Page 57 of Until the End of Ever (To the Cruel Gods #2)

KLEOS

T he first thing I noticed was the change in weather. The forum wasn't an atrium, but the dome overhead was translucent, letting us see the sky through it. One minute, it was a bright morning. The next, clouds gathered, a storm starting out of nowhere.

Then I heard the lightning.

" Well, well ."

Each of the steps of the approaching creature felt like an earthquake, and no wonder. The thing passing through one of the archways was at least twelve foot tall, and the air cackled with power around him.

My heart contracted, frozen in terror as he advanced.

"Come on, let's go!" Lucian screamed, pulling me along as I looked back in absolute terror.

The forum had a dozen entryways underneath the stands, and the magistrates were fleeing through them all, the passageways clogged by the crowd.

We wouldn't make it. I wouldn't make it, not when I was the one it wanted.

He wanted.

Zeus. The king of heaven.

His hair was the lightest of sky blues, just like his eyes.

His beard, cut with precision, made him look somewhat mature; without it, I would have assumed he was around my age.

As things stood, he seemed no older than Lucian.

But the power in those eyes, holding the entire storm I could feel outside, was undeniable, crushing, horrifying.

He was the man who'd wanted me bound to a stranger, forced to marry someone who'd keep me his slave. Along with a healthy dose of fear, I couldn't deny the consuming rage boiling inside me.

My eyes were first drawn to him, but I could see several other oversized beings by his side, one of them with red hair, a leather wristband, and one single crystal on his earlobe.

Apollo had come, golden bow in hand, just as gorgeous and lethal as I recalled. And the others, well, I couldn't take the time to identify them, but one thing was absolutely certain.There were eight Olympians in the Hall of Truce, and we didn't stand a chance.

Every single one of the seven companions of the king wore armor, ready for a war we couldn't possibly hope to win.

This was the end. My end, specifically, but something told me they wouldn’t have come in such number if it had just been about little old me.

All around us, the shrieks of terror made it clear the rest of the vale agreed with me: this arrival spelled our doom.

I spotted Gideon, Lucky thrown over his shoulders, and Ronan, walking backward right behind him, holding up a shield that protected him all three of them, as well as the many magistrates hiding behind it. They made it out of an archway.

There was also Cassiopeia, practically dragged by Kaelius and the younger blond man I’d only seen once or twice—Lucian’s brother. She screamed Lucian’s name, and both men seemed to shout reassurances as they managed to get her out of the forum.

Hopefully, they’ll be on the way to the underside, and safe from this madness. But knowing that family, I doubted they’d think of their own security until Lucian was also safe.

My eyes glanced towards my father’s box, finding it empty.

Lucian and I had been as far from any of the arches as possible. Fast as he was, we reached the exit at the same time as the bulk of the crowd, and strained to make our way out.

"How are they here?" Lucky shouted over the cacophony of screams.

"Someone must have called them."I thought about my non-mother, dead in the temple of Zeus. " Zenya . That must be how she died! Opening a portal for them."

And it burned through her. What was it that Apollo had said? Anyone could call a god so long as they were ready to meet their opposite. What was the opposite of Zeus?

It didn't matter.She’d done this to us, to me .

"I forgot how pungent the air is in this world. Why, I believe it got worse," Zeus mused in an ancient tongue I shouldn't be able to understand quite this easily. "Sweat and iron and shit."He laughed merrily. "Where is she?"

His eyes scanned the panicked crowd desperate to flee. I was too far from the doors to make it. Lucian half carried me, pushing past the sea of bodies, while Silver reached for my hand.

"Ah. Right there."

And then, there was a flash of yellow light.

There was no word for the pain that followed.

Nothing could encompass the complete, unyielding ache of being hit by the shot of pure white light that had flown out of the god's hand.

And when I managed to make myself open my eyes, I realized it hadn't even directly touched me: Lucian had pushed me against the wall, taking the brunt of the hit.

Silver was lying on the forum's floor moaning, most of her clothes on fire. But every other person around us, even those who'd made it out, but were still in view of the archway?

They were cinders. Obliterated with a single stroke.

