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CHAPTER 2

NOVA

“A uggy! Ever!” I called out in a sing-song voice as we neared the shadow cloud that hung in the sky like a beacon. I broke into a sprint when I saw August and Everett talking underneath it, laughing about something. See, this was the type of energy I was talking about—relaxed, casual, and totally not apocalyptic focused at all.

“Sunflower, I’m so damn glad you’re okay.” August appeared in front of me in a flash, glowing with shadows. It sounded backwards, but the way shadows surrounded him in this realm made him look angelic in their light. His golden skin was on full display, and his sleeves had been ripped in the process of travel, showing off his insane arms.

“Better than ever,” I teased. “Seriously though, I feel great. How are you two?” I asked. Everett was making his way toward us, looking momentarily deep in thought, which was unusual for the psychotic death mage.

“Everett’s magic is fucking insane right now with being in the underworld,” August explained, “but I don’t think we’re dead.”

“Unfortunate. Especially considering all the shit that means we still need to do,” I grumbled. August’s blue eyes, surrounded by gold at the pupil, flashed with humor. The man’s natural aura was a vibrant beacon that was so different from his shadows, creating a tornado of energy that surrounded the calm center you could so easily get swept up in. His dark hair was tugged back into a braid and his magic came off the surface of his skin, including the top of his head, almost making it appear that he was wearing a crown of some kind. It would have been intimidating if I didn’t know that Auggy always had my best interest at heart.

“We could view this as another little vacation. Plus, it’s another realm to add to the list,” he offered. My smile grew, loving his perspective on the situation.

“You are totally right,” I agreed as Everett finally approached us, his gaze moving from the ground underneath his feet to hold my own. Shit .

“Everett…your magic,” I whispered, now understanding what August meant. I heard Fox call out to August, asking him something about where they had landed, but I was far too distracted by my death mage to focus on that. I slipped from August’s arms and into Everett’s, his arms wrapping around me like a vice and a low rumble breaking from his chest.

Without a word, he dipped his head and brushed his lips against my own, his magic surrounding me before collapsing in all directions. Instantly, I felt breathless, as if I were in the eye of a hurricane with only Everett’s touch to keep me grounded. As he pulled back, I held his gaze. Streaks of silver pulsed through the vibrant mint green of his eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching up to run a hand through his chestnut hair. Despite being as disheveled as the rest of us, Everett managed to look like a model—but like a super muscular one—which was more than a bit unfair. It didn’t help my focus that his magic crawled over his skin and brushed against my own in the most enticing way possible.

“It’s almost uncomfortable,” Everett admitted roughly, his brows furrowing momentarily before sliding a hand up my back to hold me close. “How are you doing, baby? I can feel how much magic you’re holding onto right now.”

“I feel good,” I assured him. “I can take some of your magic if you need.” Everett put his forehead against mine and didn’t protest as I tugged on his power, pulling the overfilled cup toward me and sloshing the extra magic into the open well in my chest.

Everett immediately relaxed. “Much better,” he said, the taste of death whispering through me before sinking beneath the surface. I shouldn’t have been able to do that, but I’d stopped questioning shit like this a long time ago—especially once I realized I wasn’t some simple demi-god.

No, I was a fancy save-the-world-from-cosmic-creatures god.

“I got you.” I leaned up on my toes to kiss him and let out a surprised sound as he lifted me up, my legs wrapping around his hips. Everett groaned as he deepened the kiss, and I shivered as he nipped my bottom lip and pulled away. I was thrilled to see his trademark smirk and the crazy light in his gaze as he tightened his grip on me, leaning forward to kiss me once more.

“If you guys are done, we can go find?—”

Everett pulled back and shot Ram a narrowed look. “I will never be done,” he murmured while allowing me to slide down his frame. It didn’t escape my notice just how hard the death mage was, but unfortunately I knew it was not the time to bring that up. Although my magic was very much in disagreement.

In fact, she was doing a strip tease for all six of their magics…but I was ignoring that, my cheeks heating as I tried to shake the thought of doing that in real life. I was bold, but I wasn’t sure I was that bold.

“Play nice,” I warned Ever in a teasing tone before turning to face the temple. Closing my eyes, I inhaled and tried to reach out to my three missing men—their signatures a bit fainter than the rest. River, Rowan, and Volkan. All of whom were close together and toward the north.

My eyes opened, and I pointed toward the temple. “The others are that way.”

“I love that you can do that,” August said. “I wonder if we could do it the opposite way for you. It would ease my fucking mind any time we’re separated.”

“Next time we have to split up, let’s try it,” I suggested before adding, “I feel like I have a bunch of tricks up my sleeves that I didn’t realize.”

Everett wrapped an arm around my waist and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “I’ll help you test them out, baby.”

I narrowed my eyes at him playfully. “You make that sound dirty.”

