Chapter 53 – Kian
Chapter Fifty-Three
KIAN
The sun sinks below the horizon, and the drastic change in temperature is jarring. As much as I’m loath to thank him, I’m grateful Cary brought extra water and rations for us.
Sera volunteered to keep Rae company by the pit, and despite all the questions I have for her, I don’t believe she means her harm.
Truth is, her betrayal benefited us; if we’d had to travel back to Elsmont to find Cary, Rae would have been alone that whole time, which is unfathomable.
I’m angry but . . . relieved? Either way, I don’t fully trust Sera, which is why I sent Alex to accompany her.
We spend the rest of the day hiking up to the highest point of the island. The craggy mountain peak is devoid of life—char marks streak the small plateau. Cary’s men strain as they heave a large trunk in front of where Cary and I decided to set up an altar.
“This will work to summon him?” I ask, pacing back and forth once the altar is completed.
“If he’s out for blood, as I imagine he is, mine will surely call him,” Cary replies.
“What’s in here?” I ask, nudging the trunk with my foot.
Cary kneels to open it. “There are limited ways to subdue a god . . . and you’re lucky I have some pieces in my collection.”
I swear as he reveals the chest filled with a golden net and three enchanted blades.
“Father would have cleared your debts and then some if he knew of these,” I say. Was it foolishness or fortune that he hadn’t?
“These are priceless artifacts, princeling.” Cary sneers.
I clench my fists at my sides. If this bastard calls me “princeling” one more time, I’ll give him a taste of the Shadow’s wrath.
“And you’re so sure he’ll fall for the same tricks a second time?” I raise a brow. Shockingly, I’d gotten Cary to divulge bits and pieces of how he’d trapped Kyros here twenty-six years ago as we hiked through the jungle.
“Beggars can’t be choosers, now, can they?”
We’re fucked.
Cary directs his men to hide themselves and the net behind an outcropping of rocks, and Dylan readies a fire by the altar.
Reverently, Cary hands me one of the enchanted blades before sheathing the other at this side.
The last, he gives to Dylan, who holds it in his uninjured hand, and I roll my eyes.
The man is not worthy to carry such a blade.
“Be careful with that,” Cary chides me as I test its weight.
I jab it at him, and he jumps away, cursing.
“Show some respect, princeli—”
With a practiced maneuver, I have the razor-sharp blade mere inches from his throat. “I highly recommend you stop calling me that.” I tut. “Speaking of respect—”
“Would the two of you stop messing around?” Dylan interrupts, standing in front of the altar. “We’re about to summon a god who very well might kill us, and you’re bickering over there.”
Withdrawing the blade from Cary’s throat, I step back. “As much as I hate agreeing with the asshole, he’s right. We need to try to work together.”
Dylan mutters something under his breath, but he’s not worth my energy.
Darkness has completely fallen, the only light coming from the moon, the stars, and the crackling fire burning bright by the altar.
I follow Cary and stand before it, wondering how long he’s going to wait to summon Kyros.
Before I can react, Cary grabs my palm and slices across it with a blade, Dylan jumping in to keep me in place.
“What in the hells?” I yell, the cut throbbing and burning as he squeezes my hand over the blazing fire.
My blood sizzles and spits, shooting off sparks that float up into the night sky.
“Gracious goddess Luna, we beseech thee to hear our plea,” Cary prays, still squeezing my hand painfully over the fire. “Accept this offering. Blood calls to blood.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I hiss as I finally manage to yank my hand away from him and Dylan lets me go. “This isn’t what we agreed upon! What makes you think she’ll answer? None of the gods have answered in centuries.”
Cary looks to the sky, holding the bloody blade aloft in offering, ignoring my words. “Gracious goddess Luna, we beseech thee to hear our plea,” he repeats reverently.
I step back from the altar, trying to quell my fury. I shouldn’t be surprised that Cary went rogue. Tying off the wound with a piece of my shirt, I debate whether I should return the favor and start slicing into him.
A gasp out of Dylan has me spinning around, looking for danger, my blade raised. “Up there!” he says in reverent awe, pointing toward the sky.
What looks like a glowing star is falling toward us, growing larger with each passing second.
“What in the gods’ names?”
Cary falls to his knees then prostrates himself before the altar, and Dylan quickly follows. Unease has me holding my ground as the light draws closer. Did his prayer actually work?
