Nya chewed on her lip. “Why haven’t the principals done anything? They must know.”
Imeria expression darkened. “Our guess is that Sol still has an iron grip on the council. Kronos may have been king, but Sol was the one who gave him power in the first place—and that choice was not made on a whim. Kronos was all powerful, but in many ways, Sol was his puppeteer. Not to mention, when Kronos was destroyed, the council was already so divided, they practically rallied around Sol just to maintain some semblance of peace.”
“I thought they were only divided because of Kronos?”
“Some of them.” Imeria snorted. “But Bella hasalwayshated Nyx, ever since she married Thanatos. The rumor, which I’m sure Bella herself has been tirelessly facilitating for the last several centuries, is that Nyx stole Thanatos from her. Vulcan sided with them, especially after he became convinced Sol had his mortal lover killed.”
Without thinking, Nya said, “She died of illness.”
“Ah,” Imeria said with a nod. “I forgot. Your father’s mother, right?”
Nya blinked away the burning in her eyes. She would not think of her parents right now. It would destroy her to think of what they must be feeling.
“Yes,” she forced out.
“I’d venture to guess Sol orchestrated something there,” Imeria said. “I’d also bet if Sol knew about your father at the time, he would have been killed too.”
“But…why?”
“Who knows for sure. Juno, Janis, Bella, and Sol himself all have had plenty of mortal lovers, and hundreds, if not thousands, of demi-god bastards to account for the affairs. ButI do know Vulcan never took on another lover after her, and he never had any other children. Perhaps Sol did not like that a god as powerful as Vulcan had that kind of devotion to a mortal.”
“But Sol never went after my parents after they destroyed Kronos,” Nya said quietly, glancing at Imeria. “Why?”
Imeria sighed heavily. “I think…IknowKronos was becoming harder for Sol to control. Sora and Vane did him a favor, though I’m sure he would never admit it. The principals love letting others clean up their messes for them.”
Nya let the words sink in for a long moment, thinking of Juno’s cryptic words and the way Nyx and Thanatos practically waited for her parents to come up with a solution to the mess they were in. The principals were the most powerful beings in this world, and yet…yet Kronos, who was now thought of by most as a tyrant, had not been defeated until Nya’s parents stepped in. And that wasafterthey had already suffered greatly at the hands of the god-king.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Nya murmured, eyes on the horizon.
Imeria lifted a shoulder. “I am. The more you keep your eyes open here, the more you’ll realize the truth is not simple, nor does it paint a very pretty picture of the council.”
Nya swallowed against the tightness in her throat, though the feeling of panic returned almost immediately as she saw a flicker of movement cresting over one of the faraway peaks. Then, there came another, just before the horizon shimmered, thickened, and turned the same opaque shade of silver as Morgen’s portal had yesterday.
“Imeria?” Nya whispered, eyes wide.
The demi-god was already to her feet, grabbing her wrist and dragging her back in through the tunnel as she bellowed, “Storm approaching!”
Nya’s breath was uneven, but she forced herself to say, “I don’t think it’s a?—”
“Get her below.”
Nya whirled, finding Morgen a few paces away, calmly strapping on dark armor. The material of the metal almost looked burned; forged by dragon fire, she realized.
“What’s happening?” Nya asked, her heart pounding as the hallway suddenly flooded with soldiers. It had taken all of a minute for them to mobilize, half of them already in armor and carrying heavy spears and swords, as well as huge crossbows.
Carus appeared behind Morgen, flashing her a grim smirk. “They rejected our terms, apparently, and now, they’re here for you.”
Her stomach dipped, and she shook her head. “No… You can’t—my parents will be with them.”
“I’m sure,” Morgen said, flexing his left hand.
“Morgen.Please, don’t?—”
But he swept past her, ignoring her plea and ordering in a short voice, “Donotlet her leave, Imeria.”
He didn’t wait to see what Imeria said. Nya set her jaw, gaze flicking back to the demi-god, who was still trying to pull her away from the tunnel entrance.
“Nya, you need to come with me,” she urged.
