Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
THANATOS
Iappeared just outside the gates of The Fallen Compound.
Normally I had little cause to come here.
More importantly I tried to avoid them at all costs.
Though they ruled all of Evermore, they were a volatile group, with their own inner and outer demons to fight.
I preferred to do my job, keep my head down, and remain unnoticed by The Fallen.
But for Anastasia, I would do anything. They might not be able to make her immortal, but they would be able to find her, so I took my chances and showed up at the sprawling mansion hidden deep in the pine barrens of New Jersey, where only the mob came to bury its bodies.
The compound reminded me of the old sprawling southern mansions I’d seen in pictures.
Thick white columns rose up from the ground floor to the roof.
Balconies surrounded each of the three floors.
French doors lined each of them, as though every room in the house had access to the outside.
Black shutters framed each of the windows and doors.
They stood out against the white exterior of the house.
The grounds extended in all directions, with wide lawns running to the perimeter fence.
Beyond the electrified fence were the thick, cloaking woods.
When I glanced up at the rooftop, I saw multiple cameras, all pointed in my direction.
I gave them a little wave, and the gate swung wide open.
I marched up the winding driveway toward the front door.
When loud music came from somewhere behind the compound, I paused, listening.
It grew louder and I found myself walking around the side of the mansion toward the back patio.
Tiki torches lined the walkway and surrounded a giant infinity pool. Music blared and lights flashed.
The pool overflowed with an array of supernatural beings in bathing suits.
Beach balls flew from one side of the pool to the other.
My jaw dropped. I’d never seen anything like this around The Fallen.
There were couples getting way too comfortable on their lounge chairs while others disappeared off into the woods.
“Okay, who got the burger rare?” a familiar voice called out over the music.
I spun around to face him. “Zeus?”
“Thanatos!” He threw his arms up and gave me a huge smile.
Thunder boomed and lightning flashed behind him.
Zeus was tall and beautiful, which was part of his appeal to all bedmates.
A dark blond, neatly kept beard surrounded his lips, and with his long blond hair that fell down past his shoulders and eyes that matched the blue of the sky, he was irresistible to most. He wore a Hawaiian shirt wide open that exposed his chest and matching bathing shorts.
He looked me up and down. “Nice outfit. About time you joined us in the present. The ladies will love it.”
“I’m not interested in ladies.”
He shrugged. “Whatever tickles your pickle. The men will love it.”
I made a sound of frustration in the back of my throat. “There is only one woman I want.”
“Then get her out of your system and move on.” Zeus shrugged and turned back to flipping burgers on the grill. “It always works for me.”
“What are you doing here?” I motioned to the mansion.
“We’re kicking the season off!” He motioned toward two large coolers overflowing with chilled beer cans.
“It’s barely spring.” A shiver went down my spine. “It’s not even warm.”
“The season is a feeling, my friend.” He cackled and more lightning forked out over the night sky.
“Do The Fallen know you’re here?” I glanced around, looking for any of them.
Drew had to be here. He was the one who controlled all of the technology of the compound and the only one who could open the gate.
When I looked for the others, I only spotted an oversized lion lying in the middle of the pool on a king-sized air mattress.
A female vampire lounged beside him, twining her fingers in his mane.
“I’ve got two rare and three hockey puck-looking things.” He made a sound of disgust. “The way people eat their burgers is obscene.”
“Zeus!” I snapped a little too forcefully.
He narrowed his eyes at me and matched my tone. “What?”
More thunder boomed overhead. This time it rattled the entire compound.
Zeus’s show of power didn’t phase me in the least. “Do they know you’re here?”
He motioned to the lion. “One of them does.”
“Collias?” I groaned. “He’s hardly the reliable one and I hear he spends more time as a lion these days than he does as one of The Fallen.”
“Everyone likes a party.”
“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!” Matteaus’s deep voice boomed over the music.
“And there it is,” I muttered and turned my gaze to the sky.
