Page 47

Chapter Forty-seven

Asteria

It took us much too long to pull ourselves away from each other’s mouths and get up to keep moving. It was only the knowledge that we were literally in Tartarus and not exactly in the best place to have sex that enabled me to shake myself from the haze of lust Calix managed to bespell me into near constantly.

Having sex in Tartarus wasn’t exactly the most romantic of locations. Though it did sound interesting …

I shook myself. We had a job to do. And that was probably super disrespectful or something, right? We did have to meet the actual gods at the end of this.

And fuck, I hadn’t allowed myself to consider that at all yet.

What would it be like to meet a god ?

I was frankly terrified, but I didn’t allow myself to dwell on that. It was too surreal a concept, despite the fact we were walking toward it.

Calix seemed to be in better spirits, at least. He hadn’t let go of me since I’d assured him, I was just as monstrous as he was, just with less opportunity to showcase it. But the darkness had shown me exactly the kind of monster that lived beneath my skin. One that wanted to rip Cyrus to shreds along with anyone who helped him.

Maybe I could even use my teeth.

The thought brought a sick thrill of pleasure, and I pushed that right back down into the depths of the darkness within me.

I had a feeling that was going to be a lot harder now. Facing your demons made it much more difficult to hide them away.

I’d made a practice of pushing things I didn’t want to think of away, but once you’ve invited them in…

At least I could distract myself with Calix. His arm was wrapped around my waist as we walked to the next portal. It was looming straight ahead of us now. We just needed to go through to Elysium once more before finding the next portal to a different section of Tartarus, and then the city of the gods awaited through the final portal.

After all this, I would be happy to never see another portal again for as long as I live.

I would be doubly happy not to have to visit the Otherworld again until I was actually taking up residence.

Stepping through the portal to Elysium, I blinked against the much brighter light. Unlike before, when we emerged onto a grassy hill, we were standing within a sparkling cave. I blinked once again, unsure if I was seeing what I thought I was.

But yes, I was. The entire cave was made out of diamonds. They shimmered with the light coming in from the cave’s opening. We stepped out into that light and found a pavilion of sorts awaiting just beyond. We trudged forward, entering to find the place full of people.

We both paused, looking at one another before a voice rang out.

“Asteria Earendel.”

“Calix Erebus.” Another voice called.

“We welcome you both.” The first voice said, and two figures stepped forward.

One was a man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Similar to Titan, only his hair was at his shoulders, or Aelius, except his face was much kinder. He wore a golden robe that looked ceremonial, with elaborate white embroidery depicting the sun.

The other man had white hair, deep purple eyes, and the same sharp bone structure I was so used to seeing on Calix. His black robe sparkled with silver embroidery depicting the moon.

“Thank you, ancestor,” Calix responded, bowing his head. I quickly followed suit, bowing my own, unsure of the proper procedure here.

How does one greet the ancestors of the family they barely know to begin with?

“I am Raka Erebus. The founder of House Erebus.” Calix’s ancestor introduced himself. “It’s an honor to meet you, Calix. This is, of course, very unusual. We don’t usually meet new members of our house until their deaths.” The man chuckled warmly.

“And I am Aarush Earendel.” The blond man smiled at me, and it was strangely comfortable, reminiscent of the feeling I got curling up with a book and a cozy blanket. “I am the founder of House Earendel. And I must apologize to you on behalf of our house for the pain your father has caused.”

“That’s not your fault,” I argued, shaking my head and making my dark hair fall over my shoulder. I moved to push it back and paused, before shaking my head. The contrast of this light on my dark hair was causing strange effects.

“Perhaps not, but unlike Raka’s house, ours has lost its way. It’s gone on far too long. Starting with Arev, and what he did to Arki, or Titan as you know him.” Aarush said, sympathetically, golden brows creasing.

“Wait, Titan’s not his name?” I asked, confused.

“It’s his middle name,” Calix answered, grimly. “Arki died when his mate did, and Titan is who was left in the aftermath.”

“And the tradition of running valuable members of our house out started then.” Aarush frowned deeply. “Your father is only too keen to continue it now. His actions cast a pall on all of us. I am sorry you have been the one to bear the burden of it, however.”

