Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
THANATOS
“Are you sure you want to do this? It could mean life will be very different from here on out.”
Anastasia gazed up at me. Her eyes sparkled with life. Her cheeks were pink from a night well-spent together. Her dark hair had dried into soft waves that fell around her face and down her back. “Yes, I want to do this.”
It was a risk I didn’t know if I was willing to take, but if Anastasia wished to try, then I would take her. I offered her my hand.
She hesitated, looking me up and down. “I might’ve liked you better in your modern street clothing.”
I snapped my fingers and my robes changed into a pair of white dress pants and a navy-blue button-down shirt. “Better?”
“Much.” She smirked up at me.
I offered her my hand again, and she took it right away.
Blue and black sparks covered us both and I felt her wrapped tightly within my power.
What was the use of being a god if I couldn’t keep her like this forever?
The world moved by in a blur as we traveled easily from one side of it to the other.
When we came to a stop, we stood in the middle of a large throne room with thirty-foot ceilings, wide-open space, and warm wooden beams going in all different directions.
Two thrones sat on top of a dais at the head of the room.
One was large and carved of thick wood, and the other was only slightly smaller, but they sat side-by-side like two equals.
Two flags hung on the wall behind it, both bearing the symbol for The House of Shade.
It was a single silver sword with deep-red roses winding around it, and it sat on a black shield.
The same symbol was made of stained-glass, and the sunlight shone through it, projecting the crest onto the middle of the floor.
“Move and I will slice you from neck to navel.” A sharp blade jabbed right under my chin.
“Stay your blade, Savage.” I took a step back and met his unwavering gaze.
Atlas Savage was a vampire assassin who was the right hand to Titus, the King of the Vampires. His justice was always swift and silent. “I have walked with you for some time now, vampire. I would think that you would recognize me.”
“Bloody hell, Atlas,” a smooth voice came from the throne that’d been empty only a moment ago. “You can’t just go about the castle threatening to stab people.”
Atlas took a step back, still holding the dagger.
A fine red mist swirled around him as he kept those uncanny eyes on me.
They were a dark honey-brown at the center but turned the most vivid blue on the outside.
His hair was a paler blond than mine, with midnight streaks flowing back from his temples.
A large raven sat perched on his shoulder, and he kept his eyes locked on us.
“I fail to see the value in having the help of the witches if they cannot master a boundary spell for the castle. It seems rather . . . inefficient.”
“It is nice to finally meet you in person, Atlas Savage.” I kept my words smooth and even.
“Am I supposed to know you?”
“I’m sure he knows you very well.” Grayson lounged in the throne. He leaned back with his arms over the rests and his legs spread out before him.
“Ah, the wayward Prince. Good to see you’ve finally found your way home.”
Grayson gave me that easy, confident smirk.
Unlike Atlas, Grayson had a warmer side to him.
He was only slightly shorter than Atlas, with warm chocolatey hair and mahogany eyes.
He was a perfect mix of his father, Titus, and his mother, Moira.
“I have my reasons. Though I’m wondering what would bring death to my door?
” His face turned serious. “Are you here for one of us?”
Atlas stiffened and he pulled another dagger from behind his back.
Anastasia turned to face him. “You’re a bit quick on the trigger.”
“I don’t believe he answered the question.” Atlas arched his eyebrows at us.
“No,” I sighed, “I’m here for another reason.”
The double doors at the back of the throne room flew open and a large bear strolled into the room with a big pink bow wrapped around its neck.
Piper walked next to the bear, looking as wild as ever.
Rose petals fell from her inky hair, leaving a trail behind her as she walked.
Monarch butterflies fluttered above her head.
Her emerald eyes glowed with power as she approached us. “Thanatos, hi!”
I cleared my throat. “Hello, Princess.”
“That is a whole lot of power.” Anastasia leaned in closer to me.
“Her father is Pan,” I muttered. “She’s half-vampire, half-demigod.”
Anastasia’s eyebrows shot up. “Demigod! I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“Humans don’t usually survive the birth of demigods.” I’d always dreamed of having children with Anastasia, but not at the cost of her life. Not when such a brutal death could await her.
