Page 15 of Immortal Sun (Dark Olympus)

CHAPTER 15

CYRUS

“Fear not death for the hour of your doom is set and none may escape it.” -Volsunga Saga, ch. 5

I knew she was there the minute Ken threw the second tree into the sea.

I knew she was watching, and what’s worse? I wanted her to see. I wanted to reveal everything. Expose myself.

Bleeding.

Tortured.

Dead.

Yet alive.

And say, “This is me. This is what you signed on for, watch me rule the world.”

Instead, I decided to walk across the old bridge. It never really left, it’s always existing as long as you have the sun, and maybe I’m just exhausted, tired from all the manipulations, the sacrifices, the living only to kill.

I exhale. Hilarious, how humans cling to life as if it’s something so wonderful when all I want to do is to burn.

I no longer feel the way I used to. I no longer find joy in the things I created or had. Food is dirt. Sex is…well I’ve never gone there with any of them. I’m not supposed to, and I don’t break the rules even if they are my own.

She’s the one who tempts me to keep her. Tempts me to show her my power and get on with living with humanity.

Is it lust?

Or something else?

I’ll murder Enki if he poisoned my brain by way of wine the way he did her, because something seems off.

I know everything, so why don’t I know her better? Why can’t I understand why she’s standing on that cliff?

Slowly, she walks toward the stairs and takes a step. Then another.

“That’s new,” I whisper to myself, intrigued why she isn’t screaming and running toward the house, calling the cops, or at the very least fainting against the grass.

Her steps continue until she’s at the bottom by the dock. Her eyes stare at the water, and slowly, they raise and lock on mine.

Fury.

Anger.

Rage.

She gazes at it.

She sees it.

She sees me.

Her eyes illuminate a bright blue and green, and this small human starts to walk toward me, step after step until she stops at the fire flicking at the sand of the beach.

I imagine she’s afraid.

I can almost smell the fear.

Instead, she leans down and presses a palm toward the heat, I feel that caress of her palm all the way down my body as if she’s doing it to me. After all, the fire is me, it’s always been me, the one connection between me and the sun, the one thing anchoring me to this world.

A groan escapes from between my parted lips and causes the waves to crash over the bridge.

She quickly stands and takes a step into the water near the flaming bridge.

Home.

It’s the only word that comes to me, as if the bridge needed her, as if I needed her.

It’s all my imagination, but what a lovely fairytale. With its clean happy endings and love.

A lie.

After all, every one of us lies in order to stay alive. So I watch her walk toward me in the water. I flick my wrists and force the flames to harden to an ice walkway as she makes her way toward me like she didn’t just see what I did.

“So…” Her lips tremble, and she doesn’t meet my eyes. “About my stay.”

“This wasn’t how I pictured discussing it,” I admit. “But if you want it to be here, then have a seat, you won’t get cold.”

Her eyes meet mine again. “I’m always cold here.”

I smile. “Sit by me, and you’ll always be warm.”

“Why?”

“Because where there is life, there is warmth.”

“And death?” she asks.

“Darkness. Cold. Despair. But I’m none of those things, at least not right now. Only when I must be will you know and freeze your small ass off.”

“My ass isn’t small.” She lifts her chin.

I laugh, I can’t help it. What a strange human. “You’re on an ice bridge created out of fire and that’s what you focus on?”

She shrugs. “I’m telling myself it’s a dream so I don’t have a nervous breakdown.”

“How’s that working out for you?” And why does she look so innocent yet godlike standing in front of me? What right does she have to be so pretty when she’s a dead woman walking?

“I might still be drunk, or hallucinating, so pretty good.” She laughs and then sits on the bridge. Silver pulses beneath the ice going straight to the cliff only to come back again green, pink, blue; it changes colors, pulsing like a heartbeat.

I tell myself to hate her.

To loathe what she represents.

I remind myself that in the end, no matter how charming, they’re always the same bloodline of the self-seeking asshole I need to kill.

She feels different because it’s been a while.

She’s not.

Nothing unique.

So I just come out and say it.

