Selene turned to glare over her shoulder at Eris, who remained in Erebus’ clutches. “You.”
Eris’ eyes shifted to Selene, the grin never leaving her face. “Hello, Selene. It’s been far too long. You didn’t think I’d just live out the rest of eternity in my domain, did you?”
Cassie stiffened when her eyes found Eris, and she grabbed onto me. Terror welled in her eyes, and it was as if the memory of all that had happened had slammed into her. I laid a hand over hers as it clung to me, and I turned my gaze on Eris, body tensing. She was far too cheerful for someone who’d been caught red-handed breaking the laws of the Godsrealm. It was expressly forbidden to interfere with mortals, and while Cassie had the soul and powers of a goddess, she was technically mortal.
Selene rose, her hair fluttering around her. Whatever power remained within her threatened to burst free. “How dare you interfere with my daughter.”
“Oh? You suddenly care?” Eris’ onyx eyes glided over Selene, sizing the Goddess up. “Last I heard, you were willing to let her succumb to whatever fate would befall her when her powers fully awoke.”
“Are you the one who interfered with Moira’s reincarnation?” Selene demanded.
Eris’ gaze shifted away, false innocence flitting across her face. “Moira’s reincarnation? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I whipped around, pushing Cassie behind me. I’d slice the bitch’s throat for what she’d done, the suffering she’d caused Cassie. If she’d been the reason for her reincarnating as a mortal... I stretched my arm out, tapping into the shadows as I summoned my dagger. The weight fell into my grasp and the black mist melted away, revealing black Elythian steel that begged to be wielded. I locked eyes on Eris, whose gaze had shifted to Cassie and me. Would Erebus be able to contain her? I didn’t know how powerful she’d become over the centuries, but I’d be damned if I let her lay another finger on Cassie.
“You know the laws, Eris,” Erebus said.
Eris looked back to Erebus and her eyes narrowed, but that smile still lingered. “Are you going to scold me, Father? Tell me how bad I’ve been? You’re no upstanding saint yourself. He still suffers after what you did to him, you know.” Erebus’ eyes briefly flickered to me, but I avoided his gaze. Eris looked back to us, to Cassie. “If anything, you should be thanking me.”
I froze as Cassie gripped my shirt and yelled at Eris. “I’d never thank you!”
Eris’ eyes flared, her smile growing crazed. “You made a grave mistake in revealing my presence, girl. You will live to regret this.”
“And you will regret the moment you chose to tamper with my daughter,” Selene yelled, her opalescent eyes nearly glowing with rage.
“So, the moon goddessdoeshave bite.” The taunt was obvious. Eris wanted her to attack, wanted the fight. “And here I thought you’d mellowed out after all these years.”
Eris’ eyes roamed over Selene. “I can feel it you know... You aren’t what you used to be.” Her expression shifted then, into something cold and calm, the rage reflecting in her onyx eyes unsettling. “I promised you, didn’t I?”
Selene hesitated, her body stiffening, and the grin returned to Eris’ face at the sight of it.
Gods, this was spiraling out of control. We couldn’t linger here any longer. I needed to get Cassie out of here. Elythians rarely fought each other personally, but when they did, the display of power was enough to level cities, kingdoms, even. I’d been told the tales as a child, saw the ruins of cities that had fallen with my own eyes. I shuddered to think of the destruction if Selene and Eris fought. If Erebus joined in, Selene’s moon could be reduced to dust.
We were fucking powerless, and I wouldn’t be able to protect Cassie, not with my magic drained after jumping across realms. The darkness within me stirred again, offering the depthless power it could give. If I tapped into it, I might...
I glanced back at Cassie, taking in that beautiful face, her hair—inhaled her scent of jasmine and citrus. If it meant she lived, I’d open myself to that darkness, use it to fight Eris, to protect Cassie—
And pray I didn’t fall as Matthias did.
“Don’t worry, little Lord of Shadows,” Eris said. “I will not be fighting your lady and master today.” My gaze snapped to her, and a low growl ripped from my throat at the invasion of my thoughts. “I have more important things to do, so I will be taking my leave.”
“You don’t get to make that decision,” Erebus said, his jaw tightening. His own darkness swelled at his feet, the dark tendrils reaching for her.
“Try and stop me, Father,” she said with a smile, all light in the space flickering.
Erebus growled as Eris’ own dark magic slid off her body like snakes, coiling around his arms. His hand recoiled as it bit into him. “Dammit, Eris!”
Eris’ manic laughter filled the room as the black mist built and built, consuming her, the wind lashing around us. My heart lurched, Cassie’s fingers digging into my arm as she clung to me. I turned, wrapping my arms around her, shielding her as best I could. Selene slid before us, extending her arms outward, and a shield of light streaked around us as Eris unleashed a blast of power.
She vanished.
27
CASSIE
An eerie silence filled the room, the light of the pale glowing trees flickering, and I couldn’t stop the shaking overtaking my body as I gripped onto Damien’s shirt. “Is she gone?”
Selene rose, scanning the massive room. Moments passed without a response from Damien as we surveyed the chamber. Selene’s warhorse statues pawed on the dais, snorting but settling. Jasmine petals drifted to the stone floors as the harsh winds finally died down, and the sconces returned to life, flames illuminating the temple hall in a pale blue light.
