Page 33 of Immortal Sun (Dark Olympus)

CHAPTER 33

CYRUS

“To love is to give the most important and damaged parts of yourself to someone and ask them to keep them safe.” — Ra, God of the Sun

I stare at myself in the mirror. It’s always the same outfit, the same ones I bestowed upon the gods, the way mine was bestowed upon me.

I’m wearing a black tunic that has the holy symbol of the sun holding it together in a bright gold, with an attached black cape that runs down my back across the floor.

The top of my cape has bones protruding from it painted with dark red blood, a reminder of the sacrifice and of what will happen.

My arms are bare except for the tattooed hieroglyphics running up and down them that tell my story and the story of the trials.

I straighten my shoulders and lift my mask to my face.

It’s the sun.

The actual mask of the sun with all of its rays pointing in every direction, it’s black like a reminder of what will happen if I do not rise. If I do not ascend.

The mouthpiece is gold and covers the top part of my upper lip.

My chest burns.

I press my hand to it and take a few deep breaths. Never have I felt weaker. Maybe it was fighting the water for Cleo, or maybe something’s wrong with me.

That would be a first.

I quickly toss the thought away and leave my room. Tyrell and Enki are waiting with Daggon outside. Each of them has a different colored tunic to match their station: red, green, black.

And all of them are wearing golden masks.

“Took you long enough.” Tyrell sounds bored; he won’t be for long.

I clench my hands at my sides. “Impatient little shit.”

It just comes out.

He pauses, and slowly tilts his head toward me. “Something wrong?”

“Let’s get this over with,” I grit out. “Is everyone at the beach already?”

“Yes.” Tyrell nods.

“Let’s not keep them waiting.”

I storm past them and stomp down the cement stairs, realizing suddenly that it will be the last time I do this and see Cleo in that cave.

My steps falter.

I almost trip but catch myself.

And I keep walking until I’m at the beach. The newer immortals created from our blood are staring out at the ocean at attention. They have our blood, they have the need to ascend, but they never will because we created them here, but that doesn’t mean they don’t pine for Olympus, for a home they will never visit.

All of them are dressed in red velvet tunics with black sandals. They have no cape; they haven’t been alive long enough to deserve one.

You have to earn your cape in battle; you have to earn your place among the ancients.

Not just take it because you covet it.

They wear half gold masks that cover only their eyes and part of their noses. Their faces remain calm as they watch the waves and wait.

This is the last time for a while that we will work together. They’ll fight again after my final sacrifice and ascension. They’ll hope that eventually this will end. It won’t. A god must ascend. Every few thousand years. And we must protect what is ours. Our families. Our children. Humanity.

Even if we are sick of it.

Am I? Am I finally done with this?

I can’t tell anymore.

Chest aching, twisting, burning, I walk toward the cave.

Cleo is sitting on the bed watching me walk, her eyes lock onto mine in a way that causes my mouth to go dry.

I stop at the entrance, needing a moment before stepping in and going to the bed. “Did Enki explain to you what will happen next?”

She bites her bottom lip. “Y-yes, but, can I make a request? Maybe?”

“Have you written all of the names of the children of Chaos?”

She nods. Her skin is pale. I want to touch it, but my hands are about to be covered in her blood in less than twenty-four hours.

It feels wrong.

“Your request then?” I cross my arms over my chest to keep from touching her.

She’s in her black silk robe.

I know she’s naked underneath.

Her gaze darts back and forth between my mouth and eyes before she looks down at her lap, wringing her small hands together. “Can it just be you?”

I steel my expression. “For the ceremony?”

She nods. “I just don’t want all of them touching me, but you’ve already?—”

“—touched you,” I finish for her.

Does she realize what she’s asking?

For me to ready her for someone else? By myself?

Just how strong does she think I am?

“Yes,” I blurt before I can stop myself.

I hold up my right hand in a fist.

The other two, I know will take that as a sign to give me their backs.

Cleo is shaking. I hold out my hand and help her to her feet, she’s so warm where I’m cold, and yet I feel her warmth spreading through my palm.

“Wait here,” I whisper then walk over to where Enki left the paint and her golden dress. It’s simple and clasps at the shoulders, with a sheer white veil that falls like a cape down her back.

But it’s not time to dress yet.

I reach for the blue paint. It has specks of gold that reflect the stars shining down on her, the heavens blessing the sacrifice.

Soon Tyrell will be covered in it.

I squeeze my eyes shut and lean against the table for a brief moment before slamming a hand against the cave wall. It leaves an imprint, the first of its kind on those hallowed walls.

Never have I acted out of frustration before a ceremony, and now there would be proof for an eternity of this entire moment, I walk over to Cleo and hold her by the hand.

So warm, even to me.

She grips mine tightly, and I pull her toward the mark made by my hand and stand behind her, lifting her hand in mine. Hers is so small in comparison. I press it there and whisper, “You’ll always be in the palm of my hand. For an eternity.”