Lucian groaned, half falling against me. Desperately, my hands reached for his skin, finding his face, as I pushed healing energy through it, all the while knowing it was entirely pointless.

Zeus was already prepared, another bolt at the ready, and his eyes on us. On me. There would be no survive a second hit, not for either of us. It was already a miracle we hadn’t been burned through by the first.

What was it that Lucian had said? It takes a god to kill a god.

Except, neither Lucian and I were divinities on the level of bloody Zeus. We were immortal, yes, but we had more in common with immortal prawns and jellyfish than this greater than life monster.

My mind returned to that Monday, mere weeks ago, where I’d chatted with one of the monsters now flanking his king.

You were forged, then discarded. No one trained you up, or made sure you took your godly vitamins and all. You’re weak now.

He was right. Even though I now knew who’d forged me, and he talked of great potential, I was essentially just a little witch, who didn’t know how to do anything except heal people. How had we survived the first strike, though it destroyed the flesh and bones of so many?

I remembered later the very day when I met Apollo, when I devoured the most delicious fast-food in existence.

Ambrosia.

Yes, until that moment, I’d never been given any godly food, but Mack gave me some, mere weeks ago. And Lucian and Silver, too. Would any of us have survived without sprinkle of godly essence inside us?

And yet, the pain was so intense, my body so very weak, I knew my luck was going to run short now.

Zeus was also assured of his victory. Lazily, completely ignoring me as I finished my healing spell, while Lucian pushed some of his energy inside me, like nothing we could do was of any consequence, the god turned to his companions.

"Children," he called. "You know your targets. Once they’re found and taken care of, destroy the walls, then the shields in the foundation."

Targets .

They were here to kill more than me.

The gods were gone in a blink, moving faster than shades.

Silver struggled to her feet, trembling.

"Well, what have we here?" Zeus taunted. "I have not sensed you, daughter."

Daughter .

And just like that, I knew.

“And no wonder. Someone locked your power. Interesting .”

As Silver’s eyes flashed, I remembered that smile that seemed amused or even cruel when directed at us, and yet so kind when he looked at her. I remembered the bow left behind for her.

I saw the million times when I'd watched Silver follow a trail only she saw in the woods, or greet a deer, a rabbit, a boar supposed to want to kill her.

The wilderness had always been her home.

"It's a disappointment to find you amongst the pests. Where will you stand this time? With your father, or against him?"

Silver sneered at the god, yet again completely fearless. "I have no father."

Zeus was so, so fast. Both Lucian and I threw up our shields, but his bolt blasted right past them, either too swift or potent, likely both, to even register our protection.

The lightning aimed right at Silver's center.

“No!” I screamed.

She wouldn't have time to move, strong as she was, fast as she was.And she didn't, but in a flash, a shot of red pushed her out of the way.

The god wearing Silver’s charm and my leather wrist band smirked, before tossing Silver onto his back.

"Traitor!" Zeus bellowed, materializing another lighting bolt out of thin air.

Apollo was already gone from the forum, leaping so high, blasting through the translucent dome overhead and towards the sun beyond the clouds.

Zeus sent the bolt, a precise hit, anticipating the trajectory of the sun god's flight.

No, no, no!

"Let's go," Lucian whispered. "While he's distracted."

Except he was distracted by killing my friend! I couldn't tear my eyes away from my friend's doom, even as Lucian dragged me toward the arch.

I didn't see the direction it came from, but a physical shield flew out to meet the lightning bolt and Apollo disappeared with Silver.

The king of gods yelled, enraged, his stormy eyes on us next.

I knew the next lightning bolt would be for us.

I was going to die. Lucian was going to die. There was no way we'd escape it. We had no one to throw a magical shield for us.

"Meow."

I was the first to stumble, thoroughly confused.

But the next moment, Zazel brushed against my leg.

Oh, fuck.

How the hell had he gotten here? And how had he known to come? Zazel always appeared when I was distraught, but it was usually within the manor.

At first, I was scared for my familiar, cursing whatever compelled him to come here to die along with us.Except the god sneering at us paused, the glowing weapon in his hand still.

That couldn't be fear in his eyes, could it?