He flashed a dangerous smile. “Good. That’s how I meant it.”

And I would hold him to that promise.

After five minutes, we crested a hill and walked down a stone pathway that appeared out of nowhere and led toward the temple. Except it wasn’t just a temple. It may have been the one from the dreamscape in style, but it was very different in reality. As we approached, there was a wave of magic, a ward wall, that upon passing through revealed what truly lay behind the temple.

Creatures patrolled on top of a wall that stretched as far as the eye could see to each side of the temple, which was the only entrance to what appeared to be a city. Everything was made of green and gold marble, and the statues of Osiris that stood to either side were intimidating and really damn cool. Spectral figures spread throughout the pavilion at the front of the temple, but they didn’t pay us any mind until we grew closer and paused at the sight of the line to get in.

“We don’t have to wait, right? Like I’m not getting my heart measured or any shit like that,” I murmured, causing Fox to chuckle.

“I wouldn’t let them take your heart,” Fox promised, and I sighed at his romantic words.

“Although he wouldn’t mind if you were bleeding,” Cassian said.

“You make it sound bad,” Fox growled.

“I like it,” I assured him with a flash of a smile before looking back over the line. I eyed the spirits in front of me for a long moment before I decided fuck it. My magic seeped out in front of me, the spirits complaining loudly as they were forcefully separated, clearing a path to the entrance. I bit back a smile at their annoyance. I almost felt bad, and started wondering if we’d get in trouble…until we reached the front of the line and I realized that we were dealing with family. Literally.

“Is that Nova?” Anubis transformed into his human-like form, jumping down from the platform he’d been standing on. The spirits whispered in confusion, but I didn’t fully pay attention to that. I did, however, stare a bit longer than I should have at the massive scales on top of his marble platform. Maybe I would ask to get my heart weighed, just for the experience…

“Anubis,” I said brightly. “Sort of cool to see you at your day job.”

“Have to keep busy until the end of the world.” He paused as one of the spirits gasped dramatically.

I frowned and looked at the older man, who seemed on the edge of a panic attack. “Dude, you’re dead. Why do you care?” I earned a laugh from a few of my men at that, which felt pretty nice, I wouldn’t lie. I didn’t want to lose my edge just because we were saving the world and all.

Not waiting for an answer from the spirit, I looked back at my cousin. “Speaking of which, two questions. First, are we dead? We released the ‘you know what’ and the ‘you know who’”—never knew who could be listening— “and then there was a big explosion. So I’m hoping we aren’t dead, but here we are. Second, did you happen to let through any of my men?”

Anubis chuckled at my questions. “No. You are not dead. Although you’re welcome to weigh your heart if you’d like.”

“Absolutely not,” Ram said sharply. I shrugged at my cousin, who looked briefly annoyed before moving his gaze back to mine.

“Right—not dead. But you are here to heal because what you went through completely destroyed your physical bodies. Incinerated them, actually,” he said blankly.

“River isn’t going to like that,” Everett said, though he sounded mostly unbothered. He was right though—River really wasn’t going to like that.

“I’m not sure how I feel about that shit,” Nour admitted.

“We’ll get our fucking bodies back though, right?” Fox demanded.

“Wait.” I put a hand up. “Does that mean I get to start fresh with no tattoos?”

“I like your tattoos,” Cassian protested.

“And Rowan would be sad if you lost his mark,” August agreed. I sighed, nodding because I knew they were right. I loved the marks that I had from my men, so I didn’t want them gone, but it was no secret that every single time something happened, I got a new tattoo or marking from a god. I mean, I only had so much space on my body!

“As I was saying—” Anubis interrupted loudly, “no. Your bodies will be the same, just fresh…skin, I guess? I don’t fucking know, Nova. I’ve never seen someone do the shit you do. But you’ll be fine. You’ll look like you look now.”

“Wow.” I put my hands on my hips. “You know, Anubis, you’re sort of making me feel cool. I mean, ‘I’ve never seen someone do the shit you do,’ and you’re, like, old .”

Nour chuckled as my cousin scowled. “And to think I was happy to see the lot of you. Never mind that shit.”

“Okay, so not dead,” I said, moving on from my teasing. “New bodies sound cool; I’ll accept it. And what about my men? Any pass through here?”

“Let’s see.” Anubis looked down at a piece of parchment that appeared in his hands with a dramatic sweep of his fingers. “Yes, I let through a healing mage and an ink mage…oh, and that demi-titan. I believe they went to see Osiris because they were trying to find you. How cute.”

“Thanks for that.” I offered him a bright smile. “So do you mind if we go through?”

“Hey! No cutting!” someone shouted. I snorted because that ship had sailed and offered them a wave, not giving them any more attention as Anubis stepped aside to let us pass.

