I was fast, and no one had caught me by the time I reached the next door. I didn’t know if I needed all three of us to open it again, but I was going to see if I could do it alone.
Reaching for the blade, I sliced across my palm, slamming my hand against the door. It swung open with ease, and I wondered if I’d even needed the blood or not. There had been no resistance there. I ran through, no real plan in mind. I wasn’t sure if I’d run into the Hellbringers or the Atlanteans first. Were other gods trapped down here? I had no clue of anything. All I knew was that I had to keep moving and hoping a solution to our little god problem would present itself.
The white hallway continued past the last door, and then suddenly it ended. I skidded to a halt right on the edge, almost tumbling over. Chills raced down my spine as I teetered, nothing but rocky darkness below.
What was down there?
Was it the Hellbringers?
There was no way for me to know, except if I … jumped.
“Hold on, little goddess,” a smooth voice said as an arm wrapped around my waist and hauled me back. “You won’t survive that drop. Not yet. You’re still awakening your powers.”
Spinning, I shoved Sonaris away. “Don’t fucking touch me, numb nuts, or I’ll cut you.”
He smiled, perfect white teeth flashing. “Fate chose well for me.”
I looked for Asher, because the only way he hadn’t followed me was if he was detained or hurt. The thought sent panic racing through me, and even though I finally found him a minute later, fighting in the previous doorway, I didn’t feel any better about it.
He was taking on gods. He was taking on his mother.Shit!
“Asher!” I shouted, and his head jerked around, which allowed someone to get their hands around his throat.
My feet were moving, but Sonaris wasn’t going to let me go that easily. He reached for me again, and I slashed out with my power, hoping to knock him back over the edge.
He didn’t move. “You’re not ready for this,” he told me, staring closely. “I see it now. You’re not ready for your fate or for what will happen should the Atlanteans rise and the Hellbringers return.”
I swallowed roughly. “What will happen?”
Another chuckle. “Like I said, little goddess, you’re not ready. But one day, one day very soon, you will be.”
I wanted to push him harder, but my eyes were locked in horror on the dark red blood spattering across the white walls. Asher and Connor were just holding their own, fighting back to back, but the gods were hurting them.
“Help me,” I begged, willing to do anything to save them. “Please.”
Sonaris regarded me with a look I couldn’t interpret. “Why should I help you?”
I slapped him. It was a reflex and I greatly regretted it, because he was my only hope, but I was beyond reasoning. “You’re supposed to be my mate,” I screamed. “If you ever want me to stop fighting you over that, you better start proving that you fucking deserve me.”
I was lying. I would never in a billion years be his mate. I’d actually die first. But he didn’t need to know that. Asher and me living to fight another day was all I cared about.
For once, Sonaris wasn’t smiling, but he also didn’t hit me back. “How about we make a deal,” he said with soft menace.
Like I had a choice.“What deal?”
And his smile was back. “I’ll give you all a temporary reprieve by locking the gods in here. It won’t hold them forever, but it’s the best I can offer. It will give you time.”
“Okay,” I pushed, my voice breathless. “And what do you want in return?”
“A favor,” he said simply. “A simple favor that I can call on you anytime for.”
This was a terrible idea. I knew that better than I knew anything. But again, I had no choice.Live to fight another day.
“If you promise that Asher, me, and Connor, plus all of my friends and family remain safe from you, and that this favor will not be to hurt anyone I love, then it’s a deal,” I said.
Annoyance creased his brow for a minute before his face smoothed out. “Deal.”
The lights flickered out, and the hallway went dark.
