“Fuck!” she yelled as she slid from the desk, hands fisting into her eyes as if she could rub hard enough to wake from the dread. Pressure built in her chest, and it was not something she could afford to deal with. Nyx focused on her breathing to calm her restless mind. She was scrappy. Driven. Stubborn. The cardshad been stacked against her since birth, but nothing had ever brought her down. She’d be damned if that disgusting dirt bag would be the first.
Determination steeled her frame as she turned to the cracked door. He wanted to dabble in nightmares? Fine. By the end of the road, she’d make sure he was the one begging to break the bond.
Her footsteps were quick and sure as she raced toward the door. She would find that fucking God of Chaos and force the bastard to Erebos even if it meant dragging him by the flaccid dick. Imagining stepping foot into Erebos made her skin crawl, but it wasn’t a thought she could afford to dwell on. Evangeline needed her. The land of eternal darkness behind the rising sun was where the monsters roamed, and even the worst of her kind were afraid to show their faces there.
Nyx burst through the door frame and stopped mere inches across the threshold. The air grew heavier and the dim candelabra lining the walls flickered. Static clung to her skin as the fine hairs stood on end. Even the plastic strands of the wig rose. Something was coming. Her instincts begged her to run, but her heart kept her studded silver heels firmly planted. She had to find Chaos. Her promise to keep Evangeline and the others safe would not be broken tonight.
Without a second thought, Nyx turned and ran toward where the power felt heavier. She would bet her last good bra that it was coming from the Father of Chaos himself. Nyx made it halfway down the hall before a thundering crack resounded through the island. The quake took her to her knees, her body crumpling into an ungraceful heap as her face slammed into the unforgiving marble. The first impact stole her breath, but the second?
It left her nearly unconscious.
A black figure fell directly out of the shadows housed beneath the lights and crashed on top of her prone form. If her nose hadn’t been broken before, it definitely was then. Nyx was stuck face down, arms pinned to the side as nausea rolled her stomach. Whoever was on top of her was heavy as fuck and if she weren’t so dizzy she may have been pissed.
A masculine groan rumbled across her back as two hands with pale skin and long fingers pressed into the floor on either side of her head. It was a small mercy when he lifted himself. Nyx took that moment to peel her broken nose off the rattling floor and suck down air.
It only took Nyx a few moments to gather her wits. She rolled into the pair of leather clad knees straddling her body, nearly toppling the stranger. Dancing black shoulders lunged to catch him, and Nyx swallowed back her surprise as she spat blood off to the side and blinked to clear her vision. Dust fell from the ceiling as the foundation of the building continued to rumble and quake. Nyx wasn’t sure what was happening, but she damn sure wasn’t going to stick around and find out. The stranger held his head and rubbed at his eyes as he tried to force his legs to stand. Was he experiencing vertigo too?
“Hey,” she said. “Can you get the hell off of me?” Would it matter? It wasn’t as if she could stand.
He stiffened as those pale hands lowered and her breath caught. Staring back was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. His symmetric features were amplified by a strong jawline and piercing blue eyes that held an ethereal glow. His jet-black hair was messy, but seemed as if each strand was placed by Chaos himself.
At that thought, her stomach sank.
Nyx tested the air with what small amount of chaos she had and fought the urge to cower when it brushed up against his pulsing shadows. The power rolling off of that man was endless.It spoke of imploding stars, the creation of galaxies and all of the darkness in between. The blood drained from her face and Nyx could have sworn that even her heartbeat slowed so as to not catch his attention.
Holy fucking Zeus.
Chaos.
“I– uh, I’m so–” she stuttered, words failing at every turn.
“I’m looking for a siren. She’s been held captive here. Have you seen her?” His voice was smooth like dark chocolate after a shot of ambrosia.
Time slammed to a halt along with her brain. She couldn’t speak. Couldn’t breathe as the world shook around them. That annoyingly handsome face searched the hall as what she could have sworn was concern etched his brow. Surely to Hades a being like Chaos didn’t feel concern for anything. While she was thinking about it, why was he at Club Hel in the first place?
“You will escort him to that tragic little town of yours and feed him some bullshit sob story about your crumbling slice of Olympia.”The Devil’s deep, cloying voice filtered through her mind.
Chaos grunted and didn’t spare her a second glance as he shoved off from the floor and started down the hall.
“And If I fail? If I can’t get Chaos to Erebos?”
“If he doesn’t make it to Erebos, she will kill me. Do you understand Nyx? If I die, Epiales will kill Evangeline and burn your little run-down village to the ground ”
Time started back at breakneck speed and Nyx forced her body to stand as the one person who could save Evangeline walked away.
“Wait!” she yelled after him.
He stopped but didn’t turn.
“I, uh–” Her voice faltered as a broken plan formed on her tongue. “I know where she is. The Siren? I know where he keepsher.” Nyx made a leap of faith assuming that it was the Devil keeping the siren.
If he wasn’t? She was completely and irrevocably fucked.
His head swiveled just enough that the dim lighting cast his profile in shadows, making his illuminated blue eyes even more neon.
“Do not lie to me.” His monotone voice was quiet, but the undercurrent of menace laced beneath those words made her lip tremble.
“I’m not lying.” Her reply was breathy and broke at the end.Way to go, dumbass. That was really convincing.