“I had no idea.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t recommend being an orphan.” Piper moved to Grayson’s side, and he reached out, running a finger down her cheek.
“Hey! I think we did just fine.” Her friend Dice walked in holding a small bird in her hands. Tendrils of her blonde hair fell around her face and brushed over the bird. A moment later the bird fluttered from her hands to fly up toward the high ceilings.
Piper chuckled. “We did.”
I turned to Anastasia, pointing to each of them. “This is Piper, Grayson, Atlas, and Dice.”
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Anastasia.” She pressed a delicate hand to the center of her chest.
“And you’re death.” Dice pointed toward me, then looked at Piper. “You’re right. He’s hot.”
Grayson’s head snapped around to his soulmate. “I think you’ve come quite close enough to death, love. Don’t you think?”
“I mean look at him.” Dice motioned to me, then to Anastasia. “But look at her. You match his hotness for sure.”
She winked and Anastasia’s cheeks turned pink. “Um, thanks.”
“So, what brings death to my door?” Grayson threw his arm around Piper’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side. Rose petals flowed from her hair over his arm and pooled on the floor around their feet.
“I’ve come to ask a favor.” I swallowed, so unused to the sensation of asking for help.
“Beware of the favor of gods,” Atlas muttered.
“I’m not giving a favor, I’m asking one,” I clarified. “I have helped you all in the past, vampire. I would think that’d earn some good will.”
Atlas pressed his lips into a hard line and crossed his arms over his chest. Dice moved to his side and nudged him with her elbow. “You’re terrible with guests.”
“Perhaps because I don’t favor the imposed expectations of guests. I find the necessary exhibition of manners to be exhausting in the most acute way.” Atlas’s voice was deep and riddled with agitation.
“In other words, you hate people.” Dice chuckled and shook her head. “Fair.”
Grayson cleared his throat. “Getting back on track. What can we do for you?”
When I hesitated, Anastasia spoke up. “I’m human.”
Dice scoffed. “Join the club.”
“What I mean is, I’m human . . . but I’d very much like to not be human.”
Dice threw her hand up. “Preach.”
“You are perfection embodied,” Atlas muttered. “Human or not.”
Dice fanned herself as Piper took a step forward, catching our attention. “Are you asking us to turn you into a vampire?”
Anastasia nodded. “I’d like to become a vampire.”
Grayson gave a long, low whisper. “You know the catalyst to become a Night Spawn is death?”
Just thinking about Anastasia dying to become a vampire sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t want to see her soul again. I wanted to see her full of life. “I don’t know if this is the way, Anastasia.”
“I don’t want to repeat the cycle anymore.” She shook her head. “I want to live.”
“But you have to die to live,” Piper pointed out. “And there is no guarantee you will rise.”
Grayson’s face paled, and he held Piper tighter. “Those were the worst days of my life.”
“I beg to differ. Worst days of my life.” Dice scoffed. “I’ve loved her longer, Dark Prince. Just remember that.”
“Yes, yes, we all love Piper.” Atlas rolled his eyes. “You forget I had to deal with the sight of both of you, which was way outside the premise of my service here.”
“Did you just say it wasn’t in your job description?” Dice chuckled and smacked his arm. “Hilarious, vampire.”
Ignoring them, Grayson held up his hand and began to tick off his fingers. “If you want to become one of the Night Spawn, you have to realize you will never see the sun again, never lie on a beach . . . You’ll only ever be able to drink blood.”
Piper made a gagging sound. “Yeah, I’m still working on trying to eat solids . . . It has not gone well. God, I miss cheese fries.”
“It’s all worth the sacrifice.” Anastasia blinked up at me with adoration in her eyes. “We can be together.”
How much more could she possibly sacrifice for me? “Anastasia, I’m not sure this is the way. You could die and I would never see you again.”
She reached up and cupped my cheek. “You won’t lose me.”
“You also have to drink a vampire’s blood before you’re pierced and drained,” Grayson continued, then looked at me. “Are you gonna want to sit by and watch that?”
I opened my mouth to say no, but Anastasia stepped forward. “He’ll be fine.”
Would I?