Four of The Fallen soared above our heads. Their black wings stood out against the dark lightning-streaked sky. Their shadows glided over the pool and surrounding area in slow, menacing swoops.
Zeus grinned up at them. “Just shaking things up a bit.”
Matteaus dropped down in front of him, getting right in Zeus’s face. “What the fuck are you doing at my house?”
Zeus gave him a lazy smile and held his arms out to his sides. “Celebrating the start of spring. Haven’t you heard it’s a time to get sprung.”
Three other Fallen landed right behind him and the music abruptly cut off.
The party went silent, and they all stared at Matteaus standing an inch from Zeus.
Matteaus’s hand shot out and he wrapped his fingers around Zeus’s throat.
He curled his fingers, squeezing him harder.
The skin on Zeus’s neck pinched under his grip while his face went dark red.
“How did you get in here?” His voice was a low growl.
Zeus opened his mouth as if trying to speak, but nothing came out.
Matteaus turned toward the cameras perched on top of the compound. “I know you’re bored, but you can think of better entertainment.”
The light on the side of the camera went out and Matteaus turned back to Zeus.
“You fucking infant. What makes you think my home is open for parties?” He lifted Zeus up off the ground over his head.
Everyone knew the Fallen were the most powerful beings to walk the earth.
Even the Greeks answered to them, but this display of power was only a small reminder of what they were capable of.
The sky opened up and more lightning fired.
It struck around the compound, making the ground explode in large chunks.
The party goers screamed and scrambled from the pool, trying to run away from the lightning strikes.
Matteaus shook him. “Throwing a temper tantrum now?
A huge bolt shot down from the sky, striking Matteaus right in the chest. His entire body lit up like a Christmas tree, yet he didn’t budge. Lightning flowed over him and Zeus. I squinted against the bright, flashing lights. Matteaus gritted his teeth. “I don’t like being tickled.”
He turned and threw Zeus right into the pool. Water sloshed over the edge, and the air mattress with the lion on it wavered. Everyone froze and stared at him. He spread his hulking black wings. “Get out of my house. NOW!”
Chaos broke out, people scrambling in all directions. Glasses shattered on the ground. Furniture toppled over. Matteaus groaned at the chaos, then turned to face me. “And what are you doing here? Were you part of this?”
“At no point in time have I ever been part of this,” I yelled over the panicked crowd.
“Then what are you doing here?” He too had to yell over the chaos.
“Enough of this.” I opened my hands and let my power flow over my body.
“Oh, come on. I just took a lightning stri—”
I threw my arms out and grabbed hold of each one of the lifelines around us.
If I could pull them to me, then I could certainly shove them away.
Blue and black sparks flew out from me in a wave of power.
One moment the party was overflowing with people and the next I sent them all into the woods miles away from the compound.
Silence fell, and I sucked in a deep breath, then let it out on a sigh. “I was not part of this.”
“Convenient.” Matteaus crooked his finger at me. “Follow me.”
He turned on his heels and marched toward the compound. He called over his shoulder. “Aidenuli, fish your cat friend out of the pool.”
Aidenuli was one of The Fallen who could hear everyone’s inner-most thoughts.
Not only was he a deadly warrior, but he was a keeper of secrets.
Secrets that could ruin lives. He was taller than Matteaus, with larger muscles.
His hair was dark and hung past his shoulders.
When he looked at me, his face fell into a pitying expression. “Best of luck.”
“I’m waiting!” Matteaus called from inside the house.
I turned and walked into the French doors that led into the kitchen.
The space was large and decadent with two islands, light marble countertops, double ovens, and a huge range.
With eight fallen angels to feed, it had to be this large.
A true chef’s kitchen. He walked down the hallway leading off the kitchen and I followed.
It was long and dark with hardwood floors that ran from the kitchen into the hallway.
The end of the hall opened to a grand foyer with high ceilings and two sweeping staircases leading up to the second floor.