That would make no sense. It was just Zazel. And yes, technically, the cat might have been of demonic origin, but he was still just a silly little cat, purring when he was stroked the right way, demanding too much food, sleeping at the crook of my knees.

Why would the king of Olympus be scared of a pocket-sized feline? Was he allergic?

He doesn't have to be pocket-sized.

The thought seemed to come from me, and yet, not at all. My own voice, but the words were unprompted, out of the blue.

Zazel's red eyes met mine, and the next moment, I knew. I knew why this cat would never, could never bond with Lucian, or anyone else. I knew why he sought me out now.

I knew who he was. What he was.

And, insane as it seemed, that knowledge unlocked a wealth, ten lifetimes’ worth of spells, magic, strategy, lovemaking, jewels and chariots and war. First of all, war.

I didn't even have to say a word, only brushing his little forehead, drawing one rune. Fehu , the rune of Frej. Abundance, success, wealth, yes.

But it also simply meant Frey.

And Freya.

Zazel stepped to my side, his paw grown to the size of a dinner plate, flexing his knife-long claws. Each of his fangs was longer than my arm. It was only when I moved to my feet that I realized just how large he'd become. He would have dwarfed Ronan's warhorses.

Suddenly, the fact that the goddess used cats to draw her chariot made sense.

"Fucking hell, are we sure that was a good idea?" Lucian screamed, staring at Zazel, who thoroughly ignored him.

And to my complete and utter surprise, despite the ashes of the mortals who'd just been destroyed before my eyes, despite the fear still in my belly…I smiled.

Zeus lifted his lightning bolt to strike, and this time, instead of summoning a golden shield, I willed a golden javelin into my waiting palm, my right foot stepping back in order to balance myself for the throw.

I would not miss.

I never had, in thousands of years, and I wouldn't start today.

Energy cursed through me, the useless, infinite pool of magic I never knew what to do with and usually drained coursing through my body, my flesh.

"Go on," I taunted, my voice full of mirth as I stepped away from Lucian. I wanted him to aim at me, always me, not Lucian. "Throw. I dare you."

The god was dumb and proud enough to do so.

Yes, Zeus was so fast I could barely see him move moments ago. But now, I could detect all his movements. And I was much faster.

The moment his hand was bare, I took my shot, the lightweight blade quicker than his unwieldly bolt.

Zazel used the opening to lunge, clawing at the god's throwing arm, until golden ichor marred his skin.

Meanwhile, with a catlike grace I'd never possessed, I lowered to a crouch, evading the heavenly weapon that lodged itself behind me.

I reeled to face my enemy, two light javelins in hand this time.

And I smiled. I missed this game. Fightingfelt right .

"So you remember, huh? Good. It's a pity to destroy a weak little victim who doesn't know anything." He tossed two bolts, one with each hand, to not give me the time to riposte.

Seeing their trajectory, my one option was to roll, to avoid the most lethal, and only get grazed by the second.

But the moment it touched my skin, searing pain travelled through my entire body.

If I'd been completely mortal, I would no doubt have been burned to nothing.But I really wasn’t, so I just grit my teeth.

"Weak, still," Zeus said, with a cruel smile. "Pathetic. It's almost a shame to get rid of you. If you beg, I could tie you up and send you to a brothel. You do your best work on your back, after all. Have you fucked a dozen dark elves for a pretty necklace this time around?"

"It was nine," I replied, tossing one javelin.

Zeus blocked it, moving his arm in a way that showed an opening between his breastplate and shoulder.

I struck with the second, faster. Not pausing to watch the god reel from the wound, though I could smell ichor coat the air, thick as honey, I started to run again, incredibly faster, grabbing Lucian's hand as I moved.

"Where do you need me?" Lucian yelled over the screams and the loud explosions that seemed to resound all around us.“I’m getting in the way. Eventually, the dick will realize the best way to get to you is my slow ass, beautiful.”

I nodded quickly.

Seven to rise as all the walls fall.

"At the walls!" I screamed back. "You can't let them destroy them. If they're gone, the gods can take over the entire world again."

He hesitated just one second, before bringing his mouth to mine, and nodding. "Stay alive.The moment you sink, I let go, remember?"