“Thank you,” I answered softly. A little overwhelmed, if I was honest. This was the man who had built the house I was born to. Whose last name I now bore. And his simple apology after everything hit me harder than I expected.

“We hope that under your guidance, House Earendel will rise once more.” He smiled gently, bowing his head to me.

“Oh. I…” I trailed off, looking to Calix for help. He squeezed my hand with a smile.

“You’ll do amazing,” he assured, eyes not leaving mine. “You were born for this.”

“And how do we lead two separate houses?” I asked softly, worries rising once more as I turned to our ancestors.

“You find your own way forward,” Raka spoke, looking to Aarush with a sly smile. “Things are changing now. And our houses are more entwined than you might think.”

“You will find out the truth of it soon enough. Just never forget, while the past is already written, the future is awaiting you to put words to page. Your history will be based upon the actions you take now.” Aarush grabbed my hands, his sky-blue eyes boring deep into mine.

“It is up to you to decide how your story goes, Asteria. No one else. Don’t look to the past for what has always been done; look to the future and ask what can be,” he continued, and I felt the weight of his words in my soul.

“All of us with your blood, we will always be with you,” Raka said, looking at Calix. “Your path has always been one of change. The prophecies spoke of it long before this moment came. History is now in your hands. The bond, and more importantly, the love between you two. will be the foundation of what comes next.”

I looked at Calix, the words unspoken lying heavy between us, but his nod of understanding was like a balm to my heart.

I didn’t want him to doubt things between us just because of my own pathetic fears. Like speaking the words would bring my worst fears to life. But if they were right, that love that beat within our mated souls was what would build our lives, not destroy it.

It was a novel concept, honestly.

“Thank you, Raka,” Calix rumbled, the emotion in his words clear.

“Of course, son of Erebus.” Raka smiled slowly, raising his black-cloaked arm dramatically as he indicated the path ahead. “Now, it is time for you both to meet the most ancient of your ancestors.”

I drew in a sharp breath, steadying myself. Gods, how does one greet the gods? By the Otherworld, the thought was enough to make my head spin.

“Good luck, daughter of Earendel,” Aarush added, his smile gentle and kind. So different from the father who currently ruled our house… though, I suppose I also ruled our house now.

Fuck, what a mess.

“You make us all proud. Embrace who you are, Réiltín, for you will never steer yourself wrong,” he continued. “Trust in yourself and your love, and you will conquer any darkness that comes.”

“Thank you, Aarush,” I responded, trying to contain my own emotions.

Aarush took my hand, while Raka placed his hand on Calix’s shoulder. The others formed a path, my ancestors on one side and Calix’s on the other. The men raised their swords to form an arch, while the women lifted their hands to let shadows and sunlight rise and complete the arch. Aarush and Raka led us through them, a tunnel of light and darkness, filled with those who’d come before us.

They’d paved the path we walked, but it was now up to us to build upon it.

Aarush and Raka led us gently through the procession until we reached the other side, where a dark portal to Tartarus awaited. Now, we would only need to enter and find the portal to the city of the gods. The tests were done; all we had to do was learn… something .

Jemisha had been cryptic on what we were supposed to learn at our next stop, but I was curious to see what the gods thought so important.

We’d come this far, facing every challenge they threw at us. And while I wished I could have words with the gods about the method of getting us there, I was fairly sure I would chicken out the moment I saw them.

I considered myself a strong person, but something about complaining to the gods themselves just seemed like a really bad idea.

“This is where we leave you,” Aarush said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Though we will never truly leave you,” Raka added with an impish smile.

“ We are all with you, always, ” Aarush and Raka spoke as one, and all those we just walked past seemed to echo it, making the words rattle deep into my soul.

With that, they stepped back, and Calix and l clasped our hands tightly together and stepped through the portal. Coming out the other side, we were before what appeared to be a crumbling castle. Maybe Arawn once took up residence here?

Or maybe it was another spot to play their torture games.

I shuddered at the thought. The castle was certainly creepy, made of old rocks that had deteriorated and crumbled. Chunks of the building were missing, leaving the interior exposed. Some walls were covered in what I would have assumed was moss or ivy if we were in our realm, but this was red as blood. It crawled up the walls and hung from others.