The sound of trickling water filled the silence, and when we reached the foot of the stairs, I saw it came from a towering fountain in the middle of the foyer.
Matteaus didn’t stop. He just simply turned and walked up the stairs.
The second floor was open to the foyer, so anyone could look down into it at any point in time.
Double doors lined that second floor, yet each one was closed tight.
Matteaus didn’t stop at any of them. Instead he walked farther into the house and down another hallway that was darker than the rest. He shoved the door wide open and strode right in.
“You wanna tell me why there was a menagerie of beings in our pool?”
I froze at the sight of this room. Three of the four walls were covered in monitors.
The wall across from us displayed a different part of the property and around the compound entrances.
The wall to my right displayed scenes from around the world, including big cities like New York, Chicago, and L.A.
The monitors on the wall to my left showed: Evermore Academy, The House of Shade, and many more places the royals occupied.
A large table was stretched in the center of the room with a control board on it.
A single angel sat in a large office chair with his wings draped over the side.
They were the deepest black with bright-blue tips.
“What the hell, Drew?” Matteaus boomed.
The chair slowly spun around with a creaking sound.
Drew leaned back in the desk chair and started to rock.
Drew was the kind of angel who was almost too beautiful to look at.
He had short, sunny blond hair, bright-blue eyes, and high cheekbones.
When he smirked up at Matteaus, two dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth. “Just a bit of fun.”
“So, what, you just decided to let them all in?” Matteaus crossed his arms over his chest.
“They showed up.” Drew shrugged. “I simply let them in.”
Matteaus hiked a thumb in my direction. “And him? Why’d you let him in?”
“I thought he was here for the party.” Drew turned toward me, and I was sure I saw clouds moving through his eyes. “Weren’t you?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ve come for an important reason.”
Matteaus motioned to me with raised eyebrows. “See? I told you. You were not supposed to let death through these doors.”
“Technically I let a party through the doors.” When Matteaus growled, Drew gave a low whistle. “What can I say . . .”
“You got bored and decided to watch a stupid party instead of doing your damn job.” Matteaus sighed. “It wouldn’t kill you to leave this room once in a while.”
Drew’s smile faltered. “Like you said, I have a job to do.”
“So much for that. He’s here . . . when I said he should not be.”
My eyes darted between the two of them. “And why shouldn’t I be here?”
“Because you showed up with a human not a week ago at my school. Gods and humans do not mix,” Matteaus said firmly.
“I need to find her.”
Matteaus threw his arms up. “Case and point.”
“She’s being held by a witch,” I pleaded. “You’re supposed to protect humans.”
“Pretty sure you don’t need to tell me what my job is,” Matteaus snarled.
Drew’s brow furrowed. “A witch, you say?”
“Yes.” I nodded. “Which means you can interfere because it is for supernatural reasons.”
“I didn’t think it was a witch.” Drew scoffed and shook his head. “Unless the witch looks damn human.”
My eyes widened. “You saw? Are you telling me humans have her?”
“Drew,” Matteaus grumbled in a warning tone.
“Whattttt? Come on. Look at the guy.” He waved his hand in my direction. “Looks terrible, like that guy who got dumped in the romcom that time.”
“They’re all the same, Drew.” Matteaus rolled his eyes, then turned back to me. “There’s nothing we can do for you. You know it, and I know it.”
I glanced toward Drew. “You’re sure a human has her?”
“I’m sure.”
“Damn it, Drew!” Matteaus bellowed.
Drew rocked back and forth in his chair. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good romcom.”
“Thank you.” If Anastasia was being held by humans and not a witch, then there was only one human that I knew of who wanted her that badly . . . who wanted me that badly. They knew I would come for her.
“You’re playing right into their hands,” Matteaus muttered.
“I know.” I met his eye. “But I can’t not go for her.”
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “It is her destiny to die, Thanatos. You need to stop fighting her fate.”
I curled my hands into a fist and let my powers flow over my body. Before he could say anything else, I began to disappear. “I will never stop fighting for her.”