I write.
His brows furrow. “You don’t have a voice…” His eyes flick to the stands to where the shielded gods still remain. Who is up there? I can’t tell, but Helios clearly can. “Do you wish to barter with me?”
I don’t have a voice. And no, I am not here to strike a deal. I am simply here to offer you something, I write before I whisper a spell, and my hand glows before I’m holding a dazzling golden whip in my hands.
Helios’ eyes widen as a murmur rushes through the crowd.
“The Tongue of Dawn…” Helios murmurs.
I hear one of the quints mutters something, but I don’t look away from Helios.
I nod and hold it out to him. He frowns, not taking it from me. Instead, he looks at me. “And what do you want in return?”
I smile gracefully. Nothing. I hope you can take it as a token of goodwill.
I know this duel didn’t go the way you wanted, but I also know you are one of the strongest of gods.
One who we will need on our side when the final battle arrives.
The history books say that you always searched for this artefact, and it brings me great honour to return it to you, I write, still holding the powerful whip in one hand.
Its power buzzes beneath my fingertips, and it feels like liquid rope.
Helios observes me as if what I wrote doesn’t make much sense. “And you want nothing in return?” he repeats.
I shake my head and mouth, ‘No’.
He now stands, and I feel almost intimidated by his grand stature, but I hold my own as he looks down at me intently. If he were not weakened, I wouldn’t be able to stand before him.
“So, in other words, you don’t want me to hold any grudges against your friends,” he states.
Yes, I write. Sienna is my cousin, but she is like a sister to me.
And they are all my friends. They are of the Deimos Bloodline, but they aren’t Andronikos.
I know Andronikos only did what he had to in order to protect his woman, but right now I just need to make sure Helios doesn’t take this any further.
“Hmm. And tell me, Hybrid Princess, what did you exchange with the thief who stole my Tongue of Dawn?”
I smile slightly. Nothing I can’t handle. This artefact comes with no strings attached, I promise. I simply wanted to offer you something in return for holding your side with honour in this duel.
Helios looks at me, something glinting in his eyes, and he smiles. “You remind me of her.”
Her?
“The woman I lost to Andronikos, Alanna.”
Theo snorts from down below, and I internally roll my eyes. Does he ever shut up?
Helios sighs heavily. “It seems the best of women are given to the Deimos alphas.” He chuckles humourlessly before he places his hand over the one that holds the Tongue of Dawn, taking it from me slowly.
“To hold this in my hand after a millennium…” He smiles as if reminiscing about an old friend.
“But I think the time has come for it to have a new master. A gift with no ties from me to you.”
My eyes widen in surprise as amusement sparkles in his.
He reaches down, tucking it into the side of my skirt band before I can say anything.
My cheeks flush at the move. His hand remains there as he takes my chin with the other hand.
Then, to my utter shock, he kisses me. All I feel is a blinding wave of light surrounding me, and for a moment, all sound is blocked out.
Then he moves back, and I hear Theo from below.
“The fuck?” he mutters. Someone else says something, but it’s too quiet.
I… I can’t accept this, I write.
He cocks a brow, his hand still on my chin. Would it be rude to move away? “Perhaps you were the one I should have gone for…” he murmurs, and this time I hear a collective scoff from the Westwood brothers.
Helios chuckles at my wide eyes.
“It is simply a token of gratitude. The Tongue of Dawn was forged from the fire of the first sunrise. It is stronger than any weapon forged on Earth. Win this war and rise to the ranks none have before you, Queen of Prophecy. I will enjoy the show.”
Then he waves his hands, and I suddenly land at the golden gates we had entered from earlier. The rest are coming this way as Helios looks down at us.
“Go. You are free to walk away.” Helios’ voice rumbles all around us as the gates open, and the blinding light makes everything disappear.
I sense myself stepping through, and then the doors shut behind us, leaving the eight of us on the steps.
Ahren stands at the bottom of the steps, but the moment he sees Sienna, who is no longer wearing the clothes she was in earlier, but an ivory bodysuit studded with red diamonds, his eyes widen with relief.
The gate seals shut, the divine presences withdrawing like the tide.
“Sienna!” Ahren vanishes in a puff, reappearing in front of us as he pulls her into his arms and lifts her off her feet as he hugs her tightly.
She laughs weakly, hugging him back. “Ahren! You’re here, and look at you!”
“You’re safe. Fuck, you’re safe,” Ahren breathes, his voice hoarse as he looks behind her at the quints. “Thank you. I owe you all.”
They nod as one, his sincerity in his thanks – we all felt it.
“I’d say anytime but na, I’m kinda tired,” Theo remarks. “But I swear that god is a fickle fuck. He kissed Blondie.”
“I really don’t like him,” Ahren mutters, frowning as he places Sienna down and looks at me. “Are you alright?”
I nod as Allie turns to me.
“It was gross, but that’s an impressive present you got, though,” Allie says, looking at the Tongue of Dawn at my hip. “I think Helios has a thing for blondes. I mean, Royce and now you?”
“I’m blond, where’s my gift?” Theo jokes.
“I don’t even know how Hades chose you, let alone anyone else,” Allie snorts.
“It’ll come in good use against the Indomitable,” Renji adds. “It’s great. We can do with anything we can get.”
“Care to share how you got it, though or from whom?” Ares asks me, cocking a brow as he gestures to the Tongue of Dawn?
Let’s get out of here first, then I promise I’ll share everything, I write.