“Please tell me we don’t have to actually go in there,” I groaned, turning my head to aim a pout at Calix.

His eyes zeroed in on my lips as he chuckled hoarsely. “Something tells me that’s exactly what we’re supposed to do, my réalta.”

He leaned in to nip my lip, making me squeal as I wound my arms around his neck, trapping him against me. His laugh rumbled through my entire body, making me smile against his lips. His tongue came out and traced over one of my sharp canines. I shivered with pleasure despite knowing this was not the time or place for it.

I couldn’t bring myself to stop him. Instead, I let him play until my canines lengthened into full fangs. I took the opportunity to dive into his neck, raking them gently across the fragile skin there. I didn’t even break it, despite my heady desire to sink my fangs into him.

I moaned against him, and his hands clutched at my hips tightly until I felt the press of his claws. I pulled back to look at him, the Aurora dancing in his eyes and the sharp fangs that had extended, telling me all I needed to know.

Our mouths crashed together, and I tried my best to climb him like a tree until my legs were wrapped around him, just as my arms were.

“That Nox-damned sexy pout,” Calix growled, leaning in to press his fangs against my neck. Teasing me as he played with the skin but refused to pierce it. “Do you have any idea the things you do to me?”

I whimpered, pressing my body more firmly against his and grinding my hips down, hoping to feel that huge cock I knew was just waiting for me.

Calix groaned, panting as he suddenly forced himself back, unwinding my limbs from around him and setting me down. “We can’t. We have to continue on.”

“Calix…” I whined, trying to pull him back.

“Bad girl.” He smirked, slapping my ass and merely succeeding in making me want to throw myself back at him. “We’ll continue this later, trust me,” he growled.

I sighed loudly, cracking my neck back and forth as I glared at him. Or pouted, based on the way he watched my lips again, licking his own.

He shook himself, placing one of his large hands on my lower back and leading me toward the crumbling castle.

“I’ll make it up to you, my réalta,” he assured me, smirk still firmly in place as he walked us toward the entrance.

It was mostly intact, only a few stones missing from the doorway. The floor was black wood, like the Darkelm trees, but was cracked and rotting throughout. More of that red mossy ivy was spread across it— Wait, that wasn’t ivy .

I walked closer, my head tilted to the side as I kneeled down, running a hand across the wood. Blood . Old and dried, but blood all the same. And a lot of it. I swallowed hard as I stood up, winding my arm around Calix’s to reassure myself.

It was hard to remember I had the power now to fight back. The little girl who grew up powerless was hard to forget.

We continued walking through the castle. It was by far the creepiest place I had ever been. The blood splatters continued, covering every place I looked. Like they’d decorated the castle with blood. It was smeared over old, ripped-up paintings. Puddled under an ancient blue velvet sofa that was falling apart, with the velvet pile worn away from the march of time, stuffing popping out of the seat where it seemed like a pair of claws had ripped through it, and the entire sofa tilted to one side thanks to the missing legs on one side.

A dusty coat hung off a rack, missing most of its sleeves now. It must have been grand and elaborate, once upon a time. Jewels dotted the collar, and burgundy damask silk panels were interwoven with black velvet. Yet now, it was faded and abandoned. Just like the rest of this castle.

What was this place? And what did the gods want us to learn here?

We came to a doorway leading into what must have been the ballroom, and we both paused. Just like the rest of this place, I could tell the room had to have been beautiful in its day. But now…

“It looks like a battle took place here,” Calix murmured, holding me tightly as we looked around with wide eyes at the blood-drenched room. If I thought the rest of the castle had been bad, it was nothing compared to the red-streaked ballroom.

Several tables were overturned, and the chairs that once surrounded them were now broken and cracked, their pieces strewn across the floor. Pink tablecloths draped over the tables that had managed to stay upright.

As I stepped around an overturned table, I caught sight of a small piece of cloth that had been protected from discoloration. I realized then that the tablecloths hadn’t been pink at all, but bright white. I winced, imagining how much blood must have spilled on them to turn them completely pink.

