“Kill THEM!” Zeus roared, hooking a hand under my armpit, dragging me back to where he’d placed two high-backed chairs. “For us to enjoy the show.”
Cronus stepped forward as the gods pulled out their shields and the Titans flanked behind him. “Me and my brethren will kill every last one of you if that’s what it takes!” Cronus warned them. “Doing so will destroy Earth and her humans. Any lovers or children you have there will be gone too.”
A swirl of anxiety and fear rumbled through the gods. Cronus’ threat was settling deep inside of them. They hadn’t thought this through at all; Zeus clearly expected that all he would have to do was put me in danger and then Cronus would surrender. They’d forgotten how lethal Cronus could be when I was threatened. His instinct was to fight and kill, and Zeus was so arrogant he hadn’t quite figured out that I was his weapon against Cronus. Kill me and he would destroy the Titan.
Eventually, the desire he had for this child wouldn’t be outweighed by his hatred for Cronus, and then he would use his power on me. I had to escape before then.
Cronus stepped forward, looking scary as fuck, his entire body made of electricity. “This is your final chance. Kneel to me now.”
Zeus started to squirm in his seat beside me, and then one by one the gods began to fall to their knees under the mammoth power of the Titans.
Zeus shook with rage, bolting from his seat beside me and into the center of the dirt field. “Cowards!” he bellowed.
The kneeling gods parted as Zeus tried to attack Cronus again, lost in his rage and anger. Before he even realized what had happened, he was surrounded by a circle of Titans, his backup all but gone.
Rhea stepped forward, tears in her eyes. “Goodbye, son.”
Zeus looked at his mother, and in that moment of distraction, Cronus tackled Zeus to the ground. The kneeling gods scattered like bowling pins, and with a rush of power, most of them vanished, deserting their leader. Now it was just Zeus and Cronus, eleven Titans forming a tight circle around them.
My breath hitched as I watched the men trade blow for blow. It looked like Cronus was just letting some anger out, playing with him. Zeus was being pounded into the ground, his face a sack of bloody meat, when a torrential downpour of water dropped right over top of them. The force of the water knocked Cronus to the side and cut off his lightning power, turning him from laughing Titan into flesh and blood Titan.
Did Cronus need to be dry for the power to work … and did Zeus know that?
“You always lorded your power over all of us!” Zeus screamed, blood and spittle flying everywhere.
Cronus stood, shaking off the water. “And you always were ungrateful for the gifts your mother and I gave you. No more will we protect you.”
Technically, Zeus was Hyperion's son, and technically I was almost certain everyone knew the truth, but that was neither here nor there right now. Fear flashed on Zeus’ face and then he blinked away. Gone.
Cronus blinked away too and I ran my way over to Hyperion, wanting to be with the Titans. Cronus zapped back in, holding Zeus by the neck. “No more running!” he declared as a heavy wind rushed through the space, sending my hair out in a million directions. “Your time of judgement is now.”
With one yank, Cronus pulled Zeus’ arm right off. Bile rose in my throat and I turned away as Cronus continued his mission, tearing Zeus limb from limb.
Lightning bolts, powerful and harsh, rained down, but they were no trouble for the Titan, and when the god’s head hit the ground, I closed my eyes for a long moment. When I opened them again, Cronus swam into view then, covered in blood.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked in a rush, using his power to open my cuffs. They clattered to the floor and I shook my head. Around us, the Titans were lowering the pieces of Zeus into open gaps in the ground, each a different spot, and each had energy placed over it.
“I’m okay.” My voice shook. “I’m just so glad it’s over.”
Cronus brushed a hand over my cheek. “It’s not over yet.”
My gaze snapped in his direction. “What?”
Cronus placed two hands on either side of my shoulders. “I can’t let Zeus live.”
My brow furrowed in confusion. “You just killed him.”
Cronus nodded. “And now I must go to the underworld and fight his soul so that he has no chance of ever being resurrected.”
Oh fuck. The underworld again?
“But you said gods can’t be resurrected.”
Cronus shrugged. “Anything is possible with magic, and I don’t trust that someone like Narida won’t find a way.”
I gulped. “So … the underworld. Again?”
He nodded, reaching out a hand. “Come with me. Thanatos can keep an eye on you.”