“Yes, and how you lost your voice,” Sienna says softly.
Ahren looks at me, and I toss my hair.
Sure, but can we go? I need a nice hot chocolate, I state.
Ahren looks at me with concern when Jayce steps forward. “She has a good head on her shoulders. I agree with Helios on that. You’re powerful.” He then walks past me and down the steps, leaving me surprised at the compliment.
Allie and Sienna nod in agreement, and Ahren relaxes a little.
“You’re still my little sister, and I don’t want to lose any of you.” He steps forward, his arm still around Sienna, before he pulls Allie and me into his arms, giving us both a light kiss on the forehead.
“I’ll forgive you this once for hugging me,” Allie declares, making us all burst out laughing, albeit mine is silent.
The happiness I feel, the elated joy that we’ve done it, makes me want to cry in relief. I didn’t even realise I was holding so much pressure inside of me until this moment. Ahren lets go of us, smiling.
“Are you smiling?” he asks Allie.
She snorts. “No, I am happy we have Si back, but no, not smiling,” she glowers, but we can all see it.
Ahren chuckles and looks over at Renji, Carter and Theo, who are still here. Ares has already headed after Jayce. “Thank you,” he says again.
Renji smiles, and Carter nods.
Yes, thank you, I write, but I’ll thank them properly when we are home.
“Come on, let’s go home. I miss my mumsy,” Theo says, making Renji laugh and Ahren smirk in amusement. “And my bed,” Theo adds.
“I’m sure Aunty Raven enjoyed the peace,” Ahren remarks as we all make our way down the steps slowly. Exhausted yet relieved, I look behind at the glowing gates of Helios’ abode.
I kneel on one knee, touching the ground.
May the gods continue to give us strength for the battle to come, because I foresee great darkness.
For a moment, I feel consumed by the darkness that is to come, and I blink when a single tear trickles down my cheek. I discreetly wipe it away.
“Heaven?” Sienna’s melodic voice comes, and I turn to see she’s stopped halfway down.
I stand up, my mask back on and smile at her before skipping down the steps.
Race you to the bottom! I write when I reach her before I skip off ahead. She laughs as she follows, reaching the bottom a second after me.
We smile at one another before we all turn and look back up the steps.
“It’s done,” Jayce murmurs. “Let’s head home.”
“Right, everyone holds on to each other because there’s a lot of us to teleport,” Ahren says, taking Sienna’s hand and placing a hand on Carter’s shoulder.
Carter reaches for me, and Sienna reaches out, hesitating when she realises Jayce is closest to her.
He doesn’t look in her direction, but also doesn’t move away.
He takes hold of Allie’s wrist with the other.
I hide a smile when his other hand wraps around Sienna’s wrist. Allie holds onto Ares, who has Renji in a rough grab.
Theo yawns as he steps between Renji and me, placing his hands on both our heads. “Right, let’s do this,” he says.
I’m going to miss having so much time with him – wait, no! I will not, I do not like him!
Ahren nods, and then there’s a puff, and I feel my body being sucked away, but it’s for a fraction of a second before we land in that same deserted place we had been when we first arrived.
Our amulets glow on our chests, and I can sense the power from them. I carefully hold out the amulet for Sienna, which I had held onto carefully.
Wear it, I write.
She nods and puts it on. I glance at our surroundings, waiting for the portal.
“Any minute now,” Theo calls into thin air. “I swear he knows we’re here.”
He’s talking about Hades.
My heart is pounding, knowing what is to come the moment I cross back to Earth. I exhale slowly.
Breath.
I am in control.
I am control.
Jayce’s eyes snap to mine, narrowing sharply.
“You alright?” he asks.
I nod with a toss of my hair, silently frustrated with myself for slipping.
“Think Helios will honour the duel?” Ares asks, breaking the silence.
“I think so,” Jayce says, and Renji and Carter nod in agreement.
“And we humbled him up a little. Ahren, you should have been there. It was fucking epic,” Theo says.
“I’m sure it was,” Ahren smirks. “We can get Aunty Ri to play it out!”
“Yes!” Theo says, “But not from my head.”
Allie snickers. “Why?”
Before Theo can reply, a portal suddenly opens in front of us, and we fall silent.
“Let’s go,” Ahren says. He steps back as Ares leads the way out, followed by Carter, then Allie, Renji, and Sienna.
“Come on, Blondie, get your butt moving,” Theo says.
I nod, taking a deep breath as I step through, with Ahren, Jayce and Theo right behind me.
Then we’re falling, everything spins as we’re being sucked away, the amulet hums in my chest, burning hot, and then we’re hitting the ground hard. My knees slam into the ground, and I grit my teeth.
The amulet that had become embedded in our chests now falls to the ground before disintegrating into ash.
“Home sweet home.” Theo whistles as he stands up, his voice cutting through the rain.
It’s pouring down, and we’re back in the same clothes we were wearing the day we left.
Everyone slowly gets to their feet, but I don’t. The sheer power inside of me radiates at my fingertips. Something stirs inside me, humming with ancient power. It crawls beneath my skin as if it’s alive.
Someone calls me, but it’s muffled, swallowed by the storm inside of my head. Powerful but controlled.
Then it comes.
Well, well, well, hello there, Aldona, a voice whispers in my head, sinister and deadly, creeping into every corner of my mind.
I know exactly who it belongs to.
My chest tightens before I look up, my eyes blazing.
Hello, Endora.