“I’m going to kill you.”

Her eyes widen, she slides back on the ice, hitting her head on it before crawling farther back. “What?”

“Dead.” I shrug. “Your time is limited on this earth. I’ll be kind about it. But sacrifices must be made. Go to the police if you feel the need to. They’ll do nothing. You will die. And it will be by my hand. As charming as you are. Your only job until that day, is to read your brother’s research, explore all the artifacts you love so much, enjoy the luxury of my house, eat my food, experience one last shred of happiness, and evaporate.”

“Are you insane?” she yells, getting to her feet and scrambling backwards again only to fall on her ass. “You’re a psychopath!”

“Maybe.” I shrug and take a menacing step toward her. “Try to stop me.”

“I’m calling the cops! The FBI! I’m telling everyone!” Tears stream down her cheeks. “Wake up, Cleo, wake up!”

Ah, always the same responses.

“You aren’t dreaming. And as I said, if that makes you feel better, go for it.” I loom over her, even as she keeps slipping and sliding backwards. I look behind her, and my strides get wider until I’ve completely caught up to her when she jumps onto the dock.

I push her against the rock wall and smirk down at her. “I really did think you would be different, but you’re the same, just like the rest of them. A pathetic mix of godlike lust and humanity. You’re an abomination, and you don’t even know it. You will, though. You’ll know pain, then you’ll know pleasure, and then you’ll know darkness. It’s better this way. I even…” I reach for her chin then pull my fingers back. “I even faltered a few times and thought to keep you, but temptation is the same as falling, and I’ve been doing that for a very long time, so, pretend this conversation never happened, get back to exploring in the morning, enjoy the luxury.”

“The luxury of dying!” she screams at me and lifts her fist like she’s going to punch me.

“The luxury,” I repeat blocking her punch and holding her fist hostage, “of knowledge. That’s my gift to you, knowing that on the day you die…” I lean in and whisper in her ear, “…everything you read or see in that warehouse is fact .”

“You’re crazy!” She shoves away from me.

I don’t move.

I stare her down.

She’s fierce.

Beautiful.

Terrified.

“Careful. Do you even know who you’re talking to?” I ask.

She tries to kick me with one foot, then throws another punch that I easily catch with my right hand.

At least she attempts to fight.

Cleo lets out a scream. “You’re just a stupid man with a god complex!”

“No, princess…” I lean in, my lips linger by her left ear, softly caressing it as I speak. “I am Ra, God of the Sun, God of Order, God of fucking Kings, Lord of the Sky. I have many names, but to speak them is death. I am, as of today, the one and only god you worship, until the bitter end. And as of that contract you signed for access to the warehouse, you’re mine.”

“To kill?”

“Sacrifice sounds so much cleaner,” I say, “and it must be made, but don’t worry, I’ll keep you alive long enough to enjoy the best in life. Again, think of it like a gift.”

“What about my brother?” she blurts. “He came and?—”

“He’s descended,” is all I say. “And so will you.”

She stills, then cries, “You killed him?”

“No, I ate him,” I joke. At her look of horror, my smile evaporates. “Sorry, too soon?”

She tries kicking me again.

I remind myself it’s better this way.

I grab her hand and pull her against my chest. “The gods would destroy this world if not for the pity we have on you, respect the sacrifices we make for you. A pretty face changes nothing.”

“Wh-what?” Tears start streaming down her face, falling to her clothes, mixing with the water.

It instantly goes from blue to green, the water. Interesting.

Maybe she has more than I thought.

Even better, I can live in peace on Olympus now.

“Eat.” I find myself barking out the order like she’s an animal. “Stay healthy. And like I said, enjoy yourself.”

“I’m leaving.” She turns on her heel.

I hold out my hand and snap two fingers. She’s frozen in place and looks down at her feet but still attempts to move them through the sand.

“Like I said…” I come up behind her and whisper in her ear again. “I’m Ra. You have no power here. I’m the God of Gods, the sun itself. You will yield to me. You will die. And I’ll forget you ever even existed. To dust you will return.”