Chosen (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-three

K
yana had been so close to telling Ryker what she might be feeling for him and was still quite unsettled that the notion had come to her at all. Love Ryker? Did she truly? Or had it merely been her desire for him and the tenderness of the moment that had prodded those thoughts? She certainly didn't want to confess something as major as love only to discover later that it had been false. The last thing she wanted was to be the cause of more heartbreak for—

“Ryker!”

Ares's booming voice shook Kyana's temple, delivering the blessed interruption to her thoughts she'd needed. She tried to pry herself out of Ryker's hold, afraid Ares would barge in and catch them like this. But Ryker held her tight, pulling her so she was forced to lie pressed against his chest.

“He's had enough of my evening,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “He can wait.”

The bellow sounded again. Closer this time.

“With what's going on, we can't ignore him.”

With a heavy sigh, Ryker released her and Kyana stood on shaky legs to redress herself in an apricot chiton. She'd just finished magically applying golden sandals to her feet when the doors to her private sitting room burst open.

“Have you lost your bloody mind?” Geoffrey's voice boomed from the other room. “First time I've closed my eyes in days and you storm through shouting about like a lunatic!”

A half second later, her bedroom door burst open and Ares charged inside, bloodred cape billowing behind him.

Still naked, Ryker unashamedly stood and zapped his clothing back into place before turning to face his father.

“This is not your temple, Ares,” he barked.

Ares's gaze was hard, and the tenseness in his stance set Kyana at unease. “Has something happened?”

“I've already sent word to everyone. The council is meeting
now
.”

“What's going on?” Kyana's heart raced. If Ares was worried enough to move the council meeting up several hours, something big must have happened since he'd left her temple.

Fingering the hilt of the sword on his hip, Ares backed out of the room slowly. “Ready yourselves,” he said. “Cronos is making his way here even as we speak.”

W
hispered discussions reverberated throughout Ryker's council room as Kyana, Haven, Geoffrey, and Ryker made their appearance. They'd wasted no time in rushing back to Ryker and Zeus's temple, Ares's words leaving no room for talk among themselves. But if what the god had said was true, everything they'd been afraid of was about to come down upon their heads. Some in this room—if not all—were going to lose their lives today, and that thought alone kept Kyana somber and quiet as she took her seat between Ryker and Geoffrey at the long table.

Ares was already addressing the council, already being questioned by each and every deity who stepped into the room.

“Please,” he said, raising his hands in an effort to quiet the hall. “I'll try to answer all your questions, but for now, just know that my informant has assured me that Cronos is indeed marching in our direction as we speak. He's found a way to breach the portals to Below, and from there to here, Beyond.”

“Who is this informant? To know such things, he'd have to be close to Cronos! How can we trust such a person?”

The disembodied voice seemed to have hit the proverbial nail on the head with his question. Everyone shut up to hear the response.

“You can trust him because I say so!” Ares roared. His patience had obviously been pushed to the limit, his cheeks red, the veins in his neck bulging and purple. Then he pointed to the guards at the door and nodded. “Bring him in.”

The large doors of the throne room burst open and an eerie hush fell over the room. As one, the gods and goddesses stepped back like the parting of the seas, offering those at the council table a clear view of their intruder.

All thoughts of impending doom evaporated as Kyana found herself staring into Henry's eyes.

She tried to stand and failed. Instead, she gripped the edge of the table so tightly, her knuckles cracked under the pressure.

Her Sire stepped completely into the room.

“Dark Breed!” someone screamed, quickly followed by “The attack has begun!”

It seemed to Kyana as if everyone regained his senses at once and turned on Henry. The air crackled with electricity as weapons were unsheathed and Henry was encircled.

“Don't let them hurt him,” she breathed, looking to Ryker.

But before either of them could move to protect him, Henry held out his arms and spun in a slow circle. “Do you not wish to hear what I have to say?”

These people wanted to kill him. Wanted him to pay for all those marching toward them now. Yet there wasn't so much as a flicker of concern in his eyes. Was he counting on Ares to protect him now? Didn't he know how much Ares had always loathed him?

It was madness.

“Step away,” Ryker said, addressing the crowd. “Let him speak.”

Henry stopped at the raised dais and looked at Ryker. “Ares speaks the truth. War
is
heading your way.”

