Page 24 of Immortal Sun (Dark Olympus)

CHAPTER 24

CLEO

“The error is the result of letting fear rule your actions.”– The Saga of Harald Hardrada, ch.46

H e’s an asshole.

And he doesn’t come back for the next few hours. I stare at the quill on the paper and can’t will myself to do anything but just continue to stare.

After another hour, Enki finally makes his way toward the mouth of the cave. He takes one look at me and sighs. “You didn’t even use your amulet against him, I’m impressed.”

I snort. “Would it even work?”

“Um, The Eye of Horus? Trust me, it wouldn’t feel good or sound like a parade.”

I pause and then laugh bitterly. “You aren’t a god.”

He just smiles. “Whatever you say.” His reddish-brown hair is pulled into a low ponytail that spills over one shoulder when he leans in; his smile’s more of a smirk. “Hungry?” He holds up a plate of sandwiches.

I glare. “I’m not stupid.”

“They’re turkey.” He frowns. “Fine, I’ll eat them, but here’s the thing,” he sets them on the table then jumps back onto the bed and pats it for me to sit.

Bast looks annoyed and curls into the far corner and starts to snore, so clearly I’m not in harm’s way.

“Sit, sit.”

I begrudgingly sit down on the bed and stare straight ahead.

“So, your world is real and yet it isn’t. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but all of this was created by the very man who’s going to kill you. Think of it as a really scary story you tell kids at night to freak them out, but it’s, you know, actually true. That’s Cyrus. He’s the boogeyman, but he keeps balance from day to night and on top of that he kind of has to do this in order to keep that balance before he’s done with his trials.

My sigh feels like it’s coming from my soul. “Say I believe you, what do you mean he has to keep the balance with his trials?”

Enki goes very still. “Chaos will always chase Ra. Always. He toils day and night and now his only job is to sacrifice one last person in order to go to Olympus and rule. He’s all powerful, and he has to prove he can still connect as a human and a god. Only twelve high gods remain. The rest of us failed, he wants to be the next to ascend.”

I meet his gaze, interest piqued. “Twelve? From Egypt?”

He shakes his head. “Remember what you read, remember the stories, all of the worlds collided, Roman, Greek, Egyptian—we are all tested, some of us fail, some of us succeed and up on Olympus we still rule.” He shrugs. “In their own way at least. This is Ra’s test, you are Ra’s test, he needs you to be willing to sacrifice so he can save others, so he can save you.”

“So…” I try to calm the shakin,g in my hands. “Who are you then? Where was your home?”

He stands quickly. “My home is here now.”

“Did people die?”

He turns around and faces me, then leans close and cups my chin between his elegant fingers. “People always die, Cleo, just like you will.”

Tears burn behind my eyelids. “I’m not eating your sandwiches.”

“They’ll help you forget,” he whispers and draws close again. His lips graze my neck before he presses a soft kiss near my collar bone then pulls my loose T-shirt over my shoulder. His mouth opens, it’s warm and soft, and then he scrapes his teeth along my skin. “Do you really want to remember your own death? I can make it easy, I do it often. Why do you think the elderly follow me everywhere? They don’t want to remember their own deaths, so I give them one final gift, they’ll dream of me, they’ll sleep eternally.” He keeps kissing up my neck while talking. “Wouldn’t you rather remember my mouth than the fact that you have to write your own name in a damning book? Remember the brush of my lips, the trace of my tongue, the feel of my body against yours?”

I gasp as he grips my knees and spreads my legs apart. “Wouldn’t you rather feel me between your legs than remember your death and impending doom? It will be only pleasure and then blessed sleep. How nice would that be? To spend the rest of the week like you’re dreaming, and then closing your eyes.”

I gasp when he reaches for me and scoot away.

“Don’t you want to save your brother?” He tilts his head.

My eyes burn with unshed tears. “What?”

“It’s either you or him, Cleo. You decide, Cyrus only has to kill one twin, not both. It’s kind of one of those weird whoops rules. You die, he lives, and you can go out however you choose.” He pushes me back against the bed and hovers over me, his eyes flash white. “I would rather go out having sex but that’s just me… And I know how hungry you probably are, the same as me. Let me satisfy you the way Cyrus never will. He refuses to touch you, you know. He won’t touch any of the sacrifices.”

“Wh-why?” I find I must ask.

Enki grins and then grips my chin again. His mouth comes down on mine as he whispers against my lips, “Because you’re dirty.”

I can’t pull away.