A flash of light almost blinds me, and I fall to my knees, blinking rapidly to clear my vision.
An ethereal voice, smooth as silk, speaks: “My child, you called?”
I lift my eyes and am met with a creature so divine, no words could truly do her justice.
Hair as white as the moon cascades in voluptuous curls that fall below her breasts.
Her pale skin is on display, adorned only with a diaphanous cloth that drapes her hips.
Eyes of cold, glowing steel meet mine, and she takes a step closer.
“Blood of my blood.” Her voice drips with honey. “How wonderful to set eyes on you after all these years.”
I duck my head, still in complete shock that the goddess Luna stands before me. “I’m honored by your presence,” I reply, daring a look up at her again.
Her countenance is almost overwhelming to look upon, and I lift my hand to shield my eyes just a bit.
A sparkling laugh leaves her mouth as her light dims. “Apologies, dear one. It’s been oh-so-long since I’ve been to your realm. I forget how frail you are.”
I try not to bristle at the insult, but she’s not wrong. I’m speechless in front of the goddess who is said to have started my family line centuries past.
“Thank you, my lady,” I sputter with little grace.
“Now!” Cary screams, and I gasp as a golden net is thrown onto the goddess, instantly taking her to the ground.
An unearthly scream comes out of her mouth, and I cover my ears as Dylan stabs her in the stomach, pinning her to the ground with his enchanted blade.
“What the hells, Cary?” I yell. The asshole kept me completely in the dark.
“What is this treachery?” the goddess screams, golden blood leaking out of her wound.
“I didn’t trust you not to give anything away. Better to keep you innocent in this,” Cary replies.
“Release her!” I shout at him. “What have you done? Do you wish to call more calamity upon our realm?”
“Do you want to save your wife or not?” Cary grits out.
I lunge toward the goddess, but Dylan blocks me. Cary’s other men stand guard on either side of the goddess, weapons at the ready.
“This can’t possibly be the way.” I stare at him incredulously.
Cary lets out a wry laugh. “I should cut you some slack, Kian. Some of this knowledge is not written in the history books.”
I frown, turning to him. “Explain.”
Cary looks around almost nervously but speaks. “Men should not dare to interfere among the gods and their games.”
“Stop speaking in riddles.”
Cary points toward Luna, disdain in his eyes. “You are probably aware of the longstanding feud between the sun and moon.” His lip curls. “They have cycled through hate and love endlessly over the ages.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that much. What else is there?”
Blowing out a breath, he continues, “Luna and Kyros were in a cycle of hatred when he visited our realm three decades ago. Lynette, Raelyn’s mother, and I were courting when the sun god made his appearance.
It was without pomp and circumstance. He glamoured himself as a mortal and inserted himself into court.
” Cary grits his teeth. “I do not wish to dwell on that time, but needless to say, Kyros—he called himself Cyrus at the time—stole Lynette from me. How could I have even tried to compete with a god? Though I didn’t know what he was at the time. ”
“What does that have to do with Luna?” I ask.
“She was furious with Kyros for coming to our realm. The gods had agreed to keep their distance, and he was breaking their own accord. She thought to balance the scales, to lure Kyros away by making him jealous and involving herself in court. She interfered somehow . . . with your bloodline. I’m not sure what she did exactly, but it was while your mother was carrying you. ”
My brow furrows and my lip curls in disgust. The gods are more screwed up than I ever could have imagined.
“Didn’t you wonder why I was able to summon her with your blood?” Cary scoffs.
“But there’s nothing special about me,” I protest. “I’m no demi-god. What could she have done?”
“No, you’re not, but you’re still of her bloodline.” Cary tuts. “And for some reason that is beyond me, her interference caused you to be drawn to my daughter—your presence awakening her gifts.”
“What is he talking about?” I yell at the goddess trapped beneath the net.
Her eyes glow with fury, but surprisingly, she answers.
“I fed your mother my blood while she carried you. Not much, but enough for it to change you—just a little. Have you never noticed you’re just a little bit stronger and faster at night?
More agile?” She gives me a knowing smile before it turns to a grimace.
I shake my head, unwilling to accept the words she’s saying.
“Of course you’d be drawn to Kyros’ child.” She laughs, but it hinges on hysteria. “You are two sides of the same coin—each other’s salvation and ruin.”