“Head straight and then take a left, no heart weighing needed. Think of it as the family discount,” he mused as we stepped through the gate, magic slipping across our skin as if we’d traveled through a portal. The noise of the pavilion cut off, and I stretched my arms above my head, looking around the dark hallway we found ourselves in.

“Well that was cool. Ram, you still have a surprised look on your face,” I teased. “You probably have to get used to it at some point.”

My demi-god shook his head. “Not sure that’s possible, sunshine.”

“River! Rowan!” August’s voice echoed through the hall as two large men turned from an intersection in the corridor. Instantly I felt a massive surge of relief because while they both looked tired and out of sorts, they were very much okay.

“You must have been right behind us,” River said, frowning. “We only got here a few minutes ago.”

My gaze ran over the massive healing mage, his hazel eyes running over me as well before his magic surrounded me possessively. I walked right into his arms and hugged him tight, loving how I could feel every inch of his muscular torso. I swear, the man was my favorite contradiction on the planet. A healing mage who took pleasure in taking everything out on me while we fucked and then healing me from his rather violent tendencies—talk about dreamy, right?

“You’re in pain,” River accused, pulling back and cupping my jaw. His hair was messy and not his normal neat, shaved on the sides style, though the rune on the side of his head still stood out to me.

“I am,” I admitted. “My muscles are mostly—” But I couldn’t finish my sentence before his magic invaded my body, seeping through into the core and causing me to shiver in delight. I sighed happily as a wave of rejuvenation washed over me.

“Thank you,” I whispered up at him as he pressed a kiss to my lips. “But you may have to do it again when we leave. Apparently our physical bodies were destroyed in the explosion, so we have to be ‘reborn,’ I think, when we’re done healing.”

River froze for a long moment. “Their fucking explosion killed you?”

“Well,” I drew out, “killed us . But yes.”

“Fucking ridiculous, isn’t it?” Everett approached from my other side. “Don’t overthink it too much though—we got other shit to focus on.”

I had a feeling from the look on River’s face that wasn’t going to work all that well.

“Like how to find Osiris and most likely Volkan,” Rowan agreed, drawing my attention as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “Time doesn’t move normally here, and I swear these hallways keep changing.”

“Maybe we’re stuck in a maze.” I ran my fingers up to cup his jaw as he leaned into it. The others broke into conversation about which way to go as I looked over Rowan, happy to see that despite being shirtless, the man didn’t have a scratch on him. His inked-up skin did cause my face to heat and my toes to curl, though. I swear, the man looked like such a golden boy, his blonde hair and blue eyes a striking clash to the ink that covered him. Like a sunny day on the beach, suddenly hit with a tsunami that swept up everything in its path, Rowan was the personification of contrast.

I didn’t hesitate to bury my head against his neck as he picked me up, gently pulling me away from River. Rowan was huge, and his secure hands on me made me think about the night I spent between him and August. Something I very much wanted a repeat of.

“Wildcat,” he warned, nipping my ear. The man knew exactly where my thoughts had gone. As I slid down his body, I turned toward the group as I accounted for everyone being with us except…Volkan. Rowan was no doubt right; he was probably with Osiris.

My magic motioned with her head to the right, so I began walking in that direction, figuring the others would join me as the hallway widened up ahead. I heard Ramsey call out to me, but I kept my gaze on heading to the impressive doors in front of us. I could feel the bond I was looking for, as well as Osiris’s magic, on the other side.

Not hesitating or even talking to the guards stationed at the door, I let my magic seep out and open the doors with a phantom wind, causing the guards to jump back. Good to know I was scary even in the underworld.

“Found him!” I sang happily. Volkan turned in surprise, warmth filling his expression that was saturated with affection. He didn’t look perturbed in the least that I’d interrupted whatever he and Osiris had been talking about either. The demi-titan of destruction stood with his hands in his pockets, looking ever the picture of ‘perfectly at ease.’

His dark hair hung to his muscular shoulders, and his white-blue eyes flashed with heat as I reached him. My hand slipped into his as he brought a rough, large palm to cup my cheek.

“I was worried about you, αγαπο?λα μου.”

I didn’t have any sassy comment or comeback, so I just pressed closer to him, absorbing the familiar scent of his magic. There was so much I still needed to learn about Volkan, so much ground to cover, but I could feel that he was meant to be in my life. He was both the counter and complement to my chaos magic. He existed in a state of control and destruction, something that gave me hope for my own magic one day. Although, the more I lived with my own power, the more I wasn’t sure I ever wanted to control it.

I was coming to love the chaos as an innate part of myself.

“I’m safe, and I’m glad we found you,” I admitted softly. The others approached, and when the doors closed, Osiris cleared his throat.

“Glad you could join us, Daughter of Chaos.” He tilted his head in thought. “Or should I say Daughter of Magic?”

Oh shit…was he going to be mad at me? After all, I was his wife’s bastard child.