The long, velvet and silk drapes on the giant windows now hung in ragged clumps, and broken china littered the ground, crunching loudly with each step through the room. It truly did look like some kind of battle had broken out here. I couldn’t imagine what had happened here.

It was like a haunted remnant of a tragedy, preserved forever on this timeless plane.

The place certainly felt haunted. Like something evil had sunk into the stone and never left.

“I hate this place,” I whispered under my breath to Calix. “It feels… wrong .” I wasn’t sure what the gods wanted us to see here, aside from knowing some sort of event had obviously occurred—something bad enough to drench the place in blood from top to bottom. But I was sure we would find out eventually.

“Luckily, I think we can get the Tartarus out of here,” he answered, pointing to the stage I’d been too overwhelmed to notice.

Black curtains hung across it, and yet, a distinct glow was coming from the sliver exposed at the bottom. Calix jumped straight up onto the stage, and I took a moment to admire his form as he did so. His physicality never failed to impress me.

He ripped the curtains open, revealing the final portal. I sighed in relief, wanting nothing more than to leave this place as fast as possible. This portal was different from the others. It was still circular, but around the portal was a shimmering crystal ring. The portal itself was a mix of black and white, the two dancing together in a misty swirl. Like black and white ink bleeding into each other.

“Found it.” Calix smiled triumphantly, leaning down to offer me a hand up.

I rolled my eyes but took his hand, jumping up onto the stage. It was still amazing to be able to do that, and I may have added a bit more bounce to it than necessary, but who could blame me?

Calix tried to hide his fond amusement, but I caught it, shaking my head at him. I moved toward the portal, and he joined me at my side. Our fingers slid together once more, not wanting to lose each other through the mists.

“What do you think they’re like?” I asked in a whisper, as if they might hear me through the portal, should I speak too loudly.

“I hope…” Calix trailed off for a moment, looking deep in thought as his brows furrowed. “Benevolent. That is how I’ve always imagined them, at least.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine,” I confessed. “I spent so long with only this false idea of the Old Gods. Even knowing the truth of the real gods, I’m a little lost when it comes to how to reconcile it all still.”

I felt a bit like a failure in that regard.

“Asteria, you expect too much of yourself,” Calix said sadly, shaking his head. “Most humans take years to adjust to that truth. You’ve had a matter of months.”

“But I’m Fae —” I began to argue, only for him to cut me off quickly.

“That doesn’t matter,” he told me fiercely, his hands circling my upper arms as he leaned his face toward mine. “You cannot expect to magically realign your entire worldview so quickly. You may be magic, but that doesn’t change the years you spent living and believing a certain way. You need to give yourself some grace.”

“I don’t know how,” I whispered, feeling exposed. But it was just Calix, and I had no reason to hide from him. He was the one person I shouldn’t be hiding from.

“That’s why you have me.” His voice softened, his eyes lighting up with color. “I’ll be here every time you need a reminder.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist, leaning my head against his firm chest as I hugged him tightly. He pet his hand down my hair, whispering soothing reassurances as I slowly relaxed into his hold.

“Whatever the gods are like, we’ll face it together. Just like we will face everything that comes next. There may be a lot of changes still to come, but you and I will stand shoulder to shoulder and use each other to hold the other up when we need to. Okay?” He pulled back to grip my face, nodding once.

I nodded softly back, my heart lighting up with adoration for this man. This Fae who could wield death like an extension of himself, who could kill so brutally one moment and speak so softly the next. The contradiction of him was one of my favorite things in this world.

“Okay.” I nodded, determined now. “Let’s go.” I smiled brightly, making him chuckle. He pressed a quick kiss on my lips, gone too soon, before he pulled back.

With fingers locked, his wings unfurled, prepared for whatever may come on the other side. I took in the black and purple scales, the night skies made flesh, and let my own out. Every time I did, it sent a thrill through me. Having wings was everything I’d ever wanted. I glanced back at them, the shimmering silver tipped with purple, matching so well next to his, like a night full of stars.

As shadows began to wreathe around his fingers, I let my starlight out to play with them. The two wrapped around our hands like the cords used to tie two hearts together, as we breathed in, completely in sync.

And stepped through to the greatest of unknowns.