“We're aware of that.” Though his voice was calm, the stiffness in Ryker's body suggested he was anything but. “But which side of it are you on?”

Ares moved to stand beside Henry. His gaze on Ryker, he said, “He is on mine. On ours.”

Certain she was as white as the marble tabletop, Kyana was only able to emit a hoarse croak.

“What's going on, Ares?” Geoffrey demanded.

“Henry is the one who informed me of Cronos's approach.”

As he folded his arms over his chest, Zeus's ice blue eyes narrowed with suspicion. “And you believed him?”

“I did—and do.” Ares didn't back down from the scrutiny of his peers. He gestured to Henry. “He has been working to defy Cronos since he was raised from his grave. I believe that proves his allegiance, and for it, he has mine.”

“He is a Dark Breed,” someone seethed from near the door.

Kyana shook off her shock as anger revitalized her. “So was I,” she said. “As was Geoffrey. This man is my Sire and you will treat him with respect unless given reason to do otherwise.”

“Thank you, daughter,” Henry said, turning his back to her and facing the crowd. “But the only thing these people need to hear today is my advice to pull every member of the Order you can reach here to Olympus, because this is where Cronos means to have his battle.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Zeus twitch beside Ryker. He obviously had something he wanted to say and was finding it difficult to leave the podium to Ryker. He caught her staring, and his jaw tensed as the soft skin beneath his eye twitched with annoyance.

“You have something you wish to say, Zeus?” she asked.

The old god stood and rested his weight against the table, his white robes blending in with the marble all around him. “Why, in our names, should we call every member of the Order here to Olympus and leave the rest of the world unprotected on the word of a Dark Breed? Or perhaps that is the goal here? To leave another place weakened based on a false threat to our mountain? Please, Dark Breed. Give us one good reason why we would heed any warning you might deliver.”

“Because,” Ares said, motioning for Henry to follow him onto the dais where they could peer over the crowd. “Henry speaks for me now. He is my Chosen.
He
is the new God of War.”

Chapter Twenty-four

G
rateful to have been already seated, Kyana struggled to still the tremors in her legs and arms. She could see Ryker arguing with his father. Ares wasn't fazed by the anger coming off his son like a sunburst. The ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing what they were saying, but truly, she wasn't sure she even cared.

Henry.

The God of War.

“You never wanted to join the Order before,” she accused, not sure why she was having such a difficult time wrapping her mind around this announcement.

Henry met her gaze. “I never had anything to offer before.”

“And you do now?”

“Yes.”

He said nothing more, instead turning his attention to the argument still raging between Ryker and his father. Kyana took a deep breath, ready to stop their bickering. There were more important matters right now. Their power struggle was going to have to wait.

“. . . can't just lay something like this on her,” Ryker was saying. “You could have warned her. You had plenty of time.”

“He only decided to take my offer this morning. I wasn't going to say anything until I knew for sure. Your opinions wouldn't have swayed me—it is my right to pick
my
Chosen, so I found someone worthy of the title I wanted to bestow
on you
.”

“Worthy?” Kyana asked, a sudden rush of anger curbing her desire to shut them up. “You sent tracers out to kill him. You ordered his death!”

“He broke our laws when he turned you and had to be punished for his actions.”

“So what has changed?” Ryker asked. “He is still now what you hated then.”

“Henry was raised by Cronos and was able to not only go against the dark god, but to survive it. That takes enormous strength and proved to me that he's capable of containing the power that comes with being the next God of War. More than that . . .” Ares looked at Kyana. “His loyalty to
you
makes him loyal to the Order of Ancients.”

“He was
always
loyal to the Order, damn it. He may not have been an official member but . . .” Kyana said. “You were just too—”

“Pigheaded to notice. Yes, I am aware of my faults, Kyana. It seems getting to know other
Dark Breeds
has swayed my opinion that they aren't all the same.”

Was that a compliment? Kyana snapped her mouth closed, unsure how to respond.

“You do realize I'm standing right here?” Henry said, his jaw giving a slight tic.

“They tend to do that,” Haven muttered.

Kyana shot her a warning look, and Haven rolled her eyes and settled herself on the bench.

“He's a Novus—not a mere Dark Breed,” Ryker hissed. “One of
Cronos's
risen. We don't know that he can be trusted.”

