“By me, mate,” Sonaris said, appearing at Lotus’s side. “The mother did not know I was involved. I know how to be discreet.” He shot Lotus a dark stare. “It took me almost ten thousand years of searching, but eventually I found you all. I arranged for those supernatural seekers, the Atlanteans, to find you and return you to this world, and then I waited for your powers to return so that I could claim you.”
Lotus snarled. “I should kill you, Sonaris. You were going to leave us there. If their blood had not mixed…”
She meant Asher, Connor, and me. Her eyes met mine. “The mother used your blood to create her original spell. You’re much more pow—”
Sonaris cut her off with a growl, and then he stepped forward. The happy-go-lucky punk-surf-rocker vibe was gone. Now he was glowing as power looped and arced around him. “Enough talk. If Galindra is here, that means the mother is watching.” His eyes went to Asher. “You should beware of spies in your midst.”
Lotus brushed him off. “We need you to open the doorway now so we can finish this.”
“Why would you want us to do that?” I said, moving closer. Asher didn’t stop me, but he did move with me. He went basically face-to-face with Sonaris, the two of them eyeballing the fuck out of each other. There wasn’t a huge difference in their heights; Asher was actually a little more muscled than Sonaris’s lankier frame, but Asher was only a demigod. Badass as all fuck, but taking on the god of the seas…
I could not let him get hurt.
“If we open the gates, what’s to stop us from controlling the Hellbringers and killing you all?” I asked casually.
Neither of them looked remotely concerned. I was definitely going to have to up my threat game. “You can’t just kill a god,” Lotus said with a smirk. “If you did, you’d have to figure out how to contain the energy we release. If it’s not contained, the world will destruct under the power.”
Axl stood suddenly, pen and paper jerking with him. “The calculations on killing the mother of all is astronomical,” he said swiftly. “How were you going to contain her energy?”
Sonaris’s smile grew. “The five of us will absorb it,” he said softly. “They needed me because I am one of the strongest gods to ever live.”
“And you wanted a mate in return?” I said with a snort of annoyance.
He nodded. “Yes. You see, my sire is the father of all that resides below. The dark to the mother’s light. The ocean makes up most of this world—I have power beyond your understanding. Despite that, I have never found a mate.”
Asher’s family was the mother of all, Sonaris’s was the father of all below. And I was supposedly both their mates.
I was totally screwed.
46
Lotus, apparently having exercised all the patience she had, slammed her hands on Louis’s barrier. Her eyes went extra wide when it held against her blast.
She watched Louis the way one watches a predator in the wild. “Hmmm, you’ve surprised me, mortal.”
Louis still looked lazily relaxed, and I definitely wanted to be him when I grew up. Of course, there was only so much he could do, especially when Sonaris joined in, sending his magic into the barrier. Louis’ held on for five minutes, and I was pretty sure he had more than a little god in his DNA.
When the barrier crashed, Asher, Connor, and I stepped front and center. We were far less breakable than our friends. “We won’t hurt them if you just come with us,” Lotus said, already well aware of our weaknesses.
The sounds of fighting continued around us, and it was only a matter of time before the other gods came to us. “Okay,” I said softly.
I felt Asher and Connor stiffen next to me. Neither of them argued though. “Promise our friends will not be hurt. Allow Louis to open a step-through and escape, and we will go with you.”
“Maddison, no!” Ilia shouted. I ignored her.
“We can’t beat them,” I reminded everyone. “This is our only option.”
“I agree,” Lotus interrupted. “You have my word.”
A step-through appeared in front of us and she waved her hand. “This will take your friends anywhere they want to go. Just think of the location and you’ll be there.”
“Maddison,” Louis said in warning, but I couldn’t turn to him, I was too busy keeping my eyes on the gods in front of us. Besides, he was about to be a father. I would not risk him either.
My voice croaked. “Please get them to safety. Please. For me.”
He still hesitated, but then cursed. “I’ll take them outside the gates. I’ll be back for you, don’t do anything.”
Everyone started to protest, but Louis was too strong, and as his power wrapped around them all, he yanked them through the step-through. If we lived through this, Ilia was going to kick our asses.
