Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THANATOS
My skin was covered in small bumps and my body quaked uncontrollably.
Cold, so very cold. Sensations bombarded me from all directions.
The loud sounds, the cold rain pouring down on me, the honking horns, the aggressive voices.
I hunched in on myself, curling my arms over my bare body.
Rain poured down on me, soaking my hair and slicking it to my body.
I tucked myself into the doorway for shelter.
A bright-yellow taxi sped by, hitting a pothole and sending a wave of disgusting water splashing over my bare skin.
Passersby stared at me huddled there against the wooden door.
I glanced up at the building, seeing for the first time through eyes that no longer held my godlike power.
It was made of thick stone and blended in with the surrounding skyscrapers.
It was a hidden castle surrounded by the bright madness of New York City.
It had turrets at each of the corners and a towering wall to keep others out.
An iron gate stood at the center of it all, barring humans from this place.
I huddled closer to the door off to the side of the building.
I reached up and pulled on a long chain that made a chiming, echoing sound behind the wall.
When no one came to the door, I yanked on it several more times.
People in the streets started to pull their phones out to call for the authorities.
Sirens wailed in the distance. I curled tighter to the wall. The door flew open and I toppled through the threshold onto the floor. “What the hell?”
A woman with thick brown hair streaked with blonde stood over me, looking down at me with sharp emerald eyes.
She was tall, curvy, and beyond beautiful.
She wore a loose black ripped-up T-shirt and tight leather pants.
Red ribbons of power streamed from her hands and disappeared at her feet. “Oh. Shit.”
Another woman stood just beside her. Sharply pointed ears peeked out from straight brown hair. She stood so still, taking me in. Her eyes met mine and I felt as though she could see right through me. A bow was strapped across her chest and a quiver full of arrows at her thigh. “I will get Zinnia.”
“Quickly.” The blonde witch bent down low and placed my back against her chest. She wrapped her arms under my own and dragged me from the street into the doorway.
The cold had seeped into my bones, and it made it so difficult to move. She pulled me against a wall and let me lean up against it. She rose to her feet and dusted her hands off. “This is gonna be interesting.”
“Queen of Desires.” I coughed and ran my hand over my face, trying to bush the dirt away. She was capable of instilling desire of any kind in others and could also easily read their deepest wants and needs. “It is nice to finally meet you.”
“Serrina,” she offered as her brows furrowed, “and you are?”
“Thanatos, though I don’t know if I am anymore.
” The fates had dropped me in this city completely defenseless.
I’d stumbled through back alleys with cardboard wrapped around my waist to get myself here.
But the cold, rainy spring was brutal. It was more like winter with its harsh gusts of wind and sharp rain.
As a god the weather never affected me, I didn’t feel the harsh cold or blistering heat.
Even when I was with Anastasia, it was in the warmer temperate climates.
Spring in the northeast wasn’t all flowers and butterflies, which was bullshit.
There was a thick layer of yellow crap everywhere that tickled my nose and made me sneeze.
Spring wasn’t as lovely as advertised in movies.
It was misery. Hurried footsteps sounded and soon Serrina was surrounded by three other people.
One was a young man with molten eyes, flames dancing up and down his arms, and auburn hair falling over his face. I smirked up at him. “Good to see you, Tucker.”
“My guy, are you wayyyyy naked.” His eyebrows shot up and the flames on his arms extinguished. Tucker was a powerful Phoenix shifter who pledged his lift to protect the Witch Queens from harm. Fire was a way of life for him.
“I am aware. Thanks.”
Zinnia, the head Witch Queen, knelt beside me, and I held very still.
Though she was only a witch, she could siphon anyone’s power from their body and wield it as her own.
It was an impressive, deadly power that anyone should be cautious of, including me.
Her wild midnight hair was in tangled waves around her face.
Her bright-blue eyes looked me up and down. “What happened to you?”
“I believe the fates have happened to me.” My words were breathless and filled my chest.
Another witch with long dark-red hair crossed her arms as she looked down at me. “You must’ve really pissed them off.”
I motioned to myself. “Perhaps we could go inside and talk about this more.”