“Yes,” Kyana said, smiling up at Ares. “We do.” Turning to Ryker, she placed her palm flat against his chest. “I trust him with my life.”

“We can discuss trust later,” Henry said, pulling all eyes back to him as he held out his hand to Kyana.

He looked so much stronger than the last time she'd seen him. The blackness was completely gone from his eyes, the mossy green shade she'd once known so well returned.

Her Sire. The God of War.

Holy shit in a Tartarus toilet.

Standing on shaking legs, she took Henry's hand.

“Cronos's numbers are no longer a problem.” Henry gestured for the door. “I wish to show you something.”

He led Kyana out of Ryker's temple. The bright moon lit up the acres surrounding the mountain and a soft gasp escaped her as she peered into the night. There wasn't a single square of grass left to be seen, every inch occupied by a body shining in silver armor and red cloaks. From the steps of the temple, a sea of heads disappeared over the horizon, their numbers far too many to count.

“What the hell?” She stepped farther outside to stand between Ryker and Henry. “Who are they?”

“My army,” Henry said. “In service to the Order of Ancients.”

As Kyana took in the decrepit faces staring back at her, her heart hammered with understanding. Cronos hadn't been the only one digging up graves. No, the souls missing from Atropos's domain had been raised by Henry. Brought here by Henry.

Past presidents, generals, czars, and soldiers. Farmers, peasants, wives, and fathers. They were massive in numbers and ready to fight for good, just as they had in life.

“How did you do this?” Kyana whispered in awe.

“The same way Cronos did.”

“You extracted some kind of vow in order to get them to serve you?”

“No, they've joined the Order of their own free will. When I explained why I'd interrupted their sleep, they willingly offered their skills.”

“Holy hell,” a voice said behind Kyana. She looked over her shoulder to find Silas staring bug-eyed at the scene in front of him. “We just might stand a chance.”

Kyana squeezed Henry's hand, a bubble of joy building until she couldn't contain it. Henry was a Chosen. She wouldn't have to lose him to some Vampyre hunter again. Nor would she have to fear the Order demanding he be hunted down and killed. He would be here with her, on Olympus, for all eternity.

For the first time since Haven raised Cronos, Kyana felt a wave of relief and hope that they might not be doomed after all.

She looked up to find Ryker grinning from ear to ear.

“Henry,” he said, “welcome to Olympus.”

R
yker led the group to the armory beneath his temple and opened the massive wall of weapons for the others to see.

“Take what you're able to use, but no more. I want to make sure everyone is armed,” he said, passing two of his guards a box of little blue spheres that lit up the otherwise dark armory.

Beside him, Kyana stared up at the wall, her face haloed in the blue light making her look positively stunning. The frustration and determination on her face made him smile. Gods, he fell harder for her every damned day. He'd never in his life met anyone with as much tenacity as she, and could think of no one he'd rather have fighting at his side, or anyone he wanted to protect from the fight so badly.

“What are those?” she asked, running her finger over one of the spheres.

“Ambrosia casings.” He lifted an orb and twisted it, and the blue light immediately turned bright pink as he revealed the thick liquid inside. “For weapon coating.”

She raised a black eyebrow at him and pursed her lips together. “Is that smart? Having weapons on the field coated with this stuff? If one of Cronos's lackeys gets their hands on it, they have a good chance of using it on one of us.”

“They'll keep one coated weapon on them at all times in case they have the opportunity to use it on Cronos. But for the majority of the fight, they'll be using silver-plated arms.”

He slipped his hand to her lower back and ushered her from the room to give others the space to grab the weapons of their choice. Upstairs, they found Ares and Artemis sitting at the long table below the dais where his throne sat.

Feeling the light touch of fingers on his arm, he turned to see Kyana looking worriedly up at him. “What can I do?”

Kyana never waited for instruction or asked permission for anything. That she was doing so now suggested she was far more afraid than she'd ever admit.

If he didn't know that she was completely focused, his own ass would be in serious trouble, because there was no way in hell he'd be able to keep his head in the game.

He wanted badly to pull her into his arms and reassure her that everything was going to be all right, but he couldn't. He didn't know what was going to happen to all of them, and wouldn't lie to her.

“Just survive, Ky. That's all I need you to do.”