I lunge toward her again, only Cary holds me back. “Tell me how to save her!” I demand.
“Free me, and we’ll talk,” she replies.
“Don’t listen to her,” Cary says. “There’s nothing she can do for Rae. She would never willingly take her place.”
“Then why did you summon her?” I grit out.
A blood-curdling roar rends the night sky, and I ready my stance, sword drawn.
“That’s why,” Cary says, a nervous gleam in his eyes as he draws his own enchanted blade.
My body poised and on high alert, I turn to the dark jungle. Of course he’d show as a lion.
Cary’s men surround Luna while Cary and Dylan wait near the altar.
That leaves me standing on my own to meet Kyros.
While I feel exposed, I failed to mention to Cary anything about Kyros’ inability to kill me without killing Rae .
. . I suppose we both have our secrets. Despite Cary’s words about wanting to protect her, I have yet to see him put action to them.
Hiding her away and drugging her is hardly protection in my mind. That is control, pure and simple.
My heart jumps into my throat when the largest lion I’ve ever seen leaps into the clearing, hackles raised, a menacing growl rumbling through his body.
His golden eyes scan the perimeter, and when they land on the captured goddess, his lips curl into what almost looks like a smile.
“Kyros, my love, free me!” Luna calls out, her voice pained and breathy.
I stand warily before him, wondering what he’s going to do, when Cary shouts from behind me, “Kyros, an offering.”
Spinning around, I gasp when Cary shoves a surprised Dylan in front of Luna. I duck out of the way just in time as Kyros pounces on him with a mighty leap.
Collapsing to the ground under the weight of him, Dylan’s body convulses as the god swiftly drains his blood. Cary’s other men flee in terror at the gruesome sight. Dylan was a piece of shit—it’s hard to feel sorry for him—but being eaten alive . . . I shudder.
“Let’s make a bargain, Kyros,” Cary calls out. “I hope the sacrifice of my man shows my sincerity.”
Damn, he’s cold.
“My life in exchange for hers.” Cary points his sword toward the goddess, who hisses angrily, gold blood pooling around her abdomen.
I’m about to erupt with rage, when to my relief, he adds, “And you must use the goddess to free your daughter.”
The lion drops the remains of Dylan’s body and turns to face Cary, who’s holding his sword up in surrender.
The air around the lion shimmers with a golden glow, and in seconds, the god stands before us. No longer clad in rags, he’s draped in the finest gold. Skin no longer sallow but radiating with life. His back is to me as he takes a step toward Cary.
Cary’s eyes avoid mine, and I wonder what he’s thinking. Knowing the plan ahead of time sure would have been a hells of a lot more helpful than just flying by the seat of my pants here.
“We meet again,” Kyros purrs.
Cary blanches but appears to hold his composure as he stands his ground. “Well? Is it a bargain?”
I dare a step toward Kyros, trying to keep my feet light and silent.
“What makes you think you have anything to bargain with, old friend? You can’t seriously think a snack would be enough,” Kyros scoffs. “From where I’m standing, I have the advantage here. I can finally have my revenge on you and punish the goddess to my heart’s content.”
“I’ve missed you, darling,” Luna coos. “I can’t wait to play.” She makes eye contact with me over his shoulder, and I freeze, wondering if she’ll give me away. Luna winks, and I release a breath, continuing my stealthy steps toward them.
“Silence, Luna. I’ll deal with you soon,” Kyros growls.
“Surely my summoning the goddess here and wrapping her up like a present in addition to my sacrifice is worthy of some boon,” Cary says.
Kyros only laughs and stalks closer, knocking the enchanted blade away with his hand as if it were nothing.
“You think to best me when I’m in this form?
Perhaps you were my match with a sword in my mortal form all those years ago, but you’ll never get the better of me again.
” He grabs Cary around the throat and lifts him off the ground. “Will you beg?”
Clearly none of this is going to plan, but Rae is all that matters now.
I thought I needed the sun god to save my realm, but we’ll find another way.
We have to. I will not doom my wife to spend the rest of her days in a dank pit.
Does that make me a selfish bastard and a terrible prince?
Maybe so, but I’d see the world burn before leaving her to rot. Perhaps Luna’s right: she is my ruin.
On silent feet, grateful for the apparent stealth and skill granted to me by the goddess, I close the distance to Kyros and plunge my enchanted blade through his torso.