Her eyes dart up to me. “What about after?”

“I am after.” I dip my fingers into the blue paint and draw a line around her small fingers, making the edges of them blue.

The golden bits of stardust press into the outline of her hand and light up.

And like that they’ll stay.

But she will not.

My chest aches like a thousand hands are squeezing my heart over and over, forcing it to beat.

This must be done.

I will have no regrets but maybe this moment, where I see an eternity on the wall of that cave. I allow myself a few seconds to imagine a world where I was allowed to have someone by my side.

A beautiful chaotic world indeed.

But that is not my purpose. My purpose is to love everyone equally.

Even by doing this, I’m favoring her, by touching her, by spending time with her, and in all my years of sacrifice, never has it been just me and me alone that uses the paint.

“It’s time.” The sound of the sky, the music, the voices lift around the cave.

It has begun.

Cleo lowers her hand to her side and turns to face me. “Alright.”

Her eyes are expectant, like she wants me to be the hero, throw her over my shoulder and save her.

I am no savior.

I am only her impending doom.

A nightmare.

I am the monster who will hold her hand through life and death while Anubis escorts her to the depths.

I set the metal bowl of blue paint on the table and undo the sash on her robe, my fingers move to her shoulders as I drop it to the floor.

“And the gods,” I say in a low voice, “will worship what is sacrificed to them.” I dip my hands into the bowl and start rubbing it across her chest in one streak, the gold shimmers over her while the blue dyes her skin where I touched.

“This represents the beginning of the world, the start of creation, nothing but a streak across the sky with stars illuminating the earth.” I move the paint and cup one breast, then the other. “The creation of humans.” Her breath hitches as I trail one painted finger around and around her breast, creating a circle. I do the same to each breast, gather more paint along with courage, and drag my hand down her stomach in one solid line until I’m at her belly button. “Sexual pleasure.” I take a deep breath and cup between her legs.

She gives a jolt, her eyes widening as if to ask what’s happening.

“And the gift of pleasure from the stars.”

The stars will invade her body, make her warm, receptive, and needy, she will have one night of pure passion incomparable to anything she’s ever experienced in her lifetime.

She sways toward me.

I dip my hands once more and create a streak down each leg with my hands. I dip both hands into the paint and press down on the tops of her feet, kneeling before her. “And now, we the gods, worship you.”

I get up while her eyes continue to get lazier and lazier like she’s so caught up in her own lust that she can’t think straight.

I grab her golden tunic and dress her and reach for her hand, I realize too late that I shouldn’t have turned to the left.

Because the sole mirror in that cave is to the left, and what I see in it, is her by my side.

And we match.

It’s a bad omen to see what could be if only you gave up everything, including your soul. Blue still stains my hands. I keep it on my palms as we walk out of the cave to the waiting gods.

“You may turn,” I say in a loud voice.

The gods fall to their knees, hands dig into the dirt representing where she will return after she sinks into the Nile.

The gods voices shout.

“May your sacrifice be worthy of the gods. You shall return to where you came. Blood to ground, spirit to the water. May you ascend to the Nile and return to this realm blessed. Tonight, we honor you.”

“Thank you.” Her voice is barely above a whisper. Everyone stands and turns back toward the water. I twist my hands to the right and left, unleashing the ice bridge to the island. “Stay by my side.”

Enki sighs like he’s bored. “He doesn’t want you getting pulled in because then all our hard work will have been for nothing, right, Cyrus?”

I shoot him a glare.

“I’ll stay in the middle,” comes her timid voice.

Immortals from Olympus—ones who have failed—walk to the left, newer immortals from fae to vampires and werewolves to the right, with me in the back watching her walk away from me and not being able to reach her even if I had the will to do so. I refuse to call it cowardice.

She holds her head high.

Torches light a path through the forest once we’re on the island. We stroll a few more feet and walk beneath the wooden overhang with its many flowers that never die in all of our colors, red, gold, white, blue, and finally black.

Music rises from beyond the trees. The smell of food fills the air when we reach the bonfire.

People sing and clap around the fire. Some are still wearing their gold masks, others have already taken them off and are on one of the many large white beds scattered around the area.

Some are already deciding to escape into the trees together while others are feeding each other on the beds or dancing for one another. The white sheets glow in the moonlight. More drinks are brought to a table to the left. One of the goddesses bows to the fire and holds her hands up to the sky and starts to sing the song of the Nile.

Cleo’s eyes drink everything in. She finally speaks. “I thought it was a celebration.”

Inti barks out a laugh. “This is how we celebrate. Look, there’s a feast, booze, and screwing. What else did you think you were going to attend? A children’s fair?”

She looks up at me.

I just shrug and take a step away from her. “Eat first, then you will approach the immortal of your choosing.”

Her thankful exhale has to be so incredibly insulting to every god there.

I hide my smile behind my hand and look away. “Let’s eat.”

“Yes.” Inti eyes her up and down. “Let’s.