The redhead waved her hand and a warm, fluffy robe appeared around my shoulders and covered the rest of my body. “I thank you, Queen of Manifestation.”
“Astrid.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hand toward the courtyard behind her.
Astrid was a witch who could manifest her heart’s desire.
If she wanted to set me on fire with a stray thought, she could.
None of these witches were a concern to me as a god, but I didn’t know what I was now, and I would need to be cautious with them all.
“Come on.” Astrid smirked at me.
I staggered to my feet and winced at the pain shooting through the bottom of my foot.
I paused and lifted my foot, spying my own blood spilling from a deep cut there.
They all turned from me and moved to walk into a wide-open courtyard.
The contrast of the bright-green grass surrounded with thick stone castle walls and towering buildings was not lost on me.
A large fountain with four tiers sat in the middle of the courtyard with light water trickling from the top and cascading over each of the tiers.
Students hurried through the courtyard toward their classes with thick books in hand.
Some stopped to stare at me, but others acted as if this was nothing new.
Two floors looked out over the courtyard.
Multiple doors were on both of those floors and more students rushed to and from them.
I followed the group down a hall that shot off the courtyard.
We entered there and walked down a flight of stairs that led deeper into the castle.
The temperature dropped as we walked deep.
The air was damp and clung to the stone walls and floor.
They stopped at a wooden door and pushed it wide open.
I followed them into a room with long tables lining the walls and chairs spread haphazardly.
A single table stood in the middle with a map spread across it.
Red pins were stuck into places all over the world.
My brow furrowed at the pins, but I dared not ask what they were tracking. Though, as a god, I’d want to know.
I stopped in the middle of the room, and they all took up chairs around me. Zinnia remained standing. She straightened the silvery gothic crown perched on her head. It was a contrast to the black sweatshirt and jeans she wore. “Thanatos? Am I right?”
I nodded and rubbed my hand up and down my arms, trying to generate some kind of heat. “Is it always this cold?”
Astrid held her hand out and a small fire started just before me. I held my hands out toward it.
“Why is the world so cold?” I continued. “Why this freezing rain? Isn’t it supposed to be spring?”
Serrina scoffed. “I’ve been thinking this for years.”
“The sensations are . . . overwhelming.” Pain, cold, heat, hunger . . . it was too much. How did humans do this every day?
Zinnia crossed her arms and looked me up and down. “Are you . . . are you human now?”
I nodded. “I think so. My powers no longer answer my call, and I cannot see a soul’s lifeline . . . or a soul at all, for that matter.”
Serrina walked in a slow circle around me. Red ribbons of magic twisted over my body, and I was helpless against her. She gave a little hum and the corners of her mouth curled. “Oh, he desires much. So very much.”
“You aren’t wrong.”
For centuries I’d been the God of Death, immune to powers like these.
Now I was at the mercy of the Witch Queens and could only hope they would help me.
They’d managed to unseat an evil king, unite two warring factions, and form alliances with a powerful vampire court, and that was within the last year.
The Queens were the most formidable beings on the Earth besides The Fallen.
Even the gods would do well not to anger them.
While their court was still young, in a few years they would rule and rule well.
Zinnia crossed her arms over her chest. “What is it you desire?”
For so long I’d kept my feelings for Anastasia hidden from all. In the end I’d been punished for hiding the truth, so I refused to hide it now.
A swirling portal opened just a few feet away and Ophelia sauntered through with Cross hot on her heels. She gave me a little solute. “Hellooooo, daddy death.”
“Ew, no.” Zinnia wrinkled her nose and shook her head.
“What?” Ophelia motioned to me. “He’s definitely a daddy death.”
“Careful.” Cross stepped between her and me. “Or you’re gonna force me to pick a fight with death.”
Ophelia beamed up at him. “I think I like this jealous side of you. Hey, Zin, if we get a pit of mud and throw them both in—”
“No, nope.” Zinnia held her hand up, stopping Ophelia. “Not gonna happen.”
“Sometimes I don’t know how we’re sisters.” Ophelia sighed. “You really gotta get in line with my vision.”
“You know, I think I’m good.” Zinnia chuckled. “But I’ll try to be more supportive in the future.”