I can’t move.

His tongue trails my lower lip and then invades my mouth. I taste fury and lust. His kiss is punishing and aggressive; it isn’t soft and it isn’t kind. He presses his body against mine, down into the silk sheets, and grabs at my hair, trapping me beneath him. His obvious arousal presses against me, and though we are both still clothed, I feel naked and vulnerable. When he pulls back it feels like it’s been an eternity.

“Have you made your choice?”

“I didn’t know I had one,” I rasp. I can’t stop trembling.

He pins my gaze with his. “You can let the monster outside break you down until the eclipse or you can lick down my body, eat my food, and forget it all. Everything that’s already happened…everything that’s about to—after all, it’s for the sake of your brother. Are you so heartless to let him suffer?” He tilts his head to the side. “Well, are you?”

“No.” My voice feels stronger now. “But I’m also not going to sleep with you.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” He traces a finger down my cheek, leaving a trail of tingling heat in its wake. “We sure as hell will not be sleeping. How cute that you thought so.”

“You’d be using me.” My accusation.

“I like using things.” His answer.

“Does Cyrus know about this?”

Enki sits back. “He doesn’t need to know.”

“Prove it.” I sit up. “Prove you’re a god and I’m not hallucinating. Prove it right now.”

“Is that the cost of your body, Cleo? I’m almost disappointed.” He laughs and gets to his feet. He puts a hand in front of his face then snaps his fingers. I’m so stunned I think I might be having an actual stroke.

Bast jumps up and starts to yowl at him.

The color of Enki’s clothing goes completely black, a cape rests across his shoulders, tattoos spread down his chest and arms, leather pants appear along with daggers in each hand. His eyes are feral, white.

His hair runs down his back. He has on black boots that look like actual weapons, the sides have lethal spikes on them.

I scramble back against the headboard.

He holds out his arms. “Satisfied?”

His voice echoes in the cave, it’s deeper than the one I’m used to, more menacing.

And I’m terrified.

I snatch up a pillow and put it between us.

His laugh sounds like it came from the deepest pit of hell. “Do you think that would save you?”

“Enough!” Another booming voice sounds as someone walks into the cave. He’s also wearing armor, more red than black, and he’s holding a giant sword.

Kratos.

He waves a hand in front of his face. His helmet disappears. “Leave her alone, you don’t want to piss off Cyrus.”

“He told me to cook.” Enki shrugs. “So, I cooked for her and brought her a snack.” He winks at me. Clearly, he’s also part of the snack.

I recoil more toward the back of the bed pulling blankets over me.

Kratos curses as he grabs Enki by the cape and simply jerks him backwards. I don’t realize what’s happening until Enki makes a tiny splash in the sea by the island.

“Apologies,” says Kratos. “He’s an idiot.”

I almost laugh, maybe in another life I would, but right now I’m just…too stunned to speak.

Kratos quickly moves to his knees and bows. “Thank you for your sacrifice, Cleo. I’m sorry it has to be this way, but it’s the only way.”

“Sacrificing humans?” I ask tersely.

He says nothing then quickly stands. “If you need anything, please let us know. Cyrus should be here soon to start your training.”

“Training?” I scramble out of bed, assuming I’m getting trained for some sort of weird war. “What training?”

Kratos says nothing and looks away like he’s embarrassed. “For your reward.”

“Reward?”

The sound of footsteps hits me as Cyrus comes up behind Kratos in nothing but a red bathrobe. “I’ll take it from here.”

Kratos casts one more sad gaze at me, and then he gives me his back and leaves me alone with Cyrus.

“What training?” I ask again.

Cyrus looks too beautiful to be real; his hair’s glossy, his eyes glowing. He steps toward me and then grabs me by the back of the neck and kisses me on the lips. Frowning, he wipes them clean with the back of his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t want to taste Enki on you. He’s an idiot.”

“So I’ve been told.”

Cyrus abruptly releases me, and I stumble backwards until I’m nearly one with the bed, bouncing up and down.

We’re completely alone; even Bast has left. Cyrus looks massive, standing over me, bracing his arms against his chest, his smile cruel.

“Training?” I ask again, licking my lips and tasting honey there like I’d just licked a hive.

Cyrus takes a step back and simply unties his robe. It drops to the dirty ground, and I’m left staring at an actual god.

My eyes roam his perfect body.

He doesn’t smile in appreciation. He barely flinches. Instead, he grabs me by the wrist and shoves me back on the mattress, whispering “Lie. Down.”