“It’s not him we’re worried about,” Piper said gently. “It’s a big decision to make. Not something to take lightly.”
“You’re a vampire now,” Anastasia pointed out. “You made the decision.”
At her words, Piper’s cheeks heated and Grayson groaned. “She didn’t. She was dying, and I couldn’t bear to let her go.”
“I know the feeling,” I added.
“I have a question.” Dice pointed toward me. “How does a god fall in love with a human? They kind of don’t go together.”
“Just like a human doesn’t belong with a vampire.” Piper arched her eyebrows at her best friend.
“Um, yeah . . . you died. Remember?” Dice rolled her eyes.
Grayson cleared his throat, getting our attention. “Maybe take some time to think it through. Talk it out.”
Anastasia shook her head. “I’m ready now. Can you do it?”
Grayson’s eyes widened and he chuckled. “While I’m flattered, I cannot sire another vampire.”
“As a royal vampire he can’t, not without permission from the King.” I knew the rule of The House of Shade well enough, and it wasn’t that long ago that I’d helped them to end Grayson’s curse.
“I’ll do it,” Atlas’s voice rang out, making the rest of us turn to gape at him.
“Piss off. You will not.” Grayson shook his head. “You’ve not sired a vampire before.”
Atlas gave a heavy sigh. “Your point being?”
“It is a commitment.” Grayson pointed toward Anastasia. “You’ll have to be patient enough to train her when she rises.”
“I’m ready.” Atlas pointed toward a mirror hanging across the throne room. “Come with me.”
He walked over to it and pressed his hand to the mirror.
The surface went from solid to a liquid rippling out from his finger.
The raven soared from his shoulder and right into the mirror.
Atlas stepped into the mirror and the others quickly followed.
Anastasia turned to fall in line, and I walked behind her.
Dread sat heavy in my stomach as I too stepped through.
We were in a long white hallway with a dot of light at the end of it.
Anastasia wiped her hands down her arms. “That felt sticky.”
“You get used to it,” Piper called over her shoulder.
When we reached the end of the hallway, Atlas stepped through another mirror and they all followed. I stopped Anastasia. “I’m not sure this is the answer, love. You could die a horrible death.”
“I’ve died so many times before.” She gave a shrug but there was tightness around her eyes and a hard set to her lips. I’d seen her face in a thousand different ways in a thousand different expressions, and I knew this one well enough . . . doubt.
“Not like this. Never intentionally.” It felt wrong for her to choose to end her life this way.
“I can do this. You must trust me.” She turned and followed through the mirror.
I was close behind her. We stepped out into a darkened cemetery.
My eyebrows shot up. Headstones were lined up as far as the eye could see.
The air was cool and dank. Thick clouds hung above our heads, blocking out the moonlight.
Fog crept over the ground toward us. Atlas stood before an already dug-out grave.
“Right then. Let’s finish this.” He pulled a blade out and ran the tip of it over his wrist. Blood welled and dripped onto the floor. He held his wrist out toward Anastasia. “Drink this.”
She shifted nervously, looking from me to his wrist and back again. “You want me to drink it from your skin?”
“I don’t have a golden chalice at the ready.” Atlas looked around the graveyard. “So, drink this, then in you go.”
Anastasia looked down at the grave. “You’re going to put me in there?”
Atlas nodded. “After I drink you dry, yes.”
Dice’s jaw dropped. “Harsh, vampire.”
“I prefer the truth as opposed to polite civil words.” He turned back to Anastasia and offered her his wrist. “Let us begin.”
“I . . . I don’t know.” She couldn’t take her eyes off the cold hole in the ground.
“You don’t have . . .” My words cut off as a familiar power wrapped around my body, a power that was not my own. “No. Not this. Not now.”
But it was too late. It wrapped around me, pulling me from where I needed to be. I unleashed my own power. Blue and black sparks covered me from head to toe, but it was no use. I was already fading from the graveyard.
“Thanatos!” She reached out for me. Her hand went right through my body.
“Anastasia!” I tried to grab her, to wrap my arms around her, but it was too late. I was jerked from the cemetery and away from my Anastasia once again.